This week has been full of mixed emotions. I was very sad to say goodbye to Elder Eli on Tuesday at transfers, but what excited to get a Trainee. Elder Eli was transferred to a place Called Mamfe, and It's up in the Mountains. It's probably the prettiest place I've seen in Ghana so far so I'm jealous that he got to move up there. He white washed the area (white wash is where the companionship are both new to the area). He called me this week and told me that he already has 3 baptism dates! Its crazy the difference an hour and a half drive can make between two area's. I'm happy for him and sure he'll enjoy the rest of his time up in Mamfe.
My new companions is Elder Siafa and he is from Liberia. He is 24 years old and is a fairly new member to the church. He was baptized 2 years ago and was introduced to the church by his girlfriend. He has a small family with only 1 other younger sister and none of his family are members. He has been pretty quiet so far, but he has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and testifies really strongly to people that it's true. It really is exhausting training, but hopefully after training two people in a row President will assign me to be a junior companion. I've learned to really enjoy being the junior companion. When I go on exchanges with Elder Iyip and become the junior companion to him I'm able to listen and think a lot more about what the investigator is saying.
The teaching this week was interesting.. I got a call on Tuesday from a girl who said she read our pamphlet and wanted to learn more. I was Shocked!! I've passed out hundreds of pamphlets with our number on it and have never received a call from someone who said they read it and wanted to learn more. We went and taught her and it was a great lesson. That's when things started to get a little strange.. She called me after the lesson and said she wanted me to come back in the evening to teach her and I told her that we would come and then she requested that only I should come. I told her that it was impossible and she was okay with it. We went the next day to teach her and she was asking a lot of questions about dating and marriage which was strange, but I found it to be a good opportunity to teach law of chastity so that's what we did. She then called me that night and told me that she was deeply in love with me and was wondering if we could go on a date. I told her about missionaries and how we are here to serve only and we can't do that and that seemed to push her even more. She started to call me non stop and I decided it was best to start ignoring her calls. My district leader talked to her and told her I can't be in a relationship while on mission. It's been one of the funniest experiences I've had since I've been on mission and to make it even better, it was the first week for the new companion.
We also taught a older woman Named Dorothy and she read the whole plan of salvation pamphlet that we gave her. She had lots of questions on how she can go to the celestial kingdom. We taught her the Doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi 31 and she said " Wow I better get baptized before it's to late!" We were excited and explained to her the things she can do to prepare to be baptized. We're hoping to baptize her next month. Other then that most of our lessons weren't really amazing. I had an old drunk woman yell at me while I was teaching another person and then she joined the lesson and started to burp and smelt like alcohol.
My small spiritual thought is about prayers. I've been thinking about prayer and the importance and also more effective ways to pray. I believe that when we pray for things we shouldn't just ask God for it, but we should ask God for the Opportunity to receive it. And example would be patience. If I pray for patience, I'm not expecting God to give me patience, but I'm expecting him to bring an opportunity to me where I can exercise patience. After all, our purpose in this life is to gain experience ourselves, not for God to give it to us straight. I heard a really good example of prayer that says that when we are facing a mountain in our life, we shouldn't ask God to remove that mountain from our way, but we should ask him for the strength for us to get over it. If God removes that mountain for us, we will face that mountain again in the future and we won't gain that experience we were sent down to receive.
As I teach investigators we always ask them to read and pray. Most of them don't have a problem in the praying part, but they refuse to read. They say God will let me know if what the Book of Mormon is true whether or not I read it. I know that isn't the way God works. I know that if we want something in life whether it be knowledge, Christlike attribute, or a good career, that we have to do everything we possibly can and throughout the way pray to God for him to consecrate our work. God will make up for what we can not do, but we have to make the steps to accomplish what we want.
I forgot my camera at home so I'll send pictures next week!
Love you all!!
Elder Smith
My new companions is Elder Siafa and he is from Liberia. He is 24 years old and is a fairly new member to the church. He was baptized 2 years ago and was introduced to the church by his girlfriend. He has a small family with only 1 other younger sister and none of his family are members. He has been pretty quiet so far, but he has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and testifies really strongly to people that it's true. It really is exhausting training, but hopefully after training two people in a row President will assign me to be a junior companion. I've learned to really enjoy being the junior companion. When I go on exchanges with Elder Iyip and become the junior companion to him I'm able to listen and think a lot more about what the investigator is saying.
The teaching this week was interesting.. I got a call on Tuesday from a girl who said she read our pamphlet and wanted to learn more. I was Shocked!! I've passed out hundreds of pamphlets with our number on it and have never received a call from someone who said they read it and wanted to learn more. We went and taught her and it was a great lesson. That's when things started to get a little strange.. She called me after the lesson and said she wanted me to come back in the evening to teach her and I told her that we would come and then she requested that only I should come. I told her that it was impossible and she was okay with it. We went the next day to teach her and she was asking a lot of questions about dating and marriage which was strange, but I found it to be a good opportunity to teach law of chastity so that's what we did. She then called me that night and told me that she was deeply in love with me and was wondering if we could go on a date. I told her about missionaries and how we are here to serve only and we can't do that and that seemed to push her even more. She started to call me non stop and I decided it was best to start ignoring her calls. My district leader talked to her and told her I can't be in a relationship while on mission. It's been one of the funniest experiences I've had since I've been on mission and to make it even better, it was the first week for the new companion.
We also taught a older woman Named Dorothy and she read the whole plan of salvation pamphlet that we gave her. She had lots of questions on how she can go to the celestial kingdom. We taught her the Doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi 31 and she said " Wow I better get baptized before it's to late!" We were excited and explained to her the things she can do to prepare to be baptized. We're hoping to baptize her next month. Other then that most of our lessons weren't really amazing. I had an old drunk woman yell at me while I was teaching another person and then she joined the lesson and started to burp and smelt like alcohol.
My small spiritual thought is about prayers. I've been thinking about prayer and the importance and also more effective ways to pray. I believe that when we pray for things we shouldn't just ask God for it, but we should ask God for the Opportunity to receive it. And example would be patience. If I pray for patience, I'm not expecting God to give me patience, but I'm expecting him to bring an opportunity to me where I can exercise patience. After all, our purpose in this life is to gain experience ourselves, not for God to give it to us straight. I heard a really good example of prayer that says that when we are facing a mountain in our life, we shouldn't ask God to remove that mountain from our way, but we should ask him for the strength for us to get over it. If God removes that mountain for us, we will face that mountain again in the future and we won't gain that experience we were sent down to receive.
As I teach investigators we always ask them to read and pray. Most of them don't have a problem in the praying part, but they refuse to read. They say God will let me know if what the Book of Mormon is true whether or not I read it. I know that isn't the way God works. I know that if we want something in life whether it be knowledge, Christlike attribute, or a good career, that we have to do everything we possibly can and throughout the way pray to God for him to consecrate our work. God will make up for what we can not do, but we have to make the steps to accomplish what we want.
I forgot my camera at home so I'll send pictures next week!
Love you all!!
Elder Smith