New Ghana Mission!

It is incredible how much the Lord has answered my prayers. I cannot describe how happy I am right now. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and am having experiences that I will never forget.

We are very excited about the announcement of a third mission in Ghana, and the continued growth of the Church is this area. We will have the Ghana Accra Mission, the Ghana Cape Coast Mission, and the new Ghana Kumasi Mission which will include a small part of the Accra Mission. The new mission president will be coming in July. Right now, the mission is really too big for Pres and Sis Shulz to travel up and down to be able to accomplish all of the needed training, not just for the missionaries, but also for all of the new branches and wards, where there is still a lot of emphasis on following the prophet's counsel to study and apply the Church handbook of instructions.

The fellowshipping of investigators is something our members as a whole struggle with. It seems like we as missionaries do most of the fellowshipping to get an investigator to come to Church and stay. When the missionaries leave the area, or go back home, some of the investigators don't come back as often, because they feel they don't have friends in the church, or they do not have a strong enough testimony of the Savior.

Elder Marimira and I have had some cool experiences together. We are helping a man prepare for the Temple. He is traveling to his home town on Saturday to do some family history research before he attends the following Tues and Wed. It has been a lot of fun to see him get so excited about going, and recognize the importance of the temple. Right now, we are on our way to visit one of the very first members baptized in Ghana. Bro Ewuzie met President Hinckley on his travels with Billy Johnson and a few others who waited with great faith for many years for the gospel message to come to Africa.

Amanda, when we were stopped at a police checkpoint the other day, I showed him my license and also a picture of you. I told him in Fante how much I love my little sister, and he laughed and looked back at the other guards telling them that the Latter-day Saints are different. He didn't think I understood him, so it was funny. I believe they see the difference in us as we talk about, and focus so much on our families and the gospel.

Thank you for the package, Mom! It arrived on Friday, and was wonderful. I love ya and happy late valentines day. Have Dad give you a big kiss for me.

This week's schedule is packed as we prepare for the arrival of a new missionary couple, and the Mission Tour with Elder John B. Dickson of the West Africa Area Presidency. We are going to be busy!!

A P-day full of angry crocs and 300' swinging crazy heights!!

I love you all!

Your favorite son (on a mission),

Spencer