Hello Everyone!!!

First off, thank you all so much for your emails! They lighten my load and make me want to serve! This week was a little longer than the others but great things happened! This week we got to go to Accra with Sister Grace for her special interview with the mission president. After the interview she wanted to be baptized! After many many missionaries teaching her and many prayers from her husband she finally wants to take that step and be baptized. Me and my companion were so happy for her. Grace and her husband Bismark were the first family that I met when I came, they welcomed me with open arms and are so nice to me. Bismark even gets to do the baptism which is so sweet. The baptism is on a Sunday so that all the members in the ward can come and see it. Whenever we see Bismark he is always just smiling when we say the word "temple". He wants more than anything to be sealed to his family for eternity. This event really made me reflect on how blessed I am to be sealed to my family and to be able to be sealed to my future wife someday! Missionary work isn't just for baptisms, they are just the beginning! Missionary work is for eternal marriages and families! I thought about how happy I would be to spend eternity with the family, cracking jokes, laughing at all the memories we've had, and enjoying each other’s company. That would truly be heaven for me, with my own children as well as my wife, my parents, and my brothers and sisters. I want to have that blessing more than anything in the world. But as a missionary, I get to make those blessings that I am striving for possible for others! I am just a man, but because I am set apart for the work, The Spirit can work through me if I am worthy to touch others to come unto Christ. No other time in my life will be like this! No other time will I be biking down the streets of Ghana finding people to teach. That is the thing that I use to fight off homesickness is that this is a once in a life time thing, and that only a select few in the entire world have this opportunity. I am truly grateful that I can sacrifice my time and talents to serve! I love this gospel so much, and I know without a single trace of doubt in my mind that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and if I know that, I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet, and if I know that then I know that, Christ and God appeared to him and that Christ's original church is on the earth today, which means there is a true living prophet today named Thomas S. Monson. Everything in the gospel is connected and it can't be broken again, that is the amazing thing is that God has promised that this is the last dispensation and that his word will never be taken off the earth again. Knowing that the gospel can only move forward gives me so much courage! I also have so much comfort that several of my friends are out on missions right now, what a blessing it is to have such good friends and examples! I love this gospel with all my heart and I cannot deny that it is true. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

So my pictures for today is of me with Steven Acwaah who just got baptized on Saturday! When he has his glasses on and when he smiles he reminds me of the Japanese soldier on Gilligan's Island.

Also when we went with sister Grace to Accra I got to see the temple at night so I got a couple of great shots! We are planning on her baptism next week, then another one next week, so we need to find more people for October!

Culture Fact: People post funeral posters of the person that died on the front of their houses so others know that someone passed away in their family. They have different sayings depending on the age etc. If they are young it can say "Gone to soon!" or "What a Shock!" others if they are old it can say "Called to Rest" or if they were a pastor or something it is usually a huge sign with their picture that says "Called to Glory!" which is kinda funny.

Also I forgot to tell you that I have tasted Cow's head, Rabbit head, Goat meat, and probably some other things. Once when I had fish in my soup I found the fishes heart, but I couldn't bring myself to eat it...

The animals I have seen that are cool are: tons of Lizards, Fruit Bats, Huge frogs, and huge rats that they call "Grass cutters"

One more thing. Our fire alarm went off and wouldn't turn off so we wrapped it in a blanket and put it in the fridge. When we came home it was still going so we called a senior couple who told us to put it in water. So when we did the sound it made sounded like a siren that died so we laughed pretty hard. I love you family and friends! Keep doing great things whether you’re at collage or High School or Home! Love You!

-Elder Ballard