This post covers the two week period of January 1 – 14, 2024. These two weeks cover the January zone conferences and the 74 interviews held during the two week period.

The title of this post has reference to the instruction that LaDawn gave at all of the conferences titled “Stand as a Witness“. She spent less than 30 minutes, but her presentation and ensuing discussion with the missionaries was powerful. The tone was set by the video titled “Spiritual Whirlwinds” followed by a song titled, “I Will” from the 2021 Church Youth Music Festival. She then invited those who are willing to stand as a witness of God to stand and declare it.

Here is the short video from the Tamale Zone Conference as each missionary declared their commitment to stand as a witness of God. It was a wonderful, spirit filled moment.

At these zone conferences, the zone leaders spent 30 minutes teaching the missionaries in their zones a topic from Preach My Gospel. They were all very well done. Here is a listing of the zone leaders, the zones, and their topics.

Zone Leaders	Zone	Topic Presented
Elder Utley / Elder L. James	Bantama	The Courage to Speak
Elder Akwa / Elder C. Beck	Bibiani	The Fourth Missionary
Elder Reynolds / Elder Kapalala	Konongo	A Lifelong Liahona
Elder Kazadi / Elder Braithwaite	Obuasi	Plan Your Teaching to Meet Peoples Needs
Elder Togba Jr. / Elder Palelei	Suame	What Manner of Men Ought Ye To Be?
Elder Williams / Elder Bonnett	Sunyani	The Authority and Power of Your Calling
Elder Willden / Elder Gboro	Tamale	Testimony
Elder Mills / Elder Sandukira	Techiman	Finding and Finding Through Members
Elder Patterson / Elder Wakaya	University	Companionship Unity

We also had the missionaries departing at the end of this transfer bear their testimony in their respective conference. There are a total of 19 who are leaving and we think we will get in 20, but we are never sure as sometimes we have late arrivals from the Philippines and New Zealand. Hopefully this will get clearer to us in the coming days.

Here are the zone pictures from each of the 5 conferences in the order we held them.

Here are pictures of nearly all of the 74 interviews we held during the two week period.

There were a few other notable events with missionaries, both coming and going. On January 4th, Elder Kashindi returned home. He received an early release due to an opportunity to get started in school with help from his father. The opportunity would vanish if he did not go home in January. As Elder Kashindi left, Elder Chimtendere from Malawi arrived. He is being trained by Elder Taufu’i in Nyinahin. To make that work, Elder Roland replaced Elder Kashindi in Kwamo 1. We also sent out Mary Ayando from the Obuasi 4th Branch in Obuasi. Sister Ayando is going to the Republic of Congo Brazzaville Mission.

It was also during this two week period that we announced our replacements to the missionaries. Alexander and Anita Boateng from the Ashaiman Ghana Stake near Accra stake near Accra will be taking over on July 1. He works for Seminaries and Institute and currently serves as the president of their stake. He is a very committed and disciplined leader. They will be amazing as Mission Leaders and we are grateful that the Lord has seen fit to send them to the Ghana Kumasi Mission. They will bring their 14-year-old daughter and their 9-year-old son with them. They have a son on a mission and their eldest, a daughter, will be attending BYU-I.

Since the Kirk’s were stuck in Kumasi until Wednesday the 3rd, waiting on their international drivers licenses, Elder Pack, Elder Kirk, and I decided to go play a round of golf together on Monday morning. It was a lot of fun being with these wonderful men. The golf game….well, not so much!

I need to mention a few more things. Below is a picture of Elder Mills and Elder Price at the Accra temple with Michael Awundama and Dora Anamdingo (they are married but kept separate last names, something quite common here). Their eldest is a girl who is 13 and her name is Alma (what is the chance of that?). This is a family that Elder Price and Elder Mills baptized while serving in the Bolgatanga 2nd branch. It is not often that a complete family comes into the Church and then a year later is able to be sealed in the temple. We are grateful for the Area Presidency allowing these two missionaries to fly to Accra to attend the sealing of this family they have grown to love so much. Now that makes for a great day!

On Sunday, January 7th, we attended church in the Kenyasi Branch in the Dichemso Stake where Sister Munyiva and Gariromo serve. It was a good meeting, albeit it started a few minutes late and there were only about 35 members in attendance. The best part may have been the well taught Sunday School class on the first lesson of the year covering the Book of Mormon. It was great being there, even if much of the meeting was in Twi, we still came away enriched and grateful.

This past Sunday, January 14th, we drove out to Konongo and attended church at the Konongo stake center. Both the Freetown and Ahyiaem Wards meet at the same time in different parts of the complex. We attended the Ahyiaem Ward as we had never done so before. It was sad to see an entire ward consisting of about 5 women, 4 men, and 20 children. There is clearly work to do. We went to these two wards because this is where Sister Rakotojoelina and Sister Gappy serve. They had had a break-in to their apartment where their phone was stolen a few days earlier and on Saturday night they believe the thief returned and it scared them (justifiably so). The thieves here tend to slink around in the dark and run when confronted. Nevertheless, when someone enters your apartment in the middle of the night, it is disconcerting. After church we drove them home and did our own inspection of the apartment. There was a bunch of work to be done to really secure the place and make things a big brighter (better lighting) on the outside. I am happy to say that at the time of this writing, 99% of the work has been done thanks to one of the mission contractors, Daniel Boakye, who immediately responded to my plea for help. We are grateful for him and grateful for these two wonderful sisters who weathered a rough couple of days. We will place an additional companionship of sisters in the apartment at the start of February and that will help as well.

I want to share just two more pictures which I believe epitomize the state of the mission currently. Both are heartwarming and inspiring. The first is a picture of Elder Mba, one of our Assistant’s, with his arm around Elder Ruzayi. I don’t know what they were discussing, but I love the way Elder Mba reached out to him in such a kind and almost “fatherly” way. The second is a picture after the Tamale zone conference. There were new fans that two of the Sisters needed to put together. Two elders volunteered (Elder Salire and his companion, Elder N’guessan). Elder Ray, our senior missionary who serves in Tamale with his amazing wife, did not do the work for them, but kept watch over them and helped them now and again with an instruction here and there so the work could progress. This is the spirit of the Ghana Kumasi Mission. Reach out and minister where ever it is needed. Work together and learn together to increase capacity, knowledge, and capability….those who know helping those who are learning and wanting to know.

It’s been a very busy but rewarding two weeks. These conferences are so inspiring. The missionaries are working hard to bring the message of the restoration to the people. It is amazing to see so many doing so much good. We are grateful to be a small part of this great work to gather Israel one last time, Together in Ghana.