Well Bro, your a father, I'm a father!

Well to me this week has felt long. I hope for all of you it has been a good week and this letter finds you happy and healthy.

First off Congrats to my Big Bro and his wife, Kelsey.  They had their little girl this week.  Also, Happy Birthday Kelsey!  Hope it's great!

So first I went to pick up my new companion (greenie) from the mission home on Tuesday. His Name is Elder Akpan, he is a Nigerian and he is a cool guy.

Training is not easy, it makes me work extra hard and I have to teach a lot by myself. My companion knows a lot about what we teach though. He told me that he use to go out with the missionaries back in Nigeria so it makes my job a little easier somehow. Also training is helpful for both of us because it helps me go back to the basics of what I'm suppose to be teaching and helps him to learn faster.

This week we have been doing a lot of finding. We have been able to get 7 New investigators this week. The Lord is truly helping us as missionaries and putting people in our path all the time.

On Thursday we were just walking along and a man asked me for my name and I told him and he said I want to know about you guys and your church. I then said, I think I can help you with that. That happened to be a very good day with missionary workI

As for everything else, all in all the work is moving forward in Ghana. I'm learning to love these people more and more as the work moves forward.

I have been reading in The New Testament for my personal study. One of the parts I love most is in Matthew 16:13-16. It's where the Savior asks his apostles  who do people say that he is. They give him different answers and then he asks, but who do you think I am. Then Peter Immediately responds, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.  The reason why I love it is because Peter knew without a doubt that what he said was true. I love that about Peter.

Well that was the highlights of my week. I love all you people and hope you all enjoy the rest of your Holiday.

Elder Paulson

1-My meal from Sister Munro. (props of being a Trainer)
2-My son and I
3-Notice anything strange about this picture? (goats walking down the street, you have to look really hard, the goat is white)
4-Bracelet I bought
5-Another Flag Bracelet I had made for me
6-Elder Kamara and Me
7-Some Ghana Stew i made today
8-Elder Akpan and I with Pres. and Sis. Simpson
9-Elder Akpan and I at the Mission home.

I'm Going to be a Father!

Well, again I hope you all have had a good and safe week.

To start, like the heading of my letter says, I will be training a new missionary this transfer. I do not know who I will be training yet but I will find that out tomorrow. I'm excited for this chance to be able to train.

This week has been a good week. I have been waiting for this since my last interview that I had with my President  where he told me I would most likely be training this transfer or one of the next transfers to come. It will be a good opportunity and chance to kind of refresh myself with the district and other things we use to train new missionaries.

This last week my companion and I have been trying to visit some less actives, because our ward records says we have 230 members but about 140 are absent every Sunday. So that means a lot of re-activation work to be done in this area, which is what I think my new companion and I work on and try to find the balance between teaching lessons and helping people come back to the fold of our Father in Heaven.

Something I have been doing lately is reading from the New testament and the Book of Mormon. I have found that studying from the New Testament draws me closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ as I read of his ministry on earth and the miracles he preformed and even mostly the Atonement. The sacrifice he made for us, as we come to understand it, we can grow closer to our Savior and our Father in Heaven. Something I have come to learn well is that if we really think of all the people on this earth as our brothers and sisters then we will want them to be able to hear this message.

I think one of the things I have heard a lot this past week is attitude towards things that happen to us. My buddy Charles and Amy Thomas have both enlightened me on this subject. If we go into something already hating it then you will have a terrible time. It's like school, the class I hated going to I did not really do good in, but the classes I enjoyed I did better in (I was never that good at school, but I graduated so that's all that matters haha). Our Attitude is big, one of the things I think of is when the Savior was in the garden he knew that this thing that was about to happen to him he had to do. He had the attitude of no matter what happens I'm going to do my Fathers will. So that is a lot to think about and ponder on.

Something that is funny that has been happening is every other day we have to go and fetch water and carry it up 5 flights of stairs..... twice. SO that sucks but an awesome experience anyway!

I know this church is true and the gospel can bring us closer to our Father in Heaven. I love you all.

Also congrats to Lleyton Parker on the big call. Man my trainer's parents are going to be your mission President, so enjoy! Love you bro.

Also one more to Yazz. Proud of you bro. Keep growing in this gospel and you won't regret it ever. Love those crazy peeps of California.

Love you all again.

Elder Paulson.


1-last p day at the chapel
2- made mac n cheese last p day
3- out side of our apartment
4- Ghana fried rice
5-Small girl at stake confrence
6- me and elder Kamara

Call Home 2 done!

Welllllll, I hope first off all the mothers had a great mother's day, and they were all able to hear from there sons serving missions. 

Well this week was a somehow good week, not bad but somehow good, ya know?

First, Tuesday and Wednesday we went out to find new people to teach.  I think I have told you that this area is a lot of businesses and people come and go and so it is hard to find people that are going to be here long enough to teach so we find them and then give their names to missionaries in the areas where they live.  

Thursday I was sick, I felt really hot and got really dizzy when I stood up so I do not know what it was but it only lasted that day.  Probably something in the water!  That was fun!

Then on Friday we had a 2nd lesson with a lady we had met, who we think is a little crazy. We asked her if she had prayed about Joseph Smith who we had talked about in the last meeting we had and she said yes.  Then she began to tell us how she does not believe in the bible and that the answer to her pray was that Joseph Smith is Jesus Christ!?  We said WHAT? The craziest thing I have ever heard on mission.  She is a little off, but God loves all his children. The lesson was weird and we just talked to her about having Faith in Christ.

Anyway, one of the best investigators we have told us he will have a hard time meeting with us now because he got a new job at a place that is not far but not part of the area we cover so I don't really know what will be happening with him but I hope we still get to teach him.

Well, my mom said I should share some of the thoughts that I shared with them yesterday. Something I have really have been thinking about is that the first part of my mission, like during my training, I really hated it here in Africa.  I did not want to be in Ghana.  Now looking back on that time I regret it and wish I would have done more in my first area than I did.  I only thought about how different it was where I was and how I missed home and how far away I was.  I will just give some small advice to my younger friends who are preparing to serve missions.  LIVE the whole thing!  LOVE IT!  Enjoy it because you only get to do this once. Like in the movie 'The Best Two Years' He says " don't let one day pass you by". It's true and it goes so fast. The days are long and the years are fast. We are all coming up on one year and it just does not seem possible.  Work hard and forget yourself!  

Another thing I will share very quickly is in Mosiah 4:9-10, go to your scriptures and read them.  The passages simply state to believe in God and that he can help you overcome any trial you are having in your life.  I love these scriptures, they have helped me here on mission and they can help you too in whatever challenge you are facing. The message they bring is simple for everyone to understand and all of us can benefit from the teachings inside them.

I love allllll you people and hope you all continue to be safe and make good choices. Enjoy the USA! haha.


Elder Paulson.

1-curved hats are my thing now (dad will be proud)
2-this is the cake one of the members made for someones birthday

GHANA!

HELLLLOO my dear friends and fam who read this email. I hope you are all doing well. I didn't really know what to title my letter so just Ghana. This week has been good and I cannot wait to tell you all about it!

So like I would say Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were normal days. Except Wednesday we had our Multi Zone conference and I'll tell you more about that.  I always enjoy hearing from our leaders and getting to see all the missionaries. This conference was based on how us as missionaries can grow closer to Christ. One of the ways is to build a strong foundation by study, pray and keeping his commandments.  One of the scriptures they used,  which is also one of my favorite scriptures is Helaman 5:12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

The reason this is one of my favorites is I used it a lot in the MTC .  We need to build our foundation on Christ and if we always rely on him we can not fail. Anyway,  the conference was good and long so I can't write about all of it but that was just one of my favorite parts.

Another cool thing is to see how investigators change by growing closer to Christ. One of our Investigators,  his name is Emmanuel. He is about 29 and he is from Nigeria. He is awesome!  He is here looking for work and he is struggling. He has really grown closer to Christ in the past couple of weeks that we have been working with him.

Ok so then Saturday we went and got hair cuts. Then went out to find some people. That day was sooo HOT! Let me tell when Ghana gets really hot, it means it is going to rain soon. I is not my favorite but I love Ghana tropical rain though.

Then Sunday.  So me and my companion are walking up to church and I see like 18 Obrunis (white people in Twi) and honestly I got super nervous, I have not talked to a regular white person since I left the USA.  I only talk to Elders and Sister missionaries and people from Ghana. So I'm a little worried to come home. Haha!. They were from BYU here for a Nursing trip. So that was awesome to see them and talk to them for a bit.  After that church felt kinda weird and they left right after sacrament and I felt kinda all alone for a bit.  😐 But it's ok, I love the people here. 

So I'll just apologize right now if I do not get a chance to write you back today. I only have a little time. Just wanted to tell you all that I love you and that I'm doing good here. SUNDAY IS MOTHERS DAY!  Happy Mothers day to my momma. Love you Momma!   Thank you for being an incredible mom and my best friend. If you don't have a Cindy Paulson in your life I'm sorryyyyy.

Also Happy Mothers day to all those momma's who have made a difference in my life. I love you very much and would not be where I am without you either.


Love you all, Elder Paulson


1-me and my comp
2-the elders in my apartment
3-the apartment
4-FUFU
5-my favorite pic
6-cooking at the Munro's
7-eating ice cream and chocolate pudding at the Munro's

The First Lesson

Well like always i hope this letter finds you all safe and sound.

Before I start I would like to give my condolences to the Thomas family. I love you guys. Heavenly Father loves you guys too.

Weeelll this week was another good week. Tuesday to like Thursday was full of finding new people to teach in a new part of the area. We contacted about 8 people over those past few days. Some really promising people! I'm excited. I feel like we did some good work these past few days.

SO the real awesome things happened on the weekend Friday we started off having weekly planning and that took us most of the morning along with monthly goals. Then about 2:00 we had our interviews with President which went really well, he basically told me in these next couple of transfers we will be losing 48 missionaries and getting 48 new missionaries, THAT'S HALF THE MISSION TRAINING. So he said I will most likely be training soon. So we will see how that goes over haha. I'm excited. SO that was part of the day then later in the evening that day we had a member missionary fireside. Which was you know, somehow haha. I had to give a talk on the Book Of Mormon on the spot so that was interesting but it went well. We got about three referrals from it so it was good.

Then Saturday we went to the temple with the ward at like 7:30 am which is always good to have the opportunity to go to the temple. Then we came back to the chapel and waited for a long time to get lunch and had some banku with pepe. Yeah if you want to know look it up haha. I have also come to love Pepsi on mission because they sell it in glass bottles for only one cedi. So it's nice and cold and cheap haha. So sorry mom and Abbi and all you other coke lovers I've gone to the dark side. Then we went and got our hair cuts. Came back to the apartment to change into short sleeves then one of our members wanted to show us where his friend he wants us to teach stays so we walked through a crazy legit, like you see on the movies market. Holy crap. Did I stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone was looking at me and it was crazy and I got called obruni like 300 times. It was madness. My comp walked behind me because he was afraid I was going to get pick pocketed. So Africa is somehow like the movies haha. Then we went and taught an investigator for the first time, which is why I titled it the first lesson...

SO I love the first lesson, it is one of the most unique messages we share about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Talks about prophets and apostasy and Jesus Christ's life on earth, But the main messages of the first lesson that we share here in Ghana are how important the Priesthood is and the Joseph Smith story. The thing I love most about giving this lesson is quoting the words Joseph used as he described the first vision. I want you all and challenge you all to go and read that. As i quote this to investigators I can really feel the spirit with me and testifying to that person that this is true.

Well then that was kind of the week. I love all you people back home and hope you all are safe and well.


Elder Paulson


pic 1- Ghana rain coming in Hot haha
pic 2 More Ghana rain comin
pic 3 my dinner while watching the rain
pic 4 the chapel at night
pic 5 me with some RC kids haha
pic 6 more kids
pic 7 on the way to the temple
pic 8 temple
pic 9 tired boy
pic 10 Ghana sunset
pic 11 Ghana sunrise
pic 12 color difference haha