I love Mondays so much! He remains a "man of few words". (October 12, 2015)

Dear Family and Friends,
My apartment is really probably the best place in town to live. It is three rooms with a bathroom and shower, two bedrooms (We share with the zone leaders) a kitchen, and a Laundry/Supply room. (Note: the laundry room includes no washer and no dryer; Plus the laundry plunger is inefficient for effective cleaning. There are tons of roaches here.
Physically I am very tired. Last week I got a cold and thought it turned into Strep. Its all gone now. Emotionally I am quite well.

No animals too rare haha I saw a 5 foot agama lizard the other day though! Tons of lizards. Millions!!! 
All of our investigators are super cool and progressing everyday. Everyone here though is named Either Bright or Mercy/Mary. its fun. We have about 20 investigators and our area covers 5 villages.
We make our own food. it is always rice and a fried egg. I love fried eggs now to be honest.
In my area there are 8 missionaries: Elders: Vause, Udoh, Asabere, Me  Sisters: Owusu-Kanyeke, Ofori, Ntuzela, and Shange.
I have loads of pictures that I cant wait  to upload for you to see...no wifi here at all.

Love you tons!!
Elda Wash

Hello Family and Friends

I am in Nkawkaw (pronounced Nkoko). My companion is Elder Asabere and he is the bomb He is from Ghana. I am physically exhausted. I am in the Hike-around-the-jungle-till-you-find-a-house area so everyday my thighs are shot. Its ok though cuz i wake up all nice and rested. Emotionally I am good too. Little scared but its ok. When I was at the Kumasi airport after arriving here a bunch of men with guns confiscated some of my stuff...like my face wash. I never would have that that that stuff was "illegal" or forbidden. My mission president President Cosgrave and is fantastic. He is a great guy. The food is absolutely sickening. I hate it. I had two dinners on Saturday. Both were fufu in a salmon soup. Too much Fufu : /

 

I am a man of few words so my emails are not long sorry.  And I never know what to say. My days are relatively short. We leave after training at around noon. We stay out til around 7 cuz it gets pitch black at 6.  Some of the people are super  nice and friendly while others like to yell "Stupid Obroni, America is stupid" at you. I do like it here though. It is super smelly but Elder Vause (remember Elder Reber that served in our ward well this is his friend from Utah and is in my district...small world) says i"ll get used to everything.

I didn't get to watch conference cuz the church has no satellite:/

  

 Can't wait for the letters!!! Its hot here and has rained every other day since i've been here. Also, basically no one speaks english here. Church was ok. Sacrament was good but the other lessons and then branch council were tough. 

I speak to them in English and my companion translates into Twi. I am learning it though. Can't wait for next week!!

  Ghana has basically no traffic laws. There are no seatbelts, no traffic lights or signs, and also no speed limits. Its absolute insanity. 

I have a few bites already. Its all dirt jungle and rocks. Oh and a holy ton of lizards. 

Tell everyone at home thank you so much for the prayers!!!

 

More Stories next time when I've been out teaching more.

Love, 

Elda Wash

Hello Beloved Family and Friends,

We received an email from Elder Walch today just before he left the Ghana MTC. It was quite short but he gave us his travel info to Kumasi (a 40 minute flight from Accra) and shared a touching experience. So I am pasting his email into this email for all of you. He sounds happy and I am so glad.

I fly out to Kumasi at 1:00 Ghana time which makes it 4:00 am California time. We are entering the HOT AS THE DEVIL season and it pretty much stinks. Every morning we wake up to the calling of the roosters and car horns. It always smells like smoke from the tire fires these people have like every day:/ its so gross. I love my district though they are a bunch of swagtastic bosses. I'm so so happy to be here!!! I love these people so much! In the MTC we learned a lot about the Spirit and its essential role in conversion. Never before have I felt such a sweeter Spirit than coming from these Africans. Here is a people who have come here from all over Africa to be a part of something big. Something that they deem bigger than themselves. We had a lesson on a scripture in I think 2nd Nephi that goes something like this:To all those who forsake their family, their wives, their friends, their homes in the service of the Lord,The instructor then looked up and said:"How many of you have sacrificed something to get here?"a vast majority of the Africans raised their hands. The instructor began to cry and read the next part of the verse,"they shall be restored to him an Hundred fold."

I sat there amazed at what happened next. The Africans started to sing the last verse of Come Come ye Saints. These people are so much greater than me. It is an honor to be here among them. Anyways Love you guys!!! Love Elda Wash ; )

Some Random Fun Pictures!

 This picture is self explanitory! Read the sign and you will know what is not allowed .

 A van filled with stuff! But we love the words on the back window.

 Elda Wash (how his name is pronounced by the natives...so cute) is in the Helaman District while at the MTC. This page shows the day they will be attending the temple.

 This is a picture of the two districs comprised of mostly Americans going to Kumasi. Elder Walch is in the bottom picture on the far left.

What a beautiful place to be! The temple in Accra Ghana.

 They have arrived safe and sound. They look ready to go.

 First meal at the MTC. Looks good. Elder Walch did report that it was the "nastiest egg" he has ever had. But lets be fair...HE DISLIKES all eggs.

MTC companion is Elder Smith from Utah. "He's a pretty cool guy."

Aunt Shaleen, Anut Shawna, Meredith and Casey met ELder Walch at the Salt Lake City Airport to say hello and goodbye. We love them and are grateful they were there to see him.

Then there is this super great family in Utah that has a son going to the same mission as Mason. This is their son Elder Chris Morford. They got to be companions for the stay over in SLC. What a blessing the Morfords have been. We have never met in person but know that they are special friends that we are forever thankful for. They made sure Mason got to his hotel and even worked out a travel problem with the church travel office so that the flight the next day would be smooth. Miracles...love them.

Here they are, the 7 elders headed to NY then off to Ghana.

AND the Ghana MTC is waiting and ready for you! Safe travels, Elders! WE love you!

 Mary Elyse had to help big brother with his bag.

 Met Elder and Sister Echo Hawk of the Seventy at the airport. They were just finishing up a mission tour of the Arcadia Mission and were on their way back to Salt Lake City. What a wonderful meeting. They were so delightful and wished Elder Walch the best of luck in Ghana. Maybe we will see him this weekend on TV during General Conference ; )

Saying goodbye was super hard but he is off to do great things and as he said as he got in the car as we left home when I asked him, "how are you doing?" He responded, "Great. Let's go, I have been waiting my whole life for this." GO get 'em Elder!

Farewell Open House

We had a few family and friends come to Mason's farewell open house,

including my sister, Sherece.

And I was there hanging out in the background!

Some Ghanean pride, mingled with nachos.