Dear Family,
Well it’s been a year since I’ve been in Ghana. It’s strange to think that I’m just getting to the downhill slope of my mission. It’s hard to explain the mixed feelings I have. It’s exciting to know that I’m half way through, but seeing how fast the last one year went I know that this next one will come even faster. I am very happy with the way this past year has gone and I know that this next one will be even better. This week was pretty normal, still lots of traveling. We went to Kade this week and I stayed there for splits with the District Leader in Asamankese District, and Elder Silika from New Zealand. It was a pretty good experience. One thing I learned is that I speak twi much better than I give myself credit for. It’s interesting since my companion is from Ghana I hate to speak twi with people. I’m not entirely sure why but subconsciously whenever talking with random people and my companion is around I will never use twi. Well when I went to Kade to be with Elder Silika the twi just came natural. When buying things people were quite impressed with my twi. I can understand quite a bit but to speak it I’m still not too good. That is probably due to hearing it all of the time when I’m with my companion but me not using it. I guess I’ll have to get better. The following day we ended our split and went to Oda to do some interviews there. It was good. I interviewed one young man that was baptized on Sunday. He was a very smart kid. It was a really good interview. Well we returned to our home only to leave the next morning for Abomosu for the first ever District Youth Conference. President and Sister Judd came and spoke to the youth. It was really good. The conference itself I think the youth really enjoyed it. They were taught how to dance the “boot, scoot, and boogy” by Elder and Sister Fife. They really enjoyed learning that. They thought it was really fun. I just couldn’t help but laugh as I watched them learn it. I sure do not miss country music. I enjoy the Ghanaian hip hop more than that, which is pretty sad.
On Sunday we had another baptism for a man named Abrokwa. He is an awesome guy. Before I came the missionaries had been teaching him quite a bit but he never came to church. When I first visited him he
told me, “Surely, I will visit the church while you are here.” Well we came back and taught him a few times but he still didn’t come. Finally we got him to commit to come, and he did. I was pretty excited. The next time we met with him he said, “Elder Smith, I told you I would come while you are here. Surely, while you are here I will join the church.” Well he continued to come to church and finally we were able to get him to accept to be baptized. It was a very cool baptism. He was really excited and afterwards he came to me to shake my hand and thank me. He will be one of my favorite converts to the church. I really cannot express how grateful I am for the people that I have been able to teach. It is such an awesome experience to help others accept the Gospel especially here in Africa. The people here are truly a choice people, a people that I have grown to love over and over again. Even though I don’t talk or look like the people here, I feel at home.
Elder Smith
Well it’s been a year since I’ve been in Ghana. It’s strange to think that I’m just getting to the downhill slope of my mission. It’s hard to explain the mixed feelings I have. It’s exciting to know that I’m half way through, but seeing how fast the last one year went I know that this next one will come even faster. I am very happy with the way this past year has gone and I know that this next one will be even better. This week was pretty normal, still lots of traveling. We went to Kade this week and I stayed there for splits with the District Leader in Asamankese District, and Elder Silika from New Zealand. It was a pretty good experience. One thing I learned is that I speak twi much better than I give myself credit for. It’s interesting since my companion is from Ghana I hate to speak twi with people. I’m not entirely sure why but subconsciously whenever talking with random people and my companion is around I will never use twi. Well when I went to Kade to be with Elder Silika the twi just came natural. When buying things people were quite impressed with my twi. I can understand quite a bit but to speak it I’m still not too good. That is probably due to hearing it all of the time when I’m with my companion but me not using it. I guess I’ll have to get better. The following day we ended our split and went to Oda to do some interviews there. It was good. I interviewed one young man that was baptized on Sunday. He was a very smart kid. It was a really good interview. Well we returned to our home only to leave the next morning for Abomosu for the first ever District Youth Conference. President and Sister Judd came and spoke to the youth. It was really good. The conference itself I think the youth really enjoyed it. They were taught how to dance the “boot, scoot, and boogy” by Elder and Sister Fife. They really enjoyed learning that. They thought it was really fun. I just couldn’t help but laugh as I watched them learn it. I sure do not miss country music. I enjoy the Ghanaian hip hop more than that, which is pretty sad.
On Sunday we had another baptism for a man named Abrokwa. He is an awesome guy. Before I came the missionaries had been teaching him quite a bit but he never came to church. When I first visited him he
told me, “Surely, I will visit the church while you are here.” Well we came back and taught him a few times but he still didn’t come. Finally we got him to commit to come, and he did. I was pretty excited. The next time we met with him he said, “Elder Smith, I told you I would come while you are here. Surely, while you are here I will join the church.” Well he continued to come to church and finally we were able to get him to accept to be baptized. It was a very cool baptism. He was really excited and afterwards he came to me to shake my hand and thank me. He will be one of my favorite converts to the church. I really cannot express how grateful I am for the people that I have been able to teach. It is such an awesome experience to help others accept the Gospel especially here in Africa. The people here are truly a choice people, a people that I have grown to love over and over again. Even though I don’t talk or look like the people here, I feel at home.
Elder Smith
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