Good morning brothers and sisters! (the congregation repeats "good
morning!")
I am so much grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me an opportunity
to speak to you this morning. My talked is based on, loving your neighbor.
And that's how a Ghanaian member starts their talks in sacrament
meetings :)
I hope everyone is doing splendid! My week went by pretty fast. It was
weird! But some cool things happened! On Tuesday we did a service project by
helping a member shuck corn (they call it maize) from their farm which was fun!
We also did other little things like sweep or pound fufu. :) Service is always
super fun. Elder Ackley is as cool and chill as a Popsicle so we get along just
fine. Every evening we go and buy an egg sandwich and a sausage-kabab :D Our
diet isn't the most healthy but I did commit to go to the gym with the other
elders this week. Except our mission president wants to give us a new apartment
so we might stay away from Suhum until we find one... So that will be very very
interesting because we'll have to travel on tro tro forever just to get to our
area and church instead of just walking outside and teaching... Sooo we'll see
how that goes. :]
My recent convert from Ashaiman came to church on Sunday which was
awesome! I haven't seen him in months and it's a coincidence that he goes to school
in Suhum. Also another investigator came to church whose name is Joyce (see the
picture) who is really smart. I hope she keeps reading and doing our
assignments. On Saturday we went with elder and sister Hagland to the different
communities around Suhum. Some are villages and really small but beautiful. The
Spirit was really strong as we went there. I just knew that these people are
ready for the gospel. I know the work will move forward as we keep going. I
know it will especially keep going after the apartment situation is settled.
So hopefully this week will be a good one! We were studying about
"Cultivating an attitude of happiness and optimism." by President
Hinckley on Sunday and it was really cool. President Hinckley always said
"Be happy, be believing, keep trying, things will work out." I love
President Hinckley :)
I also remember something my Mom
taught me when I was a teenager (just kidding... I still am one.) I think I was
a teacher or priest at the time. But one day we went to a place and looked at a
beautiful sunset and she said. "Do you see how the clouds in the sky make
the sunset prettier? That's how life is! Trials are hard at the time, but in
the end you look back and see that those trials are the things that made your
life beautiful and as Heavenly Father wanted it to be." So I know that
teaching is very true. I'm so grateful for the teachings of my parents. They've
made me who I am today. I'm just glad that I trusted them and that they can
trust me. :)
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| Shucking maize |
I know this gospel is real, I know that if we don't give anything to the
Lord, we shouldn't expect any great blessings from him. But if we do give
everything we have to him, we will definitely receive the blessings. Because he
said "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say. But when ye do not what I
say, ye have no promise."
I know these things are true and share them with you in the name of
Jesus Christ amen.
I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Elder Ballard
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| eating coconuts |
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| Elder Ackley with rice |
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