June 6, 2011

Dear Family:

Hi everyone!!!!! How is going? What's new? How is the good SLC?

That is great about Uncle Claron and Aunt Lillian! Tell them Congrats from me! So does this mean a temple tour...I think so!

Things here are going good! So my new companion is Elder Akpan! He is from Kybo Nigeria. He is a good guy and will be a great missionary. He is quiet though, but that will change.

Training is a great opportunity and I am striving to do my very best. It is not easy! But it is good! I am trying to teach him everything that I know and help him to know what to teach. Everyday I am just trying to help him to be a great missionary and know what to do. While working one day, and I just had a thought/prompting from the Spirit. It was as though someone was talking to me in my mind. It just said, "Remember everything takes time. It won’t come all at once." And then a little while later another thought came to me: “Transfers where you train, your primary focus is the person you are training. The work will be there and will come, but it comes as you help the one you are to train.”

One thing that I have really noticed since I have started training is how much I have grown since I have come on my mission. Right now I am just trying to help show him how to teach and as I have been teaching I have noticed that I am a lot better teacher and am getting good at just allowing the Spirit to direct my words and what I say to the investigator. It has been really neat to just be able to look back on how I have changed since I have been on my mission. I have grown up a lot, have a greater appreciation for all of you, my Heavenly Father and for life. I have always wondered if I am becoming the man that my Heavenly Father wants me to be. As I have been training it has been cool to have this chance to actually see that yes, yes I am. I hope that I will continue to become who He wants me to be! I know it is a life long process but now is one of the greatest chances to do all that I can to become as He is.

Since Elder Akpan has come we have been teaching a lot!!!!! In the past three days, Friday-Sunday, we taught 20 lessons! We had 7, then 6, then 7. We have been working really hard and hopefully we will continue to find more and more people to teach! We have some really good investigators, but we also have quite a few who are at the point of baptized or drop. But Heavenly Father will lead us to more people and even in the past few days He has lead us to some people so we shall see what happens to them.

So for the past couple of months we have been teaching a girl. She is about 18 and just graduated from high school. We have tried to teach her parents, but her mother said, “I will have to talk to my husband,” and he is never there. Her mother is a teacher and her father is a doctor so they would be a great addition to the unit. Well Elder Akpan and I went to visit her on Sunday and when we went we sat down and were just waiting for her to come. While we were there her father pulled up in his BMW and went into the house not really even acknowledging us. We kept waiting for their daughter and while we waited I could her some voices coming from the house in kind of upset/curious and loud tones and I heard them say the churches name but the rest was in Twi. Anyway I turned to Elder Akpan and said we might be kicked out, but we shall see. Then all of the sudden her father came around the corner. He greeted us and told us that she was asleep, but he wanted to talk with us. We sat down and began talking. He asked us who we were, the church name, and what made us different from the rest of the churches. I said we believe that God has once again called a prophet to lead His children here on earth. The man began asking about the prophet and the organization of the church and asked how I could be certain this man was a prophet. I answered his questions and then told him I knew because I had prayed about it and God had given me an answer that I could not deny. While I was bearing testimony the Spirit was very strong and I knew more than ever that Pres. Monson was a prophet. The man’s attitude quickly changed and he began to be more receptive and willing to listen instead of defensive and interrogative. He then asked about us and why we are doing this, how we got the money to come to Ghana etc. and as we told him everything he began to admire us a lot and respected us. Then his daughter came out and her father left. It was a powerful moment and a great experience for my testimony.

We also met with another man this past week. We talked and asked him how his prayer about baptism is coming. He said that he knows everything is true: Joseph Smith, the priesthood, etc., but he is still praying about baptism. He also talked to us about teaching his family and how he wants his whole family to come with him so hopefully we can begin to do that. He also told us he may be made an elder in another church so hopefully a miracle will happen before then. But he has been a missionary and telling everyone he comes in contact with about us. One guy came on Wednesday with him for our visit. The man has not gone to church in years! We taught him and friend. He told us that he went home that night and prayed for the first time in a very long time. He prayed for four hours and already has a desire to baptize. It was an incredible story!

Well family I must go! Sorry this one is short! Know that I love all of you and appreciate all you do for me! Continue to pray for me and for my new companion! Thank you for your love and support! All of you are always in my prayers as well!

Love your son and brother,

Elder Ryan S. Alba