E-Mail 9/30/2013
Dearest family,
Another transfer and now my last one to have any change before
coming home. My companion Elder William is leaving to go to Assin Foso
and I am receiving an Elder Lucas from America but adopted from
Russia. I’m not actually really sure what he’s like but it’s only one
transfer I think I can make it work. As far as I know he’s a hard
worker so as long as he’s not stubborn I should be able to keep going
until the end. No wo holla. It’s funny that you thought about me
punching people in the face. As I thought about it that’s one of
things that’s really cut down on mission for me. I don’t say it as
much anymore. That’s good right? This past week ended up being really
slow for us. Kenkuase which was our powerhouse area has just been
killing us the last few weeks. Every time we go no one can meet with
us and all the people there just aren’t progressing. Because the
people to teach there are so far apart it’s hard to know where we
should go to find new investigators. Nuamakrom is still going strong.
We had one baptism this past sunday with Sis. Beatrice Adjei. She’s
been coming to church for years. She pays her tithing. She’s been
ready for a loooong time but because of some confusion with
traditional marriage things she wasn’t able to be baptized. So now I
have had the pleasure to be there when she was able to be baptized and
I can honestly say it was good to be a part of it. She’s a sweet
woman. We’re hoping to have another man this next week. Bro. Sedem.
He’s pretty much ready we’ve just had to figure out his work with
church but I think now he’s good to go.He’s one of my favorite that
I’ve taught so far. We’re hoping for a few more but I think we’ll have
to start finding some new people to come and be baptized. Which is
fine. It gets me out of the house and keeps me focused thank goodness.
This week will probably be really slow again because of all the
transfer things going on but we should be able to pick up next week.
The closer I get to the end the more and more I miss Ghana. It’s going
to be hard. We watched the best two years and the other side of heaven
today for our P-day activity and sad to say there were parts where I
teared up a little bit. I now know what those movies are going through
like I’ve had those experiences and now I realize how much I’m going
to miss them. I won’t be able to get them back home. The hardest part
will be leaving all the people I’ve come to know. That one hurts the
most. But I gotta see my family at some point I suppose. Nothing else
really to report on but I love you guys. I’ll talk to ya’ll later.
Much loves
From the is am bestest,
Elder Holder
E-Mail 9/23/2013
This past week has been pretty good. Not to say that the last few weeks haven’t been good but this last seemed more. As I’ve tried to clean up my language and to be more obedient to the mission rules which was an assignment given from Mama Shulz I have noticed this past week that there does seem to be a different spirit around. Even as I have been praying most nights to be more humble and patient I can see the difference. It’s like I have more access to the spirit than I did before. I’m not saying I’m perfect on the rules and I accidentally say bro or dude but things are looking up. This past week we’ve had sweet lessons with a few people. One of them is Sis. Beatrice who should be getting baptized this week. She doesn’t speak english and obviously we don’t speak the twi very well. Even with that as we taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ she was able to get it rather quickly. She would say bits and pieces in Twi and I could tell that she understood all the things that we were teaching. She knew the process of the gospel and what it is for already. It was just like “whoa”. Another I could say was Bro. Kweku. We just met him yesterday while going to another appointment. He told us to go come. Our appointment failed so we went and came. We sat and got into the Restoration with him. Near the end I just felt prompted to share 3 Nephi 11 to explain how the Book of Mormon can be a testimony of Jesus Christ and therefore as a testimony for everything else that we teach. He brought up the question so “If that’s what you teach what does that mean for the rest of us?” For those who don’t go to the church. I guess that might not quite make sense to you but I could tell that he really understood what we said about the Restoration. What it means if Joseph Smith is a prophet and the priesthood is back on the earth. We told him that it isn’t us to decide for him but that it’s something that he will have to figure out on his own. Asking to be patient and humble is making me struggle more I feel like. Then something comes and I just say to myself “C’mon, don’t worry about it.” Thank goodness part of our reward is given from our desires. Aside from all that we’re about to hit another transfer and another set of good missionaries are going home. This mission is changing fast. I’m going to miss those guys but I know I’ll be seeing them soon. Which is my next thing. I don’t know how I’m going to react to next transfer. It’s really the final countdown. I don’t know if I’ll just go off the deep end or just tank. I honestly can’t tell what I will do. It’s kind of freaking me out. For the most part I can predict what I will do in general. but now I don’t know. It’s crazy sauce. For now that’s all I have for you. Next week we’re trying to get some kind of party put together for transfers so possibly next monday you’ll here from me or tuesday. Just wait and see like always.
From this your son,
Elder Holder
E-Mail 9/18/2013
I’m sorry for last week. We sincerely tried to email. On Monday the there was no way to get onto a computer at the cafe and on tuesday the connection was working and we had to leave. Sorry. As for this week the government of Ghana decided that all foreigners staying in the country had to register and get id cards or on November 1st if your caught they’ll kick you out. So we’re spending the day in Cape coast getting it all for the mission. Even I don’t think we’re going to get home until very late. My first thought when I heard that it would take effect Nov. 1 was “why don’t I just not get the card? If they catch me they can only send me home two weeks early. When I should have already been home.” Then I decided maybe I shouldn’t make sarcastic thoughts like that. Anyways as for last week we did good but we have run into a few hiccups. One of our investigators is just having trouble with money and he’s trying to support himself so he’s having problems coming to church. We’ll have to wait on him for a few weeks. Then our other one may in fact be a polygamous. I had no idea. But he has multiple children from multiple women and he claims that he’s married to two of them. hmmmm. We talked to the father of one and he said that he didn’t do the knocking (traditional marriage) so I’m not sure anymore. He now knows that what he did was wrong and we’re helping him through the repentance process but I don’t know exactly how to tell if he has fully repented or not. That is our dilemma. On other news from the heart of west africa, our branch pres. showed us woman who has been coming to church for who knows how long. I thought she was a member. And so now we’re just going through the lessons with her so she can be baptized. The only thing slowing us down is that she doesn’t speak english. She knows enough of the church doctrine that we can get through the teachings with her without too much problem. She’ll be baptized by the end of this month. Aside from that I get kind of bored in Nuamakrom sometimes. At the times when we’re not working. There’s nothing different to read in the apartment and its only two of us so at times I’m just like meh. Reading your letter it sounds like everyone just needs to hit the ground running with missionary work. The big push seems to be a sign of the times. It’s good to see you guys are keeping busy. Even me at times when we don’t have anything to do at our house or on pday I say to myself why don’t we just go out and proselyte? We’re not doing anything else. Looking at your Rm from sunday. His is name Elder Masterson. I know a kid from highschool who went to the phillipines. I decided I need to start praying to be more patient and humble… again. Sigh. You would think after the past times that I would be there but here we go again. I’ll just talk about today and then finish. So as our zl’s got up and told us what the mission wants us to do. The hardest one I have to say is from the Assistants. They want us to clean up all the slang in our language. Things like dude, bro, homedog. And many others. I have to say some were understandable and just completely inappropriate. Others I was like “whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s take a step back.” Oh goodness this one will not be easy. Oh well. I was called to do I suppose. Oh and I now have a immigration card in Ghana with my picture on it. I noticed that my face seems fatter. I’m not quite sure how but regardless, I still look just as good. Seriously though the beautiful ladies will have to watch out when I roll around. Sorry just had to add that in. Anyways time is running out so need to write to a few more people. Until next week. We’ll be in Cape.
Sincerely,
Elder Holder
E-Mail 9/3/2013
I suppose I had better start listening to you guys more. We had pres. interviews today along with district meeting. They instructed kind of on how this new teaching should go. It really focuses more on how we begin teaching people. It should work to change the atmosphere when we teach. I liked it. I still have to change up some things that I do. In addition during the interview I asked pres. if I complain too much. He said no but that I could probably be more positive. So this whole time I thought I was just being honest but instead I was actually being a bit pessimistic. Oh well lesson learned.It was a good interview and I enjoyed the instruction. The only problem was we had to get up at 5 in this morning just to get to the meeting on time. So right now I a bit tired and i haven’t really eaten anything all day so I’m also hungry. This past week we went on splits with the zone leaders and I got to go with Elder Harris. It was sweet. Not only does he know movies, comics, and various videogames but he’s also incredibly sarcastic. I will say that I did enjoy the day. He also gave me advice at the end of the split it just kind of struck me I guess. He said ” you’re a good missionary. Just keep being a good missionary” I don’t know why it stuck with me so much. It’s just something simple but it might be some of the best advice I’ve gotten in awhile. We also learned that one of our investigators has some issues he needs to take care of. His situation is based off the need for money, just like most people. He’s trying and I really feel for him. I hope that things will begin to turn up for him. Especially now that he’s getting closer and closer to baptism. We also went to kenkuase again, and guess what I learned something about testimonies. Someone had asked a day before “can you have a testimony of Jesus without being converted to the church?” I had to say yes. As I thought about it more I was like ya. The only difference is that as being a member of the church your testimony is more perfect than others. All the honorable people who refused the gospel of Jesus Christ because they were blinded by men will receive the terrestial glory. So good people who most probably have faith in the saviour but not the saving and essential principles in the gospel which you need to make it to the celestial kingdom. As I continued in my thoughts your testimony will continue to grow until it becomes perfect. Essentially until you know the saviour. Pretty much an Apostle or prophet. Other people’s knowledge of the godhead is limited and often incorrect so their testimonies are limited. To have a perfect testimony you have to come and know the savior a little more. Whether through his church, his prophets, his words(scriptures). etc. That’s just my little thought from this past week. Other than that I got my B-day packages and they hit me hard the first few days. My body wasn’t used to the sugar and sweets, at least not as much as I was eating. I turned in my travel plans today so the itinerary should be coming soon. Thank goodness. Not too much time left. Time is far spent, there is little remaining. That’s all the big stuff and I can’t really think of others. If I do I guess I’ll send next week. As for now Yebehyia Y?
From the is am bestest again,
Elder Holder
Elder Seku Holder Ghana Cape Coast Mission - Bruni 