1 Year Down!

I arrived in Ghana on August 1st last year. I am forever changed by the events of the past year. I could never have imagined the things that have transpired. I remember how nervous I was getting on the plane to Ghana. I had no idea what to expect, what the food would taste like, what the people would be like, or what the work would be like. The next 8 months were a rollercoaster of highs and lows. I learned to like the food, some more than others, show love to the people, and learned how to be a better missionary. I will probably be telling stories about my time there for the rest of my life. They say a mission becomes more valuable to you the further you are off of it. I think it becomes easier to see the amount you change because of your mission with a larger perspective. My time in Ghana was hard but well worth it and that is true in any mission. You get growing pains on a mission.

I hope to return to Ghana as a missionary, but I have learned so much here in Arkansas. I am grateful for the time I have spent here. While the people and ways we teach are different, the way we feel about the people and what we teach them is the same. I am glad to be able to see how similar the work is everywhere in the world. 

I pray that I might be able to help others and my self to become more Christ-like for the rest of my mission and my life. I am not as good of a missionary as I wish I was, but the Lord has called me with my flaws to this people at this time. I will probably be home before I become the missionary I always imagined myself being, but I know that it will come someday. This is why Jesus Christ preformed His Atoning Sacrifice. He knows us and knows how to make yourself the best person you can become. All that it requires is a humble heart and obedience to Him. I am so grateful for Him and what he did for you and me. 

Let me know how each of you are doing. I hope you are all safe and happy!

-Elder Garrison