It was quite a day.

by dad

Elder Darrow says the work is going well. This week he decided to tell us about his first Evangelical encounter on a bus. "And from deep inside, a new hidden testimony shot out of him."

Elder Hallings got picked by his parents this week so we have a new elder in the apartment. His name is elder Yapo (yah-poe) from the Ivory Coast, which borders Ghana to the west. I got to meet elder Hallings parents this week. That was fun. His mom is super nice and he is just like his dad.

(Elders Yapo, Mackay, Sintim & Darrow)

Wow this week was a different week from normal. This Saturday was a big wedding of a guy we know in our area so Saturday morning we got ready and headed out on a tro-tro. The wedding was VERY African. They had all the missionaries, current and returned, go up in front of everyone and sing ‘Called To Serve’. It was very weird, but fun. We had no idea we were going to do that so it was a shock, but I did well. There were only 6 elders there and I was the only white one. So I was outnumbered, but they love me so it went well.

On the way to the wedding, while we on the tro-tro, we were welcomed by this white man wearing a Ghanian shirt (which to the trained eye means he is married to a Ghanian, because the white biz men don’t wear the cloths). We get in and he is one row behind us so we/(i) had to do the awkward ‘turn to listen and talk’ in a packed tro-tro. I was looking more like Shrek in a Mini Cooper. He asked if e Sintim was a Ghanian. Then he hands us this small New Testament. E. Sintim and I shared glances then both realized what was about to happen. Something that has yet to happen to me and something I was SO not in the mood for.

I was very polite and just let him share his opinion and answer questions. He got going and started throwing all types of things at us (in a THICK Australian accent, so it was all that more fun). He said some crazy stuff. Well, after a 10-15 min tro-tro ride listening to him, we got off of the tro-tro and he stood with us. He wanted to talk some more. At one point he grabbed our arms and started praying right there asking Jesus to cast out the devils in our hearts and so on. I didn’t really get into him at all until…he said to me, “Well Darrow, I think you need to dig deeper and realize what path you are on and where you’re going and find the truth behind all these lies.”

This is where this new hidden testimony shot out of me and there was no controlling it. And remember, I listened to this guy VERY politely for 30 min. It was enough. I told him "you don’t think I have dug deep enough? Why do you think I came all the way to Ghana? I know that what I am teaching is true. I know that. That’s why I’m here." I told him that "US mormons don’t judge and bag on other religions as you have done to us. We just tell people what we believe. We would NEVER grab someone and start praying and ask Jesus to cast out the evil in there hearts. We don’t do that."

It was quite intense. It all just came out without me knowing. It was weird. Really showed me what my own opinions were when times got heated. It was a different experience and one I don’t want to have alot but I somehow enjoyed it. It was quite a day.

Wow that was a long story.

Love you guys. Thanks for all your support.

elder darrow

(a view from the top, Sekondi Ghana)

(click to make it bigger. notice the rocks and bricks used to hold down the tin roofs)