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.