Extreme Makeover Apartment Edition and Transfer News

Letter from Elder Mubenga (Elie Mbenza)

Elder ordyna is leaving I am going to miss him a lot, i will miss him not just because he was a very good friend to me but rather of who i am ever since he is close to me. I grateful to be the one to train that great man and brother.

i will have an liberian as companion. so i am ready to work

much love 

Elder Mubenga

Hello family and friends,

I will leave my current area Asuoyeboa 2 after only two transfers and head to Kenyasi, a small village just outside Kumasi on Wednesday. My new companion is from Cape Coast Ghana. It should be a very interesting area. It is out in the bush and it will be my very first time serving in a branch. I am really excited for change but very sad to leave my current area. I love the members and all of my investigators I have met here in Asuoyeboa. But, part of missionary work is change!

The Brethren of Asuoyeboah (Elder Woaplah, Elder Vaituulala, Elder Mubenga and Elder Ordyna)

This week we had painters and carpenters in our apartment all week. The mission is redoing the Asuoyeboa apartment and improving it in many ways. Of course it is just my luck that all of the improvements are coming as soon as I am leaving the apartment. But, I did hear that my new apartment is brand new. So, i will be enjoying! Because of this we didn't have much proselyting time. We had to stay in the apartment while they are working. 

On Saturday I went on exchanges to Abuakwa. I went to Abuakwa with Elder Crowley and Elder Yeboah came to Asuoyeboa with my companion. Every time I go to Abuakwa something crazy happens. We got lost again. Walking around the area for an hour trying to find a house. And then we taught a rastaman and a prophetess and got some free herbal medicine that apparently is a cure all. I tried some the other day and it honestly tastes like soap. It is horrible. 

Yesterday on my last Sunday in the area my companion and I had to give a talk. I spoke on the Gospel of Jesus Christ while my companion spoke on the Restoration of the Gospel. We had to split the whole time between the two of us. I actually gave over a twenty minute talk and it seemed very easy. The spirit is real and it really can give us promptings and guide us in life. 

Last Sunday in Asuoyeboah (Me, Elder Vaituulala, Elder Woaplah, and Elder Mubenga)

Last Sunday in Asuoyeboah (Elder Vaituulala)

I love you all so much! Tune in next week for pictures and a description of my new area. Till next week.

Love,

Elder Ordyna

Zone Conference and three months

Hello Family and Friends,

It has been another really quick week out here in the field. I can't believe that I have already been out for three months. It has flown by! 

 Ghanaians are getting crazy here because the Ghana national team (the Black Stars) are one game away from qualifying for the World Cup. Everyone loves soccer over here including little kids. Everywhere you go you will see someone playing soccer. On Saturday night we were eating dinner at a member's home and they turned on the Mali and Ghana game. Mali is supposed to be one of the best teams in Africa. But, Ghana was doing very well against them. My companion and I left at halftime and started to walk back to our apartment because it was getting late. As we were walking I stopped to buy some pineapple and a group of people were watching the game. Literally thirty seconds later Ghana scored. And the place went absolutely crazy. People were screaming and yelling all over the place. Some guys were running up and down the street yelling Ghana Ghana Ghana!!! It was awesome. Ghana won and now if they win their next game against Niger they will qualify for the World Cup. 

My companion has also been really into soccer lately because his team DR Congo are doing very well and look to qualify soon as well. 

Wednesday- We had zone conference all day. We traveled to the Bantama Stake Center and it was my zone (Asuoyeboa) and Bantama zones combined. It was a very great conference. The zone leaders instructed on priesthood ordinances and the Assistants instructed on the Book of Mormon. As missionaries the Book of Mormon is one of our greatest tools. The Book of Mormon helps our investigators along the path of true conversion. Through the Book of Mormon one can come to know for themselves that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, The Church of Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ's church restored again to the Earth and that Jesus Christ lives and is the Savior of the world. Through my time in the field I have seen the power of the Book of Mormon. The promise in Moroni 10:3-5 really works. I have seen it in my life. Through study and prayer I have come to know that the Book of Mormon is true. But, I have also seen it in my investigators. During the first lesson we invite our investigators to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about it. The very next visit, every investigator that kept their commitment and read and prayed, all say that they have received their answer and know that it is true.

Zone conference was the highlight of the week. This week we focused on contacting. We went tracting all day Tuesday and Thursday to find new investigators. Here in Ghana tracting is a lot different than other missions. In all of my three months on mission no one has rejected us. Everyone here is so religious and are always happy to hear a message about Jesus Christ. The hard part is not trying to find people that will listen to you, it is trying to find serious people that will progress and come to church. Because everyone already goes to church and many are happy with their faith. But, this week we found some really solid people that I hope will progress.

Sadly, though I will not be in the area to see how it goes. I just got word today that I will be transferred from Asuoyeboa. It will be a very sad week. :( I have loved Asuoyeboa and all of the members and people that I have come to know here. I am still unsure which area I will be sent to but I will find out on Saturday and next week I will let you all know. 

I hope you all have a great week and I will talk to you all next week!!!

Love,

Elder Ordyna

Service Project for the Ward Relief Society President (Cutting Grass with a Cutlass)

Service Project for the Ward Relief Society President (Trimming Bushes)

Chilling after the Service Project with Ellen (member), Elder Vaituulala, and Elder Mubenga

Raining Missionary Work

On Friday a member said that she had something very special for us and if we didn't come that night than it will spoil. The only problem was that it was pouring rain. So I put on my crocs grabbed my umbrella and we set off. We walked through the pouring rain and had to cross a river to get to her house. We got a free meal at the Bishop's house and a ride back to our apartment.We went all the way to the members home for plaintain chips and some yogurt.

Hello Family and Friends,

This week I am emailing very early. As I am writing this all of you will probably still be asleep. We wanted to email early this week so we could have time to go to the Kumasi Mall. The mall and KFC are the closest things to back home. At the mall they have a store called Shoprite which is exactly like Walmart except smaller. It even has the same slogan "Always low prices, everyday" in the same font and everything. Ghana continues to be sweet! It continues to rain much longer than expected. Usually by this time of year it is the dry season and the dust starts to roll in. But it has rained for the past three days straight and the weather has been really cold. Despite the rain, we continue to proselyte every day. We had another over 50 hour week. Hard work pays off. We are having a lot of success. We are having baptisms and meeting a lot of new people everyday that are interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Rain Rain and more Rain

Tuesday- We had district council. The district continues to do have much success. The zone leaders told us that as a zone we have the highest numbers in the whole mission. (even though numbers don't matter) It shows that this is the Lord's work. And when we try our hardest and continue to work hard even when it seems like it is in vain, it will lead to success and we will find people that are interested. At district council I also gave my first ever instruction. I talked about the Book of Mormon and how we can better use it as missionaries to help our investigators. It is through the Book of Mormon that our investigators can truly be converted to the gospel. Because when we develop a testimony in the Book of Mormon we know that the prophet Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Christ's true Church restored again to the Earth and that Jesus Christ lives and is the Savior of the world. It went very well and everyone enjoyed it. Giving insturction was the reward for having the District Leader as a companion. He didn't feel like doing it so he pawned it off onto me. He continues to tell me that he is training me to become an assistant one day. Haha

Thursday- We met with one of our progressing investigators named Godfred in Tanoso (one of our farthest areas). We had a great lesson about the law of Tithing, Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. He understood everything very clearly. He has come to church twice and his baptism date was planned for the last Saturday of this month. But, at the end of the lesson he told us that he has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying and knows that it is true and wants to be baptized as soon as possible. My companion and I were in shock. Because the first time we extended a baptismal date he was a little hesitant and said I will be baptized only if I know it is true. Every time we met with him afterwards he said that he has not received an answer yet. But, then he had a change of heart. I can testify that the Holy Ghost can change people hearts. And if we ask God in prayer He will answer us. It might not be right away or the way we are expecting but it will come. God knows us and knows the best time and way for us to receive our answer. But it will always come. 

Godfred's Baptism (Elder Mubenga, Bishop Owusu, Godfred, Me, Sandra)

Saturday- We headed to the chapel at 7 am for chapel cleaning. After chapel cleaning the ward had a fitness activity where we did exercises and then played board games. After the activity we prepared for Brother Godfred's baptism. It was a very awesome baptism. There were a lot of members present.

This week has gone by very fast. There is only two more weeks in the Transfer and then I will be done with training and onto my third transfer. This week we have Zone Conference on Wednesday that I will update you on next Monday. Hope all of you have a great week! And GO DBACKS!!!

Love,

Elder Ordyna

Music Festival and KFC

Hello family and friends!!

I hope everything is well at home. Life in Ghana continues to be amazing. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to wake up every morning in Ghana and be a missionary. My companion and I are continuing to have a lot of success. The spirit here in Asuoyeboa is so strong. We had three confirmations yesterday. Alfred and two of the Nigerian sisters (Goodness and Gifty). 

Sisters Goodness and Gifty Baptism 

Alfred's Baptism 

Tuesday- We left the apartment at 7:00 am to visit Bridgit who is preparing to be baptized this week. She is 15 and just moved into her Aunt's house who is a member. She has come to church plenty of times and wants to be baptized. All we have to do now is just teach her the lessons. When we left the apartment it was pouring rain and she only told us what junction she lived on and told us that she would meet us there. We took tro to her junction but she wasn't there. We were waiting for thirty minutes camped out under a little shed until she finally showed. Despite this we had a great lesson. She is really progressing and said that she read ten chapters in the Book of Mormon and loved it. It is awesome to see your investigators keep commitments and progress towards baptism. 

Wednesday- Highlight of today was KFC!!! We have a tradition in my apartment that every second Wednesday (last week of Sub) after mid week we would head over to KFC for dinner because it is very close. It is always amazing when we go.

Thursday- Today we had exchanges. My companion went with Elder Woplah while I went with Elder Vaituulala. At first I was a little nervous because I am almost done with training (three weeks!!!) and Elder Vaituulala just started. We are both very new to the mission and didn't know how it would go. It ended up being an awesome day. Elder Vaituulala and I taught 8 lessons in one day! We worked so hard and it was a lot of fun. Elder Vaituulala is a great missionary. 

Exchange with Elder Vaituulala 

Saturday- Today was the music festival at Bantama Stake Center. All of the wards and branches in the stake sing two songs. Improve the Shining Moments and then one of their choice. They are judged on how well they sing, their appearance and other points. Asuoyeboa 2 placed third in the whole stake. After the festival we made another KFC run. It was great. It's nice to have something every once in a while that reminds you of home. 

The weeks keep going by like crazy. We are already in September and soon I will reach my three month mark and will be done with training and onto my third transfer. 

Love you all!!

Love,

Elder Ordyna

Email from Elder Mubenga 

(I do not edit his letters, because I don't want to lose any of his thoughts in translation) 

hey family area is doing great through my study i learned something that i already know about persisting in doing hard things "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for is to do not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do is increased" being over here with elder ordyna we felt that sometimes things is just very tough than we fot a very great taught and we know of no easy formula to success, we will persist, work, work, work is what counts in the battle of life my companion isn't a perfect missionary, but i am madly in love with the help, service and his diligence, i thank God for trusted me to be his companion. let us enjoy hard time.