Monday, February 24, 2014

Famine in the Land of Ghana

Well, this week has been a very interesting week. You may be wondering why it says "Famine". Lets just get down to the story:
     First off, on Tuesday is when this Famine started. This Famine was a WATER Famine, and it affected all of Accra. So we went from Tuesday to about 30 minutes ago, no water. It sucked, because we were not able to clean any of our dishes, and don't even get me started about the toilets...ya, that is just a topic for a whole other blog story.
     Then what about showering? How did we shower for a week? We did what is called Pure Water Showers. You know those little bags of water I posted a few weeks ago. Well, you take about 20 of those things, and you put them above your head and pour it down. Yup, that is how I showered for the past week.
     The reason that the water was out, was because the Volta Lake Dam Pipe needed some repairs up in Kpong (not Kpone my first area but KponG, in the Volta Region). So they had to shut off all the city water in all of Ghana for that. Ya...Lets just say that nobody was happy about that.

So I have some news for you all.
There is a new address for packages
it is:
Elder Ty M. Bowden
Ghana Accra West Mission
PMB CT 209
Accra 

Ghana

West Africa

     So there you go. It is there. Don't worry, if you have sent a package to the old address, the office elders will still make trips down to the old address every once in a while, but not as often. This new address is closer to the mission office and President and Sister Hill's house. For the office elders it will be a lot closer to the office. So they will get packages more often. SO SEND MORE PACKAGES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you. 
     This week we had a special experience. We got to meet with Elder Dube of the Seventy. It was a great time to learn and to grow. This meeting to me was focused a lot about how to work closer with the members. He really focused on how the time has come NOW, for members and missionaries to work together. And when we say NOW, it means it is time to get out of your comfort zone, share the Book of Mormon with a friend, and then invite said friend to church. When they come to Church, make sure that the missionaries are in the building or on speed dial, so that they then come in and meet said friend. Then You and said Missionaries, go TOGETHER to the said Friends house for a small get together. You watch the Restoration Video with them (20 minute version not the 1 hour and 10 minute one), read Moroni 10:3-5 and then set a return appointment. Then you go back with said missionaries, to said friend, and you continue to teach said friend. Is that too hard. Elder Ballard said it best:
Brothers and sisters, fear will be replaced with faith and confidence when members and the full-time missionaries kneel in prayer and ask the Lord to bless them with missionary opportunities. Then, we must demonstrate our faith and watch for opportunities to introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ to our Heavenly Father’s children, and surely those opportunities will come. These opportunities will never require a forced or a contrived response. They will flow as a natural result of our love for our brothers and sisters. Just be positive, and those whom you speak with will feel your love. They will never forget that feeling, though the timing may not be right for them to embrace the gospel. That too may change in the future when their circumstances change.  Elder Ballard, November 2013 Ensign (General Conference 2013) 
So...Are we ready to get the job done?     
     Pressing Forward...Church yesterday was very interesting. It was the Korle Bu Ward Conference. The Bishop and the Stake President Spoke in Sacrament. Bishop spent way more time then he should of. He started speaking after Sacrament was over and didn't end until 11:35 (That is 5 minutes before Sacrament Meeting Ends) and then the Choir Sang, then the Stake President had about 3.5 minutes to give a 15+ minute talk. He kept to his time (now I know how my Father feels during Ward Conferences). 
     We had One Investigator At Church: Her name is Zenabu. She has been taught by the missionaries before I came here. This is her first time at church and she seemed to like it. She brought her 4 kids with her (two count as investigators at Church :)). It was sweet. We are hoping that she comes back next week. 
    Well, that is all for this week. It was an adventure to say the least last week. Lets pray that we can continue to have success in the nearing future. 
Love,
Elder Bowden

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