Mom's Birthday gift...Pictures of Elder Walch!

Pretty good Elder! 

Elder Walch, Elder Asabere, Elder Udoh and a couple of ward members.

Examples of light.

Good evening family!

It is so very nice to get all your letters this past week! My responses are in the mail coming. 

Thank you all so much for your love and support. I am still leading the mission in letters received! 

Ok so this last week as you know Elder Asabere has been called as a zone leader in Tamale. 

He also said he would call me within the week... he didn't. That punk. Anyways this week was great:

Monday: P day. lots of washing and cleaning.

Tuesday: Final District Council with Elder Asabere as District leader. Very nice with the testimonies 

of Elder Vause, Asabere and Sister Elusuiwe. The one picture is of our district starting with the 

sisters going right to left: Nafuna, Nelson, Okosi, and Elusuiwe. As it was Elder Asabere's last day 

here we went to a lot of members and were fed three meals: Ga Kenke, Fufu, and then Banku. I 

was so so so full.

Wednesday: All the members of our zone went to Kumasi except for Sister Nafuna and her 

companion and me and Elder Longman. To save money, we stayed and proselyted since our 

companions were going.

Thursday: First day out with Elder Kabemba. He is a language missionary form D.R. Congo. 

He is learning English and speaks very well. He is very humble and excited to work. 

Friday: Since I am senior companion I planned our week. It looks like lots of finding so please 

pray for us. 

Saturday: Regular proselyting day. 

Sunday: Great day: had a few investigators at church which was great.

OK so I think this week I will share something from a letter I received. I can't remember the 

actual words but the gist of the letter was not being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Being 

the only white in my apartment and probably in the entire town gets me a lot of stares. Some 

dirty others curious. It is very discomforting to think that If I was doing something bad everyone 

would see. I always try therefore to be seen only doing things that fit the profile of a missionary. 

In direct contrast and in violation of the rules of the mission, some missionaries in the time 

before me here were doing things that missionaries shouldn't do. Elder Udoh and I often talk 

about them as the disgraces of this area. It has come to light that these missionaries would 

leave their companions and go out, invite people into the apartment, use personal phones, and 

even play unapproved music very loudly. With the reputation of the church these elders set, we 

often battle the people that come to our apartments at night and other things. One thing I am 

very proud of is all the good examples that I have in my life. Examples of good and of light. I 

am so so thankful that their images uphold the values of the church instead of disgrace them. I 

am thankful to all of you for all of you, friends from high school that I've grown up with, teachers, 

and all my adopted grandparents. Thank you for your good examples. 

Until next week! 

Elder Walch

Till we meet again Beloved Companion Elder Asabere (He is off to Tamale...)

Fantastic is my response to all of it. Feeling good and happy.

All right so some news:

My beloved companion is being transferred up north to Tamale to be a Zone Leader. I go to pick up my new companion Elder Cabimba on Wednesday. From what I hear he is a great Elder and I will enjoy him. Elder Vause is also leaving. He however is going way out west to Sierra Leone as a reassignment by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

This week went by well:

Monday: Zone Activity in the mountains. It was pretty fantastic. 

Tuesday: District Council: As always good.

Wednesday: Specialized training by President and sister Cosgrave and the Zone Leaders. Very well put together and organized. There I received many letters and 3 packages. Thank you all for that.

Thursday: Exchanges with Elder Vause. Very good day with and experience I will note below.

Friday: Weekly planning.

Saturday: Baptismal Interviews. 

Sunday Baptism: We were able to baptize a young man named Oseii Emmanuel. I had the privilege of doing the ordinance. 

Ok so beginning with the experience we had on Thursday. Elder Vause and I were going to an appointment for a progressing investigator named Annette. Before this meeting with her we were skeptical as to her seriousness. We went and began teaching and began to speak about Joseph Smith. We paused and she jumped in speaking Twi. We were with a member for this lesson who translated for us. Annette said that she had been having dreams about the Second Coming of the Saviour. She said she was with her sisters and the Earth began to go through the final destruction. She saw the Saviour appear in Great glory in the sky and began to run to Him with her sisters. As she neared him she notice she couldn't get closer. A door appeared in front of them and she could only see the Saviour and not go to Him. She tried the door but it wouldn't open. She then woke up. Once she awoke she got the impression that there was something she had to do in order for her to get through the door. She saw us walking down the roadside one day and said that she felt that something we had could get her the key to the door. 

Just like this dear sister of ours had said, there is something that we as missionaries bear that will lead you to the key to eternal life. The message we carry will reveal the key to the doorway of eternal life and explains why I am even here in Africa. I am here to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. As I told one man this past week that I wouldn't have come to Ghana, I wouldn't have left my comfortable hometown for something I thought was true. I only would be here if I knew it was true. I am here to win souls for Christ. I am here as his servant and will submit to His will in all things. I love the gospel with all my heart and am so blessed to be here serving my God and King.

The two pictures below are of me eating a traditional dish called eto made of plantain, onion, oil and groundnuts. It is very nice. The other is of the baptism. Before anyone can say it, I have lost a lot of weight since  those clothes fit me better. 
Love, Elder Walch

.

"Medomu nfie apem!!!"

Hello Family!!! 

I love you all very very much.  

Thank you so much for being so kind to my companion. He is a great man and When the end of our companionship comes I will miss him dearly. 

Please let Benji know of my love for him and if there is anything I can do to help him please let me know. Alright so this week was very nice. Physically I was the most exhausted I had ever been.  the finding and contacting and service projects I could feel were taking their toll. There was one night where our lights went out around 10 pm and didn't come back until that time the next day. The room was hot so no sleep came. I didn't tell my companion about the 0 sleep for fear of not being able to go out. I was exhausted but I continued through the morning. I could feel sleep coming but I got up and we went out. After each lesson we taught I could feel something. Something felt as if I was physically being pushed or moved from house to house. In my mind and heart I was just excited. I was happy and refreshed and ready to go. That night when we closed our day and were going to bed I said my prayer and thanked heavenly father for his divine help that day. The second I ended my prayer and slipped into bed my eyes were shut and didn't open again until 6:20 the next morning. Although this seems like a similar story that many missionaries may have, it has becaome of improtance to me in showing me of the tender mercies of the Lord. I know, that as 1 Nephi 1:20 says, that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those who have faith to make them mighty, even unto the power of deliverance; that the Lord really is aware of those who put their trust in him and serve Him in faith with a real desire to bring souls unto Christ. I know that I am not perfect and in many ways I am weak. As to my strength I am nothing, said Ammon, but I will boast in the Lord my God. I love this work. I love beign a missionary. I am so happy to be here. I have seen miracles take place in the lives of others in just this short time that I have been here. I will serve the Lord until the end of time and I urge you all to do the same. 

As the saying goes in Twi "Medomu nfie apem!!!" I love you all a thousand years!

Elder Walch

Thank you!

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you so so much for all all of you have done. I have really felt the power and strength your prayers have given me. I am thankful for all the letters and everything you all do for me. 

This went by great! We have met and taught many powerful new people. I have felt the Lord's helping hand in every aspect of my life. I love this gospel and I love the Book of Mormon. I love Jesus Christ and am so thankful for his atoning sacrifice for me. I know he loves me and cares about me. I am so thankful for the mercy of God in allowing me obtain forgiveness of my sins. Without the strength of your prayers and the helping hand of the Father I know that I would be nothing. There is no power on this earth that could make me deny the things that I know to be true. I know that the church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints is God's kingdom once again established on the earth. 

Medowo Elder Walch

Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those that have faith.

Well good evening family and friends!

I am so glad to hear about all the letters coming. I have some one or two requests for the next package: Skittles, my Ghana food cookbook, the soups and stuff, and chocolate and fruity candies. Ok so this week was pretty powerful. It begun to be awesome awesome on Wednesday. I remember that day after proselyting I just felt a weight on my shoulders. I heard a whisper say something to me so I looked at my companion and asked what he said. He answered,"nothing" and went back to recording numbers. I thought it was strange and went back to what I was doing. It came again and this time I heard it say, " Talk to me". It came with a sweet feeling and a peaceful feeling. I knew the source instantly. Right as I determined to pray, my companion left the room and I was left alone. I knelt down and poured out my heart to the Lord in prayer. I can honestly say that the experience I had that night was the most calm and most peaceful experience I have ever had in my life. It was at that moment when all the truest desires of my heart just came rushing out. I remember that as I came I kind of had a testimony. I was willing to learn. I was willing to do the things asked of me. However, it was at this moment when I realized that some of the things I wanted really weren't all too important at this time. Some of the things I used to pray for showed that my will wasn't all the way aligned with the will of the father. I left from my knees and just laid on my bed with my eyes closed and pondered upon the words that I had prayed. They weren't all mine, But they were now the desire of my heart. I can now say without the slightest hint of a doubt that the Lord will always answer prayers. He is always there to hear us in whatever time we come before him in humble prayer. The things that the Lord showed to me that night I will never forget. The feeling of peace that came was enough to exhaust my strength. I testify to all within the sight of my words that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and that they love us without exception. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Best Christmas gift EVER!

YIPPEE!!!! Calling was fun! Sorry time is far spent. Picture sending sucks it all up. Ok so this past week went by pretty well. 

We are having baptisms on Saturday! Sister Susie is 25 and is very humble and super super sweet. Her mother gives us free Ga Kenke, which has become probably my favorite thing here! The second is Lizzy. She is 9 years old and we saw that she didn't have any records, so we took over teaching. She is very sweet and I will miss them very much when I leave this area. I don't want to leave Nkawkaw, the next transfer, number 3, ends in the first week of February. Its a long one. Everyone is speculating about me since I have been here awhile. 

Well gtg Love you!