Yup! Enter Part III of my mission: I got transferred to be Senior Companion in Korle-Bu II. My new companion is Elder Orok, from Nigeria. He's a cool guy; very good at contacting, and seeing contacting opportunities.
As for the new area, it's completely different from McCarthy II. I don't think you could get much more different without leaving the city (or Africa; haha). Basically, it's very green, plenty of plains, and utterly flat. It has a bunch of small, badly-paved country roads running around it, and then enters into a small city part by the beach (yup, still in an area with a beach; haha). Once you're in the city, the nice, tranquil, peacefulness of the whole area leaves and everything becomes terribly hectic. It's worse than my old area. It's also all in a sort of block system, so it's kinda like a Ghana version of Provo/Orem, only without the number system, and instead the streets are named randomly, or after random people no one knows. But the countryside part I absolutely love; it really reminds me of Caddo! It even has a few smells that almost mimic a real Texas skunk! Haha.
Anyway, that's really all that happened this week. I'm still getting used to the new area and getting things in order.
OH! One story I love about this week. We met some lady who knew some white guys who were members (go figure). She asked us about the Church, we talked small [Jacob is starting to use local vernacular - he had a pronounced accent when we spoke with him at Christmas], and then I gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon. Later, when we next met, she seemed quite different. She was incredibly excited to see us, and couldn't wait to start talking. She told us that after we left her mother came by and asked about the Book (she had been listening around the corner while washing, or something). They opened it at some random place (somewhere in 2 Nephi) and started reading. They got to a place about how, in the last days, the world will be covered in darkness, and sin will run rampant, or something like that. They were amazed, and loved it because the Bible says the exact same thing (just in less simple ways, she says). So they started flipping to other random places and reading; same thing. Same Gospel, same lessons, same everything as the Bible, but easier to understand, and more plain. She mentioned how she absolutely loved that, and even more, how you could open to just about any page in the entire Book, and it will talk about Christ in one way or another. She was incredibly excited, and prayed about the Book of Mormon. She asked God that, if the Book is True, to give her a desire to read it more, and if it's false, to have her never want to touch it again. After she prayed, she couldn't stop reading. At least, until her mother (whom she says is the most stubborn woman on the planet) took the Book from her because she loved it so much. We gave her another copy and she told us she was coming to Church next week. It was great! That is what the Book of Mormon does for people! She was so happy to read it! Her life was so much brighter, just from the small parts that she glanced through.
On another note, allow me to speak on a subject that comes up a lot here. One thing I noticed here is that people tell us they don't need to listen to us, because they are Christian. They love being Christian, and they don't want to change their religion. They have their church, and they don't need another one.
I testify to you all this day that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the True Church of Christ. The Book of Mormon will bring us closer to God than any other book in the world. One does not truly know Christ, to the fullest sense that they can, unless they have read the Book of Mormon. I do not mean that those who have not read the Book of Mormon do not know Christ; far from it. However, the Book of Mormon is a crucial stepping stone in getting closer to Christ. It lets us learn of Him, learn from Him, follow Him, and know Him, more than any other book ever written.
We must not let our fears stay us from coming unto Christ. We must not fear that, by learning more and knowing Him better, we put ourselves in danger of greater condemnation. This is not a risk! If we search out Christ, by reading the Book of Mormon, and going to His True Church, we will have the strength to do all things that are required of us. If we honestly do our best, we will not fail, for we cannot fail! When we build ourselves upon the rock of Christ, we place ourselves on higher ground, and bring ourselves out of the muck and the filth that pervades and saturates the world today. We bring ourselves out of sorrow and despair, and we bring ourselves that much closer to the Peace that only He can give us, and that we can only receive when we truly follow Him.
Read the Book of Mormon. Go to His Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If one loves being a Christian, if one loves Christ, and if one loves following Him, then what is stopping us from finding out for ourselves? Our message is not that everyone else is wrong; our message is that Christ has given so much more than what everyone else already has. It is a blessing! It is a beautiful promise! It does not destroy the foundation upon which one has built their life and their beliefs, but rather it is an unshakable foundation, a priceless and fruitful land, full of joy and blessings, wherein Christ will build us up even higher!
Come and see. Follow the invitation of Christ; follow the invitation of God. Follow the invitation of He who loves you. Come and see. Then make your decision. And I testify to you all, that if you seek the Lord with diligence, and have a sincere desire to follow Him, and ask Him if these things are true, He will send you the Holy Ghost to testify to you that they are.
Do not let names and labels build up barriers between friends and family. Come and see for yourself. You will find greater peace and happiness; I promise you that.
Even so, I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
--Elder Collings
As for the new area, it's completely different from McCarthy II. I don't think you could get much more different without leaving the city (or Africa; haha). Basically, it's very green, plenty of plains, and utterly flat. It has a bunch of small, badly-paved country roads running around it, and then enters into a small city part by the beach (yup, still in an area with a beach; haha). Once you're in the city, the nice, tranquil, peacefulness of the whole area leaves and everything becomes terribly hectic. It's worse than my old area. It's also all in a sort of block system, so it's kinda like a Ghana version of Provo/Orem, only without the number system, and instead the streets are named randomly, or after random people no one knows. But the countryside part I absolutely love; it really reminds me of Caddo! It even has a few smells that almost mimic a real Texas skunk! Haha.
Anyway, that's really all that happened this week. I'm still getting used to the new area and getting things in order.
OH! One story I love about this week. We met some lady who knew some white guys who were members (go figure). She asked us about the Church, we talked small [Jacob is starting to use local vernacular - he had a pronounced accent when we spoke with him at Christmas], and then I gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon. Later, when we next met, she seemed quite different. She was incredibly excited to see us, and couldn't wait to start talking. She told us that after we left her mother came by and asked about the Book (she had been listening around the corner while washing, or something). They opened it at some random place (somewhere in 2 Nephi) and started reading. They got to a place about how, in the last days, the world will be covered in darkness, and sin will run rampant, or something like that. They were amazed, and loved it because the Bible says the exact same thing (just in less simple ways, she says). So they started flipping to other random places and reading; same thing. Same Gospel, same lessons, same everything as the Bible, but easier to understand, and more plain. She mentioned how she absolutely loved that, and even more, how you could open to just about any page in the entire Book, and it will talk about Christ in one way or another. She was incredibly excited, and prayed about the Book of Mormon. She asked God that, if the Book is True, to give her a desire to read it more, and if it's false, to have her never want to touch it again. After she prayed, she couldn't stop reading. At least, until her mother (whom she says is the most stubborn woman on the planet) took the Book from her because she loved it so much. We gave her another copy and she told us she was coming to Church next week. It was great! That is what the Book of Mormon does for people! She was so happy to read it! Her life was so much brighter, just from the small parts that she glanced through.
On another note, allow me to speak on a subject that comes up a lot here. One thing I noticed here is that people tell us they don't need to listen to us, because they are Christian. They love being Christian, and they don't want to change their religion. They have their church, and they don't need another one.
I testify to you all this day that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the True Church of Christ. The Book of Mormon will bring us closer to God than any other book in the world. One does not truly know Christ, to the fullest sense that they can, unless they have read the Book of Mormon. I do not mean that those who have not read the Book of Mormon do not know Christ; far from it. However, the Book of Mormon is a crucial stepping stone in getting closer to Christ. It lets us learn of Him, learn from Him, follow Him, and know Him, more than any other book ever written.
We must not let our fears stay us from coming unto Christ. We must not fear that, by learning more and knowing Him better, we put ourselves in danger of greater condemnation. This is not a risk! If we search out Christ, by reading the Book of Mormon, and going to His True Church, we will have the strength to do all things that are required of us. If we honestly do our best, we will not fail, for we cannot fail! When we build ourselves upon the rock of Christ, we place ourselves on higher ground, and bring ourselves out of the muck and the filth that pervades and saturates the world today. We bring ourselves out of sorrow and despair, and we bring ourselves that much closer to the Peace that only He can give us, and that we can only receive when we truly follow Him.
Read the Book of Mormon. Go to His Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If one loves being a Christian, if one loves Christ, and if one loves following Him, then what is stopping us from finding out for ourselves? Our message is not that everyone else is wrong; our message is that Christ has given so much more than what everyone else already has. It is a blessing! It is a beautiful promise! It does not destroy the foundation upon which one has built their life and their beliefs, but rather it is an unshakable foundation, a priceless and fruitful land, full of joy and blessings, wherein Christ will build us up even higher!
Come and see. Follow the invitation of Christ; follow the invitation of God. Follow the invitation of He who loves you. Come and see. Then make your decision. And I testify to you all, that if you seek the Lord with diligence, and have a sincere desire to follow Him, and ask Him if these things are true, He will send you the Holy Ghost to testify to you that they are.
Do not let names and labels build up barriers between friends and family. Come and see for yourself. You will find greater peace and happiness; I promise you that.
Even so, I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
--Elder Collings
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