January 31, 2011

Dear Family:

The internet today is being so slow and bad!!!! I logged on to the internet read one email and the network crashed so right now I am writing in notepad. But the server just came up to all is good! Oh well I guess, what can you do. This week has been a really good week here in Mankessim, Ghana. We have worked really hard this week and the Lord has blessed us with many opportunities to teach and find new people.

The theme this week is how God blesses his servants. Elder Bunker and I have worked very hard this week. We taught a total of 43 lessons this week. We have shown God that we are willing to work hard, do our best, utilize every minute He gives, strive for exact obedience, and He in turn has blessed us with so many new investigators and a lot of them have great potential. We have shown God our determination to serve Him and He has blessed us. We had 16 people in church. I truly hope that we will be able to help this branch become a ward.

As I said a lot of these new investigators have great potential. One man is older and he is building a bank here in town. He called us over one day to talk with him and he said he wants to join us and become a member. We set a time and have now taught him three times. He is very smart, knows the Bible, and believes the message of the gospel. He told us on the first visit, at the end of the lesson, "Alright, well now I just need to come to church with you and baptize." It was really neat and cool. He is a great guy.

Another man is named Prince. He is young in his 20's and is another solid investigator. He is very accepting of the gospel and enjoys the teachings. We met with him and his girlfriend one time; and the next time we went he told us that he told his girlfriend that one day he would join us and become a member. It is really neat! We have only taught the first lesson with him, but again God has prepared him to hear the message of the gospel.

Another thing I noticed this week, is how true the scripture is that says, "You shall not be confounded before men." I can't remember the reference. This week I had another cool experience similar to the book of Revelations experience I told you about a while ago. This time a man we are teaching asked us to explain Psalms 9:12 to him because he was using it in his teachings in a bible club he is in. I read really fast, thought to myself, and then listened to and said the thoughts that came to my mind. I just let the Spirit direct my thoughts and I spoke what came to my mind. It was really neat. My companion added his witness to the scripture as well and it was a perfect 1,2 punch. The Lord will never allow His servants to be confounded before men.

This also leads to another discovery or observation I made this week. I am getting a lot better at teaching by the Spirit. Now you are probably thinking what do you mean by that? Shouldn't you always teach by the Spirit? It is true you do, and I always strive to. But what I mean is I am trying very hard to just let the Spirit take over my thoughts and help me to teach and say what He would have me say. Some of the best lessons have come from not just teaching, but allowing the Spirit to guide what you are saying. You teach the same 5 lessons everyday. But what needs to be said, what the investigator needs to hear is always different. I am no master yet. But it is my goal to learn, develop, and speak the language of the Spirit.

I am really enjoying reading Jesus the Christ. It is a great book. It is taking me longer than I thought to read it because I am looking at all the references and truly trying to better know my Saviour. I enjoy what I am learning and the questions that come to my mind. I can't wait to be able to have a discussion with all of you about what I am learning and the questions that come to my mind.

I am really excited to begin the newsletter. It is going to be great. Will you give all that to Hunter's mom for me. Let me know when I need to write that by and if it is now, just add some of the things I have said in this letter. I also wrote Hunter a letter but put our address on it so can you just deliver it to him?

So the washer... the day I decide to buy one, no where has them. Every time we came on Mondays I have seen one. The day I decide to buy one, everyone sells out. So the search continues. It is kind of like a table top washer. Not big at all. Maybe the size of my golf organizer in my room so we will be able to take them back and with us on transfers easily. But still no luck. Usually they are only 250 cedis, I found one that was 575 cedis and thought no way I can wait for a cheaper one. So hand washing continues.

I found Jason another coffin. It was carved as a silver bird. It was pretty cool. So Jas now you can choose between a fish, coco bean, silver fish, and I will continue to look:)

Also you can add the following names to my list of "famous" people I have met in Ghana: Moses, Lord, Obama, Prophet, Melchezidek, Gideon. That's all I got for now but the "stars" are all over in Ghana:)

Hamaton is now over. During it, it is hot during the day, cold at nights, and you couldn't see the sky because of the dirt from the Sahara. Now it is just hot all the time, but you can see the stars at night really well. Whenever I look up at the stars it makes me think of home, all of you, my friends, etc. We may be in different places, but the night sky is the same everywhere.

We are having a baptism this week on Saturday. We have three candidates who are the ages of 14, 16, 18. Each has a different story and have been prepared by God to hear the message of the Gospel. It is going to be sweet. Brother Davies is a great guy and we have helped him and near the close of his life. But these three we have helped for the rest of their lives. It is really cool thinking about how their life will be so different now. But yeah it is going to be great and we are going to do it at Salt Pond on the beach again.

Well my time is up! I love you all so much!!!!! Thank you for all the love and support you give me. Keep the letters, emails, packages coming. They are the fuel that keeps me going. Remember, Pen pals are nice too:)

Love your son and brother,

Elder Ryan S. Alba