Christmas in the Bush . . .

Hey Fam and Friends,

This week was great. During the proselyting time, we were able to share the message of Christ being the gift given to us from our Heavenly Father. During our time off (Christmas Day) we were able to enjoy ourselves by drinking tons of soda and chopping some sweet chicken. I did some fireworks with the members and some investigators and finished the day with calling my family. Thank you family for taking the time to talk to me and truly make my week and months worth it. This mission is not an easy thing to do especially when some do not understand why I am doing it, but when I talked to you guys.... it made it worth it and made me happier than you can imagine.

I am doing well. Today all of our MTC mates gathered together in Kumasi for our 1 year mark. We played soccer and are about to go to somewhere called "Poolside." We will go to a restaurant with a pool and eat some pizza and fries and watch others swim while we enjoy ourselves.  To think that I have been in the country for 1 year now blows my mind and it still does not seem real. Many people keep telling me that it is now downhill, but in fact it is the bigger hill that I am to climb. This next one year will be when I try even harder and put forth even more effort in all that I do. I have been called to serve a two-year mission meaning that I am to work and serve for two full years and not one year and then coast the rest of the way. This work is tough at times but can be very sweet though when you see the gospel change the lives of others.

I love you all and hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have a Happy New Year.

~ Elder Cornelius ~

Merry Christmas

Well greetings to everyone from Africa! I just want to wish everyone a happy and Merry Christmas!!!!! Enjoy your family and the gifts.  Remember to be grateful for those things that you received and for those small things you might not recognize as blessings like a roof over your head and a place to lay down at night or even the sweet food some of you are eating. Receive them all with joy and be sure to thank our Heavenly Father for them because he is the one who is doing all the giving.I love you all and Merry Christmas!!!!

Love, Elder Cornelius

Christmas

Hello My Wonderful Family!!!

Today is Christmas Eve and I wanted to let you know how much I love y'all and miss you this Christmas. As you well know this Christmas is much different than any one we have ever had. I am in Africa, Brett in AZ, Gary and Mom being in DC and Dad in CO. This is my first Christmas away from all of you that I love so much. But I don't think that I could be in any place better right now than in the service of my God.    

I have not heard one person say Merry Christmas until this morning and that is because they think that Christmas is today. It really feels like just another day in the harmattan season for me. But, it is no problem since I know that tonight I will be watching fireworks with my investors and some members. So I guess that will be the highlight of my Christmas.

Nothing New, But a Few Pics - Sorry!

Well this week was nothing much. I was able to take all of my district members accountability report and then give the report to the Zone leaders... it is weird being in charge of a district and having to correct them at times and congratulate them at times, but I guess it is cool and it is going well.

I just want you all to know that I am doing well and I am happy and just waiting for Christmas.  haha. I have some new Christmas music now so I will be playing it around the apartment and just thinking of you guys and how much I love you and miss you. Enjoy the snow and the sweet sweet food. Here it is getting a little cooler, but the dust is getting pretty heavy in the air. Somedays I will leave my apartment and come back only to dust my table off so that I can eat. It is normal though being the "harmattan" season.

New Update and PICS

Well this week went really well. I am not sure what got into my companion and I but we really did try our very best to find new people to teach despite all our challenges. Every night we would come back and just collapse on the bed and fall asleep because we are so tired and drained. We really did our best to prove to the Lord that we are his missionaries and are willing to preach His gospel and with our full energy and our full self. Even when we were walking and started to tire, we would start walking faster because we knew that if we did, the spirit would lead us to those who have been prepared to listen to our message we have to share. Let me tell you that it did work. We found some people who spoke English and can read very well. (this is super uncommon in our village) We taught them about the restoration and they promised to read the Book of Mormon and they were the ones to schedule a return appointment. This week we will go back and see their progress.

Christmas - What Is it Really About?

Hello Everyone,

I want you to ask yourself if you know the meaning of Christmas and the importance behind the holiday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has released a short video with the answers coming from the scriptures itself. Some have already heard about this video and maybe have watched it, but it was my first time just this last week and I want to share it with those who have not seen it.

The first gift of Christmas was not wrapped. It was a gift of life, of hope—given by a loving Father to all His children: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). He is the Christ. He is Christmas. He is the Gift.

Please take just a few minutes and watch this short video to start your December and to start your Christmas season. Go to the link below and click it if you have the desire to celebrate your Christmas the right way (centered on Jesus Christ).

http://www.mormon.org/christmas

~ Elder Cornelius ~

11 Months on Mission, Thanksgiving and More

Hey Family and Friends,

I hope that every one this past week enjoyed their Thanksgiving and all the wonderful food. In Ghana, there is no such holiday as Thanksgiving, but luckily my companion and I are not Ghanian haha so we celebrated a little in a different way than all of you. We went out and taught what it means to be thankful and what we should be thankful for. On that Thursday, we were able to teach new people and tell them how blessed they really are and we taught them how to be thankful for what they have whether it is much or not. As for me, I was able to enjoy a plate of fried rice and two chicken legs with a 1.5 litre of fake Coke. Yup you can say we really went the extra mile to enjoy ourselves haha.

I think that I have already told you all that I put up a Christmas tree in our apartment, but now I have attached the photos of it.