A Fight in the Cafe'

  So if this email is super short today, it is because there is currently a fight in the cafe'. They have mostly resolved it but if they bring it back inside I will most likely leave or find shelter until they grow up.

     But now onto this week. WE HAD A BAPTISM!!!!!! YAY!!!!!  It was wonderful. My first full convert since coming here to Amasaman. He is 66 years old and has read (since the first Sunday I arrived here) from the introduction of the Book of Mormon all the way to Alma 48...Yes this guy is amazing. I love him to death.

    *The guys fighting left but have since returned with knives and have left just again. 

     This week was good. We are improving the area small by small. The interesting thing is that the area just increased from 4 Elders to 6 Elders. That is big and exciting news. Sadly one of the Elders who was with me at the MTC is super sick right now and might be sent home if he doesn't start drinking more water. He is from Kenya and is a super cool guy. He needs to drink and eat better. So pray for my friend please.

    The area is going well. Our convert has a friend we are working on and he has others that he wants us to work on. So we have some sweet referrals that we are going to start working on in the area. I am hoping that the ward splits soon and that we get a chapel closer to the area because with that there is an issue with some members who are less active because of the distance.

     *The fight has turned into using sticks and beating each other outside. No real issues yet. 

    So other then that, all I really know what to say is that we are pushing forward. I would really like a package with some candy in it though. Warren and Jodi's has been amazing. They sent an envelope and were able to fit a T-shirt into it. A Denver Broncos T-shirt! I am going to have worn that shirt out crazy by the time my mission is over.  I am loving it so much. So candy, even some mashed potatoes that I can just add water too would be cool.

     *Still arguing like little girls outside. Sawh.... (Twi for really)

     So last point I would like to make before leaving. I have a problem, HOW IS IT THAT THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS ARE 7-0!!!!!!! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!! 

OK I am done.

Much love and support to all of you. 

I am praying for all of you. 

I hope you are praying for me too!

Love

Elder Ty M. Bowden

Another Week Gone . . .

Well, as we all know there are forces in life we cannot control.  For example, contacting is not my forte and we have almost no one in our teaching pool.  However, these forces are nice when you are blessed with 2 baptisms on Saturday and we will have another 2 this Saturday.  So what do you do when you know that come October 26 you will have no one in your teaching pool.  Panic?  Cry?  Wanna scream?  So what do you do?  It's quite simple really . . . as Elder Ballard said in General Conference:

"Preach My Gospel reminds all of us that 'nothing happens in missionary work until [we] find someone to teach.  Talk with as many people as you can each day.  It is natural to be somewhat apprehensive about talking to people, but you can pray for the faith and strength to be more bold in opening your mouth to proclaim the restored gospel.' You full-time missionaries, if you want to teach more, you must talk to more people every day.  This has always been what the Lord has sent missionaries forth to do."

So with that said, that is what we plan on doing this week.  Even if we have to call the whole town to repentance, we will.  We are going to get working (not that we haven't been working) just now we are going to be doing a different work.  Also we talked in District Council Meeting about just going and visiting members.  We will strengthen the relationship between the ward and the missionaries.  That is the plan and we are going to work, work, work, and work.  Sounds like fun!!

Thanks for all the love and support and prayers.  They really do help and will continue to help.  Remember if you don't have a missionary name badge on your chest you better paint one on or even better staple one onto your chest or use a nail gun.  I don't care, just get one on your chest!!!  Go bike with the missionaries for a day!  It will be fun!

Love you guys!!

Elder Ty M. Bowden

Amasaman 1 Here I Come!!!!

Well Folks...The results are in...I have been Transferred.  I have been transferred to a small little community called Amasaman. It is part of the Ofankor Ward and is part of the Tesano Stake. So it's nice I still get to see Elder Smith and Elder Anderson at Zone Activities and Zone Meetings. There is also another important thing about this transfer... I am now a Senior Companion. I am now responsible for a younger missionary than myself. 

     So now onto the details of the new area... As you can imagine it is different than my last area. In fact its way different. The area is very big and it is very far from the apartment. But that's nothing to me because we had 8 investigators at church on Sunday. So hopefully that doesn't become a problem. We have to bike to our area. Did I mention that the area is all dirt roads?  Ya well it is. So my shirts are about to get destroyed by dirt. 

     Now onto my companion...he is from Uganda. His name (which I sadly cannot yet pronounce) is Elder Kiwanuka. He is 21 years old and has been out on his mission for 3 months now. He is eager to contact and we will work on teaching in unity. So far in my mission it has been easy to teach because ALL of my companions have taught the same way, but I am eager to try new styles and what not...    The Ofankor District that I am in has 4 Elders and 4 Sisters. This is my first District with Sister Missionaries in it.

     The apartment is super nice. It is way bigger than my last apartment. It's almost a brand new apartment. It opened 3 transfers ago. I have been blessed to have very nice apartments. But I don't have to worry really about going to a bad one anymore. Sister Hill has a new standard for apartments for missionaries and is going to make sure they live in nice places. But back to the Amasaman apartment. I am excited to live here. I just wish I had a bigger bike. The one they have for me is not my size. I talked to the office couple and they said there is nothing I can really do about it.   So I will just have to bike standing up so I don't destroy my knees. 

  Now onto General Conference. I am currently downloading all of the sessions of it onto an SD card of mine.  It hopefully will be done soon. I just want everyone to listen to Elder Dube and Elder Vinson's talks. These two are the First and Second Counselors in the Africa West Area Presidency.  Also on a little side note...If you are smart, which all of you should be, you should know that I only have two General Conferences in Ghana left. If you are counting that way, I am half way done. But lets not count that way okay. Its not a nice image to put into some of our minds. Thanks. 

     Now, I apologize to those I have not replied to emails yet. Since I have become a Senior Companion I have to report to President Hill twice as much stuff as I had to do before. So I will just finish off here. Once again any questions feel free to let my mom know or shoot me an email. I will try to best answer them as possible. 

Ta Ta for now. 

Love,

Elder Bowden. 

PS... So how is it the Broncos blow out all these great teams but yet barely win to the Cowboys, who are 2-3 and are at the top of the NFC South!?!?! HUH??? Also how is it the Chiefs are 5-0???

I've said enough... Love ya!!!! :)