Homecoming.......

Elder Kaden Goodrich

arrives home Wednesday July 5th

reports Sunday July 9th at 11:00

Pioneer Parkway Chapel

Santa Clara, Utah

Final Email....

June 20-26

Well it's been kind of a mellow week for Entsie and I. After the excitement of last week with the zone conference and seeing Kochevar and what not it was almost dull. Maybe it's me getting ready to go home too that's got me feeling this way but it's like my mind is no longer here. Entsie practically has to lead me by the hand everywhere I go otherwise I'd forget what I was doing. My main focus now is on the 4 people we are preparing for baptism. We have Yaw and Gladys being prepared for this Saturday, the 1st. Both are super prepared to make these covenants and I'm so excited that I'll be here to see them do so. The others are Sampson and Felecia, a young couple that came to the church on their own. They will be baptized on July 8th, the week after I'm gone. I'm not mad though, I'm just glad I had the chance to work with them and get them to this point. Honestly that's all I have for you this week. Too many thoughts and feelings to make sense of them all and write something even remotely cohesive. This is my last email though. I'll see you all at home in about a week.

City views....

Koch......

June 13-19

Well I don't know where to begin. It's been quite the week. We had a multi-zone conference, I got to see Kochevar again, we had Sarah's baptism, and I turned in a nice performance at basketball. 

The multi-zone conference was kind of sad. It was the last time I was going to see a lot of missionaries that I've become good friends with. I did have the opportunity to bear my testimony though. Seven of us that are going home in two weeks all had that opportunity. Afterwards, Sister Simpson stood up and said that mine made her cry. It was when I talked about taking off the missionary tag for the last time that she lost it. I wasn't emotional, but I was definitely, shall we say, bewildered. I still wasn't able to wrap my head around the fact that I'm going home. It's such a weird feeling. The rest of the meeting was great and it was good to hear President Simpson speak one last time before I leave. 

On Friday I had the chance to see Kochevar again. He was my companion back in December of 2015 and on into January of 2016. He left for Sierra Leone shortly thereafter to finish his mission so I haven't seen him in over a year. Well he came back with a group of dentists to do some things and I was able to meet up with him. It was great to talk with him and get some going home advice from him. I also had the chance to meet his girlfriend and mother. Sounds like Koch may be getting engaged and married soon too. I'm excited for him. 

The extra time we had between seeing Kochevar, and attending the dentist thing he was a part of, and the multi-zone conference was spent getting everything in line for Sarah's baptism. It went off without a hitch. Granted, we had to do some juggling and work a few miracles but we pulled it off. Our baptist canceled on us that morning and so we had to ask someone else to do it. The font wasn't filled up to where it needed to be but we got really lucky with high water pressure to fill it faster. It was raining all morning except for when everyone was traveling to the baptism. As soon as the service started the rain started again. When it ended, it stopped once more. Then it started up again after everyone had sufficient time to return home. Pretty incredible if you ask me. Sarah was confirmed Sunday morning in sacrament meeting and that was that. A good cap to a good week. 

Today we just played some ball and had fun and what not. Trying to get some last few things before leaving Ghana. Hope you all have a great week and what not.

Bittersweet.....

June 6-12

Well it's been quite a bitter sweet week. There has been cause for celebration as well as cause for mourning. I'll start with the bad and we can just get it out of the way. 

We have been trying to meet with one of our members, Brother Botchey, all week long but he's been unavailable. We finally tracked him down on Saturday. We came to find out that his son had passed away on Tuesday. Brother Botchey took it pretty hard. He's 82 years old and is having to bury a son. He told us how it should be the other way around. He's the sweetest man alive and it was so hard to see him in so much pain. Fortunately he has a great knowledge of the gospel so he'll be alright. 

As for the good. Our baptisms went through. It poured like crazy Saturday morning and we, the missionaries, almost didn't make it to the chapel for the baptism. Yet despite the rain, and Ghanaians hate going out when it rains, our candidates and their family and friends all were there. So, Dzifa and Milady were able to be baptized by their husband and father, Brother Commey. Thus a family was completed in the Church and a year from now they will be sealed together. If that isn't cause for joy then I don't know what is. We also got everything ready and arranged for the baptism of Sarah. She is the best friend of Lawrencia, a recent convert, and has been learning with us for a few weeks now. She is excited not only to be baptized, but to serve a mission as well. 

Today, Wallin and I had the opportunity to visit and say goodbye to the people we know in Buduburam. It's been a very long time since either of us has been there. We both felt mixed emotions as we walked the streets of camp and said goodbye to those we love. I can't believe this day has finally come that I have to leave these people behind. I will be back again though. Ghana is a part of me now and my second home. Anyways, that's about it for my week. Hope you all had a great week too.

Baptisms and buckets....

May 30-June 5

Honestly there isn't much to say about this week. We just kinda did our thing all week already taught people. There were a couple highlights though. On Tuesday we had interviews with President Simpson. Since I'm going home this transfer, he felt it alright to impart upon me his secret plans for the next 3-4 transfers. He's got some great ideas too. Also it appears that my companion, Entsie, will be training either this transfer or the next. I couldn't be happier for him. If anyone deserves to train its Entsie. He has more heart than anyone I've ever met and he will do great things. Also it appears that over the next 3 transfers over a third of the mission will be going home and being replaced. Pretty exciting stuff that I won't see. Another highlight of the week was we finally were able to track down a referral that we received a while back. Her name is Gladys Amponsah. Her son, Emmanuel, is a member in our ward and told us we need to baptize his mother. Turns out she has been attending church for the last 5 months or so and no one knew she wasn't a member. So we are planning on getting her baptized on the 24th of June. Other baptisms we have planned are Dzifa and Milady on the 10th, Sarah and Yaw Henaku on the 17th, and Sampson and Felecia on the 1st of July or the 8th of July. If it's the 8th then I'll miss them by just 4 days but that's not what matters,right? I just want to get them baptized and then eventually sealed (Sampson and Felecia are married) and then they can raise their kids in the church. I know Entsie will make it happen if I can't. The next highlight is that we got everything set for Dzifa and Milady to be baptized on Saturday. We were worried about it a little but it all came through alright and the bishopric has been extremely helpful. 

And for the last highlight, today we went to play basketball. Wallin and I ended up on the same team some how and the results were catastrophic....for everyone else. I don't know what happened but everything we threw up seemed to go in. I took some crazy 180 fadeaway 3 pointer with 2 defenders in my face and it still went in. Talk about a heat check. Anyways, we play winner stays when we play, we never lost. 2 hours later we were still winning and we only gave up the court when we decided it was time to rest for 5 minutes before our next win. I guess you could say that life is just great right now and I'm in quite a euphoric state. Just trying to make the most of my last few days in Ghana whether that's soaking people or getting buckets with Wallin. Well that's my week so I love you and I'll talk to you next week.

5 weeks left.....

May 23-29

Well what can I say, it's been another great week here here in Mamponse. We are starting to hit rainy season now and more than once we were forced to find cover. Also to cover our floor in buckets so that it didn't flood. We had a man come to fix our roof for us but it seems he only made it worse and now what used to be a drip is a steady stream of water that cascades down from ceiling. It's actually quite majestic and if you try not to think about where you are you can almost picture yourself in some remote rainforest standing next to a waterfall. I would say it is tranquil. Anyways, that's not the point. The point is, we had some rain to deal with and it causes problems. No one likes to be out when it's raining, and after it rains no one will meet with you for the rest of the day. Their excuse, it rained. So naturally things were slowish but somehow we pulled off a great week. We now have 7 people that we are hoping to have baptized by the end of June. We have Samson and Felicia (they're married), we have Yaw Henaku, we have Sarah Mensah, we have Gladys, we have Jefar and her daughter Milady (2nd counselors wife and daughter) and I think that's all of them. We are hoping to add Samson's brother, Solomon, as well but we'll see how things go for him. My time left is short, but I won't feel like I did everything that I needed to do with that time unless I help all of these wonderful people be baptized. That's the reason I'm here isn't it? To help people make and keep covenants with God and perform the ordinances necessary for salvation. So that is what I shall do. Anyways, I'm still alive and coming home in 5 weeks. That's all, love you guys

Elders taking on the marketplace and using their bartering skills!