"Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ must have such a supreme love for us, we can't fully understand it....I am so thankful for His sacrifice; that he suffered so that I might not have to suffer, if only I repent and come unto Him. I know that Christ lives. He surely answered the ends of the law."

Dear Family and Friends,
     This week was pretty normal. We talked to some Roman sisters, and there was an American girl with them. I asked her if anything was happening in the US, she just mentioned the bombings at the Boston Marathon, and something about a fertilizer explosion in Texas. And she told me The Hobbit was awesome. We talked for a while, I found out she was from Iowa, and she had never seen the church in the States. She was surprised that she had to go all the way to Africa to run into it. I told her to look up the church when she gets home.
      We had an interesting gospel conversation the other day, though. We were buying in the market and a white girl approached and greeted us. She said she was from Norway and she was doing a documentary, to show that 'people are just people'. She said she'd like to ask us a few questions and we agreed, so she just busted out a camera and started rolling! Ha,ha! I was glad we were wearing our tags, because all of our shirts were dirty from transfers. So she asked what we were doing in Ghana... Lights, Camera, Gospel Conversation, GO! We introduced ourselves, the church, and gave a quick rundown of the Restoration of the Gospel and why we were sharing the gospel, bearing testimony all the way. Through our conversation, she told us she was atheist: she believed the sun was the father, and the earth was the mother. Then she said in her thick, European accent, "Do you think I'm going to hell for that?" I smiled wide and said, "No. No I do not." I wonder who that recorded discourse will reach in the future?
     Recently we've been teaching the Plan of Salvation to a lot of people, so I've been studying it deeply. It is by far the most merciful plan ever. I don’t know why you wouldn't believe in it if you really believe that God is merciful. I've come to gain a greater understanding of the Atonement of Christ, and what he really did for us. Without Him, we would be a lost and fallen people. Even if it wasn't Adam and Eve in the beginning, if it were someone else, the same thing would have happened. It's the nature of mankind. We make mistakes, and I make them every day. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ must have such a supreme love for us, we can't fully understand it. As I ponder the gift that was given me by my big brother, Jesus Christ, sometimes tears come to my eyes, and my heart is filled with gratitude. I wish there was more detail about his sacrifice in the scriptures; about how he felt and how it all happened. I don't understand how, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He took upon Himself all our sins. I just don't understand how it happened, logically I guess. But spiritually, I can see how awful and horrid it must have been. I think of how I have felt in the past with my own transgressions, and I try to multiply that feeling by like 100 billion to understand how it really was. But my mind just can't handle it. But I am so thankful for His sacrifice; that he suffered so that I might not have to suffer, if only I repent and come unto Him. I know that Christ lives. He surely answered the ends of the law. I imagine that, in the last day, as we stand before the judgment bar, it won't be the Father who tells
us we are not worthy to enter His kingdom; it will be us. I imagine that as I have a perfect recollection of all my guilt, I will refuse to enter the kingdom. But Jesus Christ will stand there, pleading with me, to accept that He has already paid that price, saying that I can enter and sit with Him in the kingdom of His Father. He will say, "Please, my brother, come with me. I made that sacrifice for YOU. I own your sins, and I want you to leave them behind, and look towards eternal glory with your wife and eternal companion. Please. Come, follow me." I can't describe the feelings I have as I ponder that scenario. And I can't express how grateful and thankful I am for the knowledge I have, being a part of the true church of Jesus Christ. With the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, I'm so happy to have the Plan of salvation before me, to guide me into the right path.

    Right now, we have one good investigator, her name is Ritah. But [the other new members] could also use some prayers.  Africa's problem in the church right now is retention.

    I haven't gotten any mail for 3 weeks, because of transfers. It has all been clogged up in the mission home for some reason. I'm getting really antsy, one of the Elders said, "oh yeah, I saw your name on a ton of mail recently."

    That's about all this week. The church is true, the book is blue, and God's a Mormon, He'll look after you! :)

Love,
Elder Clinton Doggett

"When we went to say goodbye to Christina and Sis. Woode, Sis. Woode cried a little.  She really was like my grandmother.  I felt a little uprooted the first two days in the new area, but we have a LOT of work ahead of us here....so I just dived into the work."

Elder Doggett, Agartha, Elder Kirumira

Dear Family and Friends,
     CHAPTER 2, Green Hill. My new area really personifies its name. This place is green and there are hills. It's a branch of about 75 members, and most of the auxiliaries are filled.  There are about 11 big families. I'm excited to get working with all of these missionary tools at my disposal. I've been put with Elder Kirumira, from the capital of Uganda. He's a transfer behind me, and he's been here his whole mission so far. He's been through some [challenging conditions] and some rough stuff, so I'm trying my best to show him how missionary work is supposed to be, like Elder James did for me. He's a chill guy though, we get along well already. His favorite movie is The Sandlot, so that's fun, ha,ha. I taught him how to play "My Team/Your Team". He thinks it's hilarious…..and he calls all the obrunis on my team.
     Leaving Ntranoa was a little harder than I thought it would be. I had gotten so close to all of the members in my 6 1/2 months there. When we went to say goodbye to Christina and Sis. Woode, Sis. Woode cried a little. She really was like my grandmother. I felt a little uprooted the first two days in the new area, but we have a LOT of work ahead of us here in this branch, so I just dived into the work. Elder James has stayed in Ntranoa to train a Ghanaian from Kumasi, Elder Quaisie.
     My first day here, we ran into this American guy from Connecticut. He called us over and asked us to "teach him something about God", haha. This guy was not serious. We said a prayer, then I asked him if he had any questions for us, since he obviously knew who we were. He said he was friends with the Robert C. Gay family (the Seventy), and he just wanted my opinion on a few things. "So you don't drink coffee. What's up with that?" I just rolled my eyes inside. I briefly explained to him the Word of Wisdom and why we practice it. Then he said, "I think it's better that I drink one cup of coffee in the morning than a Mormon who drinks 5 Diet Cokes throughout the day." I started to explain more, but he wanted to move on. He wasn't trying to understand, he was getting to something. He asked a few more questions, then finally he said, "So how do you feel about the priests, or whatever, not allowing black people to join until 1978?... There's obviously something wrong there." I explained to him the best I could my own personal understanding of that declaration. But he just wouldn't have it. He was so hung up on the idea, he just wanted to see what a white guy would say about it. Then he started throwing his personal accomplishments in my face, his degrees, his philanthropy work in Ghana, all the awesome stuff he probably doesn't do. He just wanted to discredit me as a person. It was just funny to me to watch the….pride flash all over his face. Then he tried to get us to 'convice him to join the church.' I told him, "Then that is where we have a misunderstanding. You obviously know missionaries, and you know that's not our job. We are here to share the gospel with those who will listen." He just laughed and let us go on our way. The next day I was reading in 3 Nephi, around chapter 24 or so. Christ was teaching his disciples about the work they needed to do. He warned them that many will not believe, though man may declare it to them.  That brought my thoughts to this guy. He has obviously had the truth declared to him again and again. He is close friends with a Seventy's son, but he simply refuses to believe it. Call it pride, call it prejudice, what have you, I don't know. But he simply won't believe it. It's kind of sad, really. Elder Kirumira said his trainer warned him about this guy. When his trainer was with a white guy, he did the exact same thing.
     So this Saturday we had a baptism! Elder Kirumira and his former companions have been working with this girl for months. Her name is Agartha. When we were finalizing the preparations for her baptism, we told her she could choose who will baptize here. The next day, she said she chose me! I said, "Hey, it's not because I'm obruni is it??" She just laughed. I was pretty surprised. She had just met me two days before; I thought she would choose Elder Kirumira, or at least some branch member, because she has been coming to church for months. Either way, though, it was a sweet baptism. There was a ton of branch support, which is really comforting to me for the future of this area. The branch mission leader took care of everything too, which is exactly his job. Everyone played their roles perfectly. Agartha is missing her left arm just below the elbow, from a car accident that killed her mother in 2007. So she had to kneel in the font for her baptism, to make it easier for her, and for me. But she is a sweet lady. She's around 24, and despite her condition, she's a really happy soul.
     We went to both of the BYU-I concerts this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday. Agartha came with us to both of them, and she loved them. Both of the performances were so brilliant! I really miss first-world entertainment. It trunked me out a little. It reminded me of my high school days in choir and in the musical, haha. My old days with that huge hair. :)  I saw Gregory though! And as we talked, we found out that one of his comps on his mission was in Elder Kirumira's home ward. It's seriously a small world we live in.

     That's all for now, love you!

Love,

Elder Clinton Doggett

Missing the 'land of the free and the home of the brave'??

 "Jesus Christ also told the Nephites and Lamanites, 'he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil...' (3 Nephi 11:29)....... If we are not one, we are not His. We can't let Satan in among us, to destroy the Lord's work. I'm so thankful for the lessons I've learned on my mission so far. The Lord truly knows how to shape me into the person he needs me to be." 

Grasscutter on the bbq, a Ghanaian delicacy!

Dear Family and Friends,

     Transfer news! Elder James and I are splitting up. Elder James is staying to train in Ntranoa, in the new apartment we scored some weeks ago, and I am going to Green Hill Branch in Cape Coast. I'm really going to miss the time I've had with Elder James, we've gotten along so well together. And we worked our butts off. And we made some killer awesome food. Ha.ha! We've gone through a lot, and I've learned tons from it all. I have a feeling I'll be training next transfer, after I get to know my new area. There are a whole world of new missionaries coming to this mission very soon.

     A few weeks ago, I asked Elder Kinikini if I could buy his other guitar off of him. He said he would just give it to me when he left, but he's been called to train, so he just dashed it to me the other day. So now I have two! Haha maybe I can teach some of my future companions. I started to re-string it this morning.

     This week, we had almost no investigators come to church. C. was nowhere to be found and neither was Sophia. Until the second hour. Sophia showed up late, and she told Elder James, ‘I wasn't planning on coming today, because I wasn't feeling well. As I was trying to get to sleep, I just couldn't! I kept hearing a voice in my head telling me to go to church. It wouldn't let me sleep!’ She's a really bubbly, kind woman. I'm a little sad to be leaving now, and missing her baptism. But maybe Elder James's son (new mission companion) needs to see a golden investigator in his first area. We ordered a new Holy Bible for her a few weeks ago and it came last week. Her Bible was absolutely trashed. We had planned on giving it to her on Sunday when she came to church, so we did. She was very happy. Tomorrow, we are introducing the Book of Mormon to her, and we will give her a Fante version. She has been asking for it, so I'm excited to see her reaction. Oh, we also gave her a hymn book the other day, because she loves singing. She was the 'praise and songs' leader in her previous church. She was so thankful and excited to get it--- she made us sing her some hymns, ha,ha!

     I had to learn a very hard lesson this week. We had a run-in with _______ last week in a meeting. On our progress record, we wrote that the Gospel Essentials class needs an assigned teacher, not the missionaries. We simply meant that the class needs to be taught by a member so people can connect with the branch, instead of us as missionaries.  He got very upset at this. We talked with_______ for a while, but he would NOT listen [or understand our suggestions]....... Suffice it to say, he said some  [uncomplimentary things about our suitability as missionaries]. 

     As we left that meeting; we were so angry and upset that we walked all the way home. We talked it over on the way, and called for advice from our Zone Leaders and the Assistants. When we explained the situation to Elder Kinikini, he said, ‘You know, Ghanaians are known for over-reacting, but they're also known for being very forgiving. It's not about who is right and who is wrong, it's about what is best for the work, the area, and the branch. You should go to him, apologize, and fix the problem.’

     So that's what we did. And it was the hardest thing in the world to do. Elder James came up with the idea of making a fruit basket with our apology. So we collected the materials throughout our proselyting day. We had to humble ourselves SO much. We planned to meet ________ that night, so all that day, we were still fuming. But before we went in to see him and his wife, we said a prayer together to invite the Spirit.

      As we sat down, we apologized and explained ourselves. He also apologized, and told us that he and his wife have never been so attached to missionaries as to us. They said they loved us and feel for us as they see us walking in the scorching sun all day; they know how hard the work has been. They said their home is also our home. That actually meant a lot to me. It's not easy out here without your family.  ________ also told us that we've been an example to her personally, by showing zeal for sharing the gospel. She's a shy, quiet person, and she said that gradually, she is learning to come out and talk to people.

     It was an enormous lesson in humility---to apologize when you know you've done nothing wrong. But all is well now. Once a tax collecter asked Peter if his master, Jesus, paid taxes. Jesus didn't owe a penny to anyone, but he told Peter to pay the tax, "lest they be offended" (Matt 17: 24-27) Jesus Christ also told the Nephites and Lamanites, "he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil..." (3 Nephi 11:29) There was contention between us, the missionaries, and ____________. We needed to fix that, and I'm so glad we did. If we are not one, we are not His. We can't let Satan in among us, to destroy the Lord's work. I'm so thankful for the lessons I've learned on my mission so far. The Lord truly knows how to shape me into the person he needs me to be. 

     That's all for now!

Love,
Elder Doggett

".....when it rains here, Ghana shuts down. People don't know what to do. So we prayed that we may be able to fill our time--- and for rain. I kid you not, the second we said 'Amen', we heard the wind start blowing and stuff crashing outside. We looked out the window to see this huge storm blowing in, and it started raining." 

Elder Doggett with Baba......his future wife (according to her).

Dear Family and Friends,

     I have a lot to say this time, but I have to get this one off my chest. I found Arizonas 

today in Cape Coast. Soooooooo stoked. They were 5 cedis, though. But I found this new store that just opened, ran by a lady who lived in Minnesota for 33 years. She wanted to open a shop here that is different, where foreigners can feel comfortable. I'll tell ya, it worked, haha. That place is loaded with American imports!

     Also, recently Elder James and I made a Fanta float with vanilla ice cream and orange Fanta. 

It tasted like home. Orange creamsicle...

     This Tuesday we had an interesting experience. Our district meeting got moved toWednesday so we had a completely open morning. We knew that when it rains here, Ghana shuts down. People don't know what to do. So we prayed that we may be able to fill our time--- and for rain. I kid you not, the second we said 'Amen', we heard the wind start blowing and stuff crashing outside. We looked out the window to see this huge storm blowing in. And it started raining. But... we went out anyway. And we filled our time, by visiting Maame Dadson, the widow in the branch, and she talked our ears off. She loves to tell us all about cooking in Ghana.

     Not long ago we met a woman called Sophia in a village called Koful as we walked to our area. She received us well and said she'd come to church. Every Ghanaian says that, so we thought nothing of it. But on Sunday, she was there with her sister and children. When we saw her again to follow up, she said, "Write my name in your books, I'm here to stay in your church. I won't go to mine again." We were pretty surprised…..and excited. But she had seen things wrong with her church--- and seen things right in ours. She noticed so many things about the service about the service that she loved. Not only she, but her whole family has received us well. We have been praying for the Lord to prepare the hearts of those people in the area who will receive the gospel. He has done it. This woman has been prepared, and we had nothing to do with it; all we had to do was find her. We thought we were wasting time that day we walked from our apartment, but the Lord led us to her.

     So far on mission, the Lord has been teaching me patience, but this past transfer he has 

moved on to humility, I think. The last few weeks have been extremely difficult, and with everything that's happened so far, the Lord has shown me that I am absolutely nothing without him.

     One day this week we talked with a guy on the road between Koful and Ntranoa. He was carrying a monitor, and some girls were carrying a computer with him. He said he was taking it from a friend's house for a funeral in Abee. We invited him to church and parted ways. The next day, we taught a lesson to a girl in Koful, and her brother came over and asked us if we were walking with a guy with a computer yesterday. He told us that the guy had stolen the computer from a house in Koful and paid two random girls to carry it for him. Apparently right after we parted, he got caught getting into a taxi at the junction. He tricked the girl at the house in Koful saying he was sent to collect it or something. When she realized the truth, she sent some guys on the road after him. They barely caught him before he made off; the boy said,"They beat him to death... only unfortunately he didn't die." Haha After they apprehended the guy, the authorities started to ask questions. People who saw said they saw him walking with two white guys. They concluded that, as we talked with him all the way down the road, we slowed him just enough that they were able to catch him. If we hadn't talked to him, he would have gotten away. They said, "those white men have done well!" 

     So that's cool. We aided in the capture of a thief. Ghanaians hate thieves. That's probably why they beat him. Thinking back--- we do slow down when we talk to people on the road, I guess it was just enough. I guess God has a few more purposes for his servants that we realize. I just hope this has a positive effect on the public mind about us.

     We met Sophia's brother this week. Her mother asked us to come and greet her son. We stepped into the little bare room to see a very tall man sitting on the floor. His leg was wrapped up, obviously wounded. We sat down next to him and asked what happened. Over 3 years ago, he was a gold miner and he fell down a mine shaft, breaking his knee and getting a compound fracture in his femur. HE showed us the infection on his lower leg and the hole where the bone punctured his skin in this thigh. He was in the hospital for 3 years. We told him that we, as missionaries, have the authority and ability to give him a blessing of healing. He said he'd like that. Elder James blessed him that he could heal according to his faith, that he would have strength to attend church, and that he could bring his friends. He was very grateful, he said, "Oh,  I will come this Sunday, I can already fell the strength you have given me." He expressed that he had always seen the LDS missionaries and had desire to call on them, but never had until now. So guess who came hobbling into church on Sunday. C.W.E. That's his name. He came all the way from Koful to Ntranoa, about a kilometer walk, in the hot morning sun. And he was walking without his stick. When we met at the beginning of this week, he was using a stick and noticeably having some trouble getting around. On Sunday, he was walking well without it. That blessing did something for him, I tell you, whether physically or mentally he had the drive to attend church. If this man can make the small journey to church, nobody else has an excuse. Charles was sitting next to Elder James, and he told him some pretty crazy cool stuff. As Bro. Ampiah was teaching, he said, "Hey, what this man is teaching--- it is actually good!" Late on he said, "You know what, this church has always been in my heart." Apparently he helped build the Takoradi Stake Center some years back. At last he said, "As I keep coming to Latter Day Saints, some of my friends will come too. I want them to stop drinking." Now THIS man has seriously been prepared. Of course, it took years for him to get to this point, I think he will continue, and I pray he does. Not to mention, the branch needs somebody who can clean the windows, and Charles is like 6'7". The tallest Fante I've ever seen haha.

     Anyhow, that's my week!

Love,

Elder Clinton Doggett

PS I gotta go drink my Arizonas, they're waiting at home in the fridge!

YES!  Arizonas!

Elder James, Elder Doggett enjoying the Ramen

  "I do not worship a dead, lifeless body on a cross. I do not worship a dead God. My God is living. I testify that Jesus Christ lives today, and he directs His Church and His work today, through a living prophet..." 

Branch Pres. excited about truckload of furniture for chapel

Dear Family and Friends,

     I had a pretty awesome meal this week. Fufu with groundnut soup and grasscutter. Grasscutter (or cane rat) is a type of bushmeat. It's basically a giant wild rat. It was interesting. Honestly though, it tasted like roast beef. Not too bad... except for the skin. It was like rubber and about a centimeter thick. Elder James couldn't eat all of his so he shared with the random cat that was begging at our table. After we ate, I lured the cat over and tricked him into letting me pet him with my left hand, then went in for the kill with my right. April Fooling!  I wiped my hands off on him while I pet him, and spoiled his nice, white, fluffy fur. Ha, ha. We were served by a member, Maame Dadson, the recent widow, and there's a little girl that lives in her compound (the one who said she would marry me); when they brought us the water to wash out hands, she insisted on washing our hands for us. She said, "Stop, let me do it, obruni!"

    This week was slow. But in light of Easter, Elder James and I have been going around sharing an Easter message with people. The thing is, everyone here goes crazy about the crucifixion and death of Christ. They 'celebrate' it for 4 days. They all watch, "The Passion of the Christ" and they just dwell on these things. Nobody remembers the fact that Christ resurrected on the third day. Nobody remembers that JESUS CHRIST LIVES TODAY. The churches here just complain about the injustice of the death of Christ, and nobody realizes the implications of his resurrection. There is a higher meaning to Easter. So we've been sitting down with random people, and sharing with them the true meaning of the Easter season. We've been explaining these things to them, how it should really be.

     While proselyting in a village this week, on Good Friday, we saw all the Roman Catholics parading through the streets with a bunch of crosses. Then they all congregated in the middle of the market while their pastors held these giant wooden crosses. Then they all got on their knees, and bowed down literally worshiping the cross. This was just so wrong to me! First of all, they're worshiping an idol. Second of all, that idol is a torture tool. It's a murder weapon. The cross was infamously viewed as a sign of horror, pain, and death for hundreds of years during the times of the Romans. Why would you worship the thing that killed your Lord and Savior? If someone murdered your most loved one with a shotgun, are you going to hang that shotgun on your wall as a decoration? NO. Absolutley not.

     I do not worship a dead, lifeless body on a cross. I do not worship a dead God. My God is living. I testify that Jesus Christ lives today, and he directs His Church and His work today, through a living prophet, named Thomas Spencer Monson. He lived yesterday. He lives today. He will live forever. And his work will ALWAYS continue. No unhallowed hand can stop his glorious work.

     The Great Apostasy was real. I live among the heaping piles of evidence every day. And I'm fighting  the terrible effects everyday, trying to bring people to see the light of truth. The church is true!

Love,

Elder Doggett

Famous stuffed pizza Elder Doggett and Elder James make

Service project with branch