February 13, 2012

Wow, sorry I didn't email last week! I thought I got something small off to you, but it looks like it didn't send. Last week we dropped Elder Speechly off really early, so I was with Elder Brown and Elder Robert all day. I got my new comp! It’s Elder McFarland from back in Kwamo!!! Pretty sweet huh?! So I got another companion from another different country - he's from New Zealand if you remember. It’s pretty sweet being companions - he is one of the hardest working missionaries in the mission, so he will keep me going strong. So it’s been way cool the last few days just getting right at the work. He is super excited about the work here in Sunyani, and we are both ready to go out and get the work going as strong as ever. So Elder Speechly's last week was pretty dope. We were busy preparing for the baptism, so that was really good to be able to have him focus on something those last few days. The baptism was for Francis, Atta, and Effah. All really solid guys - Atta is so awesome. He is the 70 year old man that is just so funny. He was so stoked for the baptism, and just loves the church, so we are excited to see him keep progressing. Effah is also super excited about the church, he comes to chapel cleaning, and is already coming with us to teach investigators and is just ready for more and more - he told us he wants to go to the temple by the end of this month. Pretty legit! And then Francis is about 20 years old and is a footballer, he plays in a tournament this weekend that we might try to go see. The baptism went off well, in fact even better than just well, we had a fireside along with it, and it was great. About 60 people came, probably about 20-30 were investigators from the 4 different branches in Sunyani. We had 3 recent converts from 3 of the branches give their conversion stories, and everybody really liked it a lot. The baptism went well after that. Then, as the people baptized were changing, Wilson came up to me and said he wanted to sing "God Be With You Til We Meet Again" for the closing prayer, and that he wanted me to play it on the guitar and him to play the drum, haha. So it was pretty sweet! Everybody was singing for Elder Speechly and it was just a really cool way to finish for him. Then his last day, Sunday, we just spent visiting as many people we could, and then capped it with teaching Ivy's family. It was a good last day for him! Then he just packed up his things, and got on the bus early Monday morning... and he was off. Now he is back home! Crazy!!! I found out Saturday that my new comp would be Elder McFarland, and he got here on Wednesday. I was with Elder Brown and Elder Robert from Monday to Wednesday. So this week has just mostly been showing him around the area, introducing him to members and recent converts, and getting to know each other and the area. We have had some good teaching experiences already along with it too. (Oh my gosh before I forget, today at Melcom, the nicest store in Sunyani, guess what I found. 3 amazing things. 1 - Cherry 7UP. 2 - Kettle Chips, the exact some ones we would always get, same brand and everything. And 3.... Toblerone. It was INSANE!!!!!! Haha). So anyway, it’s been sweet so far with Elder McFarland. Everybody is already loving us, and we have a few solid investigators. One is Appiah, Idk if I have told you about him. He was taught everything by the missionaries about 6 months ago - by Elder Russell and Elder Mapanje. He never came to church, and eventually we just lost contact. But about 3 weeks ago, we get a random call and it’s from this guy, Appiah, who at the time, I had never met. He said he wanted to meet with us that very day, so he directed us to his house and we met him there. I recognized him bc I met him once before with Elder Mapanje, but I hadn't seen him since my first day in Sunyani. But, we sat down, and he told us that he was lying in bed that morning and just had a feeling that he join the Latter-day Saint church, so he called us! And now he has a baptismal date for 3 March and has come to church 3 times! Pretty sweet! The Lord really is preparing people!!!!!!! Oh... our apartment got broken into the other night while we were sleeping.... so that sucked. I got like 50 cedis stolen. They just reached through our window. Well, to be honest I can't think of much else!!!!! I am really really excited for getting the work started with Elder McFarland, and we are just going to great things, I can already see it happening. If, of course, we stay humble and willing to do whatever the Lord asks of us!!!!!!!! We've got great potential and it’s going to be fun to see what happens. We have ZL council tomorrow, so I will get to shoot down to Cape Coast again tomorrow, and then we shall continue the work in Nkwabeng!!!!!!!!! Bibiara bokooo paaaaa!!!!!! Wow the power just went out and I almost couldn't send this email!!! You wouldn't have heard from me in two weeks!!!! Haha!!! But I love you guys so much!!! I am so excited for what lies ahead, and tell everybody back there I love em!!! My greetings to all of the great Denton 2nd Ward!!!!! Love you guys!!! -Elder Brown