Elder Porritt in Ghana: 1st Transfer on the Mission

Well I am being transfered. haha just kidding! But yesterday was the last day of my first transfer and I will be staying in Techiman with my good pal Elder Snow. man that kid is awesome and we get along so well!! I am really enjoying my time with him but Wow it was a rough week here in Ghana.

As far as teaching about the Gospel, we aren't doing too well.. It just seems like every person we talk to is not serious. They accept the commitments to be baptized and to come to church, to read the Book of Mormon, etc. but they won't do any of them. We are struggling with the people here because they are really stubborn and they don't want to change their ways.

We did meet one guy who we think might be a bright spot here. His name is Dennis. (Basically there are like 10 names in Ghana for men. It seems like everyone we talk to is named Dennis, Phillip, Kofi, Daniel, etc. just a lot of basic names haha) But so Dennis. He is a professional footballer. He plays for a Class 2 Ghana team which is like AAA compared to MLB but for soccer. But he actually is looking to go to Europe to go try out for Barcelona, Chelsea, Madrid, one of the big boys over there so this guy is sweet!! and he is super super nice!! We taught him this week and he likes the message and wants to learn more but the problem is that at any time, his coach in Kumasi can call him and tell him that they their vacation is over and that they need to report back to Kumasi for training so we are just praying that he gets to stay over the holidays like he is hoping as well. But he seemed really interested so I guess we will see about him throughout this next week.

Now this week there were some interesting things. Elder Snow became a surgeon. I don't know if you have seen the side of my big toe lately but some will remember it, it came from pitching when my toe would slide but I have that huge callace/wart on it and it has been hurting me recently so Elder Snow performed an operation and I will say that it was the most painful thing that I have ever experienced in my life and I really don't even know if it is going to be better for sure.. I will send pictures but man it was not pretty.

One thing that stands out here are the insects/ spiders. They are huge. We saw a spider the other day that was like 4-5 inches diameter. They just keep getting bigger as we keep seeing them and I do not like that at all.. The bees, the mosquitos just every single thing is bigger and looks scarier haha i don't like that kind of stuff at all!!

One thing I want to share with you this week come from 'Jesus the Christ' by James E. Talmage. If you haven't read this book I would encourage you to read it. it is amazing. This is what i read.

What other man has lived with power to withstand death, over whom death could not prevail except through his own submission? Yet Jesus Christ could not be slain until His “hour had come,” and that, the hour in which He voluntarily surrendered His life, and permitted His own decease through an act of will. Born of a mortal mother He inherited the capacity to die; begotten by an immortal Sire He possessed as a heritage the power to withstand death indefinitely. He literally gave up His life; to this effect is His own affirmation: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”^q And further: “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.”^r Only such a One could conquer death; in none but Jesus the Christ was realized this requisite condition of a Redeemer of the world.

I want all of you to really think about what that says and what it means to you that Jesus Christ, the perfect, humble Savior of the world, gave his perfect life for YOU!!! Think about that and think about what you need to do to show your love for Him. He is our example. He is who we need to pattern our life after. We need to try and be like Him! I love Him. I know that he gave his life for me and my sins. He is perfect. I want to be like Him and I want you to be like Him too.

I love you all so much and I send my greeting from the one and only Ghana.

Elder Porritt

My Toe Before Surgery