"Whats the password? OPEN THIS DOOR! Not even close!" -Tangled

Just as an FYI to all of you.  We were saddened to hear last night that Sister Hill, Brandon's Mission Presidents wife, passed away last night quite unexpectedly.  Brandon found out today while they were playing soccer for P-day. It's a sad day for the Ghana Accra West Mission. Keep President Hill and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Here is a link to a Desert News article about her:  http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865641045/LDS-mission-presidents-wife-dies-in-Ghana.html 

Left to Right: Elder Peters, Elder Varo, Elder Paddon and Elder Friday, enjoying an outdoor cookout at the end of a busy day. (photo courtesy of Elder Paddon's Mom)

In our short emails today Elder Peters told me that he found out that three of his investigators in Mamponse are on track to be baptized. He was pretty excited about that. He said "that's my payday. when you see these people change. when you see them influenced by Christs atonement for the first time in their lives; the feeling is incredible. no one can take that away from me, and that is what missionary work is all about."

He also asked for some photos of our family in the snow. The people of Ghana are fascinated about the snow and can't beleive that anyone would live in those conditions. 

For Thanksgiving Elder Varo is going to show Elder Peters how to slaughter and pit roast a pig. He's pretty excited about that.

Elder Peters learning to carry a baby the Ghanaian way.

Thanks to all who continue to write to him and encourage him in his service, especially his team mates from the cross country team. 

Now for Brandon's email...

Dear readers of my emails,

Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. (D&C 4:7, and somewhere in Matthew that I cant recall at the moment)

I need to clarify something from my last email about the fireworks. I spent a grand total of 40 cents, so I’m not wasting my very precious $. And the church is right behind our compound and they do their thing almost every night. Paddon and I decided to buy the bottle rockets to celebrate Halloween. As we were lighting them one of us made some joke about Holy Ghost fire and so I thought it would be a good way to write about this experience in my email home. We did not intentionally try to disturb someone’s worship. It was still super fun though.
(note from Brandon's Dad...I'm not sure why he felt the need to clarify that story...I thought it was funny and I believe that money spent on bottle rockets is truly money well spent...especially if those bottle rockets are then used to spread "Holy Ghost Fire.".)

Elder Varo, Eddie and Elder Peters visit the Ghana Temple before meeting Elder David A. Bednar. Josh says that Eddie looks 'super cool'

This week 2 of our investigators came to church. Eddie did not come unfortunately; I think that there is something that is keeping him from coming. We will continue to work with him to figure that one out. Desmond came back from his week long trip for a funeral somewhere in the northern region so we reviewed a little with him on Sunday and we will teach him the Book of Mormon and the Plan of Salvation lesson this week. One recent convert in our ward name Boney Face (ya I laughed at that one, cause I thought he was joking; nope that’s his name) gave us 7 referrals and took us to their houses so we have plenty of people to teach. Our area boundary line is about a mile away from our chapel and some of the people we teach live probably about 5 miles away so they find it very difficult to come to church.

I got to watch the first few talks of general conference this Sunday, but was interrupted with an issue with a member in a different ward who wants to attend our ward because he is offended by the bishop. So I got to spend most of church sitting in the bishop’s office with him and resolve the matter. But it’s ok because I have listened to most of conference in my personal study anyway. I really liked President Uchtdorfs talk about simplifying. I also loved Elder Holland’s talk as a tribute to the incredible feat that is motherhood. I also liked the one about the bikes in the tunnel; I was taken half way through that one so I will have to study it better. Overall conference is amazing. Whenever I talk with members if they find out that I have been to conference they always ask me "wow, what’s it like being in the same room as a prophet?" I tell them it’s really not that different from hearing him on TV, but it’s cool to be in the conference center. "Wow, one day you’ll have to take me. I bet it’s incredible!" I am constantly reminded of how blessed we are to live so close to temple square. There are people here that would give anything to go there just so you guys know.

Selfie: letting the kids spin the wheels of his bike.

I was teaching a lesson this week to a guy (who was slightly drunk, I’m pretty sure cause I could smell it. he is one of our members uncle and they wanted us to come teach him so we answered the call) and he wanted to bible bash with me, and he started to pull out scriptures, so did I. then after a few minutes of spiritless conversation. I closed my bible and put it in my bag and then said, "You know, I could quote verses from the bible and argue about these things with you all day long and you still won’t believe me, but guess what? I know that...” and I proceeded to very boldly bear my testimony. as I was finishing up, Romeo (ya we got funny names here in Ghana, I asked him if he found a Juliet. he laughed pretty hard at that one) he clutched his head in his hands and brought his face down to his knees. I asked him if he was ok, and he said that he felt strange, something is making him to want to cry. I then explained that it was the Holy Ghost. When I heard stories like this at home, I will be honest, I thought ya right. Like you could actually tell when someone else is feeling the spirit, how on earth can you feel something that isn't taking place within yourself? But it was incredible to experience that and be able to testify of the spirit and see it work in someone (even thought they were coming off their drunkenness...)

On Saturday Elder Paddon got a call from President Hill at 9 in the morning informing him that he would need to pack his bags and be at Tesano stake center by 11. That he would be opening a new area with a ward missionary the following week. So he has left our apartment and his loss is grieved. Hopefully I will get to serve with him, if not his companion, in the same apartment, later in our mission sometime. He is a super cool guy, and an excellent missionary. God speed in your new area my friend!

On Friday it was Elder Friday’s birthday (what a coincidence) so we all pitched in and surprised him with a cake. It tasted very different from cakes at home, not nearly as moist. I think it’s because they don’t have milk here. It was still super yummy though. Festivities were followed with a few bottle rockets leftover from Halloween. Happy birthday elder Friday!

Love, Elder Peters

Dirt Biking in Kasoa.

P-Day Futbol. Elder Peters is the white, red-head in the middle. In his letters home Elder Peters says that they go to play futbol in the Liberian Refugee camp and they can cram 29 Elders into a tro-tro made for 15.

The infamous Mango-tree shower.  Looks nice and private...NOT