Nov 6, 2017

Hello everyone!!

Wow, I never changed that opener, whoops! Well, I hope that you are all doing good, I am doing great! (Well of course I am, I am going home!!) This last week was really good. We were able to see a lot of people before I left. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to everyone. I won't lie, it still feels like I am just going on a transfer, but I know I am going home. It really is a weird feeling.

I am ready to go, but I will miss Ghana so much. I really am thankful for these last two years and for all the things that I have learned and for who I have become. I am thankful for the Lord's guidance and for all that he has done for me. I am thankful for all of your support and for the love that you all have shown me.

I want to leave you with my testimony that I know the gospel is true, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that a man can get nearer to God if he abides by its precepts. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that he leads and guides us today. I know that the priesthood is on the earth today and if we are worthy we can use it to further the work of the Lord. I know that temples are the most sacred place on earth besides the home, and that we should be striving to be worthy to enter them and that we should go often. I love all of you, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. I can't wait to see all of you soon!

Love,

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

Oct 30, 2017

Hello everyone!

How are all of you? I am doing great! I am just tryin to enjoy the last few days of my mission. Its hard to believe we are at this point. This week wasnt anything exceptional, I just kept my head down and went to work. It was a good solid week. Yesterday for my last p-day I went to Kpone beach for an activity. I saw some people that took care of me while I served in Kpone for the last time. I also saw some Elders I hadn'the seen in a while for the last time, it felt weird to say good bye to them. I saw Elder Wilkins and his son Elder Saena, so that was cool. Elder Wilkins also got me a gift, which was really nice of him. 

It is hard to believe that this it. I will send one more letter next week, so that will be my last one. I want to testify that the gospel is true. These past two years would have been a waste if it wasn't. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He leads and guides us today. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and was called to restore the fullness of the gospel. I love all of you. I cant wait to see you all next week. Also, feel free to come to the airport if you have the chance. If you have any questions ask my parents about that. I can't wait to reconnect with everybody after I get back. Love you all!!

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

Oct 16 & 23, 2017

Hello Everybody!!!

I hope that you are all doing well! I am doing great. Sorry that it has been a couple of weeks since I wrote last, but on the bright side it has been a really good last couple of weeks! I think this will probably be the best month of my mission. We have had so many baptisms recently. We were able to baptize Patrick, and he was confirmed yesterday. 

It has been a good proselyting week as well. We actually had an exchange with the zone leaders this week, I was with Elder Rowley. We ended up staying in all day because he was really sick from some bad waakye he ate on Tuesday. I was also a little sick on Friday when we were together. The worst part was that we no electricity from 6 in the morning to 5 in the evening. It was really terrible for the both of us. I haven't had a day that bad since early this year! It was stupid hot in their house. It got to the point where we were both sleeping in the parlor on the couch cushions instead of our beds because it was nicer! 

Our area is really going good though. It is mostly just trying to keep the investigator pool full for after I leave. We also had our primary program yesterday!! It was so wonderful to hear from the children about what they are learning and to hear them sing primary songs, it really brings the spirit. It is hard to believe that next week is my last week. I know that I haven't been the best at responding to other people, but thank you for all of the support and love for these past 2 years. It really has meant a lot to me. I love all of you!
-- 

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

Oct 2 & 9, 2017

Hello everyone!!!

I hope that you are all doing well! Elder Bayo and I are really doing good. We even have had some baptisms, so we are really excited right now!!  I am doing great and just trying to finish strong. We have been teaching a lot of people and have been doing well with finding solid investigators. We are super excited about the area! Right now we are in a threesome because Elder Selfridge is waiting for his "son" that he will be training. His new companion is from the Congo, and is still learning English in the MTC. He will get here a week from tomorrow. We have to cover two areas with the three of us, but we are having good success and we are enjoying our time together.

I really enjoyed watching General Conference last weekend. I got to watch the Saturday afternoon session, and the Priesthood session. It was so good to hear all the talks, they energized me and gave me motivation to finish my mission strong. Knowing that it was the last General Conference I will see on my mission made it especially good.

Things got a little interesting here over the weekend. On Saturday night there was a big explosion in Madina. A tanker truck that was refueling the natural gas tanks at a filling station started leaking, and then there was a spark which caused the filling station to explode! This all happened during an interview for baptism. I was just sitting there, watching a small lightning storm pass through, then I hear a couple of booms. Next, a person says that there is a fire, and we went to a vantage point and it looked like the sun was coming back up! Then, the fireball faded and it started raining. The whole area was in total chaos. As we were coming back from the interview there were so many people just walking around, scared and confused, we were all safe though. Also, electricity didnt come back on until 2 in the morning, so we didnt have a very comfortable night. Fortunately nobody from the ward was hurt in the incident, but it was quite the experience! 

I am just so thankful for the gospel and to know that these kind of things were predicted long ago. I am so thankful to know that I am doing what the Lord wants me to do. I love all of you!! P.S. See you in four weeks!!!!!

-- 

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

Sep 18 & 25, 2017

Hey everyone! 

I hope that you are all doing well! I am doing pretty good. I am just entering my last 6 weeks so I am pretty excited. It is just hard to believe that we are already at this point. Not much has happened recently. We have a few people closing in on baptism. 

The biggest thing is that I am district leader (DL) for the last 6 weeks. One of the other missionaries in the apartment, Elder Effiong, was also transferred to be a zone leader (ZL) in Koforidua. He left today. It will be weird to have that small change. It is also different to be among the oldest missionaries in the mission. My group of TC's is now the oldest in the mission, which means we are the next group to go home. It will be a big change for the mission and for all of us! 

I am excited for general conference and I hope that everyone is ready and excited to learn from our leaders. I know I am ready to feel the Spirit from them. I love you all so much and can't wait to see you soon!

Love,

-- 

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

Aug 28, Sep 4 & 11, 2017

Hey everyone!!

How are you all doing? I hope that you are all having a wonderful day. First let me say that I love all of you. I am currently writing this on 9/11. This is a day which has brought me much sorrow and sadness each year. It is one of the worst acts of terrorism the world has ever seen. It was one of the darkest days ever and my heart always has gone out to those that were affected. As I view this day for a second time on my mission and get to look at the world from a different stand point, I get to see just how much the world has spiraled out of control. Evil is getting worse with no end in sight. The rising generation in the Church is getting stronger and more righteous every day and is causing Satan to work over time. I will not be surprised if another big attack comes soon. All I know is that as the truth spreads Satan will do even more terrible things. That is why I am so glad that I am in a family and group of friends that is fighting against that. I have cousins who are growing in the knowledge of their God and I am so proud of them. I have so many examples to look up to. For that I am grateful. I feel like Brother Joseph who said that I am going like a lamb to the slaughter yet I am as calm as a summer's breeze. Obviously I am not dying, but that is what it is like to face the trials of our day. 

Our last few weeks have been good. We ended up only baptizing Godfred, but we are shooting for more baptisms in the coming weeks. We have been able to find a lot of investigators, so that has been good. We had missionary Sunday, where the missionaries give the talks in Sacrement. They only needed two missionaries to speak, so I didn't have to give a talk, but it was a really good meeting. 

I also got to go to Koforidua for P-day. It was fun to see one of the towns I used to go to when I was in Suhum. Its out away from Accra and much greener, so that was a nice break. The next week we went to Dodowa falls. Our district has 10 missionaries in it and we all took a tro-tro and then hiked up to the falls. It was really beautiful and nice and cool by the falls. Its one of my favorite places in Ghana.  

I really am just trying to finish strong. It is hard to believe that we are already at this point. It feels like yesterday that I went out into the field and started my mission. I have loved serving a mission so much and will finish strong. I have a testimony that the Gospel is true and that we are in the last days. I know that if we do all that we are told to do by the prophet we will return to God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith translated it by the gift and power of God. I also know that he was the one that was called to be the Prophet of the Restoration. I love all of you so much. 22 MONTHS BABY!!!!!!!

--

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

Aug 7, 14 & 21, 2017

Hey everyone!!!

Sorry it has been so long! I am doing great! Since my last letter a couple weeks ago I got transferred! I am back in Adenta. I am in the Adenta 3rd ward, it is a super great ward! Already we have 3 baptisms lined up for this week. We are really excited about that. We have had a really good last couple of weeks. We got to see Elder Renlund which was really, really cool. He is a lot taller than I expected! Adenta has been great, though. It has just been a matter of learning the area.

I have learned a lot these past few weeks from the multi-zone activities and the MTC dedication/conference. I got to see 3 of my traveling companions at the multi-zone activity; Elder Kohler, Elder Howland and Elder Shumway. Then, at the MTC dedication I got to see all of my TC's, so that was pretty cool. Its hard to believe that its been 21 months since we all started this adventure! We also just had the all-Africa service project, which was really fun to do. We were really able to help out Botwe this year.

Along with my companion, Elder Bayo, we also have Elder Effiong and Elder Selfridge in the apartment. Elder Effiong is from Nigeria and Elder Selfridge is from Montana. Its a good group of guys and we all get along. Overall this has been a great past few weeks. We've been blessed to hear from President Keyes a lot, and have heard the Lord's council from Elder Renlund, so it has been really nice. I love all of you so much. I know the church is true! 

-- 

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

"Let us realize that the PRIVILEGE to work is a GIFT, that the POWER to work is a BLESSING, that LOVE of work is SUCCESS!"   David O. McKay