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

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone!  This week was a rather eventful week.  On Tuesday we had interviews with our mission president.  I was a little nervous as I had to give an instruction along with Sister Stevenson and the Assistants.  But it went all good.  I had a good interview and I was able to talk to him about quite a bit.  He a kind of gave me false hope that I would be here for Christmas though.  I found out on Saturday that I will be leaving Kojokrom to go Green Hill, an area in Cape Coast.  I am pretty sad that I won't get to spend Christmas here in Kojokrom, but I guess it had to happen since I have been here for almost ten months.  I am going to be with an Elder Barlow.  I hear that he is one of the missionaries that came from Sierra Leon when they were evacuated due to ebola.  But I am excitted.  I will be in the same district as Nkanfoa, so I will get to go on splits to my old area... I am excited for that.  But yeah... we went to stake conference yesterday in Takoradi.  There were quite a few people there and the little bit that I heard was really good.  I had to sit outside since there wasn't enough room inside but it was a broadcast for all of Africa.  But what I got from it was quite a bit of change needs to happen with the people here especially with the cultural things such as a bride price, and the way they do their weddings and funerals. They were pretty much told to stop all of it.  They talked about how we must all change from our cultures to the gospel culture.  The culture of Christ is what we must have, there is no other alternative. But yeah... that was sweet.  It was kind of sad that I wasn't really able to say goodbye to a lot of the people since many didn't come. But I still have one last day here.  Well... I love you all.  Life is great!  I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving this week!  Take
care!

Elder Walston

Ghanaian Greetings

Hello all!  Hope that the week went well for you all.  It was a wonderful week here in Kojokrom.  We got fed quite a bit this week and that was really nice.  We got fed fufu a few times, rice balls, banku.  It was pretty nice.  But yeah.  This week I went on splits with Elder Pearmain in my area.  That was fun.  We were blessed with a pretty good day.  But yeah... the highlight of my week was yesterday, my birthday.  Two of the members, Gloria and Julie, made doughnuts for everyone at church for my birthday and stuff.  I was fun to be able to be here in Kojokrom for my birthday.  I also had someone make me a photo album and bead tie.  It was way cool.  Then today we went to the Julanders and watched 17 Miracles.  Powerful movie that I would suggest everyone to see.  It was way good.  People have been treating me well.

This past week I have been studding about Diligence and being consecrated to the Lord.  One thing is that we must put everything on the alter of sacrifice.  We must do all that we can.  A story I like is that of Roger Bannister.  He was the first one to break the four minute mile.  But he had to be diligent leaving everything he had to accomplish the task at hand.  That is at times, what we all must do.

Well, I love you all!

Elder Walston

My companion elder Pearmain and I.... left overs of fufu and goat (I ate the eye ball and head) and rice balls and the presents a member gave me for my birthday: