The Life of the Party

Sometimes, date night doesn't go according to plan.  Luckily, Elder and Sister Hanlon were there to back me up.

This week, we started our individual missionary interviews for the quarter.  We met with the Kojokrom District, the Mpintsin District, the Assin Foso District and the Telecom District.

Mpintsin

The Assistants Instructing while I interview.

Kojokrom

The Sisters of Assin Foso

Telecom District

The Assin Foso District (don't worry, the Polynesians on both ends are really sweet missionaries.)

Sister Stevenson instructs.

After the Assin Foso meetings, it began to rain.  A cool breeze blew in through the window.  I invited everyone to come feel Oregon!

While we were in Assin Foso, we had our monthly meeting with the stake president and the zone leaders.  President Fokuo tells us that he is so grateful for the missionaries who brought him the Gospel that he feels the need to express it in any way he can.  He again surprised us with a wonderful fufu dinner before meeting.  This time it was goat with groundnut (peanut) soup.

On Thursday, I drove out to Axim to work with the missionaries and to do some baptismal interviews.  I stopped in Sofokrom on the way and interviewed an investigator that Sister Charumbira and Sister Ziqubu are teaching.

We had a nice afternoon and met with some very nice people.  Axim is such a beautiful place.  

On Friday, we held the Finish Strong Seminar for the missionaries who will complete their missions in January.  

Among other things, we discuss the application of these scriptures from the 88th Section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants: 

"Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.

Therefore, tarry ye, and labor diligently, that you may be perfected in your ministry to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time, as many as the mouth of the Lord shall name, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come;

That their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and in the world to come. Verily, I say unto you, let those who are not the first elders continue in the vineyard until the mouth of the Lord shall call them, for their time is not yet come; their garments are not clean from the blood of this generation.

Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes."

We eat.

They set group goals.

And they sign the Finish Strong Shirt.

 

After the seminar, Sister Stevenson and I drove to Praso where I had some interviews to take care of Friday night and Saturday.

Sister Stevenson gets to know the members while I am interviewing.

I set apart a new missionary who will serve in Nigeria.

I also met with President Johnson, the District President.

On Sunday, Sister Stevenson and I spoke in the Sacrament Meeting of one of the Cape Coast wards. Then, in the evening, we attended a fireside for another ward.  The missionaries from the ward did most of the teaching.  I just had a few concluding remarks.  

Elder Maendesa and Elder Peterson had an object lesson showing the importance of missionaries and members working closely together.

The meeting was held at the chapel across from the lagoon.  It is always so pretty in the evening.

MEANWHILE, IN THE TENNESSEE NASHVILLE MISSION:

Our son, Elder Stevenson, is doing great.  He has been serving in a small town called Paris, Tennessee, but he got transferred on Tuesday.  We don't know where his new area is yet -- we will hear from him on Monday.  He has loved the people in the branch in Paris and they have been very kind to him.  Southern hospitality lives, y'all.