Time is FLYING!!

Well it's been another fast week here in Daban.  We have been running around so much lately, my head is still spinning. Time is FLYING!!! Well this week is transfers (on Wednesday) so this last week we have been preparing and discussing the transfer with President Cosgrave. We have spent A LOT of time and had a few very late nights trying to complete the transfer news. And finally the insanity began today. Today there are 7 missionaries who arrived at the mission home and tonight is their final devotional. They will depart tomorrow morning at 7 am, their flight from Kumasi will leave and the new group of missionaries will arrive tomorrow around 12 noon. Also tomorrow we get to train the newly called District Leaders and also the new missionaries, then Wednesday we get to train the new Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders, and also those who will train the new missionaries. Plus Wednesday is the day when all the normal transfers take place so Wednesday is a crazy day.

Ha well that is how this week will go, but as for last week, we were really busy as I said. Along with all that preparation for transfers, we also had our final 3 Zone Conferences with the UST, Sunyani, and Asuoyeboa Zones on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  These three conferences were really good but honestly I had a hard time staying awake during the missionary broadcast that we have already watched like 10 times now. But the conferences went well and we are glad that all the missionaries are accepting the instructions well.

Also on Thursday in between all those conferences, we went on an exchange with the Bantama Zone Leaders, and I had the chance to go with Elder Lindley.  Elder Lindley is such a great guy here in the mission, he is from Cache Valley and went to Mountain Crest High School and he is a super hard worker and such a positive and happy Elder. I have gotten to know him a little bit in the last few months with us both being at Leadership Councils and talking with him, but Thursday was such a great day with him. We only got half a day together because they had to go for a meeting, but we seriously taught a few awesome lessons with each other and I learned a lot from him and the way he goes about the work. That is one great thing about missionary work and life in general. You can always learn something from someone, it doesn’t matter if they are older or younger than you, it doesn’t matter if you are in position over them or under them, it doesn’t matter who you are or who they are, you can always learn from someone. I have come to love that here as a missionary is the chance to always learn and change and improve as I serve with other Elders and other missionaries all around me.

I had a really powerful experience during the exchange that I would like to share though. While teaching a new man we had just found, we were teaching about the Book of Mormon, we explained the visitation of the Lord Jesus Christ in 3 Nephi, and Elder Lindley opened to 3 Nephi ch 11 and we let the man read from verse 8-15. As the man read through the passage, I put the picture into my mind of a Man descending from Heaven who was clothed in a white robe. Could you imagine seeing that sight? Then the man reaches out to you and introduces himself as a Man who you have been waiting for to meet your whole life, a Man whom you knew would be coming to save the world of men from their sins. Then He tells you that you can come up to him and feel His hands and feet and side to show you that He truly is your Savior.  Could you imagine walking up to the Savior and feeling the prints of the nails in His hands and feet? I can imagine it, and I was imagining it during the time that the man was reading the passage and the Spirit was so strong that I couldn't help it, tears came to my eyes and I felt so strongly that the words were true, that Christ truly did show Himself to those Nephites, and that He truly did come and suffer and die for our sins. I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon in my life. I am thankful also that Jesus Christ offered to come to this earth and be sacrificed for us. I have felt His hand in my life and His love has overcome me many times to help me and strengthen me as I go through my life and especially my trials.  I love being a missionary and having the opportunity to help others also find that lasting peace and comfort in their lives. 

I hope all of you have a great week!!

Love Elder Porritt

Not many pictures this week, but this one is just a classic ghana balcony shot haha