January 18, 2016 Email

Hello,

I couldn't ask for anything better while I'm out on my mission!  Hearing from all of you and having the support all of you give me, I couldn't be happier!!!!

This week was decent, we had Abu get baptized, and I gave two blessings this week and last week.  One blessing was for comfort in going back to school and one to a man named Prince, he was sick with Malaria.  It's just clock work most of the week to be honest.  Had a lot of good lessons and we were able to have some fun in meeting new people.  None of the peopl ein my district were transferred and so I'll be here for a while haha!!!

So ya, some of the Elders and Sisters from the MTC, I still keep in contact with them.  And I would love if you all talked to them and met them all!!!!!  So in two years, I'm inviting them all over for a barbecue and a few other cool things haha!!!!!

But most of all, thank you so much for your support.  I know I'm not perfect, and I've made mistakes in the past that I fell guilty for.  I just want to be the best missionary I can be while I'm here!!!  And, hearing from all of you really helps me press forward.  I know I have a lot to do, and I have a lot to learn, but thank you so very much for the support.

By the way, it's nice to hear from a couple of friends back home haha!!!!  Hope they aren't doing anything too crazy haha!!!!

Thank you everyone, I'll write more next week, I promise!!!!  thank you so much, I couldn't ask for anything better in my life!!!!  I love you all and hope you're all doing well, and please be safe!!!!!

Love,
Elder Smith

January 11, 2016 Email

Hey Fam,

This week has been well. . .like clock work.  Just day in and day out of doing the same things over and over again, riding to far areas and just having my companion wanting to keep going.  It's good definitely, but I'm getting a little tired of it.

I have a game for all of you!!!  So, you take a piece of cardboard, and you have 9 items you can eat.  It's called, "Don't Eat Pete!".  So, you choose one of the items that you can't eat.  (One person is out of the room while the others choose).  When they come back and start eating, if the person is about to eat the one chosen thing, the rest say, "Don't Eat Pete!!!!!".  It's pretty fun when doing this at Family Home Evening.

Some missionaries in Africa playing "Don't Eat Pete!"

We have a baptism this Saturday and it's going to be a long week.  We have a lot of people to go see and a lot of contacting to do.  It gets a little hard sometimes when I have such a high education and these people only understand at maybe a 7th grad reading level, and even then, some of them have trouble reading so it's super had to get them to keep commitments and to read what we give them!!!!!

And, well, it's just been a hard week.  Home sickness has really kicked into overdrive and it's sometimes very tempting to call and go home.  I'm going to need all the help I can get if I can stay.  It's hard moving on and not having the same things back home.

Hopefully, the Lord will provide.  Hope you're all doing well, and please can I get some feedback on my room, packing, and how my friends are doing?  Thanks everyone.  Love you.

From,
Elder Smith

Afehyia Paaaaa - January 4, 2016 Email

Afehyia Paaaaa!!!!!!  Happy New Years!!!!!!!! Man Ghanaians can really throw a party on New Years haha!!!!!

Everyone, this has been a good week, so we have a few baptism dates coming up this month!  Hopefully, our people will be able to come and get baptized.

So, for the most part, my days are just blurring together haha!!!!  I'm getting better at futball!!!! (Soccer)  Also, it's good to hear that everything is going amazing back home!!!  It's pretty cool being here and thinking that it's almost 2 months of me being out!!!!!  It's going by way faster than I expected!!!!!!  I love it!!!

Also, it's good to know that Mitch is coming home soon, then he can give me advice!!!!  Also, Mitchell, I forbid you to get married before I get home, then I can totally be there to be surprised haha!!!!!!!

Well, just riding around on my bike and seeing our baptism candidates!  It's pretty amazing to see how much the Lord watches over me and the people we teach.  Going to work and knowing that I'll be back home makes me a little nervous!!!!  I mean, ya, it's still 2 years, but I'm also almost 2 months in!!!!!  I love it!!!!!!!

Well, hope you're all being safe, and that you know that the Lord needs your help as well, thanks for everything!!!!  Love you all!!!!

Sincerely,
Elder Smith

December 28, 2015 Email

Hello Everyone!!!!

It was amazing to talk to you all on Christmas!!!!!! You're all so different but in the same way, all the same haha!!!  (Just a note from our Skype call with Stockton:  they are not allowed to buy meat at the markets because it may be a type of rat that they have there--awesome, eh?!?).  So, when we spoke with Stockton at Christmas, he told us his name in Ghanaian.  They name their children for the day of the week and the order of birth.  

Above are the names based on days of the week.  (Kofi Annan is from Ghana--as an example of the names)

STOCKTON'S NAME

So being here in Ghana has been pretty good.  This week was pretty packed.  So we baptized Osumon (Benjamin)!!!!!!  I messed up on the baptismal prayer the first 2 times, but then I got it right and dunked him!!!!  I can't tell you all how amazing it felt to do my first baptism!!!

Also, when riding a bike about 20 mph and going straight to sand that's higher than you on the side of the road is a bad idea!!!!!  We were traveling back from Burekuso and I totally crashed on the side of the road at night.  Luckily, I didn't go in the middle of the street, so that's a plus haha!!!  Also, I crashed on my bike earlier and scraped up my hands quite a bit so ya, haha!!!!!

This week we went around and found new contacts so that was super cool!!!  Also, it's really fun teaching our investigators about the gospel cuz they get it so easily!!!  The only downside is that I have to go slow and I have to simplify everything.  Hopefully, I get the hang of talking to people here haha!!!  So trotros are like vans that people can get in and go to places, and taxis are super expensive here!!!!!!

We went to the temple a few weeks ago and it was beautiful!!!  I felt amazing actually being there!!!  The temple was so beautiful, and it's confidential to explain how it was, but I just want to say the last room was so beautiful and has the Ghanaian colors in it!!!!!

LDS Temple in Accra, Ghana

Close up of the stained glass in the front of the building.

Everyone, I couldn't tell you how blessed I am being here.  At times I do want to quit and go home, but I know that you're all supporting me and giving me confidence to press forward!!!  Also Mom, can you tell me if you got my room packed up, mainly my books all together, cuz I got a lot of reading to do when I get back haha!!!!!

Well, one month down, 23 to go!!!!  Thanks everyone for everything!!!!  I couldn't ask for a better family!!!!!  Love you all!!!!

Sincerely,
Elder Smith