Family,
This week kinda sucked. It went so slow and its mostly
cuz i was in the apartment sick again. From Wednesday til Sunday i was
pretty much in bed except for Sacrament meeting. Elder Harris got a
little of it too. The Kiffers and Sis Sabey kinda went crazy trying to
help me get better mostly cuz they want us all healthy to go to Cape
Coast tomorrow for the mission conference! ELDER HOLLAND! :D Sooo
yaa...what a way to celebrate 6 months in Africa. Still went and had
some pizza at stadium...of course it gave us all "runny tummy." I still
kinda laugh when they call it that here. Besides that things have been
good. We finally confirmed that boy nicholas this last Sunday because
he came late last Sunday and they have no clue that since he's not a
convert baptism that the confirmation can be done at any time.... Ghana
is still learning and growing .
Everyone is so excited to go to Cape Coast tomorrow....havent seen most of those guys since the MTC.
I'm
sorry im being so short this week...there isnt much to say. Im still in
the same area of Asokwa which is nice now because we've gotten to know
the members, so its making the work much easier. Transfer news wont
come until after the conference probably when we are on the bus going
home at like 6-10 ish. President wants us to be focused on the
conference and not on who's going where. I love the mission and will
never regret my choice of going. I'll be the first to say how difficult
it is, but i've learned somethnig valuable from some good parents of
mine :D And that is that no matter what, i can control my attitude. No
matter what happens here in ghana i just laugh it off. It makes things
so much easier. Just forget how hard it is or how much you are
suffering from sickness or no electricity or flowing water or ants or
las cucarachas... Be grateful to be where you are and to have what you
have. A lady in our ward came to us crying telling us her husband hasnt
been home for a month and they dont have any food for 6 kids. The son
and daughter work over over time (theres no laws regulating slave
labor) and they are barely getting by. This was the mom of the boy
nicholas that just got baptized. How grateful she is for the gospel and
how much it has blessed her life even though she is living in poverty!
(even in africa i havent seen this kind of poverty). I think all of us
are gunna pay a little bit more generous of a fast offering and ask the
bishop to help the family out (theres no home teaching so nobody knows
who is suffering and whos not). She was in tears as we brought her some
pictures of her sons baptism...I never thought something so small would
change a mother's life. She was the less-active who is coming to
EVERYTHING even mid-week meetings... I've never been more happy then to
see this on my mission. As sick as i am or whatever be the
case...Mission is amazing! Thank you so much for helping me get out
here!
I love you guys so much and cant believe February is almost over...still waiting for Christmas to come.
Love Elder Lehr
My dearest family.
This week was pretty great! A lot has
happened and hopefully i can remember most of it haha. Elder Holland
comes next Tuesday and that is the same day as transfers. Hopefully we
will know the transfer news before Monday of next week so i can email
about it. Either way i don't think im going anywhere...still not sure
about E. Akoki or even his companion. Any of us could go, but i doubt
it. The ward is really trusting us because we have built good
relationships with them and showing them how missionary work is
supposed to be done (side by side with members). We seem to have a
whole lot more member present lessons and lots more referrals ever
since that Elias goal which made us get into members homes and serve
them. President really knows what he is doing haha. This Sunday will be
6 months...can you even believe it? I cant....its amazing. That hymn
keeps going through my head..."Wake up and DO something more, then
dream of your mansion on high....doing good is a pleasure..." Hahaha,
that song is motivating. It's what E. Akoki plays almost everyday becuz
he cant even believe its almost 9 months for him. Asokwa ward used to
suck...not even joking. Elder Akoki and Adjeifio really turned that
around and now we are all benefiting from it. The members never used
to trust missionaries and now they asked us to give talks!!! 20 mins
each!! and they told us Wednesday night this last week! Hahaha...be
prepared i guess. E. Akoki and I stepped up and did it. It went pretty good. E.
Akoki spoke about the "tribe" of Jesus Christ and how when you become a
member of this church you have to leave all old traditions behind if
they are contrary to commandments or the church. It was good. It was
Valentines day so i spoke about love... hahaha. The Love of God. and
the 2 great commandments in Matthew 22. It was alright lol. Nothings
changed...still write my talks last minute, either night before or in
the morning. BUT I dont have LDS.com to help me out haha. Sunday was a
pretty crazy day... we are going to start preparing some members to go
to the temple. Their trip is in march so we are trying to get at least 4
new people to go who haven't been. I'm pretty pumped about it lol. It ll
be so awesome to see people go to the temple even if its baptisms. :D
Bounti was sustained in priesthood to recieve the Aaronic about a month
ago and they still hadn't gotten around to doing it so i talked to
bishop and he said "oh ya! Bring him in now." So he received the
priesthood yesterday. It was awesome...i really want him to go to the
temple for baptisms this trip. That'd be sweet!
I cant wait to
go to Cape Coast and possibly see the beach, see all the other Elders
in the mission, most of whom i have never seen before since kumasi is a
mission of its own up here. It feels weird knowing my way around all of Kumasi and knowing which tro-tros to take and which ways are fastest to
go and at what times to stay away from traffic. I never thought this
day would come haha. Its going to be so weird coming home and seeing so
many white people haha. Ive been changed, I am now the one yelling
Obrunee at the white people we pass by or something. Hahaha everyone in
the tro-tro usually gets a huge laugh out of that. Its funny when we
pass a small group of kids playing football and i call for the
ball...they all marvel that a white man can play football hahaha. Elder
Clements is probably annoyed with me stopping and playing for a min or
so but hey, its a commandment from my bishop hahaha. The people always
smile and love when they see an obrunee playing with them or speaking
their language. Its definitely a missionary tool haha.
I'm glad
i wasn't there for Tine driving the rest of the trip home...scary! Still cold weather?? I cant even imagine cold...always
hot here still lol. I cant wait for rainy season, I'm getting sick of it
being "dry" and dusty. I'm so jealous that the winter Olympics are
on...we were at a members house last night and the news station for Ghana said that Ghana's first ever winter Olympic athlete qualified!! It
was hilarious! Hes skiing for Canada hahaha. We all cracked up. And yes
Elder Holland is stopping in Ivory Coast for 2 days before he comes to
Cape Coast :D :D I heard there is another general authority coming to
KUMASI in March!! I don't know what for or who but that's just what
president quietly mentioned to us here in Kumasi haha. It should be
sweet, if I'm here. Never know.
Well, i love you guys so much
and cant believe February just started and in two weeks is over...that's
crazy. March is almost here haha. Mission is flying by and i hope it
all goes this fast. Fast is good. It means work is getting done. I love
missionary work, its so rewarding both to others and to me. I can see
my relationship with my Father in Heaven growing so much. I really do
trust Him and rely on Him almost completely, I'm working on that haha. I
have felt the peace and comfort that come from the Savior's Atonement.
What a wonderful feeling to feel uplifted and empowered by the Spirit.
The Book of Mormon is the word of God and there is no way anyone can
come to the full truth without reading it. Its the center of missionary
work (besides service of course). I love seeing people embrace the Book
of Mormon and realize how much it talks about Christ and seeing their
words and actions and life-style change. Its incredible. I love doing
the Lord's work, what a blessing! Thank you mom and dad and teachers
and leaders for helping me to gain a testimony and to have a desire to
serve the Lord in this capacity. I am so grateful for that. I love you
mom and dad. You guys are an amazing team and someday i want my
marriage to be like that. Tine and Bug... keep fighting through high school because adult life isn't any easier hahaha. I love you guys so
much!
Love, Elder Lehr
Family,
This week has flown by!!! Wow...seems like the last 3
weeks have gone crazy fast. So the goal is officially finished for us!
YA!! Elder Clements baptized Nicholas yesterday and it was awesome. I'm
so excited to finally have that pressure of the goal off of us haha.
The end of the goal is the 28th of this month. Besides the baptism
there isn't anything all that special...same ole missionary stuff every
week. One week closer to Elder Holland and transfers will most likely
be on that day. I don't think I'm going anywhere again but you never know
with president and the Lord. My guess is that E. Akoki will leave since
its like 9 months in one area. I'll be 6 months here in two
weeks...doesn't even seem like its been that long, wow I need to start
working a thousand times harder if its going to go this fast. Looking
forward it seems like forever but looking back its way too fast. I love
the work and feel like I'm really close with the members and my
apartment. Elder Akoki is teaching me a lot haha....hes not even my
companion but he is always relating things to parables and scriptures
and its helping me to learn the Bible and to be able to quote
scriptures at appropriate times. Its funny.
I have learned so
much since I've been here...one thing is about the "Parable of the
Stoney ground." Its something that the Elders here in Asokwa apartment
have created. The Ghanaian people are the best at it. Its all about
patience and karma lol. Remember how easy it was to make me mad or
upset and id pop off the first thing that came to mind...well I've been
working on it everyday and catching myself and I've gotten a lot better
at controlling my thoughts and feelings. Its definitely not easy and im
nowhere near perfect but im working on it lol. Its a Christ-like
attribute that is freakin hard to perfect, hmm ya that was a stupid
comment, all of them are hard to perfect haha.
Sense i
publicly chastised my Bishop I'm going to take the time now to publicly
apologize and thank him for writing me (5 1/2 months after i left).
Hahaha love ya Bishop.
2 weeks until Elder Holland...I'm still
excited. The mission conference will be awesome too...never know, I might just be staying in Cape Coast since that is transfer day. Either
way it'll be great and maybe I'll get to see the beach if im lucky. I
thought it was a Cape "Coast" Mission not a big city dry land. I want
it to be done with the dry season...it's hotter then normal this week.
Sister Kiffer said it was around 110 with humidity the last few weeks.
YA!! Try proselyting all day in that!!! Its a good thing we have air
conditioning and clean running water in the apartment...wait...we dont!
Hahaha...Life in africa is always interesting and if its not one thing
its the other but hey...at least I'll know how to live off of nothing and
survive life after mission when I'm a student and especially the first
long while of marriage til things get more comfortable...won't happen
for a while so might as well get used to it and love it now! :D
I
am so glad that we have the truth...how lost we would be without it.
Its going to be amazing and well worth all that we do to live with our
Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ and with each other! I cant even
imagine how much we'll love and enjoy that. I will definitely lay down
my life for my Heavenly Father, even if that means giving up the things
of the world, that look so appealing. My view of life and the world has
changed so much in a short time...its all about becoming like our
Father in Heaven, whatever that takes!! Its really hard to accomplish
it, near impossible. But we have the Atonement of Jesus Christ that
gives us light and hope, comfort and peace. Its eternal. Its all up to
us now, whether we will go down that path with the Iron Rod or not.
I
love you guys so much and cant believe that in 18 months I'll see you
again. I've gotten get going haha, the work is endless especially in
this country. So many people everyday who don't have what I have and I've
got to help them one by one. This work is incredible. Its divine and I
love being a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its turning me
into a better person and I'll I'm doing is serving and teaching people.
Everything else including my family is being taken care of.
Love Elder Lehr
PS: Thank you family and friends for the letters and emails, I'll be writing you soon.
yes mom i got that flat rate envelope this last week! THANKS!! Envelopes are great and there
is no duty but i really want that slice n dice thing hahaha. AND JARED
TO FREAKIN WRITE ME!!! OR ANY UNCLE FOR THAT MATTER! IVE WRITTEN THEM
ALL A FEW TIMES. Atleast rachel wrote back to the letter in an email
lol....MY UNCLES SHOULD KNOW HOW IT IS TO GET MAIL! FREAKIN GUYS.
hahaha.
Family,
Ghana is still here....even though the whole country was
depressed for losing the Final game of the African cup of nations to Egypt. I thought it was funny. We told a few of the less-actives that
we have been working with they lost because they didnt come to church
hahaha. We have a good relationship with them so its not as harsh as it
seems haha. This week has flown by sooo fast!! We are baptizing
Nicholas for the goal this Sunday and we found out that ANOTHER one of
our less-active referrals wants to be baptized...maybe this Sunday too
but if not then the following Sundays and other elders that are
struggling with the goal will baptize him so we can accomplish the goal
by the end of this month! I cant believe its already February! Elder
Clements and I are trying to do a lot more home teaching instead of
finding investigators because that is what this ward is lacking and
need huge help.
This last week we all found out some pretty
HUGE information that will make you all soooo dang jealous hahaha. I
love being a missionary. Who else is called Elders in our church? You
might be thinking Apostles??? WELL YOURE RIGHT!!!! Our mission is
having a mission conference February 23 in Cape Coast with ELDER HOLLAND!!!!!!
Elder Snow and Elder Holland will speak to just our mission well at a
time!! First they will go to Ivory Coast....maybe Elder Legere has said
something? Then they'll come to our mission!! I'M SO STOKED!!! First of
all....APOSTLE....second....ELDER HOLLAND (my favorite if I'm allowed to
have favorites) Third....MISSION CONFERENCE in CAPE COAST! Ive never
been there. AND I get to see all the other Elders in our mission! It
will be so sick!!
Its funny how you said Bishop just
challenged you to read the Book of Mormon cuz thats what Elder Clements
and i started doing to recent converts... we challenged them 2 pages a
day and the good part is that we are doing it with them! :D So far its
working but we'll see how well they keep promises and step up to
challenges. Ive had a weird feeling lately like someone in our
apartment is going to be transferred...its like our apartment is too
close to each other haha. I swear there is no other apartment that is as
good as friends as we are haha. Its definitely a good thing.
I am so excited for the mission conference! ELDER HOLLAND!! THATS RIGHT! I have to rub it in while i can! :D
This
week went kinda fast....no crazy people bothering us. OH! There is a
guy named George that stopped his car as we were walking. He called us
and told us he has a friend in the US who told him he should learn
about this church so he decided to stop us and now we are teaching him.
Hes really smart and asks really good questions. He came to church
yesterday so we're working with him :D That's how contacting is in this
country.... :D The Lord really knows me too well, this is why i was
sent here.
Anyways, I love you guys so much and cant wait to get
your letters. I dont have much to say cuz nothing has really changed
except E. Clements and i are getting to be dang good cooks or maybe its
just that we are starving and have to eat it so everything tastes good.
Either way, it tastes good to us! :D I love you and miss you guys so
much, dont worry the day will come soon. Ill try to take pictures with
or of Elder Holland if i can! :D :D :D SUCKERS! :D
Love, Elder Lehr! I gained weight!! Ya right... :D
