Christmas!

Hello Everyone! 

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! I know I did! :) 

Man it was so nice to talk to you family! It's just nice to hear voices you haven't heard forever. :) I'm glad that I never have to wait 7 months to call you guys ever again haha. 

This week was good though! It was fun to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. The usual response is "same to you!" On Christmas we had 4 families invite us over to eat. So we we're really scared. So we packed along tons of plastic bags. But luckily we didn't have to pack any! It was all just rice. So on Christmas I ate rice, rice, and rice! It's cool how you can still feel the spirit of Christmas no matter where you are! It was just weird to wear shorts! Church was fun too even though it was one hour. After it was finished everyone just waited for another hour for their rides to come. So we took lots of pictures :) 

Next week we're having a end of year party at the church so that'll be sweet! My area last year didn't have one. So it will be cool to enjoy that as my last new year in Ghana.

 In all honesty I don't really have much to say because of the call haha. But I just want to say that family is the most important thing ever and that we all need to follow the example of Jesus Christ. He's the best person to help us in any trial. I also want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I can't believe it will be 2017! I love you all and I am so grateful for your awesome emails and support! 

Love you! -Elder Ballard

And look what Santa put in my invisible stocking! Oh-re-os Ohreeee-os and Root beer!

Christmas Dinner

 Then these are the elders in my apartment. Two Americans, a Nigerian, and a South African. :D

Christmas Thoughts

"Round and round the coconut tree, drinking coconuts with the family. One for you and two for me! Christmas a week away!

Wishin hopin packages to open, but we agree it's right to wait. Fufu and dressing after the blessing and there's just a night to wait! La la la la la la" 🎵🎵

Pacho afishi apa is the thing to saaay on a bright Ghanaian Christmas day... That's the African greeting we will send to you, on a land where palm trees swaaay. Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright. The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night! Pacho afishi apa is a wise waaay. To say Merry Christmas, a very merry very merry Christmas tooo yooou. (Overly loud trumpet solo.)

MERRY CHIRSTMAS CHARLIE! (Kermit's voice)

Man I'm "exceedingly astonished" that Christmas is already this Sunday! It kinda creeps up on you when it's 90 degrees outside ;) I can't believe this is my third out of 4 phone calls home too! The mother’s day one will be like "See you next month..." man that's crazy talk!

I do admit that I have really missed the traditions we have at home. But this year is way easier than last time since It's my last time I'll ever have Christmas in Africa! Our mission president said that this week we need to give Christ a gift by working extra hard this week. So I made that a goal.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love music. Whenever I'm down I always go to the piano or listen to music. One of the biggest reasons I love Christmas so much is the Christmas Music! All these songs bring the Holy Ghost so fast it's remarkable. I absolutely love the song "What shall we give?" by Mac Wilberg and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We sang it in Choir so I know the words pretty well. It also makes an excellent lullaby if you can't sleep ;) (That's by personal experience. Except I think I was exhausted anyways. But you can still try it) I would like to share the lyrics with you to ponder in this Christmas Season:

"What shall we give to the Babe in the manger, what shall we offer the child in the stall? Incense and spices and gold we've a plenty, are these the gifts for the King of us all?

"What shall we give to the boy in the temple, what shall we offer the Man by the sea? Palms at his feet and hosannas uprising, are gifts for Him who will carry the tree.

"What shall we give the Lamb who was offered, rising the third day and shedding his love? Tears for his mercy we'll weep at the manger, bathing the infant come down from above."

Here's a link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNHJCREmhdg

I love that song so much. It made me think of what I would do if I was able to come and see him at the manger. It also reminds me of the Light the World Initiative. What will you give him this Christmas? Will you can share something with someone, even if it's just a smile? will you read your scriptures more faithfully and sincerely? Will you pray to God in gratitude for his sacrifice and love for us? Will you forget yourself and only think about others? Will you forgive someone completely? If we do these things I know we too will "Weep at the manger."

Let us remember Jesus Christ even more this Christmas. Let us love one another. Let us give something spiritually valuable to him this year is my prayer in the name of his mighty name, even Jesus Christ Amen.

I love you all! I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! I'll TALK to you soon family! :D Also sorry for no pictures! Sleep in heavenly peace!

-Elder Keaton Ballard 

Asishi a pa

Have a holly jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year! We both know they're won't be snow. But have a cup of cheer! Have a holly jolly Christmas, and when you walk down the street, test-ify to those you know and everyone you meet. Ho ho the mistletoe hung where you can see. Somebody waits for you. Shake her hand for me!

Hello everyone! Merry Christmas! Or as the Ghanaians say it: Asishi a pa!

This week was Ghana's presidential election. So we had to stay inside for a day just in case :) They also changed their government's political party and president so it's just like US! When they heard that the president they wanted won, they ran around blowing these stupid plastic Moroni trumpets which was super annoying. I was reading my scriptures in the apartment at the time it happened, and it got to the point where I lashed out and yelled "Shut up" to the trumpets not the people. But it's not my country where there's a law against disturbing the peace so what can you do besides rant? Anyways it made things interesting.

This week we were also able to go out with more members! It was super fun! One of them is our branch missionary who is preparing to go on a mission in February! (picture attached, he's in the bow tie.) So it made the work go well. Elder Joseph is a good teacher, he's still just trying to realize that he's in a different country and not in his own :) But we're really having fun and loving the work! Our teaching pool in the area is doing way better now which makes things less stressful. On Saturday we are going to my last mission Christmas conference so we'll have lots of fun there.

On Sunday we sang Silent Night as our opening song and the spirit was so strong! It's so amazing that the whole world can unite at one time of the year and sing that song together in so many languages. It's so wonderful to know that every Christian is focused on Christ. Even nonbelievers are aware of it. I love that Light the World video, it made me so happy. That's what we're trying to do more is just more service. The gospel is so true and I know that Christ was born of the virgin Mary and that he was laid in a manger. I know that because God loves us he sent his son. I am so excited to celebrate his coming in a couple weeks. This gospel is true! If you are following it I know you'll be happy and that you will fell God's love for you!

Thanks again everyone! :D Have a wonderful week!

-Elder Ballard

Service and New Ties

Happy Tuesday Everyone! 

Yesterday we traveled to Accra for my companion's doctor's appointment so I get to email today!

I'm glad that everyone is doing well. It's so ironic that my furnace at my home in America broke so you're all freezing, while I'm trying to cool off with fans here in West Africa! Man I can't wait to be cold again. I can't believe it's almost December and that I have like 7 months left. That means if I was female of the species I would be going home next month! Lucky for me I have more time to enjoy and keep serving! 

This week was a good one! Our mission is focusing on service so that's what we did and some miracles followed! 

The miracle which really amazed me happened with a girl named Mavis. Or her Ghanaian name is Obaa Yaa. She sells purses, bags, and sandals in a shed in the quieter part of the market. We are also teaching her friend Asaneth who sells white shirts (you can probably tell how we met her). So once we were going to see Asaneth but she wasn't there. So we started talking to Mavis who liked how we could speak a little Twi and stuff but would never let us teach her. So we just sat in front of her shop talking to her. Then God gave us the opportunity and caused the sky to start raining. (It came out of no where!) So immediately she said we could come inside the little tin roof shed. As we came in we helped her put in the bags. I was tall enough to grab the bags hanging from the ceiling while my companion put all the flip flops in a bag. Finally when we were all done we sat down with her and just kept talking about which Ghanaian food we like and stuff. Then I knew it was time, and so I looked at my companion and I said "So, Elder Joseph, why do you think there are so many churches today?" and then with a little smile he said "You know companion, It could be caused by a lot of things. I don't really know. Maybe it's because of money, or ... I don't know." Then I turned to Mavis and asked her "What do you think?" and she said she couldn't tell. Then we were able to teach her about the apostasy by acting like I was the one with the question. So by the end I said "Okay thanks so much, It was a question I was thinking about." After that lesson, she acted different. When the rain stopped (right as our lesson was done) she said "Well okay, thank you guys for your support and your message."

We were able to come back a couple days later and teach her and Asaneth together about the Book of Mormon. When we gave Asaneth one she said "Wait, it's for me? For free?" and me and my companion both looked at each other and said "Of course!" and she was so surprised and happy. Then Mavis was checking something in her shop and she heard that we gave Asaneth one so she rushed out and said "Meh Pe Book! Meh pe book!" (I need the book! I need the book!) so thank goodness we had two Books of Mormon with us that day! It was so cool that they accepted it so willingly. We hope that they will be able to visit the church this week.

This experience really showed me how much power service has. Without it Mavis wouldn't even want to talk to us. The cool thing too is that when we gave her the pamphlet she didn't read it. But when we gave her the Book of Mormon she said (I'll use a Ghanaian accent) "For dis one deah (there) I'll read." So I really know that service brings joy to the person who serves and the person served too. I hope we can "light the world" with Christlike service, especially in this wonderful season :) I love you all so much and hope that you will all have a great week! 

Twi of the week:

Afishi Apa! Ah Fee Comentoo yeh! "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Pictures: I got some new ties from a Ghanaian return missionary! We also ate joaloff rice this week! 

Love you all! 

-Elder Ballard 

New Ghanaian ties

Christmas decor

Ghanaian turkeys!

Joaloff rice

My Thanksgiving meal