Elder Ordyna - Ghana Kumasi Mission: The Town is Heating Up

Hey all!!

You get to hear from me once more today. After today you only get to hear from me 15 more times which I know is so sad for all of you.

I don't even know where to begin. This week was seriously indescribable. We are making things happen out here in The Town and things seem to be happening all at once.

The beginning of the week was really somehow though. Elder Musudi and I proselyted and had some pretty rough days. Lessons falling through, members cancelling at the last second to come translate for us and a lot of other things happened. But, on Thursday the great things started as President Webster drove all the way from the Mission Home to Nkawkaw to drop off Elder Etukudo after a week of resting in the mission home. From the second he stepped foot in this place miracles started to happen.

The first day we were together we were able to meet with two new investigators that I had to tried to get a hold of but were never around. I called them and called them but they would never pick or would tell us that they were too busy to have us come by. But, when I called them with Elder Etukudo they instantly agreed for us to come by and teach them. It was a man named Reuben and his boss Chico. They own and take care of a huge chicken farm. I have never seen so many chickens running around in my life. We were able to teach them a pretty sweet lesson one and they asked us some really great questions. I have to be honest, the smell of the chickens was pretty distracting but, throughout my mission I have really learned how to stay focused and teach no matter what is going on around us. It is a forced skill to learn out here that is for sure. One of our other investigators also shared with us that she has received an answer to her prayers and knows 100% that The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord's true church. She said that one night she had a dream. In the dream fire balls were falling from the sky. She was trying to find a place to hide to protect her from the fire when she saw three kids in the distance tell her to come. The children led her to a big house for protection. She didn't understand the dream at all until she came to church for the first time. She said that our chapel was the house that she saw in her dream and that the three little kids are members in the branch!!

On Saturday we headed out to chapel cleaning. I told my new companion a lot about the branch and how nobody shows up for cleaning it is just the four missionaries. I let him know that he should prepare for some serious work because we would most likely be the only ones that will come. We will have to clean the whole chapel ourselves. Before we went we discussed it and made up the agreement that if we go and we are the only ones we won't go again but if we go and there are plenty of members there then we will continue to attend. When we arrived at the chapel I couldn't believe my eyes. For the first time ever we were not the ones to open the chapel for chapel cleaning right at 8 am. There were 6 members that were already there cleaning the place. It was seriously awesome! The branch and the members are really changing small small in the right direction. We were also able to have some seriously great lessons with two new investigators Esther and a boy named Felix. We also headed up the mountain to Mpraeso for a baptismal interview. The man that we went interview wasn't around so we walked around the town and talked to people small about the gospel and then about an hour later we went back to the house and he still wasn't around. So, basically we spent three hours up there for no apparent reason or so I thought. Until we received the PHONE CALL from a MEMBER!! He said that he had two referrals for us that will come to church the next day and then also that another member also had a referral for us that second. It was the first time I have received a referral from any of the members out here. It was right at the right time too because we were just coming down the mountain and was able to go straight to the members house and teach a powerful lesson. After many prayers and efforts we are starting to see a big change in the branch and in the members!! Their hearts are softening towards us and they are starting to have a serious spirit to go out and do missionary work.

The best day of the week was Sunday. Five of our progressing investigators came to church. They are all doing well and love the church but they each have their own problems. We found out last week that the family we found out in the bush hasn't married yet which is a huge problem. In Ghana marriages take months to happen so I probably won't be here for when they are baptized but I am at least paving the way and setting their foundation in the church. Our others have word of wisdom problems and other concerns that we are doing all that we can to help them overcome. But, the great news is that we also had two men that Brother Joe brought to church with him as promised. They were very interested and loved everything that they experienced at church. Our teaching pool has more than doubled this past week and we will hopefully be having some baptisms in the coming weeks. In the evening we were able to have a seriously spiritual and powerful lesson with one of the referrals that came to church named Brother Collins. He is super soft heartened and really open to the gospel. He told us that for the past 2.5 years one of his friends has been talking to him about the church and inviting him to come but he never came. He heard a lot of bad things about the church like most Ghanaians. About how we are a cult and worship Satan and a whole lot of other stuff. All of the pastors out here spread false rumors about the church that make many people scared to come. But, Collins decided that Sunday was going to be the day that he came to see for himself if what they were saying were true. He told us that he more than happy with what he saw at the church. He felt total joy and happiness while he was there and said that he wants to come join us every single day!!

This week was definitely one to never forget. It was full of miracles and amazing blessings. We have been able to see our efforts and hard work out here in The Town come to fruition and has resulted in amazing things!!

Love you all!!!

Elder Ordyna

P.S- I know I have promised you many pictures but for now I just have a couple. Hopefully they will be able to hold all of you over until next week.

Here are some selfies and some pictures of the scenery for your viewing pleasure.