Elder Kade Edler Eppich: "First ever sacrament meeting service in Hohoe, Ghana"

The first ever sacrament meeting service in the history of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hohoe, Ghana

Sacrament meeting service in Hoeho

new apartment

Elder Eppich and Elder Zaugg

new apartment

in Hoeho

Hohoe church house

Elder Eppich, Daniel, Elder Zaugg

August 25, 2014

Family,

Wow what a great week we had here in West Africa! Things really caught me by surprise this transfer as President Heid taked to me about a new assignment. He asked me to go and open up Hohoe for missionary work! This area has never had an organized church group or full time missionaries. We have a few members there and he asked me to head up there and start up a group (smaller than a branch) which I was super pumped for because that would be such an awesome way to finish my misson! I really didn’t want to “die “ in the office as President Heid's Assistant and I guess my prayer came true! Elder Izekor wasn’t too happy because that means he will spend like 10 plus months as an assistant before he goes home. I guess president just wanted me to go there.

So through the course of the week starting on Monday night a big group of missionaries went to KFC to enjoy and we really did and then Tuesday was a day of saying goodbye to members and investigators, which is always a tough thing to do when you leave an area, but all was ok. I have their numbers and I have given some of them a call to talk to them a bit. So Wednesday came around and we had the normal super busy transfer day and it was actually pretty funny because right at 12 pm I just told the AP he is taking over now and I went and relaxed and talked to missionaries that were on transfer! Haha.

Another funny story is that we have one basketball that we have been playing with in the office on Mondays and I was the one who got a hold of it and so I was going to take it to my next area but the office elders and the Assistants were mad that I was taking it and so we decided that we would play a small game in the back of the mission home and winner got the ball to keep. So Elder Burr and I played two other elders and we smashed them and took the ball up to Ho Zone! Anyways, so The Cosgraves took the luggage up to

Ho while we had to take a tro tro and just to get all the way to Ho it took us from 2:30 – 8:30 pm due to a ferry ride and traffic! It was a long ride but we enjoyed! The next couple of days we had to stay in Ho and go on exchanges because our APT/Meeting chapel wasn’t teady. So we went on exchanges Thursday and spent the night at the Cosgraves place Thursday night. (remember the Cosgraves are Bishop Mackay's uncle and aunt)

So Friday came around and it was finally time for us to resume our journey to Hohoe. It was such an exciting time because this day has long been waiting for missionaries to start proselyting there and it was finally time! It took another 2 hours to reach Hohoe and the place was so sweet! It isn’t too “bushy” and its not as developed as Ho so it is overall an awesome place! Right when we got there we picked up a faithful member named Daniel Opoku who is a policeman and a huge help to getting a meeting place and apartment for us. He took us to the apartment, which is also attached to the chapel, and we got a look around at what it is like. The meeting place is so sweet and an awesome area! It is a new developing area and so there is alot of "Bush" around. The downfall is there is a muslim mosque right next door and every morning at 4 am the sirens start going off and wakes us up. The apartment still needs a couple of things but we are still managing everything.

Friday late afternoon we were able to start working in our area and so we went and met up with Daniel and started to get to know the details of eveverything and how many members are in Hohoe. We were able to see him and another member before we finished the day. Saturday morning we just prepared in the morning for church the next day. About 4 members came over to our meeting place and helped us clean everything and we got to know them a little better. It was fun to work with everyone! After that we realized we didnt have a podium for the chapel and so what did Elder Zaugg and I do? We found some wood in the back, borrowed a saw and hammer from a carpenter a little down the road and made our very own podium!! it looks pretty sweet and I will send you pics of it! The painter came around to touch up on the wall that he just painted and so he painted our podium for us! That night we went around again looking for the members places and inviting everyone to church the following day! The members here are so ready for the church here in Hohoe and many have not gone for years because of the distance but now the church is here and they are ready to work! There is a man named Gameli who is a correct man and has done a lot for us here the last couple of days - getting chairs to sit on during sacrament srevice, and even he was the one who found us the building!

So Sunday comes around and our service was going to be at 1 pm so that President and Sister Heid could make it to the service. We were only planning on having sacrament because of one or two things. Anyways so they call us saying they are going to be late and so from 1pm to 1:40pm we sang hymns and it was so sweet! Only 7 members and 3 investigators were there at the time and we just sang and it was great! Finally President Heid got there and we had the service. We had a couple of members give talks and me and my comp, Elder Zaugg bore our testimony and President Heid concluded! It was great! Everyone ws so happy that we were able to have the first ever sacrament service in Hohoe!! I was able to conduct the meeting and also pass the sacrament! Such a great experience that I will never forget! Also President Heid called me to be the group leader for the meantime until we can prepare someone else to take my place. It was funny because afterwards we were taking photos of everything (I hope you get the pics mom) and I don't really think the members and investigators really understood how great of an occasion and a great stepping stone for the church in Ghana and the Volta region. The only down side is I cant learn twi anymore and back to ewe....

So all of this was awesome...but wait there is more.... on May 30, 2013 we had a zone conference in Koforidua with Pres Judd. I was serving in Kpong and had just been on mission for 4 months when at this confernce we were talking about how the Accra Ghana mission was going to split to the Accra West and Accra Mission and President Judd was saying that when we split the mission it will help us reach the places we couldnt reach together as one mission. He then prophecied to missionaries that were sitting in the Koforidua meeting house that a few of us would be privileged to open the church in Kpando and even up to Hohoe..... when President Judd said that I felt an impression that I was going to be that missionary that opens either Kpando or Hohoe..... then at the Christmas conference in dec President Judd prophicied again that a few missionaries in this room would be opening Kpando and Hohoe and I got the same feeling that I did many months earlier that I was going to be the one to open that area to missionary work....and now 15 months later here I am and it is such a great experience to be a part of everything and see how the Lord works! President Judd got it right on because both times when he prophesied Elder Jones (opened Kpando) and I were at both meetings! so awesome!!!! So ya... that pretty much summarizes my crazy week!

It's so crazy because each time something awesome happens to me I feel like this was the reason why I came to Ghana, but almost each transfer something different comes up that strengthens my testimony that I was truly called to the Ghana Accra Mission for a reason! I know that we live in a day where God reveals things to all of his servants to help hasten the work of salvation.

Sorry about the bad grammar, now that I'm not in the office the internet is super slow so I'm just trying to type as fast as I can so the internet doesn't turn off on me or lights off.

I love you all and know that the church is true and who the Lord calls, He qualifies! I couldn't have asked for a better mission! Now I just need to finish strong! I love you all and have a good week! Remember attitude determines altitude :)

Elder Eppich