Ghana be the Best Two Years: Mission Life

The work is going so well here in Agona. We had yet another baptism this week. His name is Benjamin and he is a miner. His job is he runs down a really deep hole, lights a piece of dynamite and gets out as fast as he can before it goes off. I just hope he has a chance to be a new convert without being blown to pieces. We can pray. He also can rap… in Fante. So you may or may not be hearing about the Ghanaian and LDS Missionary rapping and beatboxing about the gospel. It happened.

Elder Harris and I are going strong. Wake up, get to work, eat fufu, keep working, go to bed and repeat. It’s the good life though. There is nothing else I would want to do. For the month of July, we should be having 4 more baptisms and 4 or 5 more in the works. I am so blessed to be in a place where the people have been prepared for me to come. So Blessed.

I have had some interesting food experiences here in Ghana. Shark, snails, alligator and fish head to name a few. All of those have a very good reason why they are uncommon. They are truly weird.

One of the best parts about the missionary life is the time to study! The scriptures have never been so clear to me in my life and I read almost 10 chapters in the Book of Mormon a day. I started in the MTC and I got to 3 Nephi 11 today. This go around I have been tracking the pride cycle and how many times it loops. It is very interesting to see. I am glad that I am a part of the work and that I am not getting stoned and beaten when I go to the Lamanites… Once again. Blessed!

The teaching is going so well, sometimes up to 10 lessons a day. The highest I have had has been 12 in one day. It was so worth it. This past week I got to go to the beach and witnessed God heal a man (Helaman?) All and All it has been a good week.

Well I thank all those who have been reading my blog and I definitely feel the love. But I realized that I have not yet bared my testimony. I just want you to know that I have one. A wise man in the Book of Mormon once said some profound words, “Oh be wise, what can I say more?” (Jacob 6:12) Short. Sweet. And perhaps foundation to my testimony. It all rests on the word Wise. It doesn’t say “Smart” or “Knowledgeable,” it stresses Wisdom. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a wise way to live your life. “Don’t Kill.” Cool. “Have Faith.” Sweet. It just makes sense. The Almighty Creator, omnipotent father of the world who knows every person on this Earth loves me specifically. He has given me an opportunity to live with my family forever. He sent his only Begotten Son to die for me and a Comforter that can tell me the truth of all things. With a possibility of that being true, why wouldn’t you believe. For me, Elder Harrison Riehle, believe is not an adequate term. Know. I Know that I have left the comfort of my home and family to come to a foreign land where they don’t even usually speak the same language as me, for the Lord. He has a plan for me and who am I not to follow it? He wants me to be here where I can tell everyone the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and that the truth has been restored again to the Earth. The invitation is there for everyone. I love Ghana. I love the Church.

Scripture of the Week

1 Peter 2:17 "Honour all men. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King."

Baptism #3

I am helping our new convert Grace pound fufu.

The picture was taken while I didn't have the pestle, but you can see how it works. It is really tiring.

Benjamin has the tie in the middle. Benjamin has the tie in the middle. Everyone is either members or will be soon. Left to right Elder Harris, Harriet Mensah (Branch President's Daughter), Robert (owner of a bar... Working on teaching Word of Wisdom. Will be baptized next month), Benjamin, Brother Mensah (Branch 2nd Counselor), Joseph (Fixes tvs, will be baptized next month), Koby (Benjamin's senior brother, will be baptized soon), Daniel (Benjamin's apprentice, will be baptized next month), Delois (wife of man below her, Daniel, Will be baptized in August), Bottom. Felix (Branch Mission leader, working on his mission papers) and Daniel (husband of Delois) It's a sweet little ward, but they have to pay 3 Cedis to come to baptisms in Takoradi which is a big sacrifice. We are looking at a small river in Agona to baptize in and it just needs to be approved by the mission.