New Companion /Trainee

Dear Family,

This week was really crazy. We went down to Accra on Tuesday to pick up my trainee. His name is Elder Robertson from Memphis Tennessee. He is a big guy but really cool. He reminds me a lot of Josh in the way he speaks and carries himself. He is a ready to go and do work. It was a really exhausting week. I am still trying to find out how to run everything and manage being senior companion and still think about how I can help Elder Robertson.

We are working to get this family called the Sarpongs baptized as well as a girl named Constance and a small boy named Gabriel. They are all really cool and I think that all of their baptisms will go through.

Today we bought a rabbit and killed it and cooked it up to go into some Fufu. It was really good and a fun little adventure.

Anyways, not much to report on today. I want to start a project where I make a list and write about some of my heroes here. I hope to write to you about some people that have made a big impact on me.

I hope all is well back home. You are always in my prayers.

Love,

Elder Shelton

Hectic Baptism

Dear Family,

This week was one of my best weeks on my mission. It was also a very humbling week. We spent much of our week preparing Loretta and Pomaah for baptism. Loretta has had some really difficult things happen in her life lately and it reminded me of how much the gospel blesses our life especially in difficult times.  In church we talked about how being a member of this church provides protection and security. It is true, this church has protected me and my family from so many worldly things that can be devastating.

The baptism on Sunday was hectic.  After sacrament meeting Elder Okorie and I went out to check the font. It wasn't filled and there were spiders and lizards and all kinds of gross things living in it. We were able to recruit some primary children to come and help us clean it. It seemed as if almost everything with the baptism went wrong. The water that came out of the tap was brown so they were baptized in gross water, the rain came just as they were being baptized, they had to both be baptized multiple times because they didn't get all the way under. Eventually everything worked out and they were baptized. After we sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" . It was really beautiful and I almost started to cry. I was so happy to see them baptized. Sometimes in this mission you just expect the baptisms so when they come they are just routine. I was able to just sit and sing and enjoy the moment of what had happened. It was a really great day.

On Saturday I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Buys. It was really great and it was nice to work with someone so skilled and my good friend. In the evening President Heid called us and asked us to help him set apart our new Branch President. It was one of the coolest most spiritual experience I have had. The blessing was so powerful and unique. It was really great to be a part of.

I also received transfer news. Elder Okorie will be going and I have been called to train someone up here in Oyoko. I will go down to Accra tomorrow to pick up my new trainee. I am really excited but also nervous for the opportunity. My trainer, who went home today, was such a good influence on me and I hope that I can be a good influence on my trainee as well.

At the Mission Office Picking Up His New Companion

Anyways, it was a really great week. I love you all.

Elder Shelton

Sorry my letters are getting shorter. President Heid knocked the time allowed at cafe down.

The Lord Decided to Bless Us

Dear Family,

This week was a really great week for me all around. Elder Okorie and I were able to put together a mission standard week which is really hard to do in this mission. At church on Sunday we had members and investigators show up in numbers. We had about 90 members there which is up from our usual 60, and we had 8 investigators. I would like to say that we tried something different and this magic happened but we just worked and the Lord decided to bless us. We have several investigators progressing to baptism. One of them is Loretta. She was the one that was gone to Accra for a month. She is super serious about her learning and she is allowing it to change her life. It was really awesome to see someone take the Gospel very seriously.

I was able to go to the Temple twice this week. President called us for a trip down so we went on Thursday evening and did a session and then another Friday morning. We slept at the mission home. It was a really great trip.

The other piece of news was that we got a new branch presidency in Oyoko and I am really excited about it. The branch presidents name is President Moris Amate. He is 28 years old and is actually one of Elder Okorie and my good friend. It will be wonderful to work with him and he is really energized to get Oyoko moving.

Questions:
How have the rains affected your area? Mud.
How is your investigator Loretta coming? She will be baptized next Sunday.
Does she have children? Two, they are adorable. I will try to get pictures.
Is she married? Could be soon.
How about the man who was baptized who wanted to learn English so he could understand the Book of Mormon? He is doing ok. He was working really hard and saved up a bunch of money and then it all got stolen so that rattled him a bit. He played soccer with all the men in the branch and has been attending activities so he is doing well.
What did you do for P-day last week or today? Wash, Clean, wash, eat, clean

It was also a great week because I finally got my Easter package and the replacement Easter package as well. Thank you mom, there are some great things in there.

I love you all! Send my love to the baby as well.

Elder Shelton