There is no place like Africa, that much I know!

The "All Africa" Service Day

To tell you the truth, it doesn't feel like I am coming home. There have been a few times I have realized it, but I feel like this week is normal. I feel like I have investigators to help get to sacrament meeting, and other mission stuffs to attend to. Today and yesterday I did almost all of my packing so that I "can give full attention to proselyting for the rest of the week". This week I have been eating banku and kenke, because I know that I wont get to have some for  long time. Yesterday a white man came to church. He served his mission here 9 years ago, and here's the best part, he also served half of his mission in Sierra Leone, and half in Ghana. In his time there was 20 or so missionaries in Sierra Leone, it had two zones, Bo and Freetown. I was surprised at how much he still remembered from both places and the food and languages. I hope I can do the same.

To answer your questions:

1. Yes i do remember that I have to speak this Sunday. Even yesterday I gave a talk in our sacrament meeting, and Elder Peck (a senior couple visiting the ward) told me that I could use it for my home coming talk. I have my ideas.

2. I have no idea about customs anywhere... But I do know that the bag I have can hardly open, only I use pliers... so good luck to the customs people in seeing whats inside...

3. Yes the letter is for me (We received a letter addressed to Cody Beckett from Elder Beckett). It says on the back "the time you go to school" (his translation from - Di tem u de go na skul). I have sent myself some letters to open at different times in my life addressed to Cody and sent be Elder Beckett.

4. The "All Africa Service Project" is a service done by stakes across all of Africa. Each stake organizes what and where they will do the project. It went really well, we even had pass a long cards to give to people who asked us who we were. I did some weeding (cutting the grass with a machete) and now my arm is sore. Its not an easy something to do.

5. MLC means Mission Leadership Council. It is a meeting for all the zone leaders and the sister training leaders. We are instructed on how to be leaders and what the mission is trying to do.

6. (Do you think peanut(our dog) will remember you??)Let's see... I hope that she does!

7. Oh sorry to hear bout grandma's surgery. I hope she will be feeling better soon.

8. All of those things sound okay. At the air port, I only want family there to pick me up please! I can see everyone else at home. That would be great!

I WENT TO THE TEMPLE! The temple was so awesome. After MLC  three other missionaries and I went to the temple. It has almost been two years and I have been waiting to go there. I forgot a lot of stuff about the temple! but the promises of the temple are real and I felt them as I went out working for the rest of the week. I was singing the primary hymn on the way "I love to see the temple", I want to go back soon.

"I love to see the Temple"

Well Mom, this is your last letter from"Elder Becket". Mission has been super good for me, and I know that if I didn't come the lord could not have used me to find some people here in West Africa. I realized that very early in my mission. The truths of the gospel are sunk deep into my heart as I have labored for the right. I have seen and witnessed the atonement in my life and in others, and that full blessing of the atonement  cannot come unless we have faith in Jesus Christ and follow the teachings of the prophets which are Christ's. I have a love for black people and Africans. There is no place like Africa, that much I know. I am scared of some of the stuffs that happen in the US, but I hope coming home will be normal. I like my scriptures a lot, you will see that when I come home. Well I will be home on Friday and will continue in the work of the lord "te te go" 

Me ba sisia, y!

Ar de com jus naw, ya!

Elder Beckett

PS - Dad see you soon, I can't wait to ride at the river (dirt bikes) ...if it's not to hot! Can't wait to talk about life with you soon!

"Elder Beckett, you are going home o!"

Any missionary I talk to, these are the words I hear, "Elder Beckett, you are going home o!" haha everyone has said it, but I don't feel it, I hope I don't feel it, till next week. I feel like I have had my mind in the work, that means my mind is not at home, or the airport hahah. Now that you have said it (I asked him how he feels about coming home), I have really enjoyed Ghana, I have really enjoyed mission and I will enjoy it this week too.

Laundry day!

Making dinner!

Cutting Elder Van's hair!

This week we have a lot of activities and meetings. Today we had a combined activity with another zone, we played football, vollyball and basketball. We had a water balloon fight, and the sisters in the zones made sweet rice for us. To put that thing together killed me hahah I am tired now. Tomorrow we meet with the stake president to talk about missionary work, Thursday we will go to Accra for MLC, and Saturday we have our "All Africa" service project that happens once a year, in fact I never did one in Sierra Leone, I just missed it. So this will be my second in Ghana, we will go clean a hospital. The project last year I had just come from Salone, and we also cleaned a hospital, and I was afraid of it, because I thought ebola had come by then to Ghana.

I have done alot on my mission, and I wish I could do more.

Mama ar de go work, mondai wi go tok ya

love

I can't believe 1 year has passed since I left Sierra Leone

That sounds sweet with that you invited that guy to church and that the elders are going to go teach him! Who is at the river with you people? I saw some of the photos too.

Our week was sweet. This week we had our recent convert confirmed, which doubled as a completed family. Member referrals work! We are still trying to work with members in our area to make things run smooth in the ward. Home teaching is great, we don't even have to put in much effort to arrange home teaching. On Sundays our Elders quorum president organizes everything and tells us who we will go with and what times! Isn't that sweet. Our mission president wants us to help get home teaching going in our units. We have seen some cool stuff. We go on splits with the home teaching companionship's. 

We went on exchanges this week, it was nice to go to another and teach with Elder Bautner!
 
 I can't believe 1 year has passed since I left Sierra Leone. I would love sooo much to go  back to sierra Leone!

Here is a picture memory from last year leaving Sierra Leone:

Packing up to leave Salone.

That big pile of clothes is everything that would make the weight go over the limit in the lugguage. We had weight limits with the evacuation so we had to leave it behind. I have lots of stuffs there!

All of those books are our area books with all of the information of our investigators on it that we left behind for when the mission opens back up.

My evacuation group before heading to the airport (Cody is the short blonde guy under the umbrella whose head is half blocked and he's sandwiched between two others..hehe!)

President and Sister Ostler waving goodbye!

Everything is sweet.

I feel strong and I feel like I should have 6 months left!
Elder Beckett