Just Another Manic Tuesday?

Hello family,

this week i don't even know where to begin. The beginning of the week consisted of going around and sharing the Light the World video to as many members as possible. I think we showed it to every family we know the house of in our ward and branch. It was a good experience sharing it with people. Everyone is working hard to be a light.

We have been working really hard trying to work with members to find and fellowship investigators, and it has been working! It has been awesome to see how much more effective it is to work with members. A lot of the members can teach much better than i can and they have such great testimonies. So this week, even though we didn't have a lot of time because we are always traveling for different reasons around our giant zone in a rickety old tro tro to teach a lot of lessons, our lessons were so powerful because of the Spirit which was there.

We have also been so blessed to be lead to really prepared people. We were walking down the road one day a couple weeks ago, and one guy called for us and said, "I always see you walking down this road, but you never talk to me. Don't you want to share the gospel with me as well?" It made me feel really awful and like a terrible missionary because we had never talked to him before, but he is so prepared! By the questions that he asks, you can see that the Restoration is exactly what he has been looking for. I am so excited to see his progression.

We also found a sweet guy in the zongo who would have thunk.. (zongo is a giant Muslim community) who might be one of the more prepared people i have met. He has basically all the same concerns and questions that Joseph Smith did. We taught him twice and he is doing really well.

We had transfers this weekend, and i am staying put here in Swedru 3rd ward/ 4th branch. I am pretty happy. I love it here.

Sunday we had a baptism, and it was by far the most stressful, crazy baptism I've ever had. Our bishop on Wednesday at our PEC told us that he wanted to have the baptism on Sunday morning before church. So he gave the baptismal clothing to his first counselor and assigned him to wash them and bring them on Sunday. We went to the church on Saturday and filled the font. Sunday morning, we got to the church around 7:30 and both our candidates came just after 8. Still we didn't have any clothing... So i called the first counselor and he said that this morning he remembered that he was supposed to get the clothing washed, so he did it as fast as he could, and was ironing them to try as speed dry them. Bishop came around 8:30 and we still didn't have clothing, and the one who was supposed to do the baptism wasn't there yet. Finally around 9:30 we got one pair of white pants, and one white gown. Then bishop looked at me and asked me to do the baptism because the one who was supposed to do it still hadn't showed up yet. So the rest of the day i was a little damp... but the most important thing was that Elizabeth and Aaron were baptized.

We met with Elizabeth the next day, and she told us about how when she turns 19 she wants to serve a mission. It made me SO happy! She is so strong. She goes to seminary everyday, mutual every week and is already started with her personal progress. This gospel really does change lives. It is like a ripple effect. A countless number of lives can be changed from one impression from the Spirit of the love of God. I am so happy to be here to help my Savior do His work. I am blessed beyond belief. I am so grateful for his example, love, and sacrifice. I am so grateful for all of you and your love and support. I love you so much.

Oh yeah, my father elder Yao went home this week. crazy! i will miss him so much.

Have a great week! love you!

ELDER BEN ELDREDGE

So Much Light in the Ward

Sup fam! 

This old woman wanted to snap a pic

Sorry it has taken such a long time to write. Just as I was about to write, the internet went down and we were sitting in the cafe for like 3 hours waiting... But I am here now.

This week was so awesome. We had a multi-zone conference on Tuesday, and they introduced the new, "light the world" program for this year. I get chills each time I watch the video. He really does love us. I am so grateful to be a missionary and to be able to share this message with everyone here.
Our mission president has asked us to share with all of our members in only five days, and we have been pretty busy trying to share it with our are members and also our branch members. It has been great. I am excited to do my best this Christmas to become Ike the Savior.

On thanksgiving we went on exchange and I got to go to Winneba. It was my first time to go there, and we had a good time. The work is really progressing. We also celebrated the holiday by going to this really nice restaurant called connies, and ate a really nice pizza. Not very traditional, but we make do in Ghana. I'm thankful for all y'all. 

Sorry I don't have any time today so more pictures will be coming your way next week.
I love this place, I love these people, and I love the Savior. 

Have a great week
Love
ELDER BEN

Full of Fufu

Hello, fam! and friends.

Fufu Lover

this week was awesome! We have some great investigators who are progressing, and are finding some awesome new people! I see miracles everyday, and i know that the Savior is in the details of our lives. There really is nothing quite like serving a mission. I am so grateful to be here in Ghana serving in the Lord's vineyard. 

This week started off with a really good experience that strengthened my testimony of the Restored Gospel. We were teaching a family who have all just recently joined the church. The man just recently lost his job, and they are struggling a lot. Sometimes i wonder how people can be happy when in such a situation. Going into the lesson, we didn't really know what we were going to share with them, but my companion began to share the story of Joseph Smith when he was in prison and the saints were suffering as well. As we read about how the Lord comforted his son in his trials, i looked up to see the biggest, widest smile i think i have ever seen. This family really took the message into their hearts and it gave them immediate comfort and joy. I am sure that a simple prompting from the Spirit, has immeasurable effects on the human heart. I know that God loves each one of His children, and nothing can change that. I love Him and i love serving Him. 

Yesterday, we were invited by two members to come over and eat fufu! So good! I don't think i have ever eaten so much fufu since i have been on mission. Good thing i have elder Mantz to take me running to burn the hundreds of calories i must have consumed. 

I don't have too much time today, but i know this gospel is true. I love you all so much! pics are on the way!

love ELDER BEN

Leticia's Baptism from a Couple of Weeks Ago

David and Goliath

Hello, family!

Another great week here in Agona Swedru! i could stay here for so long, i love it here! The work is really starting to pick up as well. My first week here they split our ward and created a branch out of it. This Saturday, was the 4th branch's first baptism! They were so happy, and excited to have someone get baptized. I am grateful to be a small part of it.

I am sorry, but this week i don't have too much time so it will be a pretty short email, and i also forgot my camera at the apartment so i cant send any pics this week.. sorry mom!

This week we had MLC so we weren't able to have a full week in our area which always hurts a bit, but we still had a great week. Elder Mantz and i are working hard to build the relationship with the members and find people through them, and it is crazy how much easier and how much more effective it is to find through the members. They have been giving us people that they really care about, and you can feel it during the lessons. It is awesome to see them share the gospel with their friends and family. I realize more and more each day, that missionary service doesn't begin or end at the baring or removing of a black tag. It is much much larger than that. This work will never stop "until the Great Jehovah shall say, 'the work is done.'"

At presidents house on Thursday morning, we had a small discussion for companionship study, and president showed us some really cool things from Revelations chapters 2-3. We can understand these truths because of the Restoration of the Gospel. I am so grateful we have the fullness of the gospel at our fingertips.

Our office couple sister was telling us of something she was studying, and i thought it was so cool. She was reading about the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was this huge killing machine who basically represented everything evil, and David was just this normal boy who had extraordinary faith, and he was able to slay Goliath with a "stone." She likened the stone to represent Christ. There are many places where Christ is referred to as the stone in the bible, and that David able to overcome the adversary with the power of the Savior. It was something so simple, that had such an impact.

anyways, i thought that was cool. i never thought of it like that.

I love being a missionary! This work is so great. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love ELDER BEN

p.s. mom, the kitchen looks awesome! you have skills!

Hey fam and friends!

This week was another great one! i cant believe how fast it went. Each day is just a blur and i feel like this week the only thing i can really remember is that we taught A LOT of people about the gospel.

Elder Mantz and I have been working so hard. When we had our mission tour with the general authority, he asked us if we would all just work a little harder. We realized that it is true that we can all work harder than we think. We owe it to the Savior as well for all the things he did for us. I don't think i have taught more people, or talked to as many people in a single week as we did this week. I felt so much extra strength from Heavenly Father as I went through each day, and he blessed us so much.

It has been a while since it has rained, and i was a little worried thinking that the rainy season had come to a close, but it rained like three times this week! That felt amazing. 

We had an investigator come to church yesterday who I am very excited about. We contacted her my first day in Swedru, and she is getting her testimony little by little. We are teaching her husband as well. I really hope that we will be able to bring their little family to the true gospel. Her son was disturbing the whole meeting tho. I felt so bad for her, and she was pretty embarrassed about him screaming and crying the whole time. 

This work is great. i love it here. i have been so blessed to be in Ghana and serve these wonderful people. Im happy to be a missionary. 

I hope you all have a great week! Sorry this email isn't much.

Love ELDER BEN

Ward Liberian

Hey family and friends,

This week was great! we had transfers and Elder Mantz made it to Swedru safely. We had a lot of trials this week for sure, but also so many miracles and good times! Elder Mantz is a big runner, and we went running twice this week. He was talking the whole time, smiling and not even breaking a sweat, while i was just trying to keep myself from falling over.. saw stars a couple times..

Most of our week was trying to find new people to teach. Our pool of serious investigators was just starting to get smaller and smaller, so we had to put on our walking shoes and get super dusty to find the elect.

One miracle we had this week was on Tuesday. We had a bit of a rough day finding and teaching, and in the evening we decided that we would go to see one of our investigators who lived pretty far from where we were. We got to the house, and for the first time, we were able to meet our investigators husband and teach him! At first he was a little skeptical about the Restoration, but we answered a lot of questions and he understood everything we taught him. Huge blessing. Hopefully we will be able to get the family into the gospel.

We are teaching someone who stays out in the bush part of our area, and she doesn't speak English very well so usually we have to go with a member to teach her. For some reason, each night we went to teach her we had a member who planned to go with us, but failed... so each time, we just had to go and do our best to speak English in the most simple for possible mixed with the very little Fanti we know.. and then try to understand her incredibly fast Fanti in return.. haha the lessons went better than i could ever imagine. I felt the Spirit so strong! She has a true desire to learn about the Savior and His gospel. In a situation like that, the Spirit says it all. She will be baptized in a couple weeks.

As we were leaving the lesson, she walked with us back to the road, and expressed that she was worried that she wouldn't be able to come to church the next morning because she didn't have any money, but that she would do her best to be there.

The next morning as church started she wasn't there. But after a few minutes i looked up and saw her sitting there listening! I am sure that she walked all the way from her house to the church with her child on her back. It would take about 15 minutes to take a taxi in that distance. I am still amazed with the faith that these people have. She will be so blessed for her sacrifice to keep her commitment to keep the commandments.

To explain the subject line, after church on Sunday, we had a "ward council meeting," i put parenthesis because our whole ward was there... lol but at the beginning, our bishop was taking roll, and at the end of the roll he called for the ward Liberian... hahah i looked around and saw this super skinny guy raise his hand. I asked a member if bishop meant to say ward librarian, and he said, "no, he really is from Liberia." hahahah Elder Mantz and i were laughing pretty hard! I guess to be a Liberian is now a calling.

This work is great! i love it here so much! sad to think it is more than half over..

The gospel is true!

Love, ELDER BEN 

Bye Bye Broadhead

Hello family and friends,

Missionary "Killer"

I can not believe how fast this week went. One day it was Monday, and the next thing i knew it was Friday!

We had such a good mission tour and MLC with Elder Vincent, the area president. He has such a love for the Savior, and knows the scriptures like the back of his hand. We are blessed to have such great church leaders.

After our MLC on Wednesday, we went to stay with the assistants for the night so we could travel with them to our mission tour the next day. I had a little too much A/C if that is possible haha i started to feel a little sick. It was also Elder Broadhead's birthday on Wednesday, so after proselyting in the ap's area, we went to get pizza from pizza hut! Pizza hut is like gold for someone who has been eating rice and beans for the past year.

Baptism

After the mission tour on Thursday, Elder Broadhead and I with permission from president, went to one of his old areas, Buduburam. He got to say goodbye to some of his converts and talk to them before he left. His hard work really made a difference in the Buduburam Liberian refugee camp. It was a cool thing to see.

On Saturday, we had two baptisms! Joyce and Sarah were both baptized in the dark lol because they came late. They are new people now. After the baptism, the ward threw a little send off party for Elder Broadhead. It was really nice. They shared scriptures, sang songs, played games, and gave him a little gift. They also gave us SO much food!! We both ate a whole bowl of fufu, and then a giant plate of fried rice. Not sure how we finished it or held it down.

We just dropped him off at the station, and by Wednesday he will be reunited with his family. I am grateful for the time i have been able to serve with him. I learned so many things from him, and he is a great friend.

Tomorrow, my new companion will come! His name is Elder Mantz. He is from Utah and he is such a cool guy. I am excited to serve with him now.

I love this work. Sometimes it sucks to say goodbye, but that is how it goes. I love the Savior, and i know this is his true church. Everything is possible through Him.

Have a great week! stay safe, i love you.

ELDER BEN

Chasing Monkeys

Peace