Tema Newtown

I didn't get a chance to email last week, but a lot has happened. In my last email I said I was going to Tema Newtown. I like it here. The people here speak a lot of Ewe so it is has been nice to speak that language again. Our area is on the ocean, giving us fantastic views from time to time. It also brings a nice cool breeze which makes the work a lot easier. Ghana has a problem with waste management. It makes me sad to see all the pollution and trash that is going into the ocean. My companion is named Elder Kankam, a Ghanain from Central Region. He speaks Twi which is super helpful. He also knows how to cook some of the foods. 

We are teaching a lot of people here. I look forward to what we will be able to accomplish for the next few months. I don't know the area very well yet. It probably has the largest population out of any area I have been in. They don't speak English as well here. This leaves me sitting and watching my companion teach in Twi often. Even more often I have to make an extra effort to speak loudly and slowly so people can understand. The people here are poorer than my last area and so they aren't as educated. I can feel my effectiveness in teaching decrease because of this barrier. How do you teach when you have a hard time communicating thoughts to people? The answer is through the spirit. The language of the Spirit is universal. It is a language of showing love and interest of those around you. All can feel that. Everything else is easily forgotten. 

I have had a lot of spiritual experiences lately. They have been private and personal instances when I feel the Spirit of the Lord. I attribute this to a study of the Book of Mormon I have recently started. I am counting and looking for every time God speaks to people. I am writing down anything that could apply to me. It has been enlightening. Receiving revelation is far simpler than I had previously thought. I feel more deeply as I become more in tune with the Spirit. I look forward to what I will glean from this study. 

I love all of you! I hope that each of you are doing well! I look forward to seeing many of you in the next couple months. Many of you have asked what my plans are for when I get back. I am going to BYU Provo for school a month or so after I get back. I am planning to get a degree in business. I am excited for the opportunities that are coming my way. Let me know how you all are doing!

Elder Garrison

Conner & Elder Kankam

Tema

Conner was able to call today.  He has moved to a new area Tema, and he is enjoying it there so far.  It is near the ocean, so it is a bit cooler.  He has a new companion who is from Ghana and Conner feels they will be able to work well together.  Conner said the members of the ward are extremely nice. Many in his new area speak Ewe, so Conner is working on learning more of the language.  His time is short and this will be the last area he lives in.  He is ready to work and make the most of the time he has left.

Elder Robertson is the companion Conner just left behind and he emailed me some pictures today.  Conner sure enjoyed his time with Elder Robertson as he is a great guy and missionary.  

A Great Two Weeks

These last 2 weeks we had a lot of opportunities to do a lot of good for some of the people we are teaching. Our phone was broken, so I did not get a chance to email. This email will be long because so much has happened in the last two weeks. 

Last Saturday I was at a baptism for some other Elders in our district. I saw a man named Wisdom who Elder Freedland and I contacted when we were together in December. We didn't have bikes to get to our area so we decided to go and find some people to teach for the other Elders. We contacted him and taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We told him to read and pray about it. To be honest, it took us longer than we should have to get him in touch with the other Elders. I thought I had dropped the ball. We left and never heard anything about him again. It turns out that he had been baptized and ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood. This really touched me. We never know the good we do. I am so grateful to have been able to hear about this. 

Another situation we were in that allowed us to do some good was with Erica, a recent convert of ours. We found out that she had no money for school. We tried to help her mother do the math to try to figure out how to pay for it. Even with her getting a new Job, nothing worked out. We then met with a inactive member named Joseph Emmanuel who we have been working with. He is exceptionally kind. It turns out that he ran a program that helps gives kids an education for free. Erica met the requirements. It was such an answer to prayer.

We also were able to baptize Rita! She was a Muslim we have been working with since I have been here. It was great to see her make her decision to come unto Christ. I had the opportunity to confirm her a member and give her the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. I felt the Spirit strongly as I did so. 

We also received some transfer news. I am leaving for Tema Newtown. I have never been there before. I have heard a lot of good things about it though. It is sad to leave a lot of the people we have been working with. I know they will be in good hands. I am going to miss Elder Robertson. It has been a great experience teaching him how to be a missionary. I have come to feel strongly God orchestrates all of the work we do. It really is not my work, it is His. I am grateful that He is willing to let me do my best to help Him. I have felt the love He has for me as He gives me some of that love for others. I only have 12 weeks left as a full time missionary. I am so grateful for the time I have spent here and the time I have left. I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store. It wil be hard, the jorney uphill to God always has been. I love y'all. 

-Elder Garrison 

Peace in Christ

We spoke with Conner this morning.  He sounded really good and is teaching several lessons.  Conner discussed teaching about prayer and using the model of the Lord's Prayer found in Matthew.  He felt that many are able to receive answers to their prayers and feel the Spirit much easier after discussing the Lord's Prayer.

Conner and his companion recently enjoyed making a video and shared it on Facebook.  

The video can be found here:  Peace in Christ

Baptism

This last week went by fast. We didn't have water for most of the week. We tried to ration the water we did have, but ended up not having water to wash our clothes so a lot of time was spent trying to get some. I have such short time until I go home and seems like there are a lot of things that I have to do that keep me from going and working with people. As far as the work is going, we have a lot of good leads and people we are working with. We expect May to be a really good month for baptisms. 

We did get a baptism yesterday! It felt good to see some of the fruit of our labours. I am excited to see what good comes because Christabel made the decision to be baptized. I love y'all and I hope you all had a good week. 

-Elder Garrison 

A Light Between the Clouds

I am sorry it has been so long since I last emailed. To be honest recently I have been stressed and disappointed by a lot of things. I don't really want to go into those things. I guess the point is that life is not easy for anyone. We have ups and downs and shortcomings and set backs. The important thing I have come to learn is that it just matters where your nose is pointed. 

I love section 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It talks about wasting and wearing out our lives in bringing people the truth. There are times when it feels like wasting and wearing happens more easily than at other times. I love the last verse, "17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." Yesterday was an example of this. 

We had the font filled for a friend of ours to be baptized. We had to fill the font twice because some boys broke in and swam in it making the water brown. It is a pain in the rear to get that font filled because of how slow the water fills and the lack of keys to it.  She is a member of a part member family. Imagine our surprise and disappointment when the uncle came up to us and said that she would be unable to be baptized that day. To add to the disappointment two of the people we had on date for this month did not come to church making them ineligible for baptism this month. This was after taking the long bike ride up the hill and having them promise us again that they would come. It stung because our mission has the goal to baptize 100 people this month and every area is expected to baptize. We have Stake Conference the last weekend in this month and had General Conference last. We hope to reach our goals. 

As we rode away from church we were left wondering what else we could have done. We came to the conclusion that we did everything in our power. After finishing our studies we went out. We met someone around our age named Jay. The three times before this he asked us many questions about things that seemed to him to contradict the bible. We taught him about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. The time before we had a long discussion about what he had read. He was looking for anyway to disprove it. We answered all his questions. We told him to continue to pray. The difference yesterday was like night and day. He had prayed "earnestly", as he put it, and received an answer. He only asked questions for understanding. To see the change in him literally over night was such a blessing to see. I saw, "the salvation of God, and his arm" was revealed. It felt like a moment of light between the clouds and the Spirit was there in abundance. I look forward to seeing him in the water wearing all white. 

I love you all. I hope each of you have a great week. 

-Elder Garrison

Erica's Story

I spoke with Conner today.  We have been discussing his plans for school for when he returns home.  It is hard to make decisions about classes and find housing when it seems he is a world away but it will all work out!  Conner has heat rash again and that has been rather miserable as his skin is so sensitive to the heat.  He is doing his best to move forward and serve and is grateful for those he is meeting and teaching.

Erica a friend of Conner's and new church member shared her story about finding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Click the following link to hear Erica's Story:   Erica's Story

Missionaries in Ashaiman, Ghana