Wednesday, December 8, 2010
He's Home
Just so everyone is aware - Travis is home and settling back into things. He will be speaking in church on Sunday 12-12-2010 at 9 am at the Taylor Stake Center. . . If you have any questions call my parents house.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
11-1-2010
Hey guess what . . . It's NOVEMBER! Yeah I sat in bed this morning for a while just convincing myself that it was here. Almost makes me want to break out Christmas music since we are so close . . . almost. So this week I have some more about Eric and Doris. Eric basically told us that he wants to go to heaven and wants to do what he can to get there. I know everyone I teach should say things like that but if they feel like that they usually don't verbalize it. Doris is having people basically persecuting her for coming to church and having us come and teach her. Basically they say bad things about the church and just don't really treat her as nicely. Which is funny because now in spite she cooks us food. Then has us eat it so that everyone sees it. I don't really understand but she can cook pretty good so we don't really mind.
This week we met a really ugly man. We were walking in an area that basically I have never been because the people treated the missionaries a little rough. Anyway as we were walking this guy totally comes running at us and starts yelling at us trying to just give it to us for well to be honest I couldn't understand him because he was going in and out of twi.I don't really know what his problem is but I hope he gets it worked out. So I gained a new testimony about why we should only teach literate people. We met a guy named Lawrence who is way churchy. He goes about 3 times a week and all those kinds of stuff. He doesn't know how to read, but speaks amazingly good English which usually people who read can't. The reason why I say I learned a lot better why we don't teach people who read is that he has to be told what to believe. His pastor has basically fed him a lot of strange ideas but because his pastor is his friend, who steals his phone and other stuff by the way, he takes it and believes it to be the truth. Yeah it is all kind of messed up.
I was counted during the cenus they are doing in Ghana. Yeah I don't really know why but oh well. The guy who came around doing it is named Mustapha and he is a Muslim. Part of the questionnaire is about religion. There was a question about whether I accepted the Koran as inspired from God. He saw that I had checked no and ended up having a 45min discussion about it and trying to give him a Book of Mormon. It was interesting and I learned a lot but I'm glad I'm not Muslim. Haha even Mohammad was an illiterate which is funny with my other experience this week.
My trainer called me this week. Found out he actually lives in my zone and so he invited me to come to his house and eat dinner. Oh and I'll get to meet his wife. I'm pretty excited but at the same time just oh well. So today we went and played soccer with some of the other missionaries. Ended up pretty good though we had to keep telling people to calm down because they were going kamikaze. When we came back around the light was off so we went out and now that the light is back I came and emailed. So something else that was really exciting this week is that I got my flight plans! We will be flying into Sky Harbor late on Wednesday Nov. 30. Like 11:30pm You are all invited if you want to come and see us.
This week we met a really ugly man. We were walking in an area that basically I have never been because the people treated the missionaries a little rough. Anyway as we were walking this guy totally comes running at us and starts yelling at us trying to just give it to us for well to be honest I couldn't understand him because he was going in and out of twi.I don't really know what his problem is but I hope he gets it worked out. So I gained a new testimony about why we should only teach literate people. We met a guy named Lawrence who is way churchy. He goes about 3 times a week and all those kinds of stuff. He doesn't know how to read, but speaks amazingly good English which usually people who read can't. The reason why I say I learned a lot better why we don't teach people who read is that he has to be told what to believe. His pastor has basically fed him a lot of strange ideas but because his pastor is his friend, who steals his phone and other stuff by the way, he takes it and believes it to be the truth. Yeah it is all kind of messed up.
I was counted during the cenus they are doing in Ghana. Yeah I don't really know why but oh well. The guy who came around doing it is named Mustapha and he is a Muslim. Part of the questionnaire is about religion. There was a question about whether I accepted the Koran as inspired from God. He saw that I had checked no and ended up having a 45min discussion about it and trying to give him a Book of Mormon. It was interesting and I learned a lot but I'm glad I'm not Muslim. Haha even Mohammad was an illiterate which is funny with my other experience this week.
My trainer called me this week. Found out he actually lives in my zone and so he invited me to come to his house and eat dinner. Oh and I'll get to meet his wife. I'm pretty excited but at the same time just oh well. So today we went and played soccer with some of the other missionaries. Ended up pretty good though we had to keep telling people to calm down because they were going kamikaze. When we came back around the light was off so we went out and now that the light is back I came and emailed. So something else that was really exciting this week is that I got my flight plans! We will be flying into Sky Harbor late on Wednesday Nov. 30. Like 11:30pm You are all invited if you want to come and see us.
Monday, October 25, 2010
10-25-2010
Hey guess what I've been in Ghana for 23 months now. Can hardly believe that I only have 1 to go. This week definitely had its excitement. For starters last week we were in 4 car accidents. No worries though they were pretty much all fender benders. My favorite was one that we had a big flatbed truck pull out in front of us and basically massacred the windshield, right on the passenger side where I was sitting. Mostly because everyone else in the trotro freaked and I just sat there because we weren't going fast enough to worry about it. Best part is that this morning already we had a car we were riding in break down. So who knows what this week will bring.
We met some cool people this week. One of them is named Doris. She's my friend. Her son has been coming to church for a long time but he is only like 8 so we didn't really mind him. He got his mom to come and so now we are teaching their family. As we were teaching her she was amazed that we were actually concerned with salvation. To her church has become a society. Some place to pay dues and socialize that teaches about prosperity and things like that. Basically we are hoping that we will be able to work with them and what not.
Another one was a guy named Eric Nartey. I don't know if I've mentioned him before. His dream is basically to become a seaman and go to Singapore. He had a lot of problems come up this week. First his old church came looking for him and asking why he hasnt' been coming around but we were able to work around that. He had his friends telling him stories about the Book of Mormon and the Church in general. Finally even the water for his baptism we had to carry from a faucet bucket by bucket because there wasn't a hose. Finally he got baptized though and it is amazing to see how happy he is. Since he had a lot of problems to get there.
Another one was a less active member. His name is Brother Welbeck. We contacted him and my companion and I just had a feeling that he was a member. Ended up that he has had some doubt put into his mind about the church and everything so we are kind of starting to re teach him. Though we are hoping it will help us since his sister is living with him and she isn't a member. Keeping our fingers crossed. So yesterday all day I had to go around doing interviews. It was cool but at the same time it was a really long day. Today is a missionary's birthday in our zone so we are going to roast some chickens and play some games. I hope you guys are having a good week. OH and a cool new thing is that our mission people use to have to come to church 4 times before being baptized. Now it is only 3. Means maybe a few more of the people that I find I can see baptized! Anyway love ya guys!
We met some cool people this week. One of them is named Doris. She's my friend. Her son has been coming to church for a long time but he is only like 8 so we didn't really mind him. He got his mom to come and so now we are teaching their family. As we were teaching her she was amazed that we were actually concerned with salvation. To her church has become a society. Some place to pay dues and socialize that teaches about prosperity and things like that. Basically we are hoping that we will be able to work with them and what not.
Another one was a guy named Eric Nartey. I don't know if I've mentioned him before. His dream is basically to become a seaman and go to Singapore. He had a lot of problems come up this week. First his old church came looking for him and asking why he hasnt' been coming around but we were able to work around that. He had his friends telling him stories about the Book of Mormon and the Church in general. Finally even the water for his baptism we had to carry from a faucet bucket by bucket because there wasn't a hose. Finally he got baptized though and it is amazing to see how happy he is. Since he had a lot of problems to get there.
Another one was a less active member. His name is Brother Welbeck. We contacted him and my companion and I just had a feeling that he was a member. Ended up that he has had some doubt put into his mind about the church and everything so we are kind of starting to re teach him. Though we are hoping it will help us since his sister is living with him and she isn't a member. Keeping our fingers crossed. So yesterday all day I had to go around doing interviews. It was cool but at the same time it was a really long day. Today is a missionary's birthday in our zone so we are going to roast some chickens and play some games. I hope you guys are having a good week. OH and a cool new thing is that our mission people use to have to come to church 4 times before being baptized. Now it is only 3. Means maybe a few more of the people that I find I can see baptized! Anyway love ya guys!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
10-18-2010
Hey I know my email is coming to you late today but we were really busy. That is why you all don't get your own little email along with it. We had to kind of change our schedule for going to Accra and some appointments. To be honest this week was pretty disappointing for us. We had two people we were wanting to baptize tell us that they feel like they need to take more time. That wouldn't be a bad thing except for now we basically are going to trip all over our goal. We'll see what happens we probably can figure something out. Mostly because our ward has like two kids over 9 who haven't ever been baptized. Which must be happening a lot in our mission because Pres. Smith has told us that we are baptizing A LOT of minors and we need to make sure that they are living with a family member that can bring them to church every Sunday.
We have had a little bit of a chicken pox scare. A missionary was really contagious at one of our meetings and now we get to see if it spread to anybody. Oh goody. Transfers came and went pretty quietly though. Not really too much happening on that side of things. We did go to Accra today and I checked out some stuff to buy for coming home. Kind of hit me about coming home. Pretty much that I only have 4 of 5 p days left as a missionary. Yeah that kind of blew my mind.
Oh by the way for transfers my companion and I stayed together. So we went to another apartment to just check stuff out and it stank. It smelled like something had died in one of their rooms. Searching for the source of the smell we found under one of the mattresses a mouse that had been smashed by the sleeping missionary we guess. I thought it was gross. But hey we had some rain and that chased the butterflies out so we got to run through bushes of them and scare them up into flight. Yeah that is about it for me. Talk to you next week!
Love Elder Gibson
We have had a little bit of a chicken pox scare. A missionary was really contagious at one of our meetings and now we get to see if it spread to anybody. Oh goody. Transfers came and went pretty quietly though. Not really too much happening on that side of things. We did go to Accra today and I checked out some stuff to buy for coming home. Kind of hit me about coming home. Pretty much that I only have 4 of 5 p days left as a missionary. Yeah that kind of blew my mind.
Oh by the way for transfers my companion and I stayed together. So we went to another apartment to just check stuff out and it stank. It smelled like something had died in one of their rooms. Searching for the source of the smell we found under one of the mattresses a mouse that had been smashed by the sleeping missionary we guess. I thought it was gross. But hey we had some rain and that chased the butterflies out so we got to run through bushes of them and scare them up into flight. Yeah that is about it for me. Talk to you next week!
Love Elder Gibson
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
10-11-2010
So this one is going to be pretty quick because the computer I'm using hates me. So this week started out really good. Mostly because I had made mashed potatoes for our District. We were lucky another guy had gravy his parents had sent him from home. It was my companion's first time ever eating them so it was good. We had a lady we are planning on baptism the end of the month tell us that her husband didn't actually say no, but hasn't really given her the green light. The worst part is that he stays in a completely different part of the country and we only can see him like every blue moon. Sometimes I wonder why people are married when they live like that, a lot of people live like that here by the way.
The beginning of the end happened for my shoes this week. I had a shoe lace break. Also had a zone conference that I got to have my zone sing happy birthday to me. It was funny because nobody can really carry a tune too much. We were teaching a lesson outside of a family's home under a streetlight because they don't have electricity in their house and this drunk lady came up and kept talking. Yeah I got voted to be the one to go and basically get her to leave. She talked like she was British so I played it off that I was British and talked about some weird little towns up there with her and got her to go to her house. I completely lied but hey she left us alone for the rest of the lesson.
We had our branch president go out and proselyte with us. It was great because our investigators totally respected us a little more because we aren't just small boys but instead we had our branch president who being older they gave him more respect. We had a family invite us over to feed us. Made some really good fufu with palm nut soup that I haven't had in like 3 or 4 months which tasted great! The best part was that they have a little son who kept talking about how he drinks soap. I totally thought he was joking but then he actually took some of the soap and drank it like it was chocolate milk. Yeah I was a little grossed out and was glad that we didn't have too much food left to finish.
Yesterday was really busy for us. We went to our own branch and then traveled to three different wards to do interviews. I was glad when I was seeing that I only have 7 more Sundays! A week of weeks! Haha. Um last night it was pretty cool. About 9 pm it started to rain like there was no tomorrow. The lights would flicker and everything cooled down A LOT. That is my week in a nutshell. This week will be transfers. I don't see myself leaving but who knows my companion might. Hope you all have a great week!
The beginning of the end happened for my shoes this week. I had a shoe lace break. Also had a zone conference that I got to have my zone sing happy birthday to me. It was funny because nobody can really carry a tune too much. We were teaching a lesson outside of a family's home under a streetlight because they don't have electricity in their house and this drunk lady came up and kept talking. Yeah I got voted to be the one to go and basically get her to leave. She talked like she was British so I played it off that I was British and talked about some weird little towns up there with her and got her to go to her house. I completely lied but hey she left us alone for the rest of the lesson.
We had our branch president go out and proselyte with us. It was great because our investigators totally respected us a little more because we aren't just small boys but instead we had our branch president who being older they gave him more respect. We had a family invite us over to feed us. Made some really good fufu with palm nut soup that I haven't had in like 3 or 4 months which tasted great! The best part was that they have a little son who kept talking about how he drinks soap. I totally thought he was joking but then he actually took some of the soap and drank it like it was chocolate milk. Yeah I was a little grossed out and was glad that we didn't have too much food left to finish.
Yesterday was really busy for us. We went to our own branch and then traveled to three different wards to do interviews. I was glad when I was seeing that I only have 7 more Sundays! A week of weeks! Haha. Um last night it was pretty cool. About 9 pm it started to rain like there was no tomorrow. The lights would flicker and everything cooled down A LOT. That is my week in a nutshell. This week will be transfers. I don't see myself leaving but who knows my companion might. Hope you all have a great week!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Snapshot of Accra Ghana
If you are interested in getting a glimpse of what things are like where Travis is out, check out Episode 2 of the Amazing Race here.
10-4-10
So this week was pretty lame. We only spent like 2 days proselyting. First off my companion got sick, we think malaria pretty bad so for two days we basically didn't leave our apartment. Yeah our apartment is a one room thing with a small living room. I about blew it apart just wanting to get out of there. Cabin fever was definitely taking over on day two. Luckily I had some good time to read and all of those kinds of things. I have almost gotten 3/4 of the way through Jesus The Christ so I'll probably get to finish this week.
We met the same Sitsofe, yeah I figured out how to spell his name. It is pronounced like Sichofe by the way. It was cool. Basically he has just heard everything about the church, good and bad. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and he told us that some of his friends in other churches basically told him it was satanic. One of them even said that he had a copy at one time and he tried reading it his room filled with smoke and lightning and a lot of crazy stuffed just kept happening. Pretty much either the forces of hell were in his room or he is just filled with hot air. Sitsofe made a cool comment about how when he was in school he had friends who were Rastafarians and he was pretty close with them. Then when he wasn't with them but with other people they would make up stories about his rasta friends so he makes it a rule to always check things out so that he can get the complete truth. I wish more people would do that.
After my companion got feeling better it felt so good to get back out and start working again. Pretty much because it definitely took away that cabin fever I had before. So yeah unfortunately that is about it for my week. Oh and if you are wondering my foot is pretty much completely healed up. Good luck with this week! Love ya!
Love ya!
Love Elder Gibson
We met the same Sitsofe, yeah I figured out how to spell his name. It is pronounced like Sichofe by the way. It was cool. Basically he has just heard everything about the church, good and bad. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and he told us that some of his friends in other churches basically told him it was satanic. One of them even said that he had a copy at one time and he tried reading it his room filled with smoke and lightning and a lot of crazy stuffed just kept happening. Pretty much either the forces of hell were in his room or he is just filled with hot air. Sitsofe made a cool comment about how when he was in school he had friends who were Rastafarians and he was pretty close with them. Then when he wasn't with them but with other people they would make up stories about his rasta friends so he makes it a rule to always check things out so that he can get the complete truth. I wish more people would do that.
After my companion got feeling better it felt so good to get back out and start working again. Pretty much because it definitely took away that cabin fever I had before. So yeah unfortunately that is about it for my week. Oh and if you are wondering my foot is pretty much completely healed up. Good luck with this week! Love ya!
Love ya!
Love Elder Gibson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)