Greetings From Ghana

     Hello everyone! It is me Elder Bowden, once again bringing you another wonderful episode of: "Heat, Sweat, and Baptisms". All part of your pay-per-read. The price is $0.000000, so don't worry, its free to read!  LOL.

     I want to start by talking about what I did this morning. Once a month we get a chance to go to a store in the mission area called Shoprite. It is I believe a South African Company, but it is just like a small Target. So today was the day that we got to go. Here is the crazy thing. In the same area Ghana has been building a new mall. It is supposedly the 3rd largest in all of Africa. Biggest in all of West Africa. Well Shoprite moved into this new mall and WOW! That is all I can say, it was like walking into a mall back home. Seriously I thought I was back home the way this new mall looks. It is outstanding. You do not feel like you are in Africa when you enter. Almost all the stores are foreign, although there are a few that are definitely African. It was such an amazing experience to enter. Below is a article about the new mall.
http://graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/32978-west-hills-mall-opens-for-business.html
   
     This week was hot, and when I say hot I mean HOT!!!! Light off almost every other night. It is killing us. I do not know why Ghana is doing this to their people, but it is horrible. Right now it is light off in our area. Thankfully the cafe' we are at has a back up generator. I don't wanna go home because if I do it will only be to light off. That is not fun. I wish the Church would invest in some generators for us that way we wouldn't have to suffer. . .oh well, sometimes we must be patient in all things. Including light off.

     Church yesterday was really good. We had five investigators who came! Jerry and Nathaniel were there, although they are always late. Another that will be baptized with them next week Sunday is Tina. She is super excited for her baptism. We took her to the Ghana Accra Temple on Thursday and she got to walk around and meet President Hill.  It was truly a wonderful experience. I was so happy to take her. I am very excited for Jerry and Nathaniel because I see them as leaders in the future. Both are so amazing and so wonderful that words cannot describe how happy I am for them.

     I love this ward. This ward is truly an amazing ward. Transfers are next week Wednesday and I do not want to leave here. I love all the members, I know the members of this ward more then any other ward. They are so supportive of us right now. We gave them an idea to do Christmas Caroling this December, and they seem to be on board. I am happy because we really are trying to make the end of the year a wet one (baptisms). We have six investigators with baptismal dates for that month and two came to Church yesterday. I am so happy. Scared because I don't wanna leave: "nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done."

     The Sisters are doing well. One goes home on Monday! 18 months of hard work are finally finished. It was great to serve with this sister and it will be sad when she goes. She came after me, and she will go before me. . .not fair. . .oh well, she has done her job, and has been training a new missionary for the past 8 weeks. Now we look forward to a new sister joining us next week. I am excited to work with her IF I get to stay and work with them. That is my hope.

     Well, I guess I better be going. Thanks for all of your love and support. I hope all of you have a nice day. I am praying for all of you and hope you are praying for me.

Love

Elder Bowden

This is NOT a GUN!!!!

     So some of you (my Mother) are wondering what the heck happened to the look of the blog, and some of you (my Mother) think that the picture in the Background is me holding a gun. . .IF you are fooled. . .please don't be, it is NOT a gun, but a phone. A Nokia 105 to be exact. So don't worry, and if you are, don't be, I beg, guns are illegal here in Ghana (unless you are a cop).

This is the phone.

Its the black one.

Not the blue one.

     This week was very good. We found some very serious investigators who want to know more about the gospel. I am excited because we have 8 people with baptismal dates and four of them came to church on Sunday. That is super good, and as we are looking to December we have already extended four of those dates to December. If our plans work out, we SHOULD have four people baptized this month, on the 23rd. Which is also stake conference Sunday.

     The Sisters are good as always. One goes home at the End of this transfer, which is on the 26th of November. So we should be getting a new sister into our District, which is sad, but you have to do that because of the loss of one. SO hopefully the new sister we get will be just as good as the last one. Someone that can work hard, be almost as awesome as myself, and of course, work hard. I hope so. LOL.

     No Ebola in Ghana. . .

     So, That is all I have for you this week. Sorry it is short. Kinda like my mom. But hey, that is life. Thank you for all of your love and support. I hope you all have a splendid week.

BYE BYE!!!!!

Love,

Elder Bowden
   

Fresh Look

     Another week has been finished. Crazy how yesterday was General Conference for us here in Ghana. It was nice. One problem is the fact that trying to sit through 4 straight hours of men and women giving talks is not the funnest thing to do. After the first two hours, a lot of members got up and left. Not surprising, that is how the past three conferences have all been. After two hours, a lot of members are hungry and want to go pound Fufu. Yesterday we were heading home after to eat ourselves and a member calls us saying to come and have Fufu. Okay! No Problem. We already get Fufu on Saturdays, so why not get some more. 

     I mentioned last week about us receiving two referrals from a member in a different ward. Well, these two referrals are what you call, "Golden Investigators". They are Jerry and Nathaniel. They are cousins and are looking for the truth. They came to General Conference yesterday and just loved it. Every minute of it! They saw the "Big Picture" of conference and how it is the word of God to us today and we need to follow the council. I was shocked but they had pages (note the word "pages") of notes taken from what they had learned. I was shocked. They got more out of two sessions of conference then most members get in five. We have planned their baptism for the 23rd of this month. I really am looking forward to their baptism. 

     The area is doing well. We are staying as busy as we possibly can. We are enjoying and having a lot of fun. I enjoy the Sister Missionaries a lot. Yesterday I was at a multi district FM, and one of the missionaries in another district was wondering if I was enjoying being with the Sisters, and was shocked when I told him I was. It is sad because there are a lot of rumors about how the Sisters are horrible and what not. I am trying to get rid of those rumors. Maybe other Sisters are horrible, but not my Sisters. They are awesome. 

     NO EBOLA IN GHANA!!!!!

     Halloween was normal, just like any other day in Ghana. Of course Ghanians do not like sweet things. Candy is not the best thing for them. They prefer spicy things. Me I prefer sweet things. So if you desire to send me some sweets. . .feel free. LOL. 

     As you can see the blog has gotten a new face lift. I hope you like it. I have put the photo in the background in the photos page. So you can go and check it out. 

Have a great week. I love all of you!!!

Elder Bowden