Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful week! This
past week was kinda stressful but it was such a great week! There were so many
blessings and great things that happened.
First off I had an amazing birthday! I was really scared
because all the missionaries here say they aren't fun, but I really found out
that it is what you make it! On Tuesday I opened my presents that came from
home and I got three fetching awesome ties, a speaker, corn nuts, balloons,
toffee, and pop tarts of which I ate for breakfast that morning (Man it was so
good.) Then we went to District Council at the chapel and President and Sister
Heid came which was a surprise. They wanted our whole district to bear our
testimonies which was pretty tender. (Don't worry I didn't cry.) Then at the
end Sister Heid came and talked about how when she looked out at all the empty
chairs in the sacrament hall we were in, she couldn't help but think that our
ancestors and our loved ones in the spirit world were here to witness our
testimonies. So that was where things were really tender and special to me
because I could only imagine Carver, Grandpa and Grandpa Ballard, Grandma
Searle being there to support me. It also helped me realize that our loved ones
are always around us helping us out and protecting us. I love the Plan of
Salvation so much.
Then on Wednesday we were able
to bake my birthday cake!!! It was so good! It was super sweet and super
expensive but it really made my birthday a memorable one because the only cake
in this country is basically corn bread. So it was a real treat to have that.
My companion was the one who made is so great and I was so grateful for him. He
even sang happy birthday to me with the cake and we were able to cook it at a
members house and everything. I won't ever forget that birthday, It will be
exciting to say "This is on my birthday in Ghana!" Anyways To top the
week off, we had two BAPTISMS! One of them is a 9 year old named Theopholus who
has an older sister in the church. The other is David a 28 year old who has a
cool story. I haven't really talked about him much because I didn't know he
would progress so fast! But we were just teaching a 17 year old boy outside a
members house. Then he heard us and sat down and listened. At the end of the
lesson he had tons of questions about other churches (like about if speaking in
crazy tongues is okay, or if pastors should be paid and stuff). That was a
really cool experience because we were able to answer all his questions with
the bible. It's such an amazing experience to have the spirit work through you.
Scriptures that I studied before came into my mind after each question. So it
was a fulfillment of the scripture that says that the words of what we will
need to say will come as soon as we need them. So it really was a testimony to
me that 1. God prepares people to receive us 2. God works through his servants,
and 3. We need to obtain his word before we can declare it. As we met with him
more, he came to Stake Conference at the Saturday Session which really
surprised us along with that young boy we taught in his compound. Then he came
to church once. Then this week was the third time, and he was baptized. I was
able to baptize both which is always a wonderful experience. After the baptism
he was invited to bear his testimony and as he bore it he tried to say the name
of the Church but he couldn't remember it! It was kinda funny but cool at the
same time. That he hasn't even come to church enough to even know the church's
name, but that he knew that it was true. I am so grateful that I am able to be
a part of this work. I know that this work is real and that it is of God.
Without God this work wouldn't happen. I love this gospel so much.
This last paragraph is off topic but I just wanted to share
it.
Last of all, today we went to
the Accra Mall again, and we went to a place like Winco and when me and my
companion were walking we heard two American talking super fast and so me and
my companion looked at each other and were like "What is that?" then
we saw them and my companion said "How are you?" But he said it super
slow like a Ghanian says it. Then she replied with a super fast
"Good!" After that me and Elder Howland just felt so uncomfortable
and we didn't know what to do with ourselves. It was just so funny that we
don't ever see white girls, and that we don't talk like Americans anymore. Man
it will be a huge culture shock to go home. Anyways that was a great
experience. I love Ghana so much and I'm so happy to be here! I love all of you
and I am so grateful for all your emails! Keep doing your best and everything
will pull off in the end! Love you all!
-Elder Ballard
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| Baptisms David & Theopholus! |
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| The Lada family on my birthday |
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