Dear Family,

Another day in Takoradi! We just played a long game of football against the Cape Coast Zones and I'm dead and a half. I'm not healthy. I can feel it and when I talked to Sister Sabey this morning she asked me if I've been losing weight. I told her that I feel skinnier but not too much. She noticed it at Zone Conference this week and if she says I'm losing weight, then I must be. I stopped the Antibiotics and she just told me to take a stronger parasite medication which I only take once. If this doesn't work we'll try something else. Don't worry, I'm mostly OK! I think the worst part about today was getting fried by the sun. I put sunscreen on but my head is killing me and the light is killing my eyes.

This week has been pretty typical. Visiting members and our investigator Lizzy. She is actually progressing which is not too surprising to me because I know that the Lord led us to her. There are a few times when I could see His hand in an investigators life but this was a good one. One night a few weeks ago we were out of things to do at about 7 in the evening. It was dark and heading back to the apartment sounded like a good idea. A thought popped in my head saying that we could see one person. I felt prompted to contact just one family that evening before we could head back home. Contacting sucks but I decided to follow the prompting and I silently asked Heavenly Father, "Well, Where?" I couldn't think of anywhere but the thought popped in my head saying, "Your companion knows, ask him." So I did and he immediately knew where we could go. He had been thinking of this one woman we walk by from time to time. He said that he had decided if we had to contact, that would be who.

So we went to her house in the dark and she was home. We taught her a small starting lesson about the Savior, His doctrine, and the importance of making and keeping promises. Then we left thinking well we did what God asked, we'll see if it goes anywhere.

We lost touch for about a week, then we went there after correlation with Mike Mensah and Sammy Sego, two ward missionaries. There were a bunch of people there talking in Fante and moving around her compound. Mike figured out what was going on and next thing I knew I was carrying sand in big basins on my head from one pile to another 15ft away. Elder Haderlie and I had to fight to get the locals to fill our basins because they didn't think we could do it. We worked for an hour and a half and managed to move the entire pile for them. We went home dirty but satisfied with our work.

Ever since then, Sister Lizzy opened up and we have been able to teach her more effectively. She doesn't go to church anymore because she could see the corruption in her former churches. When we taught her last, she had a friend there and she stood up for what we were teaching. We finished the Restoration last Saturday and gave her a Book of Mormon to read. Hopefully she will come to church this week too. She has been prepared so we'll see if this is her time. If she keeps her commitments and finds that our message is true, we will baptize her in June.

Our two boys who have been going to Sekondie, still haven't come to Kojokrom but hopefully next week. If they don't I'll just assign Elder Newbold to teach them there. If they want to go there,

We had a Zone Conference this week. I thought it would be our last with President Sabey but I learned we will be having another in June before they leave. It was a sweet conference and President Sabey taught about the Doctrine of Joy, the very meaning of our existence. In that he once again taught us the Doctrine of Oneness which he taught in my very first Zone Conference in 2009. He taught us the importance of oneness in: 1) The Godhead, 2)The Apostles and the Church, 3)Our Companions (including out eternal ones stating: I care far less about what kind of missionaries you are now then what kind of fathers and mothers you will become), and 4)With Christ. It was a sweet instruction that took up about 3 pages in my study journal. Joy is bedrock doctrine and nobody outside of the church knows anything about it. It's the why to our suffering! What peace can come from the knowledge that our suffering has a purpose and if we endure it well, we can learn and grow and become happier. This was also the last conference for the Lambs who are the couple missionaries in our area. They are wonderful people who we will miss. Next to go home is Elder Akoki, then the Sabeys, then Elder Lehr.

We are working hard despite our challenges. I love it here and I love my companion. I'm afraid that I might train again in a few weeks because there are 17 new missionaries coming to our mission. I guess they are gearing up for the summer and fall when there will be 28 leaving in August, 18 in October and 17 in December. This mission is an old mission and we are all going to die at once. Training would be sweet but at the same time sooo lame! If I do train I hope he's from Zimbabwe cause those people are cool!

I love you all! Keep on walking; it's good for you! Keep on eating that pizza and hotdog's and cheesecake and all the other good things you have there too! I'll stick with my spaghetti and pancakes. Pray for my poor tummy too. It has taken a beating but it will survive!

Love Elder Harris
ZOOMLION/DAGGER TAWD

Probably have done this one before but it's in my head:

After all, these implements
And texts designed by intellects
We vexed to find evidently there's still
So much that hides
And though, the saints dub us
Divine in ancient fading lines
There sentiment is just as hard
To pluck from the vine

I'll try hard not to give in
Batten down to fare the wind
As I step into the night

Now I don't have the time nor mind
To figure out the nursery rhymes
That helped us out in making sense of out lives
The cruel, uneventful state
Of Apathy releases me
I value them but I won't cry
Every time one wipes out

I'll try hard not give in
Batten down to fare the wind
Getting rid of my pretense
Stepping hard in my pretense
As I step into the night

Ladidada, Ladidada,

Mercy's eyes are blue
And when she places them in front of you
You can't hold a roman candle to
The solemn warmth you feel inside

Forgot the chorus but its close! Saint Simon-The Shins
You should look it up because it's sweet!

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