March 28, 2016 Email

Hey everyone!!!!!!!!!!

Well, not much to report over here.  We had an interesting Easter Sunday though.  We went over to the other missionaries apartment and chilled there.  Elder Obasi is leaving here in a few days.  His mission is over and he is heading home, haha!!!!!  Also, Elder Stilson is leaving here, and he's going to another area, he's been here in Buduburam for about 6 months!!!!!  It's crazy!!!!!!  Me, Wallin, and Paddon are staying here for this next transfer; Elder Goodrich is coming to replace Stilson.  Goodrich, Wallin and Paddon are all TCs and it's going to be a frickin' fun transfer!!!!!!!!

So, the problem with my camera.  I'm going to try and find somewhere to fix my camera.  The lens won't retract and I can't take any pictures.  If I can't find anywhere to fix it, I will go and buy another one when we go and pull sub (money to live on) from the mall.  I'll try to find another one on the streets.  That's a huge plus here, I can literally walk around and find anything I want if I know where to go.

So, this week has been pretty much a dead week, haha!!!!  We've had trouble going out to our far areas this week mainly because we have been on transfers and we've had trouble having contact with any of our investigators out there.  A major plus side though is that we have had a few baptisms this last Saturday.  We baptized some kids:  Richard, Jennifer and Lizzy!!!!!  We've already baptized Benjamin and it's been pretty amazing to see them baptized now!!!!!

We had a FM at Grace's house and CHI!!!!!!  She's really nice, but it's really weird.  See, Wallin has been trying to get her to like him as a joke, and well, it's just turned toward me and it's just weird, haha!!!!!  So yeah, that happened.  We've been playing Skum and Bang a lot these past few nights mainly because we have a bet that we get a large pizza from the mall and we can also get a 30 Cedi meal at the mall as well!!!!!  I'm trying to win, but when it comes to Skum, I suck, but when it comes to Bang, I'm a champ!!!!  haha!!!!!

So, other than that, it's just been pretty normal here.  A few of our investigators are reluctant to be dunked, but we are having a lot of success still, haha!!!!!  Be sure not to do anything crazy while I'm gone alright everyone!!!!!  I love you all!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Stockton Smith

March 21, 2016 Email

Hey everyone!!!!!

So this week has been a little interesting haha!!!  So we have had a pretty crazy week with us just seeing an apostle!!  So now, we are just doing whatever and doing usually the same thing haha!!!  Stilson is losing his mind being in this area, he may just go crazy if he isn't transferred, haha!!!  Also, Paddon and Wallin are the craziest guys you will ever meet!!!!  I love them so much, haha!!!

So, well, I don't know if I said this last week, but they played a major prank on me!!!!  We came home and me and Wallin came home later than usual cuz a lesson went longer than we thought.  So, I walk up to the apartment and I open the gate and door and I look inside, the place is just destroyed!!!  Looks like it was ransacked or something like that.  I walk in and frickin' Paddon jumps out of the kitchen with a cutlass and screams and acts like a crazy guy!!  I book it out of there as fast as I can and well, I find out a few seconds later that it's them playing a prank on us.  Chi,  I was not a nice guy after that haha!!!

So this week has been pretty ordinary to be honest.  Just going around and doing the good work. So, in my apartment it's amazing to be with these guys, to hang and to hear crazy stories!!!  So well, one night, we were just chilling and we had lights off, that where the power goes off and all that.  So we were for some odd reason talking about scary stories and chi!!!  We were scared to go to sleep after that cuz the lights didn't come back on haha!!!

So, we just did was we usually do.  We have a few investigators leaving here soon so that's a bummer.  We have a few baptisms coming up soon and I hope that I'm still here when they happen.  So, transfers are coming up soon and hopefully I'll be able to stay in Buduburam, haha!!!!  So, other than that, that's pretty much it haha!!!  Just chillin' and doing what I can to serve the Lord, haha!!!!

Love you all, be safe!!!!

Love,
Elder Stockton Smith

March 14, 2016 Email

Hey!!!!!!

So, this week has been interesting. . .so my camera broke and well, it was broken by a small boy named Benjamin, so you might not see any pics from me for a while (NOTE:  we haven't received any pics from Stockton, I have pilfered from his companions websites).  And well, I only have a few pics of my area, haha!!!!!

So today, we went to see Elder Rasband!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was AMAZING!!!!!!  I'm surprised I wasn't sent home, haha!!!!  Also, I saw a few of my MTC bros there!!!!  And chi!!!!  I felt the spirit there.

Driving to the Conference

MTC Bros

With more missionaries from the Ghana Accra West Mission

I felt like I was really on a mission and that I was really making a difference in people's lives over here. . .Also, he gave us a message from the prophet!!!  He said. . ."Tell those people in Africa that I love them, and that I thank them for their service."  I feel like I'm really making a difference now!!!  Knowing that I'm being recognized for my efforts!!!!

So, other than that amazing day, it's been decent here.  The rainy season is hitting us hard and the heat is crazy!!!!  So, now I'm just trying to survive, haha!!!  So, we have a few baptisms coming up this week, and hopefully we can visit with the candidates and make sure they don't have any problems, so yeah!!  And, well, the spirit will guide us on what we need to do next.,

So, hopefully I'll be able to stay in my area, there is a rumor of a 9 week transfer so hopefully I can stay in Buduburam haha!!!!  And chi!!!!!  I love my district!!!!!  They are so funny and crazy, haha!!!

Hope you all are being safe and not doing anything too crazy ok, haha!!!  Keep me updated okay?  I love you all so much!!!!

Love,
Elder Stockton Smith

March 7, 2016 Email

Hey Everyone!!!!!!

So this week has been pretty crazy to say the least.  So, the rainy season is coming and well, it got really bad on Saturday night.  We walked home in the rain and we were soaked from head to toe!!!!!  But, on the plus side, we can walk outside and take a shower in the rain, haha!!!!!

So this week has been a little tricky, not a lot of people were free to see us and we had a lot of stuff going on this week that prevented us from going out and teaching.  Also, the stories I hear in the apartment are pretty crazy!!!!!  There are paranormal stories, then there's cool gospel stories and its' pretty intense sometimes, haha!!!!  And ell, it's been pretty amazing to say the least!!!!  Oh, and also, my bed broke and now I'm like, leaning when I go to sleep, haha!!!

So, right now we have a few baptisms coming up this week and hopefully we can get Elder Paddin to go in and visit with them before we dunk 'em!!!!!!!  And well, it's just been pretty cool.  So, now I need to show the rest of the area to Wallin and it's going to be amazing!!!  He's a cook guy and its pretty amazing to work with him.

And no, I didn't bleach my hair, mainly because an apostle is coming.  Elder Rasband is coming to visit our mission next Monday!!!!!   CHI!!!!  I'm nervous to be quite honest, haha, just hearing stories of other apostles sending missionaries home for not being worthy or something like that. . .chi, I'm nervous, haha!!!  Luckily, Paddin's pretty good a giving haircuts, I don't know, but I think I look pretty dang good, hahahaha!!!!

Now listen up, if any of you come to Ghana, be sure to not go to the malls later in the day or on holidays, otherwise it's packed!!!!!!  It's been pretty amazing here, and chi, I'm flippin' lucky to not get killed by a trotro, or a van/bus thing, and the crazy people who drive them!!!!!!!

Well, hopefully I'll be able to send you all some pictures here soon, so yeah, haha!!!!  Hope you all are being safe, and don't do anything too crazy while I'm gone ok, haha!!  I love you all!!!!!  Be safe!!!!!

Love,
Elder Stockton Smith

February 29, 2016 Email

Hey Everyone!!!!!!!!!

Chi, this week has been amazing!!!!!  With the new missionaries, the apartment is crazy fun!!!!  We do a lot of crazy stuff here and it's crazy fun!!  Paddin and Wallin are new and they're amazing!!!!  They have the coolest music to listen to, and it honestly feels more like home than ever!!!

Granted, I'm working all day in the hot sun and I'm surprisingly not getting burnt that badly, haha!!!!

So this week has been pretty cool!!!  Showing Wallin the area and getting used to the fact that I'm leading and that we can take breaks now, haha!!  With Roberts, we barely stopped for lunch, we just got biscuits and water for lunch.  So now, it's nicepa!!!!!!!  Wallin's a cool elder, and he enjoys talking to people!!!  It's really fun to go around and contact people!!!  So other than that, I've been showing him the area, preparing a few people for baptism in a few weeks.  We ran into some problems with them and we had to move the dates around, so hopefully it will work out now!!!!

So, it's been ok.  I've been getting better at remembering why I came out and why I'm here.  I can't thank you all for the amazing support you all have give me!!!!  And to be honest, the music really helps, haha!!!  So now, I'm just doing what I can to be a good missionary!!!!!

Thanks everyone!!!!  I love you all, and keep you all in my prayers!!!

Love,
Elder Stockton Smith

February 22, 2016 Email

Hey everyone!!!  This week has been pretty boring to be honest haha!!!!!!

Me and Stilson got new companions, Elder Wallin and Elder Paddin!!!  Elder Wallin's with me.  And chi!!!!  These guys are amazing!!!!  With them around, I found a new drive for missionary work and I find it so enjoyable!!!!!!

Me and Wallin have had a couple of very good lessons this week with Kingsley, and man, I can't wait to baptize him!!!!  We made some good contacts and found a less active family!!!!  They have a daughter named Princess and she is adorable!!!!!!  She loves to jump and have me catch her, haha!!!!!

Anyway, it's been pretty effective here, we have a few lessons coming up that I can't wait for!!!  Also, hamattan time is getting over and the heat and humidity are coming back!!!  Hopefully I won't get sent home from heat exhaustion or anything like that, haha!!!!

Well, I'm not gonna lie, I'm going to ask. . .Mom and Dad, can I bleach my hair a little just to be a blonde haha?  Elder Paddin knows how and I kind of want to try it.  Maybe just do frosted tips or something like that, but I wanted to ask and get your permission first so yeah, haha!!!!!!!

It's amazing in Ghana and now I got a speaker for the music I can get!!!!  So I got a flashdrive and an SD card so now I can listen to music that I can download here.  Also, Wallin has a camera just like mine, so I can send you all pics now!!!!!

Love you all!!!  Be safe!!!!

Love,
Elder Stockton Smith

February 15, 2016 Email

Ghana is nice.  It's kind of like Joliet, but the traffic is just murder.  I've almost been hit like 50 times, and I've been run off the road numerous times.  It's very difficult.

I'm staying in Buduburam, Elder Roberts is leaving and I'm getting Elder Wallin as my new companion.  Elder Stilson is staying and Elder Desta is leaving.

It's practically the same thing each week to be honest.

Just stinks and people have like no moral standards.  The kids run around naked, and well, breast feeding randomly is also a thing here.  So, it's just weird to be here sometimes haha.

I didn't get a new camera, but I might get a cord here soon.

Thanks everyone.

Love,
Elder Smith