Overachieving

Hey Everyone!!!

This week was one of those weeks where you teach a lesson, look at your watch and realize you’re emailing again. I would love to dedicate this letter to my wonderful Mother Wendi. Because it was her birthday and she is now... Thirty three years old!! I can't even put into words of how much love and respect I have for Mom. I think if anyone goes on a mission they really see how much their Mother has done for them. I loved the quote of Elder Holland that said "No other love comes closer to the pure love of Christ than that of a Mother to her child." I am truly what I am today because of my Mom. I could write a whole letter about Mom but Mother's Day is also coming up and so I'll save the rest for then!

This week was awesome! We worked our tails off and it was literally "Hotter than a Banshee on the 4th of July" and this time I mean it! I have never seen so much sweat in my life. But it was such a satisfying week. At the beginning of the week we were just focusing on the members and stuff. But on Friday we got a call from the ZLs that we need to get five new investigators by Sunday. At the time we had one. A new investigator is someone new who lets you have a lesson with them. So you either have to get referrals from members or go out and talk to random people. So we did both! In the end we got two referrals, and finally got to teach a whole family! Which was a first time experience for me and it was so fun. So by Sunday we had eleven investigators; which means we overachieved our goal. This week I really learned that if we set realistic goals, we will be able to achieve them, as long as we have a strong motivation. It felt so satisfying to overachieve our goal and I know that If you put the Lord first that he will help you achieve our goals in life. No matter if it is spiritual, physical, or educational. I know these things are true. I know that we have the true gospel and that following Christ is the only way to be happy. I love you all so much and I hope you all have a great week!

Side topics:

It was also fun to have a new companion Elder Howland. He is a really hard worker and is a great guy. (picture attached.)

We also got to go to the Accra mall today! We ate chicken sandwiches and even had piece of Chocolate cake! My body is really not used to sugar or meat at all but it was still so good! The cake was the hardest thing to eat though, my body could barely hack the sugar! It will be an interesting experience when I come home! :D

Here's a picture of me fanning charcoal to cook soup!

Thanks again everyone!

Love, Elder Ballard

Fanning the charcoal to make soup!

New companion Elder Howland

clouds

sunset

Another Change!

Hello Everyone!!!

I hope that everyone had a decent week! Sometimes it's rough but just know that it always gets better! That's coming from someone who hand washes his clothes! :D This week was super duper surprising!

On Wednesday me and Elder Burns went out to a members place where he received a call from the mission office to be transferred within the next three hours. :O whoa! So we hurried and biked around where he could say goodbye to all the members who he knew for his first 7 months. So that evening I got my new companion who is Elder Howland. He's a pretty cool kid! He's been out for like 5 months. He was transferred from an area in the mountains that was like a paradise, so it was hard for him to adjust to city life (biking, heat, tons of people.) but he did really well. He is also is a picky eater bless his heart. So I’m excited to work with him and be in this area with him for a long time. He can also speak Twi pretty well so I might be able to learn more!

Something also which is sweet is that his family sent him and IPod touch without knowing it wasn't allowed so president let him use it! So I'll be able to facetime with all of you on Mother’s Day!!! Woot! I'm so excited for that!

This week was a crazy one but at the same time nothing happened. But there is something I learned that I can share.

This week I really learned that God is in control. I've only been in this area for three weeks and now I am leading it! So it's kind of fun because it's like we are exploring a whole new place every day. But at the same time I was kinda scared that I wasn't capable for it. But as we went out and taught I knew that God qualifies who he calls and that he is always in control, all we have to do is our part. I know that God loves us and that he wants us to be happy. That's why he gives us families and friends. That's why he gives us scriptures, temples, the gospel, the Holy Ghost, and most importantly that's why he gave us the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know these things are true. I know that things aren't easy, but I know that with God anything is possible. Keep doing great things and have a wonderful week!

-Elder Ballard

Pictures: Me saying bye to Elder Burns and Me in the Official Town Ashaiman Area.

Nothing Good Comes Easy

Hello everyone!!! Effwan? (How are you in Ewe)

Holy Doritos! (Maybe even the cool ranch kind!) Thanks so much for all of your emails! I think today was the record for the most emails I've received! I can't express how much it means to me to get them! My heart is indeed full of gratitude and I thank you! :D Fetch, last week was my 9 month mark... Wha? Man time is flying like a bird being struck by lightning! I am just enjoying life and am feeling God's love for me more and more everyday! There is nothing else like being a full time missionary!

This week was pretty interesting! I can't even remember all of it though. I can't tell if it was long or short so we'll just play it by ear. Mission life kinda blends together like a cup of Mom's famous Orange Julius. (My mouth watered when I typed that...) Anyways we had a productive week! We are still focusing on visiting members who we don't know so that we can serve them and teach them too! Something I love about my companion is that he always serves physically as well. Ghanians don't really like people to help them especially when you are well dressed and white. So when they deny our help we just sit down and do it anyway. People here are so outgoing and hilarious, so when they get in your face you just have to get in their face back. For example. After a lesson we stood up and were going to put up the chairs that we sat on. But the lady was saying "No no let me do it!" but we just kinda ran away with our chairs and put them up. :) So you can see how fun missionary work can be in Ghana! Hopefully we'll have more great teaching opportunities this week and more people to progress to baptism.

Also sorry for not emailing yesterday! We had a zone activity in a far away place called Korforidua. Man it was so beautiful! There are actual trees and mountains there! They call areas like that "The Bush." but I've just been in city so far so we'll see what happens as time goes on. On the way there I saw another sticker on a tro tro. Maybe I'll share one every week since there's so many cars here. Some of them are really funny, one said "Oh Mama!" so I thought of that one time in Florida when we were eating at chick fillet and Tanner had a hot chicken sandwich, so right when he ate it he yelled "Hot Mama!" But the only awkward thing was that there was like a fifty five year old lady walking out the door behind him at the same time of the incident. Man good times. Anyways sorry I'm a little off topic this week.

The sticker said something really profound. It said "Nothing Good Comes Easy." and I just sat and thought about how true that is. Serving a mission isn't easy, having a good marriage isn't easy, accepting a calling isn't easy, obeying the commandments isn't easy, So many things! On the other hand every thing bad IS easy. It's easy to break the word of wisdom, it's easy to get a divorce, it's easy to have an abortion etc. But in the long run, the consequences of doing hard things makes things easier but the consequences of doing easy things makes things harder. Just like building a building is harder than destroying one. So we all go through hard times, but just remember that saying: "Nothing good comes easy." Another thing to know is that when we are going through hard things we are not alone. We have brothers and sisters, parents, teachers, but most importantly we have the Savior and our Father in Heaven. They can help us make things less hard and can help us be better at the same time! So keep doing those basic things: Pray, Study the Scriptures, Have Family Prayer/Evening, and attend Church and the Temple. I know that if we do these things that the Lord will fulfill his promise when he said. "I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." (Mosiah 24:14) I too can add my testimony that The Lord will visit us in our afflictions. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

I love you everyone! Thanks so much for all of your wonderful emails! Have a great week!

The Cat Jaw Bones (see last week's email)

-Elder Ballard 

Conference

Hello Everyone!!!

Man it felt like I emailed you two hours ago! Last week was the longest then this week was the shortest! Thanks for your emails! I wanted to say Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Thanks for being the best parents I could have and for all of your support and love! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. Thanks for the testimony that you helped me receive and for all the things you have sacrificed for your kids! We are all so grateful!

I'm glad everything is doing fine! Everything is doing great in Official Town! Sometimes I sing "Won't you take me to, Official Toowwwn." Everything has been sweet though. This week we focused on getting to know members and teaching them as well as recent converts. Something I learned from my last area is that if you baptize someone with just you and your companion, then when you go on transfer they will also go on transfer. So the best thing in the world to do as a missionary is work with members. Plus you get to make really good friends along the way! So in the long run missionary works becomes way more fun! Good heavens I love this people.

I'm already getting used to the area which is good, and I'm remembering people's names which is also good. Something sweet in this area is the American Store! There's a store with peanut butter, ketchup, and even Fries!!! So I have been enjoying that a lot. It has been a long time since I've tasted a potato so that was a great experience.

I was able to attend the first Saturday session of conference! It was so great! I wanted to see the other sessions but we just didn't have time! But my favorite talk in that session was Elder Stevenson's talking about priesthood keys! That is something that we really have to get people to understand here because there are so many churches here! Plus it was so fun to hear how that one Elder Talked about he went with Elder Bednar to Africa because I was there when they visited Ghana! Plus it was also a tender moment to sing the congregational hymn because I knew my family was on the other side of the world singing the same words of "Secret Prayer." Also when the choir sang Come Thou Fount I thought of choir and all the great experiences I had there. So conference was a wonderful experience! I was glad I was able to see at least a little bit. I know that we have authorized leaders today and that we are all directed by divine authority. I know that God loves us and continues to watch over us! I am so grateful for all the blessings he has given me. I know that I am where God needs me to be at this time. Over the past couple of Months lots of missionaries have been coming home due to illness or other reasons. I just feel bad that some missionaries don't realize what opportunities they have and that this time won't be like any other in their life! So I am so grateful to have that desire to serve and that I'm healthy! I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior! I know families were meant to be eternal!

-Elder Ballard

Sorry the network is bad so it won't let me send pictures :( '

Love you!