It's been a sweet week full of long evenings in the office and afternoons trying to keep up with our new and old investigators. Our latest project is to redo all of the mission's area maps. Each companionship in the mission is supposed to have a map of their proselyting area in their area book, but most of the maps are confusing or lost. This has been a plague for my entire time on mission, and missionaries have had a constant struggle with the rumor that the office elders are working on it. We've found out that the maps haven't been updated since 2013 and a lot of areas/wards/branches/stakes are not accurate at all. So we're redoing everything. It takes a lot of time, but in the end it will be a huge landmark that has not occurred for many years. It will help so many missionaries who don't even know where their area boundaries are.
We had some good lessons this week. I've been reminded of the great value in sharing the gospel with the people that you associate with and not only random strangers. The more they see that you care about them as a person, the more likely they will be to listen to you. The same is true even if you are a missionary. For example, we knocked on the door and sat down with two brothers named Isaac and Timothy who probably aren't used to showing much interest in learning the gospel; we laughed around with them for a while and then answered their questions with the restored gospel when they asked us. Another example are a few stubborn neighbors that we met at an investigator's house. They like to ask questions without listening to the answers, and we weren't experiencing very drastic success with them. But over time-- as we go to help them cook or just to chat or teach the other investigator there-- they have started to listen in to what we're really saying. And one young man named Prince asked us a very important question the last time we met him: "How can I know which church is true?" Which is what we've been trying to tell him ALL ALONG but I guess he's getting more and more ready to listen a little bit at a time. Small small a chicken drinks water (Ghanaian proverb).
Have you had the opportunity to give many blessings in Ghana? Yeah, we get the opportunity to perform priesthood ordinances quite a bit. Many priesthood holders don't have a lot of practice or confidence in carrying these things out, so we fill in last-minute in a lot of instances. We do, however, do our best to involve members and teach them how to do it. But it is more often a desperate cry for someone who can do it on the spur of the moment.
Does Elder Crane remember Challin (Elder Nelson) who served in Gilbert? No. He might have left before Elder Nelson was there.
Where do most of the native missionaries in your mission come from? Nigeria makes up a good portion, followed by Ghana and then other African countries. There are a good number of polynesians in the Ghana missions as well.
Anything still on your mission bucket list? Yes, I still would like to teach an entire congregation and have a mass baptismal service. But I don't know if I'm spiritual enough to do that or if God even plans on that happening anytime soon.
Love,
Elder Nelson
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