Much needed update with pictures

This update will contain bits and pieces of Scottie's emails.  I think that Scott's Mission thus far can best be summed up by saying that he loves the work, he loves the people and is doing his best.  His has had some wonderful experiences and his Testimony is stronger. Scott recently traveled to Cape Coast to hear Elders Quinton L. Cook and Elder Christensen (president of the quorum of the seventy).

Scottie says:
"When we travel to cape we don't stay overnight we come right back.  Here in Odoben we are the farthest away so when we travel that takes our whole day.  Hearing from Elder Cook was so nice.  He spoke about missionary work.  He was talking about how we really need to focus in on using the members in the church and making sure they have a solid testimony and then use them to help with the work.  It was really helpful and nice to hear from him.  I had a wonderful Valentines Day.  We made no bake cookies and had some fan ice. I do lots of traveling for things."

Scottie also paid a nice tribute to his Grandmothers:
"For this Valentines day I wanted to say something to my two beautiful and wonderful Grandmothers. Maybe you can share this with them.  Grandma I love you so much and I am so thankful for all that you do. I look up to you so much.  I want to tell you that I appreciate all of the love and support that you give to me. You have done a wonderful job at raising your children and in turn they have been able to do that for me.  It is amazing how every time I talk to you, you will never talk about yourself you are always focused on me and the family.  I just wanted to say that I love you so much and think about you a lot. Hope that you have a great Valentines Day."

Time is going fast, Scottie says:
"Mom I can't believe that I will have been for six months.  The first six months have gone to fast.  Maybe not to you but really the time that I am here is short. Mom don't worry, I wash my socks off but at times who can control stinky feet!"

Scottie gives us some good counsel:
"I believe that is one of the most important things to learn.  Honesty and integrity in everything we do.  To often in the world today people are lying cheating stealing and so on.  I have come to realize how blessed your life will be if you can simply have integrity in all that you do.  You can remember my famous ping pong quote.  I would say "it takes skill and integrity" even though integrity has no part of ping pong I just thought it was funny."
 
In a recent email Scottie gives us a personal update:
"I feel like I have now figured things out more.  I feel a lot more comfortable in the missionary lifestyle and how things work.  There is a lot I can improve on and a lot that I have learned thus far so I am going to work hard and I know that I will continue to learn and progress.  The mission has a been a blessing in my life in so many ways that it is hard to describe over email but I wouldn't rather be any other place right now in my life than to be serving as a representative of Jesus Christ here in Ghana."

With the new Missions being announced, Scottie has this to say:
"I am so excited about all of the areas opening up.  Around the world there are so many places that still haven't had the opportunity to hear the gospel.  I am so happy to know that it is growing so much and that many many many people will hear the gospel.  In our mission we will be opening a few new areas and there will be a lot more missionaries coming in the next few months so I am excited for that."

In Scottie's most recent email dated 3/5/13 we find out that he will be transfered, he says:
"So, I have some big news today, tomorrow I will be transfered to a place Assin Fosu.  It should be one that you can find on the map.  I found out Saturday and I will be leaving tomorrow.  It is my first transfer and all I can say is that I have a piece of my heart with the people in Odoben.  It may be a village without much but, the people are so loving here, they have truly changed my life.  I didn't imagine that it would be this hard to leave.  When I was bearing my testimony on Sunday for the last time I started to cry.  I love these people so much.  I am excited to experience the new area though.  I will be with a sweet companion from Utah.  He came on his mission about one month after me and he is an awesome missionary. I will keep you updated on how the new area is"

     

 

January 8, 2013

It has been a few weeks since updating the blog but needless to say we had a great phone call with Scott on Christmas Day.  He is doing well and loving his mission in Ghana.  From the conversation we could tell that he is serving in a difficult area, very remote, jungle like and very much removed from modern conveniences. However, they do have a small refrigerator which is probably the only one in the village.  There is also a language barrier with the majority of the Village speaking "Fante".  Scott mentioned that "Fante" is spoken in Church on Sunday and they don't understand what is said.  If you have time, check out "Fante" on You Tube, very different.  If they teach someone that does not speak english, they will involve a member.
Traveling from City to City is crazy, sounds like most of the roads are dirt and when a shuttle (Tro Tro) shows up, 50 are waiting for a ride and 25 climb aboard a Van that seats 8.  I vision people riding on the roof and hood.
He loves the people of Ghana and is amazed at how happy they are.  He has formed close relationships with some families and it appears that the missionaries are well watched over by the members and others which, is comforting news. 
Scott mentioned in this weeks letter that his Companion Elder Bush is being transfered to Cape Coast and Scotts will get a new companion who is from Ghana.  I know Scott will really miss Elder Bush, it has been a great companionship.  Rather than rambling on, I will included portions of Scott's recent emails.

Scott says:
January 1, 2013

Happy New Year. I can't believe it's 2013 already. Wow it goes by so fast. Anyway I loved talking to you all on Christmas. It was my favorite thing to do. I had a really good holiday. I got to talk to the family and spent some time with a member family, which was so fun. They are all so loving and wanted to make sure that we had a good Christmas. They are like family to me.  Teaching is going good. It has been rough for the past couple of weeks but we have now started to teach some people who are progressing well and are wanting to be baptized. We will be teaching and working with them a lot. In fact there is one who said something that stuck out in my mind. We are teaching this girl named Gertrude. We have been teaching her for a few weeks and we were teaching her about faith and repentance. Well in the middle of the lesson we invited her to come to church and she said that the day we met her she was looking for something to help her in her life. During this lesson she explained that our church and this gospel was the change that she was looking for in her life.  We were suppose to teach sis Gertrude. It is amazing how our Heavenly Father will prepare people to receive his gospel. I am really enjoying being around these people and teaching them. I am happy to be serving in Ghana. 

January 8, 2013

We have now hit the time of season where everything is dusty.  So when I come back in from the day of proseltying everything is just really dirty.  I love it though.  I have some news for the whole fam.  Transfers came and Elder Bush my companion will going to serve in Cape Coast.  I will be getting a new companion tommorrow.  He is from Ghana and was a former zone leader.  I am excited to meet him and to serve with him.  It is cool that I get a companion from here in Ghana.  That is the big change that is happening here for me.  As for Gertrude we are hoping that she will be ready by the end of this month so that is what we are pushing for but we aren't sure yet.  We have a few others that we are preparing to be baptized by the end of this month also.  We are hoping for four of them but we will pray and hope for the best.  I can't describe the joy when you teach people and they accept the gospel.  Wow there is such a connection and such love that you feel for these people.  I love this gospel and I know that I am out here for a reason.   

                  

December 4, 2012 - Doing Well

Scott says:

Things here are going well.  I am enjoying each and every day.  We taught another lesson about the spirit but this time it was a girl named Gertrude.  She had been having trouble recognizing the spirit so we keep telling her to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about it.  Before the next time we saw her I had the chance to fast and to pray on her behalf.  The following meeting she told us about her prayer and she describes it this way "for thirty minutes I felt the most joy and love that I have ever felt in my life.  It something that I cannot describe with words".  The lord works in amazing ways and I know that was an answer to my prayer.  The spirit really touched her.  I am very excited to continue to teach her and to see her progress.  How are things going at home?  Anything new going on?  Here in Ghana we have officially reached the dry season.  I never knew I could sweat so much just walking around and teaching lessons.  It is all good though.  What is the weather like there?  Not to much new going on with me.  Me and Elder Bush got two new elders to our apartment one is from South Africa and one is from Zimbabwe so that is really cool.  They are really sweet guys.  Anyway I love you and hope all is going well.  Yes I will get to talk to you on Christmas.  Love you

I mentioned to Scott that Grandma Hintze was discouraged about her eyes, Scott says the following:

I am sorry about Grandma that makes me worried to.  Do you best to keep her spirits and we will pray for her.  She is a wonderful lady and I love her so make sure that she doesn't get to discouraged and I hope that everything will be ok. 

As of November 27, 2012

Scottie has been out for three months and seems to be doing good with a great attitude towards learning, the people, and living conditions.  Scottie says:

Everything is going great for me.  Yes we enjoyed a little thanksgiving.  We had a small get together so that was really fun I enjoyed it.  I am glad that all went well for you during Thanksgiving.  Also, that girl sister prisola, we were able to baptize her this last week.  It took a lot of work but we were able to finish all of the lessons in time. She really had a desire to be baptized and after words she said it is amazing how when you come out of the water you just feel clean and feel like your a new person.  I love hearing the testimonies of the recent converts. It just makes me realize that our Heavenly father is there and that he is helping these people change their lives and become better.  I am glad that you had some time to talk to the missionary from Cape Coast he sounds like a really nice guy.  Keep me updated on the family tell dave and family to keep up the good work and that I love them all.  I love you mommy.  I am doing well and don't need anything in particular sent to me.  Thank you.  

Love Elder Hintze 

Scott's Experiences November 6, 2012

Mommy thank you so much for the that e mail.  For Halloween we were going to carve a watermelon but we couldn't get our hands on one so we just celebrated by trying to make things that are as close to America as possible.  Things here are great, I wanted to talk about an experience that we had with an investigator name Prisola.  She was having trouble recognizing the holy ghost.  We had been asking her to pray but she said she hadn't really had that feeling.  Well anyway we were teaching her a lesson and the spirit in the lesson was so strong that me and my companion simply asked her what she felt like right now.  We asked her to describe her feelings and she said that she felt like Jesus Christ was sitting right next to her.  We may not realize it but that is how it really feels.  I just loved that moment because you see her face light up when she made that connection. That was something really special to me.  Tell the family hello for me.  That would have been fun to see everyone at Halloween so please send my greetings.  Anyway things are going well.  I wish I had the weather like you do at home.  We are getting to our hot season.  I love you mom and fam hope all is going well. 

Scott was asked about how they are received in the village and if the villagers all know of them: Yes people know where we live here and yes they really do look our for us.  The people there are so nice and friendly and often times they are helping us.  They always make sure we are in  for the night and that we are all safe. No worries there.  

The Art of Mass Transit - October 30, 2012

Scottie says:

Happy Halloween to you and the family. I loved the poem. I was worried I wasn't going to get one and I was going to miss them. You always have the most creative poems and I love them. Thank you mommy. Also we had the festival and it isn't like Halloween it is more like the fourth of July parade. Most people would dress as the opposite sex or basically it would be called cross dressing. Kinda weird but really funny to see. Things are going well in Odoben. We didn't do much teaching because of the festival but other than that things are great. Me and my companion Elder Bush are doing really well. We both love Odoben. In fact I have another adventure that we went through. So we trying to get to Swedru because we had to sleep over with the other elders because the next morning at four we had to leave for cape coast to hear President Sitati speak who is a member of the first quorum of the seventy. Anyway they have these trucks that are like half semi and they have a big bed in the back like trucks at home but the bed is much bigger. Well  we couldn't get a tro so we all had to jump into the back of this truck and ride with about sixty others and it should only hold about thirty. It made me fell like I was trying to cross the border. The people were laughing and going crazy because a white man has never done that before. It was very interesting. Tell Grandma that I love her and to get better.  We had those four baptisms this Sunday. It was awesome to see that family get baptized.  Yes when we teach people we either contact them on the street then set up an appointment or a member gives a referral and we contact them and then go and met with them.  Anyway I love you all, watch out for the ghosts and goblins.

October 22, 2012 - Lose Weight On Scott's Diet

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 8:33 AM, Scott Hintze <scott.hintze@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Mommy whazzup that was an unexpected opening.  My mom using the slang and I love it.  I am e mailing again on monday because we had a zone activity where we went to the beach in Winneba.  It is a beautiful place I loved it.  Yes we have a cell phone for each companionship and when we set appointments we can use them to call but the people never really answer so we just show up at there place and hope they are there.  The people here in Ghana don't know time so lots of the time we go and no one is there but usually we will see them during the day or be able to get a hold of them.  There is lots of walking involved.  Also that family of three will be getting baptized this Sunday.  I am really excited about that.  As for Elder Kitchen he is in a different zone and the new district leader is elder Butler he is a sweet guy from Orem Utah.  Matt changed the diaper.  I have to give him props that could be hard.  Yes I take my pills and sleep under the net at night and I have been doing well.  The mission doctor said that is the key to not getting sick and so far it is working.  Yes they have two season a hot one and a rainy season.  The hot season is just starting and the rainy season is around July.  They also have a season they call the homaton.  It is apparently like lots of dust and windstorms.  A lot different from home.   Things are going well here.  There is a festival that will start soon so that will get crazy.  I have heard there will be people dressing up in costumes and all of that fun stuff.  I will take some pictures and send them home.  I also was taught the Azunto which is a Ghanian dance.  Anyway I love you all and I am doing well.  Tell the family hello and that I hope all is going well.  Love you mommy and thank you for the e mail.

I have a little bit more time and wanted to say more.  I meant to tell you what we eat.  Fufu with lots of different soups.  This thing called Abba which is similar to fufu.  We eat rice and beans and rice and stew and bread and eggs.  Then we just eat fruit.  That is what we eat about every day.  There is probably some things that I missed but it definitely is not like home.  Oh well I love all of the food now and don't mind it one bit.  One day maybe I will make it for you.  I met a new elder from New Zealand today he is only a few days on mission and the sweetest accent.  I love you all and hope everything is going well.