Swedru

Hey fam,

i feel like i don't even know what it is like to proselyte anywhere other than Swedru. This place has become my home. I am still loving it here, working with Elder Wiscombe.

This week was pretty special. Most of the week was a blur, but that is okay, we are staying busy. We rode the bikes the last couple weeks, and i dont think i have sweated so much in my life. it is really nice to ride them because our area is so big, but my legs are kind of dead.

We tried watching the world wide missionary broadcast, but the internet at our stake center was a joke, so we couldnt watch all of it.. The parts that we did watch were awesome tho. They made some changes with the schedule, but not too much changed for our mission.. We still go out and come in at the same time, they just gave us more flexibility to choose when to do our studies and have meals. Crazy right? haha The work moves on.

Cool experience:

This week we went on an exchange in Winneba, which was probably one of my most fun exchanges i have ever been on. Elder Seninde and Elder Clauson are hilarious. Elder Clauson went to Lone Peak, and it was fun talking to him about some people that we knew. He is a great guy and missionary. Elder Seninde also had an emergency when we went to the beach, and long story short and to save you from an upset stomach, all i am going to say is, no toilet, and one ashamed looking Ugandan.. lol

Anyway, getting to the COOL part.

We left the Winneba apartment pretty late to go home, and i wasn't sure if we were going to be able to get a tro tro back to Swedru at that time, but we got to the station, and right as we got there, there was a tro with like two seats left. So we got in and off we went. About halfway home, there was a sister who was sitting right in front of us, who turned around and said, "do you remember me?" it was dark and i couldn't even see her, so i said, "no, sorry, what is your name?" Then she told me that i used to teach her in Kasoa (my first area). I still didn't remember her even when she told me her name, but then after a bit i finally remembered. We were teaching her until she left to go live with her father in her home town. Turns out, her home town is in my area! It is just this small village about a 45 minute tro tro ride out of swedru that is right out on the outskirts of our area. It just so happens that i switched my name tag just before we left to go to Winneba. Who knows if she would have recognized me as ELDER BEN. Hopefully we will be able to teach her and help her again.

We had two baptisms this week, and they were both awesome! One sister who got baptized is called, Portia. She left her home in Kumasi, to come live with her uncle here in Swedru because she got excommunicated from Jehovah's Witnesses.. She has changed so much. It has been so amazing to see how far she has come, and to see the mighty change of heart that took place in her. At first, teaching her wasn't easy, and she had a LOT of questions, and a LOT of doubts, but she really put it to prayer and the Lord softened her heart. She is so powerful now. After her confirmation, she bore such a beautiful testimony. I wish she would have spoken English, because i couldn't understand most of what she said, but i felt the Spirit so strongly. She got teary eyed as she testified of the Restored gospel and the blessing of the Savior's atonement.

This gospel changes people for the better. It is the source of true peace and happiness. My testimony of this truth has been strengthened through these people, and my mission. I am so grateful for this time. This is amazing.

Have a great week! Emily goodluck with your baby situation! that is exciting. Love you all,

Elder Ben Eldredge