Greetings from Africa! God Loves Us.

Well this week was like a roller coaster. There were some very great moments and days, yet also the other end as well. I am telling myself almost every day that trials are making me a better man. Let's just say that these days the trials are plenty. This week, we have had power the total of 20-30 hours and none of those hours are during the night when we need a fan. The next thing during the week was that our water ran out twice and the well where we fetch water has dried up.. so we were using drinking water to bathe and do our wash... and on top of that the apartment refrigerator died. This is almost at the point of being too much to handle. So, those are the down/dips in the roller coaster week.

Greetings from Ghana

Hey there Family and Friends!

This week I was able to receive my new companion and the new district members. In our apartment currently there is My companion (Elder Lekoko from Botswana) and I, and also the other companionship; Elder Maribana (South Africa) and Elder Nielson (South Utah). So, there are four of us in the apartment. The other apartment of missionaries is right next to the chapel about ten minutes away in a taxi and there are also four elders in that apartment as well. My companion is a cool guy. The only thing is that he is quite and for me that is wahala (problem) because I need someone that I can talk to and communicate. Maybe Heavenly Father wants me to close my yap and just listen more.. maybe I will that a try.

This week was slow none the less. Most of my time was spent contacting new people and "trying" to teach them the gospel. I say try because now a days people are not wanting us to discuss with them. The other part of my time was spent traveling to give Baptismal Interviews. On Friday, I went up to the Mountains to give one companionship two people. And on Saturday I went to Domeabra to interview the Zone Leaders investigators for their baptisms as well. Domeabra is about 2 hours away just for the info. So this week was a bit tiring as you could imagine but I am just trying to "Put my Shoulder to the Wheel" and endure these hard times and embrace the sweet times when they come.

I love you all so much and I do know that what I am doing out here in Africa can only help me and others that I come in contact with. These experiences that I am having here in Ghana are... priceless Even if the experiences are not spiritual like chickens riding on the backs of goats or using a 19 century computer to email home. The time that I am having is bittersweet.

God Bless you all and talk to you next week,

Elder Cornelius

Service is my way to express love to all! Pics included.

Well this email might be short but this last week was nothing special. We did receive transfer news late Saturday night. Turns out that my companion is leaving to Kumasi on Wednesday and my MTC mate Richardson is leaving to the northern half of Ghana. In the District we are getting 3 new people. My new companion is from Botswana and we are getting one American and one Nigerian as well.  This week we did a ton of service for our investigators. We came up with this idea of making a shower for one of them because usually they just shower outside and let people walk by and look because they have nothing to cover their bodies with as they bathe.

We also did some weed cutting for another family, but we forgot to bring the camera for that one. We used a machete to cut down weeds that are taller than us and we helped the family prepare a piece of their land for farming.  This morning I was reflecting on how old on mission I am and reflecting on how much I have learned and grown. It truly is amazing what the Lord can do to me when I remove myself from the worldly things and make time for him in my life. It is really awesome that now I can tell when the spirit is coming and going because I have developed that spiritual sensitivity allowing me to know when the spirit is talking to me and when the spirit is not pleased as well. Everyday as I work in the Lord's vineyard, I cannot describe the joy that comes from seeing others come to the light and truth of the gospel. This mission is sweet, tough, tiring, yet rewarding in many ways. The Church is true and is guided by our Resurrected Lord through the Prophet Thomas S. Monson. This is the small testimony that I can give at this time.

I love you all very much and miss you. I continue to pray for each of you day and night.

Sincerely,

Elder Cornelius

Pics - Small Small

This is a rope swing that we built for some kids of our investigator.... ya we might have had just as much fun as those kids did :)

Pounding fufuo.... for our Christmas dinner

This is fufuo with chicken and groundnut soup. tastes better than it looks...

We teach a gold miner... ya i am holding about a few thousand dollars worth of gold... it was pretty heavy.

The chickens are plucked and are now chilling and calling people.. haha. they tasted pretty sweet too

Where Is Your Heart? Mine Was Sick. haha

Hey there family and friends!

This week was a nice one but also one of learning too. The week started off by me gathering my district members and traveling 2 hours to Kumasi for Zone Conference. Zone Conference is when multiple Zones come together to hear some instruction from our Mission President. So our Zone Conference was on Tuesday from 10-4 pm. We did take a 45 min break for lunch in between but it was a very long meeting none the less. The mission president gave some great council on missionaries working with members and the difference between when we do work with them and when we don't. Lets just say that it is very effective and essential that missionaries involve the members in the work always. He also congratulated us on having reached the mile stone of 1000 baptisms in the year of 2014 as a mission.

New Year's Pics

Well this is another blessed P-day but the first one for me in 2015! Thanks mom for your detailed email and Gary for your email as well.

Well this last week was really nice enjoyment wise but not teaching wise. On the 31st, after we were done proselyting, one of the shop owners right out side our apartment let me use her shop for the night. So I went and cleaned her shop out and put some chairs inside and hung some lights up and we put one of the missionaries music players inside and we just chilled and listened to some music and danced until midnight or 7 your time and then I lit off a huge roman candle to celebrate our New Year in Ghana. On Thursday at 4 our branch threw a new years party and we combined with the other branch. The turn out was probably about 150 people or so. The church rented a sound system and had a DJ there. There also was a food eating competition and musical chairs and some performances by certain people. The Primary did a little song thing and the young men did their own skit and the young women did a nice song. We missionaries sung "Come thou Fount of Every Blessing." Also there was some dancing and food for everyone to enjoy like a potluck.  As you could imagine I did some dancing and was nominated for the food eating contest and yes I did win the contest haha.

Well all is going well here and there is definitely new hopes for this next year. I love you all and will talk to you next week..... With some pictures attached....

~ Elder Cornelius ~

 The branch Christmas party... we sang a little somethin somethin

 Christmas Fireworks . . .

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 ~