So, first crazy unexpected experience for this week:
We were driving in a members car Sunday night last week and all the sudden, I hear Iz's voice. “I know that voice from anywhere" I tell myself and man alive it was him! I was like what the heck! I’m in Ghana, on a mission, and I hear Iz singing Hawaiian music. It was a special moment for me because it reminded me of all the vacations we went on as a family. I got misty eyed (didn’t cry:) ) when I thought about our special memories. The member saw that I loved it so much and so he played it twice for me. Great moment.
Next experience:
I was just chillin, sucking down some fufu and then I began to eat the meat that it came with... I couldn’t even chew it it was so hard. I asked what it was and they said it was cow ear... SICK! yeah, I didn’t eat anymore of that hahaha so gross
So when we bike to appointments, its pretty much mountain biking. like hardcore stuff man. we're jumping across ravines, biking through rivers, etc. it’s gnarly man. So fun haha
So I haven’t explained what a tro tro is yet. allow me to enlighten you. A tro tro is the most popular form of transportation out here. It is basically one of those 8 person buses that people have in the ward except they cram like 20 people into it haha its so crazy. I’ll send a pic of me in one. The roads are just a madhouse. It’s a miracle we haven’t gotten in any accidents yet. If I was in a tro and we got hit, man, everyone would die. It’s so unsafe but its so awesome hahaha
So we were called over by a group of a bunch of rowdy guys the other day and we were talking to them. So we get their info but really they just wanted to be crazy. The one guy (the ring leader of them) told us that he was going to hook us up with some girls cuz he told us that you can’t go two years without...yeah... so Elder Stilson and I walked back to the apartment, got a chastity pamphlet and went back and gave it to them hahahahahahahahhahah it was sooooooo funny!!! Later that day, we passed by again and they called us over to teach them. They were still being rowdy so we didn’t get a very good lesson with them but there was one guy in the group that seemed like he was more interested so I hope that we can teach him so that that meeting wasn’t a complete waste of time. Okay it wasn’t a complete waste of time cuz it was funny, but yeah...
So again, another wild experience:
We were walking along and this old man calls us over to teach him. so we are introducing ourselves and then he starts and says, in a weird Yoda Gollum mix voice, “I went to Ethiopia, then I went back and met a man on a horse. So I’m wondering, why are you guys walking around here all the time? " At this point I’m like still wondering what the whole horse thing is about... so we start telling him that we are here to help people overcome sin and return to live with God again. Then he says, "so you’re saying I’m a sinner?" Then we say, well the Bible says we are all sinners. And he says, "no, me I’m perfect. I’ve been perfect since I was 17." We were so in shock that we didn’t even know what to say to the guy. We pulled out scriptures, did everything we could to show him that no one was perfect except Christ but man, he wouldn’t believe it hahaha! The man was just crazy hahaha so funny! Highlight of the week hahha
SO FAMILY: I’m grateful for the chew chew swallow technique that we learned because it comes in handy out here. everyone swallows their food whole. so sometimes my throat rejects the fufu or baanko and because of my chew chew swallow background, I know how to suck it down hahaha, so thanks family :)
Okay, spiritual:
Taught Kwarteng again today and he committed to baptism! So exciting because the guy is gonna be like Stake President one day, he is so awesome! We taught him the Plan of Salvation and when we taught the Celestial Kingdom, I felt prompted to open Doctrine and Covenants 137 and read it with him. The spirit was so strong in the room as he realized what God had in store for him. After we finished I felt prompted to ask him about baptism again (we challenged a couple weeks ago and he didn’t accept). I told him that that was why we challenged him to baptism, because we wanted him to make it to the Celestial Kingdom. After I did that, Kwarteng said that he wanted to be baptized in a month. He said Dec 11. I hope he makes it to that date! The spirit was so strong. It was so cool! I thought to myself after we left, man. This is why im out here.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned on mission is that Joseph’s own words of his vision are so powerful. They are beautifully simple words that testify of so many things in the gospel, light comes, God knows us by name, we can receive answers to our prayers, God loves us, Christ and God are two separate beings, etc. So many messages. its so powerful and I always love to recite his words.
We had a baptism yesterday! her name was Gloria Shine Edufia. It was awesome and I had the privilege of baptizing her! I also got to baptize two children from the ward! it was so cool to see the fruits of the work we have been doing. I can’t wait to find more of those that have been prepared! In the scriptures it says the these people have been prepared by angels, it is so true out here. the Ghanaian people are so humble and by being so, they are able to have some amazing experiences that help convert them. God loves all his children. I testify of God's individual love and care for all of us. it is real.
Great things are to come, I can feel it.
Love you all,
Elder Max Janda
Baptism of Gloria Shine Edufia
The Elder's Apartment in Nsawam
