March 19, 2012

Man oh man it’s hot. The fans just turned off and it’s an oven in here. But no worries.

Alright well as for Ghana biibiara boko paa!!!!!!!!! The baptism for Barnabas and Felicia...... went off perfectly!!!!! Could not have asked for it to go better. They were so excited, there was good support from the branch, and things just all around went great. So it was pretty awesome, so happy to have had the opportunity to teach and baptize a husband and wife at the same time. I wish I could give a big huge run down of the whole process leading up to Saturday, but to be honest, everything went so well there is nothing big and amazing to talk about. So as for that one... it was a very memorable baptism - one of the reasons I am in Sunyani, I know it!

So, outside of that, the week was solid. That of course was the focus of the week, but we also had a lot of good teaching experiences outside of that - esp. with recent converts. They are all doing really well - we had over 50 people at church again on Sunday, about 8 investigators and a dozen recent converts - Femi is going to be a force up here in Sunyani. He is so powerful. And Barnabas was participating like a long time member in Sunday School, and he gave the opening prayer to Priesthood.

Transfer news came and went Saturday night - I am still in Sunyani. Elder McFarland is staying too. Elder Brown is going to Sekondi to be a ZL, and Elder Mathemba is going to Swedru. Elder Nwatu is training, and Elder Iziegbeaya will be with Elder Otagba - also from Nigeria. So, the zone should stay sweet in Sunyani! They created two new zones in Kumasi as well - so now there are 5 zones in what will be the new Ghana Kumasi Mission (there are 6 in what will be Cape Coast Mission).

Well, things are going so well here. I wish there was more things to report on, but this week was just so smooth..... I can't believe how well Barnabas and Felicia's baptism went. I don't know if I told you this.... but like 4 or 5 weeks ago, during my prayer before I went to bed one night, I just thought to ask Heavenly Father to bless us with a family to teach, somehow, someway. I had never really thought to ask for that, but it makes so much sense. Those are the kinds of prayers that God is just WAITING to answer. And He did, He seriously did. The next day, honestly the next day, is when we dropped by Barnabas and Felicia's just to say hello after not seeing them for like 3 months..... and here we are. And that lesson where we committed them to be baptized... man oh man was it powerful! The Lord is truly involved in this work... it’s difficult seriously, but with faith, miracles happen. Around that time I said that prayer, I also read Ether 12. Faith WOHO!!! Faith woho paaaa!!!!! Ether 12:15 says something like "and by faith were Ammon and his brethren able to bring so great a miracle amongst the Lamanites". Only by faith. Nothing else really - you could say hard work, or obedience, or preparation, or study, or whatever - but all those things are combined into faith. And faith starts with prayer - I guess I had it mixed up a bit. I thought I could get families and future leaders to teach just by working hard and being obedient. Why not pray for them?? When you pray in faith for it, you will do those things, because now you have the faith that they can really happen. So, my mission is teaching me the simple things of life every day.... it took 2 years and 9,000 miles to learn it, but I am learning it. I love you - Mom, Dad, H, Amanda, Brian, Olivia, G&G Brown, G'ma H, everybody from the Woodlands to Owasso to Orange County to Oregon to Provo and back to Denton and anyone else who might be reading!!!!

-Elder Brown