May 8, 2012

Dear Family:

Hey everyone!!! How is everything going? Anything new and exciting?

There is only one way to describe this past week, SLEEP DEPRIVATION!!!! Jk Jk This past week we have been super busy traveling around, doing this and that, it has been crazy! But time really went by so fast and it was a fun week of work!

On Monday we had the departing elders over at the mission home. We had a testimony meeting with them Monday night. It is always great to hear the testimonies of these departing elders. The elders have worked hard for the past two years of their life, giving their all to the work, and it is amazing to hear them bare their final testimony before they go. A great change has come into their life, and now they get to take the next step ini life. We then were up by 6, got everything ready and drove to Accra.

Elder Hair stayed for Monday-Wednesday so that way I was able to make sure I knew how to do everything, so he left on Wednesday and Elder Nzuki came on Wednesday as well. So the I drove this trip so that way I made sure I knew the way and got use to accra traffic. Driving on this trip really went well. Sure there was lots of traffic, but It all went really well.

So we drove to the temple, and went to the 12:30 session. Whenever we go, the session are always really small, but they are always amazing! It is so fun to be able to get to go to the temple every 6 weeks! It is a chance to recharge your spiritual batteries and to be ready for the coming transfer. There was a sweet peace and comfort felt there at the temple that day. The Spirit seemed to reassure to me that all would be well and that I would be able to do what the Lord needed me to do this transfer. We had a wonderful time at the temple! From the temple it was off to the airport! We helped the Elders with their bags, showed them where and when they needed to be at places, and them be ready for their flight. It was so crazy to think that in just 5 months time I will be standing there in the airport preparing to come back. The departing Elders flights, beginning next time, seems to be flying British airways. So it looks like starting next group, they will be flying to England first, from England to the USA, and then to Utah. It will take a little bit more time, so instead of arriving early wednesday morning, they arrive late wednesday evening. So we said our good-byes and made our way to the MTC. We stopped in at the Accra mall to pick up this Ghana Picture book that everyone recommends to take home, so we went and picked one up for me. I was blown away by the mall. It was just like a mall back home! I felt like I was in a totally different world. Now if that was in a mall in Ghana, I can't wait to see what happens when I arrive home haha! We then reached the MTC, met the new elders, had a little meeting with them and then it was off to bed.

We spent the night at the MTC and then woke up at 5 am to prepare to leave for the Mission home by 6. The new elders are all great guys. We had 2 Americans, 1 from Ivory Coast, 1 from South Africa, 1 from Ethiopia, 1 sister from Kenya, 1 from Nigeria. They are all eager and ready to go out and work. I love this process that happens at transfers. You take the departing missionaries home, hear how they served and see how they are nervous to go home, then the next day you see then new missionaries eager and ready to work and at the same time nervous and anxious to see what the next two years has in store. With the new Elders I see how when we meet at the MTC they are excited and ready to go, then we go back to the mission home and are still excited but starting to get nervous as we go through the orientation, then we take them to the bus station to meet up with the other Elders and to go to their areas and then they are totally nervous and thinking "alright this is it". It is an interesting process but it is awesome to observe!

I met up with Elder Nzuki on Wednesday. He is going to be a great companion! We know each other pretty well already so we are ready to go to work!

On Thursday we spent the day in the office preparing for our kumasi trip and for zone council and to get some office work done. Then we drove up to Kumasi on Friday and had zone council that evening. The meeting went really well. We instructed on how they can utilize companionship study as a time to talk about how they can use the members in their various units. We talked about the importance of members and how to develop a relationship with the members. It went really well and was great!

On Saturday we went on splits with the Bantama zone leaders and the Aasokwa zone leaders. They went really well! This Kumasi trip I drove around quite a bit, picking up things for Elders down south, delivering things to Elders up there. But It was fine. Kumasi traffic is probably the craziest of them all but it went well. Sunday we traveled up to Sunyani for the district organization. It was great to see how it is growing. I saw one of my recent converts there, brother Charles, he is now a Melchizedek Priesthood holder and doing great! Elder Thayne the senior couple up there right now is going to be the district president for the time being. After the meeting we went to my old area in Fiapre and visited a few people and I showed the missionaries some people I thought they should see! It was awesome to be back there in Fiapre! The work was not easy there, but it was a great learning opportunity for me and as I went there I saw how much I really miss that place! It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it a lot! And then we came back to cape on Monday!

It is amazing to see how much Kumasi has changed, even since I was there. I really do love Kumasi and miss that place, so it was a lot of fun to be back there and to see old and familiar faces!

Since we have been driving tons this past week, I have lots of time to think and ponder about a lot of things. I have looked back on my mission seen what I have been able to do up to this point and who I have become in the past 19 months! I also have been thinking a lot about the future and what is to come! It is weird how the time is just flying by, and that I get closer and closer to the future! There are a lot of things that will need to be done, a lot of decision to be made all in the near future! It is crazy! But I am excited and continue to prepare for what is to come! The Lord knows, so I need to trust in Him. I have read and reread my patriarchal blessing. And though it is  crazy and sometimes nervous to think of the future, at the same time it is exciting and I am excited. I am beginning to feel like that process I talked about at transfers. I am becoming one of those departing elders, and pretty soon I will be a new Elders who is excited and ready, and at the same time nervous and scared out of his mind!

I am really excited to be able to Skype you this week! Be thinking of things to talk about, it will probably be 8 pm my time! So be ready!

I love you all so much and miss you a lot! Thanks for everything that you do! You are the best!

Love your son and brother

Elder Ryan S. Alba