May 30, 2011

Dear Family:

First things first, I am going to be a father… to a missionary! Today we went to Kumasi and it was also transfer news day, the transfer ends on Wednesday. Pres. Sabey called me and said that he had a new assignment for me... to train a new missionary and he asked if I would be willing to do that. I said I can do it. He said very good, he said that he expects me to train him how to be a great missionary, teach him exact obedience, and how to truly serve the Lord. So starting Wednesday I will be training a new missionary here in Sunyani! Elder Speechly is going to my old area to be a district leader. On another note Sunyani was a made a zone today. I will be training a new missionary! I am very excited, but also very nervous! I am going to really need the Lord’s help more than ever! It is not going to be easy, especially here in Sunyani, but I know that there is a reason and that the Lord will help me. Pray VERY hard for me as I start this new part of my mission. I am not too sure who it will be yet, you don’t find out until the day that they come, Pres. Sabey will interview them when they first come and then decide who should train them. Most likely it will be an African though. There are 11 Elder coming this transfer, and only 1 American. It will be exciting and great though!

So this week we began to re-contact our area. We were able to find some people that we had not meet before, but still we are looking for more and more people to teach. It will come in time though!

Pres. Sabey came up again on Friday to meet with us and help us with the goal. We had a powerful meeting with him at the beginning of the day. He talked about exercising faith, and that if we do our part, the Lord will do His and provide miracles to happen up here in Sunyani. I am not too sure what the goal will be since I am getting a new companion because I have completed the goal. I don’t believe my new companion will have to accomplish the goal because there is only a few weeks left, but it was great advice that can be applied at any time. The Lord will perform Miracles here, I have no doubts!

On another note, I am going to be featured in another movie haha. The same people who came last time, came again and filmed my current district leader, but I was in lots of the parts. This movie I think that only CEO’s and some how “high” businessmen will see. I don’t really know what this movie is for, but that is who they said that the audience would be. Kind of cool though!

So on Saturday we had the baptism… But none of them were our candidates. Our two were supposed to be baptized, but both fell through. One sent us a text on Friday and told us that her family told her that she could not be baptized. They told her that as long as she is living with them that she cannot be baptized! It was disappointing, but we thought well we still have one other and he is planning on it. Then Saturday morning, the day of the baptism, he text us and told us that while he was preparing to come that he told his mother where he was going and that she got mad at him and would not let him be baptized. He is 23 and is old enough to make his own decision, but here it does not matter your age, what your parents tell you always goes! So it was disappointing, but everything happens for a reason right?

At the baptism though, we had a very prestigious guest at the baptism as well, Elder Sitati who is part of the West Africa Presidency and who is a member of the 1^st quorum of the 70 was in attendance. It was really neat to have him there, and I was the one that was Conducting the meeting! We had the camera crew, and Elder Sitati there! IT was so cool! So Elder Sitati Presided at the baptism, and I conducted the meeting under his direction! It was a really cool experience! At the beginning of the meeting I showed him the outline for the meeting and he said everything was great. It was really funny though, I went to share the hymnbook with him, and he said oh it is ok. He then pulled out his iPad and flipped the “pages” of the hymnbook on his iPad Haha it made me smile. He talked at the close of the baptism and delivered a very powerful talk. He came to Sunyani to see how the 4 units were going and what the area office could due to help. In a week or two, Elder Dixon, another 70 and also part of the area presidency will come for a mission tour here in Sunyani, so that will be great too!

Sorry this email is some how short this week. (Random little fact, if you notice I have said “some how” a lot in this email. This is just something they say here.) But like I said, I am very excited for this chance that God has given me to train. What I am able to teach him will not only affect him, but future missionaries and future investigators, or future members of the church! Continue to pray for me! I love you all so much and miss you all!

Love your son and brother

Elder Ryan S. Alba