Week 6 in the Books

I spoke with Conner this morning.  He was riding in a taxi on the way back from the beach when he called.  He was able to go play some volleyball on the beach today with some other missionaries.  It has been a fantastic week for him.  He is full of joy and gratitude!    I am so grateful he is having this experience and learning life lessons that he will always carry with him.  He is working hard to serve those around him and he knows that the greatest joy comes from lifting others. 


Here is this weeks email update:

I have spent six weeks or one transfer in the field already. Time is flying by fast. This last week probably has been my favorite so far. I could see the Lord blessing me almost constantly. We have had people seek us out in almost a miraculous fashion. The first came when I was on an exchange. I had mistakenly chose the wrong street to get to an interested person's house. I just was about to turn around to go to the correct one when a man started yelling, "Elder Garrison, Elder Garrison, I have read the Book of Mormon and it is the word of God!" I turn around to a man who I did not recognize, who told me that I had given him it (the Book of Mormon) a few weeks back. We have taught him several times and he is just absorbing in every word we say! Another came when we went to teach a woman who just showed up to church last Sunday, which never happens. She had a friend over, and when we told her who we were, she exclaimed, "I know your church! I went there once and your bishop healed my daughter!" She had forgotten how to get there and had been looking for it ever since. There are more we found with similar stories this last week. On a more personal note, I had an experience with the Spirit. On Tuesday we had ran out of pamphlets, so we ran to the zone leaders apartment to grab some more. On the book shelf I noticed a book called Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley. I felt I should ask the zone leaders if I could take it. It rained harder than ever that day, trapping us in our apartments. I had hours with nothing to do but read. His life and teachings spoke to me. It gave me suggestions and ideas that have obviously effected my work. Most importantly it filled me with a peace that I have recognized in the sweet moments of my life. It was the Spirit of God and it testified of the truthfulness of his teachings. He spoke about prayer, and how it brings miracles. He spoke about service and optimism. About how forgetting yourself and focusing on the good things in life and the good things you do brings happiness. I hope everyone will take the time this Sunday and watch the prophet speak live to the world. It will be on Comeuntochrist.org. If you want a higher level of peace and happiness, watch it and pray to know the truth of the things spoken. Then contact the missionaries you live near. I have short time and I have to go. I hope everything is going great at home.

Love, 

Elder Garrison

All are invited to participate in the 189th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities and General Officers of the Church will deliver messages of inspiration and guidance in five sessions:

The women’s session for sisters ages eight and older will be Saturday, October 5, at 5:00 p.m.

The general sessions for individuals and families will be Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6, at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. 

Click the link below to watch:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng

An Awesome Week

Conner called this morning!  He said for his p-day today he and his companion were able to go to a mountain and it was cooler up there. There were a lot of Tongans there and they smoked a pig and were able to eat some of that.  It sounds as if he really had a fun day. 
Conner said it is getting to be the dry season and is much warmer.  He is trying his best not to get too much sun.  I am sending him a Twi and Ewe dictionary as he wants to learn these two languages.  I was also able to order a Twi Book of Mormon to send his way. He has also requested more mole skin although his feet are adjusting to all the walking.  Skittles were also mentioned!!!  He truly is very happy and is enjoying the people.  Makes my heart happy to know he is feeling so much joy in serving.

Here is this weeks email:

Last week was great. We had zone conference, and I learned a lot. We also found several people who we are super excited to start teaching. We also have someone on date for baptism this week. He is super excited about it. I hope everything goes according to plan for him. The thing that I am most happy about is that I feel like I am able to have fun with the people now. Before it was a struggle to even speak to them, but now we are laughing and joking around with them. Ghanaians are really funny people. You really can just go up to anyone here and just act like you know each other. I think that might be why we are finding more people to teach. I am really happy here. I feel like I have the ability to help a lot of people out here. I am so glad to have the opportunity to be here and to give the Lord all of my time. I can see that the harder I work the happier I am. I know that the Lord has been blessing me. I hope things are going well at home. If you have any questions about Ghana let me know. 

Love,

         Elder Garrison

The Past Two Weeks

I enjoyed talking with Conner on the phone today.  He called me from the Internet Cafe and it was rather loud there. I could hear parrots in the background.  Conner shared that they were grey parrots with a red tale.  He said that every day is getting better and better!  I was worried that he might feel homesick on his birthday but he is truly enjoying his time there.  

Conner's email update:  (Exchanges is when missionaries change companions usually for a few lessons.  The mission is divided up into zones or areas.  The zone conference is usually for training purposes and inspiration.) To learn more about the restoration that Conner mentions in his email you can visit this website https://www.comeuntochrist.org

These past two weeks have been crazy. I have had several exchanges happen and we are having a multi-zone conference tomorrow, so we have been very busy. We also have been teaching about 4 to 5 lessons a day, especially busy considering when you have to walk for about an hour one way for a lot of them. I have been learning more Tri or Twi (I forgot how it is spelled but it sounds like a mixture of both of those). I am enjoying bonku in groundnut soup a lot more. There are a few soups I can't stand still, but I am learning. It is in between the wet and dry season, and it has become wet lately. Basically,  I will be getting roasted by the sun and then 15 minutes later we need to take cover from a thunderstorm. It is going into the dry season, so hopefully that is a good thing. For my birthday last Thursday, Elder Matakaiongo made me some Tongan cakes, which tasted delicious with Top Cocoa(Nutella). We had to make the journey to and from the capital so I could pick up ID, so I got to stop by the mall. I am really enjoying it out here. I have to go right now, but I have really been feeling the Spirit. Especially when we teach about the restoration. 

Elder Garrison

Another Awesome Week!

Conner was short on time today so he was not able to call and he only emailed pictures this week.  He titled his email "Another Awesome Week"!  We are just grateful to know all is well!! Sister Keyes (the Mission President's wife) shared the first four photos shown below this past week.  It is always a delight to see an unexpected picture of Conner.  Conner has said that he is careful not to take too many pictures.  He does not want to appear as a tourist or be disrespectful.  I love these pictures of Conner as you can see the joy he is feeling as he serves and shares the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Conner with someone he is teaching.

Brother and Sister Keyes were leaving the area and happened to see Conner
and his companion out and about!

The baptismal font

 Church is held in this building

Conner's apartment

Conner said his apartment is very nice and I can see why he feels safe
with those bars over his door!

Elder Garrison and Elder Matakaiongo at the Ghana Accra Temple

Conner shared last week that he is grateful to have
Elder Matakaiongo as his companion.

Week Two in the Field

Conner was able to call today!  He sounds so happy and upbeat.  He mentioned eating Banku in his email so I had to ask what it actually is.  He wasn't sure what it was made from so I looked it up.  It is a dish which is cooked with fermented corn and dough and served with soup or stew.  Conner said that he dipped it into a slimy soup that smells awful.    
He said all the walking is getting much easier and that he is enjoying his companion.  He emails us from an internet cafe which he is able to go to on his P-day.  Conner takes a daily medication for malaria but the mosquitos haven't been too bad.  He has been bitten more by red fire ants than mosquitos.  He mentioned they need to be in their apartment by 9pm but it is hard to knock on doors after 8pm as many go to bed early or are preparing to go to bed.  
Sister Eva is on date to be baptized in three weeks.  The sister he mentioned last week is still wanting to be baptized and is looking for a new job.  He and his companion are able to teach about 5 or 6 lessons a day on average.   
Conner shared that some aspects of serving a mission are difficult but he is grateful to be there.  He said he feels the Spirit and sees the hand of the Lord in his life daily.  We spent some time talking about obedience to the mission rules.  He mentioned how he wants to be obedient as there are promised blessings that come from following the rules that have been set.  I was thinking that this applies to all of us.  The Savior was the perfect example of obedience.  We can't be perfect in this life but we can show our love to our Heavenly Father by striving to keep the commandments and live within the bounds which He has set.  It reminded me of a talk given by our previous prophet Thomas S. Monson titled "Obedience Brings Blessings".  Here is the link to the talk:  
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2013/05/sunday-morning-session/obedience-brings-blessings?lang=eng

This picture is from YSA concert Conner attended and I took it off the church website.
We are grateful to get a glimpse of what Conner is experiencing.

This is the YSA choir Conner mentioned in his email.

This picture was taken by a women visiting Ghana and
then was shared on Facebook.  It was so fun to see this picture
of Conner with his current companion.

Below is the email Conner sent this week:

I think I am getting the hang of Ghana. Last week I was a way better week than the week before. I was a little stressed out about everything here, but I am enjoying each day more than the last. We have another person on date for baptism, her name is Sister Eva. When we taught her the Plan of Salvation, I had the opportunity to bear my testimony. I could just feel the spirit testify to both of us that what I was saying was true. People here in Ghana are very religious in a lot of ways, but they look in all the wrong places for it. This is sad because they simply do not get the comfort that comes from the knowledge and application of the restored gospel.

Anyways, We also got to go to the temple Saturday. It was nice to be able to go before it closes until November. I also tried some banku this week, it doesn't taste as bad as it smells. I can only eat a little bit of the food at a time though, I still have an American stomach. We did an exchange last week, and it was a great test to see if I know the area. I think I did a good job considering I was just on week two in the area. I have been learning how to speak like a Ghanaian. I have to focus on over pronouncing my T's and speaking slow, but they understand. Last night we went to a YSA (Young Single Adult) choir activity for the whole stake. They did a lot better than what I had expected. It packed the whole chapel, and there were smiles on everyone's faces. An area 70 even showed up and spoke a few words which was great. That was my week. I forgot to grab the cord to hook my camera up to the computer here, so I will send a lot of pictures home next week. I hope things are going well for all of you!

          Love,

                   Elder Garrison