23 September 2013

:) You make me laugh mom.

 But that is sweet that the mother wants the little girl to be baptized. Just a couple suggestions from what I've seen out here in the field though. - First yes, don't go tooo into detail on everything, that will just confuse her and bring questions to her which she will have a hard time finding the answers out for. The basics are what is most important. You just want her to understand enough that it will help her change her life.

Go through the Preach My Gospel. Chapter 3. That teaches you exactly what she really needs to know. Especially about the Restoration of the Gospel. Even the stuff in Preach My Gospel can be a bit much. What worries me the most is when I meet members who don't know the basics, and that is what usually is a big cause of them being less-active.

For example if you go into detail about how god has a perfect body, and Christ has a perfect body, and the Holy Ghost is a spirit and that they are 3 seperate beings. It is a bit much if they don't already understand the basics and it can get them unfocused from what matters most. They'll just start asking questions about things that don't really matter much at all.

But I guess if they're questions she brings up on her own then they are okay to answer. If it goes too far into detail bring her back to the main points though.

Umm Second, if she's moving out I wouldn't have her baptized where you are at. Probably wait for her to move and make sure she comes for like 6 months to church and has a good friend in the church that will help her along the way. a child the same age that is her friend and a leader. Unless she's living with a member then probably like 3 months at church.

Once again though it might be a different story in Utah. But that's my opinion from what I've seen here in Ghana and the rules they have in the mission here.

But keep up the missionary work over there :).


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My companion Elder Kirumira is doing well now. He bought a lot of vegetables, fruits, and drank plenty water for the past week. I wrote a few songs on the guitar while he's been sick. I wrote one for him and his girlfriend back home which he really enjoyed. He had me write it to the tune of "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against. And he wanted me to keep the Swing Life Away chorus.

Soo it feels like we've missed a lot of missionary work though. Being Sick is no fun. We're trying to get things running again.

He polished my shoes a couple times this week, which was nice.

I made him a paper piano that he can practice on as well and he's doing pretty well.

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Today we had a Zone Activity with the Elders and Sisters and The new couple's came Elder and Sister Ivie from New Mexico. We watched 17 Miracles. I was a bit sad Because I thought we were going to watch "The Best Two Years", but 17 Miracles is a good one too.

Elder Rowe from Sierre Leone made us some nice chicken and Sausage Burritos. He's going home to Sierre Leone next week.

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Brother Kwesi should be baptized next week. He was mostly a referral from a member. Brother Kwesi doesn't speak English so the 2nd Counselor has been helping us translate for him. It seems like Brother Kwesi learns and understands really fast. So mostly we're just covering up the lessons for his understanding and then he can be baptized. He's come to church 5 times and it was really cool this last time we went to teach him because he was talking about how at church he learned how important our family is and how they will continue after this life and the kind of life we have now is what we will take with us there, and he was telling us how he felt he needed to make some changes in his life and fix some things with his wife and children. It was really nice to see that he was applying what he was learning.

Sister Henryetta as well is a Recent Convert's sister. She's 13 years old, and she's quite smart. When we came to teach her she wrote down everything we had learned the from the last time we came and it was sweet to know that she was making sure she understood as well. We walked her to church with her sister, Sister Mavis.

We saw Brother Nestor as well this week, but we think that he's a bit confused with the teachings now. I think it's starting to sink in for him that we're teaching that we believe this is the only true church. But we're hoping as we continue seeing him that the concerns will go away. He was sick this Sunday and didn't come to church so that was a bit sad. But he's got a really strong brother in the church that will help out along the way as well.

I've really come to love the Branch i'm in though and the members. I'm going to miss it when I get transferred. But I feel like I've grown a lot as a missionary in this area and I feel like everyone we teach has a really strong member there beside them to help them out.

Sister Gifty told me today that she won't come back until next week Thursday (Which is the day after I will probably leave/ be transferred to a different area) Soo I think she's avoiding being baptized it sounds like. But she's bringing her husband back with her as well so that could be a good thing if they start coming to church together. I think the rest of the story I'll have to learn from the missionaries who come to the area next though.

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As for studying this week. I went through Plan of Salvation that we'd teach with Brother Kwesi and just thought about how exactly we'd teach him (The Zone Leaders gave an instruction on how in companion study we should cover how we were actually going to teach our investigators not just telling each other "okay you teach Principle 1.. I'll teach Principle 2, etc.") So I was looking at it and going through the teaching skills about when I'd ask a question.. what inspired question I would ask, what scriptures I would use, how we would switch off. It really helped quite a bit. Although I found out I have to adjust it according to the circumstances that come up while we are teaching as well.

I also cut out a little body out of paper and then made a slot where I could slip the spirit into it. I thought it was a great idea and I was really excited when I made it. But so far as I've used it the investigator doesn't seem to get it completely.

Anyways there's a little bit for you :)

Love you all

Elder Brady Adair

P.S. for Dad - I think the address is Mpantiasee, Odoben, Central Region, Ghana

I'm not sure how to spell Mpantiasee

Elder Lee says hi. He's from California Dream Land. He's a Californian.

September 18, 2013

Hey mom I'm doing well. Haha I remember Sound of Music being your favorite movie. You were the one that got me so into music because you'd always be singing the childrens hymns and watching the sound of music, and taking us to musicals at the high schools haha.

I've been using Elder Lee's 16 Gig memory card for pictures and I've been taking as many as I could. I already regret not taking them in my last areas.

But I also found my 4 Gig memory in my bag yesterday. I realized I'd put it in the little zipper when of my small carrying bag when I was moving here to Odoben.

Yes it's been rainy season since I have been in Odoben. It's been sooooo nice. I haven't sweated for the 4 months i've been in this area. I didn't know that was possible in Ghana. My other areas I was constantly drenched in sweat. Although it's about to turn to dry season and there's been a couple days when that blazing hot sun pokes out from the clouds. I'm not too excited for the switch because I've been enjoying the weather so much.

Yes Ghana is very green. Lots of Palm trees, Coconut trees, Plantain trees and just normal trees. Ghana is very beautiful. I need to get more pictures. Sorry!

Yes as for buying clothes and tailoring. Ghana is the place to be. It's super cheap. Because almost everyone can do it. People sew their own clothes. And they are professional. You should see the kind of dresses the ladies bring to church.

The drying takes about a day to get them reasonable dry. But when I stick them in my closet by my bed they smell all moldy so I usually keep them hanging the whole week. (I don't know if that's good haha but it's what I do)

Before we were contacting people on the street just walking around town and just talking to who ever was sitting down. I finally realized after being out for most of my mission that it is probably the worst way to find new people.

My district leader told me to just go to members whenever we have a gap that we don't have anyone to teach. Soo we've been doing that now and I've gotten to know the members so much better and they are so willing to help us out now as well.

One member brought his brother, Brother Nestor. He's sweet. He has just thrown himself into learning about the church and has been super receptive so we're hoping in the following month for him to take that step to baptism. And I'm confident he will stay active for the rest of his life.

Another Member brought his friend to church and a less active this Sunday. My companion has been super sick though for the past week and a half (He hasn't been eating enough vegetables, fruits, and drinking water soo he's improved a lot now) so we didn't even get to talk to them much because we left church right when it ended. But we're hoping that will go somewhere.

With Sister Gifty I was soo excited for her to take that step of baptism. But I guess part of the work is that we're working with people so it doesn't always go the way you expect.

It's a bit of a complicated story now. But basically she wanted to wait a week for her husband to come down to see her baptism. But we were trying to help her to do it last week in case of complications and such turning up during that 1 week. Then she told us her husband was sick and so she had to travel to Takoradi (about 6 or more hours from where I am now, it was actually near my last area).. And we've been calling her each day to find when she will come back. She told us it won't even be until next week.

There's also a confusing situation about her friend moving out of the house. Which we're wondering if it is related to the real reason she left to Takoradi (We aren't really believing that her husband is sick).

Anyways Sis Gifty loves the church though so I'm confident that eventually after the confusion clears she will make that step and I believe she'll really strive to live the teachings.

Well time up

Love you Mom

Tell the Family Hello!

Elder Adair

9/10/2013

Hahahaahah mom... You can open the package and eat the candy. I'll enjoy the fact that you're enjoying it :P.

Almost. Our branch was split which is like our 1 ward being split into 2 wards soo it wasn't a stake being split. So my new Branch President is Pres. Charles Fie Ami Sarie. Which yes, is like our bishop for the branch.

Yes the pants are probably even nicer than the ones back home. Clothes are comparatively cheap here. That price I told you even included me taking them to a tailor so they would fit me. If I had just bought the exact size it would have only costed me 10 dollars in all for both pairs.

Yes I have to iron my shirts every morning. We have a little wardrobe by our beds that we hang our shirts in. I guess the next time I send pictures I'll have a little sign saying "apartment" so you can tell which pictures are our apartment. I've started taking more pictures :P.

Yes we've got quite a few lines scattered throughout the house where we hang out clothes to dry after we wash them. There's a few next to our front door. A few next to our bathroom and a few behind our apartment that are outside. Even one line in our Dining Room. So we're pretty set if you ever need to hang your clothes to dry.

Sorry I'll get some pictures of the apartment. Chances are though I'll be home by the next time you'll see the pictures haha.

Guitar I hadn't played forever. Pretty much since I left my first area which was almost a year a go. but 2 weeks ago Elder T Adair went home and he sent it to me. I wrote 2 new songs on it yesterday so yes I've been enjoying the guitar lately.

Piano I play every Sacrament meeting now. I just have done it 3 times or so now. But it's nice because I can practice both hands while the piano is off (Electric Piano), and practice while the members are giving talks in Fante. I figure hymns are uplifting so instead of studying scriptures I study hymns :P.

Lessons I haven't been doing because the Branch split and there aren't very many boys that want to learn.

I love teaching the Whole Restoration in one lesson. We've super simplified it. But it's nice because it gets the main point across quickly and you can tell if the investigator is serious from the very first day. The investigators enjoy the quicker pace as well.

Soo as for study this week I studied about Accountability and then just today I taught about it in District Meeting.

It just talked about Remembering that one day we will stand before God to be judged according to our works here on Earth.

I related it to Alma 34:32 and how this time on Earth is our Time to prepare to meet God and how one day we will stand before him to be judged. I talked about how we shouldn't be afraid of that day, but think about the joy that we will have when we have used our time to the fullest and we'll be able to stand before God with Jesus Christ at our side and Christ will tell him all the efforts we have made as we have done what he has asked by preaching the gospel to his children, and the joy and peace we will have as we stand before God.

I talked about setting meaningful goals. Goals that have a name behind it and a way you are planning to achieve that goal.

I talked about feeling Personal Responsibility for the time we take. And I related it to how I was reading a talk from the Liahona about teaching Children personal responsibility and how the choices they make affect everyone in the family. As they come to learn personal responsibility when they grow up they become a great blessing to society and are usually trustworthy citizens.

I talked about asking leaders for advice on how to improve. And how I've seen the blessings on my mission from asking for advice which has helped me to be a more effective missionary.

And I shared a story from Sister Bednar of a dance she went to, but when she came back from the dance she found out she was only wearing one earring. She talked about how much of the time people make mistakes without even knowing it, so we can help them by sharing with them how they can improve.

I talked about giving an account to God every night when you go to sleep about how you used your day and if you used it effectively. Also to think about how you could improve and if you could do it over again what would you change.

Finally I shared about the attitude we have towards our missions is a reflection of our love of God and our Respect for the priesthood.

I shared about how God has given us a commandment to love him with all our Heart, Might, Mind, and Strength. And part of how we do that is by the attitude we have towards our mission.

I talked about how God didn't give that commandment to us because he needed us to love him. In the end it doesn't really matter much if you reject God and go against his ways, he will still be our omnipotent god. But He gave the commandment for our benefit and it gives us a path that if we follow we will find true peace, and joy to the fullest.

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As for Investigators, Recent Converts, Less Actives-

The Recent Converts have been doing well. Sister Forson continues to come early to church which is awesome. Bro Kobbie as well comes every Sunday with the Sis Philo's family which is exciting.

The Less Actives - Sis Jennifer's family have been doing really well and are probably even the most active in the ward now. Sis Ama and her son have been coming every Sunday as well and they have enjoyed it. Sis Sarah wasn't able to make it this week we aren't sure why yet. Sis Josphine was feeling pain from a Surgery and so she and her family didn't come. But I've felt really good about how the work has been doing with Less Actives.

As for Investigators

Sis Gifty will either be baptized this Saturday or next Saturday. Her husband is a less active who lives in a different area right now, but he's been very supportive of her joining the church. But he also wants to come down for the baptism soo we might have to move it to next week. We've asked her to talk to him about letting her do it without him though since most of the arrangements have been set up, and we've been advised not to keep moving baptismal dates back (and we've moved hers back a couple times already).

But I'm really excited for Sis Gifty, she has a great testimony of the church. She's probably one of my favorite I've had the opportunity of teaching throughout my mission.

We also have a couple more we are hoping for at the end of the month. They all came on Sunday so it's possible. One is for sure a positive because he has already come three times and just needs to be taught the lessons, but he loves the church.

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But yup it's good to hear from you! I can't believe I'm down to my last 6 months. Time flies.

Love you!

Elder Adair