August 12, 2013

Hey everybody!

Well, I can't believe that I am writing you my last email as a missionary.  I can't really describe the way I feel right now. I'm so excited but at the same time, I feel like I am going to be leaving my home behind again.  It seems like everyday I go through feelings of just wanting to be finished and then there are other times where I feel like I just don't want to leave. I've been so lucky to be able to finish my mission where I have in Sofokrom.  It is such a great place and the people here are amazing. It's the first time that I've served in a larger ward and so it's taken some of the other stresses away that I've had to deal with in other areas.  I feel like I've learned the most from these last four months or so.  This last week or so has been difficult to keep my mind here. Especially because my ministerial card that I carry with me expired on the 5th! (I'm proselyting illegally! ;)...)  This last week was focused a lot on baptisms, which did help me stay focused. I had to do quite a few interviews for those in my district and so I was really busy going to different places to do that and then also we were having a baptism as well.  The one we were baptizing did so well. She was even teaching the relief society how to make meat pies at the church a day before her baptism and so she is getting very involved with the members.  Some of the members and also I have been encouraging her to think about serving a mission as well because I know it would help her out so much and it would really bless her life.  She comes from a pretty poor family and she's been lucky to be receiving a high school education.

So now, I just have a little bit over a week left until I'm on a plane.  This week is going to be a fun week.  I'm really looking forward to the time that I'm going to be able to spend with those in my ward. We are going to be having the All-Africa service project on this Saturday and then throughout the week we'll be having some other random activities.  Then next Monday I'll be over to the mission home in Cape Coast and then Tuesday we'll go through the temple and then I'll be on my way to the airport.  I still can't believe it is time for me to come home.  It almost doesn't even feel real.  Well, I love you guys and thank you all for the support that you have shown me over these last two years.  You've helped me to have an experience that has changed my life and also many others lives as well. Can't wait to see you all next week!

Love Elder Kitchen

p.s. Can't wait for some awesome American food!!! :D

August 5, 2013

Hey everybody!

I've had another great week.  We are moving closer to my last baptism which should be this coming Saturday.  We have had lot of people that have started progressing really well. We had another new person come to church on Sunday and so we had five investigators come to church.  I'm pretty sure of all of them being baptized but it just depends on when they will get baptized. Most of them are probably going to be in September or something.  I've been really lucky lately because we haven't been having to do a lot of finding. It's just been a lot of member referrals and we are so busy with them that we don't have to go around contacting or anything which I don't really enjoy doing.  A girl that we are teaching named Jennifer took us and introduced us to her older sister who lives not too far away and we are going to start teaching her this coming week.  Hopefully if the sister starts coming to church then Jennifer's parents will start letting Jennifer come with her older sister.  This week I'll be pretty busy because I have to do quite a few baptism interviews for other missionaries throughout the week and so I'll be all over the place.  Today is my two year mark which is pretty weird because I'm still here...with two more weeks...haha. My ministerial card even says that it expires today.  It's all good though. I won't ever have this experience again and so two extra weeks is okay with me. Well,  I don't really know what else to say...hope all is well! Talk to you next week...for maybe the last time in Ghana! Love you all!

Elder Kitchen

July 29, 2013

Hey what's up everybody!

Another week has come and gone.  This week it was a lot of fun to be in Sofokrom because they were having a festival thing and so they had activities in the town all week and everybody was around and were having a lot of fun.  Serving in such a small place is pretty cool because you almost get to become part of the community.  The people always love to see two white guys in ties walking around while they are doing all of their activities.  Sometimes it was difficult to teach because the whole town was over watching the football match at the park but good thing missionary work isn't all just about teaching.  One of our investigators was playing the in the football tournament and so it was fun to watch him play and he was excited that we were there. We were also able to talk to a lot of other people and get to know them.  I wish that I could have served the two years with the knowledge that I know now.  The members continue to keep helping us and pretty much all of those that we are teaching came from members.  Members should really be in front when it comes to missionary work because that's when real growth will happen. I think almost all of the people that I have baptized on my mission, almost all of them came as member referrals.  When the work is like that, it's a lot more fun and also successful.  One reason why I have loved being in Ghana is because the missionary work and relationships are a little different here.  I feel like you are allowed to get a lot closer with the members here then you would in other places. I'm going to always remember the relationships that I had with investigators and members here. I was allowed to be myself a lot more and just get to know and love the people.  This week we had six investigators come to church and hopefully one of the six will be baptized before I go.  The one that we are going to baptize on August 10th is pretty much a member already.  She calls herself one and she comes to all of the activities. She's progressed really well and also really fast.  On Sunday after church, the chief organized a big non-denominational service at the football pitch and so all of the members and us as well as a lot of people from Sofokrom all were at the park. I don't really know what happened but it was fun. haha.  Some of the activities seemed a lot like a church in the south.  It was a lot of fun though.  Today we came and played basketball for our activity and I said goodbye to some of the elders that were there because I probably won't see most of them again because they won't be meeting together again until after I leave.  It's going to be sad to say bye to a lot of these people because most of them I will never see them again.  I always thought that I would feel so excited when I was coming back but the only thing that is making me have a desire to come home is family.  If I didn't have anybody back home...I wouldn't want to leave.  I'm really going to miss this place. Well, I guess I'll just talk to you all next week!  

Love Elder Kitchen