GIANT SPIDERS and GIANT-SIZED CARROT CAKE.....EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN AFRICA!

Giant spider in apartment....below is a standard 2x4.  They broke the broom killing it!

Dec. 2, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

            First of all, we had interviews with President last Tuesday, and during our combined meeting, he told us that after the missionary department has 'caught up' to the influx of new missionaries. The two week extension that was attached to our mission will now be void after July, meaning I will actually go home on time! I'll get to see Elder Jackman's homecoming, which will be awesome.

            Mom, I got your Christmas envelope with all the testimonies, and it's killing me that I can't open them until starting December 13th. The patriarchal blessings were very interesting to read, though.

            Our new apartment is proving to throw up some dust in the local area. Everyone knows the obrunis live in that house now, haha. They're all so curious. We've had some people just showing up and looking in the windows and stuff. One guy even came knocking on the door asking for money. One morning this week like right before 6:30 AM we heard a guy calling at the door. "Argo! Argo! Enoch, where are you?" ('Argo' means who is home) Then he came to our bedroom window and opened it from the outside yelling for Enoch. We told him, "There is no Enoch here!" He said, "Oh, sorry sorry sorry," and he disappeared. We are being pretty careful about making sure everything is locked when we leave, this area is actually pretty prone to thieves. 

            This week during proselyting my companion and I came across a baby goat nonchalantly munching on a Jehovah's Witness 'Watchtower' magazine. Needless to say, we were pleased.

            How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was awesome and full of gluttony. The Ivies were kind enough to buy the apartment some boneless chicken from Accra, so we cooked it in terriyaki sauce with onions and green peppers and made sandwiches. Then I mashed potatoes and made gravy from a packet I've had in my bags for over a year. It was all quite delightful. Sister Ivie made us carrot cake, but we were too full after dinner on Thursday, so we had in the next morning for breakfast--- all of it. We sliced it into 4 giant pieces and raced to finish. I won, of course, and I felt simply awful. There was SO much sugar in the frosting, haha. I really have lost almost all toleration for sweets. Even all our chicken from the dinner was too much. I can't believe how much Americans eat back home. 

            Also hit my 14 months mark this week. These last two month marks have caught me off guard because I'm not counting anymore. All the way up to a year you're just waiting for the next month, but after you hit the year mark, you just turn apathetic. Time is going fast. Elder Doggett doesn't have a lot of time left in the field.

Love,

Elder Doggett

Swanky new apartment

Nov. 25, 2013:

Dear Family and Friends,

            We moved into the new apartment this week. It took two days because we had to help the Ivies pick up some things and finalize stuff in the place. Our missionary work took a dent for the week, but now we are settled in. The place is so awesome. Quiet, clean, and conducive to the Spirit, haha.

            Our investigators are progressing quite well; we had 5 of them at church this week! We have been thinking a few of them would fail us recently, but they picked up the slack. We've been trying harder to teach in unity and really get down to their concerns, and it has worked. We have been lead as to how to help them.

            During our weekly planning this week, we had no idea how to help an investigator named O. So we prayed for help. We got the feeling that he needed to understand that he should fear God instead of man, and he will have strength in his convictions. We planned to address it in the next 2 lessons. Then, after our lesson with him the next day, he said, "I'm hoping you can help me gain faith, and make it so I can only fear God and nobody else." We hadn't even discussed that yet. We had just proceeded with our previous lesson plan and he came out with that. It was interesting. He's a really sincere investigator concerning his gospel learning. He wants to find that peace and love that is promised in the scriptures. He's probably over 50. He looks like 40 but I can never tell with Ghanaians.

            I went on splits with Elder Collins, a missionary from California posted in Odoben. He's in his 2nd transfer of training. I was really impressed though; he taught like he had been here as long as I have. He could teach very simply, and was bold in answering questions. We had a pretty good day, although we got caught in a storm and almost got struck by lightning, haha. I think I am cursed, anytime I come into contact or affiliate in any way with someone or something from Odoben, the rain comes. It's very strange. I have really enjoyed working with the missionaries in my district though, they are all really humble, effective missionaries.

            Mom and Dad, I'm glad you got to go see Elder Smoot's homecoming talk. He's a really chill guy, we got along very well. All we ever talked about was good food back home.

Love, 

Elder Doggett

Zone activity on beach

Local merchant who sells coconuts