December 10, 2012 email:

" So we have a baptism scheduled for December 22, 2012. You know, the day the world is going to end? Ha ha.  I was really excited when we set that date. Because the world will have a whole new meaning for that person when she is baptized."

Dear Family and Friends,

      Things are looking up. Elder Nwoko and I  kind revamped how we are going to work. We are going to work be using the members more. And we have figured out ways to let people know we are serious. So we are still recovering from the last few weeks. One of the things that really helped me was going on splits with our zone leaders. I stayed in our area this time, and Elder Carstens, from Texas was with me for a day and a night. It was seriously such a relief to be with an American, before I felt like a was drowning. So being with him was kind of a security blanket. We talked all day and night (we stayed up until 1:30....oops) about the states, high school, movies, and just everything. We really hit it off, and had a ton in common. We liked all the same stuff, even music, sound mixing, editing movies, all that stuff. But more importantly, Elder Carstens is a former companion of Elder Nwoko's so he gave me some killer advice on how I should approach him and stuff. But the stuff he told me applies to any companion, really. First, you have to establish common ground and become friends. If you're not friends, you will never teach as a team, you will never be unified. Then you branch out from there. It's very hard being in an apartment with three Nigerians, but I've found that if you try hard, you can fit in. You may not be able to talk about the states or movies or whatever is familiar to you, but you can always talk about girls. Ha ha! As soon as I brought up girls, we really connected. I guess that's a universal topic. Even more importantly, the gospel of Jesus Christ is what we all definitely have in common. It's why we are here. It's what we teach. It's what we live. It's what we breathe. So there is always a way.  "...I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the things which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)
      Mom and Dad, just a moment ago, when I read your email about praying for me right after reading my last email, I about cried. I can't describe to you how much I have felt your love this week, especially when I got the Christmas package this week .This week, I just felt everything is ok, that it will work out. I know that prayer is one of the most powerful things on this earth, if you pray in faith. And I know you have great, great faith. Dad thanks for sharing your living conditions from your mission, I didn't even know it was like that. I don't even have it that bad. I love you guys so much and I am so thankful to have 'been born of goodly parents'. You are the best.
     So when I cracked open that Christmas package, I about died when I smelled those gingerbread cookies. Thank you thank you thank you! Ha ha! Elder Nwoko was holding a stick ready to attack anything that 'might run out' of the package when I opened it. Thanks for packing it with newspaper, too. I've been going through those and reading them... its a little pathetic, I know. But it really started to feel like Christmas when I opened that package. Thanks for the CDs! I love the Mormon Tab one. I think I've come to love Motab so much since I've been here because it reminds me of home, you know the Utah-Idaho area. I love everything you sent me. I even used the washer this morning, and it cut my time in half. All I had to do was scrub the white shirt collars, then plunge the rest of my clothes. That's what it's like, using a giant plunger on your clothes. I see you spent $97.30 to send it, so thank you! I had to pay 26.70 GHC to receive it, but it's good I had that personal money! That's partly why I got it out in the first place. I was really hoping for some pictures this Christmas, though. I know, you are too Mom, so if you don't send some, I guess we'll call it even. I don't have time to send pictures online, as we only have one hour on Mondays to email. But since you said you are sending me a card and a way to send the other back, I will do it that way and hope it doesn't get lost. I could print and send here, but that may be really expensive for me. So we'll see. I'm telling everyone though, I really wish I brought more pictures from home, they are like GOLD.
     So we have a baptism scheduled for December 22, 2012. You know, the day the world is going to end? Ha ha.  I was really excited when we set that date. Because the world will have a whole new meaning for that person when she is baptized. Her name is Linda, and she is 18. In spite of her lack of English, and our lack of Fante, she is learning very well and hasn't missed church once since we've been here. She is actually the first person we ever contacted in this area. So the first person I EVER contacted in the field. Mom, you said it was going to be a white Christmas... full of baptisms. I hope so!
     What I have learned in this area the most, is that no matter how convicted we are in teaching, how much we want people to accept our message and keep appointments, they still have agency. It's still their choice and it always will be. As missionaries, as long as we are doing our own personal best, we cannot go wrong. One day, I was really depressed because every appointment we set failed, and I was complaining about it. Elder Nwoko simply said, "Is it your fault?" I guess from then I realized it's not my fault. Dad before I left you said on your mission everyone was willing to talk to you, but not everyone was willing to accept your message. It's the same here. And I've realized how it works. This work is divine, so divine it's all that matters, even in the next life. (D&C 138:56)

Love,
Elder Clinton C. Doggett

P.S.  It's not as hard as people think to get stuff down here, at least in this area. I even found Oreos :)