New Companion...Elder Larson!

Dear Family and Friends,

Hey the summer swimming is powerful! I am glad everyone loves it. It will physically bless them. If they complain, tell them they have to do some exercise or they are breaking Doc and Cov 88:124. Those words come straight from The Lord so don't joke. I wish I had some tri tip. That sounds pretty fantastic. I want to eat something other than soup, rice, or assorted boiled meats. Yesterday we got fed by a member and it was fresh off the fire! The banku was just taken out of the pot hot as magma and served. The soup also straight from the fire. Remember everything you eat with your hands which I could not feel afterwards. 

So this week, we were hit by some interesting surprises.  The Prophet and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said no longer allow stake missionaries to serve. Part time missionaries are now only ward and branch missionaries. Both my companion and Elder Larson's companion were stake missionaries. We as an effect were put together and the areas combined. The area itself is smaller than my first in Nkawkaw so it won't be a problem. Thank you for fasting for me this week. As I prayed to begin my fast I had the distinct impression to fast for you all as well. I know that you will all be well and protected. 

In other news, Today we had a zone activity and it was sweet! Elder Larson and I were hailed by the Africans as the greatest players. We played defense and it was so much fun. I love playing football now more than anything. Maybe one day you will see me in the World Cup hahahahahahahahahahaha.

You know as I was reflecting this week on what I have accomplished thus far in my 9 months on mission, I was drawn to what I will be remembered as when I leave this country. For me I have had so far 7 baptisms, the names and dates of which I have memorized. One thought that came to mind was that in some eyes, that number might be viewed as small. It would be easy to get down when you compare yourself to others so I pushed out the thoughts and continued the day. Later that evening we were on our way out of a lesson we had with a recent convert. He was baptized in January by Elders I haven't met. In the lesson, we discussed the importance of the priesthood and the power that comes when you magnify your calling. The father and the firstborn are the only ones who have, and who are old enough to hold, the priesthood in the family. The son speaks not even small English. The father can understand more but can't really read it or speak very well. I had the thought in the lesson to have us set a goal that by the 3rd of July, this father son team would bless the sacrament. They accepted. As I left that lesson, my mind was drawn back to what I had pondered earlier. I myself may not be a missionary with hundreds of baptisms. I may not be one that is mission famous. The things that came to my mind as according to my accomplishments was that I will love everyone that I meet and God through me will work the miracles that need to be worked. I have seen so far that pure joy comes when you see those you love progress in the gospel. Seeing my converts receive the priesthood, pass the sacrament, give talks, and serve in callings have filled my heart with great joy. I know that God's hand is in missionary work. He will make it sweet for those who obey his prophets, keep his commandments, and strive diligently to become better. I am grateful for all my loved ones, friends and family, who have striven so far in becoming better. They are great examples to me of what the Atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ can really do. For all of my beloved family I am so so grateful! 

Love you all! 

Small World and Excited About it!

Oh how great it was to hear from you all yesterday! I enjoyed it so much! I hope you can understand my new sense of humor. It probably did not make a whole lot of sense last night but that's that.

I am glad to hear that everyone is well. The name of my new companion is Brother Osei-Tutu. He is a stake missionary. A stake missionary is one that is a part time missionary who stays in mission boundaries but goes to another place that he is needed for a short time. Brother Osei-Tutu is the older brother of an elder I met in the MTC who I email every week! It is such a small world when you are in the church! 

Anyways I am having a good time here in Obuasi and am looking forward to a hard working transfer. My last companion wasn't all too serious which was why we had some difficulties. Now we are very good friends. 

I am very grateful for all the things you people do for me. I pray for all of you everyday. I pray that you will always hold on to the truth because, as the apostle paul taught, the truth will set you free!

 I know life isn't easy, but it is bearable when you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and his atonement. I love you all very very much! Until next time!

Love Elder Walch

Miriam

Hi family! Ok so to solidify the time, I can call at like 8:00 our time. By that time I should be done reporting numbers, transfer news is here , and we have closed our day. That's 1:00 your time. Everyone is invited to come haha! Tomorrow we go for a mission tour with a visiting 70 named Elder Terrence M. Vinson. I will be in Kumasi until like 6:00 which means I'll be in Obuasi by like 8 or so. 

But hey! In two weeks I will be 8 months on mission! The time just flies by! Thank you all for your love and support and words of encouragement. 

I am very excited to hear all your voices on sunday! I really am excited! 

This past week went by well. We called one of our investigators, Miriam, to remind her to church and she said she was coming. We started church and she wasn't there. After taking the sacrament, one of the women with a small child was outside and called my companion and I outside and low and behold it was Miriam. She said that she couldn't come to church that day because right after she hung up the phone, her sister called and told her their auntie was sick and needed help. She finished washing her child and walked all the way to church to tell us personally because her phone was out of credit and she didn't want to disappoint us. My companion and I just love her so much. Before us she didn't know anything about Christ. But look at her now. She walked all the long way to the chapel in the scorching sun to tell us the most truthful, heartfelt apology I have ever heard. If only all of us could show this same determination in all our lives. I know if we just begin to show a little more determination and love just like Miriam did, the spirit can teach us things that we could never imagine. 

Well anyways I look forward to hearing from you! Love you all!

I AM...

Good Whatever time it is there Family! 

Thank you all for the stories and family updates! I got an email from Steven today about it. It is very exciting indeed! 

I am much grateful to all of you for your love and support. One of the things I really enjoyed about emailing this week was receiving talks from dad written by dad and Danielle. They were both very nice and I learned a lot from them.

This week was not easy in terms of missionary work. My companion is very stubborn and thinks that since I came to meet him in Obuasi, he is in charge. He is also older than me which is making things extra difficult for me. Now I write these things to preface a testimony. Through all of the difficult days, the greatest source of help has come from studying about Jesus Christ. One thing that our mission president has counseled us to do is study a scripture about Christ every day. In doing that, I have found many scriptures that I have been able to use in teaching and also to use to illustrate a topic to my companion. Through studying these scriptures on Christ, I have grown in my appreciation of the Saviour more and more. One verse that I have grown to love is in John. I have to have my scriptures in order to tell you the exact place but I can quote it "I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live". Why this verse means more to me is that to me it can be taken two ways. The obvious one is through Christ we will all be resurrected and live. The other is dealing with spiritual death. Though we are all dead because of sin, we can all live again and have eternal life through Jesus Christ our lord and Redeemer. I know he lives and loves us all.

Elder Walch

Enjoying life.

Because of time this week, my email will be shorter. 

All is going well. I am really enjoying life right now and am very happy to hear from all of you that you are well. I pray for you all everyday and love you each very much.

I  gave a talk this Sunday. On obedience! Na spirit de talk me say what ting I de talk. I go fi jus say Obedience and no wahala der watiase. Yoooooooo. Anyways that was a little something called pigeon. I'll speak it when I get home. 

Today for p-day I am going to play a game football so I'll score a goal for you!

Please continue to pray for this area. We are struggling to find serious people to teach. Some days we just walk from 10 to 8 and find no one. It isn't easy, but it was never easy for the Saviour so why should I complain. 

I love the Lord and am very grateful for all his blessings and the miracles he has done for me in my life.

I love you tons! Until next week!

Elder Walch

His Glorious Name!

Hey family!

I am glad you appreciate the snail story. It was nicer than I thought it would be!

Anyways thank you all so much for all that you do! I love and am grateful for each and everyone of you.

The teaching here in Obuasi Asonkore 2 is going well. We have found a lot of people and hopefully they will all be serious. We just had a baptism yesterday of a 17 year old boy named Samuel. His sister is Constance who was just baptized in January. 

Right now we are teaching a man named Richard Kuma. He is very powerful. He reads all the assignments we give him and is just very cool and everything! I love that man. He should be baptized by the end of this month or the beginning of next month if things go as planned. We also just started to teach a woman named Miriam. 

 When she called us over one night on our way home, we didn't expect anything. We came back yesterday and she told us she knows nothing of Jesus Christ and  feels like she needs to know about him. My companion is a younger missionary than me and so whenever there is a question he thinks is too hard, he just looks at me and waits. So I taught the whole time and testified of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. By the time the lesson was over, She committed to get herself a bible and is eagerly waiting for us to come again. This story brought to my mind just now something that President Cosgrave has taught us: even in the name of Jesus Christ there is power. Nothing bad that you think of can ever stay if you just simply think His name. I know that more than just the name of Jesus Christ is needed to compel someone to follow him. It takes a witness of His name through the Holy Ghost that allows us to know exactly for sure His everlasting love for us. I am so grateful to be a witness here of His glorious name and for the privilege it is to wear display on my chest day by day. I love Him and I know that he lives, and just as Elder Holland said in this past conference, He loves me. 

I love you all tons!

Elder Walch

Oh Snail!!!

I am very glad that you enjoyed my pictures.  

Well I am happy . I love you all and would like more family updates. 

I hope you all enjoyed general conference! I was able to watch the second half of the Saturday morning live along with the sunday morning live. It was very good to be nourished by the words of a living prophet. I know and I can testify with all the force of my being that Thomas Spencer Monson is the Lord's living prophet here on this earth this day. I know that his counselors are called of God and will lead us and guide only according to God's words. 

Anyways, All is going well. My companion makes great food and in the market one day I saw some snail. The next week, we wanted to make Kontomere stew. The meat we wanted was fish. Elder Naawu also know how to prepare snail! We got it and guess what?! It was very nice. Really honestly it was. The pictures are of one snail. we out in five. So nice.The other picture is of The stew with boiled yam. 

I love this gospel and oh how it has blessed my life. I am here for Jesus Christ and the salvation of our brothers and sisters. I know that this work is divine!

Elder Walch