Affia, Nancy, Dennis, and Morris

Our baptisms this Sat are Affia, Nancy, Dennis, and Morris. Affia is 62 years old, and had been hopping back and forth from JWs to Presbey. She heard so many degrading things about the Church, like we drink blood and all those things. She speaks very small English, but can understand pretty well. She was divorced 4 years ago when her husband ran off with another woman who was younger. She will be an amazing member and more than any other investigator I’ve worked with, has the strongest testimony of the Twi BOM. She has become my mom in Fiapre, and I love to just visit with her and talk to her, and play with all of her grandchildren that live with her. Her own children are older and have married and moved with their husbands to Germany, Spain, USA, and Switserland.

Wa

Nancy is a 21 year old girl from Wa and her whole family is Roman Catholic. Her mother is a nurse and is in Japan for work for the next 3 months which really surprised me. She has been one of our strongest investigators and will also have a very powerful impact on the student portion of the Church and institute program that we just started for the whole of Sunyani. She, along with the other two students we are baptizing on Sat, will be leaving on Monday to travel back to their various homes up north where the Church has not yet reached. She is very intelligent and will definitely follow in her mother’s footsteps.

Denis is continuing to move forward in his faith in God and Gospel basics and will continue to be an amazing person and member. He is the only investigator that I have ever had that actually takes notes during the lesson so that he can remember what we’ve studied and learned. Denis is from Bolgatanga. He is 22, a very smart guy, and is going into business management and public health. He reminds me a lot of Jason Peck, just black. Haha

Morris is a good friend to Denis and lives in the same compound. He is very soft spoken and yet very outgoing at the same time. He also attends the local Catholic University here in Fiapre, and is going into public health and biology.

All of these candidates have been coming to Church very regularly, and are fun and amazing!

Amanda, thanks for sharing your first Sacrament meeting talk. That had to be the best one I’ve heard in a long time. This Gospel is the only perfect truth on this earth, coming straight from God through a living prophet. Keep working hard to be the best person you can be and if there is something you want in life, go for it and don’t let anyone stop you.

I am sending home a small something for everyone and I hope that you enjoy it. I will be sending pics as well. You should get it in about 3 weeks.

This week, as a district, we came up with a song for a video that we’re making as a good bye gift for Pres and Sis Sabey. We changed the words to "Hotel California" haha. I bet Mom knows it very well.

Love you all!!!!!!

Elder Hair

A Wonderful Mother's Day!

Hey,

Long time, no talk. It was truly great to hear all of my family's voices on a wonderful mother's day. I was so excited to just hear you all talk. I enjoyed your questions and concerns for my welfare here in Africa. The Lord truly blesses us in our times of need. Thanks, Chan for continuing the tradition and offering a family prayer.

I want to tell you more about Pres Sabey's visit last Friday to Sunyani. With two months left in their mission, Pres and Sis Sabey are doing everything they can to make the transition for the new pres very easy. We met at the Bennett's apartment to have a prayer about our goal as a district in Sunyani. We opened with a hymn and then as a companionship we each told him about how we were doing on our goals, then we prayed again. I have never felt the spirit more in my life, and I could not believe the profound prayer given by a well trained servant of the Lord. Pres Sabey has become my African Dad and Sis Sabey my African Mom. I truly have grown to love them very much.

As pres and Elder Omini and I hopped in his car to go visit George, the father of the family that we are preparing, pres asked us to tell him more about George. I went off on a bunch of different things we were trying to teach George. Pres stopped me mid-sentence and said "wo, wo Elder Hair...those all sound great, but it looks like you have many different topics. From what you have told me, it sounds like George is an Elder in his church and is having a hard time getting out of his position and assignment, is that true?" We said yes, and he proceeded to tell us about how last night on his 6 hr drive up to Sunyani from Cape Coast, he had been pondering about what we as missionaries could do to help George. He told us that three stories from the Bible came to his mind. 1. When Jesus walked along the shore and told John, Andrew and others, "Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." They then straight way left their nets and followed him. 2. When he told the lawyer to sell all that he had and follow him. 3. When Jesus said to follow him, but one said, let me go and bury my father first. Pres Sabey briefly told George the same thing during our lesson, then asked, "George, do you remember the response that Jesus gave?" George said yes, "Let the dead bury their dead... COME FOLLOW ME!" George had finally gotten the point. We proceeded to tell him that we needed him in Sunyani along with his wife and kids to build the foundation of the Church here. He understood and said he was going to give his church a date when he will leave, and that they would need to find someone else to fill his position. That date happens to be by the last of this month leaving us with two weeks to baptize him before the end of this goal. If this was not a miracle then I don't know what is.

In between lessons with the other missionaries we met together for lunch at a nice hotel in Sunyani called the Eusbett and ate burgers!!! Oh my gosh, the best food I've had in 8 months! However, food aside, the impact that pres had in Sunyani that day will be one of the main reasons why we make our goal. I love how the Lord chooses his authorized servants to preach this gospel to the world. I am one of his witnesses and in the coming day, like Elder McConkie, I will feel the nail marks in His hands and in His feet and I will wet His feet with my tears, but I will not know any better then, than I know now that He is God's Almighty Son.

I love the people of Ghana more then I could have ever imagined and I would put my life out for them in a heartbeat. I love you all and know that when the Lord puts blocks in the road, it is for us to find a way around, or over them... and to continue on with our heads held high like we just lost the world cup final in PKs, by one goal, after 3 overtimes. Haha

Would you please pray for George and Josephine, Affia, Dennis, Morris, Nancy, Elizabeth, Angelina, Niamy, Kofi, and Abraham?

Love you all!!!

E. Hair

Pounding Fufu, Driving Banku

Everything is sweet and people are progressing as we near the end of 6 months in Sunyani and Fiapre. I look back and think about what good might have been accomplished. Elder Omini and I have tried so very hard these past months to open this area, build trust, and prepare many people to either be baptized, or willing to hear the message we share because of the service we have rendered to the whole city of Fiapre. I love pounding fufu and driving banku. The service is huge, it brings laughs and muscles that I desperately need.

We have two students at the local university that are going to be baptized on the 28th. Nancy and Denis, from Bulgatonga have both become best friends of mine and have the strongest testimonies ever. They are a little older than us but close enough to our age that they understand who we are and respect what we do.

I can't wait to talk with you on Sunday, and each one of the brothers (for 5 mins) if I can get their numbers and the best time to call.

I love you all.

E. Hair