Daniel Buchanan <daniel.buchanan@myldsmail.net>Jan 2
at 9:50 AM
Hi, all!
This week has been pretty good, as usual.
-Saturday, New Year's Eve was kind of interesting. We were
invited to attend a wedding that was happening in the Adenta Stake Center
because our ward choir was performing, so we went there, and it was pretty
interesting. I had only anticipated playing piano for the choir, but I ended up
playing for the entire program, including all the hymns, and they had me play
Pachelbel's Canon while the bride and groom entered and exited. The choir did
quite well. At one point the fire alarms went off. Then when the bishop said
that the groom could kiss his bride, the entire audience started going crazy
and yelling and screaming, like holy goodness... but I wasn't surprised, that's
not uncommon here, haha. But afterwards at the building they were having a New
Year's party. Unfortunately, we weren't able to stay because our leaders told
us to be back in the apartment by 6:00pm to avoid any craziness with New Year's
celebrations. So they fed the missionaries there early before everyone else
because they knew we had to leave. I gladly accepted some nice rice and chicken
and plantain. My companion, on the other hand, actually requested fufu...
gross, haha. But we wolfed it all down and got home.
-The highlight of this week was Wednesday. Elder Hanberg
started throwing up right as probably our most promising investigator calls and
asks if we could come "right now." Well, luckily it was still early
in the morning, so we conduct a brief exchange and I take Elder Miller to go
visit this woman. She's older, around 72, but she's smart and really awesome.
We get there hoping to stay for no longer than an hour. We sit down and chat
for a few minutes and then start teaching. She has lots of questions, and
despite our efforts to keep it relatively brief, we end up teaching for a solid
hour and a half. This woman has been coming to church for a while, since before
I came to Agbogba, but she had never been baptized. She told us that she knows
what we've been teaching is true, and she committed to be baptized at the end
of January! The spirit was so strong in that lesson, more so than most. She
understood and grasped everything really well. Then as we conclude, we're about
to ask to pray and then get up and go, when she stands up and says, "I'm
coming," which is the Ghanaian way of saying, "I'll be right
back." We're trying to go so Elder Miller can go to his own area, but then
this lady comes out with a big plate of rice and stew with chicken for both of
us. I can't say I was complaining, it was actually really good. But even though
we were there for quite a while, it was a really good experience.
-That's the kind of thing that makes missionary work so
rewarding. It's incredible seeing people so readily embrace the gospel of Jesus
Christ because they truly feel how much it'll bless their lives. And it really
will. I've said so many times how much happiness and how many blessings
following the Savior Jesus Christ really will bring. Our Heavenly Father sent
us here so that we can be happy as we have faith and trust in Him. He loves us
so much, and that's why He gives us the gospel. He wants to help us. He's not
giving us a bunch of rules and regulations just to keep us from doing whatever
we want, but He gives us guidance to lead and direct us and to help us to be
happy. And it's amazing seeing people recognize that and embrace that truth. It
brings me so much joy seeing how happy the gospel is making other people.
I love all of you so much. I hope you're doing fantastic.
It's awesome hearing from you, and, as always, I hope to hear from all of you
again soon!
With love,
Elder Buchanan
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| The picture was yesterday when we were at the bishop's home. Notice my kente tie. :D |
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