Thanksgiving in Africa

Hello Everyone! :D Wow this week was something! It wasn't as exciting as last week but it was still good. On Thanksgiving I had a great meal! I had to be festive! So I made mashed potatoes and gravy (from home) then Elder Obiarinze helped me cook chicken and I bought some carrots which are kind of expensive but not too bad. :) It was great to taste gravy again! Even though it wasn't even close to Dad's. ;) People don't really eat much meat here so when the other Elders saw me eating so much chicken they were like "What?" but I ate it anyway :D I'm glad everyone encouraged me to be festive! I ate my meal around 9:30 at night so we might have been eating the meal at the same time which was fun to think about!

 Other than that, this week was kind of hard. We went to visit our only investigator who has a baptismal date, but when we found him, he was very very drunk. So that was disappointing. But we are glad we found the problem before he was baptized hah hah. This week was pretty trying for us, but we know that we did our part and that we are always learning to be better. I love being able to learn all the time. Everyday I learn something that will help me be a better person! It is so wonderful that God gives us opportunities to act for ourselves to be better. This week the only investigator who came was Rama who got confirmed. She is going to be very strong in the church! I'm sure she and Shandee would be good friends :) Something our mission president helped us realize is that it isn't our purpose for us to force people to come to church, that would be acting on Satan's original plan. Our purpose is to invite people to act for themselves to follow Christ. We can't pay someone's tithing for them, or repent for them. They have to do it by themselves; and if they do those things themselves, only then will their testimonies be strong, and only then will they be truly converted. 

I am glad that everyone's Thanksgiving went well! Something I realized when I came on mission is that Family is the source of pure happiness. This week I saw Rama's family outside sitting on chairs singing hymns and just laughing together. So I told Rama's older brother that this is what matters most. Being with your family, sharing memories, laughing, and just loving each other. That's what missionary work is about. It is about preparing a way for people to be sealed with their families for eternity. I know now more than ever that "God gave us families to help us become who he wants us to be, this is how he shares his love, for a family is of God." Every time I sing primary songs now I start to tear up haha. I am just so thankful for everything that we have been  blessed with. If we have families, we can always have someone there. Some people might go away and not be able to be there for you. But it comforts me to know that I have a family who loves me and who are sealed with me in the temple. For these thing I am so grateful! No matter what happens we can be with our families and be truly happy for eternity. All we need to do is follow the gospel of Jesus Christ and his commandments. If we do these things I know we can be blessed, for God has promised it in his holy scriptures, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. 

Another picture of the Temple:

The Temple, Snails, and an Insult

Hello Everyone! First off sorry that I am a day late, we had a zone activity and got home late. We all felt so dead after playing volley ball, and walking most of the way home. Just know that I am doing great and am safe etc. Thanks so much everyone for your emails! I love them so much! Some of them made me laugh out loud for a long time! :D So many exciting things happened this week! Hopefully I can put it all into words! 

First off I received your Christmas packages already! I am so grateful for the mini Christmas tree you guys sent me! What a sweet gift to look up all those scriptures that were on those mini presents and stuff! I marked all of the scriptures in Christmas colors so I can remember the memory :) I also put your "Do not open till Christmas" package under the tree so that's exciting :) The next thing that happened was I got to go a session in the Ghana Temple! Let me tell you that it was so beautiful!!! I love how the temples everywhere are all beautiful in their own way! Going to the temple gave me so much strength to keep going forward! One of the pictures are the Elders who went last week with me. 

Another unique thing that happened was that I was insulted for the first time in Ghana which is really rare. We were just walking then we saw this guy with a twisted beard and a huge hat. (Maybe it was Jafar :O! ) He told me to come over to him then he said "What are you doing in Ghana?" and I said "For us we are missionaries and are here to share a special message about Jesus Christ!" Then he said "No, you go around deceiving people like a serpent! You're a white serpent! Your father sent you here to deceive people!" then i said "Yes, my Father in Heaven sent me here." then he said "Your father in hell!" So during this conversation my companion was really nervous and was  trying to pull me away because he thought the guy was going to punch me or something :) silly lil guy. Anyways it was good to get my testimony tried and to see that there are challenges everywhere you go! 

Another fun thing was that one morning we just found a dove in our apartment... We think it fell through the roof somewhere. So we got to take some pictures of it as well as set it free. I'll send the pictures after the email. 

This week was just full of adventures!  This week I was able to eat some wait for it... Snail! There are these little snails that people put in their soup that you can eat! They are just little spiral shells that you pick up out of the soup then you slurp them out! My companion didn't eat them but I just wanted to be able to say that I ate snail. They tasted just like sea food like clams! 

Anyways this week wasn't boring at all! Lot's of fun things happened :) But I also felt really nostalgic this week, I don't know why but I thought a lot about Mr.Madison, Choir, Movies and other things. But It wasn't so bad. Sometimes I just love to think about things that have happened. Ever since I got that Christmas decoration package I have been singing Christmas songs! (Even though it's November). Once I was riding my bike under the hot sun on a sandy road singing "hoop de do and dickery dock, don't forget to hang up your sock, because just exactly at twelve o'clock he'll be comin down the chimney down!" which didn't fit the scenery at all but made me laugh :) If i want to fit the scenery more i'll sing Mary's Boy Child. ;) 

Since it's Thanksgiving I really want to make a nice meal! I'll try to get some chicken and potatoes. Maybe I will be able to make cabbage salad! We'll see :) but yes I want to be as festive on my mission as possible! 

This week I was just bogged down sometimes with things I can't control or don't understand. I really felt this week that God wants me to know that he is in control and that my "afflictions will be for [my] gain." I also saw a quote from president Monson that said "It is often in the hardest times where we learn the most." and I know that is so true! If there weren't hard times we couldn't know the good ones! I know that God loves and cares about us so much and that he wants us to know that he is in control and that he is there just waiting for us to be patient. I know that this church is true and that this is where I need to be. I hope that God can work through each one of us everyday to bring about part of his will and purpose for his children. I love you all and am so grateful for you! Have a great Thanksgiving and always give thanks to God! 

 

Rama got baptized-she's in the blue dress

Love Elder Ballard.

 

zone activity

Feeling obolo

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your emails, love, kindness, and joy towards me! It is so weird that it is November! I remember like yesterday that it was August! The weather here is always the same so maybe that is why :) It's fun to talk to Africans about snow! I just try to explain that it's "fluffy ice that falls on the ground." ha ha. 

This week was cool! My companion is very good at his bike now! I was really worried from last week with hitting the old lady and what not. But he's really getting the hang of it. Although, yesterday he fell in the gutter with his bike, it was even his birthday! But It all happens to us at least once and we had a good attitude. When it happened he was even smiling! Those who knew me when I was home (Which is hopefully all of you) know that I don't really get angry... I most often just get sad if something is wrong or I just move on haha. So when I saw that half of his leg was in sewage I just said. "Welp, let's go home and change." and so we went back and everything was fine afterwards. At church we had a new investigator come which was really exciting! We also are having another baptism next week! Her name is Ramma and she's 15 so she reminds me of Shandee! So after church we went to Mama Mensie's, (who i'll send a picture of in a separate email) who is the sweet old lady who always feeds us. She gave us a bowl of fu fu the size of my head. Then when we were finished she added more! Then we finished and she said to me "Drink the soup!" so then i really felt like I was going to die. After that we went and visited Kwame. On the way we saw another recent convert so we said he should come. When we came he said "hey, I made rice for you!" At this point I almost I almost fainted. It was such a blessing to have the other recent convert there to help us eat. Afterwards I felt Obolo (fat). But It was a great memory. I remember that I didn't eat anything else that night. 

This week I had the opportunity to finish the Book of Mormon for the second time! I have prayed about it and I know for a fact that it is true! Being a missionary, I have finally seen how vital the Book of Mormon is to our salvation! It helps us know about the Restoration, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Plan of Salvation! The Book of Mormon truly is another witness that Jesus is the Christ and that God loves us! This week I went on an exchange with Elder Conduanne because our companions were both sick. When we were proselyting we came across a family sitting on the side of the road. When we were introducing ourselves and talking about what we believe they asked us some other questions where we said to ourselves "Fetch, these are Jehovah's Witnesses." I don't know if Aust and Redge ever ran into any of these guys but I think they came about just to make missionary work more of a challenge. But don't get me wrong, they are very devoted, and nice people. They are just a little confused. So everything for them stems off of the Fall of Adam and Eve. They think it was a horrible mistake and that we would all be in the garden right now. So it really tested our testimonies to tell them what we knew to be true. They also believe when we die that is the end, unless your one of the chosen people who will be resurrected. Anyways I'm not bashing on their belief or anything like that, all I am doing is saying that I am so grateful for the knowledge we have and the truth that we have and enjoy! I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon in my life and I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet! I invite all men and women everywhere to read, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon. If they do these things with a sincere heart and real intent God will give you a witness of it's truthfulness! I know these things are true! One lesson this week was very special to me, we taught a man named Ben who is a youth leader in his church. We talked more about the Plan of Salvation especially about Adam and Eve. Last week we had a similar lesson but it was more of a bash. This time we really tried to listen and be calm. As we taught, we really tried to explain to him the big picture about the fall and why it was important. When the lesson was done, I forgot everything that I said, and I knew that the spirit was there. Sometimes as people we rely on our own knowledge to much. We need to give ourselves up so that God can work through us. I know that Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy. I also want to testify again that the Book of Mormon is true and that I cannot deny it.

Culture Corner:

Women tie their babies to their backs with a thin blanket. I love African children so much. 

I love you all and I feel your prayers! Thanks for all of your support! Just know I am doing fine and am praying for you! 

Love, Elder Ballard

These are Mama Mensie's grandchildren The light little girl is probably the cutest little girl I have ever seen in Africa :) 

My companion finally can ride a bike!  He has shown me that you can learn anything at all if you put effort and interest into it! 

Na. She's so adorable!

Ramma, who will be baptized this week!

Mama Mensie is like our mission grandma! She cooks for us every Sunday and is so sweet! 

This is our apartment! Elder Obiarinze from Nigeria (the light short one.) Elder Conduanne from Mozambique (Dark buff one.) Elder Tawodzera from Zimbabwe (Short dark one) and Me (yeah) So each of us have different accents to understand! I love our apartment so much! 

Have a great week!

Hot Banku!

Well hello!

Hello everyone! :D Sunday marked me at 4 months which is crazy talk! It's just crazy how fast weeks go here! This week was pretty good. I learned a lot like last week, and I also did some cool Ghana activities!

This week we finally tried riding bikes. Elder Tawodzera is doing great! He just is riding slow and is a little nervous about cars. (Which reminds me of me back in the day ;) So on Wednesday we were riding far to get to our chapel. On the way Elder Tawodzera hit a parked taxi, and an old woman. But the taxi guy was super nice and hilarious; he told him "You are a Christian, and you're afraid of death?!" so that made me laugh. He also said things like "This is a part of life!" and other encouraging things like that. Elder Tawodzera only hit the old lady's cane so she was fine with it. If we were in any other country he would have been toast. But the people of Ghana are seriously the nicest people I have ever seen. I have only been insulted once or twice in my whole mission. I just have come to love them so much! Something that will be really awkward for me when I get back is when I will just greet everyone I see. Here you have to greet or people will get mad and call you back and say "why didn't you greet me? Am I not your friend?" and other things like that :) So when I will be back people will think I’m a weirdo cause I will just say. "Good afternoon!" all the time. Anyways here are some fun things I experienced this week:

 I saw my first cockroach, which was running at me. So I flipped out until Elder Obiarinze the Nigerian elder kicked it across the room and out the door. I felt kinda dumb but it was fun.

I drank water from a coconut then ate the flesh inside! It was pretty interesting but good! There is usually just a guy with a wheel barrow full of them and a machete who goes around to people who want to buy them. I made the best smoothie I’ve ever had in my whole life! It had bananas, pine apple, then I added strawberry milk mix and sugar! It was the best thing ever :D Like I said before, you can't beat the pineapple here! I received the family package with the replacement ipod and spices! I am so glad I have spices and bacon again! (The other package got moldy...) I even got to make mac and cheese which made me so happy! One member gave me Banku and Pepe, which is like the hottest food in Ghana apparently. I finished the whole thing and felt really proud! (the picture is attached.). Banku and Pepe is that fermented dough I was talking about, then you dip it in basically really hot salsa and fish. Then you swallow it! :D It was actually pretty good! My lips were on fire. I just love how much of an adventure I am having!

As for the homosexual baptism thing, I haven't heard anything about it. In Ghana having a homosexual relationship is illegal  In tree they call it "Soupe soupe" which is pretty funny. So whenever we teach someone about chastity they always laugh when we mention those things. Sometimes they say "Well what about your country? It's legal!' so that's kinda dumb.

But on the spiritual side of things. This week was pretty hard with finding and appointments falling through. But I think the Lord is really teaching us patience. I also learned that God doesn't want us to be frustrated. We just have to move forward and deal with it. There are some things we can't control and so we need to be patient. I'm also just learning so much as a trainer! I get to help someone understand and adjust to missionary work. It isn't an easy task, especially when your trainee is four years older than you. :) But I just helped him understand that God qualifies who he calls and so on :) I know that God loves us so much and that he wants the best for us! I am so grateful for this opportunity to be able to help others come unto Christ. Something special happens to you when you study your scriptures everyday, and give all of your time and efforts to the Lord. I am just so glad to be able to be here! I can't believe that I have been out four months already! By Christmas I will be six months! It's just crazy. I am so grateful for all of you and your support towards me. I really do feel your prayers for me, I know that God will bless you for everything you do to help missionaries.

I know that this church is true and that God speaks to his prophets. This Gospel is so amazing and pure. Following the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to be truly happy! I know this is true!

Thanks for all of your emails and support! I love you and hope you have a great week!

-Elder Ballard

Pictures: Ghana Landscape & Banku and Pepe

Patience

Hello Everyone!!!

Thank you all for your loving emails and insights! They helped me so much!

This week was super crazy, stressful, and amazing!

At the first of the week we went to help with the eye clinic thing in Accra which was good service. Me and my district leader Elder Obiarinze just sat at the front gate and told people to go home if they didn't have the right form for two hours. But it was pretty fun! I love doing service no matter what it is! I can't believe it is already November! What the wacca? I hear it is getting cold there? Well here it is getting into the warmer season! I keep thinking about Christmas and how it is going to be so different compared to my past ones! I thought of Heat Miser on "A Year Without a Santa Clause" saying "I'm mister green Christmas, I'm mister Sun." and so that's what I’m going to get! You think of the most random things when you are on your mission.

 Anyways on Wednesday we were surprised to find out that we could go see a devotional by Elder Bednar in Accra! It was such a great experience! He is such an hilarious apostle and it was sweet to see him walk around the podium and stuff! We even got to bring 2 recent converts with us which was great! That night was already great, but what made it better was that I got to see Elder Bennett Roberts!!! (picture attached) I was so lucky that we found each other and got to snap a picture and talk for a couple minutes! I felt like I was in shock! It was like a piece of home just came out of nowhere and I didn't know what to do! His skin changed, his hair changed, and even his voice changed! But it was so good to see him and to know that lots of my friends are doing what I am doing right now :D It doesn't get better than seeing an apostle and one of your good friends in the same night!

Anyways, this week was also really stressful, a lot of our appointments fell through, and because of going to Accra so much we didn't have as much time as we usually do to proselyte. So I was feeling lots of stress, and felt like I wasn't working as hard as I could. Not a single one of our investigators came to church either. I also just felt stressed about my future! People were talking about What they are going to become when they get home and other things! But as I studied my scriptures I came across a verse that changed my whole view on things. Words of Mormon 1:7 "...And now I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore he worketh in me to do according to his will." This scripture helped me a lot to know that God knows what will happen. It also taught me that all I need to do is do my part and try to accomplish his will. I now know that as long as I try my best and work as hard as I can that God will be glad. I know that if we trust in God that we will be directed! Something else I noticed that you have to learn on your mission or in life is patience. If you can be patient with everyone and everything that happens than everything will work out so much better for you, you will have no stress. But being patient doesn't mean to ignore everything around you. I was a pro at ignoring at home when I was annoyed by someone. Let’s say for example, Teagan and Brig were fighting over who would be able to help Mom wash dishes. (This is just an example) I was good at just waiting for it to stop and let Mom deal with it. But If I was patient, then I would have done something about It but I would still be willing to let them learn and grow. I'm sure since I’ve been gone they have been getting along very well :D

But I also know that being patient is so vital for us to not be stressed or mad at someone. If we are patient we can't hold a grudge, or really get angry! I invite everyone to try being a little more patient. If you wait a little bit, everything will work out! When we die we don't go straight to heaven! We have to wait In the spirit world where we prepare and learn more! It applies to everything we do, and I can promise that If we do that, we will be more happy and less stressed!

It was weird on Saturday to see that it was Halloween! I was like "It's way too hot to be Halloween!" We had a Fufu party with the other Elders who were Americans so I got to tell them "happy Halloween" I dressed up as a zone leader which was fun! I even got some caramels to be festive! (Picture attached) Well done on your pumpkins Shand and Redge! Good heck they're sweet! Same with everyone's costumes!

Culture Corner:

When you are waiting for a tro tro there is a guy who is hanging out the window shouting where it is going to. They even have different hand signals for different places so if you don't hear them you can still see their hand and know where to go! So a recent convert taught me the signals so that'll be fun :) 

I love you family and friends! Thanks for everything! I can't believe next week I’ll be four months! :O I hope you all have a great week!

Fu fu party on Halloween!

-Elder Ballard