Finishing Up!

Hello Extremely Loved Ones! 

Thanks for all of your belated birthday wishes! As my Great Grandma said: cheese cake always tastes better a week later! (Or was it a day later?)

This week also sped by! People always say time goes slower at the end. But I've seen if you work hard it flies by like nothing. I can't believe it though. I'm at the point of just greeting every little kid I see, and get them to smile (which isn't hard) just to enjoy being with them while I can. These people have really been engraved into my heart. I've come to love their culture, accent, language, food, physical features, and especially their faith in Christ. I'll try to enjoy their company as much as possible these next two weeks.

As for teaching, we received a whole family as a referral to teach! So we're excited to teach them this week! Prince didn't come again... So I won't be able to baptize him before I go. But It's all about when he is ready and not me. :) Sister Mercy who was also a referral came. So that made us way happy. 

I keep forgetting to mention that it is rainy season here. It rains at least every other day or more. So it make huge amounts of mud everywhere! But it's still way fun. 

Something that humbled us/ ticked us off this week was that after a rain storm only our house's power went off. We've had light off for five days now because Ghana's government isn't serious :) But we're okay and still trying to laugh about it. The other elders slept outside one night. But the mosquitoes ate them for breakfast. So it was a good experience. That's the main thing I won't miss when I leave is power outage :) It's always fun to make memories though. 

Anyways I had a great birthday! A member made Omo tuo (Rice ball) with groundnut soup and chicken! Man it was so nice! Another great present was that we went to our last temple trip on Thursday! Man I'll miss the Ghana temple! It's such a beauty! It was such a pleasure to go there! Afterwards we went to pizza hut which was another birthday celebration :D I even bought a chocolate pizza which was nice! So I'm glad I could enjoy my birthday. It's so weird I'm 20! 

Anyways I love you all, thanks for all the great emails. I know with all my heart that this gospel is true. I know that the temple is an ever present reminder that families are meant to be eternal. I know that commandments are invitations to become like God. I love you so much and hope you have a great week! 

-Elder Ballard IV