Hey Mom and Dad!
It has been another fun, interesting, busy week with Elder Palmer again this past week. We've been able to teach a lot of new people again which has been sweet. We have come to notice a problem in the area these past few weeks. It seems as though a lot of rumors have been going round town about the church so people are a little 'scared' of what we have to teach, and are curious and fearing a particular blue book with gold writing on it haha. We've been teaching this one guy who we met last week. One of our appointments fell through, so we were just walking to an area we thought to contact in. Before we got there, we saw this one guy just sitting and chilling under his trees on his little plot of land. His name was Joseph, so it always sounded kind of funny calling him 'Brother Joseph' lol. We had a sweet lesson with him and taught him about Joseph Smith! He was really fascinated. He is really humble and just a great guy! We met his family and plan to teach them all this week. I've really just been trying to do my best to show people how much we love them and try and emulate that love that our Savior has for all of us! It really shows people we're not just here to teach and baptize, but they we are actually concerned for them. I like this saying that alot of people throw around on mission "People dont care how much you know, but how much you care!" I know it's so true! It has been kind of tough though. A few of our awesome people progressing kind of out of the blue told us they will be travelling to their home towns for a month...Kind of guttered about that! Hopefully I'm still in the area when they get back! They were seriously progressing to baptism in the coming weeks and were expressing their concern about it. Super great people though, hopefully I'm still around! Looking forward to this week though. Juapong Branch will be going to the temple for their first temple trip since the branch open, so members are super excited and I believe we will get to tag along with them, so that will be sweet! Yesterday we traveled into Accra. Elder Palmer had to renew his Non-citizen card as he hit that 1 year mark on mission. So we got in around 4pm and there are a bunch of us staying in at the mission home. His whole MTC group had to renew so they are all here aswell. We had a devotional with President and Sister Heid, and 2 of the Sister missionaries who had finished their missions and were going home. It was pretty sweet! We were given some awesome instruction and council too. We're led by some awesome inspired leaders alright! I'm grateful for every opportunity I have each day to share the Gospel and just teach though. Being on mission you just learn to be super bold but loving in teaching and testifying what you know to be true. I like a quote I read from one of Ezra Taft Bensons books and it said that dont worry about what people think about you, but make sure you are right with the Lord! I know he is by our side, and we are called to serve and represent him. Some days I wish I could be a pro teacher like our Savior though! Line upon line hey? Hope you's are doing well and have a wonderfull week though Mom and Dad! Time is going by super fast which is scary! Making the most of it all! Love yous so much though! Elder Fesolai
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Hey Mom and Dad!
So this week has been fairly interesting so to speak haha. Monday evening my eyes started kind irritating me and sight was kind of blurry. Then on Tuesday morning I wake up and the sun felt like I was glaring directly at the Glory of God or something...So we didnt really get to much proselyting done. We stayed in the apartment and I was being a super cool guy wearing sunglasses inside and trying to read my Book of Mormon and other books lol...fail guy alright! During the week we have been teaching one girl refered to us by the Branch President. It has been kind of interesting! We had a sweet lesson on the Restoration and then we introduced the Book of Mormon...Haha as usual for many Ghanaians, this book may be a book to us but due to superstitions and rumors it's the devil to them as far as they are concerned haha. But as we were gradually continuing to teach as the appointments followed during the week we gradually read scriptures from the Book of Mormon and the spirit was so strong as we just testified to her that they were true, and this it was also the Word of God. The spirit convinced her and she was at church on Sunday which was sweet! We had the Helping Hands activity on Saturday aswell which was awesome! We dug some trenches for the rain water to flow through so the roads would not flood in that area. Was super fun and they had some games and dancing and stuff afterwards. I didnt remember to take my camera though...what an absolutely fail that was! Church was really great on Sunday. Was able to bless the Sacrament. One of our investigators who was ordained and recieved the Aaronic priesthood passed for the first time aswell which was awesome. I had to speak again in Sacrament haha, it was awesome though! Spoke on Work and Self Reliance, and it was all good! Had to teach Sunday school aswell, so felt pretty involved that Sabbath day to be quite honest lol! The work is going along gradually though! Elder Palmer and I are really trying to do our best and reach all our goals and just help the church continue to grow here! I'm not sure how much longer I'll be here too...so making the most of it hey! I'm really grateful for the continuous strength and support the Lord gives me everyday as a missionary though! Some days I reflect and wonder what it would be like if the Savior was here doing the work, but I know that he is beside us or continually watching over us as we represent him and strive to do his will! Without his Atonement to rely on for Strength it would not be easy at alllll haha! I'm forever grateful to my Savior and Heavenly Father for their love to each and everyone of us! I hope yous are doing well though! Have an awesome week! Love yous! xx Elder Fesolai Hey Mom and Dad! Well we have been doing well! Had a super super busy week, getting a whole bunch of teaching opportunities and new people to teach again. It sure has been tiring, but theres just something about the spirit in our lessons that I can't just get enough of haha! I just love teaching and helping people build faith in the Lord and come to know of the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel! We have been teaching some new people this week, and at times we had a few struggles dew to language barriers, but we plan to go out with some members this week to help those humble truth seekers understand more clearly and plainly. I read a book written by Dallin.H.Oaks this past week and it was just full of so much truth and wisdom! But there was one quote that made me ponder and re evaluate myself as a missionary which I just loved so much. He said "Do not worry if people agree with you, but rather worry about whether or not they UNDERSTAND you." This has since been my kind of motto lol! I've been recently just revising the lessons, and making sure that I am treasuring up those doctrines in my mind, so that I can teach as plainly as possible. Since I've been out I've really just come to love to interact and talk to people and just help them. But I know what will help them most in their life is the Gospel once it is understood and they are applying it into their lives! During the week we had a great lesson with one of our investigators though. We were just going over some points in the Gospel and it was like something all of a sudden just clicked in his mind and he got it. All of a sudden he just expressed his feelings and thoughts and opened up and told us he knew it was true. The spirit had witnessed to him, but he was caught up in the fear of change. He was expressing his sorrow for those in his previous church who dont know and would not accept the truth. We extended a date to him and reassured him that if he trusts in the Lord, all things will work out and he will be supported and be given the strength to withstand all challenges. We will see how it continues to go...was a really spiritual moment though! Church was awesome on Sunday too. The Branch President and us Missionaries had a special fast for the branch to see some progress in our efforts and for it to grow gradually! We are really doing our best to enable this to happen. I spoke in Sacrament which was sweet too haha...my 6 or 7th talk in Juapong! Elder Palmer and I are well though! Just keeping our minds and bodies busy in the work and doing our best to just love serve and help these wonderful people out here! I know that when we get lost in the service of others and help others with their own needs, our own just tend to go away! Anyway, have an awesome week! Love yous. xx Elder Fesolai Hey Mom and Dad!
Well it has been an awesome week in Juapong just gone! It hasn't rained at all, so teaching went down solidly! My new companion Elder Palmer is great too. He's really humble, and loved the gospel and the people! So we get along, and it's fun to get out and show him around the area. We've been blessed with a whole tonne of new investigators though. Our Branch President opened a business, and all those that work for him and are using his financing service have shown interest in the Gospel as he shows a great example to them in the way he conducts his business and social ethics. Top guy! But as a result we've been able to teach alot of them and they have turned out to be really serious! We plan to extend some baptismal dates to them this week which should be sweet. Three of them were at sacrament on Sunday as well which was awesome. What a great impact that one example can have on so many people though! President Kassah is an awesome example of letting our light shine as members. It's kind of interesting actually. We dont always have to tell people that we are members with our words, but it's by our everyday actions that people can see that 'light' that the gospel gives. Something as missionaries that I've come to see living the gospel everyday 24/7 is that people are just generally interested in why you do this and why you dont do this and such...and it just helps the work progress. Always important to recognize that the way we conduct ourselves in public as members can greatly affect the perspective of someone about the church! We have some baptisms coming up at the end of the month which is nice. We are planning to extend a few more for the end of the month and the start of september which should be sweet too! Alot of awesome work is steadily and gradually about to happen! It's been a really fun week though. We've had some great lessons with some wonderful people! I always love teaching about the Restoration out here in Ghana and especially at the part with Joseph Smith, you can see the light and hope in the people eyes when they here about it. It really is awesome, and you can just feel the spirit so strongly! It's really great seeing them put their faith and hope to the test when they keep their commitments and come to church. This work is so so great! Elder Palmer and I are doing good though! We are both looking forward to another week of no rain and plenty of lessons haha! Hope you's are well though! Have an awesome week Mom and Dad! Love you xx Elder Fesolai Hey Mom and Dad!
Well, it has been a wonderful and sad past week! Elder Bulunga and I were able to see and teach so many people which was sweet! On Friday we get the call for transfer news however, and we were informed Bulunga would be transferred! We had a really awesome companionship, but that's mission life I guess! My new Companion is Elder Palmer. He's from Utah, and is cool! Keen to get some work done with him and continue to build Juapong! During the week we had some awesome lessons on the Restoration with some of the friends of members. The lessons were just flowing so smoothly and the spirit was so strong and we taught and testified of Joseph Smith being a prophet, about Christ and his Gospel and everything! The spirit was working so strongly in those we taught, and it was an awesome feeling when we saw some of those that we taught in Sacrament this Sunday just gone! Being that instrument in the Lords hand to help others come to know and feel of the spirit is so sweet! We were able to extend some baptism dates too which was great. We are planning and praying and doing our best to make sure we have quite a few baptisms this August! So we have alot of work to do, but I know we are able to do it! Of course it takes hard work, but that's kind of the definition of mission work haha. Sunday was fun too! I spoke last minute again in sacrament which was all good. We had a fun/awesome class combined in the last hour of church and it was just on the Book Of Mormon! Alot of people out here who aren't members think it's a devilish book and it's evil and all this nonsense haha! So we helped teach with President and encourage the members how they can betetr study it, know it's teaching and defend and share it! After all it's the keystone of our Religion, and it contains the fullness of the Gospel! Being on mission I've come to see how true this book is, and the spiritual power it contains that we can have access to when we diligently and sincerely seek to study, ponder and pray about it's words. Moroni the legend, sums it up so awesomely! Keen to see how this upcoming week goes along though! Alot of wonderful people to teach, follow up on and many others to get out and share the good news of the Gospel with! Hope you's have a great week though! Love you! xx Elder Fesolai |
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May 2017
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