Gratitude

Dear friends and family,                                                                                Dec. 29, 2014

If there is one particular lesson which i have learned this week, it is that I sure have a lot to be grateful for. It was so wonderful to celebrate and take special appreciation for the birth of our savior, my family, life, mission experience, health and so much more. I am grateful today as I write!

Christmas eve was a somewhat successful proselyting day, we were actually able to sit down with some new folks and share a great message with them. Ironically, most of them aren't interested in advancing their religious life at the moment, but have welcomed us to come back in a few weeks... That seems to be a fairly common theme these days for us, we keep trying!

Christmas day was wonderful, insomuch that we were able to cheer the lives of a few recent converts and some single members. But of course, and ill be completely honest, the greatest part of Christmas was opening my present! Oh how i enjoyed calling home! I dont think i have felt so excited for anything in months! I sure do hope that i find something to be this excited about every Christmas, but i have a feeling it will be hard to match a missionaries excitement for his phone call home... haha. Anyways, thanks for talking with me and encouraging me family! i miss you already! (but not really... common, im in ghana living a once in a lifetime experience... (: )

The day after Christmas was actually not bad either! we met a handful of new young men who we seemed to entertain with our interesting message. I dont think that they will give us an ear for much longer, but overall, the day was good. We enjoyed some freshly pounded fufu, which i havent had in a while... definitely a plus!

I wonder if the greatness of these few days perhaps sucked the goodness out of the next few days because ill be honest, ever remaining day of the week was brutal. Friday evening, our caroling activity fell into pieces. Saturday morning, every possible appointment failed us and we were left contacting some very unreceptive and rude people (most of them drunk). I think i will be satisfied by saying that we struggled to have even one successful appointment or lesson Saturday. I recall being completely rejected and mocked by some men we contacted that evening. Nearly spit on by them too. even the people who were once somehow receptive to our message rejected and ridiculed us that day. It wasn't anything too depressing until returning home from the day to hear from my companion (we were on an exchange) that our baptismal candidate was hesitant because someone had came and spoiled her mind with false rumors and lies about the church. None the less, he assured me that they were able to resolve her questions and reassure her. I recall being ever grateful to lie down that night and escape to sleep.

Sunday, all the discouragement was swept away when sister F. came to church ON TIME. We were so excited for her baptsim that afternoon! she was the only one in our very large teaching pool who has been progressing! in fact, she was the only one in our entire apartment of 8 who has been progressing! The eight of us waited patiently with a number of ward members to witness her baptism that afternoon after church. She was like a packet of hope to all of us missionaries, hope that all our effort is amounting to something! As a sister in the back room handed her white clothes to change into, we were pretty shocked to find out that she declined. she made it all the way through the 3 hour block of church, all the way to the water's edge and then wasnt able to make it in. I've seen people come close to baptism and not make it, but not this close.

It was pretty discouraging for my companion and I. She had been progressing so well recently up till now, and with the exception of this random stranger throwing false rumors in her eat, she loved the church! or so we thought... We arent really sure what her excuse is for not getting soaked, she said she didnt want to spoil her newly braided hair, but that was hard for us to believe. We will be spending some extra time this week praying and fasting that she will find the faith to be baptized in the coming weeks. We have confidence that all will be well! Please pray for her!

Anyways, i'll stop rambling. the remainder of Sunday was also pretty discouraging as we were asked not to return to 3 of our next 5 appointments (the 2 who didnt reject us were less active members). it was getting to the point of humor actually. We read from 2 nephi 29 with multiple people that day, trying to help them hear from the Saviors words about those who say there can not possibly be any more scripture. We are praying we will find it in us to be optimistic this coming week despite the rejection! haha

I started off with gratitude. And i still intend to end with my gratitude, because honestly, i have so much to be grateful for! There is hardly a more rewarding calling than being a full time missionary. There is hardly a greater feeling than the one that comes when a soul DOES repent. I am grateful that i have a glimpse of what so many of my greatest friends face every day on their missions, because i am grateful to be serving in one of the greatest harvesting grounds in the whole world. I am grateful to be serving in Ghana! :)

Life is good. Im not exactly looking forward to getting out and proselyting and having my greatest beliefs and values insulted and rejected... buuuut i am excited about the one or two souls that i can lift and inspire through my testimony! haha. Thanks for the prayers and thoughts in my behalf this week, i am also ever grateful for them! love you all, till next week my friends!

-Elder Fairwell