Ghana Greetings:)

Hello there!

Well, I guess it is time for me to update everybody and tell you how Africa and Ghana are doing.  May I start out by talking about the weather. . . The Lord has finally showed a little mercy on us and it has been a little cloudy here this past week.  It rained one night, but the next morning was super humid. All in all, the weather is nice compared to 2 months ago.

Next, my investigators . . . May I say that these investigators can be a little resistant.  Keeping commitments is sometimes much harder for them than we think it will be.  The culture here is very different.  My companion and I have really been praying and doing everything on our part to progress them to the waters of baptism. It can be very difficult at times , but I will endure and do my part. I know that someday these groups and branches we are in will  turn into wards and stakes and districts.  My faith is being tested very much here in Ghana only because we are doing our part, but we are not yet seeing results.

That brings me to my next topic . . . My companion.  As you know, my companion and I have not been getting along much. So, this last week I have been studying the scriptures and conference talks and all my resources available to learn about love and compassion. As I applied what I learned, I actually have seen a big difference.  I have been showing him my love and in everything I do or say around him or to him has been out of my pure love.  As I have showed love to him, we have had better unity and have been getting along better.  It seems he has broken through the barriers that he was having with me.

Also Happiness . . . These past few weeks I will admit that happiness was not among me. All of the happiness that I was having completely disintegrated and I was left with no hope. As I was just walking around my area trying to find people to teach, I asked my companion if he was feeling the spirit and he said not at all. So, that resulted in us going back to the apartment and talking about our companionship unity and about the success we were not having. In the scriptures it states that "the spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the spirit ye shall not teach" D&C 42:14. I wanted my companion and me to fix all the problems between us and to gain the spirit so that we could be guided to those who have been prepared to receive this message and also so we could be receiving promptings on what to do and say in our area.  This week the spirit was actually present for most of the week and we taught some of the most powerful lessons with real heartfelt testimonies that really touched the people we were teaching.

Challenges and Trials,etc. . . .We have been struggling with money and with food here. The subsistence that the church is giving to us has not been holding us for the complete two weeks. I think Heavenly Father is really trying our faith and seeing if we can endure our trials. The cedi (ghana currency) has been dropping in value, but our subsistence has not changed at all. You can see that this would be a problem. If everything is increasing in price and our money is not increasing with the price increase . . . you can see where the problem lies. I will be learning these next few days and weeks how to manage money and make it last us for the entire timeJ

Me . . . Well I am doing fine. I am just walking around Ghana testifying to everyone of the truth and of the Church that Christ himself established. I understand my purpose here on mission and it does feel nice to be on the Lords side and to be working for him knowing that he will help in times of need.  I have learned that I cannot change God’s will, but can only accept it and align my will with His. I have learned much about the atonement and how we can use it for our benefit. I urge every one of you to just love those around you and you will see the difference it makes.  I love you and know that God is watching over you. I never worry about whether or not you guys are safe or are in hard times because I know that He will help you through them if you call upon His name in faith believing that you will receive.

Much Love,

Elder Cornelius