Slow and Steady Investigators

Dear America,

This week went by quickly. We had a combined zone conference in Kumasi, exchanges with the Assistants, and interviews with President Cosgrave.

What is it like being a zone leader?  You handle the money. A lot of money. In this mission, it has a lot to do with the temporal needs of missionaries but I also really enjoy having a closer relationship with President Cosgrave and a lot of missionaries. It gives me a chance to be their friend, which I might not be otherwise. I think I had more opportunity to be a good leader when I was a district leader; it made me feel like I was really helping missionaries. But zone leaders don't play quite such a close role.

Who are the native missionaries that you have met that you know will be a strength to the church when they return home? Honestly, the church isn't very strong here at all so whatever you bring home is good enough. But there are some strong missionaries here. Elder Nuamah (my current companion) will be a committed member when he goes home and I believe he will really help those around him. Elder Kortu (in the same apartment, from Liberia) is a great missionary and he really understands how to live the gospel. Elder Antwi will go home in a few weeks, and he'll be a good leader.

What kind of food could I make that a Ghanian would stomach? Something pretty bland. It's hard to find something that they'll like if they haven't grown up with it. They are the pickiest eaters I've ever met. It's hopeless to try to please them unless you make their favorite food--they resist anything new or unfamiliar. So your best bet is to make banku or rice with stew or maybe fufu if you're pushing it.

Who are you teaching lately? We've been teaching some long time investigators who have been showing more interest lately. They're the kind of people that are slow to progress but not hopelessly slow. They're eventual members. As long as we stay on top of them, they'll get baptized some day. It'll just take a while. 

Who has kept a commitment lately? On Sunday we had one of our more serious investigators come to church. We've been teaching her and the Spirit has been pushing us to push her hard. We spent about an hour getting her to promise that she would come to church and then went to her house to escort her on Sunday so that she didn't find an excuse not to come. She did well at church. Another one is a member's daughter who has never been really interested when we teach her. She's always failed every commitment to read or pray. But lately she surprised us by praying and asking God to help her know what is right. She says that immediately after she prayed she had the desire to read from the Book of Mormon. She's been reading small small.

Thanks for the questions. I've heard the analogy of the piano lessons before and I loved it. Go and look up the devotional or whatever where Brad Wilcox gives the talk. It's really nice. I don't know anyone named "Paul EK Paule". Sorry.

love, Elder Nelson