Another week here in Ntranoa with some ups and downs

Hello Family and Friends! How are you all doing? I am sorry that I am really low on time, so I apologize to those who I won't be able to write this week, but I really appreciate all the love and support you guys give me. I will respond to you all next week! :)

Okay for this week I will just share some of the Highlights:

Monday we had a Zone Activity at Abura Chapel and that was nice. Musical Chairs, Dancing, all that fun stuff! It was a blast. Oh and I treated my companions to fried rice from the expensive place and we enjoyed pa pa!

Tuesday was a nice day. Sister Otusanya instructed us on what she learned on her mission, and it was really neat. (She goes home next transfer) She is a really great missionary, and is a hard worker. We had District Meeting in NTranoa due to the lack of keys in Abura but it was fun! Okay so after district Meeting we saw Sister millicents referral Paula and that was nice. She is a really sweet woman, and we had a nice lesson.

On Wednesday we met Monica's Mother Mame Adjoa and that was really sweeet!

Friday the Abura Sister's had 4 baptisms. So we went to the baptisms and it was really great. The Abura sisters are doing well, and I got to interview 2 of them (A young man named Norris and a small girl named Elena). I really feel the spirit there.

Sunday was a good and a hard day. It was hard because Ninson didn't come to church Again.... We feel that he is not understanding our message so that's hard but we talked to the ward about it in PEC so hopefully we can help him. Also Priscilla didn't come. We talked to her about the Word of Wisdom and she has troubles. She likes tea and doesn’t understand the sacrament because of the Law of Moses with sacrifices so she believes Pig is evil (Her mother is an S. D. A. so that's where she gets some of the beliefs) and she backed out of her baptism date for August 20th. She did say September so that was nice. She has a lot of questions which is good because she is being open now about our teaching which is good. Sam disappointed us in for the 3rd time this week with not meeting with us, and patience told us she would go to her church on Sunday. :( Sad days this week for sure. But Elder Nsenga, Elder Kiiza, and I know that we have some work to do so that's good. We also received 2 more referrals this week, so that was great. But we could use your prayers for our investigators. :) Francis is doing well, and so are our recent converts so that's good! Hopefully we can help them. But just a quick thought I had this week. Heavenly father really knows us individually and knows what we need. It really hit me this week more than ever. I don't know what these people need but He does, and He knows all of us perfectly and loves us so much and as we turn to Him He will help us in what we need to do.

I hope you all have a great week. I love you all so much and I hope that all is going well for you all. Have a great week okay?

Love,

Elder Harward

One of the most powerful moments I have had on my mission.

Hello Family and Friends! Being in a three-some has definitely been interesting. DR. Congo, Uganda, and the U.S. so all 3 of us are from different places so that's interesting.

Tuesday I was asked to speak about District Meetings and Companion Exchanges and what I learned from the Instruction. I enjoyed President Stevenson's Instruction (As usual when he talks) about Leadership in the Church, and he just said we get called and released. He really wanted us to get out of the mentality that "Oh I will be a leader my whole mission because I am a district leader or whatever" and that really got me. I thought to myself well I probably won't be a leader my whole mission, I just got to be who the Lord wants me to be, and be happy with that. That night, Elder Nsenga, Elder Kiiza, and I saw Francis Ampiah and we talked about the Book of Mormon. It was a sweet Lesson!! The spirit was really strong, and he is doing really well, and believes that we are sharing is true. (Super pumped!) We also met this new guy named Jacob and that was cool.

Wednesday- We had President Interviews. I got to actually go in the office for a bit and that was hard, because it was like being home and yet I felt uncomfortable because it wasn't home anymore, but I got to see the office gang again and that was nice :) We had to get a taxi back and we walked into Nkanfoa and that was hard, and I saw Francis and I just wanted to go and talk to him and say "Congratulations for your baptism on Saturday I am so excited for you!!!!" But I didn't, and it was really hard for me. But I also know that I wasn't supposed to be there for him anymore. Elder Simpson is supposed to help him, and he was the one that needed to be there, and I had to accept that fact. But I was really happy for him, and I know he is doing the right thing!

Thursday was a bit slower but we did see Priscilla! and we finished Lesson 2! She is doing really well!

Friday came around and we saw some new people namely two woman named Regina and Francisca. Then we saw Ninson (Vida's Husband). I LOVE this family. Like they are really great. They make me laugh, and we had a good time tonight with some dancing, and they are just great to be around. Vida and Ninson have 3 daughters. Mary, Patience (Both who are older and have two kids of their own. Mary lives in the same compound as the family and Patience lives in another compound near there but comes over a lot and then we have Small Mary. So Small Mary and Vida are Recent Converts, but we are working on Ninson and Patience since she was the one that brought the missionaries to the family) and Small Mary. But they are really sweet, and we had a nice lesson just talking about the Book of Mormon and he said that he just needs to come to church to really make a decision but he believes the Book of Mormon is true because it's "Simiple" (Progress!!) it was nice. Then we saw Francis Ampiah again and just read with him from the Book of Mormon in Alma 7 helping him understand that the B.O.M. will have significance in his life. It was a nice lesson.

Saturday we saw some of other investigators who we haven't seen in a while, and we saw Sister Woods little girl (She claims her to be her daughter since she took her in) And it was a nice lesson.

Sunday. I loved it. We saw some people who we haven't seen in a while and we had a couple of our investigators come to church and that was great! We even saw Priscilla Since she was sick, and we had a small lesson with her. Okay so small spiritual thought came when we taught Patience.. She used to be very serious in the discussions and with meeting with the missionaries. She even came to church 3 times. But before I came something happened, and she has been coming since. Well we sat down with her and we started over. Had a nice beginning and she was like "you want me to come to church right" But I said we want you and your family to be together forever and sealed in the Temple. It was a really great lesson. I loved when we got to Joseph Smith and just telling the first vision in his own words was so powerful and the spirit was so strong, and we committed her to pray right then (Because she said that she feels good about our church from the past visits when she came) and she did! She prayed to see if Joseph Smith really was a prophet of god, and I just really felt the spirit tell me that Yes, He really is a prophet. I don't know if she felt anything but I really felt the spirit there confirm at least to me that Joseph Smith really was a prophet of god. It was a neat miracle to me to see this lesson happen and my heart was touched. I love testifying about Joseph Smith and about Families. It really is so great.

One of the most powerful moments I have had on my mission. I know that the spirit touched her heart, I just hoped she listens, because at least I was touched.

Just one more thought that I had this past week. I have been feeling inadequate as far as I can't please everyone and that's hard for me to swallow. I want everyone to like me and I want to just be everything. And I came to myself on Thursday and I thought I just won't please everybody and that's OKAY. :) I can only be me. I hope that I am friends with my companions and the people here on mission but I know that I annoy people and I am not the perfect person so it's okay if people don't love me or like me. I will just show more love and do the best I can :)

Anyways I love you all. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Harward

Elder Park Leaves and Continued Work in Three-some

 

Ntranoa is an interesting place. It is near three prisons and one or so mental hospitals, so I guess that is pretty cool. Last week Elder Kiiza and I went to the Ampiah Home (one of our members) and there were prisoners. They were dressed in dark blue outfits and were just ponding the FuFu for a party and the prison officer was in the corner on his phone just chilling. I was like WHAT? These are criminals just pounding some food, and the officer is just chilling. Elder Kiiza was telling me they have to be very good to be outside, so they won't hurt anyone. But I still am little on edge when they get near. I guess they get hired to work like that, but they have to be super well behaved.

Elder Nsenga and I, and some more shots of the Koful. I will have to take some pictures of Ntranoa and Amisano so you can see what they look like. I am sorry that there is not so many pictures this week. I will try to send some more next week. Love you. :)

 

Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday I was with Elder Park in the house being with him and going to DIS and getting his toe bandaged. We played some card  games and talked. He is from Orem Utah and went to Timpanogas High School where he was on Student Council his sophomore and Senior Year. He did Ballroom Dance, as well as Cross Country, and of course is stronger than me (No shocker there... Every person I have lived with is bigger than me expect for Elder Kiiza; he is the only exception ha-ha :)

 

Tuesday was our first time in the Abura District. So it's us and the Abura Sisters (7 of them) so it reminds me of Katie and Camille and I think of them when I see them.  

 

 Elder Nsenga and Elder Kiiza and I have been switching who stays home with Eder Park so that's nice. We got a referral of this young man named Dennis who lives by the chapel, so we started teaching. And our Progressing Investigator Priscilla is doing okay. We weren't able to teach her this week because she was busy, but she is really sweet. We also have an investigator named Sam who is a lecturer at UCC (University of Cape Coast) and he is a really interesting guy. 

Our apartment and our washing machine.

  

Sunday was a nice day because of Fast Sunday. I am getting better at remembering names now so that's nice! But Elder Nsenga is from Democratic Republic of Congo or as he says it DR. Congo (Doctor Congo) because it's an abbreviation of the full name, and he is 25 years old and he is a cool guy. Elder Kiiza is from Uganda and is 23 years old and has only been a member for 3 years!!!! Crazy! But he has a powerful conversion story and he actually did baptisms for the dead for his Father. His cousin is the only other member in his family. Having three companions is pretty cool! I gave all my companions nicknames. Elder Park is Bench (Because of Park Bench) Then Elder Kiiza is Pizza (Kiiza da Piiza ha-ha), and Elder Nsenga is Doc because he is from DR. Congo so it's been great so far to get to know them :)

 

 But life in Ntranoa is so great, and I love just how green it is, and it's so quiet so that's nice. I have named the big tree the Tree of Life because I am sure that must be what our Heavenly Father's Love feels like--so huge and incredible. I love being here, and I love being a missionary. Just a thought for today. I actually took this thought from Elder Stulce's Sticky note he had in his room. "The more we learn of the Savior, the more we will love the Savior, and the greater increase to serve Him will happen." I LOVE That. We just need to learn (Scripture study, and Church Attendance) and then we have that increase of love, and then we just serve out of love of our Savior because He did it ALL. I love learning about Him, and I hope to continue to learn more about Him, so I will love Him deeper, and serve Him with all of my heart.

 

Anyways I love you all. I hope you have a great week :)

Love,

Elder Harward

P.S. Here's a joke. What did the two walls say to each other? I'll meet you at the CORNER" Hahaha!

Update from This week:

 Sorry I only got an hour today because it's Wednesday and we tried to email on Monday but it was too busy and Tuesday the Internet was down, but today we got a chance to email, but we decided to only take an hour so we can go back and proselyte for a small time. This past week was nice. We had MLC on Wednesday and I got to go (being a District Leader) and I learned a lot. One thing I learned from President Stevenson was we get called and then we get released so eventually I will get released or do whatever the Lord's will is. I instructed on Tuesday on Companion ship Unity, how to use it, and how we want our companions to be our best friends even after mission. Wednesday Elder Park left for the U.S. His foot got too bad and now I am in a 3-some! It's still great and I sent you a picture. Please apologize to everyone for my lack of time this week, but next week should be better,

I love you so much, thank you for all that you do, including my birthday packages. It means so much to me: :) 

I'll talk to you next week okay?

Love 

Elder Harward