Emergency Transfer... Goodbye Elder Nsenga, Hello to Companions #10 and #11

Hello Family and Friends! What a week it has been! I hope that you are all doing well and that you are having fun adventures. 

As you can tell this week was interesting for sure. So with an Emergency Transfer there are 2 possibilities for why it happens. #1 is because President Stevenson received some new missionaries unexpectedly and he needs to place them in the right spot, causing an unexpected transfer or #2 (Most Common) is because a Companionship is not working at all, and they need to be split up right away. In my case it was #2, (not with me and Elder Nsenga but a different Companionship), but I will get there in a minute. Word of the Week/Phrase is: Uso (brother) In Samoan. And Wu Mayi (Why May) is How are you in Samoan.

So as for this week it was interesting for sure.

Tuesday was the first District Meeting for the new Abura Sisters and that was nice. After District Meeting I bought Sister Wah and Sister Awor their first FuFu, which they did not like , but I got to help  finish Sister Awor's FuFu so that was nice. After lunch it rained hard, so all of our appointments fell through so that was sad. :(

Wednesday was also pretty slow, but Elder Nsenga and I were able to See Paula and her new baby and just say hi, that was nice. We also saw Benjamin (Our Less Active) and he helped us find out Ebenezer's Place (Another Small Less Active) whose mother just passed away. We said condolences to the family and saw Ebenezer coming to his house as we were leaving, so it was good to see him. We also found out why Benjamin doesn't come to church, and that is because of his mother, so hopefully we can help him with that.

 

Thursday was a pretty nice day. Elder Nsenga and I went to remind Sister Vida to go to the church so she can do her temple recommend interview (which she did, and President Thompson told us she could talk ha-ha, but that's good, and everything went well). I also got to do a Baptismal Interview for the Abura Sisters (1-B Sisters Anthony and Sister Wah in Ankaful Mental Hospital where President Nelson stays),  for a young woman named Joyce and that was a really nice interview; she did very well. Oh Elder Nsenga and I were able to sit with Brother Ninson after the Interview (Scheduling a time for our next lesson) and he admitted to us of a woman he had in the past that helped him with the farm about 3-4 years ago, but since then he hasn't been with her and never married her, and his desire to change was so apparent, it was really great that he was that open with us.

So Friday came around and here was where the week became really interesting. After Companionship Study Elder Nsenga and I wanted to call President Stevenson about Brother Ninson, and see if everything was okay for him to be baptized. So we went outside to our staircase on the huge building (The only place to make a really good phone call) and I called him. We talked about Brother Ninson and he gave us the okay to continue, since he didn't practice polygamy but just committed adultery, so we just have to make sure that he has repented of his sin, and that he is living the Law of Chasity and then he can be baptized!!  Elder Nsenga and I were so excited to hear that information. 

Then President Stevenson said, "Okay well if that's all from you, I would like to talk to you for a second since we are on the phone." I was surprised and said okay, (usually President Stevenson doesn't do these kind of talks so I didn't know what to expect) and he then explained that there was going to be an Emergency Transfer (The Assistants were going to call us, but since I was the phone President Stevenson just talked about it then) and President Stevenson explained the Situation. He said that Elder Nsenga is going to Elmina to be with Elder Frimpong, and I am going to receive Elder Gasolo and Elder Yao. I was surprised to hear that for sure. He said (For the sake of privacy I won't mention the name) that the companionship that was splitting up had some issues, and the main person that was causing the problems in the companionship (from the sounds of it) was coming to be my companion and that the third person in our companionship was just there for support, in case anything goes wrong. President Stevenson told us that the transfer was happening mostly like tomorrow in the morning and that Elder Nsenga should be ready by then. 

When I got off the phone I told Elder Nsenga the news, and we were both pretty shocked. Elder Nsenga was going to be my longest companion but I guess the Lord has other plans for us. We sat at our main table not saying anything for a few minutes just in shock, and then we decided we should head into Ntranoa early so he could say some goodbyes. We went in but we weren't able to see a lot of people, just very small people and we came back to our apartment a little bit early so Elder Nsenga could pack, and then we could head to the Abura Sisters Baptism. We eventually headed to the Baptism for the Abura Sisters and it was great. Elder Nsenga actually got to perform the Baptism for Joyce, and he then said goodbye to the missionaries in the zone, and he finished his packing when we got home.

Elder Nsenga and I saying goodbye.

Saturday Morning- Around 9:00 A.M. The Assistants came and dropped off my first companion Elder Gasolo (Elder Yao was traveling from Tarkwa so he wouldn't be here for a couple of hours) and picked up Elder Nsenga and we took our last picture together. :( I will miss my kintoomboola. But after they left Elder Gasolo and I talked small and then Elder Yao arrived and we helped him with his back and we took our first picture together! Another 3-Some in this area ha-ha! Fun Fact these two are my 4th and 5th Companions in this area. :) That's also including Elder Park. So anyways we went out together the 3 of us, and we just saw some members and explained the area to them the best I could small small. 

We stopped by Sister Vida's Place in the evening and we told her what happened. She was sad, but she looked SO happy from the temple (Mary her small daughter went as well, and she just was at the grounds of the temple) she actually came up to me and hugged me.(I was very nervous because that hasn't happened in a little while) But she was just so great, and it really touched my heart at the blessings the temple can bring us. :) Later at the apartment in the evening I talked to my new companion (the one that had the problem in his last companionship) and I just told him, "I don't know what exactly happened (President Stevenson only explained small about the situation) in your last companionship, and I don't need to know. The past is in the past, and nobody should be defined by their past." I then explained that I was here for him, and that I am hoping and praying for our companionship to work.  He seemed pretty happy, and it has been going well so far.

Sunday was a pretty good day for our threesome. It rained on us as we were walking to church so we were pretty wet coming inside but Francis Baidoo blessed the Sacrament (the Water) and that was great. Isaac Peintsil and even Mary Eshoun came to church (First time for Mary coming to church since I have been in Ntranoa), so it was really sweet. President Thompson asked me to go up to the front to explain what happened, and I did without, mentioning the problem, just saying it was short notice and that Elder Nsenga was needed elsewhere. Then my new companions bore their testimonies and that was great! After Church we had no P.E.C. and so we went out to see some people and we got feed twice, once in Koful and then the second time at Sister Vida's Place so that was nice. Elder Yao and Elder Gasolo also met some more of the members, so that was great. So that is all for this week...

But today is Monday and we had a Zone Activity at Han's Cottage!! There we got to see the Crocodiles and guess what? I got to touch one, and pick up its tail! SUPER SWEET!!! I was so nervous, but it was really fun, and I am glad that we got to have a great time with the zone. The guy brought the Crocodiles up where we were with some meat and I was very nervous, that they would come up and bite us, but everything went well. :) I wore my Angelina from the Time of Elder Montgomery and me, so it was pretty sweet!!

I have a strong testimony (More than ever) about the Lord knowing us, because he truly does. I am not sure why my companionship was split up and I have to go through this hard change, but I know that every companion helps me grow, and every challenge helps me become who my Heavenly Father wants me to become, and that's just the same way for YOU. We may not understand fully at the moment why we are put in situations or trials come upon us, but just as the Lord told Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, That "All these things shall be for thy good, and if shalt endure it well, I shall exalt thee on High" (I hope I quoted that right, that was all from my head ha-ha)  But it's SO true-- all of the hard and challenging moments will be looked back upon as some of the greatest moments in our life, and so I am excited that it's not easy or perfect right now, because I know I need to grow and Heavenly Father will help me become who I am meant to be. Trust in the Lord, because He knows you perfectly and wants you to become what He KNOWS you are destined to be, and that's sometimes through our hard times and challenges. :) Anyways have a great week! I love you all so much!! I am continuing to pray and hope the best for you. :) Oh and Enjoy General Conference this week end I am sure it will be wonderful! Love you all!

Love,

Elder Harward

P.S. if you could keep our companionship, Brother Ninson, and Isaac in your prayers I would really appreciate it. :)