What a blessed week to be in Ashtown
on the Kasoa side of the Ghana Accra West Mission! The work continues just as
strong as when we left off last week, here is what happened since then......
Tuesday- District meeting was
one of the best. We talked about the normal stuff like, family, cool stories
from the week, and numbers. I gave a lesson on teaching repentance to our
investigators better. Hopefully as they become better and draw closer to God
their conversion will be stronger and we won't get so many less actives. They
also got instruction and input from everyone's latest tactics for JWs and how
to deal with them in non-violent ways: for example -teaching from a number of
places in the OT, like Jonah we see God has to repent, which is not possible
and they realize that – this gives us a good time to bring in JST to them,
though they still hate the Book of Mormon, one day one day.
The rest of the
week was just like the other days. Teaching, riding, casting out devils,
getting them cast from us, the usual. Finding and tracking is getting hard for me
because it seems like I have been up and down and knocked every road, gutter,
shack, tepees, and village in my area. Yeah there are still lots of people to
be found but I'm getting tired here. Luckily Kasoa is still very fruitful with
a very white field in need of harvesting, even if I have to bike 15 km every
day to find that place.
Our French man is
doing really well and we were able to get him a French triple combination. We
missed him at Church but he did tell us he might be in Accra, though he would
find another ward there to attend on the weekend. We are planning his baptism
next month. Lots of other first time investigators showed up on Sunday, I few
we have never met so it gives us something to do this week. After the baptism
on Sunday I met Joseph (he is a RM and has been very helpful to Elder Ray and
the missionaries) and was introduced to his fiancée. Nice lady and I think the
two will be happy, sounds like they'll be staying here for a bit before he
tries his luck in the US.
Friday due to some mistranslation the
Zone Leaders came for our interviews, though it wasn't too big of a deal we
still were able to do the interviews and the family was already for Sundays
baptisms. Everything went as well as they could as we rushed the service a bit
before ward two’s Relief Society kicked us from the room. Elder Schoessow was
the Baptist and due to our Bishop’s absence I had to preside. It was really
wonderful seeing an entire family baptized at once. The father and the 2 oldest
boys with their sister, the youngest boy will get baptized next month when he
is 8, hopefully by his father.
Talking about that movie, Saratov Approach reminded me of an event that happened here just a few years back. I pair of missionaries were accused of rape (the charge was false) and sent to prison for nine months. Because they had gone against mission rules and hired a young girl to wash their clothes and didn't go out proselytizing, the government held them that long and demanded a huge amount from the Church as a bribe. Well be warned our Church doesn't deal with bribes like that, for different reasons like you said. Elder Dallin H Oaks visited during that time and gave a blessing that with fasting, prayers and faith the Elders would be released before the year’s end, which happened. Both Missionaries went on to continue and finish their missions. Obedience is the thing that keeps you safe!
Talking about that movie, Saratov Approach reminded me of an event that happened here just a few years back. I pair of missionaries were accused of rape (the charge was false) and sent to prison for nine months. Because they had gone against mission rules and hired a young girl to wash their clothes and didn't go out proselytizing, the government held them that long and demanded a huge amount from the Church as a bribe. Well be warned our Church doesn't deal with bribes like that, for different reasons like you said. Elder Dallin H Oaks visited during that time and gave a blessing that with fasting, prayers and faith the Elders would be released before the year’s end, which happened. Both Missionaries went on to continue and finish their missions. Obedience is the thing that keeps you safe!
There you have my week in
Ghana, Hot is the weather and sweet is the work. Transfers are in a few weeks
and these COULD be my last days in Kasoa( but I'm not saying anything) so I'm
doing my best to leave no regrets here and make Ashtown Confederation the place
where everybody wants to serve for 9 months. Sweet is the work and tastier are
the fruits of its blessings!
Much love and
Commitment,
Elder
Steven T Ray
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| This is the baptism of the D.Family - these are they boys that always waited for the missionaries so they would play football (soccer) with them which led the missionaries to ask about their family, etc and that led to discussions and then this baptism!! |
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| Elders taking pictures of each other.....this is a little bridge that has been built for when it rains. |
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| Elder Ray and his companion made fajitas for the O. family. The Elders loved them but I'm not sure what the family thought of them! |
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| Elder Ray cooking the fajitas |
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