Spiritual Rocketship

 Good morning everyone! This week was fantastic. We had some ups and downs and trials but overall it was really great. It feels a little bit like we're in a rocketship. Like no matter what happens we just keep jetting. 

The week got off to kind of a rocky start. Monday we had a fantastic zone activity where we played football on the beach until a drunk junior league soccer coach made us leave. After that we were waiting to get haircuts and Elder Greer said he didn't feel good. We went home and he slept for like 7 hours. He woke up briefly, called his family and slept the whole night until about 12 the next day. He was super, super sick. Throwing up, runny tummy, everything. I felt really bad for him. He's OK now. 

That all goes to say that we didn't do much proselyting on Tuesday and Wednesday. I had a lot of time to study though which I enjoyed. I finally finished the Old Testament on Tuesday! My goal was to finish it before my mission but didn't quite get there. But anyways, the week had a slower start. However, the miracles that happened later in the week made up for it. 

The first miracle was Benjamin. On Tuesday I got up and got ready, but my very sick companion was still asleep. District council is that day as well but the zone leaders told us to just do it the following day because of Elder Greer's sickness. I agreed with them that postponing was a good idea, but totally forgot to call the Agona elders, who are also in our district! They traveled over an hour to district council just to turn around and go back! I felt so bad because it was 100% my fault. 

It ended up being a blessing though because on their way back home, they met Benjamin. He's the manager of a night club close to the chapel and told the Agona elders right off the bat that he wants to join the church. We met with him the following day and he said the same thing. He met with missionaries in the past and has been to many different churches but has decided that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is where he wants to be. He read through the pamphlet we gave him twice before the next lesson and remembered everything. He and his girlfriend Adwoa also came to church together yesterday. I'm really excited for them both! 

Speaking of powerful couples, we're also teaching a guy named Papa Jackson who is dating a member. He's doing so well. He travels between Kumasi and Elmina on a weekly basis and came to church again this Sunday. We taught him after church and he said he's fully committed to being baptized and that he wants this to be his "last stop." He said he'll meet with us every day that he is in Elmina. Pray for him
. 

The last miracle I'm going to write about is Stephen. Stephen filled out a form a few weeks ago requesting a missionary visit and we jumped right on it. He's eager to learn and loves God. He's also deaf. We've been having lessons over text where we sit with him and write stuff back and forth on the same phone. It's better than nothing but is pretty slow. On Saturday though, Elder Greer's sister was able to help us teach him through video call and it was so much better! She's fluent in sign language so we got president's permission to have her join the lesson. Her interpreting was way better than our clunky text message lessons. The best part was watching Stephen. He was just so happy to have someone to connect with. There's not a lot of resources for deaf people so I'd imagine his life is pretty lonely. He was grinning from ear to ear during the whole lesson and came to church this Sunday. Elder Greer typed out what was being taught as it was taught for him. When someone feels loved, they're more willing to act. We also showed him the book of Mormon in ASL during our first lesson and 2 Nephi 27:29 came to mind, "And the deaf shall hear the words of the book."

This week was great. God is so real and he loves us so much. I've thought more about desire this week and have studied it a lot. Alma 29:4, "....I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction." God gives us what we want! If we want eternal life we can have it but as C.S. Lewis says, it will cost, "No less than everything." I'm so grateful for that and pray that we'll all have good desires which will be fulfilled. 

Love, 

Elder Johnson

1. I turned 21 yesterday and the Sombatos (bless their hearts forever) threw me a party with a birthday cake! I haven't eaten birthday cake in over a year so it was really nice. I love them and am so grateful for all they do for us. We eat with them every blessed Sunday. 

2. The aforementioned cake. 

3. The road to the Sombatos. I felt a little like Noah this week. Rainy season is definitely here. 

4. Handsome boys

5. Our Tuesday night "last week we didn't take a single picture so let's take a picture so we can have something to send next Monday" picture. 

6. Pretty skies

7. Video of flooded road. 

8. This is a poem I wrote about the sacrament