Hello from Ghana!

Hey everyone!!  So this week has been pretty well... fun and enjoyable.  I definitely love Ghana and most everything about it.  I have figured out that you choose how you feel and how you act... it is all up to one's self to decide how their attitude is going to be, for the better or for the worse.  So I guess we all better make that attitude the best we can, right? :)  So this week was a lot of teaching and a lot of work... and it has been getting quite hot... dry season is starting to hit and I can definitely feel the difference.  We were able to teach 20 lessons this week, but we are having trouble getting any of our investigators to come to church, but they are slowly making progress!  Friday was a fun and interesting day... with our zone, we went to Ola (a part of Cape Coast) and helped the bishop, Bishop Ewudzie, with building his house (our bishop's brother)... that was pretty fun and it will probably be one of the nicest homes in Cape Coast when it is done... we mainly just helped clean up and move stuff around and other cool things... we were there for about four hours just helping out... it was fun and good... it is awesome to be able to just help people out... then we were stuck in the office till seven that night and I kind of got sick again... a fever, bad stomach and some runny tummy... but luckily I felt better Saturday and was able to go out and teach.

This week we are supposed to write a little bit and send it to Sister Shulz on how exact obedience brings miracles.... I have realized that my mission as a whole has really been a miracle for me... it has helped me grow, overcome challenges and as I stick things out and just grin and bear it, you learn to love everything and you start to realize how much God knows what is good for you and why you are in the situations that you are in...  just have to trust in God... 'In God We Trust'... that is all we must do... do everything that he asks and then he will do the rest... we just have to put complete trust in him!

So I love everyone and take care!!

Elder Trevor Walston

A Week with two Companions

So this week was cool... it was pretty busy and we were able to go out a lot more... and our numbers definitely showed that.  But yeah... we are with Elder McKeon since his companion is in the States and is recovering from surgery... he had to get two hernias taken care of.... so we are in a threesome!  And it is pretty sweet.... both of them are sweet sweet guys and Elder McKeon definitely has more people to teach so we just aren't searching but we are teaching his investigators and working with the members to try to get referrals.  It is fun.... and he goes out with Ward Missionaries when we are in the office.... so yep...

Ummm... yeah... we were able to meet with the doctor this week and most everything is cool... just lots of teaching and talking to people this week... we only have two investigators right now but we are working on things!  Just having fun doing the Lord's work!  There is one younger man who we are teaching that I love... he is ripped... but the hard part is that he is constantly working... he is super sweet though and I think that good things are about to take part of his life :)

So yeah... today we went to a soccer pitch in Cape Coast with our Zone... it was pretty sweet and fun... still need to find myself a pair of soccer cleats though... guess that I am just too cheap to get them :)  But yep... it was pretty sweet and fun.  So yeah... Love everyone and I am living it up here in good old Ghana!!  Oh yeah... Ghana beat Egypt 6-1 this last week in soccer... it was way funny because every time that Ghana scorred a goal you could hear and see the whole town yelling and screaming and dancing and just celebrating... I started to get a little confused though because they scored SO much... yep... but that is life here in Ghana!  Love you all and wish you all safe adventures back home! :)

Elder Trevor Walston

A Slow Week in the Office

Not all that much really happened this week... my companion was sick
most of this week and then right as he got better I got sick on
Saturday... it felt pretty crummy but oh well... I was able to get up
and go to church on Sunday... speaking of which I got to give a talk
in Sacrament Meeting and I also got to teach the Youth Sunday
school... I had only been able to spend 30 minutes preparing because
they let me know Friday and I was sick most of the time between then
and church... but it still went pretty well and I was able to take
most of the time that I was supposed to.  Yesterday was all about
missionary work... they had us, the ward missionaries, and the few RMs
do everything... it was pretty cool... a lot of powerful stuff about
missionary work... one scripture that I like is Corinthians 13:13 as
charity is one the most important things that we can have in our
missionary work and service.
So the rest of the week... when we were able to go out was spent in
the office... we had to go get more money for the mission and all the
Zone Leaders were coming down to Cape Coast for Zone Council so they
all had orders that we had to collect. My companion and I were only
able to actually proselyte yesterday because he was either sick or we
were in the office... and I guess I was sick on Saturday... But I
still was able to go with Elder McKeon on Wednesday as his comp was
sick as well... so I really haven't been able to teach all that much
in this area yet and that is kind of disappointing so I hope that it
will get better.
The Elders in this apartment eat a lot... and more than just rice and
noodles although we do still have that a bit... pancakes pretty much
every morning... I am starting to get fat again... gaining all that
weight back... not out in the heat walking as much and I am getting
more food in me.... yep... honestly I miss the tough missionary
proselyting work but the office is cool at times too.
I love you all so so much!  Take care!
Elder Trevor Walston

Down in Nkanfoa

This last week has been pretty fun and crazy.  So last Tuesday my companion and I were trying to get the area and everything ready for the next set of missionaries who were going to Nyenasi... and then at night the branch held a farewell for us missionaries... which I kind of felt bad for but it was really nice of them to show how much they cared and they are really nice caring people.  So Danquah from there was able to get baptized last Saturday and that was AWESOME!! Even though I wasn't able to be there.

So my new place is pretty sweet... Nkanfoa is just barely outside of Cape Coast and it is where the mission home is... our apartment is actually like a two minute walk to the mission home.  So I am going to be in the office on Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to 4 just doing whatever they need... buying supplies, finances, and anything else they need help with and I have been told that they can call us whenever else that they need help... honestly I am already really bored of that place but it is still fun.  My companion is Elder Adams and he is from Logan, Utah... he is a really big and a really really quiet quy... kind of reminds me of Brandon Leonard looks and Nathan Jones in talking.... So we can say that I am having to be the one taking charge when we are out proselyting... its kind of weird because I am not the most vocal person but it is good for me.  In the first few lessons that we have taught I probably spoke all but 5 minutes... a great learning experience!

There is a ward here in Nkanfoa and most of the people here speak English but there is still a descent amount that just speak Fante... Fante is similar to Twi but people say it is easier from going to Fante to Twi.... so no luck in that but it is fun... I still understand small.  Our apartment is one of the biggest in the mission and I have the biggest bedroom in the mission... I almost don't like it but it is pretty nice.... there are two other Elders in the apartment, Elder McKeon and Elder Caviness... the are sweet guys, that are both from America as well... Elder Caviness is having to come home this week to get surgery, So I will be in a threesome until he comes back which should be in about two weeks later... hopefully.

Life here is good... missionary work is hard because they only have one person to teach... but hopefully I will be able to it moving along.

I love you all! I got a package from Mom this week.... it is nice being here because I then get the mail as it comes! :)  Thanks for all the love and support!  It is weird that it has already snowed there... I think I will have summer for at least the next two years... or a really really hot and humid summer for two years.. :) Love ya!

Elder Trevor Walston

Time to Learn some Fante

So... little bit of news... I finished my training and tomorrow is
transfers and I am leaving Nyenasi... kind of sad... really sad... we
have an investigator being baptized on Saturday, but we are leaving
tomorrow... both my companion and I are being transferred out of the
area so we hope that all our efforts do not go to waste.  My
companion, Elder Molefe, is going to be a Zone Leader.  I am going to
the Mission Home Office to be an Office Elder... my proselyting area
is going to be Nkanfoa... from what I know they speak Fante there and
it is a little village right on the outside of Cape Coast... it will
be fun... I am going to be companions with an Elder Adams... hopefully
all will be well!
But yeah... it was pouring rain here almost all week... there were a
few times where we got stuck at certain places for quite a few
hours... but yeah it was fun... and my companion was a little sick as
well but we were still able to go out and teach... I think that we
have one other investigator who could be baptized in a few weeks if
the people after us keep on teaching him.  One of this guys best
friends is a strong member so I think that will end up good.
It was sad to have to bear my testimony and say goodbye to everyone at
church on Sunday... when we told the branch president that we were
both leaving the area, you could just see his head and shoulder
droop... it was sad to see President Armah, who is like 75 years old,
just look so devastated... but it will all be good!  They are having a
meeting to say goodbye to us and a member of the branch who is leaving
on a mission this Friday to Nigeria tonight.  But yeah... it has been
hard yet fun here... I have definitely seen myself grow!
So yesterday we had a Zone activity... it was pretty fun and sweet!
We watched the Best Two Years and the Other Side of Heaven and then we
tried to make hot dogs and onion rings with what Ghana has to
offer.... we also played some card games... it was pretty sweet!  Life
in Ghana is sweet... I think I have realized that I need to be more
like this people here... they are so nice and charitable... yeah...
But I think life will be a little bit different these next few months
as I will be at the mission home and everything even though I will
still be proselyting... Life is good though... you have to enjoy what
you have while you have it.  Love everyone back home!!!  Miss you and
wish everyone the best of luck with everything!

Elder Trevor Walston