8/26/2013

Hey  :)

 

I sent the few pictures that I had taken and sent them to you last week soo I don't know when you will get them, but you can expect them.

 

I got a new card as well and tried to start taking pictures on it, but it's not working right for some reason.. Hopefully I can get it to start working.

 

With baptisms it's usually one a month.

 

Soo this week I studied a bit of Preach My Gospel on working with ward leaders to help converts stay active in the church. Just about things like

 

Friendshipping - getting a fellowshipper for the investigator and it suggested things like introducing them to the bishop, his counselors, the relief society pres and counselors as well as the Elders Quorum Presidency.

 

Service- it suggested things like inviting them to service activities, asking them for referrals, etc.

 

Word of God- it talked about finishing lesson 5, teaching them FHE, reteaching the lessons, preparing them to go to the temple for baptisms, etc.

 

With PEC it talked about

1- Finding, asking how the members are doing on referals. So things like 1 referal from the Elders Quorum for the tri. 1 referal from the Relief Society for the tri. 1 from the Young Men and Young Women Presidency.

 

2 - Giving info on investigators, how they are progressing, getting a fellowshipper, what lessons they've been taught, how we can help them.

 

3 - Working with Less Actives. Any they'd like us to help teach, getting a fellowshipper for them, how to invite them to activities and church.

 

4- Working with Recent Converts. How they are doing and progressing, continued fellowship, assignments/callings/priestood.

 

Um. Then I studied a bit on Obedience and Diligence.

 

Diligence is constant steady effort.

 

For Obedience it talked a bit about the blessings that come as we are obedient such as knowledge, freedom, wisdom.

 

It talked about the stripling warriors

 

the reason they were obedient - So god would deliver them

 

the results - not one of them was killed

 

I read about the Commander that had leprosy and the prophet told him to go wash in the river and he would be cleansed, and even though he didn't fully understand he obeyed and was healed.

 

Things like that.

 

As well this Sunday at church:

 

The branch was split. I'm now in Odoben 2 Branch with Elder Kirumira. We have a whole new Branch Presidency and everything so it will be interesting these coming weeks.

 

Gifty is really progressing as well, I was happy after we taught her the law of chastity she started covering herself when she was feeding her baby (I don't know if i've told you that they don't cover themselves when they are nursing/feeding their babies, soo you see it almost everyday). Anyways when she came to church she even taught one of the members to start covering herself, I was about to jump for joy.

 

I bought Elder T Adair's guitar for 30 Cedis (he went home this last week) and Pres. Shulz brought it down when he came to split the branch. Soo I've been enjoying playing guitar as well for the past few days.

 

I didn't do piano lessons this week just because of the branch splitting thing.

 

I've been happy about our progress with Less Actives though - Sarah came for the first time this Sunday, Ama has come 3 or 4 times now, Jennifer and Benedicta have been coming the past 4 weeks or so and even 2 of their sisters joined them and they brought their friend Ruth for the second time (Although Ruth runs away whenever we try and see her during the week)

 

I feel like I'm getting to know members better as well which is nice. Someone even gave us a referal without us even asking and so I felt like we've gained their trust a bit.

 

We ran into one of the less active recent converts and he was playing spar (a card game) so I just played with him for a bit and showed him a couple magic tricks with cards and then a magic trick with my tooth haha it's kind of fun to have a tooth I can just pop out. (In my last area in Sekondi the little kids would always yell "Obruni where's your teeth?!") It usually scares the little kids. He promised to come to church but didn't show soo I think next Sunday we'll try and pick him to church.

 

I helped Lorene (Less Active Sarah's friend) to peel her Cassava and Plantain for Fufu, and we've been teaching her for a while and she's really quite smart. She promsied to come for the conference since they were splitting the branch but she ended up not coming, but she told Sarah that I helped her so I felt like it was useful and still good for Lorene as well. We taught her about christ's church and the apostasy after church, but I think she saw where we were going with it and it looked like she lost interest, but hopefully Sarah will help us. We also met Sarah's husband who's also less active, but he didn't talk to us so we just decided to give it time.

 

Oh as well Georgina stopped coming for a month or so and we went and visited her. We joked with her a bit, i pretended pouring water on her, etc. And she ended up coming this Sunday as well.

 

We helped Kwesi and Yeboah by just going over Word of Wisdom, Chastity, Tithing, and Sabbath Day and I felt like it was a good review which helped them understand better and grow stronger in their testimonies

 

Anyways time up

 

Love you guys!

 

Elder Adair

 

August 20 2013

Alright I'll see if I can send you the memory card today I'm not sure
how to send it here in Swedru. I'll just buy another memory card for
taking pictures.

Oh by the way Transfer news came this past Saturday and I'm staying
with Elder Kirumira in Odoben :).

This week I played piano in Sacrament meeting. I decided since nobody
can even play the piano I might as well play the right hand. Then
during the rest of the meeting I practice the piano (Hopefully that's
alright haha, but I don't understand what they are saying in Fante).
The Branch really enjoyed me playing though and by the end I was able
to learn the last song to play with both hands soo I think I'll be
able to get the hymns down finally.

After church we decided to start taking aside an hour to teach piano.
We had one investigator come, one recent convert, and then a few
members. I told them to invite their friends for the next time as
well. I thought it might be a good way to find and help the recent
converts and investigators become friends with the members. It seemed
to work well and even the members enjoyed it a lot.

During the week we brought one investigator (Bro Barnabus) to play
football with the members as well. And then he ended up even coming to
church which was a surprise because missionaries have been working
with him for a long time. Soo we're hoping if he gains a testimony to
have him baptized in the coming month.

The less active whom I ate her palm nut soup (which didn't give me a
runny stomach), came once again to church so it looks like she's come
back to stay. She's a really nice lady. We went to her house a couple
times during the week but she wasn't home.

As well my companion has been teaching me some of the Fante songs
which the Ghananians love it if you know them. (There is no rule
against singing any kinds of music, only against listening to it)
Which Ghanaians love loud music too much soo everywhere I go I hear
the music anyways. I figure by learning songs I can also come to
understand the Fante better

So this week I learned part of a Tutu la pa tu song.

Mim pa Bua a Baller
(My shoes are too big)
Ma ta lee a Soldier
(My Dress is like a Soldier
Tutu me a Grader
(Tutu (The singer) is a Bulldozer)
A Gin a Gin a Bonia
(If you are thinking bad about me)
O no bay bo Brazier
(Go and wear a Bra)
Able wa way wa a hernia
(My grandma has a hernia)
E hoo ye na na Adam
(My father's name is Adam)
Ware nay na Arya
(He's married to Eve)
Jesus Wo ye Savior
(Jesus is your Savior)

My district leader when he came also told me that during times when we
don't have appointments we should just go to members and try to teach
them, instead of walking under the sun trying to contact.

Soo I've been trying that out a bit more and wow I like it a lot more.
The day flies by and you usually find someone to have a gospel
conversation with at the members house or get a referal or help gain
the trust of the members more. It feels a lot more effective. (I wish
I had been doing this a long time back)

We met a new Less Active this week. We were actually going about her
as an investigator when she told us that she's been a member for 5
years, but has stopped coming because of her kids whom it is hard to
dress them all up for church. We were able to build a good
relationship with her and her friends there. We did it by joking with
them once again (Which seems to be the best way to go with Less
Actives). Soo we shared with them our Fante knowledge.
I used things like Me Bway Fu Om ba Asore ( I'm annoyed with you not
coming to church)
And then I asked where their Kutless was (Their big knife for cutting
the weeds, pretty much like a sword). But their wasn't any around so I
grabbed some matches and told her I wanted to see her hair and I lit
the match and she ran off... Etc. It's quite fun and they enjoy it.

Sadly she didn't come to church because of what she said to be washing
clothes (which she had them all hung up and it was a lot of clothes)
soo we're thinking of trying to go help them wash their clothes this
week and also having a member to pick them up.

Gifty didn't come to church sadly because of a baby naming ceremony.
We had planned to have her baptized at the end of the month but we'll
have to move it back now. I still feel like she'll be baptized in the
coming month though and I feel like she's gaining a real testimony of
what we are sharing. She's still scared to read to us though. So she
hasn't been doing her reading assignments. She can read really well
though. I caught her singing the hymns at church. When I gave her the
book of mormon she read the title.. she read part of the introduction
on accident- things like that.

Probably my favorite part of scripture study this week was just when I
was reading from the Book of Mormon from around 1 Nephi 13 just about
how the Bible would lose some of the truth and how the book of Mormon
would come forth. I think it's really cool when I think about history
and just about Columbus and the miracle of how we came to be the
United States. And as I read from preach my gospel - just the
importance of continually reading from and praying about the Book of
Mormon so we can have that solid testimony and be able to bear it to
investigators.

Soo there's a little of my week

Love you!

Elder Brady Adair

August 13 2013

Hey Mom :)

Oo Pictures. I've got one I could send, but I've lost one memory card and the other one I gave to one of my past companions soo I don't know, do you want me to send it? I've been terrible with taking pictures. Most of my pictures aren't even of me. 

Sister Gifty ended up coming to church this week :) She dressed up all her kids and even her next door neighbor sent her kids with Gifty. She said she would come to church with us next week as well once her Mother could baby sit the other kids.

The kids were all falling asleep in church Haha.. I didn't get to ask how the primary went for them. We joked with Sis Gifty in the investigators class about "Developing Our Talents" that her talent was eating bread, because she always asks us to buy her bread. (Here in Ghana they often mix their "r" with "l" so we've been joking with her that she's been saying "blade" instead of "bread", we ask her "ahh you're going to eat blade?" and she'll say "no blead that looks like ballfloat" and we'll say "ahh a blade that looks like a ballfloat that's even worse".

As well we were able to have Sister Forson baptized this last Saturday. It wasn't easy translating, but she was happy in the end and her husband is a strong member so I'm confident she will be a convert that stays. Her husband is one of the people in Ghana who understands the concept of being on time :P. 

Finally we're working with Bro Barnabus. He kept saying he needed clothes to come to church and so I just thought I had some old pants and Elder Oluk had some old shoes so we gave them to him as well. Sadly that wasn't the thing that was holding him back because he didn't come. He did come witness Sister Forson's baptism though and he made a friend there. 

Oh as well there was a less active we were visiting and I ate some of her palm nut soup (eating their food is something they really like you to do for some reason) and then we tried to wash her dishes but she wouldn't let us. Her kid was laughing as we tried forcing to do it and they ended up coming to church again and said they have come to stay which was cool.

On Monday I played Monopoly Deal with Elder Lee, and I was so happy to win him twice :).

In my studies the topic that keeps standing out to me as I've been reading is not just listening to the gospel but applying it.

For example as I read Joseph Smiths encounter with the Savior and he said that the people drew near to him with their lips but their heart was far from him. It referred me to Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Luke. In Luke it compared someone who listens to the word and applies it is someone building their house on a solid foundation but someone who just listens builds a house that will just wash away. 

As well on Sunday I was reading Romans chapter 2 and it's kind of the same as the Abinadi thing where he starts asking if they are applying the commandments. 

 

Even as I read about the Savior just before he gave Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven he warned them to be careful about the Sadducee's and Pharisee's Doctrine. Which when I think about them I think one thing Christ talked about was them being Hypocrites which reminded me of the same thing. Learning but not applying.

Love you all 

Elder Adair

August 6 2013

Hello :)

How long is Emily there for?

Sounds like Eric is enjoying over there. He's just exploring the U.S.?

This week I was learning about dispensations a bit more. I noticed how in the Pearl of Great Price it talked about Enoch receiving the Priesthood, then he was taken up to heaven but one of his sons was left behind for his posterity to continue (I believe because he was taken the Melchizedek Priesthood was taken with him?). Then his son had a son, and his son had a son named Noah. God gave to Noah the same priesthood that Enoch had. I kept reading and it didn't talk about Noah's death.. but then I got to the book of Abraham and it talked about the Pharaoh in that time had sought the ordinances and everything, but he didn't hold the true priesthood to do it. While Abraham was of direct descent from those who held the priesthood.. So as he sought the priesthood the wicked priests tried to offer him as a sacrifice, but then Jesus Christ appeared unto him and told him he would give him the same priesthood that Enoch and Noah had.

I read Elder Holland's talk on Believing while I was washing yesterday. I really love that talk, but the thing that has been sticking out the most to me lately is just how the church is full of imperfect members and the only perfect person to ever live on the Earth was Jesus Christ, and how God is our loving, forgiving Father in Heaven. As well how Joseph Smith acknowledged his faults and even Pres. Thomas S. Monson is imperfect. It's something I feel I need to work on a lot is just forgiving others and recognizing I'm not perfect as well.

Experiences with the Spirit? Well this Sunday I was waiting for a couple investigators to come to church and I was just praying that God would help them. But then instead of what I was expecting a lady (Sis Suzy) who would normally avoid us at all costs walked into the church. She'd only talked to us once, but the rest of the time she was always running away. (I'm still not sure why, I think she's been taught by lots of missionaries but finally decided to come) Anyways she came with a less active that I was surprised came again as well. Soo I felt that was a bit of a miracle that a couple less actives came and someone who was the last person I'd ever expect to come came.

Mm with Sis Gifty (another investigator we've been teaching who's married to a less active) she didn't come to church and the member we asked to pick her up, forgot and didn't go. Soo when we went to her house I picked up a bucket of water the kids were washing there clothes with and chased after her with it and eventually intentionally just missing her with the water. And then I picked up a big stick and chased her with that. I don't really know if this is much of an experience with the Spirit.. But it was quite fun for me. She laughed as well. And then we were able to have a short lesson about promises and extended a baptismal date to her for which we thought could help push her to coming and as well that she would be prepared for if she starts keeping her commitments. She's really receptive to the message - just being a bit lazy and making excuses.

My companion Elder Kirumira has been a fun companion to be with. He likes to push you into gutters, and tripping you while you are walking ha ha. He's been obedient as well so that's always nice. He speaks quite a bit of Fante so I'm learning a bit more from him, but sometimes I just get lost. He jokes a lot as well, Chasing people with Knifes, Squeezing their hands hard, twisting their hand behind their backs. Pushing down Investigators doors when they run away.. Oh just the usual stuff. ( He does it all in a joking way ha ha)

Soo Yup there's a little bit about my week.

Love you

Elder Adair

July 29 2013

Sorry everyone for not getting these letters on until now. I have several letters I will put together according to the week he sent them so you will have to go through each week.  Enjoy!  
Tammy

Hello,

The package I got from the ward I didn't have to pay customs on. Hopefully you'll get the letter I sent soon.

Yes the fire truck looked similar to ours back home, maybe a little smaller. And Yes they have sirens on them as well. It was funny to see the Zone Leaders show up riding in the fire truck, but I'm sure they enjoyed it.

In Scripture study I was just reading in Alma about lets see.. Ammonihah and Lehonti? Moroni had finally gotten Ammonihah to make a covenant with him about not returning to war against the Nephites, but immediately returned to the Lamanites and started to stir them up against the Nephites.

I love that story

Lehonti first prepared his army by raising them to higher ground - I figure that's what each of us are doing each time we do something right - Coming to church, Searching the scriptures, Saying our Prayers, Giving Service, Keeping the Commandments by being Honest, Keeping the Laws, Living Chasitity, Word of Wisdom, etc.

Second when he was asked to come down he wouldn't give in.

Sadly Ammonihah comes up nearly to where Lehonti was and asks him to come down just very very small, and even asks him to bring his guards with him.

I think we can relate that to us putting ourselves in situations where we know we might be tempted but we figure we're studying our scriptures and everything so we'll be strong enough.

As well Lehonti didn't know the full intention of Ammonihah, so Lehonti thought he was doing the right thing by coming down to the bottom of the mountain. He thought he would be in full command of the whole army or in other words he thought he had full control of the situation

I think that's the way Satan tempts us. He makes it look like we've got it fully under control and that by following his way everything will be alright.

But then Ammonihah poisons Lehonti slowly until he's dead.

So in the same way we need to realize that Disobedience to the commandments will eventually lead us to death and misery.

There's more but I think for sake of time I'll leave it there

For Studying -

Monday - We have a devotional for 30 minutes on Monday with the apartment and I get a couple scriptures from that. Usually I'll read a Liahona while I'm washing clothes as well.

Tuesday- I don't get to do personal and companion study because we're driving to Swedru for District Meeting - but I learn from District Meeting

Wednesday - I get 1 hour personal study and 1 hour with my companion

Thursday - same as Wednesday

Friday - same as Thursday

Saturday - same as Friday

Sunday - Usually I don't get any study at home because church starts at 9 and I'm just calling investigators before we go, but at church I'll read either what the instructors instructing on and just go through scriptures on my own (because I can't understand Fante), or I've been going through the old Testament a bit. I really loved Isaiah, It definitely has a lot concerning Temples, The Restoration, Jesus Christ, etc.

For what we've been teaching investigators and experiences -

Haha I thought when I came on my mission I'd be a cry baby when sharing my testimony out here, but I haven't really gotten that emotional while I've been out here.

But I loved the other day when we were teaching a man named Kofi about how Christ set up his church and how it fell into apostasy that he was really grasping it. (At the beginning this guy told us that he was set on his church and would never move) but we'd gone with the spirit and taught this guy about baptism, the fall of adam and eve, and baptisms for the dead and finally we decided to teach him about Christ setting up his church. He told us he couldn't come this Sunday because he hadn't gone to his church the past Sunday, but he said he would definitely visit us.

Sister Dadzie whom I have now come to find is Sister Forson, we've been teaching the Restoration. It's been really hard teaching her though because her husband starts thinking we're teaching him and then he stops translating to his wife and asks us a bunch of questions soo we've decided to stick with the pamphlet and we just read from it and then have him translate what we say.. for some reason he's been doing a lot better with doing it that way.

I know that the gospel's true, and I loved the thought  Sarah shared as well to look out of yourself instead of at yourself.

Elder Adair