One Transfer Down!

So hey everyone!  It is great to hear about everyone and their lives!  This last week was alright... we took a bike trip to a little town that took about 30 minutes to get there.. it was fun and it was raining quite a bit but then it cleared up.  At the town we went around and just talked to the people about the Gospel and as we were riding the bikes (we have to borrow them from a member) a guy waved us over and then he started chewing us out saying that we have no right to be in Ghana and what are we doing taking pictures there... it took a while but we explained everything and he understood... he said he thought we were spies.  Why would anyone send spies to the middle of nowhere in Ghana?!  Oh well...  The place we biked to is in Western Region, while Nyenasi is in the Central Region... I guess that we are pretty much on the border.

I got the book from Dad to try to learn Twi better today!  Hopefully it helps!   Thanks a bunch!

We also had an opportunity to go to our Branch Mission Leader's farm and weed and plant plantain and cassava.  It was pretty fun but everyone was like a white man can't do work... gets kind of frustrating... people really really really stereotype white people over here as lazy rich people who can't do anything for themselves.  Oh well... the farm was still way fun though!  Got blisters on my hands from using the cutlass but it was good.  I also got to try some cocoa... it is actually a really fruity sweet... it is the seeds where we get the chocolate from... pretty sweet!  But that is life in Nyenasi!  Love everyone back home and miss them!

Elder Trevor Walston 

Laundry!

 

Food!

The Farm.

Cocoa Bean!

5 weeks in!

So... Ghana is interesting.  I was able to experience my first funeral
as a member in our branch died three months ago... they do their
funerals a LONG time after they die it's weird... there is going to
bee one in two weeks for a guy who died over six months ago!  But they
are really weird... they last all weekend, three days, and there is
lots of music and parties and dancing.  They bring in huge speakers
and blast music all weekend REALLY loud.  I mean really loud.  I can
hear it from any part of town and it hurts my insides when I walk by
the speakers... put it is definitely interesting to say the least.
So... I am doing alright... picking up Twi more and more, day by day.
People always laugh and me when I say something like its a white man
speaking Twi!  And maybe a because I know so little.  But we have a
few pretty strong investigators right now.  They are mostly in their
teens or low twenties because the younger people here are the only
ones who can really speak English... any older than people in their
twenties and most of them can't really speak English at all. But
yeah...
We were fed Banku twice by members this week.  I don't really like it
all that much... fufu is much better but I have been trying to stay
away from Ghanian food since I got typhoid.  I miss food from home...
I am starting to get sick of rice and ramen noodles but I think I am
starting to find other things that I can manage.
I have to say I miss everyone from home but I am trying that to drive
me to be a better missionary.  I enjoy receiving letters from
everyone.  I am so excited to hear that Anders and Angela made it out
of the hospital safely.  I love everyone!
Ybesha!
Elder Trevor Walston

I'm alive in Ghana!

Hey everyone! I am almost completely better from the typhoid now... I just get a little tired at times.  It is all good though and we are starting to teach some pretty sweet people.  I am starting to find food that I actually like and can eat and fix for myself.  I got a package from home today!  It had the photo album... thanks so so much!! Yep....  I am so excited for Angela and Eric and little new Anders!  I hope Angela is able to recover quickly and get better.  Speaking of little kids... one of the less actives in our area that we have been working with just had a kid a two weeks ago... we were just outside the home when his wife gave birth and we heard the baby's first cries... well... supposedly he is giving his child the first name of Walston... not quite sure what to think but I guess I am spreading my legacy here in Ghana!

We have had the opportunity to take some bikes and go to other towns in our area... we have gone to (I have no idea on how to spell these) Abredome, Kayieku, and Adejea.  It is cool to see the other villages around Nyenasi.  I have been picking up some Twi small small.  That is what they say instead of a little bit... but hopefully I be fluent in no time!  People are friendly here and I have quite a few people say that I talk way too fast so that they can't understand me... I am trying to slow down but I feel like I am then talking to a two year old.

I sent a few letters two and a half weeks ago and I will get the chance to send more today.  But thanks for all the letters I get! Umm.... I don't know what else to say...  It is really hot and humid here but it is rainy season so it is either hot or it is raining... and everything here is dirt... so it is muddy.  We organized a district in Praso last Sunday... so we aren't apart of the Assin Foso Stake anymore!  Life is good and getting better... I am here for a reason.

Washing clothes by hand sucks though...  Seven of my fingers started bleeding this last time I washed... it hurts... and then you are fed fufu and you eat it with your fingers... and with wounds on your fingers and putting it into the hot soup... it burns!  But yep! Love everyone back home!!  Miss everyone too! Take care!!

Elder Trevor Walston

Fufu

One of the houses.

Kids in Ghana.

Washing clothes by hand.

How they get pure water.

A Storm coming in.

The water pump/well where people get their water in town.

Elder Walston's first baptisms!

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.