"I can confidently say and testify..."

tro tro ride to the Temple!

Hoeho Group 1st ever temple trip

December 1, 2014

Family,

Another great week that has been long awaited for has come and gone!

The whole week we were anticipating our temple trip and it finally

came! Elder Zaugg and I went with Daniel, Gameli, Helen, Maxwell,

Jonathan, Beatrice, Albert, Baah Boah, Derry, and Josephine. We woke

up at 3 am and all met at the police station by 4 am to leave for

Accra! We were expecting 11 members but one didn’t show up L so we

headed to Accra with 10 members! We all slept as much as we could in

the morning so we could have enough energy for the trip! We were

making good time until we made it to Juapong (somewhere close to where

Elder Hatch is serving) where we had to take a ferry across the Volta

River. But because they closed early the night before, there was a

small line of cars/people that spent the night in their cars, so we had to wait

more than an hour to get across the river. Then we got stuck in traffic

around Tema Motorway so that slowed us down even more, but nonetheless

we arrived at the temple by 10:30! Everyone was so excited to be there!

There happened to be three other districts with all of  their members that

came to the temple at that same time! Haha there was so many people

around the temple, so that got us a little worried. We had the baptism

scheduled for 10 am but we got there at 10:30, they let the whole

Korfidua district jump us! So that was frustrating but it was ok

because everyone was happy to just wait around and talk and walk the

temple grounds! We had the office elders buy us rice and chicken for

lunch and so we were able to eat that. But luckily they had space for

the women and so they were able to hop in with the other group and get

done sooner! But there were so many men, they were going to have to wait.

We were able to take pictures, talk, and explain different things. The waiting 

wasn’t bad, we just knew that we had to get into the temple by 1 or we wouldn’t make it

back to Hoehoe that night because of the rough roads and the ferry would close 

down, so we didn’t have much time left.

So Daniel (Group Leader) and I went in again and tried explaining everything

 to the temple worker at the front door and he was like well you just

have to wait and if it gets to late you just have to cancel, and we

were like “uh… no we have been planning this for over a month,

members have sacrificed their money and time for this trip so we need to let 

these people participate! So he took us to a member of the

temple presidency, we explained everything to him and he was like

“Hey, we need to get them in right away!” So within 15 mins our

members were in their baptismal clothes waiting in line! The main

problem was that there weren’t enough jump suits to do the baptisms because

of so many people and so they were far behind. Unfortunately Elder

Zaugg and I couldn’t participate and baptize them because of the clothes shortage,

but we were able to watch! It was a great experience and everyone was

so happy! We changed fasted, took more pics, and then hopped in the tro tro

and were off just before 3 pm! It was seriously another miracle that

everything was able to be accomplished before 3! I was also able to

meet former members in the area that I had served and missionaries that I

hadn’t seen for a while! It was a long trip going from Hohoe to Accra!

I can’t imagine what

it is going to be like from Accra to New York!! Plus the weather!! I’m

just praying that there are no delays!! We were fortunate that there

wasn’t heavy traffic in Accra nor to the ferry and so we were

able to just drive right on to the ferry and cross the river! We got

home at a good time that night, but we were exhausted! It was like a 15

plus hour trip! Boys Abre!

 The following day was Sunday and we were

able to have sacrament meeting, confirm sister Grace (I was able to do it) and

then hear a few testimonies and talk. We’re hoping next week everyone

will be able to bear their testimonies on Fast Sunday about the

temple! After sacrament meeting we watched the All Africa General Broadcast

for November and it was great! Elder Gay, Sister Stevens, Elder

Ballard, and Pres. Uchtdorfs all gave talks and they were so awesome,

I really felt the spirit and understood a lot!

Well family, I love you all and this weekend we will have two great

baptisms that have been long awaited for! One of them is our neighbor

Graham that we have been teaching ever since we got to Hohoe! He is

great and will be a strong example for the members here!  Hope you

have a great week! I can’t believe the time is coming to an end.

November has come and gone so fast and now it’s only a few more days

left…. I can confidently say and testify that Paul’s words have

applied to me from 2 Timothy 4:6-8. I have done my best, of course I

had my ups and downs and struggles but I know I have kept the faith

and fought a good fight! I have learned so much from this mission and

my testimony has grown so much! Truly this is the Lords work and His

Church! I have mixed feelings about everything, I’m going to miss this

place like no other but I know all will be in the Lords hands. Love

you all, the Church is true. 

Elder Kade Eppich