Elder Doggett at Cape Coast Christmas Devotional

"If you're walking by, and someone is eating, they'll say, 'you're invited'.......I asked Elder Nwoko if they really meant it, he said, 'heck yeah they mean it.'  If you go over there they will stuff you with food. These people are so giving, they are willing to share their food, even out of their own bowl, with some white stranger passing by."

Elder Nwachukwu and Elder Doggett performing song they wrote

December 31, 2012:

 Dear Family and Friends:  Christmas. It was very eventful actually, I didn't even have time to feel homesick really. It's hard to feel like Christmas anyways when there's no snow here. We had a mission Christmas conference which was very good. We had a devotional, free food (the best), and a talent show. We had to do a zone talent, so we put it together after doing a big service project a week before Christmas. We didn't know what to do so we decided to translate the story of Ammon in the Book of Mormon defending the flocks of King Lamoni. We translated verses into six different languages: Aramaic, Egbo, Swahili, Ga, Sign Language, and Pigeon. Pigeon was hilarious, because it's a slang of English (verrrrrry slang) and we gave that one to the verse of Ammon cutting off all the arms. Haha. Elder Nwachukwu and I played a song afterwards. It's a Christmas song we wrote, I barred a few chords and Elder N. wrote the lyrics, it was pretty fun. After all that we got to watch a movie! Shhhhh. It was Forever Strong, which is out mission motto, so President and Sister Shulz figured it was appropriate. 

    We had a new office couple come to the mission, Elder and Sister Crittenden, from Rexburg. Talking with Elder Crittenden at the devo, he recognized my name and said he worked with a Doggett in the temple. "A big, square guy". "Ha ha," I said, "Yep, that's my Uncle Murray!"

     A few days before Christmas, I decided to give some of the cookies Mom sent from home to an investigator who had an unexpected turnaround. She wasn't taking us seriously at all, and she kinda just laughed at us as we taught important things, so I was frustrated. But when we challenged her to pray about the Prophet Thomas S. Monson, she got an answer. A friend of her's who is a member of the church and never calls her, called her out of the blue, so they talked about the church. She asked him if the prophet was really the true prophet and they talked about that so she took it as her answer. She started to take us more seriously. Then after a lesson talking about Christmas, I sorta bragged about getting all those goodies from the states and such, so I felt bad. I decided to give her the rest of the cookies and a Christmas card from the First Presidency that all the Elders received for Christmas. I'm hoping she can feel that we are truly representatives of Jesus Christ, that we care about her. 

     During sacrament meeting some weeks ago, we were about to sing, "O Little Town of Bethlehem", and as the chorister started, I realized she was singing the words to the melody of "I Saw A Mighty Angel Fly", hymn 15. I sat there silently busting up in laughter at how well it actually fit together as we sang. I figure a lot of members here don't know the real melodies for a lot of the hymns. Ha ha,it was just one of those, 'Only in Africa' moments.
     On Christmas day we had SO much fufu. We went to a few members' houses and they spoiled us. I thought I wouldn't eat for a week. I'm actually starting to like the stuff, I'm eating it so much. My favorite is groundnut soup (peanut) with chicken. Of course the phone call home too was great. Although I ran out of credit really fast. I dunno how the fees work here, really so i'll figure that out. Nate, I'm sorry we didn't get to talk much but I'm glad you had me call Kelsey. It was really good that we talked, we found that we are going through a lot of the same challenges. All the more reason for YOU TO WRITE ME :)
     I had a cool realization the other day. There's something that people say all the time around here. If you're walking by, and someone is eating, they'll say, "you're invited". I always thought it was just a common, courteous thing to say to people. But I asked Elder Nwoko if they really meant it, he said, "heck yeah they mean it." If you go over there they will stuff you with food. So we were passing a few guys roasting chicken gizzard barbecue style and they invited us, so Elder Doggett happily accepted.( It smelled like American BBQ!) We had a good conversation about the church and such. They gave us a lot of meat and were so friendly I was really impressed. These people are so giving, they are willing to share their food, even out of their own bowl, with some white stranger passing by. Granted, meat isn't cheap around here. I was thinking, "This sort of thing would never happen back in the States, it's too bad. The people here are so generous." I mean, I was super duper impressed by this, and I still am. Seeing how little people have, and how fast they'll give part of it to you, is simply amazing. They're not blinded by the vain things of the world, like prejudice and pomp, or social status. Those things don't exist here. I can't really describe it.
    So this is my last week of training, by next Monday I'll know whether or not I'm staying in Elmina for the next two month long transfer. I'm excited to be finished with training, I don't really like being a new missionary. Some of the other Elders are a little condescending to new missionaries.  I feel like a freshman again,  ha ha. I'm not sure if they know they're being condescending though. Oh well, it teaches me lots and lots of parience. :)

Love to all! And Happy New Year!
Elder Clinton Doggett