Cape Coast... a wonderful place to be!

Hello everyone!  I hope you are all having a wonderful winter this year and a wonderful week!  This week has been pretty good and busy!  So last Monday I was in Greenhill's area for a little bit and I saw some wild monkeys!  Four of them!  That was awesome!  But yeah... other than that we were pretty busy in the office and going out trying to see people.  And this Thursday we were able to get together with two other zones and receive an instruction about becoming a consecrated missionary... that was powerful and sweet!  It made me realize how much room I have to improve.  But yeah... just a good week.  We had two of our investigators come to church yesterday and one of them will be baptized fairly soon.  Fun stuff.  And yesterday we were also able to be fed by one of our members... they fed us some rice balls and palm nut soup.  They also had some crab in it and I ate a huge crab... everything... it was pretty good.  The people here are so nice and sweet... simply love it!

Today we had a sweet District activity... we went to the Crittendens home, they are our office couple, and we watched Ephirium's Rescue... sweet movie!  And then we had this Kenyan dish that one of the elders made us.

So I just want to talk about what I learned from my instruction a little bit, about being a consecrated missionary.  It shows that we must put in all our time, efforts, and heart.  To be consecrate is to give our all... and that is what we all must do... we must give our all to the Lord.  That is how we will receive the greatest blessings and miracles... through being fully consecrated to the Lord.

I love you all and wish you the best of luck with all your endeavors back home!  Love you!

Elder Walston

A Beautiful Week

This week was pretty sweet!  We stayed really busy this week.  On last Wednesday we went on split with our Zone Leaders and I came to Cape Coast with Elder Beck and that was way sweet!  It was weird being in town but at least Cape Coast isn't that huge.  It was fun and we did a lot of work here.  I also had the opportunity of eating octopus. It was fried and it tasted really good!  I liked it a bit.  We also got to fetch water for a elderly member on splits... it was cool to meet her as she was one of the pioneers of the church here in Ghana... way sweet!

Then yeah.... Friday we were in the office all day and then we had to help load up furniture in some of the mission trucks as a new couple is coming up to Praso this next week.  So Saturday morning we spent driving up to Praso with the APs to drop off the furniture.... that took about 5 hours and then Elder McKeon and Elder 'Atu'ake had a baptism that we went to.  There were two people that were baptized, but I feel kind of close to them because I taught them most of the lessons when we were in the threesome together... Love the two of them!

Elder Lee says Hi....

Life is sweet!  We just have to look at the positive things in life.  I was talking to one of our investigators, Gloria, about our ability to choose.  I shared 2 Nephi 2:27... we can choose where we want to go, we just have consequences...  sometimes we are put in difficult situation but we just have to make the best of it.  It is up to us to choose... we have been given that wonderful blessing so we should take advantage of what we have!  We just have to make the most of things!

Love you all!

Elder Walston

My Short Little Note

Hey everyone!  This week has been fun... I got some packages from mom this week!  Thank you!  Today for p-day we went to Cape Coast castle and had a tour through that.  It was cool... definitely sad what happened there.  The rest of the week was fairly normal. The internet is really bad right now and I only have a few minutes left, but I love you all and the Lord does too!  Always remember that.  Take care and I hope that all goes well!

Hey everyone!

Hey everyone!  This week hasn't really been all that special... just another week in the office and working here in Nkanfoa.  This last week, in our District Meeting, we talked about loving our companions.  I can definitely see that it is very important, because if you can't teach with the spirit of unity, nothing you do will be as effective as it could have been... when we have that unity, we are able to truly help those that we are teaching.  It was a sweet instruction.  Then just we just went out and proselyted a bit.  Things kind of changed a bit when Elder Merrill came but I guess that is okay because we just have to work together.  This last Saturday was sweet though.... we were able just to teach a little bit but we were also able to serve the people here... we were able to wash one the member's mother's (who is not a member) clothes for here.  Then we also helped a member start to make corn dough from the cobs of corn.  I feel that just service is a wonderful way to show the people that you truly do care and it make you feel good as well.  Some of the best times are when serve the people around you.  So then yesterday, the assistants had us come and help them set up a new spreadsheet for the numbers for this upcoming year... I guess people say that I know how to get around a computer.

So... something I have looked at this week is that sometimes we are required to do things that we simply don't want to do.  Sometimes life is hard, and you don't want to push through, but if you want to benefit from the time that you have at hand, then you need to do it with a glad heart.  Not just do it, but do it because you know that it will make you a better person.  When we do something, especially missionary work, we must do it with all our heart, might, mind and strength.  We need to have all four attributes to successful benefit and achieve the best possible results.  You don't want to do something half good or good enough.  We should do it the best we can and then we will receive the most benefit from it that we can... we are here to improve ourselves and to grow spiritually and physically.  So lets do it.

I love you all so much for everything!  You all are the best!

Elder Walston

A new year approaches

Hey Everyone! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas... it sure was great being able to talk to you all! Best Chrsitmas present that I could of had! :) It feels kind of weird because I feel like I told you everything already. But Chrsitmas was good and nice since the Shulz's let me Skype you all. Christmas day was sweet.... service at Cape Coast Castle cleaning windows, sweeping, and moping and what not.... it was sure fun... The windows where nasty though... I don't think that they had been cleaned in many years. I feel that is was worth it more because it showed the people there that we truly care about Ghana and Cape Coast... I didn't feel that the castle seemed a whole lot cleaner, but they now know that we care about this place and that is what really matters. Then we got to watch 17 miracles... sweet movie! Then I got to talk to you all! Sweet Christmas day.... the rest of the week was okay. As I told you last week I have a new companion, Elder Merrill. This are going okay. It is sure different, but I guess that I am used to change right now as I have had pretty much six companions in the last five transfers.... oh well. The people are still the greatest thing and I really can't complain... just have to keep working hard! I have been reading a talk about missionary work and it was talking about how charity is the most important part of the missionary. If you don't learn to love the work and the people then you will go and return in vain. 1 Corinthians (I believe chapter 13 or so) talks about it. You have to have that love to truly make an impact on yourself and on the people. Love and charity are two of the best attributes that one can have, so we better develop them! I love you all and I hope that you all have a happy new year! Elder Walston

Elder Walston in Cape Coast

Jeffrey

Elder Walston and Jeffery

The trio

Eating ampesi,

Service project

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Hey everyone! How are you all doing? I hope that you have a great Christmas Eve and a Wonderful Christmas tomorrow! It is weird to be in a different climate, with different people on this awesome holiday but it is really cool. This week has been really awesome and packed. We have been able to do a lot of service this week and that has been probably the best part of this week. Last Wednesday we went to one of our members home, the Arthur's, and since we had extra supplies at the apartment where we were able to paint their house for them. As it can be common to have writing above the door of a house they said that we could write something on their home... so now it says House of Mormons... It looks way sweet! I will send you a picture soon. But yeah... they feed us some ampesi afterwards and that was way good! :) Then we also had our Christmas part on Saturday... that was a blast and everyone sure enjoyed it! There was a TON of food and we had quite a bit of leftovers so they gave that to older people in the ward.... Way sweet.... lots of people dancing, playing games and just having a good time. So yesterday was transfer day and I have yet another companion.... his name is Elder Merrill and he is from West Jordan, Utah. It was weird to see Elder Cavaness leave and Elder McKeon is now training a Tongan in our apartment. It is cool though... weird but cool. So my little uplifting thought for this week has come as I was finishing the Book of Mormon this week... I was reading the end of Moroni and it continually emphasizes Faith, Hope, and Charity. They all must exist in us to truly do our best and become like Christ. We each have our own opportunities to choose whether or not we want to develop the Christ-like attributes. If we do then we will be able to live happier lives and enter into the Kingdom of God and receive that ultimate happiness of eternal life. I love you all so so much and I am really excited to be able to talk to you guys tomorrow! I love you all and hope that you have a Merry Christmas! Just know that you have an Elder out here in Ghana who loves each and everyone of you! Elder Trevor Walston

Time is Flying By

Hey all!! This week was pretty packed of fun.  We had our Mission Christmas devotional last Friday and that was way fun.  We sung a lot of Christmas songs, had some powerful instruction, and then we got to watch the movie Forever Strong as that is our motto of our mission right now.  That was cool but also way different to see a movie.  The Motto of Forever Strong and Kia Kaha is so awesome as we must always do OUR best... be the strongest missionary that I can be, be the strongest follower of Christ that we can be, and simply do OUR best.  We must focus on being our best selves.  Then we will be Forever Strong and everything else will start to come into place and we will be truly happy!  But yeah... so we also had a huge lunch full of rice! Sooo good!  Then we had a talent show and that was cool!  Fun time being able to see all the missionaries in this mission.... some of them I had never seen before.

Today we played some soccer with four other zones in this mission way fun!  Nice to get back and play some football.  But yeah... mission life is good!  It was cool to see as our ward mission leader go on his mission to Nigeria... he is in the MTC right now.  Missions are great... they are one of the best ways that you can serve the Lord, but in actuality, I am helping myself become a better person.  I have grown thanks to the Lord, but I have so much more room to improve... that is why we must lean on the Lord!  Put all our trust in him!

Well... I kind of ran out of time, But I love you all!  Take care!

Elder Walston