Greetings from Ghana!

Hello!!! Greetings from Ghana!!! First off thanks so much for everyone's emails! Your support is so valuable to me! If you have any questions you are wondering about Ghana i will try to answer them! Ghana is such an amazing place! I'll start from the beginning. When i first got here, it was kinda really scary! I got here at night and i couldn't understand everyone's accents! I am very grateful i didn't lose my luggage because i was very stressed out! When i walked out of the airport there was a crowd of people outside the doors, one man kept saying "Can i talk to you?" over and over so i said "yes..." then he said "How are you doing?" as he slowly reached to grab my bag. So this kinda freaked me out so i pulled it away and walked faster. It was pretty dark and all the lights they had there were orange. The thing i didn't know was that he wasn't trying to steal my bag. he just wanted to help me bring it to the car so he could ask me for a tip. So i kinda freaked out more than i should have. But still!

Breakfast in Ghana

So the senior missionaries were so very nice to us! Their names are the Sanders (mom you know who they are) :) they spoiled us so bad though! They bought us pizza for our dinner (which was dang good because it was like the bbq pizza at pizza pie) Then in the morning they gave us a huge breakfast! We had eggs, pancakes, white pineapple (i call it celestial pineapple because its sooo good!), mangoes, fruit juice, maple syrup, even potatoes! So i kinda wish they wouldn't have spoiled us cause i had no idea what i was getting into out in the real world of Ghana. I still had a little cough but i think the lack of sleep made my sickness even worse or something but i'll tell you about that later :) So we went to the mission home, and walked by the temple which is so pretty!

Then they gave me my new companion Elder Ajayi! (ah-jah-ee) I think God knew i needed a patient trainer who knows how to help me work. He is so loving, and yes mom his favorite saying he says to me is "When you are teaching be bold!" But he has been such a blessing to me!

So when i first got to the apartment and got settled my companion said "okay let's go." and so he told me to get on a bike that they had there, so i did. I had no idea what i was getting myself into. As we biked we saw some kids who are all so cute! Kids here always call out "Oh Brunie!" when they see me cause it means "white man" in twi. So on the first day they called me that, I didn't know what to say at first so i just smiled and waved. One kid i saw just saw me and started laughing his head off! It was at that moment that i knew i was at the right place. :) So we went and saw a lady whose called sister pots, i was very shy and didn't understand much, but it was still fun. Then we saw our ward missionary leader who lived close by. These people are the humblest people in the world! I'll tell you more about it later in letter if you stay tuned :)

So as we biked it started to turn dark, and my companion said "follow me" as he went on this super busy street. There is something you have to understand about Ghana. There is no traffic rules Whatsoever besides not hitting people. People just go and pass whoever they want by simply honking. So here i am having to go down this road at night, wearing a cheap plastic helmet, on a junkie bike going on this road full of pot holes and jaywalkers (its legal here!), and sewage canals that are a 3 feet drop on either side of the road. I have never prayed harder in my life... So the sewage canal is on my very close right and cars going about 35 miles an hour are passing me by 2 feet away on my left! It was so Crazy!! I can testify that the power of prayer is real! The seconded time i biked, my companion went in between two cars while i was right behind him and one of the cars was going forward so i had to brake! (i hope this makes sense.) As i braked i kinda leaned to the left and right as i was about to hit the side of the moving car it moved forward fast enough to not hit me by a centimeter (it was that close I'm not even joking!). So my first day was crazy. But as they days when on a adapted fast to the biking. But i think the biggest challenge i am still working on is the food. The food here is very very different from what i was used to. (here's the answer to Austin's question of what have i been eating.) The First thing i ate is called banko. It is this fermented dough that is put into soup. You use your first three fingers to grab the dough and dip it in the soup. (this soup had some meat and fish) then you put it in your mouth and.. you swallow it whole. Yep I'm still getting used to it :) I have also had fu fu which i like better than banko because it is made out of different ingredients (plantains and casava.) and isn't fermented so it sticks together better. (banko's consistency is like roll dough and fufu's is like play dough but more smooth.) I had some fu fu yesterday and did very well! I ate most of the dough and drank all the soup! (this soup had ground nut flavor if that means anything.) I even got to pound it! It was really hard during the first days cause i would wake up and smell unions and feel like i was going to throw up. Ghana is full of odors.. but it's okay now! I just felt sick all the time and didn't want to eat the food because it felt like i had to swallow pills to get nutrients. But after three days and through many prayers i feel much better and can eat the food way easier!

The people of Ghana are so ready for the gospel! You just ask if they would like you to come and teach them and they are like "sure" haha. The people here are the most humblest people i have ever seen. I have seen children mixing dirt in a tin can with a stick and totally enjoying themselves! I have seen kids going to the bathroom in buckets so they can easily pour it in the canal. We have so much to be grateful for! I'll keep emailing the things i notice that humble me. These people don't care about possessions, they just care about their bible, and their families! Except something else i noticed is that most people just live in a box but they have a really nice phone..? It's super weird, in the picture where I'm pounding fu fu the girl behind me is on her phone, even though we're in a super small house! It is just so crazy! I don't have much time so i can't say everything i have experienced but i hope i have given you a good overview. I am a pretty fast adapter especially with the lord's help. I have learned about 5 phrases in Twi like "Thankyou, how are you, i'm fine, small small, and well done." It's been fun to speak english but still get to know another language! I have already picked up the accent though so i hope you guys understand me at Christmas! Haha African English has basically the same rules as a British accent but without the tone of voice. But it is still pretty different. Like i don't say my R's and i accent my T's now haha. Lots of members have greeted me with "Elda Ballad! You are welcome!" It is such a great place!

I got to go to church and that was so great! One of the things that testifies to me that the church is true is that it is the same all around the world! There are little differences, but the doctrine and worship are the same! In sacrament meeting the bishop addressed everyone like "Good morning brodas and sistas." Then everyone would repeat "Good morning." it was so cool. It is so weird to be the cream filling in the oreo cookie! (ha ha dad.) I keep forgeting that i am brunie (white)! Anyways thanks for all of your emails and support! I can feel your prayers of love and strength everyday! I know this church is true! I know that god loves his children whether they are poor or rich. I know that God blesses us through our trials! I love all of you so much and i hope you are doing well! Ps. that is so weird the family is that small now Dad! That's a great idea for the ukon! I hope you are feeling better mom! I'm glad we can share those memories of the Provo MTC too Redge! Hurrah For Ghana!

 -Elda Ballad


p.s. This is my awkward self on my bike... when I first got my helmet I felt like toad on Mario Kart. :D But yep, I'm still that awkward kid you know :)

Hello Family!!! I arrived in Ghana safely and received my new companion! This is such a new world! I am super anxious but I know I am going to be fine! My new companion is Elder Ajayi he is from Nigeria! I am glad I have an African companion so I can get used to everything faster! My new Pday is on Monday so Ill email you then! Love you family!

Elder Ajayi

From the MTC

Hello Everyone!!! 

I learned so much this week! It's like my testimony is on fire! The days have finally started to pick up and i am used to the schedule! :D (Yay!!!) I love my district so much! I am so grateful that god gave me an obedient, hilarious, bunch of elders as my roommates. Something that happened this week is that we taught our "investigators" a lot! It made me feel so excited to start serving in the field! Also Happy Birthday Tanner!!! Elder Smith's first name was Tanner and he's kinda like you so that's fun. So i am flying out for Ghana on Tuesday! So i should be able to call you guys before i go on the flight and when i get there! I can already tell that it is going to be such a culture shock, but i know that i am so much more prepared than before i was at the MTC. I saw Elder Kent Sommer and Elder Kauer again so that was fun! Elder Kauer is getting better at dutch which is kinda funny. Instead of saying "Yeah" he says "Yaw" so that kinda cracked me up.

I had a really spiritual experience this week! I got pretty sick on Tuesday with a sore throat and coughing, but I had a couple blessings from my roomies which helped a lot and I got all the way better yesterday! The cool thing that I learned from this sickness was about opposition in all things. When i got better I was so happy! I stayed awake, I studied more effectively and I would just laugh for no reason! So the thing i learned this week is when you are having a tough time that seems like it won't end (i swear time stops here sometimes.) it is literally for your good! That lesson is going to help me a ton in the mission field! I feel like the MTC wasn't made specifically for the physical preparation for missionaries but more of the spiritual and emotional preparation for the mission field. 

Anyways, I just got another hair cut! It was crazy how fast the lady cut it! She used a comb and then just shaved whatever was above it with lightning speed it was crazy! I can't believe next time i Email you guys i'll be in Ghana! Its so exciting but nuts! I hope your vacation at Lake Powell goes great! I keep having dreams about seeing the family at meetings and stuff haha i feel like everyone has changed as much as I have but that is probably not true :) 

Thanks for everything Family! I love you! I know this church is true with all my heart! 

MTC pictures

Me and Elder Leon go to the bathroom all the time with each other cause we're companions! 

Me and Elder Kauer got a chance to get a picture together! So cool that out of all 8 class buildings we got to have our classes right across from each other! :D 

First real letter

Hello Everyone!!! May i just say that it has been a tiring, amazing, exciting, fun, and spiritual couple of days! The MTC is so intense but so fun! Dad you were right that the first night feels like you've been here for 5 days. Now i'm on my third day and it seems like I've been here for weeks! But it is such a blessing. I can't describe the feeling i get when i look down and see my badge that has "Elder Ballard" on it! I think of Dad, Austin, and Redge who have already served and am so grateful that i get to continue our missionary legacy! Once i got in the MTC everything felt fine, i just knew that this is where i'm meant to be! every time elders saw that we were new they would yell "Welcome to the MTC!". This is such a cool place and i can feel the sweet spirit here. It's just amazing that there are so many missionaries going all the time here! Let alone in 14 other MTC's around the world! I am so grateful that i was blessed to start out with a great companion! His name is Elder Leon and he's a super faithful guy! He's the first one in his family to go a mission even though he has three older brothers, which is such an expression of faith! He's 6' 3", has red hair, loves singing and being in drama. He has a really cool missionary story too! He was trying to prove the scriptures wrong because he was just sick of being on the edge and wanted to know that truth. So he got down on his knees and he prayed, and he said that every person in the world deserves to feel how he felt, which was the pure love of Christ. I can't wait to experience spiritual things everyday for the next two years! A mission is such a gift! I can already tell even though I've only been out for 2 and half days! My room mates are really cool. We have a really spiritual district, no trunkies or anything! :D So there are four of us who are going to the Ghana Accra Mission and the others are going to Arizona. The Names of the other 2 elders who are going to Ghana are Elder Whiting (yes mom that's sister Romney's nephew) and Elder Smith. Elder Whiting is super energetic and always happy. He has the exact same personality as Jared Barney which is kinda funny. Elder Smith was super intimidating the first day, because he is really stocky and has a tired face but turned out to be really spiritual and hilarious, (so the lesson there, is to not judge people!) he is also our district leader. The other Arizona elders are Elder Patteson, and Elder Ames. Elder Patteson is from Pocatello which was fun cause we got to talk about how good potatoes are and what not. Elder Ames is from Utah somewhere (just like Elder Whiting and Smith) but the first thing i thought when i first saw him is that he look exactly like Jason Gray on Studio C with glasses! He looks just like Jason does on the Dungeons and Dragons sketch because he has glasses and longish hair. Hopefully i can get a picture of my District back to you next week, the computer i am on cannot send pictures, so sorry about that. Oh also me and Elder Leon were appointed Zone Leaders which is really crazy but it will be good! It has been super fun seeing other elders who i know! I have seen 8 elders who i have gone to school with! It turns out that Elder Kauer's dutch class is literally right across from my classroom! There is a special feeling you get when you get to see your best friend while he has his missionary badge on the same time you do! When i said hi to him he couldn't stop smiling! So grateful we got to come here the same day! The other elders i have seen are Elders: Chandler Johnson, Mubarek Haws, Coulter Miller, Riley Olsen, Hayden Valora, Justin Ball, and Jacelyn Dorman! probably the best thing i felt so far is when the MTC presidency welcomed us and we sang "We'll Bring the World His Truth." Except this time when we sang it, instead of it saying "We will be the lords missionaries." we sang " We are now, the lord's missionaries." That hit me so hard that i am set apart as a servant of the lord and that i really am a missionary! Well, there's so many things that happened i just can't remember everything! Thanks for everyone else's pictures and for emailing me! Everyone's support means so much to me! I am so glad that i have the opportunity to be a missionary! There is no where else i would rather be! I know this church is true! It has felt as though my testimony has doubled in strength throughout these past few days! I love you all so much and i'm so grateful that i'm here! I know the church is true! I cannot deny it! Love, Elder Ballard

Farewell for Two Years!

Oh, goodbyes are hard. Not that you want it any other way...his whole life, Keaton has looked forward to being a missionary.  Once when he was younger, he came to me in tears, afraid that since he had been playing so many video games, he wasn't going to be a good missionary.  President Monson's announcement that young men could go at age 18 was so exciting to him! When it came close to his 18th birthday, he knew he wanted to go as soon as he could.So, when July 8 rolled around, we put the carefully packed bags in the car and drove to Utah.  After having lunch, we headed over to get a few pictures in front of the Provo temple, and then there was no more putting it off...We pulled into the MTC drop off. 

 A few last hugs, and it was time.  The nice elder that was going to walk Keaton in offered to take our picture.

Then, he was off!  We tried to smile bravely for him through our tears, and watched as he walked into his new adventure!  Good luck Elder Ballard!  You will be missed!