Time Is Precious

Elder Shirley, Elder Manakofua and Elder Ahokovi

Missionaries hanging out on P-day

Elder Shirley's companion, Elder Manakofua

Some food Elder Shirley made for the apartment

Elder Shirley's apartment

Another view of the apartment

Street in front of the apartment

January 13, 2020 

This week was a pretty good week! Honestly not anything too new has happened this week just kind of same thing. 

Tuesday was just a normal proselyting day where we went out and were able to see some people as well as some of our recent converts to strengthen them. 

Our best day this week was definitely on Friday when we had our exchange. I got to go with Elder Bahr from Colorado and we had some great success. He is a great missionary who had a lot of passion for the work that he is doing and so we worked really hard that day. We actually found 4 new friends that we taught and we were also able to help progress a couple other people in their teaching. Overall the experience was great. 

Sunday we had church where we were able to confirm our wonderful sister Queen and also for the member that we reactivated, Bro. John to receive the Aaronic priesthood which was super cool!! It really is cool to see all the tender mercies that go throughout each day as you come into the apartment at the end of a day’s work and look back at the Lord’s hand in all of our work it truly is amazing. 

This week I was just thinking about how important time is and how important it is to use it in the way that God would want us to use it. Are we using our time wisely every day or are we wasting our days away in the bed or on the couch instead of either progressing our lives or helping someone else? The scriptures teach us, "cease to be idle" and that to be idle is of the devil because nothing good can happen while we choose to be lazy!! So I would encourage everyone to use their time the way that God would want them to and go out and do some good!! 

I love you and have a great week!! 

-Elder Shirley 

Questions & Answers 

Q. Theo (Dan’s nephew that was born just before he left for Ghana) is obsessed with cars of any kind. What kind of cars do you see over there? 

A. The cars here are honestly so much worse than back home. They are all small taxi cars that are not correct haha! They just do it “redneck style” and throw things together to get the car to run no joke!! Haha. 

Q. Tell us about a person or situation that happened this week that made a lasting impression on you. 

A. This week we were just walking by someone that I first taught about 20 weeks ago and he got busy and we did not see him very often on Tuesday when we were walking by his book shop he was there so we just went to greet him and see how he was doing. I did not see that he was very busy so I asked him if he had some time for us to share a message and he said sure. As we sat down he said, “Wow! It has been a long time since we last met.” He said "Actually I was thinking about you today and I asked myself, I wonder when I will meet the missionaries again?" It just happened to be that same day we met with him and taught him the restoration again and then 3 days later he told us that he had seen and felt God in his life and that he will be a member of the church. That was a really cool experience of God's timing and his power. 

Q. Can you share with us something funny that happened this week? It's always fun to hear your fun personality. In fact, I have played your New Year's video over so many times because of your laughter and strong accent! It makes me smile every time! 

A. Haha mom you are funny!! I am happy that the video made you happy and that you have been able to enjoy it. I can’t think of anything funny now but ask me again next week and I'll think of something.

Set Goals and Accomplish Them

With the Nigerian couple who just got married

Family & friends of the Nigerian couple

Elder Shirley & Elder Manakofua with the groom

Our ward Relief Society and Elder's quorum after class on Sunday

With recent convert Gloria on the left and a member on the right

With two people were are currently teaching (Manuela & Ethel)

With Elder Cornell and a random kid who wanted us picture with us

With a couple of members

With Michael Susu (a member)

Setting up for the stake party

Missionaries at the stake party

January 6, 2020 

Well it is a new year now and the year that many great things will happen! The week was pretty good and we did see some success throughout the week which was good. 

The best thing that happened this week by far was the wedding between John and Gloria on Saturday, January 4th. These 2 people are people that fell away from the church for a long period of time but we found them about 3 months ago as they were completely inactive and attending another church. After finding them and teaching them again, they were able to come back to church as strong members and do their official marriage which will provide them with an opportunity to be sealed in the next 6 months hopefully! Brother John will also receive the Aaronic priesthood as he never received it this coming Sunday and then prepare himself to receive the Melchizedek priesthood by the next stake conference. 

Oh what joy that brought to me and my companions hearts as they were performing their marriage ceremony and the smiles and happiness that we could see on their faces as they were finally getting married and knowing that now they can progress even more with their lives as they prepare for their temple endowment and their temple sealing! I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I have had to meet them and reactivate them. It is amazing how the gospel can bind families together for time and all eternity but that is the power of the Priesthood that separates us from the rest of the world. 

Sunday we also were able to have a great ward attendance, probably the highest that we have had since I have been here. The chapel was mostly full and many people showed up and we had a great testimony meeting. 4 of the people that we are teaching were able to make it to church to continue on their paths towards baptism which we are extremely excited about!! There are truly some great people in this world that are just searching for the truth. I also really enjoyed the first Come Follow Me lesson about the introductory pages of the Book of Mormon. The class was a lot of fun as many people contributed and I just love the Book of Mormon so much. 

Ghana has entered into the Harmattan season which is the dry season and the weather right now is a lot cooler than it usually is because the humidity is not as bad. Even at nights I sleep really cold. I’m not sure if it's because I have been in Ghana too long or if it is really, actually cold haha. Anyways, I really like this weather because it is cooler. However, I still miss the snow because let's get real, being cooler here still means it is like 80-90 degrees just with less humidity. It did drop to like 68 degrees though one night so that was nice!! 

Last thing I will say is now that it is a new year, let us make improvements in our lives and change ourselves for the better. It should not take a new year for us to do this but that is usually how it goes. As we strive to become better each year we will see more and more progress in our lives. Set goals for yourself and actually strive to achieve them. Many times we make the mistakes of setting our goals, writing them down and then never looking at them again. So set your goals and keep them in a place where you can see them so that you can accomplish them! 

This week was a great week and I look forward to another great week this week!! 

Love you lots!! 

-Elder Shirley 

Questions & Answers 

Q. What has the week been like for you with your investigators? 

A. This week with investigators was pretty good. We are still trying to help them be really serious in the gospel and to have them understand the importance of his priesthood and church. But we do have some people who are preparing to be baptized. 

Q. Can you share with us what you like most about the Book of Mormon? 

A. What do I like most about the Book of Mormon?? Well what is there not too like?? I just like how plain and simple it is. It literally answers every question that anyone could have. It's been a challenge in our mission to find answers to any question asked by investigators from the Book of Mormon and you can literally do it for any question. Try it. 

Q. We should get something in the mail for your birthday soon, any suggestions? 

A. Honestly I would be happy with just putting money into my account again and I can buy things here to bring home. It is probably cheaper and I like it anyway!