"My comp and I  have always done everything we could think of until we felt a candidate was ready to make the covenant they did."

With Sister Z.

Dear Family and Friends,

    A few weeks ago, Elder and Sister Julander joined our District Meeting to discuss making life goals with us. This is the first time in my life I have actually set and written down life goals. I made a few mission goals too. It's exciting, because it will set me in the right direction for my life. The other day Elder Julander came for an apartment check and he reviewed the goals we had individually made. He gave some constructive criticism and urged us to continue. The Julanders are a sweet couple, they seriously love us missionaries. (Don't all senior couples?) We had another district activity today in their house.
    In other news, transfers are in! Elder Larsen and Stoddard are training, only Larsen is going to whitewash up in Assin Foso. Elder Moore and Mocke are staying of course, because of training. And I am being replaced by Elder Williams. I suppose the Spirit of the Lord has called me to another venture. Actually, it was President Shulz who called and asked me to be a Zone Leader in Assin Foso. Some missionaries have been taunting me about it for the last few transfers, and it turns out that their prophecies were correct. Haha. I am excited, and I think it will be a fantastic learning experience and a test of patience, of course.
    Soon after I was called by President, Elder Ma'afu was called by the Assistants to be the new Mpintsin District Leader, haha. It was the exact same situation as I and Elder Ormond had 3 months ago. But he and his comp will officially be moved into Mpintsin Ward 2, because two more elders are coming to the other apartment for Ward 1. That's exciting, because we were totally swamped trying to cover two wards. That's how it was in the old days though...
    To answer Mom's questions, we have met with the guy Elder Ma'afu talked to while I played around on the instruments. He has great interest, we just feel he has some concerns about the church. Most people do here, but they're easy to resolve.......

 .......I haven't baptised a lot of people on my mission, but I can stand before God with conviction one day and honestly tell him that the people I did baptize were ready. The ones we met who we didn't baptise were not ready at that time. My comp and I  have always done everything we could think of until we felt a candidate was ready to make the covenant they did.

Love,

Elder Doggett

Elders Moore & Stoddard's artistic interpretation of the Mptinsin District

"[We] were sitting at the table...... when we heard a voice from the bathroom, 'Elder Moore... Elder Moore! There's a giant scorpion in the bathroom.'"

With A., who took us in during a downpour

Dear Family and Friends,

            I got a call from the Assistants the other day, informing me that my MTC group will have to fly out on September 28, 2014. My year mark. It's a Sunday, so that's kinda strange. The reason is there will be a big mission president's seminar from October 14-18. They originally wanted to extend the two weeks again,but decided to just ship us early. So that's that.

            Elder Mocke was rudely interrupted in the bathroom this week. Elder Moore, Stoddard, and I were sitting at the table discussing Star Wars when we heard a voice from the bathroom, "Elder Moore... Elder Moore! There's a giant scorpion in the bathroom." Haha!  We ran in excitedly to find Elder Mocke hiding behind the curtain partition in their cramped washroom, with El Scorpio, AKA 'Captain Pinchy' sitting about a foot away from him in the corner. It's like they were having a staring contest. After laughing and taking pictures, we let Elder Mocke finish up. So he gets a Tupperware, catches the thing, and starts chasing Moore and Stoddard around the apartment to get revenge. It was hilarious, Elder Moore was terrified! So we poked it and took pictures of it. If you'd have laid it out claw to stinger it was over 6 inches, I bet. Since we failed to find any insects for it to victimize, we tried feeding it an English Yorkshire toffee. No dice. Elder Moore said he couldn't sleep until it was dead, so Elder Stoddard took Captain Pinchy outside and mutilated him with a shovel. What a champ.               

            In other news, I am pleased to announce that after nearly 19 months of faithful service in the Lord's vineyard, I got my hands on an electric guitar and a drum set. There was some church set up in the futbol park for an Easter celebration, and as we passed by on the way home, I stopped to seize my opportunity. I started some small talk with the guys hanging around the instruments, then asked to play the guitar. I tuned it and played some classics, like Sweet Child O' Mine, Sweet Home Alabama, Purple Haze, Johnny B. Goode, etc. One of the Ghanaians hopped on the drums and layed down a beat for me. Haha! It was so awesome! Then I got on the drums myself and immediately realized how rusty I was. I went to do a drum fill and just utterly stalled. It was incredibly fun though.

            Don't worry, while I dinked around, Elder Ma'afu had a solid gospel conversation with one of the guys watching Obruni play Obruni music, (anything a white man does here is entertaining). We got his phone number and we're planning to meet him tomorrow. Worth it.

            Earlier that same day, was the first time on my mission when one of our investigators actually said she got an answer to her prayer about our message. M. is a sweet lady we met a while ago and have been in and out of contact with. She just moved, so it's been hectic. As we reviewed, she asked us how we should feel when the Holy Ghost answers us. We answered that some people describe it was a warm, full feeling inside... Immediately she cut us off and said, "Oh, ok. I was asking because when I prayed about Joseph Smith, that's what I felt. I felt all warm inside.” We glady testified to her that that was the Holy Ghost. We gave her a BOM to read and pray over again.

            I was very surprised to hear her comment, because Africans in general are desensitized to the Spirit. Partly because this place is constantly filled with noise, chaos, and distractions. Partly because they don't know how to listen for the Spirit, they want to see real, physical evidence. (Ironically, even when we give them that in the form of the Book of Mormon, they don't read it). But no matter who you are, where you're from, or where you are, when you get a quiet moment to sincerely ponder and pray over the missionaries' message, the truth will be opened unto you.

            Elder Ma'afu and I were commenting on how one of our members had just performed a traditional coming-of-age rite for his daughters this weekend. Ma'afu said he was so surpirsed when he read the Law of Moses, because many rites and performances were nearly identical with some of his Tongan traditions. Even some Ghanaian traditions are similar to Mosaic Law. Wedding dowry, coming of age, sacrifices, etc. I know that Ma'afu's people came from Hagoth in the Book of Mormon, a Nephite who sailed away from the mainland around 55 BC. At that time, they were still practicing the Law of Moses. They were a part of the scattering of Israel. I know there were many others who were led away scattered throughout the entire world. That's probably why so many nations have all these similar traditions linking to each other and the Law of Moses. That's so interesting to me.

            In terms of missionary work, we had a down week. Not a lot happened, except we had two investigators come to church for the first time, so that's exciting. Coming to church is the biggest indicator of a sincere investigator in Ghana. 

 

Captain Pinchy

FuFu, Futbol, and Fantastic Birthday Hamburgers!

Obruni's pounding fufu (with E. Shinasi)

Preparing for futbol

Dear Family and Friends,

            Last week the power was out, that's why you didn't hear from me. The most notable thing that has happened the last two weeks is that Mpintsin Ward was split into two.

            The current bishop was called to serve in Ward 1, and a new bishop was called for Ward 2, Bishop E. I was very happy to hear that he was called; he's a very missionary-minded man. He's so full of energy, and he has always helped us teach the people near his house. He is exactly what we need here to hasten the work. Elder Ma'afu prophesied that he would be the new bishop when we heard that the ward would split. The new bishopric is powerful-- all return missionaries. Bishop E. was even companions with one of his counselors, haha.

            The boundaries are a bit strange, Ward 2 has all the geographical area. Ward 1 is comparatively very small. Ward 1 actually only has 130 members on record, and you need 150 to make a ward. So unless they step up their game hard core, they will be stepped down to a branch. President Shulz called us last week saying that the Stake President was imploring him to put more missionaries in Mpintsin. So he is going to put new ones in Ward 1, and they will be in the other apartment. We will be for Ward 2. After seeing the two wards on Sunday, I am so pleased about that.

            Yesterday we attended 5 1/2 hours of church. We started in Ward 1 at 10:30, and after Sunday School we switched to Ward 2. We finished after 4:00, haha. There was a night and day difference between to two wards and how they functioned.  Ward ___was scrambling to put together sacrament meeting, and make last minute callings. It was extremely unorganized and frankly irreverent. Ward ___was in bright, shining contrast. Everything ran so smooth, almost like it does back home. The bishop and his counselors had taken time to arrange themselves, interview people and extend callings, thoughtfully appoint speakers and organize a spiritual sacrament meeting. After that, teachers had been called and lessons prepared for the following classes. Ward ___ had no plan. Ward ___ planned everything.

            If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It's very simple. Ward ___ just FELT different. I could tell everyone had played their parts in unity and come together to make things happen the way they should.

            We have one investigator who is making progress besides Isaac. His name is Christiano. He's 20 years old and he's a futbol nut. He's been taught multiple times by missionaries but he said that until Elder Ma'afu came, he didn't feel anything. Recently he has seen why he needs to change and he's become very interested. We're helping him move away slowly from his past, which is hard for him because of his brothers and ruffian friends. But in time he will make it. Include him in your prayers.

            On a different note, the things people do here for futbol. Last Saturday, they were about to start a game in the park, and there was also funeral stuff set up from the morning hours. All these punk futbol kids started taking everything down so they could play. There was this one lone car parked in the football field, and they couldn't find the driver. They started honking the horn but nobody came, so they reached through the window, put the thing in neutral, and started pushing off the field. Unfortunately for them, the wheel locked up and they couldn't steer it, so they had to start picking up one end and dragging it around to direct it. They rolled it into the trash heap, hahaha.

            The rain has been plentiful; one of the Lord's tender mercies. It’s more of just clouds and cold wind though... I love it. I got Bethany's package this week.  I don't know why you guys keep sending me projectile weapons, but I certainly appreciate it!  On the box, it said the squirt gun will shoot 29 feet. I tested it out on Elder Moore's face from the hallway, through the kitchen, and into the dining room. It was a nice shot, if I may say so. I think I'm gonna use it on the lizards around the apartment, because the Nerf gun isn't powerful enough.

Love,

Elder Doggett

Caught in a downpour! (pic courtesy of E. Stoddard's mom)

Eating hamburgers and Oreo cake for E. Mocke's birthday

Studying hard...