Dear Family,
Each week
comes and goes with hardly a whisper when it passes by. When you are in the
midst of the week, it seems as if a storm is raging, but then time moves and you
find that what is past is past and you only have the present day to live through.
Over the small time that I have been here, I have begun to learn from the past,
to treasure up the present, and to have hopes for the future. Truly, being a
missionary has changed my perspective and overall view of life, and my
character is being shaped and molded day by day by the master potter.
I guess the
reason why I mentioned this is because I am already more than 5 months into my
mission time, and it hardly seems as if any time has passed at all. When I just
focus on one day at a time and forget about the time that has passed,
everything flies by leaving me wondering if two years is really any time at
all. I have been e-mailing with other missionaries who are in the field (some
who were my previous roommates at BYU) and it is crazy to me to think that some
are still coming on their missions. It really is a unique experience and
something that is still somewhat new to me, but I am quickly realizing how
missionary work is truly a divine work. People come and go every week, but
still the work of God moves forward as a stone, rolling forth unto all nations.
This is truly the Church of the Firstborn.
Here in
Ghana, people are very handy when it comes to crafts. I have a scripture bag
that I bought from the mission home and it is very plain, but I heard from
another missionary about a return missionary in Kumasi who makes scripture bags
from beads. I was able to see an example of one and decided to call the return
missionary (P---) to order one. Now, I have finally received the scripture bag and
it looks really neat. I took a couple of pictures with my camera but forgot to
bring the memory card with me, but I can give a small description of it. It has
the Ghana flag on one side and the American flag on the opposite side, with a
black banner going across the top on which is written "BYU." Like I
said, I took pictures of it, so I will send them next week. I probably won't be
proselyting with it, but it will be a nice souvenir for home.
We have
been inviting many people to church, but only one person has been coming every
single time. Sister C--- has really been progressing in the Church, so Elder P---
and I were very concerned when she didn't come by this week. After church was
over, we went to Sister C---t's house to visit her, and when we arrived she
told us that she had fallen against a low stone and had damaged her leg. Part
of her leg was patched bandages and she couldn't walk very far without having
to sit down, so we sat down and had a lesson with her. During the lesson, a member
from the branch came by to visit her to see how everything was going, so it was
nice to see him reaching out to her. Brother A--- is doing his best to
fellowship those whom we teach, and it has been a great help to us in our
missionary efforts.
On Sunday
there was a solar eclipse, and hardly anyone was at church because of it.
Apparently, just seeing the moon cross over the sun is enough of an excuse to
stay home and watch. People don't have special glasses here to view it from,
but they use the film tape that is found in VHS tapes and hold them up to their
eyes to watch the eclipse. It was funny to hear people exclaiming in Twi that
Judgement was almost at hand, especially because I have seen so many at home
that it doesn't seem like too big of an event. People just view things
differently in different parts of the world.
The Zone
Leaders have been planning an activity for the zone for a while now, and news
is that we will be visiting the Coca-cola factory in Kumasi this upcoming
Monday. From what I have heard, it is a very enjoyable experience, and it will
just be fun to get out with other fellow missionaries. Sometimes I have to
remind myself that this is not my time, but it is the Lord's time, but at the
same time I can look forward to every Monday for a little break. P-day is truly
an inspired day because it allows us to relax and refocus on the upcoming week,
as well as getting everything prepared and in order so that you don't have to
worry about cleaning or buying food for the rest of the week. I don't know if I
could do the work completely if I didn't have some time to wind down and
refocus.
Really,
there wasn't much that happened this week. Just a lot of walking, talking, and
teaching. I wish I had a special experience to share, but the only experience
that sticks in my head is one that was just indecent. I won't talk about in
detail. (OK so this part was PG 13 and in real life it may have been rated R so
as a mom I just left it out) Oh well, I am at least grateful that we were able
to complete the lesson after this event without too much trouble.
Oh! I
almost forgot! I had the craziest food this last week. I wrote in my planner to
remind myself to tell everyone about it, but all the same it almost passed my
mind. So, this last week we went to an investigator's house to teach a lesson.
Upon arriving, we saw the investigator making fufou along with two other women.
When we started to talk, the younger woman (Mary) asked if I would marry her,
and the other woman (her mother) just looked at her. I pretended to be serious
and asked Mary if she had a passport, to which she said she didn't. I told her
that it would be impossible then. The conversation went on and at one point she
said that she would put my head in the mortar that the fufou is pounded in. At
another point, she asked if I was a joker. I don't remember how everything was
brought up in the conversation, but I'm not sure what she thought of me at all.
Anyways, on to the important part. We were about to leave and come back on a
later time, but the investigator invited us to stay and set aside two bowls for
us to eat from. She put fufou in each bowl and then put in a soup that had a
nasty green appearance with brown flecks mixed in. We didn't want to ask any
questions about what it was, so we just put our fingers in the fufou and soup
hesitantly and started to eat. There was a slight taste of something in it that
I didn't like, so I started to throw it down as quickly as possible. After
finishing, I was afraid to ask the investigator what was in the soup but
decided to anyways. Apparently, one of the main ingredients of it was fresh cow
dung. Imagine! People can say that they have had cow tongue before, but how
many can say that they have had cow dung? I felt a little like Bear Grills, but
I have a feeling that the food he eats is actually fake. Africa... what a
place.
Well, I don't know what else to say
besides I wish that everyone could be a missionary so that this work could
progress forward very quickly. The Lord is relying on us to send forth the
gospel to all nations, so we must be doing our part to bring his words to pass.
Thank you for all of the prayers and I am praying for everyone back home. Much
love to all of you.
Sincerely,
Elder Twede
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