Its a great experience that I am getting and the things I am learning are priceless

June 23, 2014

Family and Friends

So this week has been super busy, well the Gospel is busy work, the wicked don't rest so we can either.... I have enjoyed much this week as well, that includes working hard, I gain satisfaction in hard work and teaching the Gospel. Yes we did have a Baptism on Friday, we had to move it cause the Area 70 came to meet with all the auxiliaries on Saturday, which is usually the day we have baptisms, Matthew Elliott has changed greatly and the light of Christ flames in his testimony of the Living God and his Son Jesus Christ.... Great kid and wow, he will blow your mind in his conversion to this Gospel.... so we also have another Baptism this coming Saturday for Benedict, he has progressed so much and he is in love with the Gospel, especially the happiness he feels every day since he has been coming to church and sitting with us in our discussions, he wants the Gift of the Holy Ghost so bad, he wants this special guidance from God, to be of Gods most Elect....  Its  a great experience that I am getting and the things I am learning are priceless, I thank Heavenly Father for the downs and the ups,  I learn much from both of them....  be careful going to Oklahoma, and have fun I am glad you now get to go see your grandchild grandma and Grandpa or mom and dad :)  I am happy for you all that should be good, hope benton gets called out do do something soon, what does he do as an alternative? Geez sounds like you are all having fun, this week I had a great expieriance, met with one young girl named patience and got to know her, she wants to be a member and to be happy like everyone is and she wants to obtain this happiness.  So we introduced the Gospel of Jesus Christ to her and to let her know how she can allow the Gospel to literally bring happienss into her life when she follows the Gospel and lives what Christ Taught.... she is very interested and should be great.   Also one man we contacted saw a Book of Mormon on his friends desk a month ago and had a great desire to know what this Book can talk about and he felt like god was pushing him to find those who have it, so he asked his friend where he can get one, he said the missionaries can get one for you.  Who are the missionaries he replied, the guys walking around in white shirts and with the black badges on them, so he found us well we found each other, haha and got him a copy, he was so happy, we will be meeting him on tuesday and teaching him about the Restoration of the True Gospel of Jesus Christ... well family I love you all, I am healthy, mom no packages yet... still have hope, I am keeping the faith and Love the Gospel and living it, most joy anyone can have, to feel the Atonement working in your life one way or another... Love Elder Erickson

The week went by Super Fast!

June 16, 2014

HELLO

This week went by super fast, but it was also a great week, I would say one of my best weeks of working since coming from Kakata.  We were able to see and teach 27 people, also to help perfect the saints.... I learned from my experiences this week,  though we are tired.   If we push through and endure with long suffering and faith, even if it feels like the lows, at the very end it will always be joyful..... We are planing to see a young man who is the last one in his family who will hopefully be baptized on Saturday.  His name is Matthew Elliott,  great kid and very smart, he comes to church always and every time we come he expresses how much he wants to become like Jesus Christ.  Here are two great experiences this week, we had our new Branch Mission Leader come teach with us on Saturday, he is a return missionary from way back in the day, and just got sealed to his wife in the Ghana Temple 3 weeks ago.   He is such a great teacher, plus he is a principal here at a school, so we were teaching the Marplay family who were just married and baptized, we talked about the restoration of Jesus Christ to get them to understand it more as new members of the church, they had one of their friends a man named Daniel who sat with us.   At the end of the lesson Mark and Oritha Marplay bore their testimonies of the restoration to Daniel and we than invited him to follow the Example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by one who hold the Priesthood Authority of God.   He agreed and said," this is the most happiest he has been for a long time",he said," he now has something to hope for in this life, he has direction" we were going to leave but than it started to rain badly, so we sat in and ate a great FM.   Brother Mennoh than asked the Marplays if their Children go to school they said no, he said he would put them in his school and pay for their books and schooling only if they buy the uniforms, Mark said," that God does love them, and that he has more love of this Church because of the People that are just like Jesus Christ......... we are always to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, the prophet and the Brethren counsel with us that we are to be examples of the believers among non believers.   The lord said to be among the world but not of the world, Brother Mennoh is one who is among but not of and I am grateful for his love and example to me and my companion..... Also we met with one man this morning, at 8:00 am wow no personal study but Mama Galiama who was baptized on the 7th called us to her house, we had no idea for what thing, we were thinking a priesthood blessing.   When we arrived to her house she called her son Zayzay to come and talk with us, Zayzay lives in Lofa county, way far from where the church is and out in the bush close to Guinea I think that's how its spelled, but we taught him the restoration and he really started to smile and be happy and cry small as well.   He said he has never heard such a perfect and beautiful experience and said he wanted to know more so we left him with 4 book of Mormons and tons of pamphlets as he said he will be going back tomorrow.   He said he would tell the Loma people about this church and do what he can to establish Jesus Christ Church.... Well I know God loves all his people and has a way prepared for them all to hear this Gospel I know one day the Church will get to Lofa County but not right now, I am sure after a stake or two is made here.... Mom we go on exchanges twice a transfer, and our district leader goes with each of us.....  we have had it great, we also had Zone meeting and taught our Zone how to better teach the doctrine of Christ and to teach with a purpose it was great.....  Welll family and friends I love you all, mom no packages yet, they are watching don't worry, and other than that its great, Love Elder Erickson 

Elder Erickson is an UNCLE!

June 9, 2014

Hey Family and my friends

I am an Uncle, Wow that is something I really never thought about, It feels great.   I thank our Father which is in Heaven that we can all be together as a Family in happiness for eternity...... what more can we ask for, better to go through the hard times here, so we can enjoy the Good times With God.... Happy Birthday Anna.... This week is fantastic. we had 5 Conversions the Marplay Family who was married the 31st of last month and baptized Saturday,  also Mama was baptized.   Great Week we were busy, yes with Mission Counsel, which took the whole day almost we had small time to

proselyte and were able to teach two people.    Benedict is coming along great, I have high hopes that on the 21st he will baptized, he Knows the church is true and Loves the Book of Mormon.  His friends are really giving him a hard time though with the Law of Chasity, but he is progressing and pushing onward.... I did go on exchange with Elder Enuqwarie I think that's how you spell it... he is 3 transfers a head of me and only has 2 left, I learned much from him.. and how to be a patient teacher, to listen with exactness and to teach with unity, also how to use our members better in our lessons with investigators.... We had fun there was water every where in their area, so we had to take our shoes and socks off and walk through the water to get to some places. it was great, my feet got ate alive by fire ants, but its all a part of the experience right :), I haven't seen Conference yet woohoo probably never will :/ but no problem I gave the APs my memory stick to put conference on it for me so I will get to listen to it here soon... We have a great family we are working with and now they are very sober in following Christ to receive a remission of sins, but the man and his girlfriend need to get married and that's what the plan is till they can purchase or make the sacrifice and the branch will help out small too... So we will be working with them plenty, we have been working with our less actives and bringing them back..... We saw some at church it was great, just small encouragement and promised blessing and they follow their heart, which is touched upon by the still small voice... Well the week went by fast and I am sure they will continue to go by fast, Crap I dont want that..... I am washing my net today, yay, it looks nasty, I got a new pillow and yeah its great, the white one that is now black will be washed and given to someone probably one of mama's children.... much love, Love Elder Erickson 

We have been praying to find Families

June 2, 2014

Hey Everyone

All is well.... this week was great, we did so much, an honestly it went by super fast, yeah mom we are Zone leaders but our biggest duty is to preach the Gospel.   Administering is great but I love teaching People how to come unto the Lord Jesus Christ..... yeah we take more time to teach than to administer but sometimes we feel like assistants to the president, no time to teach anyone.... we do our best and keep pushin our selves to do all we can.... So,  We had two investigators get married on Saturday, now they are ready to baptize on this coming Saturday, with their two children.   It was so sweet to see them happy, they are so excited to receive a Remission of sins and to be able to start preparing to go to the Temple.....  We also have a one wonderful woman, she is our Old ma, her name is Mama and she cannot read or write, but her understanding of the Gospel when she is taught, exceeds my own... She is  a special person and I am Glad we have brought her this far with the Teaching and understanding..... Benadict is progressing greatly, he prayed and asked God if he needed to baptize again, we met with him and he said he has a strong feeling to baptize again.   It was hard for him to make the decision, he has such a deep catholic back ground..  He is coming around great though, the 21st is the day set for him to baptize. we also have been praying to find families and part member families.   I was on exchange with one of the District leaders and we found a sweet family, it was so awesome they have heard so much about the Church, and they really have been searching for a long time.    They had the most happiest feeling when we came and talk to them.. Oh I think I forgot to say this but James Tinneh and Elijah Kollie from Kakata was baptized last week, I was able to help find them and teach them with Elder Marondera, this week was great and wow I think I grew so much spiritually this week, just felt like a big boost in my spirit and drive as a missionary.... We are going to go clean the apartment today and sleep.   I think thats the most I look forward to now on Prep Day, to go sleep, Oh I heard that there are packages at the office we will see on wednesday when I go to Mission council... well not a big email, I love you all keep trying everyday to become like the Savior, Love Elder Erickson