Email from May 19, 2014:  

POWERFUL PRAYERS AND ROOSTER COMBS

Pic from last area.....Elder Doggett said the little girl was not too sure she liked the white guy!

Dear Family and Friends,

                I found the Big Dipper the other night! Finally after searching for over a year and a half in Ghanaian skies, I just glanced up and it was right in front of me. Only it was upside down; that's why I could never find it before. It was near the horizon too, not high in the sky.  That was such an exciting moment for me.  I miss wasting time gazing up at the night sky.  Who am I kidding, I still waste time doing that.  The sky here is amazing, especially here in Assin Foso.  I've never seen so many Toy Story clouds in my life.

                My companion and I went on splits this week.  I went with Elder Collins to his area-- yep the same Collins who was in Swedru when I was a DL!  We had a pretty good day together. His ward is having some organizational and planning difficulties.  They're nearly identical with my last ward.  We had a coordination meeting and I hope I gave the ward mission leader and ward missionaries some good counsel.  We just schmoozed them, begging them up for the help that they do give.  It is a difficult situation, because there is not a lot the elders can do.  "Let us cheerfully do all that lies within our power".

                I gave a powerful prayer during our last lesson of splits.  We were teaching on the street so it was loud, chaotic, and distracting.  I prayed that we would be able to 'concentrate on the things we will discuss'.  As soon as I said the word 'concentrate', the power went out.  A permeating 'ahhhh' of disappointment rang through the air as all the music-spilling speakers ceased;  but we were happy,  haha.  The lesson went pretty well; we talked about fasting.

                We are preparing for a baptism this coming Sunday.  P., a 9 year old from a part member family will be baptized. The parents forgot to get it done when she turned 8. That happens a lot here. She is the most intelligent 9 year old I have met in Ghana.  Her mother can't speak English and she can translate for her when we say something, haha.  She is a lively, energetic little girl. B. is also preparing to be baptized.  He's 19 and all of his friends are members;  I guess it just never occurred to him to join the church until now.  He's a very cool guy, never gotten himself into trouble.  When I first came and saw him at church I wouldn't have given him a second thought because he looked and acted just like a member. So we're gearing up for that.

                One of our Sister missionary companionships had 5 baptisms yesterday. That's really impressive. The sisters here do pretty good work; they get into a lot of doors that the elders cannot.  Since we have started the new tri, things in the zone are right on track. The zone goal is 57 baptisms for May, June, July, and August. The afore-mentioned sisters just increased their goal because they had such a big group baptized yesterday.  Our zone is doing very well actually.  Very well.  I'm proud of them!

Love,

Elder Doggett

Additional story retold by Mom:  When we talked to Elder Doggett on Mother’s Day he was telling us all kinds of stories.  One of them was an experience he had just before he called us.  He and his companion were visiting with a lady and before they left, they asked her if there was something they could do to help her.  She said, “Yes, I want you to help me cut off my chicken’s combs.”  They said, “okaaaay…..” (thinking ‘what the heck!’).  They asked her why she wanted to cut off their combs.  She told them they attract  flies.  So, Elder Doggett and Elder Nakedi chased and caught her chickens, and held them down while she took a razor blade and cut off their red combs on top of their heads.  She then dabbed a little charcoal on the wounds to stop the bleeding.  Elder Doggett said that was the strangest service project yet he has helped with yet in Ghana!