Missionary work is fun!

Alright friends and family I am at the close of one week, but where one door closes another opens!
Elder Bautner and I have been having huge amounts of success! It honestly has been unreal. Also, every day we find out more and more things that we have in common--the other elders in our apartment now refer to us as twins since we don everything the same.
Something that we have been doing that has really changed our lessons together and has been very beneficial in helping to invite the Spirit into our lessons is singing a closing hymn. It was Elder Bautner's idea to start doing it and I have noticed a huge difference in the behavior of our investigators after we sing a nice, soft, reverent hymn.
We are looking forward to our proselyting efforts in Juapong, we've been able to contact a few of our less active members who live there and after meeting with them they've been very excited about missionary work. One man, named Richard Awonu, told us that he felt like he has been sleeping and he, now, had been woken up. We are very excited for him and pray that he will be able to sacrifice the now tripled cost of fare from his home to the Church on Sundays (it takes about 45 minutes travel time, since the Atimpoku bridge closed down a few months ago and the only mode of travel across the Volta River is to take the overpriced and over crowded ferry).
I love you all and hope that you have a great week!
Elder Green

Missionary work is Blessed

Hello all!
So this week has been crazy.
Monday: Wash Clothes, travel to Akosombo to hit up the internet cafe and then we had to run to Odumase Krobo (like 45 minute trotro ride) to talk to some dude who was supposed to make us some bags from 6 weeks ago. We get there, he's not there, it begins to rain. He shows up, hasn't made anything for us (even though he assured us on the phone that he had it all finished and made) ruined our materials by leaving them out in the rain. Took us almost an hour standing out in the dark and the rain trying to get a car home. Terrible disappointing day.
Tuesday: Get a phone call early in the morning that we need to be in Accra to renew our government non citizen cards. I am clear out in the Bush and it takes like 3-4 hours to travel to Accra. The whole day got spent travelling.
Wednesday: We started off the day with hours of fruitless finding and then had to travel to Kpong to conduct a few baptismal interviews. Whilst in Kpong it started to rain. And rain. And rain. Pretty soon we were wading through knee deep water out in the bush trying to make out way back to the main road. The sun was setting fast and we finally stumbled across the road at 7p.m. and sat soaking wet in a trotro until we came home. At home the electricity was off.
Thursday: We received yet again another phone call early in the morning informing us that there had been an emergency transfer and we would be receiving two more missionaries in our Branch, and we had finally been given permission to proselyte in Juapong (it is on the opposite side of the Volta River-missionaries have never been there before). They we coming from Ho (clear up in the Volta Region) and due to a huge rain storm that was moving towards us they were stranded. We spent the majority of the day stuck in the apartment, preparing to recieve two more and the rain kept us inside. Finally at 7pm they arrived. Yet again, there was no light in the apartment.
Friday: Elder Bautner and I go to Juapong. We walked about twenty feet after exiting the taxi and contacted one person, and after that one person we were led from referral to referral to referral. We were almost speechless. We literally had throngs of people gather around us as we shared with people about The Church that Christ established whilst on the Earth. While there one of Elder Bautner's former investigators from Ho saw us walking by, we met with her and she came to Church on Sunday and accepted a baptismal date! Both of us have agreed that we were led by the Spirit throughout the day. It was one of the most inspiring and curious days of my mission.
Alright so that basically sums up my week. Elder Bautner and I came to Ghana the same time and he is from Murray, UT. Really sweet guy and we both have a ton in common--really ridiculous actually. We've been super blessed the short time that we've been here and we are enjoying our proselyting area so much.
I love you all and I know the Church is True.
Elder Green

When we work hard, time flies

This week honestly flew by. Time is moving so quickly that I am having a hard time keeping everything straight in my head. Elder Kay and I have been working the best that we can and have been opportune to have many, very, wonderful lessons with many different people.
On Sunday we were able to have two wonderful sisters confirmed members of the Church and they also had the chance to attend the Sisters Conference in Kpong this past Saturday. (It was a big challenge for them due to the distance and cost of travelling) But these two women gave me an assurance after Church on Sunday that whenever there was any kind of Church program or activity they would surely be there. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the faithfulness of these two women, who despite lack of money, persecutions from family, and constantly hearing rumors, have made the faithful choice of seeking guidance from above.
We found out this week that there is a good possibility that we will open up groups in two of our surrounding cities. That is in Akosombo (we are the first missionaries allowed to proselyte here) as well as Juapong (both are within our branch boundaries but the latter is on the opposite side of the River Volta and too far to travel. No missionaries have been there). If this happens, it is likely that Elder Kay and I will both be assigned to one of these cities (I use the term liberally. Their more like towns or villages)--which would be super exciting--but we'll see what happens in the coming weeks.
I have to end my letter with how I opened it. Time has been going by so quickly I am still having difficulty wrapping my head around it all. I love you all and wish the best of weeks! Talk to you all in 7 days!
Love, Elder Green

Members are the lifeblood of the mission!

Hello all! So this week went by so fast!
We have been having a bit of difficulty getting to meet people in Akosombo since most of the homes have gates around their compounds and a lot of people are gone at work during the day. Well, we have a recent convert who used to live in Akosombo and wanted to show us some of his friends. We were excited to have him help us--but also a bit nervous since he's kinda crazy and likes to talk a lot. Anyways, within 4 hours he had introduced us to 10 people who were able to sit down with and have short little lessons with and these people have all agreed to let us come back and visit them. It was actually very exciting. Right now our biggest struggle in getting people to come from Akosombo is the fact that trotros don't run Sunday morning and taking a taxi is way too expensive for most people. We're still pressing forward though.
Fortunately, we were able to have two baptisms this past Sunday! We are super excited for these two wonderful women who have joined our ranks. We had to work for a long time for Awusebea Janet to become willing to let us sit down and discuss with her. She'd come to church occasionally--but would never allow us to sit down and talk with her. It wasn't until her sister became interested in the Church that she'd allow us to sit down with her. The two of them were baptized together.
Sorry for the short letter and all but this will have to do for now. I love you all and wish you the best week.
Elder Green