Monday, October 27, 2014

Short Note

Well Hello everyone. How was your week? I don't know why I ask because none of you will reply.  LOL!  Either way. . . I hear Ebola has made it's way to New York City, that's great (note sarcasm). I just find it hard to believe that it is in America but not in Ghana. I don't know but missionaries have been evacuated from Liberia and Sierra Leone. So would they take missionaries out of places in America if it gets worse? Who knows. Lets hope not.
     This week was an alright week. We had a lot of members come and help us this week which was sweet. We had more member lessons this week then just normal lessons. This was only the second time in my mission that I've had that happen. It is a cool thing to experience. That is one thing we hope to be able to continue to be working on.
     We also were blessed to receive two referrals that are amazing! We taught them on Friday and then they came to church on Sunday and want to be baptized, so on the 23rd that is their planned baptismal dates. That was just two out of the six baptismal dates we have. So we are pretty happy about that. Hopefully we will have two baptized this Sunday, then more in the weeks to come.  I am pretty happy about that. It was sweet to have that many at church.
     Sisters are still doing well. One of the companionships is really soaring right now in their area. Minus the fact that one got clipped by a car. No big deal. She is fine, just elbow got a bit bruised. That is Ghana for ya, the drivers here are really scary and don't pay attention like they do back home. She got hit but still went out to work. That is amazing of her.
     To continue the Rasta story from last week. We've only seen him once from that time, still drunk as ever. But not as drunk. The end.
     I don't know what else to talk about today. Ghana is great, it is hot, so ya. Ghana be great!
Love ya!

Elder Bowden
   
   

Monday, October 20, 2014

NINETEEN MONTH MARK!!!!!

     Hello Everyone! How is everything going? I hope everything is going well because things here in Ghana are good. Another week is gone, can you believe that? With this week we'll hit another milestone. NINETEEN MONTH MARK!!!!! That's right boys and girls. On Wednesday I will be officially 19 months on mission. That is as record for the longest I've ever been away from home. Sadly not a world record, now that I think about it, what is the world record for the longest someone has been away from home, if there even is a record for that? Who knows, most unlikely it isn't me. . .Sadly. . .It should be!
     We had a really good week. Not just another normal week, but a great week. We saw a lot of people and had a lot of contacts. This week was probably one of the best weeks we've had in this area, if not the best. We are just doing our best. The Zone Leaders were wondering what we did differently. . . and well I told them we didn't change anything about our week, just that people actually showed up and wanted to learn and we were able to have a lot of success.
     In November we are hoping to have a few baptisms. Sadly the last few months have been dry, and it is sad, but nevertheless we are hoping to make November a very wet one and progressing to December to make a few others. They want us to plan ahead this time for December. I was like what?! It isn't even November and you want us to plan for December? I probably won't even be here in December (referring to how transfers are on 26th of November) They just want us to make sure we are teaching people and extending baptismal dates. The thing I am thinking is if you are planning for someone they only need to come three times before they are baptized.  That still doesn't reach December. . .oh well. . .we shall see in the future about it.
     The Sisters are doing very well. The one companionship is doing very well with teaching people and finding and getting new investigators. They had a baptism on Sunday which was just amazing. I was happy for them. They have worked super hard for it and totally deserve it. The other sisters have opened up a new area and so they are just at the moment trying to find people to extend commitments to. I bet that in the upcoming weeks they will be doing super well. Just have to keep finding.
     One story to close. Here in Ghana there are people called Rastafari. If you have no idea what that is, just go and Google it. I don't want to explain all of that here. However I have become friends with one in this area since I came here. He is a cool guy who likes to help out in the area. However, he likes to get drunk and high. So me and my companion on Saturday are walking and we see him just drunk as a sailor walking around and he is falling and tripping and almost fell into a gutter, so we grab him and take him to his house.  The whole time crying how he has problems and so forth. It was super sad because you can tell he is addicted to these things and it just makes me really sad. While we were helping him get home people shout at him Rasta go die or you go kill yo self Rasta. It is sad because people don't care about him.
     So that was my week. It was an adventure to say the least. I hope all of you had a good week and lets hope for another great week this week!

Love

Elder Ty M. Bowden

Monday, October 13, 2014

WHAT!?!?!

     It is crazy to see the things that happen as missionaries. I just put WHAT because one of the Elders always says that in the apartment when something crazy happens. I am just enjoying. You know, a mission is not an easy thing. Especially when your companion has the same attitude as you do, you just want to kill him sometimes. It's not like it is the "same" if you were going to put us into a group, we would be in the same group. I think that we get on each others nerves some times, but we seem to do just fine.
     The weeks are not easy. Especially when there is nobody to teach. I don't like that excuse. In fact I hate it. Oh nobody to teach. Truth there are plenty of people that we could be teaching but they seem to always be busy. Which is horrible. We contact a guy going to work, ask him when he is free, he tells us he works from 8 am to 7pm every day, and when he gets home his is quote "too tired" to learn with us. Nevertheless we did receive some  referrals from some people on Sunday that we will have to follow up on.
     Some of you might be wondering how the new bishop is doing. He is doing very well, in fact we are going to have Family Home Evening with him and his family tonight. That will be a lot of fun. . . Play some games and do some fun activities. I am pretty excited to do that. I love family home evenings.
     The sisters are doing very well. They had the best numbers I've ever seen the sisters have. I was so shocked I was like "WHAT!?!?!?!" Both of them had outstanding weeks. I was so happy for them that I just wanted to scream. I was just sitting at my desk and when I got their numbers via text messages, I about jump out of my seat over excitement. So THANK YOU for any prayers for the sisters because they were answered.
     This week we will continue to work hard and hopefully get more people to teach. I love teaching and can not wait to teach more people this week. I just have to find them first. LOL. Pray that we do. I love all of you and am so grateful for all of your support.

With Love

Elder Bowden

Monday, October 6, 2014

The New

     Well, I can't believe it, but Ebola is in America but not in Ghana. I don't know how that happened but it did. So all you people enjoy America while I am safe in Ghana. That is really strange. How the heck did it get to America before getting to Ghana?!?!?! Alma 37:11. . .

Moving on:
   
     This week was the start of a new eight week transfer. YAY!!!! So you probably have questions about my new companion. Well. . .as I said last week in my e-mail he is from Tonga. Yes he is from Tonga, and is basically my twin brother, only louder, and a little more annoying. LOL (is that even possible). Elder Langi is a great guy and super friendly. In Tonga they only speak Tongan, very little English, so when he first came to Ghana he knew no English (he doesn't like English at all) , and now knows quite a lot of English. It is very slow, but he has improved so much over the five months he has been here.

     The sisters are doing well, the two that were in my District last transfer are both now training, and the two new sisters speak very little English. It is mostly broken English that is a form of pigeon. So as they work I encourage them to pray for the gift of tongues. That I feel will help them the most. They all seem super nice and excited to work.

     Funny story...yesterday in church, my bishop and his two counselors were released!!! AND . . .WAIT FOR IT!!!! WE got a NEW Bishop and two NEW counselors!!!! Ya the Stake President whitewashed the Dansoman Bishopric!!! CRAZY!!! Reminds me when my dad released the entire Bishopric a few years ago. Crazy!!! So, anyways, what happened since it was fast and testimony meeting, the Stake President asked the old Bishopric and the NEW Bishopric to bear their testimonies. Also one thing about missionaries when they get transferred, they bear their testimonies that Sunday they come. SO the New and Old Bishopric and three missionaries bore their testimonies. That took all day. The former bishops wife got up and bore her testimony. In the Dansoman ward is a former mission president of the Carlebar Nigeria Mission so he too bore his testimony and then that was the end of the time. Funny. Sorry members!!! Next month! LOL

     Today the Office Couple (Elder and Sister Wall) came to our apartment to bring us a few supplies and to make sure our apartment was in top shape. It is sad because they leave to go home at the end of next month. 18 months finished. WOW!! They came after me, and now they are leaving before me. . .not fair. . .thankfully we have received word that a new Office Couple will come and replace the Walls. Finally! The first couple called apparently said no. Bless this couple that is coming for answering the call to come (not where they wanted to go, but to where the Lord wanted them to go). God bless them.
     Ok, well, I better get going. See ya next week!!!! LOVE YA ALL!!!!!

ELDER BOWDEN