A One Year Party and A Departure Devotional

President & Sister Cosgrave's Farewell Devotional

Family & Friends!!

This week sure has gone by so fast. I have been so grateful to be here in the office for these past couple months as the Cosgrave's are preparing to go and the Webster's are coming! Last night we had a departure devotional for the Cosgrave's. It was such an amazing night but also a sad night. They go home on Saturday, and the new mission president comes the same day. I have learned so much from the Cosgrave's. They exhibit so many Christlike attributes that I want to develop in my own life. 

Daban District (Elder Momotimi, Elder Banta, me and Elder Dennis)

This past week was pretty much a normal week. We were able to proselyte a lot this week, and we met a lot of new people. We continue to proselyte with Elvis and every day he gives us new people to teach. Sister Mavis is doing so well! She was able to come to church early to see the sacrament. My companion and I were asked by the Bishop to bless the sacrament. Before she walked in my companion and I was so worried that she wouldn't make it in time. Right after the opening prayer, we saw her, and her two kids walk in the door. We both were smiling, and she was so happy to have the opportunity to witness the sacrament. Sister Mavis is so prepared to enter the waters of baptism. This Saturday will officially be hers and her niece's baptism. 




One of the highlights of the week was I went with all of the people that came with me on mission at the same time. Here in Ghana, they give us a non-citizen id card (for those of us that are foreigners) that expires after a year. And since I just hit my year mark mine was coming to expire so we all went and renewed ours together and then went to go and eat at probably the best restaurant you could find out here, and it would still be considered a Mcdonald's back home. It sure was a lot of fun and seriously made my week to see all of them again. That was the first time that we all were gathered again since the first time we came to the mission home at the beginning of our mission's. 

TC's after Renewing our Non-Citizen ID Cards

Aboude's (Elder Westfall, Elder Kona, Elder White, Elder Vito and Elder Dennis)

Eating at Aboude's after renewing our Non-Citizen ID Cards

I have absolutely loved my first year of mission and everything that has happened so far. I am definitely looking forward to my last year and making it the best one yet. Love you all so much!!



Love,

Elder Ordyna

Less-Actives, Former Investigators & One Year Mark

Dear families and friends,



I am finally over the one year hump! I have now been in Ghana for a year, which is pretty crazy. As I look back, it feels like only yesterday I came on a mission. But, I can honestly say that I have experienced and learned so many new things this past year and can't wait for what my last year will bring.



This week we shifted gears from investigators/new contacts to less-actives. Our bishop talked about less-actives in our last ward council, and everyone agreed that trying to find less-actives and working on bringing them back will help strengthen the ward and help us missionaries to increase our teaching pool. So, for most of this week, we went down the ward directory and called everyone that we haven't seen at church. A lot of the phone numbers were wrong or didn't go through. But, we were able to meet with about five of them successfully. Some of them lived super far away and basically out in the bush. A lot of their main reasons why they haven't been coming to church is that they live too far away from the chapel and it is hard to get a car that goes there. Some of these people stay a good 30-45 minutes from the chapel which is not a cheap tro ride. We had some really great lessons with them and tried to help them to come back to church. On Sunday we saw three of them! They were so happy to be back at church finally. At the end of the meeting, I asked them how church was, and they said that it was amazing and they regret not coming. It is seriously amazing to see someone change their lives and progress unto baptism. But, it is also really special to see a "lost sheep" brought back into the fold.



This week we also focused on former investigators. This last week we searched our area book for people that were taught by previous missionaries also to find new people to increase our teaching pool. For many people, the first time they meet missionaries they aren't ready to change or accept their message. One thing that I have learned on mission is that every person is different. The time it takes for someone to progress and make a change in their lives is different for everyone. Some can do it in three weeks others may take years. On Sunday we met one such person. His name is Alfred. He met with missionaries a year ago and only had one visit with them. He didn't keep any commitments and wasn't really interested in what the missionaries had to say. But, when I called him on the phone on Sunday, he was super happy and wondered when we could get out there to see him. He was very attentive during the whole lesson and was even asking very good questions. He accepted a baptismal date and even told us that he would come to church on Sunday by himself. He is so ready for the gospel now. The time was right for him!



I am so grateful for this amazing gospel. I know that it changes lives I have seen it first hand during my mission. I also know that it gives us joy and happiness and helps us to have peace. I am so grateful for all of the people that I have met this past year here Ghana and for all of your support and love you have sent me!

I look forward to this next year and for the people I will meet and the spiritual experiences I will have.



Love you all so much! Till next week!

Elder Ordyna

Cooking in Brother Boakye's house

Daban Album Cover

Taking Brother Elvis's Family to KFC

Birthday meal at Brother Brobbey's house

Pack as many Elders as you can into the Mission Van

Less-Actives, Recent Converts and Members at Stake Conference

Survived Transfer Week and One Year

Daban District at a fried rice place (Elder Ellett, Elder Moak and Elder Momotimi)

All family and friends I send my greetings,

I decided to change up my heading for this email. It is officially the beginning of my year mark on the mission. The party is starting around here. In four days I will have spent one year out here in Ghana, which is pretty crazy. It definitely does not feel that long. 

We had usual transfers this week. Which means no sleep, plenty of driving around and dealing with missionaries that need help. That basically sums up my week in one sentence. But, I do have to admit it was also pretty awesome and fun at the same time, like every week on mission. 

Elder Moak and I visiting Brother Joshua's family (members) before transfers 

I am still in the office and officially have the tenth companion of my mission so far. His name is Elder Dennis and is from Wyoming. He is a great guy and ready to help me in the continuation of the overhaul of the GKM Office. Elder Moak and I started it and have made this place seriously so much more effective and more efficient. I thank my dad for all of his processing help and skills. Elder Dennis and I will continue it and prepare the way for the new mission president in a couple of weeks. 

My new companion Elder Dennis with the Cosgraves at the Cosgraves farewell zone conference

The funniest part of this week was Elder Porter. He is a missionary that was with us for the week and goes home on Wednesday. For his last week, President told him that he was a freelancer and basically could do whatever he wanted within the means of the missionary handbook. This guy pushed his title of "freelancer" to the utmost limits. He always referred to himself as Elder Freelancer Porter and changed the contact of his phone in all of the office phones to Freelancer. He was also firing everybody. We would have him call people, and he would say "This is Freelancer Porter We have a big issue in the office." He made things very active, and I honestly loved having him with us. He helped us a lot and was very productive. 

Francis Appiah Family

William Ward Clerk

Things continue to go well for us in the proselyting department. Ghana is just such a blessed country with so many believing people. One of the things that the apostles told us when they were here was that one of the first places Jesus Christ will visit during the Second Coming will be Ghana. We have been meeting such amazing people recently. We have had a lot of new investigators this week that seems really promising and I believe will progress as we continue to teach them. 

I have seriously learned so much serving the Lord out here in Ghana this past year. I am so grateful that I was called to this part of His vineyard. Ghana is an amazing country with more amazing people. Love you all and hope you all have a great week!!

Love, 
Elder Ordyna

Office Shenanigans

Transfers: Round 3

Hey all,

It is transfer week once again, and officially my one year mark month. I hit one year next week. It seems like each transfer is getting shorter and shorter now. My companion Elder Moak will be leaving me and headed out to Nkawkaw one of our farthest east areas out in Eastern Region. My new companion is Elder Dennis from Star Valley Wyoming.

It has been a great week with a lot of random stuff happening. A major obstacle in the office is we do not know when things will come up or what kind of things will happen. We thought we would have a lot of time to go out and proselyte this week because it was week 6 and nothing happens in the office that week. But, just a bunch of random things for transfers and other stuff happened. Like a companionship dropped their phone into a well and we had to make an emergency trip to give them a new phone. 

This last weekend we helped one of our members move. Let me just say it was basically Extreme Hoarders: Ghana Edition. She had so much useless stuff that she has collected over the years that had no useful purpose anymore. We made four trips with three trucks full and there were still things that needed to go, but we didn't have time for it. It took us three hours to help her move. I couldn't imagine how many rats they had in there. But, it was very sweet to do some wonderful service for one of our ward members. They were so grateful for our help and super happy.

We are making a lot of progress with Sister Mavis. She is very serious and constantly tells us that she is ready for baptism. Her baptism is planned for next week on Saturday the 16th. We have also been praying and fasting a lot for her husband, Aquesi. I have seen the power of prayer and fasting through brother Aquesi. He hasn't been to church yet, but he has made significant changes since we first met him. He reads the Book of Mormon and prays every day. He is very interested and loves our lessons. He is doing so well, and he is even so much happier now than before! The gospel of Jesus Christ does change lives and helps us to become so happy. 

God wants us to be happy, and we can be happy as we do what is right.

Love you all so much!!
Elder Ordyna

Abode's after renewing Non-citizen ID cards

Elder Smith, me and Elder Moak chilling in the mission van

Watching hair stylist at investigator's house

Sorting Mother's Day calling cards with Elder Schmidt and Elder Moak