Public Dove Toilets

Hello Everyone!!! 

Thanks for the couple of emails! They mean more than cheddar cheese to me! (Which is saying a lot especially while being in West Africa.) This week was as Dad always says. "Hotter than a fire cracker on the Fourth of July." Man the sun embraced us so much this week! People say February is one of the hottest months here! But thank goodness that there is chilled water everywhere and that we don't have to wear suits! I'm pretty sure if we did we'd get cooked.

Anyways, this week went by way fast as does every week, but we were able to find and talk to lots of people! We met this one guy named Evans and he was super interested in the gospel. I haven't ever seen anyone who has understood the apostasy and the restoration so well. When we were done teaching about the apostasy, he said "Well how was the church restored? Can you please tell me? I really want to find the true church!" So without hesitation we taught him about Joseph Smith. As we read the first vision he kept saying "Wow, wow." So we are really excited about him and hope to see him progress. We also taught a couple of teenage guys named Jacob and Daniel. We gave a Plan of Salvation pamphlet to Daniel, but found out that Jacob read it and was super interested about it! So we're excited about following up with them. We are just trying to be patient with our other investigators and help them chose for themselves to accept the gospel. Just as God had to wait for Adam and Eve to choose to partake the fruit. I just love missionary work so much. 

We also went out again with Johanna and saw a family who's Mom couldn't speak English which was interesting. But every time I meet a new person from Ghana I just love the people more! The children were able to translate to the Mom and help here out. She said some funny things, like when I said I was from America she said in Ga "Hey my brother lives there! Do you know him?" So that was hilarious :) People here are just so funny, loving and great. This was a great week where we worked hard and found new people. It just feels great to work hard and know that your helping God's work go forward. 

The new Missionary in our apartment's named Elder Nybo he's from Utah which was weird because I've been with all Africans for 4 months. He's a really chill guy and hasn't been home sick at all which is impressive. It's really fun to make friends all the time and meet new people. 

I just want you all to know that this gospel is true and that it is the only way that we can become happy. I know that the Plan of Salvation is real. I know that God knows and loves us so much. I know that each one of us is a child of God no matter what color or back ground, he loves us all the same. We have so many things to be grateful for. I know that I am in the right place and that if we all pray to know how we can become better, God will answer us and help us know where we need to be and what we need to do. Jesus Christ really did pay for every single bad thing that hits us in this life. I know that these things are true, just keep doing what you know to be right and everything will work out if you trust in God! I love you all so much and I'm excited to continue to work hard! 

-Elder Ballard

P.S. here are some funny things that happened this week.

Me and my companion saw a hardware store and wanted to get a nail so I could hang up my amazing calendar my family gave me. So when we went up to the guy, my companion said "How many nails for I cedi?" and the guy said "well for us we don't count them...but weigh them." so that was funny to think about someone counting out fifty nails one by one to give to someone :D Then we asked him for a single nail, and he snickered and just handed us one. 

Then one lesson we were teaching two ladies under a tree. But we soon found out that this wasn't an ordinary tree, but was a public toilet for all the doves in the area. So as my companion was trying to explain the atonement, there was a little drizzle of "chocolate syrup." that hit his shoulder, then after a short time later another one hit the other side of his shirt. By the end of the lesson he moved his seat away. At the end of the lesson we invited one of the sisters to pray. As she was praying I suddenly felt a something hit me square in the neck. So I was grateful my shirt was okay. So next time we teach there we'll try to do it somewhere else :) 

The final experience is about that old man who we've been trying to baptize for four months. He now says he wants to get baptized on Easter... Silly man. Anyways after church we saw him checking the list for his home teaching partner. So we laughed pretty hard at that. 

Anyways I love you all so much and hope you have a great week! The picture is of us with Solomon (a recent convert that my trainer baptized,) and Johanna (The member who has been working with us a lot.) 

Until Next Week!