Hey Everyone!

Hey Everyone!  Hope that you have had a great week.  It has been a busy week for us.  Tuesday we were saying goodbyes for Elder Barlow as it was his last day here in Green Hill.  We were fed three times.  Banku with octopus, then fufu, and then some jollof rice.  I was so stinkin' full but it was nice.  Then on Wednesday I sent Elder Barlow away and received my new companion, Elder Brown.  He has been out just over a year by now.  He is from Louisiana.  Sweet guy.  But yeah... life is going well.  We accidentally flooded our apartment though.  The pipe wasn't flowing but I guess someone left the tap on so when the water came back it started to flood the apartment.  Luckily, Sister Davies was there to turn the water off for us.  It completely flooded the kitchen and some of the hallway.  But luckily it didn't get to our bedroom.  Then yeah... the rest was just a good week of proselyting and of missionary work.  We got to go and see the Cape Coast Castle today as a zone activity.  I had already been before but I think that I was the only one in the zone who had.  But it was definitely a cool experience to see again. 

Well... I love you all and have a good week!!!

Elder Walston

Happy New Year!! 2015! :D

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope that you have all had a good holidays and I hope that 2015 will bring to pass many great and important things.  But yeah... it has been a sweet week for us here in Green Hill.  We had a good new year.  It made it a lot harder to see a lot of people though since people were busy doing this and that for the Holidays.  But yeah...  it has been good.  I was able to go on exchanges twice this week.  Once with Elder Loader and the other time with Elder Lagaiti.  That was fun.  I stayed in Green Hill both times.  It was sweet.  Elder Lagaiti is on his first transfer on mission and he is from Samoa... it was cool to be with him even though his English is not the best.  Ghana is definitely not the place to learn English though.  It was sweet though... he is cool and quite funny.  But yeah... we had a ward activity on Saturday at the beach... that was fun.  They all brought rice and we all enjoyed.  We had some investigators who were able to come as well which was sweet.  But yeah... we also learned that Elder Barlow is being transferred to Kwekuma over near Takoradi.  I will be receiving Elder Brown form Louisiana.  So in honor of Elder Barlow leaving, the two of us and Elder Chishinji wore our suits to church.  It is the first time that I have worn my suit since the flight here to Ghana.  But it was cool.  It was a little warn but not really as bad as I thought it would be.  Then today we were fed some nice fufu and cat with a palm nut soup.  It was really nice.  

Yep.... the internet was really bad today so I have kind of ran out of time but I love you all!!!  Have a great 2015.  Love ya all!

Elder Walston

The year has come and gone...

Hey everyone! It was great to get the opportunity to talk to you all this week. That was definitely a plus. But yeah... we enjoyed Christmas this year. On Wednesday, we had a carols night at the stake center that was sweet. I would say I haven't really felt the normal Christmas spirit that I am used to but I definitely felt the Christmas spirit at the carols night. I was lucky enough to be able to be a part of four of the musical numbers. Two with the missionaries, one with the elder's quorum, and one with Green Hill branch. It was sweet. We enjoyed. It was a cool experience to have the entire stake gather together and sing Christmas carols. But yeah. Then on Christmas I tried to make brownies for the Davies (our branch president and his family) but lets just say they didn't quite cook all the way through. They were starting to burn and they looked like they were done so I took them off the stove, but when I tried to put them on the plate the center poured out like liquid. Oops... I guess that they weren't quite done. That is what you get when you try to cook them on the stove. But I still enjoyed the batter. :) But yeah... we had a zone activity on Christmas where we killed and ate six chickens... that was fun... took a long time but it was still cool. Then well the best part of the week.... I got to talk to you!! I love you all and I enjoyed talking to you all. It was very much enjoyable. Then one exciting thing that happened on Saturday is is that the elders quorum came together and we went around and sung carols for the less actives in the ward. That was a very cool activity. This branch is a powerful branch. We probably had around 140 people at church yesterday. And man... the members fed us yesterday... a lot. We were fed fufu twice and rice and stew once. It was sweet! Although... a little too much food... I was dead last night. But yeah... today we were invited by one of the pioneers of the church here in Ghana to talk to us today so we got to hear his story about how the church was brought to Ghana. It was sweet. Well... I love you all!! Hope that you have a wonderful week! Elder Walston

Merry Christmas!!

Hello!! Merry Christmas! Hope you all had a good week and I hope that you all have an amazing Christmas this week. But yeah... this week was pretty sweet. I went on exchanges twice this week but I was able to stay in my area both times. I went with Elder Chishinji from Zambia on Wednesday. Man, he is a powerful elder. He has been out as long as me. He is also in Green Hill but on the other side. We had a sweet day together on Wednesday. Then on Thursday we had a Zone Conference for Christmas with all the missionaries in the Cape Coast area. It was three zones together. It was pretty good. There were some fun activities that we got to participate in. The food was so nice. We enjoyed. Then after that we went to Nkanfoa and I was able to do two baptismal interviews. That was cool because both of them were translated and I was able to work with one of the old ward missionaries from when I was there. That was sweet. Then on Friday I went on exchanges with Elder Hackmeister. That was fun. Well... looks like I have run out of time but no worries! I get to speak to you on Christmas!! Love you all!!! Have a wonderful Christmas!!! Elder Walston

Christmas is coming!

Hey all!! Hope that your Christmas season has been filled with cheer. This week has good for me. I am enjoying Green Hill. One sweet thing that they have done is that have somehow created a roster of all the families and set us up to do FHE with each of them on a specified week. It definitely help us or me to get to know the members a little better. But it is really nice as the leaders of this branch are very well organized. There is around 100 active members of the branch and I would not be surprised if they were able to make it a ward before too long. The missionary work has been booming as we have about 20 recent converts to work with. We have a few sweet investigators who we are working with. The area here is looking a lot more promising than it was looking in Kojokrom. This Sunday the branch decided to have me involved a whole lot. They had me give the opening prayer, I was the first speaker, and I sang a solo as part of a musical number. That singing part was wayy nerve racking, but I enjoyed the rest. Everything flowed quite well. We attend church in a rented hall (I have yet to attend in a church built chapel) but this place is very nice. It is on the top of a hill which makes it a fun little climb. Especially as there is a member in our ward, Brother Mensah, who is crippled and we take him in his wheelchair to the chapel every week. Man, carrying that wheelchair up those stairs can be so very tiring, but it is sweet to see him there. Brother Mensah is a sweet man. I was told that he got a polio vaccination but it backfired and crippled him. Really sad, but it is sweet to see the testimony that he has. I was also able to go on splits this week with Elder Egunza in Cape Coast. He is a sweet elder from Kenya. That was fun. We were able to proselyte with one of their members, Ebeneezer, who is getting ready to serve his mission in Caliba, Nigeria this February. Sweet man. And then I was blessed to do two baptismal interviews for them. It was powerful. But yeah... today we had an activity on the beach where we played capture the flag. That was fun, and now here I am. These past few weeks I have been trying to think of the Savior's life and the importance of this season. Sometimes it really doesn't feel like Christmas here because it is not as commercialized, but it has given me time to think about the true meaning of Christmas. In my studies I have been trying to read things more about Christ. We have a Christmas devotional this week which I am excited for. But I encourage all to look at why we have Christmas. Study the life of the Savior. Why is it important? Because without him, we would be a lot and fallen people. Well, I love you all and I hope that you all have a wonderful week!! Elder Walston

Happy Holidays!

Hello!  This week has been a great week here in Green Hill.  I am starting to get used to everything here.  The members are great though.  I have been fed five times this week.  Lots of fufu... makes me happy.  Well, we live at the branch president's house.  He rents out the back part to the missionaries.  Although he is never at home because he works in Aubra and stay there during the week and comes back on the weekends.  His family is sweet though.  I love them.  The members in Green Hill are very nice I am just trying to get to know them a little better. 

This week I was able to go on splits with one of the elders from Nkanfoa.  One of the ward missionaries who we worked with when I was there completely tackled me when they saw me.  It was cool to see that area.  I miss it but I see that it is good to go from place to place and not stay in the same area all the time. 

The area here is doing pretty good.  They have a lot of recent converts and we have been able to find a lot of new people to teach this last week.  I am loving it.  Can't complain.  It is kind of weird not being in Kojokrom but I think that I have gotten used to it. 

Well... this week has been full of service. That is something that I love to do and have really enjoyed doing.  It is always a good experience.  Something that blesses our lives and the lives of others.

Well, Love you all!!!!!

Elder Walston

December again...

Hey everyone!!  This has been an interesting week.  Tuesday was a day of saying goodbye to our members and investigators in Kojokrom.  One of the members, the Agbo's, prepared us the absolute best fufu with light soup.  And CAT!  It was really really nice... they make the best fufu that I have ever had.  But yeah.  Saying goodbye is hard but when you pick me up Mom and Dad, we have to go there!  But then on Wednesday I came here to Green Hill to meet my new companion, Elder Barlow from Las Vegas.  He is a cool guy.  He is the 7th of 15 kids in his family... big family.  He has been out just over a year.  He spent his first year in Serra Leon though so he doesn't know Fante very well, but I am excited to be with him.  The branch here in Green Hill seems to be very on top of things which is very nice.  The missionary work here has been very good this last year. The members are sweet.  I am excited.  Yesterday I was pretty sick, but luckily I woke up this morning feeling much better.  We went to church in the morning but I wasn't able to do anything else.  Luckily Sister Stevenson was able to get me on some meds.  But yep... just good 'ole life here in Ghana.  Oh yeah... my companion spoiled us with a nice Thanksgiving dinner.  He made us fried chicken, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, and corn.  It was really good.  He is sweet.  We are in the apartment with two other elders, Elder Darlington from Nigeria and Elder Chishinji from Zambia.  They are sweet people.  We have been enjoying together.  But since both of them are new to the area and I am new, all four of us went out to see the area together on Wednesday.  It was good.  Sorry if this email is a little scrabled but that is how my thoughts have been the past few days.  But I love you all.  Stay strong and look to Christ in all that you do!  Love you!!!

Elder Walston