Christmas 2016

Hello!

This email is coming in a day late because of "boxing day" (day after Christmas) so the internet cafes were all closed. Which lead to us just chilling in the apartment because we had nothing to do. It was nice to lay around for once. Nice stress relief! :)

With the Christmas and New year season it leads to being really busy. On Tuesday last week we had our "MLC report". Elder Tugume and I were up first and talked with the missionaries about a current zone problem. The Sister training leaders gave a sweet report on "Commitments". Though I heard it from the Assistants at MLC the week prior I even learned new things from the sister missionaries. At the end of our lessons usually but could be anytime during the lesson we extend to them a commitment. Such as if we are teaching about temples, we will extend to them the commitment to go and visit the temple. Commitments are very very important so we were identifying were we can improve as missionaries with commitments.

Wednesday we were up bright and early for our Christmas zone conference in Cape Coast. Elder Tugume and I hired nice tro tros (A/C pretty much) for the day to take us there and bring us back. Our meeting time was 7 am! Usually missionaries will roll around 30 minutes to an hour late but they were actually all on time. The conference started at 10:30 and we were there an hour early. I text the Assistants on the way to let them know we will be pretty early :P I loved Christmas zone conference! President Stevenson talked with us about our Temple covenants to remind us of some things since we do not go for 2 years. After we had some fufu :) To end the conference we watched the OLD " Christmas Carol" with some Ice cream and brownies to top it all off. We arrived back in Takoradi at 7pm or so. 

Thursday and Friday was our focus to finish the preparations for Esther and Praise to be baptized. On Friday evening Elder Zohner did the interviews for them to be baptized. Earlier on Friday we had the chance to be in the Family History center with Frieda to help her start family history. One of the Bishops in another ward is in charge of family history and he was kind enough to come and help. Sadly it was in the A/C and mixed with my exhaustion level I fell asleep for sometime #missionprobs. Friday night the stake held there " Carols Night". The stake choir did some song performances and some others in the stake. Esther #1(one of our investigators) and her husband came and that was a surprise because we have not seen her in 2 weeks.

Saturday was a really low production day! I did not even remember what we did up until our baptism at 5pm. We combined with the Tanokrom sisters because they forgot to fill the baptism font at their chapel haha. It was a sweet time, I was able to baptize Esther #2. It is always a sweet experience to be able to baptize. The rest of the evening we went out to eat at a nice place with the sisters to celebrate the Christmas eve. Of course Sunday I was able to talk with my family! We talked for some time but at the end I wanted to call back because I felt like I did not even talk with them. 

Christmas call home - 2016

All in all a good week and so far this one is going great too! I love you all and wish you a late Merry Christmas and a Happy new year!!!! 2017 the magic year :)

Thought of the week!

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand inneed of your succor; ye will administer of your substanceunto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer thatthe beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turnhim out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you that is, for the sake of retaining are mission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.


SUBSTANCE DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN MONEY!