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.

Night at the Featherstones

Jeff Featherstone in our stake and a good family friend served his mission in Ghana. He and his family kindly invited us over for dinner and a discussion of all things Ghanaian. Back in his day Ghana was one big country-wide mission rather than four smaller ones, so he got to see parts of the current Kumasi mission.

In the pictures above and the two below, we are wearing beautiful hand-woven clothes.

Here are a few of Elder Featherstone in the field:

His companion in these pictures is Ghanaian native, Stephen Aboayge. Brother Aboayge came to the U.S. and was the bishop of my sister's ward in Saratoga Springs. Small world. This next paragraph is taken from a mission site's message board.

"Bisho Aboayge spoke and told of his conversion. It was an incredibly touching story. Did you know that after he was baptized at the age of 14 his father kicked him out and he lived on the streets or would spend the night with a friend for seven years? He held up a cardboard sign asking for money. He would often see his parents drive past and they never would stop. Anyway, after his mission, his dad invited him over for supper and asked him why he seemed so different. Bishop Aboayge was then able to teach his mom and dad and little brother the gospel and baptize them all. His mom is a relief society president at the time and his dad a stake president. There are now 100 and some members in his family all because Bishop Aboayge was taught the gospel and new it was true. What an amazing story and example!"

Birthday Present

Happy birthday to Mason who turned 18-years old. His first present was for all of us to meet with our Stake President and receive the Melchizedek priesthood.