Week 45

 Last week's post was long because we had a lot going on for those two weeks.  This week, the post is just the opposite.  

On Monday, we were still struggling to finish the post so we could post it.  On Tuesday, we went to the Senya district council which was right here in our branch meetinghouse.

Sisters Lautaimi and Kendrick and Elders Nyenyezi, Creighton, Mateara, and Erickson

Wednesday was apartment inspection day.  We drove 2 1/2 hours northwest to Brakwa.  The zone leaders in Swedru contacted us on Tuesday and asked if we would pick them up on our way through Swedru so they could ride with us to Brakwa to go on splits with those elders.  

Elders Tanner (ZL), Weeks, Stewart, and Ellis (ZL) (front to back)

We then went to Asikuma.

Elders Simmons and Shook

The last apartment for the day was Odoben.

Elders Phetha, Mayima, Albrecht, and Browne

We returned home around 4:30 or so.  We then went to the Awutu Breku Branch meetinghouse at 6:30 to help a member recover her church account information.  Emily is a counselor in the stake Primary presidency and the seminary teacher in our branch so accessing her church account is important.  She had not been able to get into her church account for quite a while.  It took us about an hour and a half to get everything worked out including communicating with the Church's Global Support in Salt Lake City.  She was grateful to finally access her account.

Thursday afternoon, we went with Sisters Kendrick and Lautaimi to visit and teach those they are working with.  One of those we visited was Martha.  Her daughters, Vivian and Claudia, were baptized a couple of months ago.  Martha had a miscarriage a week and a half ago.  We went to visit her on Monday afternoon this week.  She was struggling emotionally and physically from the miscarriage.  She really appreciated Sister Judd being there to comfort and reassure her because of the miscarriages Sister Judd had experienced.  So on Thursday afternoon, we went to visit Martha with the Sisters.  Martha was doing much better.     

Martha's neighbors had travelled to Senya (a fishing village on the coast) and purchased fish.  They were scraping off the scales and then deep frying the fish whole.  They would then sell the cooked fish door to door or in the market.  

Thursday evening, we went to the Gospel Principles discussion at our branch meetinghouse.

Friday became one of those days where we needed to practice the patience and flexibility that President Jacobsen told us about when we first came to Ghana.  Our water tank was down to about 1/3 full, and we needed to get a load of water before it got any lower.  Elder Judd contacted Isaac and requested a load of water.  Isaac called back on Thursday night and said the water would be delivered at 8:00 am on Friday morning.  This would work.  We had scheduled to leave at 8:00 a.m. to go to Apam to do an apartment inspection.  We let the Apam missionaries know that we would be there about an hour later than we had scheduled with them initially.  Well, 8:00 came and went with no water.  Then, 9:00 came and went with no water.  Elder Judd contacted Isaac who said the truck was "in the queue" waiting to load but the pipeline water was running very slowly and there were a lot of trucks waiting to get water.  We busied ourselves with working on items from our lengthy "to do" lists not having any idea when we would actually have the water delivered.  The truck with water finally arrived at 2:20 p.m.  Elder Judd learned from the driver that he had gotten up at 2:00 a.m. to get in the queue, and it had taken nearly 12 hours of waiting before he was able to load his truck!

We were also scheduled to go with Sisters Van der Beek and Appia at 3:00 p.m.  Luckily, we were able to meet them about 3:15 p.m. where they were teaching a recently baptized family.  William and Esther and their daughter, Blessing, were baptized last Sunday.  They also have three younger sons.  It is not very common for a totally family to join the church like William and Esther.  

Evans (performed baptism), William, Blessing, Esther, and their sons

William had question about the priesthood, and the Sisters were trying to answer his questions when we met them at William and Esther's shop.  So, we had a wonderful discussion with William and Esther about priesthood, priesthood power and authority, priesthood keys, priesthood offices, and much more including the Family Proclamation, patriarchal blessings, and temples.  

William, Esther, and Sisters Appia and Van der Beek in their shop (probably 5'x7')

Saturday, December 7 was elections for a new president of Ghana.  Over the last several months, we have encountered political rallies, motorcades escorted by police, and other political scenes in our travels.

Because of a previous history of violence on election day, President Jacobsen instructed that all missionaries should return to their apartment by 6:00 p.m. on Friday and not leave their apartment until Sunday morning.  So, Saturday was a day of getting caught up, doing a deep cleaning of the apartment, and a much needed break from our daily doings.

This coming Tuesday, December 10, is transfer day.  Sister Van der Beek and Sister Kendrick are being transferred after being here 6 months.  Sister Appia and Sister Lautaimi have been junior companions and will now each be senior companion to their new companion.  After our missionary neighbors were notified of their transfer plans, they all came over to our place to look at the transfer board to see who else was being transferred where.

Studying the transfer board

This evening (December 8), we will have Sisters Van der Beek, Appia, Kendrick, and Lautaimi over to our  place for banana bread and ice cream.  These sisters have been amazing in their hard work, dedication, love of the people, and bringing others to Christ and His gospel!  

Sisters Van der Beek, Appia, Lautaimi, and Kendrick

We have been impressed by the message in Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's October 2024 General Gonference talk entitled, "Nourish the Roots, and the Branches Will Grow."  He said:

The restored gospel of Jesus Christ, as the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “embrace[s] all, and every item of truth.” But that doesn’t mean that all truth is of equal value. Some truths are core, essential, at the root of our faith. Others are appendages or branches—valuable, but only when they are connected to the fundamentals.

The Prophet Joseph also said, “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

In other words, Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice are the root of our testimony. All other things are branches.

This is not to say that the branches are unimportant. A tree needs branches. But as the Savior told His disciples, “The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine.” (John 15:4) Without a connection to the Savior, to the nourishment found in the roots, a branch withers and dies.

For example, if you want a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon, focus on its witness of Jesus Christ. Notice how the Book of Mormon testifies of Him, what it teaches about Him, and how it invites and inspires you to come unto Him.

If you’re seeking a more meaningful experience in Church meetings or in the temple, try looking for the Savior in the sacred ordinances we receive there. Find the Lord in His holy house.

If you ever feel burned out or overwhelmed by your Church calling, try refocusing your service on Jesus Christ. Make it an expression of your love for Him.

Nourish the roots, and the branches will grow. And in time, they will bear fruit. 

This is such a powerful reminder to each of us to constantly nourish the roots of our faith in the Savior, in His doctrine, and in His Church by making Him the focus of our purpose and efforts.  This reminder is something we have needed as we at times have felt "burned out" or "overwhelmed." 

May the Lord be with and watch over each of you, and may each of us recognize and express gratitude to Him for His tender mercies in our lives.

Love,

Sister and Elder Judd