Transfer 8:2 Ghana Keep on Keep'n on

Hello there!

It has been another week of work and sunshine here in Makindye! A lot of lessons learned and lessons taught this week. Elder Bimpeh is a really cool guy and I'm learning much from him each day. The rest of the district is also great! Elder Crankson is teaching me their language (Twi, Chwee) and sign language! So that's pretty cool. 

This past week we had interviews with the mission president and it was amazing! He truly is inspired and his counsel is helping me to become a better leader each day. We also had chocolate chip cookies, which I haven't had in almost a year, so that's always a plus! 

Another cool thing that happened is that we had an opportunity to give a lady we are teaching a priesthood blessing when we went to check up on her. She has been suffering a lot of pains lately and was grateful that we came when we did. Now, for some background on this experience. 1) we had just been discussing with President Collings after interviews about when and where we should give blessings, and he had helped us to understand that if we feel that it is right and we are getting promptings to do it, we should. 2) Sister Teddy, the lady we are teaching, does not know much English. However, she understood almost everything we said before, during, and after the blessing! Miracles really do still take place! Even if they are small in nature. 

Aside from that we had a pretty normal week of teaching, finding, and being turned away from those who don't want to learn. Which is okay! Thankfully, most people here are polite in telling us that they aren't interested in learning about our beliefs. It has actually been cool for me to see how just being kind and human with people about the gospel, or anything really, allows for them to be the same towards us. People are cool. 

Now for a funny and weird experience that I had, to close this email. Elder Bimpeh and I were buying some food for dinner one night when a drunk man came up to us and started talking to me in Luganda. Aside from him saying Mzungu a lot, I had absolutely no idea what he was saying to the shop keeper. I did what I usually do and played along and smiled and laughed with him. Then the shopkeeper, someone else we are teaching and that we are good friends with, gave us free crackers with what we bought. As we turned away and wished them all a good night, Elder Bimpeh and I thought that we should share the crackers with the man since we could tell that he was asking for food since he had no money. This was where it got interesting. As soon as he saw what we were doing, his eyes got huge as he grabbed the treats, and began praising God. Then, he fell to his knees and grabbed both of my arms and started praying for me by making the cross with the crackers we had just given him over my chest. He then did the same to my companion and said "I don't know, no problem" and then got back up as if nothing had happened. Just goes to show the many different things you get to see in the world I suppose! 

I love you all and I hope that all is well!

-Elder O'Hagan

[Photos below courtesy of Sister Collings]