Thomas

Maa bray :/

This past week has been exhausting and I really should just take a long nap. There is to much work to do though!

As mentioned last week, my companion, trainer, father, Elder Hanson has left me.  It really didn't hit me that he was leaving until, well, I got my new companion.  Elder Hanson was a boss and I really miss that guy. But there is still time for us to be in the same apartment, district, or zone since he goes home 4 months before me.  He was a great trainer and the major thing I learned from him was teaching by example.  Never told me what to do, but he did the right thing and he hoped I followed that example, which I did.

The Monkey

On Tuesday we went around to different families for him to say good bye.  Then that night the Bishop and the ward council had us come to the chapel for the good byes to Elder Hanson and Elder Bleh, who is going home.  That night we were up super late.  Elder Hanson had a lot of things to do, which kept me awake.  On Wednesday, we went to the station to meet the others that were going. Elder Hanson and I arrived on time like the zone leaders asked.  We were the only companionship there, everyone else came between 9-10:30  -_-   Then the bus left to Cape Coast at 12. 

My new companion is Elder Chinedu from Nigeria.  He is a cool guy and we get a long okay.  I enjoy teaching with him because he really teaches by the spirit and not his own pure knowledge.  And I am officially the only white guy in the apartment.  It is really weird.  When I came, there was 3 of us now I am the only survivor :)  On Friday morning, I had a really hard time - there is a lot going on in the area and it is all left on my shoulders, it feels like, to get it done.  Also, the change is hard to get used to.  After I called Elder Hanson and talked to him, I felt better.

My apartment crew. New companion Elder Chinedu (back left).

Elder Chinedu and I are teaching the investigators we already have and are also focusing on finding new ones so we are busy everyday, which I like, but it is hard work.  The best part of the week was yesterday!  I will explain why in a second, but it includes an older guy we came across and started to talk to him.  His name is Thomas Lawson,  I remember Elder Hanson and I talked with him before, but did not contact him again.  This guy is awesome.  He lives in a really small room by himself.  He said he is all alone, no friends, and no family close, but he really loves God and was happy that we came to meet with him.  He came to church yesterday and a member came up and started talking to him with us.  The member, Brother Duncan (I think), went to school with Thomas many, many years ago.  Thomas is 74 and they have not seen each other in 50 years.  As more members came in for church, he met 2 others that he went to school with.  Thomas was in tears and thanked us over and over again.  Although it was not us, it is The Man Upstairs. :)

We had to wait around after church until 2 for a baptism for the other Elders.  It was a 3 hour wait since we have church at 8 am.  I fell asleep on the chairs in a room while others talked to each other.

Elder Bay (came out on the mission the same time as me) trying to be cool

This week will be long and tough but that is how the mission is :)

Elder Johnson