Christ Called Us His Friends

Akwaaba

I want to try to do something a little different in writing my letters. I haven’t really been very good about talking about the people that we are working with because we are always working with so many new people and we are always finding more.  I guess that’s the blessing of being in Ghana and I’m grateful for it. So I want to just talk about some of the people that are more serious and that we are more focused on.

First is Abraham, I think that I have talked about him small but he is a school teacher. He has been coming to church and he knows that it is true but he is some how a Muslim. He was born and raised a Christian but as he got older he started to wonder which church was the most correct kind of the same thing that Joseph Smith wondered. This caused him to move around to many churches until he moved into the Muslim world. He said that when he started going to the mosque he saw changes in his life, and he is scared to leave it because he doesn’t want his life to change back to the way it was. But he knows the church is true, it just might take some time for him to understand that God will bless him for this.

Patrick is 25 years old and he lives pretty far from the chapel. He came for his first time this week and he loved the church, and went to the bishop to talk to him about becoming a member. So we will be preparing him for this upcoming month and he is way correct! He came with his neighbor George who is like 56 and he also loved the church. It will be fun to work with the two of them and help them down that hopefully short path to the water.

We got a dash (referral) from a member. They have a 16 year old who is not baptized and wants to be. His name is Prosper, and he is a little slow but he is really cool and loves to talk futbol!

This week we had a huge rain that came through and wrecked everything!!!!  So on Wednesday we spent the whole day going around helping members and people dig their houses out of the rain and mud. Lots of people lost their houses and food. We also went over to the Kissi's hospital and bucketed water out for hours, and then went to get sand bags because the news said it was going to rain again. Man it was just really sad because there was honestly nothing that any one could do but sit and watch their house fill up with water and then in some cases disappear into the water.  (All this started to happen at 2 am.) We saw some taxi's washed down the river and complete roads taking out. It was a great chance for us to do some service and actually show people that a white man is totally capable of doing work!

I have a few things that I learned this week from the Bible. John 13: 12-15 Jesus washed the Apostles feet and said to them "Know ye what I have done to you? 13, Ye call me a Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14, If I then, your Lord and a Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.15, For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." Here Jesus gives us an example that we should was each others feet or we should serve one another. We all know the scripture in Mosiah that when we serve one another we are only in the service of our god. But sometimes it is not EASY AT ALL to serve someone. Why?

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Christ washed his friend’s feet, and ended up dying for all of his friends. It is a lot easier to serve a friend. It is a lot easier to WANT to serve a friend. In the Doctrine and Covenants section 84: 77 Christ called us his friends. he says "And again I say unto you, my friends, for from henceforth I shall call you friends" The Greek meaning of friend is equal, friends treat each other as equals, and help build each other up to reach their own potential. Friends back home hang out with each other, talk to each other, listen to what each other has to say, they do stuff together, and they go out of their way to help each other.

On missions it is EASIER to be a friend to a companion then to be senior and junior companions. Back home it was easier and more fun to have friends than younger brothers or sisters. Not saying that little bros and sisters are bad but when we treat each other as equal and serve one another it is easier to want to serve a friend. Christ teaches us that if we love him we will keep his commandments and if we keep his commandments then we are his friends. Indirectly I see that we need to love our friends.

I know that I didn’t always treat my family as friends because they were family (and families are eternal right?) Yeah, but I can’t wait to hang out with my best friends again! I know that these things are true that Christ showed us by example by loving his friends, and serving them. It is easier to serve a friend.

Well everything here is going well! We have had our bad days but the Lord always seems to push us through. I love Africa; it is the best place in the world to be right now.

Thanks for everything! I love you guys; I believe in miracles.

Love Bbear