Motorcycle Taxis and Local Pastor

This was last week message I forgot to post:

So my companion is Nigerian his name is Elder Arikpo and is one of the most humble people you will ever meet. He is a convert to the church this year making it 3 years. He is eager to learn more and always asking me about the church. sometimes I blow his mind with the way the church is organized and set up in Utah. We have a really good time together and get along really good. He is inspiring me to write more in my journal and really to write more letters... I thought I wrote letters before.  But he has shown me that you can write more letters. The branch that I am in, is so young in the church and is really eager to build the kingdom here in Kenema.  I have now learned the area and most of the members and where they live.  The price to take bike everywhere.. (cause I'm white the bike drivers jump me on the price) So the other day my companion and I went up against the local pastor of the winners chapel here in Kenema.. well it went off really well we were just teaching him about the restoration and things then he just wanted to preach to us.... telling us why we were wrong.... well we did our best to just testify of what we knew to be true and try to get him to read the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith pamphlet. But it didn't work.. so I told him that we don't want to just share scriptures or hear a lesson from him. We wanted to invite him to see if what we had was true or not and ask God.  Well not accepting that I started reading small small scriptures.. chastising ones that is... we went back and forth having a kind of scripture battle till I finished him with some certain ones... well he tried to justify himself and change what the spelling was in the verses.. he then accepted our invitation to read about Joseph Smith!!!! We'll be following up on him one or two more times I think this week! So I got to go on an exchange with Elder Arhinful, I showed him just how to use the ''bluff glasses'' in the lesson! He just laughed the whole lesson and then I let him try it on the next one and even using them in some contacting situations and he liked my style!!  On a more serious note. our Zone Leaders came to us with a new idea of using calendars in our teaching and invitations  After we extend a baptismal date (on the first lesson just as preach my gospel says) we show our calender and which date we want to prepare them for baptism and give them their own calendar with some small events and things that are happening before baptism such as church and activities in the church . well we have found great success with it and well be having quite a few baptisms in February!! I am seriously loving my stay here in Kenema and in Sierra Leone more and more each day.. Grandma  last said to me in the airport before I boarded the plane. she said immerse yourself in the culture!! everyday more and more!!

ELDER HALES