Blessed with the Plan.

This didn't send last week for some reason.

How grateful we are for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. Our dear investigator, the mother of the recent convert, Rita, who was the one to let the church meet in here building for what at first we told her was just 2 weeks, which turned out to be about 2 months. She went out and helped the church look for land to build a chapel for no reward of her own. We were just getting to the point where we could teach her well. She passed to the other side of the veil this Saturday evening. This happened to me once before and it is never easy. But already we have gotten to teach Plan of Salvation to some of the family members and the Spirit is so much stronger. 

We are teaching a extremely old man named Tony Antwi (to show how old he his, one day Ill get a picture of his teeth. They can be counted on one hand) We ran into him during his daily exercise walks and he told us he had a Book of Mormon and wanted to know more about it. This is no normal Book of Mormon. Printed in 1924 by one of the break offs founded by Wm. Bickerton. Their headquarters (100 years ago) was a log cabin somewhere in Pennsylvania. I got him to switch it with me for a much better copy.

We will be having a baptism this week, completing part member families. We have been having a good patern over the last few months. Baptise the father one month and the rest of the family, wife and kids, the next month. So we are planning for 2 wives and 5 kids, for this week Saturday, 28 March. 

We finally got sign boards for the Church. On Sunday, we met 3 new solid members of the church happy to come back to activity. There was even a man that had been being taught by the missionaries a while ago and came on Sunday and said he wants to be baptized. 

How happy I am for my family to be able to be together forever. What a blessing that is. It gives me so much more joy to give that same joy to families I  have grown to love so much. Love this work so much.

Elder Dube - yes, one of the two African 70s NBD

This week, we got to see the celebration of 6 March Independence day here in Dunkwa. For the last 6 months, every on has been talking up how big of a deal Dunkwa takes 6 March. And it was true, in the morning literally every person in the town came to a football pitch and different groups marched and the people screamed and shouted and said unnecessary things. The real party apperently happened after the sun went down accross the street at the drinking spot. The normal light din emintating from there at night was replaced by a window/ bed shaking uproar that lasted well into the night. 

Also, 7 March appears to be National Hangover day. In the morning, the streets were EMPTY. Too much celebrating the independence of Ghana. No wars. No fighting. But plenty Drinking.

We were also lucky to have Elder Edward Dube to come and speak to us. On the way down, we stopped at Kakum National park (for my 3rd time...) You can do the math your self. 2:30 from Dunwkwa to Praso. 1:30 to Kakum and 1:30 back to Praso. District leaders and Zoneleaders left that evening, 2 hours to sleep the night in Cape Coast. Next day the 2 hours back up to Praso, and didnt come in time to get a car back so had to sleep over at Praso. And then a 2:30 of terrible road back to Dunkwa. My head still hurts. Too much to add them up.

Elder Dube was one of the most happy and scripture afluent men I have ever met in my life. He instructed us 4 times in during the conference and he was almost hard to keep up with. Opening Old Testament and Book of Mormon, while flipping to Preach my Gospel and White Handbook and trying to take notes all at the same time. I learned so much from him. Two things I will be changing. First, he said that everyday before we leave the house my whole mission the Elders in the house say a prayer before we go out. He said that we should always pray on our knees at the door before we go.

Currently, I am searching through the misty fog of the New Testament, looking for the bits of truth left behind. I love the Book of Mormon and have already read it twice on mission. I figured I have read it enough on mission and will read it again when I go home. But now I must repent. He said since he went on a mission in 1985, he wakes up at 4 everyday and reads the Book of Mormon for 1 hour and other study for another hour. He says that it is fine to read other scripture as much as you want, but you should always dip your toe into the Book of Mormon EVERY DAY. I will be working on that.

We have hit over 100 every Sunday for the past few weeks.

Working hard. 

Baptism and Branch!!

What a great week! And the one we have been waiting for since we came to Dunkwa-on-Offin. After the five months we have been here with all the struggles and victories, finally, we are on the map.

Dunkwa-on-Offin Branch. We had a turn out over 100. We had to pause the program for a few minutes to be able to set up more chairs. We were packed like sardines but the spirit was there and we were lucky that the light came on about half way through. Blessings of God.

Saturday was our Baptism day. We prepared 6 for that day and all came but one had second thoughts and will be pushed to the next one. It was a Spirit filled day. Matilda, the one I mentioned who was begging to be baptised last time came up out of the water with the biggest smile on her face. I was so happy to see Lily and Andrews make that covenant after seeing them progress. After the baptism, all the Melchesidek priesthood holders waited after to be interviewed.

A miracle happened when the Zone leaders came to interview. Andrews could only meet us that night. So they came the night before and we went to see him... he wasnt there. He couldnt come home from work in time. We waited for some time and we had to go. It didnt look like he could be baptised this time. The next day while I was with Elder Etim from Nigeria we finished a lesson and to our shock, there was Andrews! He had a few minute window at work until he had to leave. We asked him

if he wanted to be baptised and he eagerly said yes. "Give us 10 minutes and you can." 10 minutes later all was finished and all was well.

Our Branch President newly called is a great man. President Eshun. He is ready to work and build the church!

We are still preparing many for next month! As time goes on we will see all the Lord has in store for Dunkwa!

Busily preparing for the baptism this coming week. It will be 6 for the whole district. On Friday, I went for the interviews in my past area. It is nice to hear people calling my name ;) Abeiku! I went there with two interviews planned. By the end of the day there was 3. A certain lady named Matilda has been coming to church for the last few months but has found it hard to meet with the missionaries because of her schedule. We went there just to teach her a lesson because her schedule was open. As we were teaching, knew all that we were teaching. She had been reading and studying on her own time and she knew all the information reviewed on in the baptismal interview. I had a clear impression that she needs to be baptized. I brought up baptism gave her a date for next month. She then got really sad and started begging to be baptized sooner. I read D&C 20:37. It gives a list of qualities the Lord looks for in baptismal candidates and then summarizes by saying that they "SHALL enter into the waters of baptism." She SHALL. who am I to stop it? I felt inspired again to extend to her baptism NEXT WEEK. If she fits all the qualities the Lord wants, she SHALL. 

Two of our investigators are best friends. Sule and Philip. They are  the ones that have been smoking weed, Philip, for 10 years and Sule for at least the past few. They have been waiting for a miracle to stop. We committed them to do a fast on Friday and we fast with them. The day after we told Philip, he told us that he was afraid of what would happen. He had heard how painful it was and it was not easy to stop. Previously, we had given him Alma 7 to read. As we discussed with him, verse 15 leaped of the page.

 15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.

That is inspiration. No vision. Just doing what feels right and it turning out to be a life changing moment for someone. He took a picture of it on his phone and set it as his wallpaper. I have faith he will stop.

The two we are preparing for this week is an older woman named Lily and a man Andrews. Both of them were basically cheating. From the first time coming to church, Lily felt like she was already a member. EVERYONE at church ALREADY knew her. Instant fellowshiping. A few weeks ago we committed her to pay tithing. "Lily, when you are baptized, will you pay a full tithing?" "Why should I wait to when I am baptized? I will start this week!!" You go, Lily.

And Andrews. He is the real cheat. We met him a few weeks ago and he came to church right away. He just moved from Sunyani where he had a baptismal date with the ward there. Because of work, he moved here and now BOOM. Free baptism. 

Small world. My companion might know Frieda Asante in my ward. Not just in my ward but my neighbor!! its a small world in Ghana. 

Burdens Made Light

You might think that the title has something to do with this weeks missionary work or how the Lord has helped lift burdens. It is true that He does lift spiritual burdens but like in Mosiah where he made the Nephites burdens light under the bondage of the Lamenites. I was praying for that burden liftage when we went to bush this week and helped a family collect fire wood. We spent about an hour collecting and cutting wood and trees to pieces. Then the lady made ropes out of palm fronds and split the wood into two and put one bunch on my head. Think. we just collected wood for an hour and HALF of it was on my head!! I never prayed so much for my 178430 pound burden to be made light for the 20 minute walk back to he house. I might be a few inches shorter vertebrae compressed together.

Also Shout out to Alexandra's birthday this week!

I met a man whilst on exchanges who asked amazing questions. Life long Catholic but did not agree on Trinity, Infant baptisms, clergy, and so many others. It was so nice to be able to speak the truth and have it all make logical sense. Can all this truth be really found in one place!! We had a very lengthy lesson with him and were very excited to see him again. Could be Golden? But there is always a catch. He doesnt stay in Dunkwa and lives across mission boundaries.

We had a district activity this week where all the missionaries in the district all met up in one area who was struggling and just contacted for a whole hour. In one hour we had tonnes of contacts and found 19 people who look promising. Who ever said we had to to the work by our selves?

In a lesson with a Young man who had previously had contact with the church in his secondary school said he had some concerns with the church. One was that dating starts at 16. He was shocked why it was so low. LOL different cultures.

We have a great investigator who is having some serious Word of Wisdom problems. Maryjuna, cigarettes, snuff.... yeah. not easy. But he is very self driven to stop. We did the math with him. The money he has spent on those things for the past 10 years could have bought him a few cares.... That freaked him out and he is more driven to stop. 

Keep the commandments if you do you can buy cars. 

The Gospel in every corner and clime!

Things are rolling as if it were cut without hands here!! We hit 3 digits at church reaching 101, after being here for 6 months, the Dunkwa Branch has been approved and things will be getting started soon!

A crazy miracle happened this week. A missionary was transferred here last few weeks from one of my old areas, Eshiem! It was great to hear how every one is doing there and the work is still going strong. I found out that the man I baptized there is now the Seminary teacher and will be going to the temple in the next few weeks! 

He also related to me a story how he was with my old friend, the Ward Mission Leader, Ebeneezer when he was leaving telling him that he was coming here to Dunkwa-on-offin and he didn't believe it. He said it couldn't be possible because his father has been here for years and he knows the Church was not here. But this missionary told him how it was just opened and it is a new place. He came with Ebenezer's number when he was transferred here. 

Weeks past and the guy called him telling him that he will be coming to Dunkwa this week to visit! So he came, first day wanted to proselyte with us! He showed us to the house of his father who was so happy to hear the church being here and came this Sunday! Ebeneezer came and in 3 days  gave us like 5 referrals, all who look like they will progress very well! 

The Lord's Work.

I got to talk to Mission President this week and told him of how things are going here. I told how we just hit 100 people at church and this new place only has enough room for 120. So small time, we will be to big. He gave the go to LOOK FOR LAND! Only 6 months and already they want us to look for a place to build a chapel!

I have now first hand been able to see the formal traditions in Ghana. We are so lucky that the equivalent to Governor of the county is a strong member of the church. He has a lot of pull in the local government. He took us round to day to meet the Dunkwa Chief, the Dentrya tribe Chief and local Municipal Chief Executive. We went to all of them and formally introduced the church's presence and and the desire to build a chapel here. It was kind of nerve wracking to be with all they big big men, but they were all very happy to have the famous Latter day Saints in their town. So small time now. 

Things go so fast when there is faith. This is the fastest growing place in the mission only because the faith of the members is strong and they have the desire for the gospel to reach every corner.   

Oh yeah. And I had to preside at church on Sunday and no one giving the talks showed up so I had to improvise the whole program on the spot. Not easy.

Thinking

This was a great week but it went so fast that I forgot all that happened. 

I have been thinking very much about hope to explain the concept of the priesthood to people who think that authority af God is given to all who the Holy Spirit comes to. Authority of God is a tangible key given from Man to man according to the revelation of God. God is the only one who has the power and authority to give a forgiveness of sins. He gave that power to his Only Begotten Son by which he also could for give his fellow men of their sins. For example in Matt 9 When the man had to be lowered down from the roof on his bed because he lay sick of Palsy, Christ says, "Be of good cheer , thy sin are forgiven thee." The scribes didn't believe and he told them "For whether it is easier to say thy sins are forgiven thee; or ti say Arise and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins. 'Arise and take up thy be and go unto thy own house." No man today in his right mind can claim to have that authority by which the Son of man had to forgive sins of another man. But it was that same authority he gave to his chosen twelve to "bind on earth and to bind in heaven" It was that authority that through the names of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost a repentant man can step into the waters of baptism and have his sins be washed away as if the Savior had said the words himself to "Be thou clean." Now the question is, Can any "man take the honor upon himself?" Can a genuinely good man start a church or claim himself to be a prophet and honestly think that Jesus Christ has given him the keys of Salvation by which baptism is made valid. Except by the laying on of hands in the similitude of Christ himself, or his chosen Apostles of even as Moses of old? 

"We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy and by the laying on of hand by those who are in authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof."

That's all that has happened this week.