Kpong Zone Conference

Hey everyone!!!

Thanks for all of your wonderful emails and love! This week was really cool! It went by like a blur as usual so I'll try and remember what happened. :)

So first off all of our baptisms were postponed to this week because we want the recent convert David to baptize Samuel along with his twins and his own daughter so hopefully it will work out! :D

Also sorry that I didn't email Yesterday, we went to a zone conference at Kpong which was really cool! There were mountains and trees everywhere! We did different skits and our district's was David and Goliath, so my companion was David and Elder Palu (The big Tongan Elder) was Goliath. Then I played the piano as Elder Winborg narrated it, I played the Skyrim theme along with some Zelda stuff so that was cool. :)

Another thing that was cool was that we got to watch Freetown with our branch! So that was really cool! Everything in that movie is exactly how Ghana is! So I'm excited to watch it again at home so I can show you specific things of how Ghana is! It was a cool movie, then again any movie is good when your a missionary since you haven't seen any for a long time :D But it was sweet to watch it while I was in Ghana. Also for the occasion I bought pretzels from the American store which was amazing! Man I miss those things so fetching bad! Also on the way to the movie we saw that  the baptist church was practicing with their orchestra outside the American store. As they were attempting to play music, these two kids came up and gave us two cards that said "three truths a Jehovah Witness should know." We were like "Fetch we aren't Jay Dubs...We already know that their off." then as we were walking the kids came up again and gave us "Three truths a Mormon should know." So then we weren't too offended, until we read what was inside haha. The first "truth" was that the Trinity was apparently right. The second was that we cannot progress to Godhood. The third was that we need to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation... Wait what?? I was so offended! These people don't even know we are Christian!!! I was so mad at Satan for deceiving them! Everything in this church is centered on Christ! I even lost sleep over that stupid card. I was just so sad that people think we aren't Christians. They also gave the classic view that you can't add to the bible and that God stopped giving people scripture... Silly Ducklings bless their hearts.  But Elder Holland gives those two amazing talks on the God head as well as continuing revelation which are so amazing. I think they are called "My words never cease." and "And Jesus Christ Whom Thou Hast Sent." So look those up and listen to them if you want to know the truth about those things :) 

I'm so grateful that the truth is back on the earth and that we have prophets and apostles today. It is such a blessing! God really leads this church! If he didn't there wouldn't be this much order, we wouldn't have the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, or anything like that! There would be no temples, no priesthood, no callings, no plan of salvation, and no way back to heaven. All we would have is the Bible. That's all other churches have. So anyways, I know that we are in the true church and that God is with us and that as members of this church, we are representing Jesus Christ, as long as we are righteous. :)

Banku and Peppe

Anyways about food. I ate Banku and Peppe (Pepper/Salsa) this week and really enjoyed it for the first time! So they give you banku, then they fry fish in oil which is how I ate it at home every time Teag caught one. Then they grind peppers with tomatoes into a pasty substance like salsa into a bowl. Then they chop tomatoes and onions and set them there. Then you take your banku and take a piece off it and dip it in the salsa and swallow it whole! Since I'm so used to the spiciness of the food now it doesn't even phase me! At home I would have died! An Elder shared some  Flaming hot Cheetos with me and they taste sweet to me now which made me laugh. But as you are eating, you just take the onions and tomatoes and eat them with it. The onions taste sweet too and make it not burn as bad so it is just and all around good meal :) You just have to have a mint afterwards though because your breath could kill somebody if you're not careful ;)

Thanks again everyone for your prayers and love this week! I hope all of you will have a great week and that the spirit can be with you! I love this work and gospel so much and I know I am in the right place!

Twi of the week!

Ma Bre (Ma Brey) "I'm Tired."

Me and my comp went over stepping stones
 though a gutter to get to an investigator's house!

Apartment picture, Elder Palu is leaving next week and we'll miss him!

Birthday Soakings

Hello Everyone!!!

Wow I can't believe my parents are in Europe! You're a continent closer to me now! Woo! :D This week was sweet for many reasons. It was kind of a blur, all these days are just mixing together like a frog in a blender! (Wait, isn't that a snocone flavor?) But I laughed and smiled a lot as well which is always wonderful. Also My brother Tanner's birthday was on Tuesday. Happy Birthday Tan!

It was also my companion's birthday yesterday on Sunday! So we had a blast. On Saturday the other elders made him his favorite Joaloff Rice and Fried Chicken. It was so good! We even had ice cream afterwards! So we had lots of fun. Then on Sunday members fed us Fufu with light soup and chicken which is his only other favorite food here. Then after that we were invited by another member who is infamus, Infamous? Infamous for feeding you till you pop. He not just famous, he's infamous. So he came out with a plate of bread slices for each companionship, then he came out with a bowl of beans for each person. It was really good beans with really good stew mixed in it as well as something called garry that makes it thicker and crunchy. The problem was that every time you almost finish the bowl he comes by with another small bowl and pours it on your bowl... So just imagine eating a loaf of bread and a bowl and a big bowl and a half of re-fried bean kind of... That's what I did. After that they soaked my companion so bad with water. He was soaked. Afterwards the other members who fed us fufu wanted to get him wet too so we went there as well where they got him good again.  

As for teaching wise, everything is doing great. If everything goes well, we will have 5 baptisms this week! One is our recent convert's daughter. Then someone named Samuel and his twin sons. Then Michael! So we'll be busy this week! But we had one lesson where we brought a member to Eyoko (The Togolese woman) which was a great lesson because the member was able to teach her in her language and hive her own experience. The only way to fully convert someone is if the members help. Like we taught Samuel with our recent convert David and now they are best friends and now David will be able to baptize his daughter as well as his best friend and his boys. I'm so grateful that we get to help these people come unto Christ. I also know that members are the key to conversion and that every member should be a missionary :) I know this is Christ's gospel and that we are so privileged to have it and to be a part of this great work. I love you all so much and I hope you all have a great week! 

We found a monkey leashed on the back of a truck!
We fed it a mango and banana!

Hump Day!

Hello Everyone!

I've had a hump day shout hurray!!! I want to email you today. One year older and wiser weeee! Happy hump day, to me!

This week was so much better than last week! Everything went way better teaching wise, plus I didn't get sick or anything! So it was a great week!

There's a couple of really amazing people we met this week. We had two families as referrals and they are amazing! One is Samuel who has two sons. He is so humble and understands everything so clearly! Something funny is that we asked him what date would be good for his baptism and he said totally serious: "Well, are you around Saturday?" So me and my companion had a good laugh about that and wish that's how it worked. Then we got humbled the crud out of us when we taught another guy named Promise. His wife just passed away and he has a 9 year old, a 2 and a half year old, and a baby who is just three months old. So It was such a blessing to teach him the plan of salvation and how he could see his wife again. By the end of the lesson he was smiling :) The gospel brings so much happiness to everyone. No matter what situation you are in. 

Anyways, I am so grateful to be a part of this wonderful work and I know that God loves everyone who strives to follow him. At church we had a great service. One member named Sister Arthur gave a great talk on the Sacrament and how important it is for us. It really helped me because sometimes I've taken it for granted. Seeing all the other churches in Ghana made me realize that we are the only Christian church that takes it every week. So it was cool to know that we can renew our covenants not yearly or monthly, but weekly. I know that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. I love studying the atonement because it is so infinite, vast, and sacred! In Preach my Gospel it says "The more you understand the atonement, the more your desire to share the gospel will grow." What a cool promise :D

Me and some member kids, Maybelle and Mary

Anyways as we all know from the re vamped primary song I sang in the beginning, this week was my year mark/ hump day! It was such an interesting experience to think that I've been out that long! It's gone by so fast! But as I look back in my journal (I've still been able to write everyday) I've really seen how much I have changed for the better since I first got here. That mark really showed me how short mission is and how much I need to cherish it and work hard. I just can't believe it. I have also seen how much a mission can change you into the person that God wants you to be. It's even cooler to know that a mission is managed by God and his servants directly. Whereever you are called or whoever your companion is is inspired of God. I am so excited for this next year and know that there are still other things I need to learn and know, and that there are people that God has prepared for me to meet, teach, and help follow him. So I thank Heavenly Father so much for this privilege and honor.

I also celebrated by having mac and cheese with hot dogs!!! Plus I bought a magic malt (That drink we all tried before I came that tastes like raisin bran, It's super good to me now because it has more sugar here.) and Yomi Yogurt which is like real yogurt in a bottle! (picture attached) But it's kind of expensive so that's what we bought. I just remember that that day, everything worked out great. It was just a happy day. So that was a blessing.

Anyways I love you all so much and I am grateful for your emails! Have a great week especially if you are going on a cruise. *Cough Mom and Dad. :) Love you all!

Answers to questions:

I kinda got splashed with water a little bit on my birthday, but not as bad as I have gotten other people :)

So people here love to eat goats and it was a holiday a couple weeks ago so some members wanted us to butcher it for them. Then the next day they gave us Fufu and tomato goat soup :)

Twi of the Week:

By special request from Dad.

Wo Kasa Kokonsa Anah? (Wo-Cassa- Cocon-sah- Anaah?)

"Your speaking gossip or?" So I say this to people when I know they are talking to me in twi :)

Thanks again everyone!

Love,   -Elder Ballard

Mac and cheese and hot dogs! Thanks Mom for sending me the cheese sauce! :D 

Independence Day

America! Sweet...America! God shed his grace on thee--eeee

Hello everyone! Happy Independence Day! It's a really cool year to know that America has been independent for 240 years! We are so blessed to live in the country that we do! Believe me I know ;) Everything is so clean, efficient, secure, reliable, and beautiful. So I hope today you can celebrate knowing that other places aren't as blessed as we are. I know I will. :)

Also I looked on my awesome calendar and saw that on Friday the 8th it said that it was "Hump Day!". I seriously can't believe that I'll be half way done with my mission this week. It has gone by way too fast! I feel like I should know way more than I do! But at the same time I also have seen how far I have come and how much I have been blessed. I have learned and grown so much I can only give the glory to God and thank him for this great experience. Man, I can't believe it... HOOOOOA I'm half way there... WHOAA Livin on a prayer! I'm excited to make the most of this next year since I kind of know more of what I am doing and I already love the people, food, and culture like the dickens. Anyways here's too the first year and on to the next!

This week was actually kind of tough for us, whenever we have a baptism the next week the devil wants us to be discouraged and stuff. But we beat him this time. It was also a Ghanaian holiday called Republic Day which was the day that Ghana became a republic like 56 years ago or so. So lots of our investigators traveled this week. But we still went out and did the best we could! We also killed a goat, and pounded fufu for service this week!

The biggest blessing of the week though was Sunday. We were able to fast and go to church. The testimonies this month were really really powerful and it was just such a blessing to hear these wonderful people bear their testimonies about going through hard times and about how the church helped them. We also had a great investigator class about the Atonement. One of our great investigators named Michael came and is super ready to be baptized. He is the only person in Ghana that I have seen that has gone to the website and contacted them to send missionaries to his location. He will be baptized in two weeks. Anyways during church I felt the spirit exactly as I felt it at home and it really reminded me that the church is the same everywhere you go, the same spirit of truth is there. It is such a blessing to know that we are in the true church and that Jesus Christ is the head of the church. I know that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

I hope all of you will have a great Independence Day and celebrate with great food and explosives. Today we splurged and went to the Accra Mall and got Pizza Hut! Man it put a bad feeling in the pit of my wallet, but it sure put a smile on my face :) I also taped an American flag on the outside of our apartment since all of us living there are American! May God bless America. As long as it is obedient to his commands :"D I love you all and hope you have a wonderful day!

Twi of the week:

since we eat a lot on the 4th of July...

Bra Edidi (Brah-Eh-Dee-dee)

" Come and eat"

Love you all and have a great week!

-Elder Ballard

 Exchanges with my MTC mate Elder Bodily, where we went to the Ashaiman Dam. He's a cool guy and we were able to talk about being a year old and stuff :)

Michael