Dear Family:
Hey everyone!! How is everything doing? What's new back on the home front? Anything new or exciting happening?
Things are going good here! This past week has been really busy, with splits and interviews, and trying to also work in our own area.
I totally forgot to tell you, last week we had a baptism! She is the wife of a member here in our ward. She said that lately her husband had been talking to her about the temple and being sealed together as a family and so she decided to begin the discussions. She came every week that she was here and we began to teach her and she wanted to be baptized, and baptized by her husband. So for the past 5-6 weeks we have been teaching her and helping her prepare for baptism. She really had a desire to be baptized by her husband so we were able to get her ready and then last Saturday she was baptized. It was a sweet experience and one that I won't forget. It was amazing to see the change that occurred in her life as she learned and came to believe the teachings. I really feel like her trip here was for this reason as well. It was interesting to me how the other elders had meet with her only a few times and expected her to read the whole BOM and had already been teaching baptisms for the dead. As we meet with her we helped her to understand the teachings and really see how true it is. She told us that she has always been confused why the other missionaries, her husband, and even us would always say that we knew this was true. She always wonder what was true? Was it what we had just learned? Was it something secret? What? As we taught her and helped her she saw what was true and knew it was true as well. It was sweet experience and I am happy for their family to know have a chance to be sealed for time and all eternity. We are going to find out the ward that is closest to her and send her record their. They came yesterday to church and she got her certificate and then they left for the airport in Accra. Pretty sweet huh?
This past week we went on splits twice. First on Wednesday we went on splits with the Atonsu Elders (I worked with Elder Sagers from Idaho and Elder Ihezie from Nigeria) and then on Saturday we went with the Meduma Elders (I worked with Elder Kinikini from Utah and Elder Madarobo from Botswana). I have really going on splits. I feel that it gives me time to work more one on one with the elders and to help them become even better than they are now. Sometimes I wonder if they learn as much from me as I do from them. They were both great experiences and opportunities! Those elders are working really hard and doing all that they can. I am proud of the elders in my zone and what they are doing. With the Meduma Elders we got caught in a rain storm (the first of the year) so we ran home in the ran and were soaked! It was fun though running in the rain and trying to make it back in the pitch black.
Yesterday all of our appointments feel through and we didn't really know where to go and so we decided to go and visit one of our recent convert. We went to his house and as we sat down to teach him his whole family came. They all stay together in their "family house" with all of their families. So one by one his older sisters came and his mother, and all of his nieces and nephews. We taught about the doctrine of Christ which entails baptism and they loved the lesson. We also answered questions about the church and how we do things and kept talking about the changes that they have seen. It was great opportunity to be able to meet his whole family and I believe "get our foot in the door" as far as possibly teaching them. We will see what happens...
I have really enjoyed Kumasi a lot. I feel like I am more involved in the work and have a wider area of influence. It is a really sweet place and the work is really moving a long here.
Well, I have to go! My time is up! This is always the fastest hour of my life! I love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers, for your generosity and for your love! Continue to pray for me! I know that that is what keeps me going everyday, what gives me strength everyday! I love you all so much and miss you very much! Until next week!
Love your son and brother
Elder Ryan S. Alba
No comments:
Post a Comment