One Month Down

This last week has been alright I guess... it was pretty normal to
start off with... just going around talking to people and all... I ate
a LOT of fufu this week... I guess since I am white or something
people like giving us Ghanian food to eat.  Then Saturday we had two
baptisms!! It was way cool... I was able to baptize the both of them
plus one other person that the Praso elders asked me too.  Their names
were Frank and Phillip... it was a cool experience!  Then when we got
back from the baptisms (we have to go to Naoma Krome since that is the
closest place with a baptismal font) I started to come down with
something.  These last few days have really really sucked... lots of
nasty nasty stuff.  I think I probably was only able to get an hour of
sleep that night... I haven't been able to sleep more than an hour at
a time since I got sick... :(  But I was able to get some antibiotics
and I am slowly starting to feel better... the doctor said he thinks I
caught Typhoid fever... I guess that shot didn't work :(  I still am
in quite a bit of pain but my companion wanted to come to Praso to
email today so I was willing to come... I think I just needed to get
my mind away from some things.  But yeah... lets see... it is hard out
here but it will help me grow stronger I guess... I got seven letters
this last week and that was AWESOME to get!  Loved being able to read
stuff from the family!  I wish Eric and Angela the best of luck this
week with everything!!  Thank you guys for all the love and support!

Elder Trevor Walston

A beginning to week three in Nyenasi!

So... this week has been pretty casual... lots of teaching (well at
least when people keep their appointments) and a lot of walking!  I am
picking up on some Twi, now I can say most of the basic phrases but I
have a hard time understanding much.  My companion can understand most
of what the people say and he can just speak a little so it is a
challenge out here.  I have sure been eating a lot of fufu since I
have been out here and I like it quite a bit... it is just that the
soup that I have it with is a little bit spicy.  And since you eat it
with your hand,  the soup gets into my wounds on my hands from washing
my clothes.  Washing clothes by hand sucks...  both times now my hands
have been bleeding after I finished... My hands have been rubbed raw,
but it is what I have to do... I was told that I could buy a little
washing machine but it would be like 100 US Dollars, 200 cedis.  The
power and electricity is just ridiculous out in Nyenasi...  I think it
has gone out every day since I got here and we had no power from
Saturday night to Monday afternoon.  It stinks not having  fan since
there is no AC... makes it kind of hot in the home.
 So... we should have two baptisms this Saturday... it is two little
boys, I think they are 15 years old... they don't speak English but I
think they understand most of it.  They are awesome kids who I think
and hope that they will continue to go to church as they have learned
quite a bit... I think they have been talking with the missionaries
for the last four months now.
Yep... Some people here just love me and want to talk to me because I
am white... it is weird... I think I have had three women tell me I am
beautiful and say that I need no marry them... it is rather kind of
weird... I have had times where I wish I was black here... it is
starting to be weird to imagine so many white people in one area back
home now... what has Ghana done to me?
But yeah... I enjoy hearing from you guys!  Love you all so so much!!!
Ybesha! (We will meet again in Twi)

Elder Trevor Walston

Another week down and many more to go

Hey Everyone!  So... I guess I will probably email on Tuesdays since
that is when we have District Meetings and when we will be in town.
So... life is all right... it has been raining quite a bit and I am
getting pretty used to the weather... I am actually getting cold at
night!  But yeah... I tried fufu and banku the other day and they
weren't actually all that bad... it is weird though that you are
supposed just to swallow it and that you don't chew it... but yeah..
I also ate some dog today and it tasted alright but it was a little
fatty.  Nyenasi has probably about 500 to 1000 people and it is a
weird little village... all the homes are made of mud and these like
bamboo stick things.  It has been hard but I think that I am getting
accustomed to it quite a bit more.  We are teaching lessons but our
investigators aren't coming to church... apparently people don't keep
their promises or commitments here... President has all the
missionaries teach the importance of people keeping their promises for
the first lesson... when we did that I was surprised but now it is
starting to make sense.  Stuff is a lot cheaper here... garments are
just 50 peswes which is 25 cents.  But yeah... life is good.. kids
look at me like I am a freak because i am white... I think that it is
kind of funny... I cleaned our apartment yesterday and many it is
dusty... we have to keep our windows open since there is no AC... and
also we don't have any clean water so we have to buy water in plastic
bags to use for anything... but its cool.  Our town has goats,
chickens, dogs, and sometimes cattle just roaming everywhere...
weird... my first though when I got to my area was that i am in the
ghetto out in the middle of nowhere... I went to a school the other
day and it was just a shelter like a wooden pavilion with nothing else
but a chalkboard...  sad to see the poverty in this area.  Church was
interesting because everything was in Twi... it was DEFINITELY
different... they had me bear my testimony and then they had someone
translate it for me... it is weird that it is just my companion I can
talk to except for the one other time a week when we have district
meetings... but he is cool and fun... Yep that is life for me!  Love
you guys so so much!  Miss everyone but it is cool... Life will move
on!
Wish everyone my best!
Elder Trevor Walston

I'm in Ghana! In the field!

Hey guys! So I just got to my first area just a few days ago.  I am in Nyenasi.  It is pretty much in the bush... its kind of ridiculous but I have been enjoying it there so far.  It is kind of hard though because almost all the people there don't really speak English.  Most people only speak Twi.  My companion is way cool... He has been out for about a year now.  His name is Elder Molefe and he is from Botswana.  I am actually 10 days older than him though.  Its been cool to have him as my trainer.  He actually said that they put me in the worst conditions out of any area in the mission.  They have only ever had one white elder out in this area... Yay :)  Everyone here calls me "abrunee" which means white man.  I think I was called that at least 200 times yesterday.  I wouldn't be surprise is most of them had never seen a white guy before.  Its a bit of a culture shock but it is pretty cool.  It is just a very small branch.  I have written a few letters here but I can't send them because I forgot to bring envelopes and stamps and I can't buy stamps, you have to just take your letters to the post office to mail... and the closest post office is over an hour away.  Nyenasi is a crazy town.  Our apartment is a small little place with no hot water, no AC, and no clean water just behind the church... like 10 feet behind.  Its cool though.  I still haven't gotten any letters from the family yet :( But I got one from Hannah just a few minutes ago.  We had a Zone Conference today so I am in Cape Coast and I am getting to email.  I don't know if I will get to very often since I there isn't any internet in Nyenasi... or phone service for that matter.  Life is good though!  I forgot to bring pictures from home so you guys should send me some in letters :)  Soo... yeah.... Love you guys!  Till next time!

MTC district

Elder Trevor Walston & Elder Molefe (greenie & trainer) in their area.

Elder Trevor Walston's bed.

Apartment

This is the view from behind the church in Cape Coast.

Zone leaders & companion in Cape Coast.

Almost One Week Down

Hey guys!  So we got to go to the Accra Ghana Temple today and do a session there.  That was a pretty neat experience.  And only about 20 of the elders have been endowed (most of the Africans didn't come endowed) so most of them are going through for the first time today and tommorrow.  It is cool to see.  But yeah... ever since I got here my stomach and chest has felt weird... I geuss I am just getting used to the food or something even though it is pretty much rice for every meal EVERY day.  But life is good and I am not going to complain.  It has been a lot of learning and teaching and everything.  I am excitted to get out of here and into the mission field.  I am starting to be able to understand people better here.  Only seven more days after today and then I go to Cape Coast!  I saw my mission president today at the temple.  I love you guys!  Still haven't gotten your letters yet but we will see when they come.  Take care!  And you guys should email me. Love you guys!!!

Elder Trevor Walston

First email from the MTC

Hey! Just wanted to let you guys know that I arrived safe and sound.  It has been pretty hard so far but I think it is going better.  My companion is Elder Esaiba and he is from Nigeria.  He is going to the Nigeria Logos Mission.  It is really hot and humid in the rooms as there is no AC and we just have a fan.  They give you wasy too much food to eat.  Miss ya Guys and love you all.  Out of the 13 Americans here, 9 of them are going to the Ghana Cape Coast Mission.  There are 80 missionaries here though.  It feels weird being in the minority.  It is kind of hard to understand their accent as well but I am starting to get a hang of it.  I feel bad making them repeat what they say so much.  Love you guys.  See ya.

Headed out to Ghana

So pretty much everything is ready and I head out for the Ghana MTC this Thursday.  I gave my farewell talk this last Sunday and this is some of what I had to say:

I am excited for this opportunity to get to speak before I leave on my mission.  I was called to serve in the Ghana Cape Coast Mission and I am reporting to the Ghana MTC in a week from this Friday.  Ghana is located in West Africa between the Ivory Coast and Togo and my mission covers the southwestern parts of Ghana, mostly along the Atlantic coast.  I received my mission call this last February while I was at BYU.  As a little kid growing up in primary, I always dreamed of going on a mission to go serve the Lord, but I don’t think that I ever really imagined that this day would actually come and I especially did not expect to be going to Ghana.  But it is has sure come fast.  I am excited for this opportunity to go and serve the people over in Ghana.  The Gospel has spread very fast over in Africa.   Many are being baptized and the church is growing exponentially.  This last General Conference Elder John B Dickson shared a message of the missionary work being done in this area.  He said,

“As a people, West Africans believe in God, have absolutely no shame in declaring and sharing their belief with others, and have tremendous leadership capacity. They are coming into the Church by the hundreds, and every week or so a couple of wards or branches are created somewhere in the Africa West Area with, in nearly every case, all-African priesthood and auxiliary leadership.

How I wish you could join the Saints in the temple in Aba, Nigeria, or Accra, Ghana, where you would sense the commitment of the Saints and come to know the all-African temple presidencies. Or how I wish I could introduce you to the African Area Seventies, who are assembled with us here in the Conference Center today and are attorneys, professors, and business managers, or have you become acquainted with the African stake and ward leaders and their families.

Across Africa, to join a Sunday School, auxiliary, or priesthood class is a sacred experience, where the Church curriculum is followed and there is great gospel understanding, teaching, and learning by the Spirit.

The gospel in Africa is going to a happy people, very unencumbered by the trappings that affect the lives of many in the West. They are not concerned about having endless material possessions.

It has been said of Africans that they have very little of that which matters least and a great deal of that which matters most. They have little interest in enormous homes and the finest cars but great interest in knowing their Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and in having eternal families. As a natural result of their faith, the Lord is lifting them in meaningful ways.”

As I was growing up here I played soccer competitively.  One the guys on my team, his name was Stewy.  He was my first experience of meeting someone from Ghana, although I did not know that I would be serving there.  He was a friend that I respected, as he was friendly, cool, and  would stand up for himself and his values. Since I received my mission call, I have had the opportunity to meet a few more people from Ghana, one of which I was able to have dinner with and talk to. His name was Holdbrook McArthur.  Holdbrook’s family was one of the first members of the Church in Ghana, they became converted when man named Billy Johnson received a copy of the Book of Mormon. 

Billy Johnson was a Ghanan who got his hands upon a Book of Mormon.  In 1969, he read it and found it to be true.  He spread the Gospel among the people in Ghana.  Even though he had not yet received priesthood authority to baptize, he started to baptize people in Ghana forming congregations.  In 1978, when Spencer W Kimball announced the declaration that blacks could receive the priesthood, Johnson contacted the church headquarters hopeing to officially form the church in Ghana.  The church then sent leaders over to Ghana and the church was officially organized and Billy Johnson then became the first patriarch in Ghana.

The people that I have met from Ghana so far are very caring people as we all should be.  They look around to serve those around them and focus on the more important things in life.

We all should focus on the things that matter most in life, our families, the gospel, and put them above the material things of this world.  I feel that our mindset is a big part of how successful we can be, not just as a missionary, but as a human being.  If we look towards God and Christ and have that as our focus and mindset, it will help us become better people and better missionaries.

In Ether 12: 27 it says,

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

I love this scripture because it shows that we all have weaknesses and Christ can help us make them our strengths, but we first have to realize what they are and humble ourselves before him.  We have faith and try our best to make our weaknesses into our strengths, Christ will help us and make us a stronger people.  We cannot be too proud of ourselves, but we have to humble ourselves and look to Christ and he will help us.  I know that this scripture will give me strength because I would consider speaking to those I don’t know and in public as one of my weaknesses.  These next two years for me will not be the easiest, but I know if I humble myself and look unto Christ that he will help me.

Missionary work is very important to God and it can help bring others to Christ.   When we experience the blessings of gospel living, we naturally want to share those blessings with others. The Lord spoke of the joy that comes into our lives when we share His gospel in D&C 18:15–16.  It says:

“If it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!”

The goal of missionary is found in the missionary purpose which is to “Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”

We need to strive to help others receive this gospel.  Moses 1:39 says “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” We need to strive to help to bring to pass immortality and eternal life to all.  I have always viewed this verse as God’s mission statement.  We all should work together to help everyone achieve immortality and eternal life.  We can do this through missionary work.  Christ says in Mark 16:15 to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”  Christ commands us to serve God by going out and preaching his word unto all his children upon earth.  Brad Wilcox said that “Heaven is not a prize for the perfect, but the future home of all who are willing to be perfected.”  We can gain immortality and eternal life if we strive to perfect ourselves and let our weaknesses be made strong.

One way this past year that I have been able to make myself stronger and see areas that I need to improve is by studying the scriptures and I also had the opportunity to volunteer at the MTC as an investigator.  Going to volunteer was a good experience as I could help the missionaries prepare for their mission, and through their teaching, I could see ways I could also improve.  All the missionaries had the spirit with them, but you could tell some had prepared themselves throughout their life better than others.  We all want to be the one who is ready for whatever comes next.  Preparation is one of the best things that we can do for ourselves. 

In D&C 121:34-36, it says, “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?  Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—  That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.” 

We need to be the ones who are the chosen.  Rather than setting our hearts upon the things of this world, we should strive to set our hearts on the Gospel and its teachings.  If we live like unto Christ, then we may become these chosen and be able to return to live with our Father in Heaven once again.  We need to make sure not to delay and put off these actions for another day and time.  These are the latter days.  Doctrine and Covenants section 4 shows this and it is a very good scripture for missionary work.  It says,

“1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

 2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

 3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;

 4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in storethat he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

 5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.

 6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.

 7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

Now is the time to do missionary work and to serve God.  It says that “the field is white, already to harvest.”  There are people out there waiting for us to share the gospel and all we have to do is to open our mouths and God will help us share the Gospel.  If we ask for his help and humble ourselves, we will receive it.  It says that if we serve God with all our “heart, might, mind, and strength, that we will stand blameless before God at the last day.” Missionary work benefits both missionary and the one receiving the Gospel.

I am excited for my opportunity to serve as a full time missionary for this church.  I’m not going to lie; I am intimidated and nervous for the upcoming experiences that lie ahead of me.  I know that they won’t be easy, but I know that they will definitely be worth it.  I am excited to be able to help others receive the restored gospel, and know that if we all take every advantage we have, that we will be greatly blessed for it.

I would like to close by bearing my testimony that I know that this church is true.  It is as simple as that.  I know that my mission will help me for the better and I know that I am heading out there for the right reasons, because I know that Christ suffered through the atonement for me.  He suffered my pains, trials, and afflictions and I know that he will help me through my upcoming journey.  I am grateful for all the opportunities that I have been blessed with and I am grateful for my parents and leaders that have helped keep me on the straight and narrow. I would like to say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.