Ghana Serve Now

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