Well this last week was pretty awesome!
I thought I would start off by sending you this picture
because
I know it will make you happy! Baptism in Dzodze/Akatsi. :)
This last week was quite awesome, ha ha! Like one of the
coolest weeks ever!
Anita and Esinam with
me, Wilcox and Mkandiwire. The three of us are the ones
who have taught them.
For starters, on Monday night we went to a ward party for
a kid in our ward who left on his mission the following Wednesday. We also celebrated
a few people's birthdays. While we were there,we were asked asked to give some advice to the
kid who was leaving. Every return missionary shared some experiences and
advice and then they asked us to do the same thing. It was really cool to be
able to talk straight to another missionary who is just starting his mission.
It made me remember when I was in his shoes preparing to leave and all the
excitement and fears that came over me. That was almost eight months ago.
We decided to take a
group picture with Bailey, Seeley, me and Wilcox. The Dzodze boys, ha ha.
During the party, they had some sparkling cider so we got to shoot off some of the corks and we just
had a really fun time. Afterwards, I was standing outside looking at the
sky when the First counselor in the bishopric came out and started talking to me.
He said a couple things that were really cool. He said, "Elder Baird, I
love how you are just straightforward and really enjoy talking with
people." I told that him that it was because I just truly love being
on a mission. He asked me how old I was and when I told him he said,
"For your age you are really mature and you compose yourself really
well." That made my day and after that I kind of did a self
examination and really asked myself, "How much have I changed since I came on my
mission?" And in reality, a lot has changed. I have turned to the Savior time
and time again for help. I feel that I am becoming stronger in the knowledge of the gospel. I am learning how to have compassion for pretty much everyone I meet. It has
been such a wonderful experience being here. It has just been amazing.
Something funny happened on Wednesday. We were at
bishops house and we were eating some fufu with the kid who is going on his
mission. The funny part was about my companion. Apparently, before he came on
his mission he was a vegetarian. He hated meat. Well we told him to eat his
chicken and then he just started eating it all! We were all like, "What in
the world??" Bishop started laughing and took some pictures of him with a
chicken bone in his mouth because we were all so surprised that he was actually
eating the meat! I asked him afterwards if he liked it and he said he
actually enjoyed it! Mission really does change people, ha ha!
A lady told me she was selling egg rolls. So I bought one
and took a bite. And I found
out that they literally meant egg roll. It was a
hard boiled egg wrapped
in bread, and that was it..... oh Ghana, ha ha ha.
Last week I told you all about those two girls we met
after we said a prayer for guidance, we went there on Saturday
evening and met with Agnes. The other girl, Linda, was busy but she said that she wants
us to come tomorrow, but before we left she showed us her Book of Mormon. She showed us that she was actually reading it. She had already been marking it and
said she wanted to talk more about it. So we went there again yesterday, and she
just told us right off the bat that this book is way better than the Bible. She
kept asking us for some quotations to read because she said when she reads her
heart pounds and she knows it's true. I was honestly just blown away. I can now
see that Heavenly Father lead us to the person we need to teach. She is so
ready and she is so excited to continue to learn more. I am so excited to
see how much she starts to grow into the church.
On Saturday, I had the wonderful opportunity to go back to
Akatsi to be the baptist for the first baptisms in Akatsi. We had to leave at 6
A.M. so we could be there by 10 for the baptism. The two girls who were
baptized were Anita and Esinam. I had been teaching Anita since the first week
of my mission and she just now was baptized. I met Esinam the first Sunday
we had church in Akatsi. Both of them are just absolutely amazing. They
have such strong testimonies. I know that as they continue to grow in the
church they will become strong leaders. I was so blessed to get to go there and
be able to baptize them. It was expensive but well worth it. When it comes to
the gospel, money doesn't matter anymore. This gospel has the power to change
your life, if it hasn't already, I want you to let it. Because once it does,
you will never turn back from it.
I love you all so much. I want to testify to you
all that this church is true. We are all missionaries in this church. Whether
you are serving a full time mission or not, you are a missionary. So let's
spread this gospel until every nation, kindred, tongue hears the sweet word of
the one true gospel.
Sincerely,
Elder Baird
Mom's notes:
1. When Elder Wilcox told him that the two ladies were ready to be baptized he, "hired a taxi for 500GHC(120 U.S. Dollars) and went there and baptized them and then I came right back!"
2. I asked if Anita and Esinam were happy he said, "Oh they were the happiest I have ever seen them!:) Afterwards, Norkplim told me this, "Baird! In seven months I can go and do my endowments! She even told me her dream is to be an ordinance worker in the temple!"
3. He likes the shipping container that he sends his emails at. It is air conditioned. ;)
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