tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22812657435033212422024-03-13T21:46:42.427-07:00Elder Brandon PetersBrandon Peters adventure in GhanaBrandon Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10775710424596882866noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-3534465540987897322017-07-10T12:52:00.000-07:002017-07-10T12:52:01.328-07:00"You're all clear kid, now let's blow this thing and go home." - Star Wars: A New Hope<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On July 5th, Elder Brandon Peters returned home from his mission. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What an amazing day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged him along this adventure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love you all...</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-20885937772339368832017-06-27T11:32:00.000-07:002017-06-27T11:32:40.368-07:00"That's the good part (about finding your dream) i guess, you get to go find a new one" - Tangled<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qTM3OVdrMXg/WVKamMMB6pI/AAAAAAAAa7w/pktT35J-UE4hwh1V8WeAtcFDgDhVeQIgQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN0379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qTM3OVdrMXg/WVKamMMB6pI/AAAAAAAAa7w/pktT35J-UE4hwh1V8WeAtcFDgDhVeQIgQCLcBGAs/s640/DSCN0379.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elders, Antwi, Beall, Evans, Jackson, Peters and Parker...conquering the mountains of Ghana. Elder Parker is holding a cutlass that they had to use to hack their way though the jungle.</span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>This letter is a day late because the power went out on them yesterday (Elder Peters explains below) but is was worth the wait.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>So it
is now Tuesday, the internet cut out last night while i was writing this letter
so I bought just enough cafe time to send it to you guys today.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This could be my last email home to you, but I’m
not sure. We went to Accra today and so we are getting home late and writing to
you.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ever since I was a little kid in primary, it
has been my dream to serve a mission. I would watch my cousins give farewell
and homecoming talks, listen to my dad tell stories about his mission in Mexico,
and read the scriptures and admire the missionary hero's like Ammon and Alma. I
longed for the day when I could also be like them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As I entered my teenage years I kept up a
habit of reading the scriptures and praying. At times it was something I really
wanted to do, other times I felt like I was doing it simply because I was
raised to do it, and I knew it was a good thing to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I remember finishing reading the Book of
Mormon for the first time as a 14-year old. I scrambled up into my tree house
at 2am, determined that if Joseph Smith could summon an answer from God at my
age, so could I. I prayed for a long time, no angels appeared, after a few
hours I started getting frustrated because I wasn't "feeling it." As
I jumped down from my tree house somewhat angry at the Lord, I had a thought
come to my mind, "You wouldn't have spent all that time praying, if you
weren't sure the things the Book of Mormon had to say were real. Heck, you
probably wouldn't even taken the time to finish the book. But something kept
you praying up in that tree, something kept you reading, that was Me, you know it’s
true." I knew it was the Holy Spirit, and I knew that the Book of Mormon
was true. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The mountain that they climbed last week.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That is one moment that I can pinpoint in my
conversion process, but I know that my conversion is still taking place. I
mentioned in my Testimony in front of the missionaries at my last Zone
Conference that if you would have asked me what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is
before serving a mission, i would have given an answer similar to one that our
investigators give to that question before we teach them the lesson. I would
never have connected it with our missionary purpose, the 4th article of faith,
or countless other scriptures that teach its sequential, but continuing steps
of faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and
enduring to the end by starting the process over again. I thought living the
gospel meant being nice, but I have learned so much about how to have faith
every week through your actions, repent of your transgressions, take the
sacrament and renew our baptismal covenant so we can have the holy ghost with
us. That’s how we live the gospel, and this is all something I didn't learn
until serving a mission. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This week Elder Parker and I went to Asoum
for an exchange and I stayed there overnight. It was cool to help them
interview some of their candidates. It was kinda crazy cuz one of them had a
pet monkey and they had put it on a leash around this tree and it was jumping
at me at first when i sat down to do the interview. I thought to myself,
"shoot! i can't have a monkey jumping at me, screeching, while I’m trying
to do this interview, its hard enough that we are outside and we can't go
inside because there's no light there except the TV" I prayed about what to
do and i guess that did it cuz the monkey settled down. Kinda cool, but weird
experience at the same time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We also have contacted this old man named Michael
who introduced us by saying, "i don't believe in church, they are all
corrupt! I am now simply practicing kindness like Jesus taught in the
Bible." Whenever you hear this as a missionary in Ghana your heart jumps
because they have realized that the Apostasy is REAL! Usually that’s one of the
biggest hang-ups, "wait, we are all worshiping God right? Every church is
right, cuz we are all worshiping the same God" We have got to the Book of
Mormon with Michael and he is reading and eating it up. Now just to get him to
church. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">According to Elder Antwi at 5am on Sunday morning we had an
investigator come to our apartment (everyone knows where the obrufo live) who
we were planning to pick up for church that morning. He came to tell us that
his pastor older brother is in town so he has to got to church with the rest of
the family, and that he's sorry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I would like to thank my Mission Presidents
for all that they taught me. It was such a privilege to serve under 3 very
different men, who all built my testimony and made me a better missionary
because of their diversity. I know they all LOVE their missionaries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I would like to thank my companions: Elder
Liera, Elder Ferrin, Elder Varo, Brother Lago, Elder Herrod, Elder Miller,
Elder Christopherson, Elder Pohlsander, Elder Tohouri, Elder Ofosu Hene, and
Elder Parker for all that they have taught me and for the good times we have
had together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Leaving Ghana will be a really hard thing for
me to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Leaving a Missionary life will be an even harder thing for me to
do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love you all and can't wait to see you in 9 days! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JF_qJqT0Tkc/WVKerlcL-oI/AAAAAAAAa8E/Sd2dD6QpUR8BpZbyggKVmcB58dFs9rL3QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN0672%2B%25280-00-04-19%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JF_qJqT0Tkc/WVKerlcL-oI/AAAAAAAAa8E/Sd2dD6QpUR8BpZbyggKVmcB58dFs9rL3QCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN0672%2B%25280-00-04-19%2529.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Next time we see him, it will be in the SLC airport!!!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder Peters</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-60410805697063222782017-06-19T12:53:00.000-07:002017-06-19T12:53:05.053-07:00"I was caught away into an exceedingly high mountain...” - Nephi<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The missionaries in Elder Peters area who will be going home soon.</span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family & Friends,
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I had an
awesome week this week and I think I’ll start with today while it’s still fresh
on my mind. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Usually he writes short
letters to his family before writing his bigger letter)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This morning
I had planned to make the 3 hour trip to Accra to visit some people in
Lartebiokorshie. I got up this morning and there was a text on the phone from
the Asamankese Zone Leaders asking us if we wanted to come and climb a mountain
with them </span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and so I bagged my plans and went to go and climb a thick rain forest
jungle mountain! I hadn't scheduled any appointments in Lartebiokorshie so this
was OK. </span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Upon
arriving at the base of some farms on the roadside we followed a road until we
found something like a caterpillar excavator graveyard. I think it was an
abandoned mine, but it was pretty cool. At the mine there were two giant
quarries that had filled up with water and while we were throwing some stones
off the cliffs of the quarry into the water, a crocodile swam across the pond!
I immediately thought, "Yes! I can tell James that I saw a new
animal!" and a cool one too! Unfortunately my camera was in my bag and I
didn't get a picture of the crocodile before it disappeared below the surface
of the water. We then started up some farmers trail into this mountain. There
was a lot of bush to hack through and at one point we thought the trail ended
and we would have to cut our way up through the bush. We took turns hacking
away at the bush with our cutlasses and spent about and hour blazing our own
trail. At one point Elder Jackson said, "Whoa! You guys! I found the
trail!" turns out we had taken a wrong turn and thought we had to do all
this work to get to the top of the mountain, but really there was a nice trail
going all the way to the top! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ECHeWCt90jI/WUgZDrdzcNI/AAAAAAAAaw8/sEi7xEfxkl8tPwwgY6vLVTL0gbK4hQBxgCLcBGAs/s1600/175540452_f2be559069_o-1120x525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1120" height="299" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ECHeWCt90jI/WUgZDrdzcNI/AAAAAAAAaw8/sEi7xEfxkl8tPwwgY6vLVTL0gbK4hQBxgCLcBGAs/s640/175540452_f2be559069_o-1120x525.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elder Peters could not get the Café to read his photo card again...but thanks to Google I found this photo from a mountain top near Kade. Breathtaking views!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It was a
mini lesson for me as I think about it now. Sometimes our pride makes us
believe that our own ideas are the right ones, and if any thing isn't our own
idea in the first place, it becomes difficult to follow. The Gospel of Jesus
Christ is such a smooth path that saves us a lot of trouble if we follow it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Earlier in
the week I went on an exchange with the Asuom Elders. I went mostly to do some
baptismal interviews for them, but we still had a great time teaching some of
their investigators. The next day we traveled to Accra for our multi-zone
training meeting. They asked all of the departing missionaries to bear their
testimonies. When it got to my turn I really didn't have much to say. They do
this every transfer, ask the departing missionaries to give their testimonies,
and I’ve seen too many elders take it as an opportunity to whine about how hard
their mission has been, and proclaim to everyone else that they are going home.
I bore a simple testimony that I have gained a greater desire to follow the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, because of a greater understanding of how The Atonement
of Jesus Christ applies to me. I also said that I know that a mission is fun.
It was really short and simple, but I felt good about it. I also thought about
when I was in the MTC and just staring out the window of our dorm room, just
trying to imagine what the next few weeks had in store, I was so excited to
just get out there! I feel that my last weeks on mission should be anticipated
with the same excitement as the first few. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cSs9cX8gaus/WUgchD4NUZI/AAAAAAAAaxk/gSt6625mH0UGRKuiZBWRURtPnuO6djcDwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cSs9cX8gaus/WUgchD4NUZI/AAAAAAAAaxk/gSt6625mH0UGRKuiZBWRURtPnuO6djcDwCLcBGAs/s640/DSCN0088.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elder Peters sent us this photo when he was in the MTC nearly 2 years ago, looking out that window, wondering what it was going to be like outside as a real missionary.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I wasn't able
to attend the Book of Mormon class this week because I was on exchange, but
Elder Antwi told me that it rained a lot and so only two of their recent
converts came. Elder Antwi gave an awesome talk in sacrament meeting this week
and I think it really inspired a lot of our members to be more committed
disciples. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At one point
this week it was raining so hard that we couldn't do anything. Really, if we
went out in the rain our clothes would get so muddy and dirty that no one would
want to sit down with us, and also because everyone lives under thin tin roofs,
the rain is louder than a snare drum in a broom closet. Try to teach someone
who can hardly understand English to begin with in that circumstance. Elder
Parker and I were close to the cafe so we decided that we would buy 30 minutes
and wait for the rain to stop and download conference onto his thumb drive so
we can listen to it for some study. It's been cool to not only read the talks
of our leaders, but to hear their voices as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We have a
few progressing investigators, this week we will find a lot more! We have high
hopes for this one guy named Joseph. </span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love you
guys a ton! </span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder
Peters</span></div>
</div>
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<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">P.S. We also saw a Toucan that I failed
to get a picture of...sorry James. I did take a picture of a huge rhino beetle on my bike though. I'll have to show it to you in two weeks when I come home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B-sCHqqdD_k/WUgZFNss5vI/AAAAAAAAaxA/rMF563ZSEi0dWxEk99YUuXsjrHirWO4eACLcBGAs/s1600/about-toucan-club2-med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="178" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B-sCHqqdD_k/WUgZFNss5vI/AAAAAAAAaxA/rMF563ZSEi0dWxEk99YUuXsjrHirWO4eACLcBGAs/s400/about-toucan-club2-med.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toucans in Ghana courtesy of Google.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><u>From his letter to his MOM:</u> I actually
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>asked President for permission to go to
Latrebiokorshie next Monday, I might also swing over past Gbawe and say goodbye
to some people there. Next Monday will be my last email home. From what it
sounds like, I will go to the mission home on Sunday night, we have a program
on Monday morning and final interviews, and then Tuesday we are busy with
getting ready for the airport. I'm not sure if I will be able to do much cafe
in two weeks, Monday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-65589018072307399112017-06-12T16:11:00.001-07:002017-06-12T16:11:53.068-07:00"Rock of Ages, still a' rollin" - Def Leppard<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nq4SL88PIF4/WT8d-2Ws0hI/AAAAAAAAapY/kT-xzo4QIIIudkRCjp942mCAfy10AO_ZQCHM/s1600/2017-06-12%2B17.02.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nq4SL88PIF4/WT8d-2Ws0hI/AAAAAAAAapY/kT-xzo4QIIIudkRCjp942mCAfy10AO_ZQCHM/s640/2017-06-12%2B17.02.39.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>No photos again this week, but one of Elder Peters former companions posted this image on Facebook that we'd never seen before. </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Family, </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">This week we ate some pretty giant balls of fufu, taught the gospel, spoke some small Twi, it was a good week, but kind of a hard week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I made some cool connections with my name this last week. Peter comes from the Greek word "Petros" which means stone, </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or rock. My Ghana name is Yaw and I have added Obotemtim which means "big stubborn stone" It always makes people laugh to hear my name when I tell them Yaw Obotentim, but I was thinking about it and thought about Peter, Jesus Christ's Apostle and how often the Lord chastened him because he loved Peter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I have fought with a lot of thoughts of home, trying to keep focused on the work. Things like scrunching my toes in soft carpet, drinking chocolate milk, eating a 1/4 pound cheeseburger. I know its not bad to think about this stuff but, if it becomes to talked about, to thought about, it will distract me from my purpose, and i saw that happening a little bit earlier this week. I felt the spirit telling me, "You will have all that stuff for the rest of your life, but your mission only comes once, and its almost over, make the best of it Elder!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were blessed this week to hear some really awesome testimonies from some members of our branch who are progressing in the gospel. Kate Twumasi, who we baptized last month, shared her awesome conversion experience with us as we went to teach her this past week. She is so excited about the Gospel right now, and will be a HUGE blessing to Kade Branch. She has unintentionally taken over teaching the Relief Society Class because she can speak and read English, so she can read the teachers manual and teach lessons to the relief society sisters in our branch. I think there are maybe two other sisters in our branch that can read. Also a member named Ofosu who is a farmer, is preparing to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and we went to his house and read through D&C 84:33-44, the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood and coupled it with the Family: A Proclamation to the World and he ended up sharing his testimony with us. It was really cool because i got to see how it wasn't us that was doing the teaching, but the spirit. These people's testimonies grew because they shared them. Effective teaching as a missionary comes so much from learning how to simply create circumstances where people can learn for themselves, then the spirit will testify to them that what they have learned is true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got bikes this week, Elder Munro is my man! I told him that we don't have bikes and he got them to me <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1049393016" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">in 4 days</span></span>! incredible timing from the office to the bush! Also with the bikes I got my conference Liahona! It was like Christmas! I have been waiting for that for so long, and my nights have been filled with reading it, cuz we only got to see 2 sessions of conference here live. There are some pretty amazing messages in there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried something that I wish I would have figured out about 23 months ago: Slice Mango's, Banana's, Apples with a cheese grater and mix it with cold water, coconut powdered milk, and enjoy! It makes a great breakfast! Also I thought I would tell you guys, our fruit lady sells those funky looking star fruit things that I have always wanted to try anytime I go to Smiths for 50 peswes. They are OK, really acidic, but good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have had some good times teaching people and finding people this week. This 14 year old girl contacted me and asked us to come to her house this week so we went to find her place when we ran out of stuff to do. We have started teaching her and her sister and mom, they are a really nice family. The Mother is a strong Presbyterian, but we will see what we can do, I've never baptized someone on my mission who didn't all ready go to another church, so you never know!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love you guys! Mission Rocks!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love, Elder Peters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">P.S. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I got a call from Elder Herrod that he went to the same guy who is making my suit and said that my suit is, "looking nice!" hopefully I will have it Thursday.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-19116834756041016402017-06-05T16:02:00.000-07:002017-06-05T16:03:43.182-07:00"All we have to do is decide what do with the time that is given us" - Gandalf<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Elder Peters SD card reader has rusted from all the humidity and the computers in the cafe he goes to in Kade keep giving him error messages that it wont recognize his SD card, so we may not get any new pictures until he gets home...dang!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">So here are some older pictures just for fun...</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei84SX9xHqg/VtS6F-hqCiI/AAAAAAAANTc/SOuCSiRaNRIEPENIVYBuZXabjAmGv8RhQCPcB/s1600/DSCN0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei84SX9xHqg/VtS6F-hqCiI/AAAAAAAANTc/SOuCSiRaNRIEPENIVYBuZXabjAmGv8RhQCPcB/s640/DSCN0500.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Dear Family, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">On market day last week we found a former investigator that I lost track of. We always taught him at his friend’s house (also one of our former investigators) but he stopped us and showed us where he lives and asked us to come and visit with him. That was pretty cool. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">This week was District Conference at Asamankese and we were hoping to have an investigator that we found in Akwatia come, </span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but I called him that morning like 3 times and he didn't pick up his phone so I guess we will just keep trying. I told him there is no cost, but I think he wasn't listening very well. That has been something difficult to master is giving the most important information in the first visit with someone. The teachings of ALL the different gospel sources we have vary A LOT on this. Some sources say you have to teach your investigator how to pray first, some say you have to explain the first vision first, others say the most important thing to teach in the first lesson is about the Atonement of Christ, or to make the baptismal commitment and teach about Baptism. I could fill this whole email with the different things that missionaries have been asked to do in the first lesson and I have learned that you really have to use the spirit of discernment to not give TOO much information, otherwise you'll confuse your investigator really bad. I usually just like to explain our purpose as missionaries, because so many churches do evangelist work here in Ghana and most of the time people can't distinguish between us and Jehovah's Witnesses, even if you remind them. In fact in the 90's the Government of Ghana froze all activities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because of a Jehovah’s Witness doctrine of not participating in Military units. The Government thought we were Jehovah's witnesses. I usually like to start by explaining that we aren't bible teachers, we are here to invite you to learn on your own, and we can't prove to you from the bible that what we have to share is true. Only God can prove to you that what we have to share is true, and only if you ask Him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">This week we got fed some bankuu by a member who made the peppe with some really rotten tomatoes and they had elder parker running to our apartment for the toilet about 5 minutes after completing the meal. That was pretty funny. I had an experience like that with elder ofosu hene last transfer, where we were really close to our apartment at night and I dropped my bag and ran to our house. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">We have spent most of this week contacting members and teaching them about the restoration to help them understand better. When we haven't been doing that we have been trying to find new people that can read and speak English to teach. We had some good success and will be able to have a lot to do this week because of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">I had a really cool experience with an elder in our apartment who lost his father last transfer and had his funeral this past Saturday, I will tell you more about it when I get home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">We also created this idea of having a "Book of Mormon" class because our branch doesn't diligently do seminary and one of the finding ideas suggested in Preach My Gospel is to start a scripture study class. So we will invite everyone we meet to attend the "Book of Mormon” class. Elder Antwi suggested the idea and said it worked awesome while he was in Nigeria (he got transferred from the Benin City mission back to Ghana.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">I love you guys! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.5667px;">Love, Elder Peters</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-7628814580046329122017-05-29T17:35:00.001-07:002017-05-29T17:35:33.653-07:00"He's a rootin' tootin' cowboy from the wil' wild west!" - Toy Story 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_rY-PJihXzM/WSy9i5TVCII/AAAAAAAAaaE/Qlmkxb8GqfocIWokVZ-Us4Z3qlKr9_X8gCLcB/s1600/DSCN0036BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1402" data-original-width="1600" height="560" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_rY-PJihXzM/WSy9i5TVCII/AAAAAAAAaaE/Qlmkxb8GqfocIWokVZ-Us4Z3qlKr9_X8gCLcB/s640/DSCN0036BB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dear
Family, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">My week was hard, in that we were just really tired at the end of the day, but it was good! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On
Tuesday we said goodbye to Elder Ofosu Hene and Elder Beya, I will miss
those guys. Elder Ofosu Hene didn't get transferred far and I will actually see
him this weekend at a District Conference. My new companion Elder Parker is
sweet! He came from a place called Odobeng, which is much more bushy than Kade.
He was there for the first 6 months of his mission and as come here to Kade,
his second area. He comes from Rexburg, Idaho </span></div>
<a name='more'></a>and is the most legit cowboy I
have ever met. His family owns about 200 head of beef cows and he has competed
in steer wrestling, calf roping, and a bunch of other rodeo events all over
Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He was telling me this morning about how his last investment prior to mission was to buy a horse trailer to take his horses to rodeos. trying to buy a truck and a trailer post mission would be too much. Most of our talk just really makes me miss steak...</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">These last few days of walking
around together we have swapped some really cool stories! He is also really
focused on his purpose here on a mission and is a very genuine servant of the
Lord. I really love that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
lot of this week was spent in trying to find new people to teach. With Elder
Ofosu Hene leaving we have moved some of our investigators who only speak Twi to
the other companionship of elders in our apartment here in Kade: Elder Antwi
(from Kumasi) and Elder Beall. Things are going good though. We have decided to
go and visit each member of the branch here in Kade and teach them a short
version of the Restoration and leave them with some pamphlets to give to their
friends. At the end of teaching the Restoration lesson with an investigator we
always invite them to pray to know if the things that the book says and that we
have said are true and follow up on it the next time that we see them. This
time as we have gone about sharing the Restoration message with members we have
rather invited them to pray to ask God to lead them to someone who is looking
for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their life, and we will follow up on them
with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
have realized that many of the members in our branch here in Kade are
struggling with conversion themselves. Most of them have found a church that
they like, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they just go
because that’s what you do in Ghana on Sunday morning. I go to my church,
you go to yours, we all worship the same God so it doesn't matter where you do
it. Very few of them realize what they are actually doing, and struggle to
actually live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A big part of this is because so few
of them can read, or speak English. So we, the missionaries, have decided to go
and re-teach to strengthen the Church from within hoping that as we do, we will
also strengthen it by bringing more in as well. I have tried this in other
areas and I know that it works. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
also wrote some big questions on a white board in our apartment and took it to
the roadside at the center of town. We also brought a box of Restoration
Pamphlets to give out to people. We will do it again next week so that people
will actually start to come and ask questions. A lot of people walked by
looking at the questions but continued on their way. If you weren't there to
chase them down, you wouldn't get to talk to them. Elder Beall tried this in
his last area and said the first time is always a bit of a failure, but the
second and third time you actually get people coming up and asking questions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
was privileged to give my very first (and quite possibly the last) sacrament
talk in Ghana! I talked about working together as a team and how missionaries
are just members of the church with name tags, but we are all disciples of
Jesus Christ and we all taken his name upon us and committed to keep his
commandments which are to love God and our fellowmen. And if we love God and
our fellowmen we will share the truths of the Gospel with them. I also made the
analogy of pounding fufu. One person can pound and drive fufu, but you can't
prepare a ton and it takes longer. But when two people are pounding fufu you
can work faster, prepare more food, but you have to be united otherwise someone
will get their fingers smashed! I related this to missionary work, how we all
work as a team to bring souls unto Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Dad, I miss doing projects like that. In Ghana white people are treated kind of like "holy people" and so they really hate it when you try to help them with something, it just isn't normal for them. I remember one time i helped this guy push wheelbarrow of cement and he was just boggled that a white person could push a wheel barrow with that heavy of a load. They think we all have office jobs in AC and so we don't know how to do manual labor. I try my best, but i miss BIG projects like tearing a ceiling out of a kitchen.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I love you guys so much! Love, Elder Peters</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-46901874150949409752017-05-22T13:17:00.000-07:002017-05-22T13:17:50.512-07:00 I've lived life to the fullest, let this boy die like a man. - Bon Jovi<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RxpZ86LxRDw/WSNDNdHR90I/AAAAAAAAaSI/Ez1GoeneDXww2Yh-Nx4Hx41zZJ_Cab6-gCLcB/s1600/DSCN0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RxpZ86LxRDw/WSNDNdHR90I/AAAAAAAAaSI/Ez1GoeneDXww2Yh-Nx4Hx41zZJ_Cab6-gCLcB/s640/DSCN0402.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elder Peters and his son Elder Herrod. (He wasn't able to send any photos, so I'm just posting this because they got to spend some time together this week.)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yo Family, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I just finished
reading all your letters for the week and my family is FULLY AWESOME!</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There is a
whole new vocabulary that you will learn when you serve a mission. A member of
our branch pointed this out to me but we have our own missionary “Pidgin English”
here in Ghana. Things like "finished, cha, chae, FM, </span><a name='more'></a>father, mother, son,
bush, city, born, apostate, TC, and a bunch of other weird words you'll
probably hear me say at home but one of the words is "Die" if a
missionary is "dying, dead or will die" it means he isn't finishing
his mission strong. This week marks my last transfer and as the transfer news
came on Saturday night <br />
I had a strong impression not to die! I don't want to die, I want to live! <br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Elder Ofosu
Hene will be transferred to Anumapopem (deeper bush than Kade actually, I kinda
feel bad for him he thinks because he's a Ghanaian and can speak fluent Twi he
will spend his whole mission in little tiny villages which can be really hard
because that’s where illiteracy, poverty, and things are the most challenging
with missionary work) I will receive Elder Parker of Idaho! He is the same age
as Elder Ofosu Hene on mission and this will be his second area. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow he will travel here, so I think I’ll
just study in the morning and then clean the apartment with Elder Beall while
we wait for our companions to get here. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On Tuesday
we went to Akwatia. (Every Tuesday and Saturday we take a 20 minute taxi ride
to a smaller town outside of Kade called Akwatia). We have a small band of
recent converts there and we are trying to build it up small small. We spent a
lot of our time there this week trying to help Bro. Agypong (he was baptized
this past December and he's been called as the 2nd councilor in the Sunday
school presidency) to prepare a lesson on the plan of salvation for the adult Sunday
school class. We told him to prepare and then he could practice on us so that
he wouldn't be as nervous on Sunday. It was fun to talk about the plan of
salvation with him and explain some basic principles of that plan that are
easily forgotten because of the "Christian culture" of Ghana. Things
like God not being a spirit, but having an immortal body, that the fall of Adam
and Eve was a necessary part of God’s plan, that all of us will inherit
kingdoms of glory and there is more to life after death than just heaven and
hell. These simple truths are things that members of the church take for
granted, but can also cause a lot of dispute with other faiths and you have to
be careful as a missionary when teaching these things that they don't distract
from your purpose of motivating people to act on commitments, and not just
discuss the bible. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SI0tfXUPJ8/WSNDpftz6LI/AAAAAAAAaSM/RvLjFb-PFCQGFHFJXAzwGk2nsyTDaQbbQCLcB/s1600/DSCN0611B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SI0tfXUPJ8/WSNDpftz6LI/AAAAAAAAaSM/RvLjFb-PFCQGFHFJXAzwGk2nsyTDaQbbQCLcB/s640/DSCN0611B.jpg" width="329" /></a></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This Drunk
guy contacted me in market while we were on our way to an investigators house.
We told him we work by appointment so we couldn't sit down with him there in
his shop, and that someone is expecting us to come at this time, but that we
would be happy to meet with him another time (when he was hopefully sober..) I
gave him a restoration pamphlet and took his number....three times. It was
probably a mean thing to do, but I just wanted to see how many times I could
take his phone number from him, cuz he was forgetting stuff in about 20
seconds. No one else was really following our conversation so I wasn't mocking
the man, but I felt that I needed to repent of that. Its so cool how repentance
works, because I felt way better on Sunday taking the sacrament knowing that I
had made a conscious effort to repent. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Elder Herrod
and Elder Sakala were making their way out here to go on an exchange with our
zone leaders but it was late and they called me and asked me if they could come
sleep at Kade (its on the way to Asoum where the zone leaders are) it was about
10 at night when they called me and they got to our apartment at about 10:15. It
was fun to talk to my son! </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love you
all so much! You are all doing such incredible things at home! </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder
Peters</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">P.S. congrats Davis on keeping
the title! Way to go TEAM! </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">P.S.S. I almost forgot…Emmanuel
got Baptized! I didn't get a picture because president has asked us to take
pictures before the baptismal service starts but the branch was rushing
everyone to start the meeting so they could go home and eat and I didn't get a
picture. I will take a picture with him tonight at an FHE with his family. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-20703840849334588022017-05-15T12:05:00.001-07:002017-05-15T12:05:44.238-07:00"But the Lizard? He is going to die" - Rango<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StBKlExNJ8w/WRnysDTPyzI/AAAAAAAAaLE/BVjvSz4M9qcLw0FC0JfVxaZp7Ts9saH7QCLcB/s1600/DSCN9955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StBKlExNJ8w/WRnysDTPyzI/AAAAAAAAaLE/BVjvSz4M9qcLw0FC0JfVxaZp7Ts9saH7QCLcB/s640/DSCN9955.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brandon's catch of the day with his makeshift, Bear Grylls style, fishing pole. Also pretty impressed with Elder Ofusu Hene's green ukulele. Looks like a fun P-day</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family
& Friends,</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So we had
some fun adventures this week. Lots of teaching, lots of trying to find new
investigators. </span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the
roadside women will cut up these giant "yams" and fry them in vats of
oil, it’s a typical lunch that we eat. Usually they serve it with ground
pepper. This lady happened to be selling avocados as well and so I bought one
and put it inside of the bag and squished it up with the pepper and had a
guacamole and fried yam lunch! It was awesome!</span><a name='more'></a><br /></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bOp_bgiQwM/WRnywtCr4YI/AAAAAAAAaLI/1xu1fNQnhfgv8JVsW0PN3eOPvHmSslIXwCLcB/s1600/00019%2B%25280%253B01%253B22%253B01%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bOp_bgiQwM/WRnywtCr4YI/AAAAAAAAaLI/1xu1fNQnhfgv8JVsW0PN3eOPvHmSslIXwCLcB/s640/00019%2B%25280%253B01%253B22%253B01%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From our Mother's Day Skype call. See how happy he is? They got soaked in a rain storm and the power went out so we was wet and in the dark.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When we
ended the Skype call on Sunday night it was light off and we walked home to the
apartment in the rain. It was also light off as soon as the Skype call ended so
i didn't really get to say goodbye to you guys, but I’m glad it’s that way,
because i didn't really want to say goodbye anyway! (the Skype call just ended after
about 55 minutes) It's still light off and the cafe that we are in is using a
generator to power its computers. It’s usually really hard to sleep in light
off because it’s so hot, but last night it rained and so it was cool and the
mosquitoes weren't around so it was really nice! </span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
highlight of the week was Sister Kate’s baptism! It was really cool because she
is the spouse of a member and now they will be able to work toward helping her
get her endowment and the family will eventually be able to be sealed in the
temple! I didn't get any pictures, but I will ask some of the ward members to
send me some of the pictures because I know they took some on their phones. <br />
<br />
So today we tried out our makeshift fishing poles. None of us had any intention
of actually catching anything, after all the hooks were made out of bent up
needles, the bamboo was cut about 5 minutes before untwisting a rope we found
in the apartment to make string, and the worm was under a rock that i was
standing on to rig all my makeshift tackle together. After hours and hours of
fishing with awesome equipment at scout camps for years catching nothing, i
guess I’m a better fisherman made out of junk from a missionary apartment, cuz
i caught that fish in about 45 seconds from the time my hook hit the water
(Elder Ofusu Hene thinks I used juju (magic) to catch it...We didn't even know
for sure if their were fish in that water, we just get so bored in the
apartment on p-days i suggested going fishing. </span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I know that
the Lord blesses us as we strive to faithfully serve him by serving his
children. My crazy fishing story reminded me of something that i have been contemplating
in my missionary work lately. We know that Faith with out works is dead, but
what about having works without faith? I have been caught in this trap
sometimes of when we find someone, or when someone commits to something, i lack
the faith that they will actually do what they say they will do simply because
it has happened to me so much on my mission. But the works are still there, so
i have often asked myself, "If I’m working, but i have no faith in my
work, will it still benefit others?" I have learned this week that indeed
lives are blessed by our works, even if our belief isn't there, our works ARE
faith, and "you shall receive no witness until after a trial of your
faith" or "you won't have faith, until you get to work!"</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love you
all so much and it was so awesome to see you all yesterday! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder Peters</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Some things we learned from his
Skype call yesterday:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
<br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He LOVES
being a missionary and is <strong><u>very happy</u></strong> in Ghana.</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">His toe is
doing better and the infection is gone. </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He will
finish his mission in Kade, so Elder Ofusu Hene will probably be transferred next
time and Elder Peters will get a new companion. </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">His Twi is
going OK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so cool to hear him
speak it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He still teaches mostly in English,
but can converse with people in the streets pretty well.</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He hasn’t
been able to weigh himself, and some people say he’s getting fat, and others
say he’s too skinny, but he looked very healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When he does
speak Twi and has to put in some English, he speaks with a heavy Ghanaian accent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really cool. </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He's trying hard not to think about the fact that he comes home in 7 weeks. He is determined to kick hard on this last leg of his 'race' and finish strong. So he can say "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<span id="goog_1978331052"></span><span id="goog_1978331053"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-13386570842320463482017-05-08T10:02:00.000-07:002017-05-08T10:02:14.871-07:00"I'm just too white and nerdy" - Weird Al<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03i0g9ndaIk/WRCfAgjN2qI/AAAAAAAAZ2w/XpiHWZupjPsscvLWJALp3YGqfo5d_BlkQCLcB/s1600/DSCN9986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03i0g9ndaIk/WRCfAgjN2qI/AAAAAAAAZ2w/XpiHWZupjPsscvLWJALp3YGqfo5d_BlkQCLcB/s640/DSCN9986.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elders at zone conference. Elder Peters looks pretty dang nerdy in this photo!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family,
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Biggest
news of the week is that we Baptized Kwadwo and Derrick! It was a great service
and i got some good pictures! Unfortunately Emmanuel couldn't make it to his
baptism but we are planning for another one next week, so all is going well in
Kade! </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DRyjsCmJkH8/WRCfAS8nb9I/AAAAAAAAZ24/LcVe28N7ReUbgW5lUm854AQxAgBlcUAngCEw/s1600/DSCN0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DRyjsCmJkH8/WRCfAS8nb9I/AAAAAAAAZ24/LcVe28N7ReUbgW5lUm854AQxAgBlcUAngCEw/s640/DSCN0006.JPG" width="490" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The baptism of Kwadwo and Derrick! Such an awesome picture!!!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We have been
really bored these past few p-days and so Elder Beall and I made fishing hooks
out of needles and we are going to try this pond in the bush about a half mile
away from our house this afternoon to see if we can catch anything. I saw some
kids catching catfish in some puddles this week and so we are encouraged!</span><br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--_TIwoTwqGI/WRCfAozYsyI/AAAAAAAAZ20/F4oFUKR-H_w1Eksb7RLEkrkCX9HKRV1pwCLcB/s1600/DSCN0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--_TIwoTwqGI/WRCfAozYsyI/AAAAAAAAZ20/F4oFUKR-H_w1Eksb7RLEkrkCX9HKRV1pwCLcB/s640/DSCN0007.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tramping through the Bush near the 'fishing hole' (hopefully next week we'll hear about any fish they caught)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Something
funny happened last week, I was telling Elder Ofosu Hene about how I have never
baptized anyone on my mission that I have contacted. They were all either
member referrals, non-member referrals, or someone who contacted us as
missionaries. We were wandering around at this time and this family sitting
under a mango tree in front of their house called us over. Selassi and her
sister Rebecca ended up sticking around to listen to us after we sat down and
started the lesson. They have been reading from the Book of Mormon, and
praying, and telling us that they will come to church, and they actually came!
It was really cool because it was an experience that told me that i should
always rely on faith, than the school of hard knocks. Sometimes life can knock
us down, maybe even multiple times perhaps even to the point that we don't
think that we can rise up again, that it is normal to fail at our attempts. I
learned that Faith can conquer this this past week. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So I've been
having some trouble with my toes and ingrown toenails so I have been wearing my
Keen sandals to proselyte every day. I haven’t gone to the doctor yet because
we just have too much to do, and I don’t want to make the 3 hour, cramped
tro-tro trip to Accra and back. I fear that discomfort more than my toes
discomfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living in Ghana is a life of
discomfort that I’ve just gotten used too. You know how when you go camping you
just don’t ever feel fully clean or relaxed? That’s how I felt the first week
and a half of my mission and now I’ve just gotten used to it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So as I was
sitting in front of our mirror one morning putting on my sandals, I thought
about how really nerdy I look. I had my glasses on, my worn-out slacks, my pen
in my pocket with my tag, my white handbook looked like a pocket protector, i
gave myself a terrible haircut a few weeks ago...I was amazed that I was having
any success at all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would want to
follow this “chingalingy” giant-white-nerd to church? It was kinda funny
because I ended up reminding myself that when we teach people, the Spirit is
carrying the gospel unto their hearts. The Spirit works past our own weirdness
(perhaps it uses it) to help other people come unto Christ.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Elder Ofusu
Hene is getting his patriarchal blessing in a week and a half (on the 17<sup>th</sup>
of May) so I’m going to see the doctor about my toe then. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The work is
work! And it’s the best work ever! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love you
all, and can't wait to talk to you on Mothers Day!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder Peters</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-41214461723976843942017-05-01T09:56:00.002-07:002017-05-01T09:56:20.762-07:00"Why do you look...rugged?" - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211362" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211362" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"></span></span><br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211362" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"></span></span><br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QUDTY_WaWkY/WQdWzbq6-TI/AAAAAAAAZxY/q0Hr-tjrqe8nTLS4YVHE4FawwX-1enUIwCLcB/s1600/DSCN9974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QUDTY_WaWkY/WQdWzbq6-TI/AAAAAAAAZxY/q0Hr-tjrqe8nTLS4YVHE4FawwX-1enUIwCLcB/s640/DSCN9974.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Typical Jungle around Kade.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211362" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Dear Family & Friends,</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211362" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211362" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span> morning I stepped into our little rented branch house and wiped my face with my bandanna. After removing the bandanna from my face I noticed it was now red from the dust that had clung to my face from the taxi ride from Abomosu that I had just taken. I hadn't shaved since Friday, I was wearing the same clothes I had since I had left Kade <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211363" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Friday</span></span>. The senior couple, the Ballsteadts, were there for our branch conference and after greeting me and looking at my dusty, shabby appearance Elder Ballsteadt asked, "Did you wake up late?"</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
If you want to understand this story better, draw the top left corner of a square and label the bottom point "Kade" the point where the two lines meet forming the 90 degree angle "Asuom" and the last point on the far right side "Abomosu"</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gDV2duOybVo/WQdWlr-hNrI/AAAAAAAAZxI/6Oi1XqNomZo_hHUw7tdeuQ7zZPnsb8iYQCLcB/s1600/Kade%2BMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gDV2duOybVo/WQdWlr-hNrI/AAAAAAAAZxI/6Oi1XqNomZo_hHUw7tdeuQ7zZPnsb8iYQCLcB/s640/Kade%2BMap.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About a 30 mile journey on a bumpy, dusty, hot road. Sounds like fun!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211364" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">On Friday</span></span> we planned for our week and taught a few lessons and then went to the taxi station at 5 to travel to Asuom to meet the zone leaders so we could exchange. The purpose of the exchange would be for Elder Msomi (our zone leader) to interview our baptismal candidates. IMPORTANT: all stations in this part of the eastern region close at 6, so the last time you can leave any station in Kade, Asuom, or Abomosu is <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211365" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">6 o'clock</span></span>. Also Asoum, Kade and Abomosu are 1 hr away from each other, Kade being 2 hours because you have to travel through Asuom to get to Abomosu from Kade. So Elder Ofosu Hene and I met up with the zone leaders at Asoum <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211366" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Friday</span></span> night at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211367" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">6 PM</span></span> and caught the last cars going to Kade and Abomosu. The Asoum elders don't have an apartment in Asoum, they sleep at Abomosu apartment, traveling the hour to Asoum to proselyte for the day each morning and traveling home each night. <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211368" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span> morning Elder Morris and I got up and followed the normal routine, I had packed a backpack with all that I would need for an <i>overnight</i> stay. we proselyted through all of <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211369" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span>, it wasn't easy traveling there, but we had a good day. At <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211370" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">5:15 PM</span></span> we got a text from Elder Ofosu Hene and Elder Msomi saying, "Emmanuel was late, we just started the interview. After completing the interview at around 6 they called us and we decided the best thing to do was to endure and continue the exchange because by the time the elders from Kade would walk from Emmanuel's house to the taxi station there might be a taxi, but there certainly wouldn't be a taxi for Elder Msomi to get home to Abomosu at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211371" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">7 PM</span></span>, nor would there be a taxi for Elder Ofosu Hene and I to get home from Asoum to Kade at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211372" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">7 PM</span></span>. Riding in the taxi once from Abomosu to Asoum is enough to make your shirt really dirty, especially because they cram 7 people into every taxi.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oic8l7MFUwA/WQdWywCSJ8I/AAAAAAAAZxQ/boswNapy8xwmeJ3QebQk0MGd7tTUQQvjACEw/s1600/DSCN9970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oic8l7MFUwA/WQdWywCSJ8I/AAAAAAAAZxQ/boswNapy8xwmeJ3QebQk0MGd7tTUQQvjACEw/s640/DSCN9970.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elder Ofusu Hene on a footbridge across a stream.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
Coming back to Abomosu that night I had no clean garments, all of my clothes were dirty,and because it was <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1769211373" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span> we had church tomorrow. I would be taking the sacrament in Asuom. As soon as we got home I bought a little pouch of wash powder at the provision shop and washed a pair of garments and my white shirt and put them on the line to dry and prayed that it wouldn't rain during the night. My prayer was answered and I ironed my shirt and put on my fresh clean garments to go to sacrament meeting. My pants are to heavy, they never would have dried overnight so I couldn't wash them. It was interesting to me as we went to the station in Abomosu to get a taxi to Asoum to go to church we crammed all 4 of us in the back seat of the dusty taxi, the driver cranked the hip hop tunes and an elder sitting next to me said, "I can't wait to feel the spirit again when I'm going to church" I got thinking about his statement and the sacrament prayer, "<i>and keep his commandments which he has given them, that they may ALWAYS have his spirit to be with them".</i> As I stepped into our little branch house in Kade 1 hour taxi ride from Abomosu to Asoum, 1 hour sacrament meeting, and another 1 hour taxi ride from Asoum to Kade later I realized what it means to always have his spirit to be with you. Sure I was dirty, I felt nasty, the taxi ride's were anything but peaceful or tranquil, and a stubborn little kid was smacking me in the head most of sacrament meeting, but I knew that I had the spirit with me, because I was doing everything I could to keep his commandments. I wasn't feeling comfortable by any means, but I knew I could take comfort in the fact that the spirit was with me.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
After telling the Ballsteadts this story, they felt a little sorry for me, but now understood. There was a lot of other things that happened this week, but the best news is that Emmanuel and Derrick will be baptized next week!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
I Love you All,</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Love, Elder Peters!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95OFj2mUAhE/WQdWysYKZQI/AAAAAAAAZxM/MPl_Lfe1RegCcEyURhkYivJmPPy7xP9vACEw/s1600/DSCN9947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95OFj2mUAhE/WQdWysYKZQI/AAAAAAAAZxM/MPl_Lfe1RegCcEyURhkYivJmPPy7xP9vACEw/s640/DSCN9947.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The local Loan Office?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6sMiV6n3Uw/WQdWzZtKs5I/AAAAAAAAZxc/_LVm-krDWuENOh2Vd2cMsqdGG64hr6iOQCEw/s1600/DSCN9971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6sMiV6n3Uw/WQdWzZtKs5I/AAAAAAAAZxc/_LVm-krDWuENOh2Vd2cMsqdGG64hr6iOQCEw/s640/DSCN9971.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking closely at this, that looks like rocks on a drying rack...or it could be some kind of nut. (Elder Perry emailed me that these are Cocoa Beans drying and that it makes an awesome smell in the village)</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-47938057633971896342017-04-24T09:41:00.000-07:002017-04-24T09:41:07.751-07:00"Are we there yet? WE GET THERE WHEN WE GET THERE!!!!!!" - The Incredibles<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VpE8K9Pdua4/VqbQF-jYu0I/AAAAAAAAMYk/m--QlAKfh4UMBBMVVY1TGy4raSaYaHXcACPcB/s1600/DSCN0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VpE8K9Pdua4/VqbQF-jYu0I/AAAAAAAAMYk/m--QlAKfh4UMBBMVVY1TGy4raSaYaHXcACPcB/s400/DSCN0057.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Riding the tro-tro</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family
& Friends, </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My Café time
is short today, Abomosu Zone is fighting for computers and Elder Beall and I
wanted to get here early. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>16
missionaries and 3 working computers in the whole zone depending on if there is
light, and if there is an internet connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those guys in Abomosu haven’t heard from their families for 2 weeks now.
I think they want to come in here and use these computers today. </span><a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On Wednesday
started walking from our apartment to the tro-tro station to get a car to Asoum
and then Abomosu for zone conference. From Kade to Asoum they put 4 people
(plus the driver) in the car and its an hour long ride along a super dusty and
bumpy red dirt road surrounded by jungle on both sides. And when we got to
Asoum we found out that so few people make the trip from Asoum to Abomosu that
they load the taxi with 6 people (plus the driver, oh and kids don't count as
people) So we made another hour long dusty, bumpy ride crammed in a taxi like
sardines in a can to Abomosu for zone training meeting. We ended up getting
there about 45 minutes earlier than we had planned. This is because sometimes
you have to wait for a tro-tro to fill up with people and it can take 45
minutes, having never traveled to Abomosu before we thought there might be a
tro-tro there, but we were wrong. Anyway, those car rides were fun for about 10
minutes, but after that you just couldn't wait to get out of the car. The zone
training meeting was good. our zone leaders instructed us on teaching people to
pray, which is something that a missionary can easily gloss over here. Asking
someone if they know how to pray is like asking them if they are Christian
which is a "no duh" kind of question here. But we talked about how
most people pray to Jesus Christ here, and they think that prayer is more about
petitioning God for money, good luck with business, and material blessings. It
was a good instruction, and I think it will help us as we go to teach our
investigators. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Later in the
week I discovered a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">moving plant</b>! I
know isn't that cool! its one of those plants that has been able to evolve
reflexes, it looks just like a little weed but if you touch it all of its
leaves will close and the limbs of the plant will fold in toward its stems.
(its not a Venus Fly-trap) When I found it I started showing Elder Ofusu Hene
and he played along. I found at later that night from Elder Beya and Elder Ofosu
Hene that African missionaries love showing obrunis that plant because of how
surprised they are at it. They can't comprehend why you would be so interested
and shocked with such an ordinary weed. It reminded me of Po the panda's duck
dad saying, "To make something special you just have to believe that it's
special" It was a dumb little experience but as I got thinking about it I
thought about my attitude toward my mission. I have always seen it as something
special, an incredible opportunity to serve God. It was a reminder to me to not
take simple things for granted, no matter how commonplace they seem to be.</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I have been
able to get my apartment out and running with me 5 times this week, I have been
surprised that it has lasted that long, but hopefully we'll keep it rollin’
this week too. Its been super fun to just take off into these windy trails
through palm farms and bush every morning, jumping over puddles and romping
through mud. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IxJLZtF234c/WKHyY45haqI/AAAAAAAAYaU/YY-fkuLCqQImzE7wEvhepOcQ_LNDZZ1CACPcB/s1600/DSCN0909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IxJLZtF234c/WKHyY45haqI/AAAAAAAAYaU/YY-fkuLCqQImzE7wEvhepOcQ_LNDZZ1CACPcB/s400/DSCN0909.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">An older photo of Elder Peters and Elder Perry running in Ghana.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I think I
talked a little bit about Emmanuel and Kate in my last email. We have Emmanuel's
baptism this weekend, also we will have Daniel's baptism and possibly another
member's 9 year old brother that we have had him teach and will bring the zone
leaders to interview him. Our work is growing fruit, but we know we can harvest
much more than we have right now. This week was a lot of just walking from
teaching appointment to teaching appointment and it was pretty typical
missionary work days, but I wouldn't have it any other way. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Things are
going good here in Kade. It’s hard not to feel like everything is just normal,
but I know that in a few weeks I’ll realize how strange everything her is. It just
feels so normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like my emails
home have gotten less and less exciting as life here has become more and more
normal. I wish I could portray everything that happens but it is really just a
lot of walking on dusty hot roads and sitting outside of peoples houses on
benches explaining the restoration. I know it’s important and special, but it
just feels pretty ordinary most of the time. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love being
here serving the Lord and am grateful for his blessings in my life. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">P.S. Mom, in
your email you asked me what kind of food I’m most excited to eat and I just am
so excited to eat all of it cuz I basically live off of bread, eggs, rice and
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I eat pineapples, bananas and
oranges a lot. But the oranges are way different here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are green in color when they are ripe
and they are so fiberous and stringy that you can’t eat them as individual
slices very well. People shave the outer skin off of them and cut a hole in the
top and squeeze the juices out of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s how you eat oranges here. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-68005944642650083772017-04-17T15:11:00.001-07:002017-04-17T15:11:22.927-07:00"You can't say nothin' 'bout TEXAS!!!!" - Sandy Cheeks<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apQRjqm9ypE/WPU1lpk4OtI/AAAAAAAAZXU/fRWMxzRqZUM_iv-9Q3YrmxMRip3a2PEbwCLcB/s1600/DSCN0672%2B%25280-00-04-19%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apQRjqm9ypE/WPU1lpk4OtI/AAAAAAAAZXU/fRWMxzRqZUM_iv-9Q3YrmxMRip3a2PEbwCLcB/s400/DSCN0672%2B%25280-00-04-19%2529.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoying the work!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family & Friends,
</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yesterday I
went on a small exchange with our new Abomosu zone leaders. Elder Ofusu Hene
went with Elder Msomi from South Africa (he was with me in the MTC) and I went
with Elder Morris of Texas. It was funny to talk to him and catch up. I served
with him as a zone leader so I would see him at MLC and other meetings and it
was cool to talk to him again. Texas accents are fun. <br />
</span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Kojo was all ready for baptism and Elder Morris came on Saturday morning to do
his baptismal interview. He said it was a great interview and that Kojo was all
prepared for Sunday. Kojo also called us twice Saturday morning to make sure
that we were coming, the second time because we were a little late from Asuom.
He showed every sign that he was committed and prepared for his baptism. The
next morning he didn't come to church. Elder Ofusu and I thought that maybe he
was just running late and would be there by the end of sacrament meeting, but
he never came. Elder Beya and I decided to split and go to his house and see if
he was there during elder’s quorum. Maybe Kojo was nervous because he didn't
have a white shirt and tie to wear or something like that. Kojo doesn't have a
phone so we would have to go to his house. Upon arriving at his house his
family was there, but he wasn't around. His Father had come from his travels
and started speaking to us in Twi, we could hear enough to know that Kojo
wasn't around. <br />
Kojo had told us before that he wanted to get baptized before his father
returned from his travels because he knew that his father would have a problem
with him being baptized, but he assured us he would be fine attending church as
long as he didn't know where Kojo was going. He is 20 years old so he legally
has the right to decide which church he can attend, but sometimes family
persecution can be intense enough to stop a baptism. </span><br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
We will go there tomorrow to try to talk it out and see what the best course of
action is.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The tro tro
ride to Asuom is super super dusty because the road isn't paved! We have to
wear t-shirts over our white shirts and ties other wise our shirts will be
coated with a thin layer of red dust when we get out of the car. It doesn't
help that they pack you in like sardines and so it gets really hot and sweaty
and all this dust is sticking to your shirt. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3UE6LpQvCCw/WPU1JHyXKbI/AAAAAAAAZXM/dSNt8viSXNMLEA1bUTf58JIVAIjIv9YnACLcB/s1600/DSCN0570%2BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3UE6LpQvCCw/WPU1JHyXKbI/AAAAAAAAZXM/dSNt8viSXNMLEA1bUTf58JIVAIjIv9YnACLcB/s640/DSCN0570%2BB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">"90% of the lessons I have taught on my mission are outdoors on benches in front of people’s houses"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We have been
teaching 2 spouses of members in our ward. Kate and Emmanuel. Kate is our
Branch Clerks wife. Emmanuel is the husband of one of our relief society
sisters. I’m not sure how interested Kate is, she comes to church sometimes but
I think its more of the culture of "follow your husband to his
church" right now. We will help her gain a testimony. Emmanuel doesn't
speak any English and Elder Ofusu Hene teaches him most of the time and I listen
really well and try to hear the Twi and memorize phrases. Emmanuel has made
some big steps with us, I guess missionaries have tried to teach him before and
he has ended up running away from them. But now he is asking questions in
lessons like, "How can I recognize the Holy spirit?" and "Can I
say the closing prayer?" He even said the closing prayer in elder's quorum
meeting this week. On Tuesday when we sat down with him for the first time a
storm was beginning to rage off in the distance and I knew it would eventually
blow here. As the sky got dark and the wind started to blow, I started to pray.
I prayed that the Lord would keep the rain from coming until my companion could
finish explaining a simple version of the restoration and give him the invitation
to pray. (We were teaching outside, I would say that 90% of the lessons I have
taught on my mission are outdoors on benches in front of people’s houses, just
a culture thing...) It was cool because as soon as we said the closing prayer
and started to walk away the rain came. It may have been a small thing, but it
as a testimony to me that God answers prayers. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--QdXpd4ND_U/WPU1YjVZJgI/AAAAAAAAZXQ/BPPXtHJQhwMwVczSFoZaN6ZHVTTpkA6igCLcB/s1600/DSCN0672%2B%25280-00-18-08%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--QdXpd4ND_U/WPU1YjVZJgI/AAAAAAAAZXQ/BPPXtHJQhwMwVczSFoZaN6ZHVTTpkA6igCLcB/s400/DSCN0672%2B%25280-00-18-08%2529.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Getting rained on.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Upon
returning from proselyting on Sunday night, we met up with Elder Beall and Elder
Beya and walked to the apartment as a district. upon arriving in the apartment
and turning on the lights we spotted a mouse dart out from under some shoes in
the corner and run into our "game room" (let me explain: we took a
white board and some Joseph Smith pamphlets and made a ping pong table. Elder Beall
has paddles and a ball. Funny thing is we hardly ever use it.) I grabbed my
flip flop and went in after the mouse, he was cornered in our "game
room" chasing him around for about 3 minutes, both Elder Beall and I
finally got him. Only to find another mouse! Eventually we got him too. So I
have 1 point in the apartment mouse hunt, and Elder Beall has 1 point in the
apartment mouse hunt. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Also I was
able to run every morning this week. Ether with Elder Ofusu Hene or Elder Beall.
I think I got our whole apartment out 4 times to run this week. It was pretty
cool and fun cuz we found this trail right behind our apartment that just takes
off into a palm farm. So it’s just like a single track trail that winds through
walls of bush. Trying to get back into shape small. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mission is
awesome! </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder Peters</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-91162075261903789952017-04-10T19:50:00.000-07:002017-04-10T19:50:44.765-07:00"I'd stay away from there,That stuff is like broiling hot!" - Wreck it Ralph<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KjHNnIzSs3s/WOxDw4SQPRI/AAAAAAAAZQw/VAW_76aAhAItmMFCkNiK9fho9xZv83eQQCLcB/s1600/DSCN9857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KjHNnIzSs3s/WOxDw4SQPRI/AAAAAAAAZQw/VAW_76aAhAItmMFCkNiK9fho9xZv83eQQCLcB/s400/DSCN9857.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family & Friends, </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">This week is
transfers and our entire district is staying together. So I will have Elder Ofusu
Hene for at least 1 more transfer, but I think that they will take him away
from me for my last transfer because he has been here for a long time. The only
difference is they split Asamankese Zone and we are now part of Abomosu
Zone. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">During this
week we were walking to an investigators house that is located in the far
reaches of Kade, and there's no electricity in this area. As we got there and
discovered that our investigator wasn't home but a nearby farmer called us over
to his house. We followed down this little trail and saw a lot of palm trees
cut over and tipped on their sides with large bottles placed under them in the
ground. A little ways from the fallen trees, there was a little honing with
dozens of oil barrels under it. These guys were brewing palm wine. As we
followed this farmer to his buddies we discovered that not only did these guys
brew large quantities of palm wine, they also drank large quantities of palm
wine. In Gbawe we had a less active/recent convert who sold palm wine to people
and one time, to show me how much alcohol was in it, he poured some on the
ground and lit a match and threw it on the puddle and it burst in flames. So
these guys were SUPER drunk! They only spoke Twi, so I turned to Elder Ofusu Hene
and said, “I’m sorry but you’re on your own for this one.” Drunk people are
hard to understand in English because their language is so slurred, but Twi is
impossible. He worked his way out of it, but I gained a much stronger testimony
of what it means to "pray while your companion is speaking" (that’s
in PMG somewhere...) </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">This past week we were teaching a man
named Nana Kwame. He called us over to his workplace as we were walking down
the road and was interested in "our church" he said. As we sat down
with him and got to know him better and began to explain our message we found
out that the reason he was interested in the church was because he had a friend
in Kumasi who claimed to have done some sort of Juju ritual to obtain ten
thousand Ghana cedis by reading the Book of Mormon. As we met with him and
brought a member friend along to see him as well we were able to explain the
true purpose of the Book of Mormon and asked him to read and pray about it. On
our third visit with him I asked him if he had read what we had assigned him to
and prayed about it. He shared an experience of praying and getting a feeling
and hearing a voice saying, "What they are telling you is true". <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listening to him I wasn't all that impressed.
My experience as a missionary told me that he was telling us a story to make us
feel good; he really had no such experience. I felt this way because of how
many times that has happened on my mission. The week prior we had an
investigator tell us that she had a dream where Joseph Smith was standing on a
coconut tree and threw her a bottle of honey and it tasted sweet and she new
the church was true, then calling her later we could hear her tell her kid on
the phone, "tell them I’m not home..." hundreds of experiences just
like this one on my mission were telling me to doubt what Nana Kwame was
telling me. But then I had a thought, "Are you letting your experience
diminish your faith?" </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
I am now confident that that was prompting, that I need to be careful that the
many experiences I’ve had as a missionary doesn't diminish my faith in the
work. I wanted to share that small thought with you.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Kojo is
progressing really well and will be interviewed for baptism this week
hopefully. It’s really hard to find him sometimes because he doesn't have a
phone. Mary has disappeared, I’m not sure she’s coming back to Kade. Daniel is
also doing ok. He didn't come to church for some reason this week, but we will
go and see him tomorrow. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">I'm praying
the lord will see fit to bless our area as we have been giving it our all this
past transfer. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">I love you
guys! Love, Elder Peters</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-39256469198626409152017-04-03T11:14:00.002-07:002017-04-03T11:14:30.475-07:00"Are you gonna have to wear cut-offs? can you wear those with a tie?" - Grandma Satchwell
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WBXtu6etuAk/WOJ9QR9K71I/AAAAAAAAZDQ/92nTLT14SgkZl5hzbrWgn4BPnTgiAIvewCEw/s1600/DSCN9975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WBXtu6etuAk/WOJ9QR9K71I/AAAAAAAAZDQ/92nTLT14SgkZl5hzbrWgn4BPnTgiAIvewCEw/s640/DSCN9975.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elder Ofusu Hene, Elder Beal and Elder Peters. Elder Peters says that his toe is healing well, that his Twi is coming along nicely and that he LOVES being a missionary</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. (He's not sure what he's going to do when he comes home in July...)</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family & Friends,
</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This morning
for P-day we washed our clothes, cleaned our apartment and went to a swampy forest
area to catch crabs for this one member family. it was pretty fun, you find a
hole and just shove your arm down there and feel around for the crab and then
grab it and yank it and all the mud and dirt around it out, and pray it doesn't
pinch you. </span><a name='more'></a>I ripped my pants along the knee doing it and so I had to cut them
off into shorts so I wouldn't be walking around with one pant leg torn wide
open at the knee while the other one was fine. It reminded me of Grandma
Satchwell and upon learning that I was going to Africa on a mission she asked
me all sorts of funny questions like mentioned in the title. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_YyWaJvZkw/WOJ9Q_fvE7I/AAAAAAAAZDY/MhFMak2pUM4AY-nyguNoe1LRAjUqoKRswCEw/s1600/FSCN9951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_YyWaJvZkw/WOJ9Q_fvE7I/AAAAAAAAZDY/MhFMak2pUM4AY-nyguNoe1LRAjUqoKRswCEw/s640/FSCN9951.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Conference sure was awesome! We
got to watch two sessions. The Asamankese Chapel broadcasted the Saturday
Afternoon Session and the Priesthood Session on Sunday morning for the members
in the District to see. I guess I will just have to wait to get the Liahona to
read the rest of General Conference but I really loved David Bednar's talk in Priesthood
Meeting about Preparing to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and preparing to
go to the temple and the difference between being assigned to and area and being
called to serve. I also loved the story in Gary Sabin's talk about the Boy
Scout who wouldn't unroll his sleeping bag to save 5 min of work, but caused
him hours of suffering. I also loved when he mentioned "Star Wars"
and a "disturbance in the force" and thought of James, I knew he was
enjoying that talk.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-62hPJuCQSvc/WOJ9Q264RTI/AAAAAAAAZDc/XSmSp8N1PN0brj24GsyP-PVAwtFKmrePgCLcB/s1600/FSCN9963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-62hPJuCQSvc/WOJ9Q264RTI/AAAAAAAAZDc/XSmSp8N1PN0brj24GsyP-PVAwtFKmrePgCLcB/s640/FSCN9963.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elders Ofusu Hene and Peters teaching some lessons. Not sure why Elder Peters is only wearing socks in this photo...but he looks pretty serious.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the way
home from Asamankese (which is about an hour drive to Kade) we climbed in the
back of our Branch President's truck and he decided that we would all get
coconuts from a vendor on the side of the road about 30 minutes into our drive.
The drive from Asamankese to Kade is just walls of jungle along the road for
miles, separated by only small towns that you can drive through in a max of 2
or 3 minutes. So we stopped in the middle of the bush and just enjoyed some
coconuts on the side of the road and it was awesome. I looked around at all the
trees and just took a moment to slow down and enjoy. Then the Branch Presidents
car wouldn't start so after some monkeying around with the connectors on the battery
we decided to push it, maybe it was a different problem. Eventually the engine
roared to life and we hopped back in the cab and took off again. It was a cool
lesson for me in that sometimes life is cushy and nice, other times it throws
us some problems and we have to work through them, but eventually it will all
work out. Conference and drinking coconut water in a sweet environment were nice;
the truck not working was a curve-ball. Sometimes our spiritual lives are the
same. Sometimes our testimonies are challenged, other times they are
appreciated, but we should always be grateful for them. <br />
<br />
We have a few investigators that are taking steps toward baptism. Daniel is a
young man who has a cousin serving a mission in Nigeria and has come to church
with him before, but all the sudden had a renewed interest and brought himself
to church and discovered one of his friends is a new member of our branch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Kojo has been doing some intense farming work and it has been difficult to find
him, but he is finished with that job now and is available all the time so we
will be able to teach him other than on Sundays. He is a valiant young man. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VfF9pJz2acQ/WOJ9QSQoK9I/AAAAAAAAZDU/ZUaK45adLrgLjOmn_r_ARdC7QzCIlRD5gCEw/s1600/DSCN9965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VfF9pJz2acQ/WOJ9QSQoK9I/AAAAAAAAZDU/ZUaK45adLrgLjOmn_r_ARdC7QzCIlRD5gCEw/s640/DSCN9965.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out teaching in one of the small villages</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I finished
reading the book of Acts this past week and it is really awesome! If you want
to read stories about shipwrecks and maritime adventures those last few
chapters in Acts are all about Paul and the miracles and teachings he did while
traveling from Jerusalem to Rome for his trial with Caesar. I'm about 350 pages
into Jesus the Christ, section 20is in the Doctrine and Covenants. I have been
trying to switch up my study a bit lately because I have read the Book of Mormon
2x on my mission and preach my gospel A TON, and I’m finding it really
difficult to not focus on those two books, they are so full of awesome
information and stories that motivate that I’m missing using them as the focus
of my study, but I know that I need to learn these other books too, that their
teachings are just as important. </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love you
guys! </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder Peters</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tukf4WZOnIQ/WOJ9QQ91ygI/AAAAAAAAZDM/8HY_uKjPRb0-X2wJbwgAalOJU6DKsx1MgCEw/s1600/DSCN9948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tukf4WZOnIQ/WOJ9QQ91ygI/AAAAAAAAZDM/8HY_uKjPRb0-X2wJbwgAalOJU6DKsx1MgCEw/s640/DSCN9948.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-4684805635252006552017-03-27T13:08:00.005-07:002017-03-27T13:08:32.857-07:00"It's the fuzz! Scatter!"; - I forgot the movie, but I remember that it's a kids cartoon<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VJ33s3wfir8/WNlePsaLUWI/AAAAAAAAY5I/SJQUVJP-jf4AkVv7FV2l1q02TuD_tswQQCLcB/s1600/DSCN0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VJ33s3wfir8/WNlePsaLUWI/AAAAAAAAY5I/SJQUVJP-jf4AkVv7FV2l1q02TuD_tswQQCLcB/s400/DSCN0001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elder Peters was limited on internet café time this week, he had to take a 3 hour tro-tro ride to Accra to see the Mission Doc and get an ingrown toenail taken care of, then the 3 hour ride back to Kade so he could wash all his clothes (by hand of course) and in the middle he was able to squeeze in an hour to write to us. The excitement of mission life!!!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Family & Friends, </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Prove to me that God
exists" I said. The Pastor reached for his bible. "Without the
Bible" I said, "the words of a man are not evidence...”. He admitted
that he could not <i>prove</i> to me that God existed. I, my companion, and a
ward missionary had come to the home of one of our investigators in Akwatia.
Esther had another "friend" over who agreed to sit in the lesson with
Esther. Turns out it was a small pastor from her church, </span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've run into so many
of these guys on my mission and I know exactly what they do, everything they
say they have a reference to something in the Bible. And they want you to play
their game. Throw your belief, backed by a quotation, and I’ll <i>prove </i>you
wrong with my quotation. I sensed that this was the direction that our
discussion would take after about 5 minutes of discussion. My companion and our
ward missionary were both searching for their own arsenal of biblical
quotations at this point and I stopped and explained some things about Evidence
and Faith. "I know God exists, but I cannot prove it to you, I can only
testify that He is there. You see Peter, Isaiah, Paul, they were all men just
like you and I, and these things," I said holding my scriptures "are
only a testimony of their words. The things we have to share with you cannot be
proven, just like their words cannot be proven. At some point every man is
backed up to the wall of Faith, there he must take his stand." I then briefly
and accurately shared the message of the Restoration and bore my sincere
testimony, adding it to the testimony of those who wrote the bible that Jesus
Christ is our savior, that his church has been restored through the Prophet
Joseph Smith, and that the only way anyone can understand and follow Him is
through Faith and works. Anyway it was an interesting lesson I hope that the
man felt something, if he didn't I certainly did. My testimony has grown so
much as it has been tried like this on my mission. </span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B3C5T58P2vM/WNlgbwehTbI/AAAAAAAAY5U/p7nwQ8b7oSg/s1600/2017-03-27%25252012.54.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B3C5T58P2vM/WNlgbwehTbI/AAAAAAAAY5U/p7nwQ8b7oSg/s400/2017-03-27%25252012.54.59.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Helping make dinner.</span></td></tr>
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<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have this mouse in our
apartment, actually mouse family, and it keeps eating our food. We've got 2 of
them in our trap so far, but we have at least 3 more to go. It’s kinda funny to
come home at night and the first thing we do is check to see if our trap got a
mouse. </span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This past week we had a
Multi-zone conference at Ofankor Stake Center. It was really insightful and I
learned a lot. We got up at 5:30 so that we could travel to Asamankese and
catch a car with the rest of our zone to Ofankor. There was a lack of seats in
the tro tro so we had to sit 4 missionaries to 3 seats. As we passed through
one of the Police Barriers, a police man randomly stopped our car (this is
normal, they do random checks) Turns out our driver didn't have his license and
we were sitting 4 to a 3 seat bench. The Police officer's were kinda throwing a
tantrum, but somehow our driver talked (maybe bought) his way out of it. It's
been kinda funny to watch how that works here in the bush. If your license or
registration isn't good, just tuck 3 cedis inside and hand it to the officer
and he'll hand your license back to you. But only your license. </span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N-Pv7qr2O5I/WNlgctMkLTI/AAAAAAAAY5Y/FiXUgo__aSE/s1600/2017-03-27%25252012.54.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N-Pv7qr2O5I/WNlgctMkLTI/AAAAAAAAY5Y/FiXUgo__aSE/s640/2017-03-27%25252012.54.23.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">With some members after church.</span></td></tr>
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<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have a new investigator who
has come to church 2 times now, his name is Daniel. He is 17 and is going to
the local high school. He also goes to seminary everyday and is really excited
about the church. He has a baptismal date for the 16th of April and he looks
promising. His mom has remarried a man who goes to the Church of Christ and so
it will be really difficult for us to make much progress with her (the woman
kinda has to follow the man to his church I guess.) But she is a really sweet
lady who can't speak much English but is always really happy and smiling to see
us. </span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Daniel's area doesn't have
electricity, and it was getting dark so we went outside to teach him. I could
see an incoming rain storm and the weather was changing really fast and I said
a silent prayer that the rain wouldn't come until we could finish our lesson.
God answered my prayer and as we were walking home it started to rain really
hard. We were soaked from head to foot and jumping over puddles and I couldn't have
been more happy. </span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MI4n7SrtHvY/WNlgdVLMB-I/AAAAAAAAY5c/myuaG3zNJDY/s1600/FSCN0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MI4n7SrtHvY/WNlgdVLMB-I/AAAAAAAAY5c/myuaG3zNJDY/s640/FSCN0595.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I couldn't have been more happy"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another funny thing that
happened is after church we were waiting outside the bishop’s office to
introduce him to Daniel and while we were waiting elder Ofusu Hene started
calling our most non-committed unserious investigators. I asked him why he was
calling them; we didn't expect them to come to church. he said, "I
sometimes just like to hear people try to come up with creative excuses."
he started putting them on speaker and it was so funny because these people had
been called by missionaries so much that as soon as they picked up the phone
they just started saying, "oh I had to go to... my uncle died and so I had
to...." we laughed and laughed. </span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mission Rocks, </span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love, Elder Peters</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-28423199498579959472017-03-20T18:04:00.000-07:002017-03-20T18:04:15.703-07:00"No matter what you do, you have to work hard to be successful" - Elder Ballsteadt<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kPQeXqWhb6s/WNB6RDPBCxI/AAAAAAAAY1Y/GHDswMEdDS0xs1xKG1xr6TuoC1pSeJC2gCEw/s1600/DSCN1058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kPQeXqWhb6s/WNB6RDPBCxI/AAAAAAAAY1Y/GHDswMEdDS0xs1xKG1xr6TuoC1pSeJC2gCEw/s640/DSCN1058.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Modeling my sun hat. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />Dear Family & Friends, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The sun has been hot like crazy this week! But
it's been good. We started out our week with a lot of contacting at this town
that is about 20 min (by taxi) from our area in Kade. It's called Boada we have
3 members that live there and we are trying to build up the area and I’m sure
the hope is to one day make it a branch or a group. Elder Ofosu Hene and I
decided to just try to talk to as many different people we could meet there
and we found A LOT of Muslims. We discovered that most of Boada is a “zongo” </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">and
so we decided to try to go to Akwatia and see what we could find there. At the
end of the day we had taught a lot of different people really short lessons,
but things were ok. We are praying for New investigators who want to progress
there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">On Wednesday, we had district meeting and
the Asamankese senior couple came to deliver some chairs to our apartment and
decided that they would sit in on our district meeting. It was cool to conduct
a District meeting for the first time, to lead and instruct. I read in Preach
my Gospel about district meeting and it suggested that district meetings are a
great time for missionaries to share things they have learned in their study,
and also testimonies of missionary work. I decided that I would ask one elder
in my district to share something he learned from his study, and another to
share an experience or testimony of something he learned on his mission from a
companion, a lesson, exchange, etc. I thought it would be a good idea because
so much of the things I have learned on my mission have been from getting a new
companion and watching them teach something or in a certain way that I have
never thought of before, or going on exchange and listening to a different
missionary resolve a common concern in a way I had never heard before. so much
can be learned from the experience of others and I wanted to make that a part
of my District Meetings.<br />
<br />
I also gave a short instruction on something I learned from Laman and
Nephi's adventure in getting the Brass Plates. We read through some
scriptures and wrote down the qualities of Laman and Nephi and they were pretty
obvious, everyone knows how they are different. But I wanted to point out that
it never said, "Laman broke the law of Chastity" or "Laman lied
to Nephi and blasphemed against God" It never says that Laman was
committing "Big" sins, he was just SUPER negative about anything they
were trying to do, but he did it. Our District has been struggling with some people
who have progressed right up to their baptismal interviews but are dodging the
interviews for some reason, and I felt a sense of discouragement among all of
us. I wanted them to know that if we start complaining, we will drive the
Spirit away. Yes, sin drives the spirit away, but Laman wasn't getting any
inspired ideas simply because of his negativity. Nephi was positive and it
opened his mind. I think that perhaps the reason Lehi saw Laman and Lemeuel in
the dark mist is because their minds were so clouded with negativity that they
couldn't have the spirit with them to help them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-onUdoondle8/WNB6RSOF1aI/AAAAAAAAY1c/iDa9wZOOhL8Xu0t6nx-Bf-D4mv6XZ249QCLcB/s1600/DSCN1069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-onUdoondle8/WNB6RSOF1aI/AAAAAAAAY1c/iDa9wZOOhL8Xu0t6nx-Bf-D4mv6XZ249QCLcB/s640/DSCN1069.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elder Ofusu Hene out in the bush.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The next day the Ballsteadts came and brought
a new mattress to our apartment and also gave me and elder Ofosu Hene
nature valley honey n' oats granola bars. It was awesome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Things are good, just trying to work hard! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Love, Elder Peters<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-9589421769701565182017-03-13T14:39:00.000-07:002017-03-13T14:39:01.689-07:00"Dense, irritating, miniature beast of burden!!!" - Shrek<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmmRLrDxxtU/WMcF-4RSk3I/AAAAAAAAYuI/NMZuJZJlGU0o_WncgU6i1wCwelyyQKPrwCLcB/s1600/DSCN0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmmRLrDxxtU/WMcF-4RSk3I/AAAAAAAAYuI/NMZuJZJlGU0o_WncgU6i1wCwelyyQKPrwCLcB/s640/DSCN0422.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Eh, Obruni! Oo ti Twi?" (White man, do you speak Twi?)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family & Friends,
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I'm sure
that some stuff I said in my last letter was kind of strange, but I had a fever
of 103 degrees Fahrenheit and my head was spinning when I wrote last. I was
afraid that I had malaria and called Sister Simpson later that night. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sunday
Night is when everything started, I drank a TON of water and loaded up on
medicine to get some stuff done at the cafe and market, but as soon as light
went out ending my cafe session, I went home and slept. The next morning, after
a night of drinking insane amounts of sugar, a little salt, mixed with water to
re-hydrate myself I felt a lot better. We only had one "one-use"
thermometer in the apartment so I couldn't take my temperature again, but I knew
it was way down. I got up and got ready just like normal, took an ibuprofen and
was able to have a rather normal proselyting day. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The next day
we had a Zone Training Meeting in Asamankese which is about an hour tro tro
ride away from our area. So I got an hour rest to the meeting, the meeting was
3 hours in an air conditioned room in the Asamankese chapel, and an hour ride
home reading the letters from Grandma and Grandpa Peters. The ride from here to
Asamankese is a newly paved road (it used to be really bumpy and dusty) that is
just surrounded by thick tropical jungle the whole way. It was such a blessing
to recover from whatever I got that Sunday night with that much rest. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-86LuP6-0SYw/WMcGg9NHPKI/AAAAAAAAYuU/oNOk-c83WkUIChM_x9Oppx2n7AEOzjfBgCEw/s1600/DSCN0827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-86LuP6-0SYw/WMcGg9NHPKI/AAAAAAAAYuU/oNOk-c83WkUIChM_x9Oppx2n7AEOzjfBgCEw/s640/DSCN0827.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Surrounded by Green Jungle.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The subject
line of my email comes from two really strange experiences. The first was when
we went to teach Mary her final lesson before her planned baptismal interview
to review the questions and teach about tithing and fast offerings. We had the
baptismal record there and needed to get information about her birthday, and
her parents birthday (sometimes the most difficult part of baptizing someone is
having them find their parents birthday, sometimes you just have to make a good
guess..) Anyway, this adolescent chicken jumped up on my lap and dropped a little
“prize” right on the baptismal record!! I don't know what food it was looking
for, but it happened so fast I didn't know what to do. Then later in the week
we were teaching a lesson on a bench outside of a man's house and the bench was
placed next to the foundation of his house which jutted out from the outer
walls of his house, leaving enough space for a goat to stand in-between us and
the house. As I was explaining something, I felt this tug at the back of my
shirt, I ignored it then a few seconds later I felt it again, harder this time.
I looked behind me and a goat had jumped up on the foundation of the house and
was nibbling at the back of my shirt. So I had some weird animal interactions
this week.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It has been
so cool to teach with Elder Ofusu Hene. Usually the way it works is I teach
something and he translates everything I say into Twi. Even though a lot of our
investigators speak English, they understand a lot better in Twi. All of church
is in Twi, but I have a bit of a conflict in speaking it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everywhere I go people will come up to me and
ask “Obruni, Oo ti Twi?” (White man, do you speak Twi?) and if I respond they
will call out all their neighbors and each one will ask me “Ete sen?” (how are
you) just to hear me say “Bawkaaa”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
like entertainment for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
understand most of what is said to me, but I’m not speaking it fluently yet. </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aOGktQNTgOE/WMcGQfdZyKI/AAAAAAAAYuQ/JkjiaLimf9wSvwT_6IxyXTYAlaVn_4kUwCEw/s1600/DSCN0802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aOGktQNTgOE/WMcGQfdZyKI/AAAAAAAAYuQ/JkjiaLimf9wSvwT_6IxyXTYAlaVn_4kUwCEw/s640/DSCN0802.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This past
Sunday we went to visit a young man in our branch who didn't come to church. He
is a recent convert of a few months. As we went to visit him he told us that he
was struggling with a specific commandment, and that he felt like because he
was struggling with this thing that he couldn't come to church, or pray, or
read his scriptures. I opened up to one of my favorite verses of scripture,
Ephesians 6:11-18, and rehearsed to him many of the things that my dad has
taught me over my years as a young man about putting on the armor of God and
how we do this by reading our scriptures and saying our prayers. It was cool to
watch his demeanor change as we explained to him that Satan was sending these
temptations to him because he knows that this young man has great potential. He
isn't feeling temptations because he is broken, but because he is powerful
beyond measure. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In answer to
some of your questions:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Where is Beall from?</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <i>Bozeman, Montana. He was a wrestler in
High School but also ran XC in the fall and knows a lot of the guys that won
NXN this year.</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>How long has he
been on mission?</u></b><i> He is the same age as Elder Herrod on mission</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>How about his companion?</u></b> <i>Elder
Beya is from DR Congo and served in Gbawe in his training and knows a lot of
the same people I do there.</i><u><b> How many peop</b></u><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><u><b>le are in your branch there?</b></u></span><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"> About 20-<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";">30 come to church each week.</span></span></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It has been
a great week, and I am so happy that I am healthy and I continue the work! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love you
all! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder Peters </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEQmrBJ-ZOw/WMcGF7rSXeI/AAAAAAAAYuM/XOKVi5JDnccC6FpQeCCKEPOn_7_L7rIPACEw/s1600/DSCN0596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEQmrBJ-ZOw/WMcGF7rSXeI/AAAAAAAAYuM/XOKVi5JDnccC6FpQeCCKEPOn_7_L7rIPACEw/s640/DSCN0596.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-72482795777983302392017-03-06T09:57:00.000-08:002017-03-06T15:49:59.141-08:00"Now you have a testimony..." - Elder Ofusu Hene<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J74NoVewWpw/WL2cXyMCv2I/AAAAAAAAYoY/RapuVhMMdg0U3tXvPGoYlYajBzEQ26YaQCLcB/s1600/FSCN1023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J74NoVewWpw/WL2cXyMCv2I/AAAAAAAAYoY/RapuVhMMdg0U3tXvPGoYlYajBzEQ26YaQCLcB/s640/FSCN1023.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Ofusu Hene, Elder Peters, Elder Beya and Elder Beall on the far right. The Kade District</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Second Title: "I packed your angry eyes just in case" - Toy Story</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Family
& Friends,</span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Life in the bush is crazy!
Everyone speaks Twi, the first question people ask me is, "O Ti
Twi?" <i>do you speak Twi?</i> Its great, but kind of frustrating because they
LOVE to hear white people speak their language. Sometimes if missionaries from
the U.S. learn Twi very very well people will join the church just for that
reason, then go inactive when that missionary moves out, so I am super super blessed to have a Ghanain companion who can speak
the language. We are hoping to really work with the members here so that the people who were taught in Twi will be able to stay
active cuz their friend who speaks their language is still here. Right now I can hear
more Twi than I can speak.</span></span> </span></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So on the
Saturday that we got transfer news the Gbawe apartment got in a trotro to come
home from the Weija chapel where we received transfer news. After I got in the
trotro I got a call and was talking on the phone and this guy kept tapping me
in the back while I was on the phone. After the call was over, irritated, but
wanting to be Christ-like I turned around to find the most drunk Saudi-Arabian I
have ever met. He was lost and got onto a "local bus" as he called it
and wanted to get to Osu. He was on track to go to Lapaz though, which is WAY
far away from where he needed to be. He asked me if I was going to a dancing
bar too, I said, "no, I’m going to bed its late man...” He would forget
where he was going after about 2 minutes and ask the mate again where he was
going. Ghanaians (and all of us really) can be really impatient people
sometimes and everyone in the tro tro was getting irritated with this guy
whenever he would ask where this bus was going again the lady next to him would
flip out and tell him its going to Lapaz. When we reached our stop I told him
to get out and got him on a car to Circle, the center of Accra, there he would
be able to get a tro tro to Osu. It was a really funny experience to guide this
drunk dude around. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
</div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
</div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Sunday I
said goodbye to everyone and it was hard, but not as hard as leaving Lartebiokorshie.</span>
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J175jUFTWYc/WL2cXWOQmsI/AAAAAAAAYoM/hXXXEHKQa3Q6m4KTpjM8CcUenBbmLpRKQCEw/s1600/DSCN1035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J175jUFTWYc/WL2cXWOQmsI/AAAAAAAAYoM/hXXXEHKQa3Q6m4KTpjM8CcUenBbmLpRKQCEw/s640/DSCN1035.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Tuesday I
got up super early in the morning and walked down to Malam Station to pick a
taxi to pick up my bags and go to Kaneshie to pick up Elder Beall. After
picking up Elder Beall we went to circle and found that the Kade car only had
room for 1 person left. But as soon as the taxi pulled up to the station guys
swarmed the taxi and took out our bags and dragged them over to the trotro and
started tying our luggage to the back of the van with some thick string when we
saw how many seats were left they wanted to us to sit on top of each other for
the 3 hour journey. This is where I had to get kinda feisty I put on my "angry
eyes" and barked at the dudes to drop our bags or I’ll fetch the police under thievery,
I didn't ask them to touch my bags, they took something that didn't belong to
them. They started asking for money, but I told 'em off. I then asked for the
driver, that I wanted to speak directly to him. I refused to respond to anyone,
unless they could assure me they were the driver. Finally I got him and asked
him where the next tro to Kade would be, he pointed to a different car and I
took my bags and went back for Elder Beall's bags and we loaded them <i>inside </i>car
and waited for it to fill up. I hate doing that, but sometimes it’s necessary. The
trip to Kade was sweet, cramped and dusty but sweet. After going past Ofankor
it was just foliage all along the road to Kade. Occasionally we would pass
towns on the way like Asamankese and so on; there were a lot of mountains and
farms to admire on the journey. Upon getting there a member came to the trotro
and helped us unload our bags and called a taxi to come pick us up. That was
the first thing I have noticed about the bush is that everyone is really really
nice.</span> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j20lVdbClPY/WL2cXxycBEI/AAAAAAAAYoU/e_782al3NCQsBbO4fHiAvtC2Bm6XWprBwCEw/s1600/DSCN1021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j20lVdbClPY/WL2cXxycBEI/AAAAAAAAYoU/e_782al3NCQsBbO4fHiAvtC2Bm6XWprBwCEw/s640/DSCN1021.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Ofusu Hene</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Ofusu
Hene is a Ghanaian from the Brang-Ahaffo region and is a sweet guy. He is
fluent in Twi so that helps us A TON! He is 27 years old and is so grateful
that he gets a chance to serve a full-time mission. He talks in a kind of raspy
slow voice that would be common to an old fisherman in a cartoon movie. He is
really kind, humble, and diligent. he says all the time, "if you haven't _______ before, then you'll have a testimony of it" we were going to a members place on Sunday
night who feeds the missionaries a ridiculous amount of Bankuu and he was
telling me that I would have a testimony of Sister Amoah all the time on Sunday.
It always makes me laugh when he says that.</span> </span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n_dj0XZ-G8w/WL2cXXN20YI/AAAAAAAAYoQ/98-A78PXTUAwTVUwDUr45DPgqh0Jt7SrgCEw/s1600/DSCN1027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n_dj0XZ-G8w/WL2cXXN20YI/AAAAAAAAYoQ/98-A78PXTUAwTVUwDUr45DPgqh0Jt7SrgCEw/s640/DSCN1027.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Typical road in Kade</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kade has a
lot of potential and is coming off some great success. I am going to try really
hard to keep the momentum going we have two people that we are preparing for
baptism on the 19th of March. Mary and Kojo, and they are really awesome
because they came to church even though it was Dunso. When we went to church
this random white guy was sitting in the congregation with a shirt and tie on
and I talked to him a little bit after the meeting. I still couldn't find out
his purpose in coming here, but it was fun to talk to him. He was afraid of our
branch presidents’ motorcycle and didn't want to ride it home. I thought that
was kinda funny. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also have
this cool little town that we go to called Akwatia and we have a lot of
potential investigators there. The way we are teaching right now is I will
speak and Elder Ofusu Hene will translate and add in his own words and then
tell me what he said. Kade is cool it has rained here 3 of the past 6 days I
have been here. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love you
all! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love, Elder Peters</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P.S. James<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I actually haven't seen any new animals here in the bush, except for a rat in our apartment. </span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-72854744194216843492017-02-27T11:43:00.000-08:002017-02-27T11:51:51.034-08:00"Fly you fools!" - Gandalf<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tGJ1nYnezM/WLR7q-BaaXI/AAAAAAAAYkI/nVAFHgozDGcGQd9DrK3E2DhrbzWv3cFlgCLcB/s1600/DSCN0565-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tGJ1nYnezM/WLR7q-BaaXI/AAAAAAAAYkI/nVAFHgozDGcGQd9DrK3E2DhrbzWv3cFlgCLcB/s640/DSCN0565-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"A mission is a bunch of 'hellos' and 'goodbyes'...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">it's especially tough when you really love the people you work with. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Dear Family & Friends, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">I sat in the back of the AP's truck bumping down a dusty hill
from the new Gbawe district meeting. Elder Tohouri was talking about transfers
and I was reading the most recent new era magazine. We happened to run into
them on at the district meeting, it wasn't planned at all, but we convinced
them to give us a ride back to our area. Elder Tohouri asked how many new
missionaries would be coming, then I heard the conversation change to. "You
should give my companion a treat and send him to the bush, he's never been
there!!!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sa6cZVq572I/WLR7Btm2MEI/AAAAAAAAYkE/L4fgwTNIs540DlSQMaYjzQACDCUiVNHTwCLcB/s1600/Ghana_Accra_West_Mission_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="611" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sa6cZVq572I/WLR7Btm2MEI/AAAAAAAAYkE/L4fgwTNIs540DlSQMaYjzQACDCUiVNHTwCLcB/s640/Ghana_Accra_West_Mission_Poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moving from Gbawe to Kade is about as far from civilization as you can go. Elder Peters is excited to be 'in the bush'</span></td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Elder Tohouri is flying home tomorrow and I will load
all my bags onto a trotro and bounce out to Kade (pronounced ka-dey). Deep
bush from what I hear (about 3.5 hours from Accra). And I will literally
bounce, I hear the road to get there is pretty rough. I guess the cafe there is
pretty good though, they have a generator so I think I will be able to
communicate with you guys pretty well still. I'll be in a 4 man district that
all live together in one apartment, so District meetings will be like a big
companionship study, so that will be fun. I will be with Elder Ofosu, a Ghanaian
and he's 27 years old. It will be fun because he can speak Twi. He is 3 months
old on his mission. Gbawe has been a lot of fun, and I feel good about the work
that Elder Tohouri and I have done here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KKyTC8iC-w/WLR7uURtk8I/AAAAAAAAYkM/V6rA7B-NLwMdU_tHZXfktp3yJZicDzbLQCLcB/s1600/SAM_9964%2BBB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KKyTC8iC-w/WLR7uURtk8I/AAAAAAAAYkM/V6rA7B-NLwMdU_tHZXfktp3yJZicDzbLQCLcB/s640/SAM_9964%2BBB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Going from this....</span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RooKZHHStfo/WLR8mzpPrzI/AAAAAAAAYkY/FpJqgoVy2k4QgjecEvH3bYCmMAbR1Q8gACLcB/s1600/DSCN9375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RooKZHHStfo/WLR8mzpPrzI/AAAAAAAAYkY/FpJqgoVy2k4QgjecEvH3bYCmMAbR1Q8gACLcB/s640/DSCN9375.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">...to this.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">I learned something this week that elder Tohouri taught me. we
were walking to the Weija chapel to receive transfer news from the AP's with
our district and earlier that day I had splurged an bought a cheeseburger at a American
restaurant in our area for 25 cedis (6 bucks) and I was lamenting to elder Tohouri
that I had, 'wasted my money' and he kinda chastised me a little and told me
that I look for the negative too much. The burger tasted good right? I enjoyed
it right? So what if you regret you spent your money on it, focusing your
thoughts on that doesn't make the money come back. It only makes the memory you
had of that burger less sweet. Relish in the joy that it brought you, and
forget the regrets. It was awesome advice, and something I have struggled with
my whole life, sometimes unconsciously. Later that night I found out that I was
being sent to the bush, no cheeseburgers there! That was my first cheeseburger
in like 8 months and it will probably be my last until I come home. So learn
the lesson of the cheeseburger and look forward and back on life in
positivity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">The ward was not surprised that elder Tohouri would be going,
but when they found out that I was going people were really sad, some were even
mad. There are two other elders in our ward who are pretty new here and they
don't have the relationship with the ward that elder Tohouri and I do. Our ward
mission leader spencer, and our faithful ward missionaries Deborah, Esther, and
Evans Tetteh were pretty bummed out that I was leaving. So I feel bad for them,
but I think that it will be the best thing for this area. I learned from
president that both elder Tohouri and I leaving wasn't a reflection of the work
done here, or the area, but that other missionaries needed leadership opportunities.
So I am excited for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gVnvuxvab1g/WLR_Wh8zfoI/AAAAAAAAYkk/Y7ZWBQ021_s-tYHi551PZnue7B1zOGFUgCLcB/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gVnvuxvab1g/WLR_Wh8zfoI/AAAAAAAAYkk/Y7ZWBQ021_s-tYHi551PZnue7B1zOGFUgCLcB/s640/FullSizeRender%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rain clouds moving in.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Yesterday after church it started raining. We usually go to
grandma Anno and Grandma Akulakye to give them the sacrament after church and
so after we visited them we went to our apartment to pick some things up and
drop some things off and there was a big truck outside our house with a huge
load of lumber. It was stuck in a rut in the road and the driver was trying to
maneuver it out of the road. He ended up causing the truck to do a barrel roll
and sent all of the lumber flying. A lot of people came to help him but it was
pretty crazy. I took a picture of it to show you guys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Elder Perry will go to Swedru, also bush, but far away from
where I will be. It’s been fun with him for the past two transfers here in Kaneshie
zone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">I love you guys, I’m out of time so no photos but I’ll try next
week!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Love, Elder Peters<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-25659412943892141102017-02-20T12:12:00.003-08:002017-02-20T12:12:40.776-08:00"Nice outfit, did your boyfriend buy that for you?" - The Amazing Spiderman<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6DBqeiE4r7w/WKtC4mSXOoI/AAAAAAAAYhE/vd2HA218GSEjUf1EO_SyO9AyudzsO8vaACLcB/s1600/DSCN0772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6DBqeiE4r7w/WKtC4mSXOoI/AAAAAAAAYhE/vd2HA218GSEjUf1EO_SyO9AyudzsO8vaACLcB/s640/DSCN0772.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Family
& Friends,</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Just finished
washing clothes and stuff, now we are café-ing. This will be my last week with
Elder Tohouri, I’m looking forward to it, but I’m also going to miss him a TON.
</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CxZQk3cUx7Y/WKtDQFPfJGI/AAAAAAAAYhI/lidBIx7cVMUzu4lZiyYrPotjLASmDmdZwCEw/s1600/DSCN0821B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CxZQk3cUx7Y/WKtDQFPfJGI/AAAAAAAAYhI/lidBIx7cVMUzu4lZiyYrPotjLASmDmdZwCEw/s400/DSCN0821B.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Peters once wrote that a mission is "a lot of hellos and goodbyes" Elder Tohouri has been a great companion and he will be missed. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Elder
Tohouri and I have a lot of fun every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had nobody show up to church for the 4<sup>th</sup> week in a row and
we spent a lot of time biking from one failed appointment to another, but we
had a LOT OF FUN doing it!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So yeah…sometimes
mission has rough patches, and the work isn't going the way you want it to
despite your best efforts, but there are still some great moments. Like on Wednesday
when we came back from a district meeting to drop off some stuff at our
apartment and grab some lunch and there's a stark naked mad man having a
serious conversation with the tree in front of your house. This guy had a huge
beard and all the goats that usually hide themselves under the tree for shade
from the heat of the afternoon hesitantly watched this guy from a distance
waiting for him to find another inanimate object to debate with so they can
return to their hang out spot. I wanted to take a picture, but didn't for
obvious reasons...</span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c6Zplc6XHcs/WKtCyL-665I/AAAAAAAAYg8/VCE5x48jrzAdnSDs_-xj0f7s19wApIjRwCEw/s1600/4795c9b8238cfa7e2d2b10b324fb23cd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c6Zplc6XHcs/WKtCyL-665I/AAAAAAAAYg8/VCE5x48jrzAdnSDs_-xj0f7s19wApIjRwCEw/s400/4795c9b8238cfa7e2d2b10b324fb23cd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to find a photo of goats under a tree in Ghana and found this! Apparently Ghanaian goats can also climb trees?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This week as
I was reading my book of Mormon I came across a really cool scripture in Nephi
chapter 17ish. (I was looking for the exact reference but I can't find it.) But
Nephi basically says if I hadn't prayed about the vision that my father had,
and then <i>seen</i> it myself I would have wanted to return to Jerusalem. And
it also reminded me of something similar that Joseph smith said about how if he
had not <i>seen</i> the things he had (referring to the first vision) he
wouldn't have believed them himself. I know that sometimes it’s difficult to
accept the truth or reality of a situation, especially when we can't
"see" God's hand in it. Having the faith to ask him to help you
understand, even if it that understanding doesn't come until later (like Nephi);
will give you the strength to carry on. I have felt that a lot this week in
trying to raise up our area.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Elder
Tohouri and I had the opportunity to travel to the Ofankor Ward this past Sunday
and visit them. Elder Tohouri served there for 9 months and asked President if
he could go there and say goodbye to all of his recent converts and friends
there before he went home and President said that he could. It was fun to go to
their ward and feel the welcome and friendliness of meeting new members. </span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HCAJefyDg-c/WKtCyMoDfoI/AAAAAAAAYhA/dBx2mqnMHicsBZcRa7okSGHBRbEf1b69QCEw/s1600/P1380330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HCAJefyDg-c/WKtCyMoDfoI/AAAAAAAAYhA/dBx2mqnMHicsBZcRa7okSGHBRbEf1b69QCEw/s400/P1380330.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another missionary posted this photo of some kids in Ofankor playing soccer in the street.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">While we
were there we went to the Valiant 9 class (Elder Tohouri used to teach them)
and the teacher was really kind and friendly. A little kid in the class asked a
question that made me laugh and think of Mom and all the time she’s spent in
primary. The girls name is Gloria and we were talking about the restoration of
the priesthood and the teacher held up the picture of John the Baptist conferring
the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Gloria asked, "um I learned
that when we resurrect we become young and healthy, why is John the Baptist so
old?" The teacher was stunned. Me and Elder Tohouri were laughing and the
teacher said “uhhh I don't really know maybe the elders can help us”... so we
had to explain that it was just a painting, not for sure.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Things are
good. I did 600 push-ups this week. I’m trying to get to 1000, but small
small. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love you
guys a ton! </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love, Elder Peters</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-64180488665358380922017-02-13T10:31:00.004-08:002017-02-13T11:45:58.937-08:00"Why don't you find it some place to sleep, WHILE I THINK OF A PLAN!" - Monsters Inc.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6IgkdsnAA4/WKHyYYtg8TI/AAAAAAAAYZ4/MAVBhQN0EeoScTLEfsIFXHm0sNv_ndO2gCLcB/s1600/DSCN0906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6IgkdsnAA4/WKHyYYtg8TI/AAAAAAAAYZ4/MAVBhQN0EeoScTLEfsIFXHm0sNv_ndO2gCLcB/s400/DSCN0906.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"HELLO!" from the coolest district in Ghana!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Dear family & friends, </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">I have more time this week than I have had over the last few
weeks. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">On Monday I didn't get to email for a very long time because we
got home a lot later than expected because of the traffic. I’m sorry I also
haven't got a picture of me fetching water at Hannah and Darlington’s house I
will try to get one soon. We are going to help them paint their house. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--TiqFd-uYLQ/WKHyXoD7vbI/AAAAAAAAYZ0/cQq3rPpnoyotl5_eKP4kdps2rAyRFY9mwCLcB/s1600/DSCN0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--TiqFd-uYLQ/WKHyXoD7vbI/AAAAAAAAYZ0/cQq3rPpnoyotl5_eKP4kdps2rAyRFY9mwCLcB/s400/DSCN0908.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Peters and Elder Perry with a local member</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">On Wednesday we had a multi-zone conference at First Light with Tesano
and Lartebiokorshie Zones. It was cool to see some friends I haven't seen for a
long time again like Elder Fryar, Elder Pohlsander, Elder Ombaka, Elder Herrod,
Elder Mantz, and others.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">On Thursday we taught Beatrice about the Holy Ghost and we also
taught her again on Saturday and we decided to just focus on teaching repentance
without using the word “repentance”. We talked about different attributes that
Christ had like diligence, humility, charity, hope, etc. and wrote them down on
a paper. Then we all silently chose one in our mind that we were going to work
on. Before the lesson Beatrice wasn't planning on coming out cuz she had just
taken her bath and still had wet hair and was going to give her baby a bath. Elder
Tohouri and I were sitting there with Flourence (our recent convert, Beatrice’s
sister) and we had a lesson ready for Beatrice, but not for Flourence, so we
had to think fast and Elder Tohouri came up with teaching Christlike
attributes. It was cool because after Beatrice joined she said, “I wasn't going
to come out, but I’m so glad I did because I really needed to hear this to
motivate me today”. There is something that has been bothering me and this week
I will do better because of this lesson. So that was pretty cool. We also
chopped open some coconuts with a machete and enjoyed some coconut water and
meat after the lesson. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S_m0ePRmeTA/WKHyaPUYy2I/AAAAAAAAYaI/XMaACp-npvs3gjNCkLrtyGdviwuo1ChhwCLcB/s1600/DSCN0951-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S_m0ePRmeTA/WKHyaPUYy2I/AAAAAAAAYaI/XMaACp-npvs3gjNCkLrtyGdviwuo1ChhwCLcB/s400/DSCN0951-1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Peters and Elder Tohouri giving "goat" rides.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">On Friday we did our study and then took off to the mission home
to take Elder Tohouri's English test. It’s a speaking test that a computer
evaluates that will give him a certificate that he is competent enough in English
to speak in business settings and stuff like that. He will be able to use it in
gaining employment when he returns home in two weeks. I guess he did really
good because Sister Munro was so excited that she made us milkshakes and
grilled cheese sandwiches. I told her that the last time I had a grilled cheese
sandwich was at Elder Perry’s house when his mom would make them for lunch when
we were in high school.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mkNiu9uYtYs/WKHyaDZvHeI/AAAAAAAAYaE/-uSRp02JZHYhlpY3RQsPvxvC7MXQMnSLwCLcB/s1600/IMG_7632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mkNiu9uYtYs/WKHyaDZvHeI/AAAAAAAAYaE/-uSRp02JZHYhlpY3RQsPvxvC7MXQMnSLwCLcB/s400/IMG_7632.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Tohouri passed the English test! Way to go ELDER!!!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OOY9vaKREd0/WKHybgMcTWI/AAAAAAAAYaQ/jBiutH-5ovQkFyhR7S29LkdYuyuPI8lhACLcB/s1600/IMG_7633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OOY9vaKREd0/WKHybgMcTWI/AAAAAAAAYaQ/jBiutH-5ovQkFyhR7S29LkdYuyuPI8lhACLcB/s400/IMG_7633.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Celebrating Elder Tohouri's Certification with Milk Shakes! Thanks Sister Munro!!!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">On Saturday and Sunday we struggled with a plan. On the way to Hannah
and Darlington’s last Monday we left our phone in a taxi and so we haven't had
a phone to call our investigators or any one else this whole week. It’s been
really really hard. After church Elder Tohouri and I came back to our apartment
and had some lunch and then he said, "You think of a plan, I’ll be back in
10 minutes" as he made his way to our toilet. I stared at my planner. No
one we taught came to church, so I thought we would start with them. After
setting out we found that NONE of them were home so we decided to just bike up
to this really far place in our area called Upper Weija that has some cool
members living there. On our way up we ran into Francis Apeteng a recent
convert who hasn't been to church for a while driving a new Hyundai Sonata and
he rolled down the window and said, "Hey are you guys coming to my
place?" There is really only one main dirt road that goes up there so we
said, "Ya!" we got there and he was talking with some people and told
us to “go and then come back” (a thing that happens A LOT) so we went to visit
a ward missionary named Nana Esi that Elder Tohouri and I didn't know very well
who lives higher up the hill (Upper Weija is a really hilly area)</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kesd7A8jOPY/WKHyZs_CqDI/AAAAAAAAYaA/9efcRtdr0LQ9bblM5pokYLUXOUhuPtvqwCLcB/s1600/DSCN0910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kesd7A8jOPY/WKHyZs_CqDI/AAAAAAAAYaA/9efcRtdr0LQ9bblM5pokYLUXOUhuPtvqwCLcB/s400/DSCN0910.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Hills of Weija</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">we found her
house and got to know her and her less active brother, we shared something
small with them and then went back to Francis. Francis was kind of busy and we
talked with him out on the road. Francis is kind of a “jack-of all trades”
businessman. The car he was driving up the hill was a car he just picked up
from the port and is going to sell. he asked Elder Tohouri about small arms in
Ivory Coast (they have had civil wars so small arms are more abundant there
than in Ghana) and talked to him about lining up business links with pump
action rifles "AK's will get me in trouble with the government" he
said. So that was kinda funny. Then we went to Sister Naomi's place and visited
with her family, particularly her brother who is the clerk in our ward about
his mission in Nigeria and his calling. I have learned that when you can get
the members of your ward to talk about the different aspects of their calling
in an informal setting, it really helps them gain trust in you as a missionary
because the next time you need them in-action (the ward clerk recording
baptismal records for example) he is a lot more willing to help you out with
it. It’s less of a fight between the missionaries and the members and more of a
group effort.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">That sums up the week pretty well I think!</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IxJLZtF234c/WKHyY45haqI/AAAAAAAAYZ8/v0ZCYcfpj2ssmP90-DWPc4LqFBEc36aNQCLcB/s1600/DSCN0909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IxJLZtF234c/WKHyY45haqI/AAAAAAAAYZ8/v0ZCYcfpj2ssmP90-DWPc4LqFBEc36aNQCLcB/s400/DSCN0909.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Da boy's...enjoying some P-day activities.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">I love you all a ton! </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">I want to
send home pictures today so sorry if the email is kind of boring... (Do we really think it's that boring?)</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrfY9fva3TY/WKHyXtcuCaI/AAAAAAAAYZw/GtpSMalplp83Y1hYPbV-SGel9ukmgAdSgCLcB/s1600/DSCN0907-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrfY9fva3TY/WKHyXtcuCaI/AAAAAAAAYZw/GtpSMalplp83Y1hYPbV-SGel9ukmgAdSgCLcB/s400/DSCN0907-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3al4I1XQtyY/WKHyaho-UsI/AAAAAAAAYaM/jHwBumRvMngQy5oAdSnQ7L4Kn1mVKu_gACLcB/s1600/DSCN0959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3al4I1XQtyY/WKHyaho-UsI/AAAAAAAAYaM/jHwBumRvMngQy5oAdSnQ7L4Kn1mVKu_gACLcB/s400/DSCN0959.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A tree full of bats!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-63942043819910599542017-02-06T21:15:00.000-08:002017-02-06T21:15:31.661-08:00"Well, what are you waiting for? I don't know, something amazing I guess!" - Incredibles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t74aO0b9Rik/WJlX26-GAsI/AAAAAAAAYHE/O95AWPo1B_oOJCl-mRP_KzAkguKLCQgTACLcB/s1600/DSCN9237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t74aO0b9Rik/WJlX26-GAsI/AAAAAAAAYHE/O95AWPo1B_oOJCl-mRP_KzAkguKLCQgTACLcB/s400/DSCN9237.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Dear Family, </span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I had a email all thought out that i was going to write to you but we went out to Hannah and Darlingtons again to help them fetch water so I only got 30 min this week. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Beatrice is progressing small small. I'm learning a lot of lessons about patience and work here in Gbawe. We found a lot of new people to teach this week so that's good, but our area is still not up to par for what i want. We are working for something amazing! </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Elder Tohouri has two more weeks left basically and then I will receive a new companion, and I will miss him! </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Sounds like you guys are doing awesome at home! I pray for you all and hope that everything is going well for you! </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Love, Elder Peters</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-17413808853308827582017-01-30T12:05:00.000-08:002017-01-30T12:05:03.620-08:00"What were you expecting, an exploding pen? we don't really go for that kind of thing anymore.." - Skyfall<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OC_vH_SjO-M/WI98cRSAp8I/AAAAAAAAYBo/GBL6SXGknXssFyNpCSIQSsStcUOuZ74BQCLcB/s1600/DSCN0570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OC_vH_SjO-M/WI98cRSAp8I/AAAAAAAAYBo/GBL6SXGknXssFyNpCSIQSsStcUOuZ74BQCLcB/s640/DSCN0570.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>"...sitting on a bench under a palm tree teaching somebody.."</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Dear Family & Friends, </span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
</div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">This week was really really
fun. A lot happened, and unfortunately I didn't take very many pictures, sorry.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> </span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">On Monday, I will explain why
I wasn't able to write last week. Elder Tohouri and I got up and washed our
clothes and studied small and then we went to Hannah and Darlington's house.
They moved from Gbawe and live about and hour and a half tro tro ride away past
Amasaman. We had no idea how far it was until we got there. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Their new house
doesn't have running water so we spent about 3 hours carrying 4 gallon barrels
of water up from a well down a path through the bush up to their house where we
emptied it into giant garbage cans so that they will have water to cook and
shower with for a while. We made about 5 trips back and forth from the well. We
would carry the barrels on our backs/heads up this hill from the well where we
parked the wheelbarrow and then we would fill the wheelbarrow with the barrels
of water and push it back to their house. One time while I was pushing and
walking up the road I almost stepped on the biggest scorpion I have ever seen. It
was about 8 inches long and was a black glossy color with little tines jutting
out if its claws.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EBt0iiI2qW0/WI97ZBF9nSI/AAAAAAAAYBg/tD6_UAoggdMnh6AVQytmGus1CGL1oDhHACLcB/s1600/emperor-scorpion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EBt0iiI2qW0/WI97ZBF9nSI/AAAAAAAAYBg/tD6_UAoggdMnh6AVQytmGus1CGL1oDhHACLcB/s400/emperor-scorpion.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the African Emperor Scorpion is common in Ghana...this is probably what Elder Peters nearly stepped on.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> It was super cool looking. I called elder Tohouri and
Darlington to come and check it out and they killed it and cut off the stinger
on the back. I was excited about it cuz I would get to tell James about the scorpion.
So after all was done, elder Tohouri and I hopped back into a tro tro and
bounced along through the bush until we got back to the main road from Nswam
and caught another tro tro home. By the time we got home it was 9 o'clock. But
it was a great day. </span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">On Tuesday I went to the
dentist (I’ve been struggling with a toothache). We got up, studied and went to
the mission home because Sister Simpson told us that she wanted to take us
there so we wouldn't get lost. it was so funny to drive with her because she is
still kinda getting used to the Ghana roads, there's a lot of crazy traffic
that I have just kinda gotten used too, but it was funny because she got stuck
behind a motorcycle that has a trailer built onto the back that's purpose is to
collect trash. they go super slow and most people just honk and zoom past them,
but she was just putting along behind it chattering and telling me all these
stories about how she got lost driving on her own here in Ghana. She's a sweet
lady. The dentist looked at my teeth and said that I have been practicing good
oral hygiene, he took an X-ray of my mouth and we discovered a small soft spot
just below my only filling that we got done right before I left. He said it was
too small to do much about right now, but to keep watching it and if it gets
worse to come in again. He also gave me this special toothpaste from the UK
that is supposed to "repair and protect" so I’ve been using it and he
gave me enough to last until I go home. So ya the dentist was good, the problem
was going back home was going to take forever because of traffic. So most of
the day was spent at the dentist. I got home just in time to go on exchange
with Elder Smith.</span></span></div>
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</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Wednesday was spent in Anyaa.
And I spent my first night in Dunso again for a long time. Jon Mahama (the
former president of Ghana) sold the light company to a Chinese company that
would manage the light for them, so we have had really really good light for
the past year. I guess with the new president we are experiencing some changes
small, but it’s all good. The exchange went well; elder smith is a good guy. We
taught this one dude who wanted to know the signs of the second coming and Elder
Smith opened up to a chapter in Mormon that is actually prophesying about all
the terrible circumstances that the world will be in when the Book of Mormon
comes forth to the world. It was kinda funny to explain to him and to help Elder
Smith, but everything worked out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Thursday we had our Zone
Training meeting and also as part of it watched the World wide missionary
Broadcast from the Church Headquarters. This was for sure one of the highlights
of the week for me. There were so many things that I picked up on and I wish I
could share them all with you, but I will share a few. The conference was held
like a meeting in the church office building. Elder’s Bednar, Anderson, and Oaks
sat around a table with Bonnie L. Oscarson and two other guys that I can't
remember off the top of my head. Ok one of them was Bishop Waddell. In this
conference they made some changes to our daily schedule and to the key indicators
that we report and it was really cool to listen to them talk because you could
tell that they were thinking about how there are many many missionaries who
come home and fall less-active or become complacent with the gospel. I think
that most of the changes they are making are to help missionaries not only
convert people, but become converts themselves. One part that I particularly
liked was when Elder Nelson (also at the table) who was leading the discussion
and asking questions asked something to the effect of, "how can a
missionary know when he has the companionship of the spirit or that heavenly
father is pleased with his work" or something to that effect and they went
around the table and each person stated their own view, but I loved what elder Bednar
said, "I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but you'll know when you quit
worrying about it" he went on to explain if you are just focused on
working and repenting, doing your best and striving to please God, you can take
comfort in the fact that God is happy with you. I also thought that it was
interesting that it was very focused on missionaries repenting in the mission
field. I think they see a lot of missionaries who say to themselves, all right I’ve
reached the point of being a successful teacher, I know how to plan, I’m
obedient, I’m getting bored, etc. and they aren't changing, cuz they aren't
repenting. I learned how important it is to continually be humble enough to
repent. I also loved something that Elder Anderson said, “I always know that I
was speaking from revelation when I learned something from what I said."
that is so true! I can't wait to tell you all the things I have learned about
the plan of salvation, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and so many other things
because of words that came out of my mouth sitting on a bench under a palm tree
teaching somebody. I have recognized so many things that I never would have
known had I not taught them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The best news of the week is
that Beatrice read and committed to a baptismal date!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">On Saturday we got up at 5 AM
and went to Deborah's sister’s house and helped her and her friend make 200
Meat Pies for a funeral. We didn't finish until about 11. It was a lot of work,
but it was really fun. Most Ghanaians get up at about 4 in the morning to get
to work and school just a fun fact. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I love you all so much! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Love Elder Peters</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></div>
</span></div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<img height="72" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OC_vH_SjO-M/WI98cRSAp8I/AAAAAAAAYBo/GBL6SXGknXssFyNpCSIQSsStcUOuZ74BQCLcB/s640/DSCN0570.JPG" style="left: 440px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 40px;" width="96" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-42133907892080296772017-01-16T13:32:00.001-08:002017-01-16T15:00:41.991-08:00"The cold never bothered me anyway" - Frozen<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sHHMoPLVj3M/WH0YEC3ZXzI/AAAAAAAAXgQ/WytaDVpaq_42ryyObfCDaJIpLLDPwcubgCLcB/s1600/DSC01962B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sHHMoPLVj3M/WH0YEC3ZXzI/AAAAAAAAXgQ/WytaDVpaq_42ryyObfCDaJIpLLDPwcubgCLcB/s320/DSC01962B.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Family & Friends;</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So Hamattan is back! Hamattan
comes from giant dust storms in the Sahara desert and some of the dust that
they kick up lingers over West Africa for a few weeks and it blocks out the sun
and makes the weather colder. It gets especially cold at night, I don't know
how cold (I haven't seen a thermometer since I came on my mission) but I pulled
out my fleece blanket from my suitcase last night and turned off my fan. I'm
freezing at night! <em><span style="color: blue;">(I looked it up and during Hamattan the overnight lows can drop into the 50's...)</span></em></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BTq_XKw03TQ/WH0XcJINc6I/AAAAAAAAXgI/_iz0usZSBxUG9rCZC1ZgyHzOeue6IOQ3ACLcB/s1600/harmattan-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BTq_XKw03TQ/WH0XcJINc6I/AAAAAAAAXgI/_iz0usZSBxUG9rCZC1ZgyHzOeue6IOQ3ACLcB/s400/harmattan-pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sand storms of Hamattan in Ghana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Along with Hamattan has come
AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) it’s like the World Cup but only countries in Africa.
Everyday at 4 and at 7 in the evening someone plays a match. Ghana will play tomorrow
so most likely the entire country will shut down for 90 minutes sometime tomorrow
afternoon <em>(Ghana plays Uganda Tuesday at 9 AM Mountain Time).</em> Fun stuff. </span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eUgTJ1Jtb8A/WH0XkXP1jII/AAAAAAAAXgM/MqHAenRvI2Ef1zJ83mPOpEm8MFa6LEqcwCLcB/s1600/GhanaAFCON20151-1024x550.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eUgTJ1Jtb8A/WH0XkXP1jII/AAAAAAAAXgM/MqHAenRvI2Ef1zJ83mPOpEm8MFa6LEqcwCLcB/s640/GhanaAFCON20151-1024x550.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Ghana at AFCON 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I made a few different mile
attempts in the shoes this week. The first one was on Monday after my cafe
session. We went to Weija to play futball and during the game I grabbed Elder Perry
and we went out to the main road in his area to try. I hadn't mapped it out previously,
but I decided I would use my iPod to determine the distance while I was
running. So I laced up "the shoes" and set off. While I was running I
got to about 3 min and it said I had only gone .4 miles. I knew I was going
faster than that so I kept going. My iPod finally after 9 min and 34 seconds
said I had run 1 mile. Elder Perry said he thought we had gone more like 1.5
miles. I agreed and we jogged back to where we thought the mile actually was
and started the GPS again. An error must have occurred during the first attempt
because cooling down on the way back from where we started the GPs the second
time, my iPod said that it was .96 miles. So we guessed right, but I was shot
by then and we were out of time so I would have to try again another day. So on
exchange I mapped out a course on the scraggly dirt roads in our area that was
1 mile using my iPod again, turns out the distance from our church to our
apartment is almost 1 mile. This morning I got Elder Condie on his bike and I
ran. I started the clock and took off. When I passed the sign board in front of
our chapel my watch said 4:53. I am not in that kind of shape, I’m certain of
it. I mapped the course I ran on Google pedometer and it said that the distance
was actually .86 miles so I entered in my time to a pace calculator and I would
have run a mile in 5:40 so I think that is the time I will stick with. I was
happy with that for having not seriously done any sort of a hard workout for
18+ months. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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</span><br />
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</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was blessed to be able to go on
exchange with Elder Perry this week. We had a really good day of teaching and
washing clothes with Grandma Dodoo. It was fun to teach and testify together,
talk about plans for the zone and for home, and reminisce about dumb things we
did in high school. We taught an investigator that I wanted to just talk about
a little bit with you guys. Her name is Christabel and she is really on top of
stuff. lately I have been a bit disappointed with the people I have taught or
am teaching, sometimes I feel like no matter how simply we explain the message
of the restoration some people just cant intellectually handle the history, or
the doctrine. Kinda hard to fight 20-30 years of the purpose of church meaning
'Praise Jesus, get money' that seems to be the motive for most people, and
anything more complicated than that is just TOO complicated for some. Elder
Tohouri and I have been trying to find more "with it" people I guess
and Christabel is a blessing of that effort. As elder Perry and I were teaching
her about the book of Mormon she had a lot of questions and she was really
understanding saying stuff like, "oh so they are from the Israelite's
then, makes sense for Jesus to visit them..." "So Joseph Smith didn't
write this book, he translated it from their language I understand...” I've
learned that people like this often have more challenges to overcome to accept
the gospel (because all of us are eventually backed up to the wall of faith and
understanding information is simply not enough), but when they do, they really
understand WHY they are being baptized.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
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</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the end of the exchange with
Elder Perry we were able to evaluate each other and point out some strength. It
was way cool. As we were talking I learned something as I was complimenting Elder
Perry. I told him that there have been so many times on my mission where being
like Christ seems a little far. Ever since being a little primary kid you are
taught, "Do what Jesus would do" and a lot of the time I think to
myself, I know this is what he would do, but he's perfect and I’m not. I told Elder
Perry that I feel like God knows this too and so he puts people in our lives
that allow us to say, "even though being like Christ feels really far
right now, I know this is what Elder Perry would do, so I’m gonna follow his example and do that...."
This happens with me so much, I say this is what my dad would do or this is
what my mom would do because I know you guys. I’ve never met Jesus, but I know
he loves me and guides me because of the amazing people he puts into my life to
guide me. It is through the example of so many of you at home and people I've met here in Ghana that I have learned to be like Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love you guys! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love Elder Peters</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506684363455171079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281265743503321242.post-81989760097559014742017-01-09T09:46:00.000-08:002017-01-09T09:46:28.606-08:00Bell Lap (the last lap of a distance race when they ring the bell to let the runners know they are almost done)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3wFwbO3i4w/WHPGxvlBbbI/AAAAAAAAXaI/CEWoV3mhiCoSOhwUZr-7u6bLpvDW_JLnQCLcB/s1600/DSCN9213%2Bsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3wFwbO3i4w/WHPGxvlBbbI/AAAAAAAAXaI/CEWoV3mhiCoSOhwUZr-7u6bLpvDW_JLnQCLcB/s400/DSCN9213%2Bsm.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Family
& Friends,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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</div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I
actually missed my 6 months to go mark, it was last week, but I really haven't
done very good at keeping track. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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</div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To start out
this week our District had interviews with President Simpson. Throughout my
mission I have had Elders come up to me in private moments and share with me
that they are struggling with choosing to not have contention in with their
companion (3 Nephi 11:29 can't have the spirit) or to choose to do the right
thing (1 Nephi 3:7) I have done my best, but it is also something that I have
struggled with throughout my mission. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently I had a very young Elder in our
zone ask me this question and so when President started our interview and asked
me if there was first anything that I would like to discuss with him I decided
that I would ask him what he would do. He shared with me that his style of
managing the mission isn't a military style where if your toe leaves the line
somebody's gonna call him. He said he didn't want to govern our mission out of
fear, but out of faith. He then told me that teaching people doctrine will help
them more than just focusing on their behavior. He told me that he really cares
a lot about the converts that we (his missionaries) are becoming just as much
as those we are bringing into the gospel. That he hopes our missions are
foundations of great experiences laid for a good life, rather than a
militaristic experience that was nice looking back on it, but upon returning
home we find our behavior is different. He also shared with me some really cool
stories about his mission on Vanuatoo. It has been really cool to begin to
understand how a mission president views his missionaries. Sometimes I think
that we missionaries have no idea what a mission president does all day, I
always knew they are busy people. But only recently being around President
Snow, President Simpson, and reading the emails from President Hill have I
realized how much they care about our growth and conversion to the gospel as
missionaries.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huP4Db8YHR8/WHPGxrlrglI/AAAAAAAAXaE/8oac4FBJ_k8WXdtL29wR7r4ZDSv2UdqJgCLcB/s1600/SAM_9978%2Bsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huP4Db8YHR8/WHPGxrlrglI/AAAAAAAAXaE/8oac4FBJ_k8WXdtL29wR7r4ZDSv2UdqJgCLcB/s400/SAM_9978%2Bsm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Peters and President Simpson</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Wednesday
morning I got up at 6 and laced up my shoes and ran in circles around our
compound, it’s been nice that the weather hasn't been as hot as usual with
hamattan. Then Elder Tohouri and I studied and took off on our bikes to the
Kaneshie District meeting. Elder Beall is the District Leader there and he is
doing a really good job. His district is young, but they are really motivated
and trying their best. They make mistakes but, they are really working and I
appreciate it a lot. On the way home we stopped by the marked to pick up some
plantain, and we got 5 cedis which is like two Wal-Mart bags full of giant bananas.
it was kinda funny cuz as part of our trip to Kaneshie we have to bike down the
median of a highway for about the length of a football field and it was kinda
freaky to have these cars zipping by while elder Tohouri and I were trying to
carry these big bags of plantain. Then it’s always a butt-kicker to bike back
up the hill to our apartment. I wish I could just bring you guys to my area for
1 day so you can see the rolling hills, they are nothing like Utah Mountains,
but they are legit hills! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Thursday I
went on exchange with Elder Ellsworth, he is almost finished with his training
and he is really doing good. He was excited to take me to this gas station in
his area at the end of the exchange cuz they had root-beer. we had a good day,
filled with teaching people and fun bike repair experiences, but upon reaching
the gas station at the end of the day, they were out of root-beer but I found
Crest toothpaste there so I was able to restock on toothpaste which was
awesome!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hImyloRxBR0/WHPGSu8VOMI/AAAAAAAAXaA/gQI7_RZ_NwAWEEiOOOdyYj-2xRNCAhmYgCLcB/s1600/DSCN9401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hImyloRxBR0/WHPGSu8VOMI/AAAAAAAAXaA/gQI7_RZ_NwAWEEiOOOdyYj-2xRNCAhmYgCLcB/s400/DSCN9401.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Serving others by washing their socks. It's funny how the people in Ghana will tell Elder Peters that he can't help them work because he's white and white people don't know how to work with their hands...so he has to just jump in and do it.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My goal for
the year is found on pg. 10 of PMG. There is a section on the page that is
titled "A Successful Missionary" and there are bullet points that
preach my gospel attributes to a successful missionary. <i>(here are the bullet points he refers too)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><div id="p155" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p155">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Feel the Spirit testify to people through you. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p156" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p156">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Love people and desire their salvation. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p157" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p157">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Obey with exactness. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p158" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p158">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Live so that you can receive and know how to follow the Spirit, who will show you where to go, what to do, and what to say. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p159" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p159">
<pagebreak pagenum="11"></pagebreak><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Develop Christlike attributes. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p160" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p160">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Work effectively every day, do your very best to bring souls to Christ, and seek earnestly to learn and improve. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p161" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p161">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Help build up the Church (the ward) wherever you are assigned to work. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p162" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p162">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Warn people of the consequences of sin. Invite them to make and keep commitments. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p163" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p163">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Teach and serve other missionaries. </span></i></div>
</li>
<li><div id="p164" uri="/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary.p164">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Go about doing good and serving people at every opportunity, whether or not they accept your message.</span></i></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I decided that I will
occasionally rate myself on a 1-5 scale on how well I think I am doing with
these things and the goal is to get all 5's when I score myself the last day of
my mission. I also have a push-up goal to eventually get to 1000 push-ups a
week, elder Perry and I are challenging each other on that one. I have also
decided to put myself through the 12 week program again, the 12 week program is
what you do in training, the first 12 weeks of your mission, there are a lot of
concepts to study and things to consider, and tests to measure how you are
doing as a missionary and I am taking the approach of if I had one more son on
my mission, what I would teach him through my example, hoping to improve
myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We found a
lady named Beatrice who is really progressing well, the only problem is she has
a brand new baby and can't really leave her much and wasn't able to come to
church, so we are working with the relief society presidency to try to help her
out, but new mothers are reluctant to give the care of their babies into any
one else’s hands except for their other children I have noticed. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f42CO34OzoM/WHPGSXx6VgI/AAAAAAAAXZ8/5b6z8MklYogVS5JckN15NAulIA-08mOlQCEw/s1600/DSCN9336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f42CO34OzoM/WHPGSXx6VgI/AAAAAAAAXZ8/5b6z8MklYogVS5JckN15NAulIA-08mOlQCEw/s400/DSCN9336.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Helping take care of a baby. Carrying it on his back.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Things are
going really good, I LOVE being a missionary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love, Elder
Peters</span></span><br />
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