A touching letter from Elder Antwi

This is touching letter from our other son, Elder Antwi.  I had written to him and told him how grateful I was that Elder Porritt had decided to serve a mission and what a blessing it was that he was called to serve in the Ghana, Kumasi mission.  I then told him, "what if..what if Elder Porritt hadn't gotten himself ready to serve a mission"?  What if Elder Porritt and him had never met and became brothers?  Here is part of his letter back to me:

May our God bless the family,extend my greetings to everyone,execially my dear grand mum.

We will be having #lighttheworld here too in Benin city but

I and my companion have an old lady we used to visit her,she is 82yrs,she also a member but now she don't go to church regularly because of situation but they bring her sacrament every Sunday.We have planned that we will visit her in Christmas and render special service to her, we take our hymn books with us so that we can sing her. 

Mummy I remembered, one evening  I went for institute class I was very hungry and that time I don't  have money to buy food,but i prayed to my Heavenly Father as Enos in the Book did and I know that God will make away for me to find food to eat. Elder Porritt gave me his fried rice and chicken, delicious one.Mummy I have seen so many missionaries white and black but God knows why He brought  Elder Porritt in my life, His advise he gave to me that day. He encouraged me to come on mission. He is my brother, he is white and am black but we are one people. 

Mummy thanks very much and always  remember me in prayers because now am not feeling well at all.

Love,

Elder Antwi

(Elder Antwi has since returned to Ghana to receive some medical help for his illness).  Here are some pictures of him.  He is such a special young man.  He loves his Father in Heaven and wants to serve Him!  Our family is beyond blessed to have been able to meet him and be able to send our support over to him.  He is Elder Porritt's Brother and he is our Son.

 Elder Antwi

 Elder Antwi serving with other missionaries in the district.

 Elder Porritt & Elder Antwi

Thanksgiving Meal

Well what a great week it was in Nkawkaw, GH.

First of all, its getting so dang hot here... every day when we walk outside of the apartment, it feels like we are going into a sauna... One great thing about this area is that we have an Air conditioner in our room alone, and sometimes at night when its really hot, we kick it on for a little while to cool it down, cause its getting so hot in our apartment too. We don't have ceiling fans, and our standing fans are dying, so it is so dang hot at night these days.. but hey that is the experience of a lifetime i guess haha. 

This week was really a great one. We taught a lot of lessons, and have a lot of people who we really are hoping will progress towards baptism in December and January. We contacted a few people this week who we thought for sure would come to church, and up til Saturday night, they promise and promise that they will come in the morning, then Sunday morning comes, and they have disappeared off the face of the earth, their phone is off, and they don't show... its really discouraging to have that with so many people, but i don't know, i guess the rejection is getting normal.. 

The positives of the week was Thanksgiving Dinner, our branch president's wife made us a nice nice nice plate of rice and chicken, and i brought the instant potatoes and well, i definitely ate too much food, i could barely walk after the meal... it was so nice to eat (almost real) mashed potatoes!!

Then on Sunday, Bro Z. who we baptized on September 26, he finally came again for his confirmation, the problem is that the guy is so captured in poverty that he can never pass up an opportunity to go work for some small money. He has next to nothing. It is so sad and humbling to see circumstances like this for a human being. But he came to church, was confirmed, payed his tithing for the 2nd time, and contributed a lot during Sunday school and Priesthood meetings, so he really is doing great. 

Sunday afternoon, we went and saw a guy that Elder Hill and I contacted last week during our exchange. This guy is about 75 years old, his name is A. O., and he was the man who brought the Methodist Church to Nkawkaw many years ago. Well Elder Hill and I, last week, just kinda introduced ourselves and talked about the Church, cause he had a lot of questions, well Elder Nuamah and I went on Sunday and gave him a copy of the most correct book on the earth, the Book of Mormon. we read some passages in it, we explained why God still can add scriptures to the bible, and we challenged him to read and pray, I know he will do so. The man is smart and as soon as he started reading the Book of Mormon, he didn't want to stop, maybe that is cause we were reading in Alma 7 which is awesome, or maybe it was the Spirit, but either way, he really felt the power of the Book that day. I don't know if we will convert this guy, but if we do, wow, we could also get a HUGE congregation of Methodist members here in Nkawkaw as well. He wants us to come back next week Sunday so we will see what happens!!

Well those are the highlights of the week, this week will be another crazy one full of travelling and business. Wednesday and Thursday will be MLC, and then Saturday will be P day again due to the Ghana Presidential elections taking place next Wednesday the 7th, our transfer day is going to be on Monday the 5th so P day will be Saturday the 3rd. What a weird schedule but it'll be cool. I really hope i don't get transferred though, i would love to spend Christmas here in Nkawkaw.

thank you all for your love and support. I hope you have a great week!!

Love Elder Porritt

This was the plate of my thanksgiving dinner. it was beautiful.

The crew in Nkawkaw 2nd Branch.

 My guy Elder Stirling and I decorated the apartment real nice.

  Fresh tilapia given to us by a recent convert of the other elders, it was soooo nice!!

A Thankful Heart

Well Happy Tuesday!  And also Happy Turkey Week for all you back in the states. This time of the year with Thanksgiving here, and Christmas on the way, i really miss all of you back home, but at the same time i dont think there is ANYTHING i would rather be doing right now than what im doing. I love so much the opportunity i have right now to be serving the people of Ghana. I love the work i do.  

This week was so amazing, i wish i had time to type all day, cause i could go on all day about how amazing this week was. 

The first amazing thing was Tuesday and Wednesday when my guy, Elder Hill came on exchanges.  It was the first time i have went and worked with Elder Hill which is weird seeing how much we have been together on mission and how close we have become, but it was the best day ever seriously. We started the exchange on Tuesday afternoon due to our our Zone council tuesday morning (which went well by the way). Elder Hill and i had a blast of a day and then he and his companion, Elder Asabere, spent the night in our apartment, and then Wednesday morning also we went out on the exchange til lunch and then the Assistants went back to Kumasi for meetings and stuff. It was such a great day to spend time with my good friend. And we took a lot of pictures haha. but we were able to teach a whole lot of people and even find a few new people who we hope will progress by reading the Book of Mormon. 

Other highlights came on Sunday, we had an Africa West Area Stake Conference Broadcast... wow that is a mouth full. but it was great and even though it was at the District Center which is far from our area, we had a few investigators come, as well as Brother Ibrahim, and he was wearing his white shirt, nice trousers, and tie that Elder Bbosa and I gave to him last transfer. We are looking forward to his confirmation next week. Also other progress is a guy called Sylvester. He is the younger brother of our Elders Quorom President, Brother Maxwell. we have been visiting and teaching him quite a lot lately, and finally he came to church on Sunday, we are really hoping that he felt the Spirit, cause in the church he regularly attends, they make a whole lot of noise and dance and all that apostate stuff. So he isnt used to the quiet and reverent mood of Church, we are just hoping and praying that things will work out with him. 

The other highlights came in the pictures. The one is us helping our Sunday School President, Brother Akpalu, and his wife Stella (who is an investigator (and a JW) move into their new house. and then the last one is at our version of the Turkey Bowl, we had a nice 6 man football match yesterday morning, which was a blast, I love playing soccer now, and i am getting pretty decent.

Well in the Thanksgiving Spirit, i would just like to express thanks to all of those of you who are my friends, and my family. Thank you for being so amazing to be in my life and to help me in all things. I am most thankful that my Heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die on the cross for my sins. Im thankful for the chance that i have to repent of my sins and be made clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and Im thankful to be a member of the only true Church on the Earth, even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have truly learned to be thankful while serving around a humble people as these wonderful Ghanaians. I love every minute of it, and I am thankful for the chance I am taking to give back small to my Heavenly Father for all that He has given me. I love you all and pray that you have a safe and thankful week.

Love Elder Hunter Kenneth Porritt

This is a section from Elder Hill's letter that Elder Hill had sent to his family this week:

Well To say the least this past week was great! Many new experiences and testimony builders and countless amount of tender mercies from the lord. Everything in Ghana is great. Still hot as always but for me and my companion we are really enjoying with him having about 7 weeks left. Elder Asabere is from Ghana, Accra. We get a long great and think a lot alike. This week consisted of some driving for exchanges to different areas and its always entertaining because my companion can rap. He is talented. So for me and him we are just pressing forward. This week was full on our schedule with 2 exchanges. One of them was in Obuasi (my old area) and another was in Konongo. I’m getting a hang of the driving I would say by now. I fear for when I come back to the U.S that I could be in trouble with my sweet driving skills. 

This Tuesday we were able to go on exchanges in Konongo and I had the opportunity of going with Elder Porritt. Our exchanges was a day I will not forget. I can honestly say I felt the spirit the whole time and in every lesson and person we talked to. What a sweet feeling that was and I really enjoyed working with a close friend and even I would consider him a brother. While proselyting we came across many people that are a great potential. There was one man on the other side of the street that I felt we needed to greet. I wasn’t thinking about going and stopping him but I felt we needed to say something. As we discussed with him and handed him the book of Mormon to go and read he says “I will read, and I will read with my brothers at home, I have many and they will come.” This man was so happy, just like that. While discussing with him a lady passing on the road side just stopped next to us and was glancing at the Book of Mormon and then went her way. Not thinking much of it. It turned out she was interested and wanted to learn. Though she had walked away and was nowhere to be found. When we were heading back to the apartment this lady stopped us in the night and said, “It’s YOU!!” We meet!” She ended up meeting us on that dark dirt road in a complete different location and stopped us wanting to learn. At first I could even see her face it was so dark. I just figured it was probably a member. I leaned to Porritt and said, “Do you no her”? He looked at me with the same face of wonder? This lady then asked, “When are you coming to teach me”?  

I really enjoyed the exchanges with Elder Porritt and we both have that desire to work Hard but even he is someone who also has faith to move a mountain. We are a lot alike and we had a sweet time laying down doctrine and testifying back and forth to many. Especially Wednesday morning with the small time we had, we weren’t finding anyone and all the appointments fell through. I told him “I feel we need to go back down the main road…..” We went back down and turned down a random road I felt we needed to go. As we were trying to contact still nothing. At this point I was really questioning why we were supposed to come here. The very Last house we contacted we ended up finding a family, the father that is related to the branch president. In that very moment I felt and knew exactly why we were Lead there. 

I know that the spirit speaks to us and is constantly trying to lead us but it’s up to us if we decide to listen and to act upon what we feel or hear. Heavenly father knows us and everything we are faced with. We are not alone. If we feel we are walking by ourselves, stop what you are doing and seek to walk on his path rather than thinking our will or our path is always the right way. We can always improve and the best part is, we will always get credit for trying if we just keep pressing forward. Just like the saying, “there is light at the end of the tunnel”, it’s true, we just need to test/believe in ourselves to walk or do what we know to be right.  -Elder Hill

 Me and my Bro, Elder Hill

Playing in the Konongo Turkey Bowl!

 Helping with the move. Do you think anything will fall off?

Brother Ibrahim

Warm Shower, Air Conditioning & Fruity Pebbles

Dear Fam,

This week was pretty cool, but it was so fast i dont even know what happened.  we started with a pretty good District Council on Tuesday, then Wednesday we went to Kumasi for our MLC (Mission Leadership Council) which was actually Thursday, but since we are far out of Kumasi, we travel the night before and then stay the night at the mission home, which is SOO AWESOME.  The nice things are that Wednesday, we got to go to KFC haha, then we slept in the nice air conditioning on Wednesday night, Then Thursday morning we took a nice warm shower due to the water heater in the mission home bathrooms, then we went upstairs and had a nice bowl of fruity pebbles with milk.... ahh it was so amazing, i love being at the mission home!! Well Leadership Council was really great as well, i really felt strongly the spirit of my diving calling as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know that as a missionary, I am blessed to go each day and teach people about the Gospel, but more importantly, i get to testify to them that i know that the true Church of Jesus Christ was restored through a Prophet named Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I promise you and everyone who may read this, that if you read the Book of Mormon, and apply its teachings, your life will improve, you will come closer to your Heavenly Father.

Well our investigators are kinda not doing too hot as a whole, but we do have one lady, Sister Eunice, who is looking really promising that we found this week. At the start of our first lesson with her she was asking just a bunch of questions about whether some things that her church practices are actually okay or not, we didnt just answer the questions, but we helped her to understand how Heavenly Father reveals truth, which isnt just to any man, but it is to men who are called and chosen and ordained as Prophets, who can receive revelation straight from the Father Himself.  Well as we helped her to understand this, she asked us straight up, where can we find someone like that, which is a great question to hear as a missionary that is for sure. We then testified of the ministry of the Savior Jesus Christ, and then we taught her about how the great apostasy brought many confusions to the earth, then the peak of the lesson came with the story of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the First Vision.  After this, she very willingly committed to read the Book of Mormon, to Pray about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and to be baptized. It was really a great lesson. So we are excited to see how she comes along, but she will be traveling a few days out of this week so we are just trying to find out when we can see her again.

The other great news is a baptism this week, not one that happened for me on my mission, but i was informed of it just a few minutes ago, and i am so proud of my man Kazon Hawes!! I cant believe the big guy is already 8 years old!! But when Coach Don told me that Kazon was baptized, i got really emotional. I am really touched from the kind words that i received, and Coach Don made it feel like I was a part of that baptism even though i wasnt able to be there, I have come to love Kazon and the whole Hawes Fam, and I know that one day Kazon will bring many into the waters of baptism himself when he serves a mission!! Im glad and honored that i have been able to have a small impact on him.

Well that is how my week went, i hope that all of you are doing great, i am doing great and loving the work. it is really going too fast, that is for sure. Keep reading and praying and you will continue to have strength come to you in your life. I love you all.

Elder Porritt

Elder Porritt's Testimony

Testimony of Elder Hunter Kenneth Porritt

I know that God Lives. I testify that He is our loving Heavenly Father and He knows each of His children individually. He loves us and He will bless each of us depending on our faithfulness to His commandments. I also know that we are His children, which means that we have the great potential to become like Him! I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of Mankind. He was born in Bethlehem and died for us on Calvary. I know that He lived a perfect, stainless life, and He humbly laid that life down for you and for me, that we would have the chance to live again after this life. I know that He suffered all our pains, our sorrows, our temptations, and our afflictions.  He knows what we are feeling and I testify that He truly does know because he has already suffered this and knows what we are feeling all the time. He knows how to help us because He is the way. I testify that Jesus Christ is the very Son of God and if we come unto Him, He will give us rest and He will lead us back to His Heavenly Home. These things I humbly testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Overcoming Malaria

Dear Family,

Well this week was a great one as for teaching a lot of people, we really did a lot of work this week, and we have been seeing some improvement in our area and also some progression with some of our investigators. We have one kid, Francis, who we have taught a few times and he has even come to church a few times, he is like a nephew to Maxwell, our Elders Quorom President, and so Maxwell has been bringing him to church, we are just trying to help him to have a desire to learn about the Gospel. Other than Francis, this week was a LOT of finding new people. Basically all we did all week was talk to new people, finding new investigators, and inviting people to church. It was a tiring week but it was a good one. 

Some good news is that this week i really felt great all week, just a little fatigued from being sick last week, but all the symptoms of malaria have left long time now. 

Some crappy news is that i got sick again last night, it's not anything serious this time though. Last night we had a huge dinner to break our fast, and about an hour after eating, all of us kinda were feeling sick, so we thought it was the food, but nobody had anything wrong happen, but last night i got it good from that dinner. I woke up the first time at 3am, and threw up, went back to bed, was up again at 5 to throw up again and also added some runny tummy, went back to bed and really tried to get some sleep cause my stomach was turning all sorts of ways and places, and then i was up again at 8 for round three of throw up... then from 8am-5pm i was alternating between bed and toilet adding two more rounds of vomit at noon and then 5:30. Well needless to say its been a tough day haha but im up and walking a little now and we are here at the internet cafe, we will be heading back in a few minutes so i can go for #6 in the bucket... so yeah i had some great food poisoning today.. 

well im thankful for all of your prayers and love and support, i love you all very much and i hope you have a wonderful week!!

love Elder Porritt