Ghana was pretty sweet for us this past week. Best part was that we had Zone Conf. That is always pretty fun. Uh yeah it is amazing to look at everyone that comes and think I'll be come home before you, you, you, you, you and yes President Smith even you. What was a way big downer was that since I think everyone in Ghana has at least thought of abortion as an option we had some abortion interviews to be done by President Smith. President Smith told us that one of them didn't pass. He still thinks God won't forgive him. That is really hard to try and teach someone to understand. He literally has done everything that is required, but personally I just feel like he is too grief stricken to really feel how the Atonement is suppose to lift us up through repenting. Good thing conversion doesn't happen in a day. We'll keep working with him. Something we tried working on this week was being more bold in being us. It went pretty good to a point and then it almost got to be as if we are pouring on way too much for them.

This week I got to eat at what are some of my favorite members the Sackey family. Awesome food. Mama Sackey made melon soup with omu tuo. I know get this I actually enjoyed eating squash soup with sticky rice balls. Awesome. I even got to help the other missionaries eat theirs. Still serving as the garbage can. We had lots of people of course ask this week if we worship Joseph Smith. It was great to be able to explain how we just more look at him as a role model. That is something here that people have a hard time connecting with. With all of the bozillion churches, literally I can find at least three on any given street and that is a low number, people look at their pastors and things sometimes as demigods. Glad we don't have that in our church. They are really just men who follow God with all their heart mind and strength.

We had a baptism this Saturday, of course it went really good thankfully. Even were able to invite a few others who are investigating the church to come and witness it. Saturday we had a sweet something had to happen experience. Joseph Kyei asked if there was a video or something about Joseph Smith he could watch. We borrowed one from another missionary and took it over. We were lucky enough to have his dad Joseph Kyei Sr. just being around and got to see it. My companion and offended him when after contacting him he went on splits and during that appointment said and did somethings that Daddy Kyei didn't agree with. After the video about Joseph Smith daddy kyei wanted to watch and know more. Hopefully that door hasn't been completely closed and we can work on getting all of Joseph's family into the church. Joseph would be ecstatic too. We'll just have to keep working hard and see what happens. Last night after reporting our numbers to the zone leaders it was great to have them call and just tell us they got the numbers and that they don't need to discuss anything again because our district is the strongest one in our entire zone. I might of been a little prideful but hey we work hard so I think we deserve it.

Some funny experiences this week. Two ladies were making comments about the white missionaries on a trotro in twi about which one they'd rather sleep with. No one else understands really any twi besides me. As they were talking I just told them, in English, that we don't sleep with people and handed them a pamphlet as we got off the trotro. The look on their faces priceless. Also Wednesday is transfers. They don't call till the night before because if they call earlier missionaries stop working. My companion has completely packed his bags and literally is just waiting to go. Haha it is great to watch. He did it the last time too. I think that is about it. Yeah I think that is about it. It seems like my time in Ghana is slipping away so quickly. Love all you guys!

So another week in the books here in Ghana. Had a pretty interesting week. Had its ups and downs like all the others. In fact I'm probably going to write you a shorter email. This week it seemed like everyone we taught wanted us to pray for them. Which wow like we don't have that on our minds anyway. Though while we were teaching this week it seemed like a rather unusually large number of drunks kept wanting to learn "the word" with us. My favorite was a man named Joseph who sat through a whole lesson and even participated small (small because he was drunk) so that at the end he could beg us for money. We had a another drunk guy come up and talk about how his brother is a missionary. Except the name he gave isn't the missionaries who are in that area. He also asked us for money. We are teaching an actor named Stefan Godwins. He is reading the Book of Mormon and got to 2 Nephi and started asking about the millennium and everything that goes along with that. It was really really sweet to get to teach him but he is always super busy. Luckily he doesn't have to work on Sundays. Another mane named Romeo did something that really touched me. He is really committed to the church but even still when we extended a baptismal date to him he said he wanted to wait so that he could get his confidence up because he wants to make sure he understands how serious it is.

Not saying I want everyone to postpone but it is good to see people actually taking all of it completely serious. Saturday we had a baptism and the AP's came to go on splits with us for about 2 hours. It was pretty interesting. Especially since almost all of our appointment fell through the short time they were with us. Comfort Bruce was interviewed to be baptized. It was really sweet because afterward I was talking to the missionary who did it and he said she told him that as she met the missionaries she felt like making changes in her life were just how it should go. Stopping drinking and just other things like that. Just confirmed the feelings of the spirit that has been present in our lessons with her I guess. That is about all of our excitement this week. Love you guys! Hope everyone is doing fine


Love Elder Gibson

So another week come and gone. Last Monday we were lucky and got to eat some fufu as an Easter treat at Comfort Bruce's house. Her and her son are still looking at being baptized on the 24th. Hopefully we can get her daughter and others involved too. We are teaching a man named Emmanuel Osei and his family. He is probably in his sixties. The cool thing about him is 1. He loves coming to church 2. he smells like Grandad's doghouse! I know it sounds crazy but so true. Brings back memories of standing and having my height measured and all of those things. OOO and parched corn. Since Tuesday was the 180th anniversary of the church being organized we went to this placed called Tangier's who sells some pizza to celebrate. It was pretty well I thought amazing pizza but the other Americans told me I just have been in Ghana too long. My bad.

Met some really interesting people. Taught a Jew this week named Zebulon, I think. He is a Messianic Jew. They believe that Jesus is the Savior and all the things pertaining to that. They do believe that you should only take communion during Passover. That seems like the main basis of the religion is keeping the Passover by taking the communion. He didn't make a lot of sense though. We taught a girl who wants us to come back and teach her Lesbian friend to stop being a lesbian. It was a little awkward. She does it for money. Met a guy named Alexander Appiah who has had a Book of Mormon for over 10 years. The cover and stuff are damaged though so he didn't actually know what it was and it really confused him. He just would read it he said and liked what it taught. While we were teaching him though his daughter or neighbor girl kept staring at her. Because of the area we were in I asked her if she hadn't ever seen a white person this close. She told me yes she had but not one as handsome. Everyone busted up laughing except Elder Saidu. He said he didn't understand it.

We met a man named Romeo and have been teaching him and preparing him to be baptized. He has a little dog named Cedi. One time we were teaching this past week and Cedi came up and just starts humping my leg like there is no tomorrow! There went the spirit in that lesson. We taught a guy who is friends with a member and I think I made him really really really angry. He had the typical mindset that if you say Jesus Christ or God in anything you teach and it is okay that is "THE WORD" as they refer it. I kind of just told him that wasn't the case and that no we really have to choose sides on what we believe and how to go about religion. He wouldn't talk after that and as we were leaving he asked me who I thought I was that I could pass judgement on what was right or wrong. I know I didn't do anything wrong but afterward I felt horrible like I should have been able to at least of more tactfully been able to of put it I guess. Doubt that was any kind of good seed though.

Sunday Pres. Cardon came to our ward and basically told us how amazing conference was. It went pretty well. Yeah I think that is about all I'm remembering from this week. I love you guys and hope all is well.

Chickens run like wild herds here, it is crazy.
Love Travis

Haha so since everyone of my emails talked about it NO I didn't get to catch any of conference. We will get the DVD version at the end of the month and some where around there I'll get to watch a session or two, maybe. In other news we had a pretty interesting week. Went on splits with everyone in my district this week. It is pretty interesting because they changed our areas a little bit so I got to proselyte an area where I had worked before. It was funny how many little kids and even the adults would be like OH! Elder Thisthing (that is how they pronounce Gibson I swear, just say it really fast). The other elder I was with just looked at me and asked, "does everyone like you in this country?"So I know I have mentioned the lady Comfort to you guys. The one with cool hair. Well she has basically just been sweet. While we were driving to give her a date she just cut to the chase and just said yes baptize me, when? Generally, not quite in just those words. It is sweet because she would like her 2 daughters and 1 son who lives with her to be baptized. Yay for families. Which reminds I love you guys.

OH and that I totally missed out on having an Easter basket. I don't know why but last year I could have kind of cared less. Easter is a lot bigger this year than I remember it being last year. It is a Friday-Monday thing. Even today is a holiday and not too many people are out and about. It is pretty messed up to me though about how we continually would pass by churches and stuff this week and they were doing collections. My favorite was one pastor who was yelling and said, "In the HOLY! name of Jesus bring me 500 million!!!" That is like 50 bucks but still just the way that even 'men of God' treat their calling is just disgusting, but I guess I should learn some charity and show them love. We did have a good week. Able to meet some sweet people and to even have some others to kind of grasp the idea of it. One of them is a guy named Stefan. He was really really apprehensive about the Book of Mormon at first but as he has started to read it he just loves it. He said in his last church he was wanting to become a shepard (missionary) so we are reading Alma 17-22 about Ammon with him. His little brother has joined us a few times and loves the action. Especially the cutting off of arms.

At their house a drunk/crazy guy tried to steal my bike as we were sitting right in front of them. After we got that sorted out and tried to bring the spirit back into our lesson the same drunk/crazy guy started a fight with another resident in the house. Eventually they were throwin sugar and water at each other and yelling in twi and all that good stuff. Elder Saidu and I just decided that we should just get out of there. Had interviews with Pres. Smith on Friday. It was pretty good. Some reason I was asked to ask Pres. Smith a question that our apartment had argued about. It was about eternal marriage. Since no one else would be willing to I asked. Basically his answer was well what do you know about faith, repentance, etc etc etc? Yeah doesn't want us losing focus. We found out that about 5 missionaries in the last 2 months have gone home from my mission. One of them actually went crazy. Total mental breakdown. I felt horrible for the guy. We had a baptism on Saturday. It was really funny because some of the ward leaders were new and you completely tell. I felt like I was witnessing an infant taking its first steps. It was so cute. Sunday at the beginning of church didn't look too positive for us. By the end it had improved with kind of the important investigators coming to church at least. During the service it just kept hitting me that all I need to do is focus on the good. At least it made me feel pretty happy about myself. So there is my spiritual uplifting thought, even if it is a little flat. Haha. Love you guys!


Love
Elder Gibson

my recent convert Christian Baiden and his coke truck. 700 crates of minerals with 24 minerals per crate. Lots of partying.

The end of a long week and the beginning of another one. Had leadership training this week which helped me realize a big fault of mine. We were talking about we could help our wards more. I kind of have had a well you do what I need and be thankful I'm around I guess. We'll just have to see how it goes. Definitely will be working on that.

one of our recent baptisms. It wasn't very well taken but you get the idea

In Accra they have definitely been having some power issues. Started Tuesday evening after we had closed. It was Elder Saidu's 5 month mark of being on his mission and basically all he got was a coke and no lights nearly all night. Ended up that we all stayed up in our apartment talking because none of us could fall asleep since our apartment turns into an oven without fans. Got pretty interesting but when we finally settled for going to bed no one actually fell asleep till the lights came back on around 2 am. Made it pretty hard to wake up the next morning. Luckily we did because it was a pretty dang good day. Had one of the funniest quotes for the week. We were teaching a lesson with a member and were waiting for the lady at her house. Talked about how the Nigerian temple has been shut down. The member than just said "I wish Thomas would visit." I had to ask who is Thomas. He meant President Monson, I totally missed it. He just wants him to come so that he can see and hear a prophet. I told him not to feel bad because I hadn't either. He got really surprised. I just was like well America is big.

This is how you make banku. You stir it like pudding till it thickens and then you have to "drive" it. That translates into you have to basically row through it to mix it together right.

Thursday was a long hard day. The lights were shut off again in my entire proselyting area. Didn't really make people too interested when they were either trying to sleep through not having power or going out to get away from it. I thought it was funny because it made me think of being prepared. People try to do something that isn't useful at that time or they run away. It made sense in my head at least. Found some awesome sausage place that same night when doing a split with Elder Schmidt. We ate some and it was great. Sat down on a curb and actually had one of my investigators pass by and talked to him for just a bit. Friday we have a member who every week feeds us dinner around 5. Almost always it is fufu. This time was made special by the rain. We were all sitting there and just said to each other that it was going to rain. About 3 mins later it rained. Right after the cool breeze which ALWAYS blows right before it will start raining here.

This is Oswald. He is my buddy. His sister and brother sometimes will go with us
to teach and his mom likes to cook for us. His birthday is tomorrow.

Saw a guy wearing a stripling warriors shirt. Went up and talked to him maybe by chance he was a member. Nope just some guy who bought a shirt. Crazy to think I get to serve in the places where all the shirts get sent. Never told you but one time I saw an Arizona Cardinals super bowl champs from the last super bowl. Sunday was sweet. It just seemed like people kept coming in during church. It was pretty sad though since some of the people we were sure of didn't come but new ones. What I really enjoyed was that we had two families, one is a part member. Then most everyone else either has a friend or relative in the church. Just makes keeping their interest in the church a little easier for us.

So take kwelwe (fried and spiced plantain) add fanice (ice cream) a little cinnamon

sugar and yes it is magic. Tastes great. I didn't eat it all by myself. I shared with

the apartment. I'm not that fat.

Yesterday we went and ate yam and stew and then fufu and after that kokonte. I've decided that kokonte is quite possibly the nastiest thing I have eaten . . . EVER. It is like fufu's redheaded step cousin that got hit with the ugly stick too much and then locked in the basement. Instead of just boiling the cassava and plantain they dry it first and let it rot a bit. Then grind it into a powder and prepare it into balls. Don't worry you can get the idea from the pictures. ;D

This is me and Sis. Pat. She loves missionaries. Her and her mother make fufu nearly every Sunday. They are members.

I do love the conference talks though. They are simply amazing. I just always think about how we can know the fullness of the everlasting gospel in the Bible but without the Book of Mormon so many simple truths would be too complex and complicated.

Here I am pounding some fufu. Yes I am hot and sweaty..

Love Elder G

Well wow what a week. Transfers was this past week which always is a fun time. I ended up staying in this area so that will make it 7 1/2 months here. I'm chill with it. It is a good area with some sweet people. My companion will also stay the same. That is cool because I'll now spend 25% of Elder Saidu's mission with him. Crazy to think that we have been together that long it has just flown by. Elder Schmidt got a brand new missionary named Elder Edwards who is pretty sweet. He is from Utah some place. So that makes it me being the oldest missionary surrounded by 3 others whose collective total time on mission doesn't equal mine.

We had two of our recent converts scared away from the church because their teacher treated them like they had been in the church a long time and know a lot. Kept asking questions about why they don't know who John Taylor is or what all of the duties of a priest are. It is kind of disappointing since it is our work just going out the window if the ward treats them like that. Thursday was a hard day but kept reminding me to be diligent in just keeping on. Even Friday we had a sweet call from a past investigator saying he missed us and wanted us to come around. We'll see what happens. Though Wednesday Thursday and Friday just were way rough days. Even the past two weeks were kind of up and down in the ways of teaching everyone and what not. Good thing we had the instant remedy of having a baptism. Always makes up for it. Especially a testimony from a member. He talked about how he had a stroke and was able to be baptized and it gave him added mobility that had been taken away with the stroke. It was way touching.

It rained a lot on Saturday for about 2 hours. Yep just like everyone describes the roads turned into chocolate rivers. It was great until my companion hit a chicken with his bike and it broke his chain. No worries the chicken walked away unharmed. So I know that I'm jumping around but as I mentioned that some of the past days have just been a little fruitless for us it is amazing to see how God blesses us when press on. This week we have met some amazing people. It just seems like the windows of heaven opened and just poured out on us. We were able to have some members bring friends to church who are now interested. Steven Yeboah was able to baptize his family. It just seems as if the list just goes on and on. Just made me really thankful for not giving up when it seemed like it was going to be too much to keep going. So that is about it from my side. Hope everyone is enjoying!

Love you guys! Love Elder Gibson

Zone Conference was pretty sweet. We talked a lot about the parable of the sower. Kind of tied in with how no effort is really wasted but if it is unfocused effort it is about as close to a waste as we can get. At Zone Conference the district leaders will go up and write their goals on a whiteboard. Right before it all started our zone leaders came up to me and told me to write a certain number but that our goal is going to be reduced by Pres. Smith's direction. Don't really know what is up with that but hey I'm not in charge. Here is a little bit more of Comfort's story. This week we introduced the Book of Mormon and she ate it up. She really enjoyed even just reading the introduction and as a refreshing change it was nice that she reads EVERYTHING that we give her not just a part. That is a big problem with some of the people. They will read the first paragraph and just not continue with it. Though she didn't come to church so we'll have to be sure and check on that and make sure it is still going smoothly. Who knows.

I went to my recent convert's house and he had his truck out front. His name is Christian Baiden and he drives for Coca Cola. His truck is pretty massive. He can haul 700 crates of minerals with 24 minerals per crate. We met some interesting people this week. A drunk guy who kept telling us he'd come to church . . .if we gave him money. Yeah right, next time. Met a man named Gilbert who hasn't cut his hair in about 10 years. His dreads are massive. Met two guys from California too. I asked them what they were doing here and they didn't know. Just were here enjoying I guess. Had a baptism this week. It went well. We were a little worried since it was in the afternoon because our ward had a temple trip in the morning. Luckily everyone got there in plenty of time and even everyone was able to show up for their confirmations Sunday morning. It was exceptionally good since President Smith was in our chapel on Sunday so it went smoothly was a blessing for sure.

I had a little bit of an awkward moment though. One of the boys in the Yeboah family (the ones I baptized) had been given the priesthood and they wanted him to pass but he didn't have a tie and well I was willing to let him borrow mine. Right after that the ward clerk had called me to come and do some stuff with the records that they had in question. As we were walking around a corner we ran into President Smith and he asked where my tie was. Luckily he was okay with it though since I would be getting it back. I've noticed when I've been in the apartment after closing for the night how naked I feel maybe without my tag or even a tie. Crazy what you just get use to. A major benefit of having President Smith around the church was that we needed an abortion interview for someone who is going to baptized this weekend so he was able to take care of that no problem.

Joseph Kyei another one of my recent converts told me he wanted to take us to his hometown and show us this place where dwarves have carved into stones a enormous owejuria or mancala playing ground. It is the game that is pretty popular game here and I'm sure most of you know what it is too. It is actually in our zone so I think we will be able to go but it probably won't be for the next week or two. Which depends on transfers which is this week. I wouldn't mind staying and I wouldn't mind going. We'll see what happens. Sunday we had some way too much fufu. Our first counselor invited us to his house right after church. Ate big big ball of fufu and then while we were there another call came and we were invited to another fufu dinner. Back to back was just too much. I think I was the only one who could walk normal back to our apartment. It was pretty great though. I didn't have to make anything for breakfast this morning! :D

I just want to let everyone know that I love you and am glad to hear that everything is going so well. I am having a wonderful time in Ghana. True it has its ups and downs but it is always teaching me something. Especially about staying positive. ANYWAY hope everyone has a wonderful week! Love ya!

It is really stressed for us to teach tithing. If the people we teach are willing to pay their tithing then the chances of them staying in the church is so much HIGHER. Definitely helps us to put off the natural man. Since the man of the world is just money money money.
Love you guys!