Patience

Greetings from the home of Banku! 

Thanks for all of your emails and love! It was great to hear from all of you! So today I got stuck with the computer that has a sticky keyboard so if there are spelling errors forgive me. 

This week was a little rougher than last week but who can really complain? It's the Lord's work! During this week, our investigators were more busy and it was hard to find more. But we still had some great lessons and experiences. We got to visit a couple more members who were missionaries and they gave us some great counsel. While we talked with one member I realized that some are sowers in the mission field and some are reapers. Some plant the seeds and some harvest. So that really made me think.

Whenever you don't feel like you are progressing just "Stand still, and see the salvation of God." One of the biggest lessons I am learning on my mission is patience. Patience just solves so many problems, stresses, and headaches. While I was studying in the first section of PMG It talked about the differences in the mission of Ammon and Abinadi. Ammon taught the king and converted his whole people. Abinadi preached and was killed without even knowing that anyone accepted his message. But through him came Alma and Alma the younger, Heleman, and thousands of other converts! So it doesn't matter what part we are doing as long as we try our hardest. Sometimes we don't see the fruits of our labors but all things happen in the "wisdom of he who knoweth all things." I also studied a talk from the ensign this week (thanks for sending Mom!) it also had the theme of patience. it's from Elder Koichi Aoyagi. He said "Put God first regardless of the trials you face. Love God. Have faith in Christ, and entrust yourself to him in all things." So that is what I learned this week and I know It's true! Just keep putting your trust in God and just do your best!

Anyways, this week was also one of the hottest in my life, While I was biking there was just like 4 drops of sweat coming down my face at once! Except today we came out the door and it was super dry again. So I guess the weather is bipolar like Rexburg is sometimes. Mama Mercy almost fed us some giant snails but my companion refused which was probably smart of him. 

So it's a little short this week, but just know that I am doing fine and am loving life! Thanks again to everyone for your love and support and keep trusting in God! I know this work is true and that following the gospel is the only way to be truly happy. We can experience temporary pleasure if we sin, but it is only when we are righteous where we can experience more rice, full, and lasting happiness. I know these things are true because I have experienced it! 

Thanks again everyone! Love you all so much! 

Pics: My companion's bike tire popped so we went to a bike shop. This was one huge bike pile! 

Okay, Talk to you next week!                             --Elder Ballard 

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A Better Week

Hello My Loved Ones!

First off, I want to express my sincere, deep gratitude for your emails. I just felt so much happiness as I went through and experienced all of your support and love. I just can't say how much it means to me to get emails from all of you. Thanks so much! 

This week was so so much better than last week. You might guess why...No food poisoning might be part of it. But this week was just so good! We worked really hard and found new people to teach. Which makes time go way fast! I am so grateful for Dad teaching me the meaning of work! 

Last week I saw what it was like to not work at all. Time went slow, I felt like I couldn't fulfill my purpose etc. But this week it was so refreshing to work and sweat to invite others to come unto Christ. I think God really gives us a little sorrow so we can experience happiness more fully. I think of Adam and Eve and think about how they were "having no joy, for they knew no misery, doing no good, for they knew no sin." (See 2 Nephi 2:23). That is the same with us! We need to know misery to know joy! So I am so grateful that God can put us through trials for us to become stronger through the atonement of Christ.

But this week we were able to work with members more, find new people, get some referrals, and teach good lessons! Missionary work is so much fun! Hopefully we will be having a baptism at the end of the month. His name is Abraham, he was the guy who had the word of wisdom problem but as we visited him this week we found out that he hasn't taken any since we have taught him! The atonement has such power to heal people! So we are excited for him.

This week as I was studying. I thought about my brother-in-law Dylan and how he knew the Articles of Faith very well after his mission. So I wanted to follow his example as well as Elder Perry's example to memorize the Articles of Faith. I can proudly say that I have all 13 Articles of Faith now memorized. But don't think it's a huge accomplishment or that it takes hours of work. All it takes is you reciting it over and over and you will have it down! I can promise you that if you try to memorize them as well that you will be able to, and that it will strengthen your testimony and reaffirm to you what "We believe in." As I studied them I learned so many things and I know that you can too. So that is my challenge to all those who desire :) 

I am so grateful for this opportunity to be in this wonderful country and experience so many experiences that will help me become a better person. I can testify to everyone that we are in the right place. We are on the right track. All we need to do is to do our part, and God will do the rest. I know more than ever that Joseph Smith really was the prophet of the restoration and that we have prophets and apostles just as in ancient times who hold authority from God to guide us. I know that The Book of Mormon is a true, sacred record from God. It gives us the fullness of the everlasting gospel, it disproves false doctrines like infant baptism and gives us further knowledge of why we need to baptized as well as that Christ didn't just die for our sins but that he "suffered pains and afflictions of every kind".(See Alma 7:11) I know that the Plan of Salvation is real, God knew us personally before this life, We have a purpose on this life to learn and to grow and to be tested, and we can see our loved ones again. I know these things are true more than ever. If you are having difficult questions in your mind about these things: "I would exhort you that ye would ask God the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth in all things." (See Moroni 10:4). I know that if you do these things that God will answer you. No matter what question you have, he has made it clear in holy scripture that he will answer you. I know these things are true and can say it in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Thanks so so so much again for your emails. They really do give me renewed zeal to press forward. I love you all and I am so grateful for each one of you.

Culture Corner:

So in Ghana I noticed that they sing different hymns in the hymn book that were a little unfamiliar to me. some of them I kinda knew but some of them I didn't know at all. Here are some of the numbers of the hymns they sing here. If you ever have time, look them up, listen to them, and picture an African congregation singing them with me. :D 

111, 44, 64, 103, 125, 143, 163, 172, 221, 226, 230, 273, and 266

Pictures: People hear go and sell things while carrying them on their heads! The girl on the very right is a member named Sandra and this is her family going to sell cloth. I helped put the laundry basket on her head and saw that it was flippin heavy! It must have easily been more than 100 pounds! Plus she isn't even using her hands! I am just amazed at the strength of even the little girls who can carry it on her head.

Then here is me, A little kid called me "Obolo!" which means "Fat"... So I was feeling self conscious and wanted to send a picture to show I'm not to big or anything. yet ;) just kidding. 

Okay thanks again everyone! I love you all so much!

Wounded

Hello Folks!

Thanks for the couple of emails that you sent! This week was really interesting and slow, but I learned a lot and I'm excited for this upcoming week.

This week Sister Sanders put a picture of me in a hospital bed on Facebook :) before I say anything just know that I'm fine and that nothing is wrong, It's just an eventful story :)

Here's the story:

So it turns out I had food poisoning. I think it was when I made spaghetti and the tomato paste was old or something? I'm not sure. But on Tuesday I started feeling sick and told my companion that we should go back to the apartment. I'm glad I told him that because a half hour after we got there I  felt way more sick and had diarrhea pretty bad. As the day went on I asked for a priesthood blessing so my companion and Elder Conduanne helped with that. In the evening my companion made me rice which was nice of him. But after a couple of hours I threw it up which hasn't happen for a year or so now so that was fun. After that I just couldn't keep anything down and I was really dehydrated so I called Sister Sanders who is such a nice Lady, she carries out her calling so well. She then told me if it keeps up then to take a taxi to the hospital. During the night it was difficult to sleep. I had to get up for the bathroom. After I turned off the light to the bathroom I just lost all my strength and felt really dizzy so I was feeling for the walls and I hit my head on the corner of the wall, then I went through the doorway to my room with lots of noise. My companion woke up, lifted me up and took me to my bed. It was then where I said "Okay, we can go to the hospital." So then we waited two hours and went. It was a really clean, nice hospital! They gave me an IV and after 4 hours I felt good again. I just had a really cool H mark above my eye.

So anyways it healed really fast and everything is okay. :D Such an adventure!

With my sickness I had to stay home for another day then I went out and proselyted. This week was a little hard for that reason but we also found out that some of our investigators moved away without telling us! But we hope to find more people to teach this week. 

Our church is now at 8 am which is interesting! After church we go out just like it's a normal day and teach! Ghanaians love to get up early and there is three different groups in our chapel so that's why we have it at 8. This week that old man named Abraham came to church which was good! We hope to prepare him to be baptized at the end of the month! After church Bismark's family (Who is our favorite family to visit, remember sister Grace?) wanted a picture since it was their baby Destiny's 1st birthday. They are such a great family and they have helped us so much. It was crazy when I got here Destiny was only 6 months! 

This week taught me lots of things. It's really frustrating sometimes where you can't even do what you want to do or if things happen outside of your control. But God doesn't want us to be discouraged, he wants us to become better and learn from our trials. So I am so grateful for all the things I have learned so far and I am so grateful for this 6 months of my life I have given the lord and can't wait to keep serving for another year and a half! Time goes so wacko on a mission! Anyways I want all of  you to know that I know this church is true and that God loves us so much. He is always there to help you along the way. I know these things are true in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Have a great week! Thanks for your support and love! 

 

Bismark's family as well as the ward mission leader behind me.

Love you all! 

-Elder Ballard 

Fireworks and Fufu

Thanks everyone for your awesome emails! This week was sweet! Lots of people gave us food! (Pictures attached of fufu with groundnut soup) We also found a couple of sweet investigators and are excited to continue to teach them.

First off I just want to congratulate my Grandparents on their mission call!!! I can't believe you are both going to Uganda! Woot! It will be sweet to have a relative living and serving on the same continent as I am! It will be such a great bond to share with them the love I have for the African people!

This week was kind of weird but good! Around new year’s people were just shooting off fireworks everywhere! On new year’s eve me and my companion were biking through a busy road and there were fireworks going off at the same time! It was just really funny how crazy everything was! New year’s was fun though some people fed us fufu and there was a fireside at the church. Apparently at midnight on new year’s eve they set off a ton of fireworks at once, but I slept through it! My companion was just saying "You didn't hear that?" it reminded me of when Shandee slept through the fire alarm at the house. It's really funny how tired you can be as a missionary! When your asleep your asleep!

I can't believe I will be out six months this week! That's a big piece of the Pie! It's cool cause I've been in the same area my whole mission so it's been fun. Teshie is a great area, it's where I grew up on the mission, where I learned how to eat, where I spent Christmas, Everything! So It's been great. This week was a little better teaching wise! Elder Tawodzera also finished his training this week so I had him take lead in the area all week. So when lots of our appointments failed he just said "Let's go this way." then we walked up to a compound and knocked on the door. A guy came out with chairs before we even said hello! His name was Nana and is a really humble guy. He really wants to preach the gospel like we are doing so it was fun to tell him that every member of the church is expected to teach their friends and loved ones. While we were teaching like 14 kids surrounded us just to watch me... So that was distracting but fun. I just love how prepared these people are for the gospel. At church this one guy just came to church on his own. No one invited him or anything, he just felt that he should come. He came to sacrament and our investigators class where he participated a lot. Then we saw that he lived in the other ward's boundaries so we gave him to the other missionaries so he got to go to sacrament meeting twice in the same day! The missionaries said that he already wants to be baptized. I just am so amazed that someone can just feel impressed to come to a church that they've never been to before! I am just so grateful to be here! I just wish those kind of people would be in our area. But it's all the same work :)

I really learned this week that God really knows us. He knows what we need to do to become like him. I also found more fully that whatever we do to help people is the same work to build up God's kingdom! Every day I feel my testimony grow. I love being a missionary! I am so grateful for this opportunity and for all the experiences I’ve had and will have! I know this church is true and that God loves us more than we can imagine!

Thanks again for your emails everyone! I love you all so much and I am grateful for the love you send me! Have a great week and try to do a good deed towards someone! Even if it's just to make someone smile! Have a great week!

-Elder Ballard

Pics: Fufu and Groundnut soup!

Mama Mercy's Grandchildren (The lady who feeds us every Sunday)

Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone! Afishi Apa! Apparently here Christmas lasts for a whole week because no one really has time to celebrate it in one day. Afishi apa also just means "Let us be better people than we were last year." So we still say it to people since it's new years.

Holy Cats it was fun to talk to all of you!!! It was so nice! But I have never seen time move that fast ever! It was fun to hear your responses of how I sounded. It was just crazy to hear how all of your voices sounded and all of your laughs! I am so glad that we were able to have a family prayer! The spirit was so strong, I just hope next time I won't sound like a wounded dog :) I am just so grateful to have called home and to remember what everything is about! I am on this mission because I want to help people experience that happiness that I felt in such a short phone call. I know that families can be forever and that they are ordained of God. I don't have much to talk about this week teaching wise, because everyone traveled or was busy. But we still taught pretty well and got to do random acts of service which is always fun :D 

I am so grateful for the presents I got! That bag of jerky and apron are so sweet! Hopefully I'll use it! All I really make here is French toast and egg sandwiches! But i'll still do it for fun :) I am also grateful for those letters and ensign! That will be sweet to have all those conference talks! Christmas morning I made French  toast with jam! It was so nice. I even wore my santa hat and apron while making it (pictures attached.). I love being festive! I decided to just leave out my mini Christmas tree because there’s no way in Kumasi  I'm packing that around for another year :)

Christmas in Ghana was different for sure. But I still felt the same spirit on Christmas day that I have felt at home. Christmas is such a wonderful thing and I am so glad I get to spend two of them in Africa! I am so glad that Christ came to save, redeem, and love us. We are forever in his debt and we should try our hardest to always remember him. We should try to make every day like Christmas. Where we give to others and enjoy time with our family. Being in Ghana has humbled me so much, I know more than ever that I have been so blessed in my life. Most people here can't afford to have Christmas. So let us all remember to be humble and to give to others. I am so grateful for this week and for my family. I can't think of any other people I would want to spend eternity with! (along my future wife and kids) I am so grateful for our father's plan of happiness! If you go on a mission you will realize that true happiness really comes from family! I know these things are true because I have felt them myself. I hope you all had a great Christmas and I hope you will have a happy new year this week! I can't believe it's already 2016!

I love you all! Thanks for all your emails and support!

Christmas conference

Christmas morning French toast!

-Elder Ballard

Afishi Apa!

Hello everyone! Ete sen? Afishi apa! (How are you? Merry Christmas!!!)

This week was seriously the fastest week of my mission! It was so great and I had many adventures!

At the start of the week, we went to find new people and there were some neat experiences that happened. We were walking in between compounds of houses and we saw this one lady who couldn't speak English, only Ga. We greeted her and kept walking, then as we walked she called for us to come back. We hesitated, but walked back to her. When we got there she called to someone in the house. Then a young man in his twenties came out and greeted us. His name is Gershon. (It was the Lady's grandson) We introduced ourselves and he said "Oh yeah I know what you are, my best friend is on a mission in Benin." So that was a great start. This week we were able to teach him about the Restoration. It was so powerful to teach him because we could relate to his friend teaching the same thing. We were able to say "This is ours and your friend's message to the world, that Christ's true church is once again restored on the earth." It was just a really good lesson. I am so glad that we went back for that lady and that God can direct us. The other experience was right after we taught Gershon. We walked by the side of a busy road full of shops and we passed and greeted this one lady (Everyone has to greet each other in Ghana.) and kept walking, as we kept walking I felt like we should go back, but I told myself, "Oh we'll stop next time." then we kept walking and I kept feeling like we should go back. So I told my companion that we should go back and see her. When we got to her she immediately let us sit down and teach. Her name was Patience. I have never had an experience like that before. God can truly lead you to do things if you put his trust in him. I don't know if Gershon or Patience will be baptized or anything, but I do know that God wanted us to see them and to help them feel the spirit. Maybe our job was to just lay a foundation for future missionaries or something like that, but I know that it was the spirit who helped guide us. That day really helped me feel that "This is why I'm here." and helped me to realize that if you devote all of your time to the Lord you really can become an instrument in God's hands. Success as a missionary doesn't depend on baptisms or people to teach, but it depends on your commitment to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel. (which comes with baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost.). So that is my missionary thought of the week.

Wow I can't believe that it is already Christmas this week! The weather doesn't change here so time just goes so fast! I have really been thinking about what makes Christmas more special than any other holiday. Is it the food? Traditions? Movies? Lights? Presents? We all know that the main focus of Christmas is Christ, and his birth. But during the past few weeks I was able to ponder a little bit about why Christ's birth was so important. Our mission president said that " realize that the love that we have for our dear families, friends, companions, members, and investigators comes from the Savior, who started as the Christ child whom we adore.  Fill your life with goodness and obedience and turning your hearts to the service of others." This really hit me hard. The biggest thing that makes Christmas special is it brings two of the most sacred things together. Which are Family, and Christ. I am so excited for the opportunity to call home this week so that I to can come and be a part of the coming together of family! I think that is the reason the Lord has allowed his missionaries to call home. So that we call fully feel the Christmas spirit. That is my Christmas thought of today.

This week we went to a tailor to fix my companions pants that tore. After she was done I said "Afishi Apa!" (Merry Christmas!) and she was like "Oh for me, I am a Jehovah's Witness and so I don't really know what to say to that." So me and my companion just said "Okay, have a good day." It just made me so sad to think that a Christian religion thinks a holiday about Christ is considered an Idol! It made me so grateful for the gospel we have. Our message is a message of hope and love and it is so perfect. I know it is true and we are so blessed to have it.

Here’s the non-serious part of the letter. This week I had lots of fun quoting the Grinch and Home Alone with other American missionaries. Saying things like "MAX! Fetch me my sedative! Or "Maybe Christmas...Doesn't come from a store!" Or "Keep yer change you filthy animal." or "You know how to knock phlegm wad?" and many more. :)

One more crazy experience. People here for Christmas light off fireworks. So at night I was biking down a sandy hill and saw these guys running away from the road as I kept riding a giant firecracker blew up a foot away from my bike tire! So my ear rang for a while and I couldn't hear for a little. The guys said "Hey America! Sorry-o!"

Well, Thank you all for your emails and love! I am so grateful to be here and to experience Christmas in a whole different world! I hear people here just make lots of food for Christmas and invite whoever passes to come and enjoy. So I think I'll be well fed this week. Family, I am so excited to talk to you and hear your voices. I'm sure I sound very different than I used to. :) So I'll talk to you soon! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! Thanks again for all of your prayers and support towards me and all the missionaries!

Talk to you soon!

-Elder Ballard

Snails and Christmas preparation

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

This week went by faster than Bunny after a bath! December always flies by! Especially when your on a mission! Something I noticed is that I have been a missionary for 5 months already :O I can't believe that! When I first came, I was like "fetch, two years?" but now I have really seen that I need to cherish every moment of my mission! It goes by way to fast! I am so excited that next week I get to call!!! We got our little sim card things already so I put it under my Christmas tree along with the Christmas packages that have been staring at me for a month. People here don't really even open presents on Christmas, the main thing they do is just save up enough money to make as much food as possible. (mostly fufu) 

This week was good! We had a zone conference which was fun! We also took two investigators to the temple site for a Christmas program! They even had a couple Christmas lights there and a nativity! (Not as good as Salt Lake but it was still nice.) Another fun thing I did was eat some sea food things with Kwame! They're kinda like little sea snails that you use tooth picks to get out of the shells! (Picture attached.) Kwame just bought a whole bag for me and said "I need the shells, so could you eat as much as you can?" I was a little hesitant but I helped him. They tasted pretty good. Elder Tawodzera refused to take them though. I am so glad that Mom always told me to eat my food even if I didn't like it. It helped prepare me so much for my mission! 

Teaching wise, this week was a little tough, everyone traveled or wasn't at home, but this week we will try to find more people and keep working hard! My companion is doing really well as my son. He rides his bike like a intermediate rider now! He only has trouble with sand and with lots of traffic. This week we were riding with lots of slow moving cars and he slowed down too much and fell sideways. He would have fell in a really deep gutter, but there was 5ft squared wooden pallet that was over right where he fell. He always has had a good attitude when he falls which is good of him. Whenever we mess up, it's okay to laugh (as long as nothing is broken.) and then move on. 

I laughed at myself a lot this week which is always good. Once as I was biking through sand and palm trees, I was singing the lyrics "Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright, the sun all through the day and all the stars at night" from "Melekelekemaka" So that applied to me very literally. Also I was playing out keyboard in our apartment and one of the set songs on it was "O Christmas Tree." so as it played I sang the version on house guest. "Shoobie doobie doobie wabbie do". The thing about quoting movies is that no one who is African knows them, so I thought I would share some of my fun "American Moments" with you. 

One more sweet thing that happened this week was when me and my companion were just walking and this little girl with short hair and earrings just came up and held my hand while we were walking, I looked at her but she didn't even seem like she cared. Then I asked her her name and where she was going. She said her name was Sarah and that she was going home. Kids here are so adorable and I'm not even annoyed when they yell "Obrunie!" all day. I just love being here and I know God knew it was the best place for me. 

Well Christmas is almost here and it's so exciting! I know that this Christmas will be different than others I've had, but I know that I am in the right place. Something my mission president said is that "All the love we feel towards our family, friends, and loved ones comes from the Savior." which is so true. What a joy it is to celebrate the birth of our redeemer and our Lord. I can testify with everything I have that Christ lives and that he loves us. He knows every single bad feeling that we've felt. He knows how to help us. He has given all mankind his light and the knowledge of good and evil. It is only upon Christ that we can be saved. So as this Christmas season keeps moving forward, let's always remember him and try to make everyday to be like Christmas. I know these things are true and I say them in his name Jesus Christ Amen.

PS Congrats Grandma and Grandpa for your mission call! I am so excited for you!!! I'm glad the Salt Lake trip went well! Man, I wish I could have been there to see Dad as a chaperon. :D 

Pictures: Me and Kwame eating "Sea food"

Me with my Christmas tree! Sorry I couldn't get a dark picture, It wouldn't show up.

Thanks again for all of your emails! Merry Christmas Everyone! 

Love ,

-Elder Ballard