Well, another week in Ghana has passed. We are feeling more and more comfortable (or at least more accepting in some instances!!) with life here in Ghana. Nonetheless, we have found a lot of truth in what President Jacobsen told us when we first got here: "You will learn to have patience and flexibility!"
Monday was senior missionary staff meeting. The office couples, Ebenezer (housing), Patrick (supplies, driver, and all around "go for" guy), and the Jacobsen's meet weekly. We go in for staff meeting once a month. Monday was our day to go. The Jacobsen's also planned a birthday dinner for Elder Judd combined with a welcome to Ghana dinner for Elder and Sister Bertha who are now doing financial secretary and mission secretary. After staff meeting, we had our quarterly interview with President Jacobsen. Then, the office couples (Divis' and Bertha's), the Jacobsen's, and us went to a nice restaurant for dinner.
Staff meeting And then dinner
Birthday desserts for everyone and birthday "candle"
Our truck needed to be serviced. So, we had made arrangements for that to happen Tuesday morning. We stayed in the mission home on Monday night so the truck would be available first thing Tuesday morning. Rather than have to take the truck to a dealer to be serviced, the area vehicle coordinator had made arrangements for the dealer to come to the area office complex where the temple is to do the service. With that, we decided to do a temple session while the truck was being serviced. Since we had not planned on it happening that way, Elder Judd borrowed a long sleeve white shirt from President Jacobsen. Forunately, the temple has temple clothes for missionaries, so we were able get the rest of what we needed at the temple. It was a very small session with Elder Judd the only brother and only six sisters, including Sister Judd. The session was in English, but one sister had earphones for French and another had earphones for Twi (tribal language). It was a wonderful session. Since there were so few, we participated in the prayer circle and four ordinance worker brothers came in to join four of the sister patrons for the prayer circle. All went well until the prayer. The officiator who said the prayer did it in French. So, there we were trying to repeat what he said and did not have any idea whether what we said was correct or not. We just repeated the best we could what we thought we heard!
We got out of the temple around 11:00 a.m. expecting the truck to be finished and ready so we could go back home to Awutu Breku. When we went to get the keys, the truck had not been serviced. After a phone call, we found out that there had been a miscommunication. The area vehicle coordinator was not told the truck was there, so he had not contacted the dealer. Proper arrangements were made, but that meant waiting for the dealer to come and service the truck. We have learned that anything you want to do takes longer than you thought or planned. (Remember President Jacobsen's comment on patience and flexibility!). Hence, the truck was finally ready and we were able to leave for home around 4:00 or 4:30.
Our apartment inspection trip on Wednesdays was to three apartments in the far end of the Swedru Zone. One of these, Brakwa, is the farthest west in our mission. The first stop was at Brakwa where Elder Kabanda has been very, very sick with malaria. He was doing better when we were there.
Elders Kabanda and Malupo in Brakwa
Elders Simmons and Nyenyezi in Asikuma
The Ghana MTC had called the mission office and said they had a patriarchal blessing for one of the Accra West missionaries. We stopped at the MTC after the temple on Tuesday and picked it up. It was for Elder Nyenyezi, so we were able to take it with us and deliver it to him on Wednesday. He had come on his mission without receiving his patriarchal blessing. President Jacobsen had made arrangements for him to receive it from the Kasoa Stake patriarch when Elder Nyenyezi was assigned to a proselyting area in Kasoa. He was so excited to finally get the written copy of his blessing.
Elders Lekeyi and Flomo in Kuntenase
The mission "purchased" a new generator in May. When it was time for the generator to be delivered at the end of May, the company said that it had not been delivered to the port yet. So, they brought a used generator and installed it saying that the new one would come around the middle of June. However, they kept having one excuse after another as to why they couldn't or didn't deliver the generator as they said. It was finally to be delivered on Thursday this week. We did not go anywhere and worked on an assortment of items while waiting for the generator. It did not come. The company then said that it would be delivered on Friday. Again, we stayed here, worked on various projects and assignments, and waited. Surprise, surprise! It did not come on Friday. It was finally delivered on Saturday morning. The old one was taken away and the new one was installed. With the original generator that was replaced and the used one from the generator company, they would only run one A/C unit, the water pump, and the lights. With the new one that came Saturday, it will run three A/C units, the lights, the pump, and the clothes dryer!
Saturday afternoon, we went with Sister Van der Beek and Sister Tanui to teach Martha and then Nevis, Alexandria, and Stephen. Nevis is ready and excited to be baptized. The others are at various levels of progress and readiness.
When we arrived to teach Nevis, Alexandria, and Stephen, these four cute little kids were there. We just had to take a picture of them and of Sister Van der Beek trying to get them to give her "knuckles."
Daniel (a church member and brother to Nevis) holding his niece
Sister Judd and Sister Van der Beek waiting under the tree where we teach
This morning (Sunday), we went to Dabanyin for Sacrament Meeting and to join in the Gospel Literacy class there during the second hour. Church at Dabanyin is held in the cafeteria of the "Ghana Make A Difference" children's shelter. The kids are "hungry" to be recognized and feel that someone loves them.
Sister Judd made a new friend who wanted to sit by her
During Sacrament Meeting, another girl came and laid across Sister Judd's lap backwards and fell asleep!
Gospel Literacy class with Brother Andoh teaching and Gloria learning
As soon as the Gospel Literacy class was over, we hurried back to Awutu Breku where there were two baptisms. Daniel is the husband of Dorcas who is a counselor in the branch Relief Society presidency. Faustina was referred to the missionaries by a member, and she accepted the gospel.
Austin (performed the baptisms), Sisters Marufu and Kendrick, Daniel, Faustina,
Sisters Van der Beek and Tanui, and President Visu (elders quorum president)
The tow trucks in Ghana remind us of Mater (from the "Cars" movies).
We weren't quick enough with the camera to get these in one picture frame, but you get the idea!
Another Mater tow truck picture.
Another truck overloaded and sky-high with the load on top swaying back and forth with every bump!
We have mentioned in previous blogs about our assignment from the Winneba Stake president to write the history of the church in Buduburam. We completed it a few weeks ago and sent it to the stake president. We received a call from the communications department in the Africa West Area Office a couple of weeks ago saying that President Tandoh had sent the history (which is 39 pages in total including the appendix containing pictures) to them and that a 1,000 word condensed version has been published in the Church News of Africa. They also indicated that a 10,000 word shortened version is planned to be included in the Africa section of the Liahona magazine in December or January. They said that the full length original was forwarded to the Church History Department in Salt Lake. Here is the link to the condensed version for the Church News in Africa:
Sunday at church we had a 15 or 16 year old young woman in attendance that Sisters Kendrick and Marufu are teaching. She lives in Ojobi which is 3 1/2 miles from the meetinghouse. She wanted to be at church so badly that she walked the 3 1/2 miles to church and then walked back to Ojobi after church. There are so many other similar examples of the faithfulness of these wonderful Ghanaians.
We continue to be amazed by these wonderful, humble, and happy people. Their prayers are full of gratitude for their lives, the restored gospel, a living prophet and his words, the Savior and His Atonement. They rarely ask for anything, with one exception. In almost every prayer they ask to be forgiven of their sins. We have learned from these beautiful saints that being grateful for the simple things brings great joy! We have learned a few phrases in Twi, so we can respond when someone greets us. They usually ask,"Et e sen?" which means "How are you?" Our favorite response is, "Naminadom"--"By the grace of God, I am fine." So grateful for these life changing experiences.
Love you all,
Elder and Sister Judd
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