Feb. 27, 2017

Hey everyone!!

How are all of you? I hope that you had a great week. We had a pretty good week. We ended up going to the mall again today. I definitely miss Suhum, but it is kind of nice to have a few more things like the mall close enough to get to every now and then. I really like the apartment and my companions, so that is always a good thing. We even have a keyboard in the apartment that I'm able to play and not let my piano skills get too rusty. Before I left the US I thought I might end up playing more in church, but so far they have always had a member who plays.

One of the best experiences we had this week was a lesson on Thursday. We were teaching one of our best investigators and we were teaching him about temples. When we said that you could be sealed to your family and relatives that you love, his face lit up at that and he became very interested again, so we have high hopes for him. That was really the high point of the week. One more good development is that Immanuel, one of our investigators came to church, so that was pretty exciting as well! I love being a missionary and am so glad to be a missionary in Ghana. I love all of you!!
Have a great week!!!


-- Elder Travis J. Roberts
Ghana Accra Mission

Feb. 6, 13, & 20, 2017

Hey everyone!!!

How are you doin?!

I hope that you are all doing well. I am doing really good over here. Just teachin' and preachin' in Africa!! Sorry that it has been so long. That is never my intention. I just get so side tracked talking to everyone! So much has happened. Of course, being in a new area I have been learning all about it. It has been really wonderful here in Kpone so far. I love it very much. We are able to find solid investigators, the only problem is getting them to church. That is pretty normal, so it is all good. Our investigator Jonathan ended up not getting baptized, but we are still working with him. We have a tenative baptism date set for the end of March, but we will just have to wait and see. We also found a new investigator, his name is Ferguson. We just started teaching him this week, but he has been making good progress.  

It is different being back in the city again. I do miss the bush a lot, but we have been working hard and having lots and lots of fun in our apartment full of Americans. I have been able to go to the mall the last two weeks for P-day, so that has been kind of nice. I even got to eat at Pizza Hut and had the meat feast, it was awesome! It is hard to believe that we are already on the last week of February. The year is really flying by!! I don't know if it is just me but, I feel like it goes even faster without 30 or 31 days in the month. It is hard to believe how fast time is going. In March I will be 16 months on my mission and I am not really sure how that happened. It still feels like I got out of the MTC yesterday. I can say though, that I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. It really is the most amazing thing to be doing. If you ever have any doubts about going on a mission, I can personally tell you that you should go. You will be so much better off because of it. I love it so much!! Also, only 9 months to go! Its amazing that I am already at this point. I love my mission so much and I know that the Church is true!

Love,

-- 

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

L to R: Elder Dougal, Elder Seeley, Elder Roberts and Elder Mathews

Jan. 30, 2017

Hello!!

How is everyone?! I cant believe that we are already done with January! The time moves so fast! I am doing good here in Kpone. We just had our ward conference yesterday. It was a great meeting with some really good speakers. The Ashaiman Stake President was one of the speakers, he is a really cool guy. He makes it a point to get to know everybody. It really was a wonderful meeting. We had the ward choir perform as well, so that was a nice treat. Kpone ward has an amazing choir, they sounded wonderful and it really brought the spirit into the meeting.  

We had a multi-zone conference this week as well. We went to Boti falls and had a great time. It was nice to be back in the area around Suhum. Today for P-day we took a taxi to the MTC and played basketball and then went and had pizza. It was a lot of fun, and it was neat to be able to see the MTC again.

Great news, we even have a baptism this week. I mentioned in my last letter that his name is Jonathan. He is a really cool guy. You can see in his eyes that he is ready for the gospel, he just looks so happy. I love being in this area so much and I am so thankful to be serving in this zone. That is really all I have for this week everyone!

I love you all!!

--

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission

Jan. 9, 16 & 23, 2017

WOW!!!!!!

I has been way too long!! Let me first say that I am so so so sorry for it taking this long. It really has been an extremely crazy few weeks. I am actually in a brand new area now! I am now in Kpone in the Ashaiman Zone. Kpone is next to Tema, which is where the Ghana MTC is at, so I'm close to where I started my mission. It is a funny story actually. When I got the transfer call we all thought I was actually going to the Kpong Zone. Then they said that I needed to go to the mission home, so we thought that that was a little weird. Also, I thought my companions name was something like Elder Seblu or something like that. It wasn't until I got to the mission home when Elder Shelton, the senior Office Elder, handed me a phone and said that he hoped that I was ready because I was re-opening an area. That is when I found out that I was not going to Kpong. I was like, "Wait,I am going to Kpong right?" Then they said "no, you are going to re-open a part of Kpone". Then I was like well, there goes all my thinking of going to the real bush. I also learned that my companions name was Elder Seeley, not Elder Seblu. He is from Nampa, Idaho and he has been out for four and a half months. So when we arrived in Kpone I saw 3 white guys standing at a spot and we pulled up. I got out with my stuff and the others that were in the car left. Then I asked if this was our apartment and they said yes. Then my mind was blown because that meant that I was in an apartment with all Americans!! I've always had an African companion, or an African missionary in the apartment, so this was a big surprise. The other two elders in the apartment are Elder Dougal from Idaho and Elder Mathews from Utah. It is pretty crazy and fun, so I am loving it right now. After I got here we all went in together and purchased a small spinner washing machine for the apartment. It has been amazing not having to wash my clothes by hand the last couple of weeks. I sometimes can't believe all the stuff I took for granted while I was living in the United States. On the way to buy the washing machine I ended up leaving my proselyting bag on the tro tro, and didn't realize it until we were coming back. Fortunately it just had my small scriptures and my annointing oil in it. So whoever finds it might look at the stuff and be inspired to find out what the Church is all about!    

My last 2 weeks in Suhum were great. We extended a baptism date to Ernest, who is married to a member, but we didn't have any baptisms for our side. The 2nd counselors daughter was baptized by the other elders, so we were all excited! She was supposed to be baptized 2 years ago but, she ended up having to leave for school, so it never happened. I am so glad that she was the first person I interviewed because she knew everything perfectly. She actually didn't have to be re-taught anything. She really is cool. None of us actually counted her as our baptism though. Then for me it was just a lot of visiting members and investigators to say goodbye. I really did not want to leave, it was tough to say goodbye. I hope that I get the chance to serve in Kof Town again because I love it so much! 

This last week in Kpone was really good. I am starting to learn the area a little, and I am no longer district leader. I don't know how long it will last though, because the district leader is pretty old in the district. We were supposed to have a baptism, but the interview never happened so we have to re-schedule it to next month. It is not a big deal though, because Jonathan really wants to get baptized, so we have no worries. 

It actually feels really weird being in the city again but I love it and am ready to go to work!! I know that the Gospel is true and that the work is real, I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it contains the fullness of the everlasting Gospel and that a man can get nearer to God if he abides by its principles. I know that Joseph Smith restored this Gospel and was chosen before the foundation of the world to restore it. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God chosen to lead and guide us. I know these things are true and I say them in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.  

I love all of you!!!!!

Love,

--

Elder Travis J. Roberts

Ghana Accra Mission