Me? John The Baptist? Say What? :)

July 27, 2015

My First Baptism!

Eric Toku or "Kwame" got baptized!
Sunday, July 26, 2015

Elder Bramwell, Kwame, and Elder Antwi

Gunnar also baptized the sister's candidate and two of the zone leader's.

Hello family and Friends? Obusea mo hoi te sien? (How is the/your family?) That's not the correct spelling, but that's how it's pronounced :)

I'm doing my best to learn as much Twi as possible! We meet people or members from other places who say, What?! You don't speak Twi?? But your Companion does! haha so I realize what a great opportunity this is to learn the language so I am not going to waste it :)

We ran into Yaw Ketewa's brother early this week and he was very distressed about his death and so were we. I told you how they found him in his bed dead in the morning for no reason. When we talked to his brother who found him, he said he was lying on his bed with the Book of Mormon open and the phone in his hand about to dial a number... I cannot tell you the chills this gave me. He didn't remember what part of the book was open, but I truly believe he was called to his glory or something along those lines.

We were worried because we thought people might think the Book of Mormon killed him (they are easily spooked), but instead it inspired his family to be baptized because they don't want to miss their opportunity! 

I think that is a great lesson in life, we could die tomorrow literally so what are we going to do with today? What have we put off that we need to get done? What is truly most important to us?

So something kind of exciting happened this week, no big deal really...

We had our first BAPTISM! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

LOL it just feels good to say:) On Sunday, July 26, I Baptized Eric Toku or "Kwame" as we know him:) He is a wonderful young man about the age of 20. We have been teaching him almost since I first got here. He really has a strong testimony of the church and his mother is a member so it is sooo sweet to have them united in the Gospel. 

In Ghana here and especially where i am in the "bush," it is very common for some parts of the family to be one faith and others to be another.

I must tell you also I am living in the time of The Book of Mormon I kid you not. Let me explain:

-Everyone speaks a strange ancient language.

-Our branch President is also the Chief Judge. Yes, Chief Judge like Alma from the Book of Mormon. People even complain he needs to step down from chief judge so he can focus on being the Branch President just like Alma!

-The villages and their chiefs follow the traditions of their fathers and refer to what we know as God as the "Great Spirit"...just like King Lamoni. 

- They dress in robes and carry around staffs. 

- They judge you and could even put you to death if they wanted.

It's seriously the craziest and coolest thing! I am loving my mission. It is a new adventure every single day.