March is here once again...

Hey everyone!  Hope that everyone is keeping safe and out of trouble back home.  This week has been good.  We were on exchanges a lot this week so my companion and I only were able to spend four days this week together. :(  But it was fun I am not complaining at all, because I was able to go with Elder McKeon on exchanges.  It has been awhile since I was last with him, 6 months ago, but he is now the Zone Leader here in Cape Coast so we were able to be together.  I went with him on Wednesday... it felt just like the old days back in Kojokrom.  But on Tuesday I was able to instruct on time.  Time is something that is so important and it is something that we can either waste away or something that we can use to our advantage.  In the Missionary Handbook it encourages us to use it fully and wisely.  This applies to each of us.  We must make sure that we take advantage of the time that the Lord has given us.  Then on Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder McKeon and that went very well.  We had a good day and were able to accomplish quite a bit.  That was fun.  Then Thursday was a rather stressful day as I was able to do five baptismal interviews and only one of them spoke English, and she was eight years old!  But it was good.  It is hard to get a good feel of their readiness when it is all through translations.  But it was good and they were all able to be baptized on Saturday. Then on Friday I went on exchanges with Elder Tobler.  We enjoyed a day in Green Hill together.  I made him brownies and pizza and that was quite enjoyable.  The on Saturday we went on exchanges with Elder McKeon again because there were some things that they had to deal with.  But yeah... it was good.  Then today, we had a District Activity where we got together and played some basketball at one of the parks here in Cape Coast.  That was way fun, but I ended up getting a little sun burnt.  And I am still as terrible as I ever was back home at basketball.... but I still enjoyed it and had fun.  

Well... this has been my week!  Love you all and I hope that you have a good week!

Elder Walston

Keep on Smiling!

Hey all!  This week was a busy week.  We had to deal with the two elders whitewashing into the area.  Elder Brown and I stayed together, but we received Elder Jensen and Elder Holman in the apartment and in the branch.  Spent Tuesday getting to know their area and thenWednesday and Thursday we spent with them helping them to get to know their way around.  Thursday we exchanged and I went with Elder Jensen to help him get to know their area.  But this week I decided to cook.  I made some brownies and chocolate chip cookies.  Trying to be adventurous. :)  But it all turned out pretty good, just I didn't cook the cookies long enough.  But one really nice thing is that Elder Jensen has an oven so it makes it a lot easier to bake!  

We have been really blessed these last few days in terms of the missionary work.  We were able to teach 15 lessons in the last three days and we were blessed with 7 new investigators including a family.  We have some really sweet investigators right now and things are going very well.  I can't complain.  

Well... I love you all!  I hope that you have a great week! Sorry that this email is so short but I really can't remember what happened.  

Love you all!!

Elder Walston

:)

Hello everyone!!  This week was a rather busy week.  On Tuesday I went on exchanges with Elder Lagaiti in Cape Coast.  He has only been out for two months now but he is doing sweet.  A nice elder from Samoa.  His English is still improving small small but he was fun to be with.  We had a choir practice with their ward and by the time we finished my voice was dead.  I guess I was shouting too loud as I can't really sing at all.  But it was fun.  We enjoyed together.  Then Thursday I was able to do a baptismal interview for the other elders in Green Hill.  The only problem was that I had been running that morning..... so I didn't quite make it there and we had to go back to the apartment before I could proceed forth with the interview.  But it went all good.  He was a sweet and the interview went amazing.  He spoke English very well and probably the fastest that I have seen a Ghanaian speak but it was fun.  Then on Friday I went on exchanges this time in a threesome with Elder Egunza and Elder Chukwu in Cape Coast.  That was a very good day as well.  I was able to do two baptimal interviews for a mother and a daughter who were baptized on Saturday.  Emmanuela and Gloria.  It was so cool.  But yeah... then yet another splits on Saturday this time with Elder Jones.  But yeah... yesterday my companion was sick so we spent all day inside.

Yep.... I was cleaning ALL day today so I am very tired.  Sorry for the shortness.... but I love ya!!

Elder Walston

Happy Valentines Day!

Hey everyone!!  Hope that this week was good for you guys.  This week started off pretty good... I found some honey-nut cheerios that were so good... but they were so expensive.  It has been around 9 months since I was able to afford any cereal. It was nice though.  But we had this really cool family home evening with a recent convert family.  We watched the Restoration film.  It was a very enjoyable FHE.  Then there is this Less Active who hadn't come to church since 2006 and he has now come the last three weeks and we were able to have a really good lesson on Tuesday.  He lives outside of our area, but we ran into him at a chop bar two weeks ago where he was working pounding the fufu and we were able to meet with him this last week.  He is such a humble and nice man.  His name is Ebenezer Mensah.  I am so happy that he has decided to come back to the church.  He said the reason that he left is that he didn't want to serve a mission such because of the pressure that he received he left.  But that is all okay now that he is coming back.  Then on Friday I went on splits again to Nkanfoa.  This time I went with Elder Loader.  We worked with one of the ward missionaries that I had worked with a lot when I was there.  It was really cool.  The cool part is that she leaves on her mission next week to Eneugu, Nigeria.  I am excited for her to be able to experience a mission.  The on Saturday we had a ward activity where Yamoransah came down and challenged Green Hill in some games, football and volleyball.  It was really fun.  I enjoyed the volleyball a lot mostly because the people playing football were playing a little intense.  They were going at it and I didn't want to get angry at anyone.  So I stuck with volleyball.  Then Sunday was another good day.  We had 10 investigators at church again, but 8 of them are a group of boys that we have been teaching probably around 14 to 17 years old.  It has been good though.  One sad news is that we found out that one of our investigators has been struggling with breast cancer and she said that she was told that she has hepatitis B.  Keep her in your prayers, her name is Faustina.  She is such a sweet woman.  And then today we had a zone activity where we went to Fifa Pitch and played some football.  That was fun to get some touches on a ball again.  It has been way too long since I have been able to play all that much.  We enjoyed that.

Well, on Sunday it was my privileged to be able to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting.  I was able to talk about how we must choose and we must choose wisely.  I have read a scripture in Alma 42:24 and the part that stood out to me is that none but the truly penitent are saved.  I wondered what it meant to be penitent.  It shares the same root with repent.  Those who are willing to change themselves and become as God wants them to be.  We must do the Lords will.  That is how we will receive great joy and will be saved and receive eternal life.  So we must choose... who will we serve?  I encourage you all to make the good choice that will be joy into your eternal lives.

Well I love you all!! Have a great week!

Elder Walston

Another threesome... number 4

Hey everyone!!!  How has this week been for you?  It has been pretty stressful and eventful this week.  There has been drama with the other companionship in our apartment and and it ended up this Wednesday by the one elder going on emergency transfer on Thursday... right now that elder is staying with the assistants.  But yeah... on Tuesday we had a zone meeting where I was able to instruct about having the spirit with us.  That was cool...  I had a few members of the zone come up and bear experiences that they had had.  It was a cool meeting.  Then that evening we were blessed by being able to help one of our members, Bro Mensah, as he is confined to a wheelchair to be able to get to the chapel to get his temple recommend from the stake president.  That was fun, but every time we get to the chapel I am sweating quite well as he stays about a fifteen minute walk from the chapel.  I love that man though.. a powerful member.  Then on Wednesday I was able to go to my old area again.  I went on exchanges to Nkanfoa to be with Elder Cooper from Georgia.  That was cool.  It was fun to be able to work with some of the members that I worked with when I was in Nkanfoa.  We were able to have a training for the Gospel Principles class while I was there as well and that was good.  They had me teach on how to control the class.  That was good.  Another highlight of the week was able to visit one of our members in the hospital. On Wednesday morning he was stabbed by his brother I believe five times.  He was not in good shape at all when we visited him, but it was a sweet experience.  We were able to give him a blessing and he was crying by the end of it.  He is a sweet member. The reason he was stabbed was because he was standing up for the values of the church.  He is one of our branch missionaries.  I hope he gets better soon. Well... I am out of time!  But I love you guys!  Have a wonderful week!

Elder Walston

A Week to Remember

Hey everyone!  This week has been fun and eventful.  I went on companion exchanges twice this week.  On Wednesday I went exchange inside Cape Coast to Cape Coast 2nd ward and served with Elder Tobler.  That was fun he is a sweet elder.  We ended up only teaching one lesson to a Rastafarian from Nigeria named Commonwater.   That was interesting to hear his views and beliefs.  Didn't seem like he was too interested in sticking to one church but we will see what they will be able to do with him.  Then on Friday we had district meeting and interviews with President Stevenson.  I instructed along with the assistants and Sister Stevenson.  That was fun but took so long... it lasted for about five hours.  I instructed about repentance which was a fun topic for me to study and to learn about, especially as that is one of the most important aspects of the gospel that we have to apply in our lives.  Then the assistants instructed on working with members and Sister Stevenson instructed on health and safety.  She stressed on all the things that Dad has been making sure that I am doing... eating healthy, exercising, ect.  It was good.  But then on Saturday we went on exchanges again but this time I stayed in Green Hill and Elder Makoti came and joined me.  He is from Botswana and is a pretty cool guy.  He is the first African elder who I have seen to love play basketball.  I hear that he was really good back home.  But that was fun.  Sunday we were completely blessed.  We have these two members bring 4 new people to church as referrals and we had six other investigators at church.  It was a pretty sweet church service.  We have one of those investigators who should be baptized this coming Saturday and there are few others who are showing plenty of promise.  We taught this one man, Enoch, who after our first lesson invited to be baptized and he said I am ready to be baptized right now.  It was pretty cool.  We were able to have another amazing lesson with one of the referrals who came to church, Priscilla, who is the cousin of a recent convert.  She is powerful and she enjoyed church.  Usually one of the biggest hold ups that Ghanains have with joining the church is that we don't sing, dance, and speak tongues like most Ghanaian churches do but she really like the church.  Green Hill is looking promising.

This week my studies were focused on repentance.  Repentance is such a wonderful thing as it allows us to change.  One quote I liked however us that there is no royal road to repentance.  It is the same for the all of us.  No matter who we are, we all have to go through the same steps of repentance.  But it has been provided as a way to become free from any burden that may plague us.  It is blessing to us that is just waiting to be applied in our lives.

Well I love you all!!! Have a marvelous week!

Elder Walston

Hey Everyone!

Hey everyone!  This week was rather slow.  On Tuesday we had District Meeting but the chapel was locked and the Cape Coast elders were having a hard time getting the keys so that took an extra hour than we had planned.  But that was all cool.  We have some sweet elders who joined us this transfer. This Wednesday we had a meeting at the Aubra stake center where we were instructed a lot.  That took all day Wednesday.  Saturday was fun... the branch has a keep fit program every Saturday morning that we participate in.  It starts at 5:30which is pretty early but it is fun.  We will run for like an hour and then we will go and clean the chapel.  That was fun.

So, one experience that really touched my heart.  On Sundays we pick up some of the members but since he is in a wheelchair and we have to carry him up the 50 or so steps to the chapel I always walk in sweaty.  Well, this week I went and sat down and this six year old kid, the branch president's son, Kelvin, came and took his handkerchief and starting wiping all the sweat off my face.  I love that kid.  He is such a sweet little boy.

Well... I love you all!!   Hope that you have a great week.

Elder Walston