Led by the Spirit

Hello Everyone!!! I am so happy to have received all of your emails and support! This week went by very fast for me! It's crazy how fast time goes if you are working all the time! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying life! This is such a great time to live in! I am so glad that I get the chance to be a missionary! It is such a blessing to be able to learn and change by so many spiritual experiences! 

I could finally send these pictures of Elder Tawodzera so you can see what he looks like! He's almost 23, but I’m taller than him which is nice :D

3rd companion, Elder Tawodzera from Zimbabwe

This week was pretty great! Elder Tawodzera is getting more used to things and is doing well. We went finding a lot this week so that we could teach more people which was fun. It's crazy how much the Lord guides you when you are a missionary. This week when our appointment failed and we didn't have anyone to see. I decided to just walk down a road in our area and find people. I felt like Nephi when he said "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." (See 1 Nephi 4:6) So I kept walking not knowing where to go. I just took turns that I didn't take before and just kept moving forward. Then as we came across a more open area we saw a man who was sitting there looking at his phone. I started walking up to him not really knowing that I would talk to him. Then we introduced ourselves, but before we could tell him that we were missionaries. He said to us "Can I get you some chairs?" Then we said yes and waited for him to come. His name was Edward who is a Methodist. He is very intelligent. He told us that his father just passed away and that they were preparing for the funeral. Then we started the lesson on the Plan of Salvation. As we taught and shared scriptures, he said "Wow! I have never seen this before in my life." and was really interested. It is fun to teach him because he asks very hard questions that help us both learn from each other. Hopefully as we continue teaching, he will be able to come to church.

This experience just really showed me that as a missionary, you aren't really relying on your own knowledge. You literally have to give everything you have to the Lord. But as you do that, the spirit can be with you and guide you to see who God wants you to see. I still love to sing the hymn Lead Kindly Light. "Lead kindly light, amid encircling gloom, lead thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home. Lead thou me on! Take thou my feet, I do not ask to see, the distant scene, one step enough for me." This hymn has really helped me on my mission. Especially when I don't know what to do, or if I feel that I am lost. All we need to do is to trust in God and keep taking steps forward. As we do that, God will guide us to where he needs us to be. I have seen this principle work so many times in my life. I know that it is true! Another thing we learned in church is that a principle is something we can do ourselves, but an ordinance is something we need someone else to do for us. We can have our own faith, but we can't perform our own baptism. God is trying to show us that, we can't go to heaven by ourselves, we have to take that pride away from us. We have to learn to rely on Christ. Without relying on Christ, we become as the natural man, who is an enemy to God, and has been since the fall of Adam and will be forever and ever, UNLESS he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man, and becometh a Saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord. (See Mosiah 3:19) So that is my message today. We shouldn't rely on ourselves. As we do all that we can do, we should keep moving forward and let God lead us to where he needs us. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. 

So there were some other funny things that happened this week. I had a dream that me and Tanner were called as office elders, but I couldn't drive stick, so Tanner had to drive everywhere. :D Also Elder Conduanne, is really funny, he is the Portuguese speaker from Mozambique. After he ate a fan ice. (Which is like a little packet of ice cream) He said "I wonder what the expiration date is." and started looking at the back. I'm so glad that I have hilarious roommates to help me keep laughing :)

Culture Corner: The whole Zone went to a member’s 1 year old baby's birthday party and it was crazy! They had a DJ and gave us so much food and soda. They even had a cake! Which is super rare here! But there was lots of people so we didn't get a piece... Just kidding. :) It is just crazy that people have such a big party for someone so young! The party must have cost so much money! But I guess it is just part of the culture!

Well Family and Friends. I love you so much and I am praying for all of you! Thank you so much for your support! You really do make me a better missionary and I am so grateful for that! Have a wonderful week!

-Elder Ballard

Here are some of Sister Grace and Brother Bismark's Kids! African children are so cute! Eve didn't really look happy though. (the little girl.) 

And, here's what I look like, when I’m writing in my journal... You can see that my tan line is quite vibrant... :)

Kwame got confirmed this week! He is such a cool guy and one of my good friends!

A New Companion

Yo! Toyoteh!

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your emails! I can't imagine doing missionary work without so much support :)

This week has been super stressful, but has been really fun and I have learned so much!

My new companion's name is Elder Towodzera! (You guessed it mom! He's African) He is from Zimbabwe. Out of all the 24 Americans I got one of the 4 Africans that came! So he is a pretty cool guy, he just needs to learn that a mission isn't about him :) He thought Ghana would be the same as Zimbabwe but he was really wrong haha I guess I had more preparation that way because I knew that Ghana was super different. The day before his mission was when he started packing in a rush and he forgot lots of things, like black socks... Haha also when we got to the apartment I found out that he doesn't know how to ride a bike.. :O

So this week I was really stressed but everything is okay, being senior companion is so much fun! You actually feel like you know what you’re doing, and you know the area! So that has been fun. Also he is 23 years old. But I’m pretty taller than him so I can still intimidate him a little ;) just kidding. Something I know I will have to learn while training is discipline. At home when the little boys were fighting, I would just call mom or wait for Dad to enter the room. But I can't do that now. I have to be the Dad! It is so cool to see how many things a mission prepares you for! I've only been out three months but I have learned so much! Especially looking at my new companion, I remember how the food was hard to eat and that it was hot. But now that I am comfortable, I just laugh at so many things! The Portuguese speaker in apartment Elder Conduanne is hilarious! Same with our new district leader who is Nigerian! I'm the second tallest person in the apartment so I feel even older! :D

But yeah, we had two baptisms this week! Kwame, (the photo I sent last time) and Abigeal! (a 14 year old girl.) It was really cool! But I decided not to bring my baptismal clothes this time which was a mistake because the ones they give you are basically just like a sheet cut in the shape of a shirt and pants. Plus it was just like a huge V-neck. So I was trying to cover myself during the first of the service. It was pretty funny though :) I am just so grateful that I can be in a place where everyone believes in God! People's prayers here humble the crud out of you! You just hear them sometimes thank God that they woke up this morning, or that they have another day to live. They even pray that God will protect us the missionaries and to guide us, even if they aren't really interested! I just am falling in love with the people more and more every day! If everyone believes in God then there is hardly any crime or fights! That is how Ghana is! It is just amazing.

I also had goat meat this week which was actually really good! It tastes like beef and chicken at once or something! Another hilarious experience was when I was ordering fufu and the lady who was getting the meat just asked me, "Do you like intestines?" and I about laughed my head off but I didn't, and I was just thinking like "where am I?" haha Missions are such adventures!  We were teaching one lady about the book of Mormon and when we were done she just asked us "So, is it true?" I almost laughed and told her how she could know. It was just funny that she would ask such a blatant question! Then she asked "But, how do you know it is true?" then I told her that it's teachings have blessed my life. Then she said "Like what?" (This lady asks a lot of questions.) Then I showed her in Moroni where it condemns about infant baptism and I got to talk about Carver which is always really special to me.

Sorry last crazy experience. I met my first insane guy this week! He came up to us and said "hey, I know your church! Do you know Jesus Christ in the book of Mormon? That's me but you just can't see it yet!" Then he pointed to a tree and said "Do you see that tree? It is a tree of life! When Adam and eve ate it it was nice, but for this one it is different." Then he opened a garbage bag full of leaves and gave us some and said "The garden of Eden is just over there." as he pointed behind "So what I am doing is I go around and plant these seeds of the tree of life so everyone in the world can live forever!" After that we said thankyou and walked away.

Ah, Such good memories are happening here :D I know this gospel is true and that God qualifies who he calls! I know that if we follow his commandments we will be blessed. I know that if we give everything to God, God will give everything to us.

Answers to questions: Aust: So they do have a lot of different kinds of cloth here, if you saw the blue tie I wore, that is one of them. But yeah they do like classic African designs on their clothes.

I love you so much everyone! Thanks so much for your support! I can't believe Teag already has braces! I'll be praying for Baden!

-Elder Ballard

Last week as Trainee

Hello Everyone!

This week was super challenging but I have learned so much! This week was the last week with Elder Ajayi and I am going to miss him so much! He has taught me so many things and I owe him everything I am as a missionary! But it is exciting that I will get a new companion this week! I'm going to learn so much from training! Anyways, I really felt all of your prayers this week, I was super stressed about learning everything about training and my bike broke in the middle of the road and other crazy things :) But I know that Christ has felt my stress, and my grief. I know that God works in mysterious ways and that he wants us to learn by challenges sometimes! This week, there were some people who insulted me and made fun of me but it was in their native language so I never knew until after. So whenever they did I would just smile and say "good afternoon!" :D so I think that's a good attitude to have in our lives. When people are angry, just listen, then be nice and smile! I'm sorry if this letter is more random than usual :) At church we had 5 investigators show up, which was great! Elder Ajayi bore his testimony and it was just a good Sunday! One of these pictures is of me and Elder Ajayi, then the other is me and Kwame (Quamie) who is getting baptized next week! 

Thank you everyone for all of your letters and support, they mean so much to me and they keep me rejuvenated to serve even harder! Hopefully next week I will have more to write about! One cool thing that happened is that it rained like 15 inches in one day. But the cooler thing is that we helped a little kid cross a canal that was more full because of the rain! He went up to the stepping stones carrying his back pack and umbrella and started to cry. We carried him across and we felt like heroes :D. I love not only being a servant to God, but being a servant to others! I am coming to love the Ghanaian people so much! They are so nice and loving. I love the food too! It will be fun to make fun of my companion this week when he tries to eat the food! just kidding :) I love this gospel so much! It is the only way to be happy. The only way! Missionary work could not function without the help of the Lord. There would be no success without the Lord! I know indeed that Christ not only suffered for our sins, but he suffered for our feelings of stress, grief, heartbreak, and self disappointment! I know that God loves us! He knows what is best for us! All we have to do is follow him! :) In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

By the way I received all of the fam's FHE letters to me and they made my day! Letters are so great because you don't get them on Monday so it's like a reminder that someone is always there! :D

Questions answered:

There is more black missionaries than white, (but it is pretty close and it changes. sometimes.)

No the malaria medicine hasn't given me problems. :)

I don't know what the mosquito nets are made out of!

It is probably like 95 degrees all the time but I have gotten used to it.

I do talk slow and accented with T’s when I teach lessons :)

I haven't gotten an accent, I just use a different vocabulary.

Culture: The hardest culture shock for me was to see that Moms usually beat their children to obey. It's really hard to not stop them sometimes, but maybe that is why everyone is so nice because they listen to their moms? I'm not sure. But most of the time members don't beat their children :D

I love you Family! Keep doing great things! :D Pacho Byo!

Conference!

Pacho Eti Sen!

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for your support and love! I have really felt your prayers this week and I love you all so much. I have so many things to write about so hopefully It makes sense!

This week I took lead, at least for the first few days. It was really hard because whenever i taught i felt like i was being observed and i couldn't be free with teaching. So i kept getting nervous and messing up which was hard on me. I feel like my trainer is like Dad, i want to make him proud! But whenever i tried to do my best i just messed up. But it was really good and i learned a lot! Sorry that i haven't got a picture of sister Grace yet! She got confirmed yesterday and it was a neat experience!

So during the week i got a phone call from the APs... and I got called...  As... *Drum Roll* A Trainer!!!

So I will finish my training this week and at the same time get a trainee to train! When i first got the call i was so scared and felt incapable. I've only been out for three months and i barely know everything about my area. But on Tuesday there was a training meeting that really helped me. President Heid said that God trust us very much to call us as trainers. Then as I watched the new apostles testimonies of Sunday, they all talked about how they felt incapable. Then they said that "God qualifies those who he calls." and so all of their testimonies helped me so much. I am also excited to get to know them better! they seem really awesome, I called that Elder Rasband would be called, but you know. :)

Conference helped me so much, one of my favorite talks was Elder Holland's about mothers and how he compared mothers to the Savior. It made me miss Mom dang bad, but it was really great. :) Also i think that once you go on a mission, the spirit testifies to you so strongly, and you become more emotional. When that primary children choir sang I could barely hold back the tears! Primary hymns have always been in a soft part of my heart. Now whenever I start singing "Love is spoken here." I can't finish it because I get choked up when i sing "I see my mother kneeling, with my family each day, I hear the words she whispers, as she bows her head to pray. Her plea to the father, quiets all my fears, and i am thankful, love is spoken here." Man, I'm tearing up just typing it! Haha I also felt goosebumps when the Tabernacle Choir sang The Spirit of God.  Going on a mission has made me appreciate so many things. Every time I see conference my testimony is reaffirmed that God calls prophets, seers, and revelators. I love and sustain President Thomas S. Monson and the Quorum of the Twelve. I know that God qualifies those he calls. I know that God Loves us and wants us to be happy, and the only way to be happy is to follow him and keep his commandments. I know that prayer is true. I know that missionary work wouldn't function unless it was directed by God. I love this Church and Gospel. I know that we aren't lost, we are in the right place. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Culture Corner: People here love social media, they all have really nice phones but really small houses. It's crazy to see someone who doesn't have a toilet but has an iphone 6!

I hope Tanner is doing okay! That's tough about the pick up!

I love you all! Thanks for all of your emails and support!

Pacho Byo!

-Elder Ballard