So a quick summary for the week was that my new companion came to Nsawam on Tuesday and I've been taking him around showing him the area small and stuff. Elder Bawden is a good missionary. He is really caring and lifts my spirits whenever I’m feeling down.
I was feeling pretty stressed to be leading the area and I got pretty overwhelmed with everything missionary work and also life in Ghana. My companion played a talk by Elder Holland and these were the things that I liked:
As a missionary you have to walk the lonely path that Christ walked. At least once in your mission, you will have to shed at least one tear like He shed.
You are not the first to ask why this isn't easy. Someone else far better asked it a long time ago.
The reason missions are so hard is because salvation is not a cheap experience! Salvation was never easy! It caused Christ to fall on his face, bleed from every pore, and cry out, “Isn't there any other way?” Salvation was never easy, so little wonder it isn't easy for a missionary.
When you are cast out, spit upon, rejected, you stand shoulder to shoulder with Christ.
So these words have been playing through my head the past week and have really helped me to understand why missionary work is so dang hard sometimes.
We went around and visited the recent converts that were just baptized and I was so impressed at the change in them. These people before we met with them and before baptism looked different than they do now, they looked more weighed down than they do now. The change that the gospel brought to these people's lives is so amazing and it really boosted my love for them.
So we are out of time but to my family, I love you and I'm sorry we didn't get to talk very much today. I'll look forward to next Monday and hope that the circumstances will be right that I can email.
Elder Janda
