29 March 2010

Hey everyone, how's it going? Spring break sounds like fun, I hope all of you get over the vacation sickness. It sounds like you guys will be in for a busy couple of months. Say hello to Uncle Bryan for me when he gets here, and tell Aunt Emily congratulations. So yeah, this last week we were really busy, I think we ended up teaching 34 lessons. Right now we have 40+ investigators in our teaching pool, and that's really too many. We have to really be in tune with the spirit as we drop people that aren't serious. President Smith wants us to have about 25 people in our teaching pool at any given time, and he also wants us to have about 9-10 new investigators per week. So we're kept pretty busy. A lot of people are willing to listen to our message, and a lot of those will recognize the spirit and gain testimonies of the truthfulness, but only a few are willing to make any changes in their lives. It can be kind of frustrating. In one of our lessons this guy asked us, "so can people be baptized and then leave the church after they receive the gift of the holy ghost?" and "so what if I pray and God tells me that your message is true, but I'm also told that where I am now is good?". He for sure knows the truth, but he is just looking for anyway he can to keep from following it. Well, while it's sad to see people reject the truth that we've given them, it is exciting to teach people with enthusiasm for the church. The funerals here in Ghana are big deals. They are the biggest party and the most expensive expenditures for any person. In one of the nearby villages that we proselyte in the queen mother had died and the funeral was over the weekend. No one from that village came to church (including 4 recent converts that were confirmed last week) except for our three baptismal candidates. I was so happy to see them on Sunday. So I say, "Hi" to everyone, and I'm excited for Donovan. Wyview should be fun, hopefully your roommates will be cool. I'm jealous of Spencer, I miss playing Ultimate. And yeah, this place is aka Akim Oda. Anyway the work is moving forward, and I'm happy to be here to do the work. I miss my little brothers, and I love you all. Keep the faith, the church is true. Love, Elder Bradford Chambers

22 March 2010

Hey everyone! How are you guys all doing? Well the big news of the week is transfers. I went on transfers last wednesday and am now serving in a town called Oda. It's pretty nice here. It's kind of up in the hills and somehow far from Accra. It kind of reminds me of some town in the Appalachians the way everything is hilly and farms. The work is going really strong at the moment up here in the villages. Saturday we had a really nice baptism for five of the investigators my new companion, Elder Kivaya, has been working with. Unfortuanately the water we had wasn't really enough so the people basically had to lay down in order to be immersed. But we got it done and they made their covenants so we and the hosts of heaven rejoiced. We still have 3 with a baptismal date and are hoping to prepare 1 other person to be baptized on April 10th. Then we'll need some more referrals, because it almost only the referrals that get baptized here. My new companion, Elder Kivaya, is pretty cool. He's from Kenya, but was in medical school in Ukraine when he was baptized and decided to serve a mission. He's been out like 19 months or so and knows a ton. It's just me and him in the apartment here in Oda, and no other missionaries nearby. The rest of our district is in Asamankese which is an hour or so away. The whole north zone is really spread out and sparse, but the work is moving quick here because we are in the villages were the people are more humble. One of our big challenges here though is that our Mission President, President Smith, won't let anyone be baptized who can't read and understand English or at least can read Twi (but almost everyone that can read Twi can read English). This is hard for some people here to accept and understand so it gives us some problems. Anyway I'd say that I'm really lucky to be here in Oda, it's got the sweetness of the bush and enough development to have an internet cafe. Most of the other places in our zone don't have that luxury. Well I'm praying for you guys. Build your testimonies and stay true til I get home. Love you guys tons! Oh yeah I guess I'll write something for you to send to Sis Potter right now and send it to you real quick. Love, Elder Bradford Chambers

15 March 2010

Hey everyone! I'm doing well here. We had a really nice week last week. I'm sorry to hear about Bro. Flannery. I hope his family will be all right. I liked that idea about service, it will certainly be something I try this week. Like I said we had a nice week. On saturday we had Zainleone's baptism and gave Bro. Appiah a date for the 27th. Sunday was branch conference so we had a lot of people from the stake visiting. We are working hard, but transfers are this wednesday so we're sure something is going to happen. But we can't really make any guesses which of us are leaving. If we could choose though Elder Ewudzie really wants to stay and I'm cool with going somewhere new. If Donovan comes up with any great money making ideas I hope you'll share them with me. I could use some money when I get home too. As for housing, it was a lot of fun and really simple to live in Helaman Halls but off campus can be a lot cheaper. That's what everyone I worked with said at least. Don't they still have student loans? People have been telling me that Obama is giving people money, you could try asking him. So next week I'll write something to send to sis. potter. But I'm not sure what will happen next week so I guess I can't make any promises. (maybe i'll be transferred somewhere without internet or something else). If I can't then go ahead and put something together for me. Thanks. Have fun on spring break, I hope everyone has fun and enjoys. Keep working hard, I love you guys too much. Love, Elder Bradford Chambers

1 March 2010

Hey everyone! It's cool that Elder Bingam was able to call you guys last night. I met him at our stake conference that Elder Holland spoke at. I think he works throughout the area as something to do with public affairs. So yeah, it was a pretty exciting week with Elder Holland being here. I got to see him twice. The first time was when he spoke to the whole mission along with President Snow of the Seventy. That was really interesting. He's pretty funny in person and also someone I wouldn't want to make angry. He told us that he could go pretty ballastic. Mostly he talked about how important the missionary work is. It's really the most important thing in the world, he said. He also talked a lot about how our missions should be one of the biggest blessings in our life; so we should take advantage of them, work hard, grow up, and don't be homesick. He said that his mission was the greatest blessing of his life, and because of that he doesn't have any sympathy for missionaries that want to go home. He said if we wanted to talk to him about missing home then he'd get President Snow to sit on our legs and he'd sit with his knee on our throat and we could talk to him about missing home. He also taught us a little about how Preach My Gospel came about. He said that what happened was that President Hinckley told the missionary committee that they were doing it wrong. He said that if missionaries could go out and teach the gospel for two years and then come home and become inactive, then they were doing it wrong. So Preach My Gospel was designed with the idea that at least each missionary could finish their mission having converted at least one person, themselves. The second time I got to see Elder Holland was at a sort of stake conference here in the Adenta Stake. He spoke a lot about how men should respect their wives more and about how the youth were being "lost". He spoke a lot to the youth and how he wanted them to be active in the church and serve missions. It reminded me of that "Decade of Decision" talk from some General Conference not too long ago. Anyway everything is going fine here. Our investigators are doing well. Georgina should be baptized this Saturday (last Sat the baptist, her husband, was traveled). and Zainleone will be baptized the 13th and JW Appiah sometime in March as well. I'm sorry to here about Bro. Flannery. I hope their family is doing all right. I'll be praying for them, for sure. That's cool that Vera wants to be baptized. It's also cool that you're having them over for dinner, for some reason when I heard that I started imagining calzone. Love you guys, tell everyone hey! Love, Bradford