Eating Cat In a New Area

WOW!

Hello Everyone!!! This was probably the longest week ever because so many things happened! Sorry I didn't email yesterday, all the cafes were down. Thanks for all of your emails too! 

So on Tuesday the zone leaders called and said I would be transferred a day earlier. (So on Wednesday.) So Wednesday morning I headed out for Ashaiman. I took my luggage and my washing machine (ol' bessy.) to the mission home, switched companions, and took a taxi to Ashaiman. My new companion is Elder Burns. He's my first American Companion! He is super awesome and I'm excited to work with him. It seems his other companion was really excited to go home so this area was kinda low. But I'm excited to get things up and running with him. He has been in this area for 7 and a half months so he'll probably be leaving soon ;( but I'm excited to work with him.

 When I got to the new apartment I kinda had a little culture shock again because I didn't know where I was. Then we went to the area with our bikes and I was like "Okay, I know how to do this stuff." Something about Ashaiman is that there are tons of cars and that the streets are narrow , so biking difficulty has increased two notches. But luckily Teshie was intense already so I'll be fine. Plus I know that God protects his missionaries! Ashaiman is pretty poor but there is less sand and the people here are SO nice! Man everyone in the street can just greet and smile at you! Especially members! Like I said in the heading, one member fed us cat meat two nights in a row! It was SO good! The guy seasoned it so well that it tasted like chicken! It just goes between your teeth a little more. The second time I had it I realized that I had the head :O While I was eating I noticed that I was chewing on the jaw bone of a cat! It even had teeth and everything! I'll send a picture in the next email because I was able to save the jaw bones. Anyways. Something about Ashaiman is that there are no people that speak Ga, most people speak Twi or Ewe. I didn't really know Ga much just how to greet and ask people their names and stuff. But it's fun to hear a new local dialect.

The Official Town Branch is very new, it's about 8 months old or so. So when I came they asked if I could play the keyboard for them. I was a little hesitant to play but I knew that it's what I should do. After I played the hymns; the branch president gave some remarks and said that he has been praying that this next transfer would bring someone who can play keyboard so that the branch could know how to sing hymns and so that they could be able to have a choir. When he said that, the spirit witnessed further to me that I really am the right place. There is rarely a sweeter feeling than to know that you were able to help God answer someone's prayer. I am so grateful for the piano lessons I took and for the experience I had in choir so that I can help these wonderful people praise the Lord through music. "For the song of the heart is a prayer unto me." I am so grateful that through these talents God has given me, I am able to more be an instrument in his hands.

As we end this Easter Season I'll just share a small thought. On the way to my new area, there was a windshield sticker that said "the secret to my joy is Jesus." This sticker made me realize a couple things. 1: The people of Ghana are such a christian people 2: That statement is so true. Without the atonement there would be no means to be happy. There would be no means to repent, and most of all there would be no means to have eternal life with our families. I can testify to all of you that Jesus Christ is the only person that could have given us this blessing and that he is the way, the truth and the light. I know this is true, and this is the main reason I am out here. I love you all so much and I am so grateful for your love and support.

PS: Abraham (That drunk old man who we've been teaching for

6 months) finally got baptized on Saturday! I got permission to travel there and preform the baptism! I am so grateful for that experience as well! This week was just full of surprises! I know this gospel is true!

Pics: Abraham's baptism

Me and Elder Burns (Abraham gave me this white African shirt as a gift after his baptism!)

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week!

-Elder Ballard