11/28/2016

We had a multi-zone conference and i got t see some of my MTC! and one AP because he likes being in pictures

its so much easier to decorate with magnets :)

Mommy is the best at giving gifts 

We had jell-o, butterscotch pudding, green beans, chicken (member made and gave to us), mashed potatoes, gravy, sour gummy worms, pretzels, 7-up, and some peach apple sparkling drink thing (non-alcoholic i checked) and bread of course

The clouds are the biggest reason why i stay here other than the work and i need to be here the clouds (when they come) look so awesome!

Well, this week was much harder. I’m positive it is because we didn’t actually get any work done until Wednesday and even then it was like one lesson that we spent 3 hours at because they had to make the food (1hour) we had to eat the food (1 hour) then the lesson (1 hour) (I’m not exaggerating). Despite all of that, I still like it here. I still like my mission. (I’ll love it soon…just give me a while :)). 

This week I’ve had a lot of time to think. I’ve thought of a few subjects that have helped me. The first is obedience. A small analogy I love is that of a piece of paper. If we have the commandment to cut a piece of paper on a line that is drawn, there are about 4 main ways that we can be obedient to that commandment. 1) we can disobey, we can come up with excuses to leave the paper because we just don't want to cut it or we don't have time to. 2) We can rip the paper. We still get the goal of having the paper in 2 but, did we do it how we were commanded to? Are we following the spirit or letter of the law? 3) We can cut the paper. GOOD! This is good, just good you accomplished the task and you tried but you didn't do it on the line or you did but you did it fast and you didn't get it as best as you could have. 4) You cut the paper on the line how you were commanded. This is exact obedience; you take your time and you do it the best as you can, giving it your best effort. ‘‘Obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles''.

Well, I didn't knock on wood hard enough. I’ve become more like Spencer this week than ever :). Firstly I crashed. I crashed bad :) I ran straight into my companion’s back tire and flew off my bike! I was like a whole leg away from my bike but Prayers work! I didn't get hurt at all! I also fell off my bike a different day as well. We were riding and we rode across some sand and my bike moved the sand and I fell. It was a sad moment :). The second reason I’ve become more like Spencer is I gave my watch away! (I thought you would get a kick out of that dad) I gave it to a recent convert boy who is 14 and I was probably going to get him one for Christmas anyway :).

Thanksgiving was this week and to celebrate we made mashed potatoes and it made me miss home a bunch! We also had gravy because my companion is awesome

I hope everyone is great at home and enjoying life. Have some milk and Oreos!

11/21/2016

Hello Everyone! This week was great. We had my first baptism! Her name is Vida and she is literally the sweetest woman ever and she gives us way too much food every time we pass by her!

We had the West African Conference yesterday (I think they are starting to do region conferences in the church) anyway it was cool and we got to see other missionaries! The most important thing I took from that conference is that we need to live the church culture not the worlds culture. That really applies to here because it's basically America 100 years ago where you have to pay the father if you want to marry a girl and all other things like that. But that is something we can ask ourselves: Are we completely living the church culture or the world culture? To answer that, ask yourself what is the church culture? (Let me know what you come up with because really I don't know :)). I only know mission culture right now. :) I do know a part of church culture is to go Home Teaching!

We have heard so much on home teaching but, let me be bold-- as a missionary I DON'T want to go out with members if they don't go home teaching. We actually go and take members home teaching out here because it's that imortant (something we figured out and just did. It's not the Mission Presidents rule) but it's so important. We need to home teach. It's been said that ''home teaching is but missionary work to members''. So please please please, we all need it.

Okay, back to lighthearted fun things :) We went to KFC today and I ate to the bones!

The scripture I have read this week that really hit me hard was Alma 13: 27. 27 "And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance"

That is how I feel. It can be how we all feel. We need to love the people we are around and as we love them we will want them to have this same knowledge and happiness that we have.

The plan of salvation is perfect! We go through sore trials but it's all for our experience. God's plan is perfect because He is perfect. I know it's perfect. One other thing that was said in the conference was to be happy through trials. I don't know how, but we can find joy in little things

I do love you all and appreciate the support and help you do for the building of the kingdom!

-Elder Ellsworth

I bought a new watch! 10 cedi for a fake g-shock, but it's okay because it's orange :)

This is vida and she is awesome. My camera doesn't do well in dimly lit places ':)

These two things have saved my life. Peanut butter is a rare find here :) and top choco is just chocolate spread (think Nutella) lol but it's so good and made me less homesick

This is how much dirt and dust gets into our room (not our house, just our room) over the week----just one week!

It was P-day today and we had nothing better to do except play ping pong and connect four

My tag I use is fading (the one on the left) Ghana just doesnt like the word ''of''

This was the week before when we swept just our room :)
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Week 4

THEY HAVE TOP RAMEN EVERYWHERE! this is actually really good and not expensive at all

Everything in that freezer is our neighbors, but at the back there is a cut off bottle. That has coke in it.  Yes it's what you're thinking...we can make slushies in Ghana! Also we have hotdogs, so I'm not dying completely :)

This is more a picture of my beautiful smile :) (my tie is not meant to be that low)

This actually really hurt my head and got my tie soaked but service is service right!?! :) Yes the bucket is full of water

It's the mall. It's more American than the malls in America:)

They had a lego store in the mall plus it's p-day so I built a Temple. Did you know that Duplo doesn't make angel Moroni blocks? 

Well it’s week 4 in the field and I’m still kind of homesick, but mom is awesome and forgives me :)

We had something called a bofloat(?). It’s like a deep fried dough ball and kind of tastes like a Disneyland churro, if you have a good enough imagination :)

We have a baptism scheduled for Saturday! Her name is Vida and she’s awesome. She was so devoted to being baptized on Sunday she said she would quit working on Sundays.s (she sells roasted plantain for 1 cedi and she buys them for about that much so she really doesn't make any profit (that is just the Ghana economy)) So she only makes enough to survive every day but she said she will stop selling to keep the Sabbath day holy so she can be baptized. She has so much faith! She was scheduled for yesterday, but Bishop wanted her to meet the Relief Society President before, so it’s this Saturday!

This week was really good. It was a lot of work and kind of just blurred together but I know we did work and that’s what is important.

We got to experience some Ghanaian culture this week at a naming ceremony for a non member’s baby. I’m still confused as to what actually happened, but there was a guy who was yelling at the baby and into a microphone with blasting speakers. There was also oil that he had and he palmed my head like a basketball. I don’t know if that was the best example I could have set as a missionary but he was yelling and everyone was staring. I DID get water out of it so it was worth it! but it was pretty crazy!

I read my patriarchal blessing and it gave me so much comfort and peace with the challenges that I was going though. The church is true! I’m so blessed with all the things I have. Of course I want to live in an American apartment but at least I have fans, electricity that doesn't shut off often, and a shower head.

I love all the words of encouragement that have been sent to me through e mail. They do help me. Thank you. I really can’t think of what to write. I need a prompt or something. I do have pretty good pictures this week. I carried water on my head and IT HURTS! I was probably doing it wrong!

This isn't just another church... it is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth again. I hope we all understand that because that is so so so so so so so important and we need to know that. i love you all and keep rooted, that is where it’s safe.

-Elder Ellsworth

DAD I forgot to answer your question last week about the rain! No it hasn’t been raining like at all. We’re coming on the dust storm season. It’s going to be supper hard to keep stuff clean. (I should really get dirt colored shoes lol) It has rained like 3 times but not even hard so it’s not too bad.

 

11/7/16

This week, oh this week! This week was really cool.  We taught a bunch of lessons and worked super hard and guess what I didn’t feel as bad as last week! There’s a real blessing from the Lord. Someone this week called me Elder Ellssmith.  So, I mean, that was fun.  I didn’t laugh too loud.  I was respectable, don’t worry, Mom! 

I gave my testimony on Sunday.  It was the first time I’ve been called to give my testimony and the first time I cried all the way through.  I know the plan of salvation is true. It has to be!.

We had a very productive week.  We taught a total of 20 lessons and have an investigator preparing for baptism for Sunday.  The people here are ready to follow God. 

There are still struggles-- like people not understanding there is one true church or that the Book of Mormon is The Book of Mormon, not The Book of Mammon lol.

On Sunday before sacrament meeting I was having a hard time. The thought came to my mind that I felt alone.  Yes I know the atonement means I’m never alone, but my mind led to why I was here and the question I asked myself that we should all ask ourselves is '' do I love the Gospel or, do I love the people of the Gospel?'' Basically am I here because the gospel or am I here because of my ward, friends, and family? I answered both-- don’t worry I love you all but more so, the first part.  That’s where our testimony needs to be.  That’s the rock and not the sand.

Money literally goes so far here. You can get like a full glass bottle of soda for like 25 cents (1 cedi). The only expensive things are American things and they are only like 25 cedi-- which is like 6 dollars.

Dad, thank you for your stories. I talk so much about you and mom and everyone.   I miss everyone and everything so much but I know I’m doing the right thing.

I tried taking money out today but the ATM was broken lol.  Not that I need any but I just need to buy clothes and stuff with my money not mission money.  It’s so different here and my greatest desire is to go home.  But then I think about it and my greatest desire is when I get home: I want to go to the temple with everyone as soon as I get off the plane. That’s more important to me. 

Also, Oreos are a lot better in Africa than America!  Yes, even without milk. :)  

Please read the Book of Mormon. Even for the story. It has the best story ever (yes even better than Harry Potter) 

I love you all and am absolutely grateful for the support. 

Love

Elder Ellsworth (the one better at riding a bike)

P.s I’ve decided I’m better at riding a bike than Spencer because I haven’t crashed yet (knock on wood) but the traffic here is absolutely crazy!! Also it’s not me it’s the protection of all the prayers and obedience by actually wearing my helmet :) (yes I’m the nerd missionary that wears his helmet)