Daaban is Now A Ward

Companionship Study with Elder Amaechi, Elder Moak and myself

Bantama Zone Conference (Elder Duncan, Elder Moak, Elder Amaechi, Elder Ordyna and Elder Amponsah)

Dear family and friends,

The big news this week is that I am now officially serving in a ward again. This past weekend was Daaban Branch conference. And the stake president announced that the First Presidency approved making it a ward. Man, all of the members were so happy and couldn't believe it. I will seriously have to get used to calling the Bishop "Bishop" not president anymore. A lot of the members of the branch now ward are among some of the first members of the church in Kumasi. Even one of the sisters Nana Kanadu was the member that brought a branch to Daaban like ten years ago.

I have to say it is so cool serving in a place where the church is so young and developing. There is a lot of training and advice that we do as missionaries; we get to help the members and branches become better disciples of Jesus Christ, we also get to interact with some of the first members of the church in this part of the world, their stories are so powerful. We went to Nana Kanadu's last Sunday for dinner and she shared her conversion story and how she found the church in Accra and was traveling five hours every Sunday to attend church services. Some Saturdays she didn't have enough money to get to Kumasi, but she had faith that she would get the necessary funds to go there. One Saturday she was walking along the side of the road, and a Tro pulled over and offered to pick her up for half the price. Another Saturday she was conversing with one of her friends, and she found that he was going to Accra that evening and she was able to get a ride with him to church. My branch president in Techiman was the first member in Techiman. He told me stories about how he traveled two hours every Sunday to Kumasi for church and similar stories about how miracles happened so he could get to church. Then the church came to Sunyani, so he only had to travel an hour instead of two. Then he was able to bring a branch to Techiman, and his wife was the first convert in the branch, and he was the first branch president in Techiman. Just from the faith and devotion of one man twenty years ago there are now four progressing branches in Techiman with 16 missionaries serving there. Later this year they are planning to even create a fifth branch and then to create the Techiman District. The church is seriously growing and doing so well here in Ghana, and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be right in the middle of it as a missionary and to go out every day to help the people and church here in Ghana.

Investigators at Church (Mary, Boating, and Alfred)

In the office, we aren't able to proselyte much because of all of our other duties and responsibilities. A couple of weeks ago the high councilman over missionary work came to the branch and started to chastise our missionaries for the lack of baptisms and success we have been having. After that, we made some serious goals not to waste a second in the office and to go out and proselyte as much as possible. And ever since we have made that goal, we have seen the success begin. Two weeks ago we had a member introduce us to his friend Bonaface and the next day he came to church. Then this past week the same member showed us a family and the day after we taught them they came to church as well. This past Sunday we had six investigators at church, and all of them are seriously progressing very well, and we are hoping to have three baptisms in April. The work continues to go well here in the best mission in the world GHANA KUMASI MISSION!

Today at our zone conference President Cosgrave announced that at the end of May FOUR general authorities would be coming to visit Kumasi and we will have a mission tour. One of the four coming will be Elder Neil L. Anderson of the quorum of the 12 apostles which will be absolutely sweet. General authorities love visiting Ghana because of how well the church is growing here if you take away the Africa West Area the number of convert baptisms would go down. We have the highest baptisms in the world. We have had four apostles come in the last year, but not one was able to make it all the way up to Kumasi so it will be super special to have one here!!

We will also have the great privilege of watching and listening to words from our prophets, seers, and revelators this weekend, as well as view General Conference. I have heard this one will be a big one with the sustaining of President Nelson as the prophet and president of the church and then the announcement of two more apostles.

I hope you all have a great week and I encourage all of you to go out and do one act of service and share the gospel with one person every day!

I love you all!
Elder Ordyna