Hello Everyone,
This last
week has been a little crazy. We had some run-ins with the immigration office
here in M--- again, the other companionship only had one lesson taught for the
whole week and were visited personally by the zone leaders, and I had my first
experiences in chop bars (local food bars). Today it has been raining like
crazy and I barely had the chance to run out of the apartment to make it to the
internet cafe, but here I am. Hopefully there will be an opportunity to shop
for food as well, but I can't be too sure about it. I might just have to buy
food to go in a small stand on the side of the road and then head back to the
apartment.
Last
Wednesday we were contacted in the morning by an immigration officer who told
us that we should arrive at the immigration office by 9:00 A.M. promptly, or
they would send officers to our apartment to arrest us with handcuffs.
Obviously, we all got dressed, ate as quickly as possible, and then left for
the office. When we arrived, the head officer invited us into his office and
just stared at us before he started interrogating us with questions. "Do
you know why you are in my office right now? Do you understand that you don't
have visas with you and what that means? Do you know what will happen to you if
you don't bring the proper papers?" etc etc. We just looked back calmly at
him and answered his question, stating simply that we know what he is saying
and understand the problem, but that there is nothing we can do about it but
call the mission president. The officer called the mission president and
chastised him for not sending the proper papers in even though he even
requested for them 3 months ago, and then said that he wanted the papers in by
Friday, or else we would all be sent to Kumasi to be dealt with there. After
hanging up, the officer started to chastise us for not obeying the law of the
land and gave us plenty of scriptures to think about. The funniest thing he
said though was this: "I will never put you into jail, because I am a God
fearing man. I know that if I put you into any sort of jail, the walls will
shake and everything will collapse, but you will stay alive. You might even
run." He told us that even if he couldn't put us in jail, the best he
could do was to just send us away from his area of jurisdiction. After a few
more words, he sent us out and let us know that he would expect us at 10:00 AM
each morning until Friday until he received the proper papers. Basically, we
were put under parole. Thankfully, he received everything on Thursday, and now
he wants us to visit his office so that we can teach him about the message
which we have. It was interesting how everything worked out.
The zone
leaders came to M--- on Friday in order to proselyte with the other
companionship in the apartment because they taught one lesson for the whole
last week (now two weeks ago). Everything went well during the day, but at
night everyone was hungry. Since it was apostasy week (meaning, the last week
before our next subsistence), no one had any money besides myself. I paid for 6
plates of rice, equaling 18 cedi ($9), but that meant that all of my money was
now gone. I have survived these past few days off of what little I had left in
the cupboard, but it was a definite relief to withdraw money today. When other
people don't manage their money well, it becomes difficult for the people who
are prepared. I don't have reason to complain though, because I lived through
it all and now everything is back to normal. It just felt like a big sacrifice
at the time.
Chop bars
here are basically little shacks that the locals eat in, and I had never been
in one until last week. The basic foods that any chop bar will have are banku
and fufu, and they both look the same. The chop bars will never have utensils
for you to eat with, and everything is eaten out of clay bowls that are placed
in front of you (don't worry, they aren't communal). There aren't any big
chairs to sit on, so you sit down on small stools that don't even reach the
knee. I didn't enjoy my first experience in one, but the second place I went to
was better. Everything is really different here in Ghana, but I am doing my
best to get used to it.
One thing I
love about my mission is that I get to be in an environment that is so new, so
different, so challenging, and yet so worthwhile. The challenges I have faced
(and am still facing) have really forced me to change, grow, and reach higher.
If I could give the people here one spiritual gift, it would be the gift of
obedience. If I were to give them one temporal gift, it would be enough money
to drive to church on Sundays.
Thank you for all of the love that
is sent my way, and I give my best of wishes to those who are preparing to leave
for their mission. It will be a challenging experience, but invaluable all the
same. Always have your eyes set on the prize, and then everything else will
seem trivial to you, whether they are trials or tribulations that come your
way. Have faith in Christ, and have a prayer continually in your heart.
Much love,
Elder Twede
No comments:
Post a Comment