Week 48 (last half)

This last half of week 48 started with Christmas Day on Wednesday.  We had a quiet morning just enjoying the time with Sara.  Then, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., we went with Sisters Appia and Tavita to teach and visit and give Sara the experience of going with the missionaries. 


Going with Sisters Appia and Tavita to visit new converts


We then tried desperately to connect with our children and their families over FaceTime, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and phone calls.  But the internet was terrible with everyone home for the holiday and also trying to use the internet.  We were able to connect for just a moment with a few but were disappointed to not be able to connect with more.

Thursday was apartment inspection day.  We drove to Swedru and inspected four apartments in the Swedru area.  


Sara and us with Elders Tanner and Ellis (zone leaders) in Swedru 2



                            Sister Judd and Sara at Aboso.     Elder Judd and Sara working on a table at Aboso.



Elder Judd sending some pictures to the Aboso elders.



Elders Heerdink, Eyo, Laulu, and Yobana at Aboso



As we left the Aboso apartment to go to the Swedru 1 & 3 apartment, we encountered this group dressed for some kind of celebration which we never did find out what or why.  They were accompanied by this man skillfully walking on very tall stilts.
 



The next apartment was Swedru 1 & 3.



Elder Judd outside the Swedru 1 & 3 apartment



While we were doing the apartment inspection, Sara was visiting and engaging with some neighbor kids who were interested in the "obroni" from America.



Elders Nakatuzayako and Roldan at Swedru 1 & 3


Next was Swedru 4.


Elder Judd and Sara trying to fix a bed frame



Elders Mboya and Lomate at Swedru 4


Friday morning we headed to the Cape Coast to visit some local sites.


The first stop was at the Slave Market and Slave River at Asin Manso.  Slaves were forced to walk in chains from northern Ghana some 350 miles away to this location.  Here they were forced to bathe (in chains) and were prepared for the slave market after which they were branded with the owner's identification.  This was called their "last bath."




We then went to the Cape Coast Slave Castle where slaves were kept for up to three months waiting for a ship to come to take them to America, Caribbean, Brazil, England, or other destinations.  The conditions these human beings were kept in were extremely deplorable and awful.  






The last stop of the day was at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort.  We arrived there early enough to enjoy a wonderful couple of hours relaxing in a refreshing ocean breeze overlooking the beach.



                                                                                                 Sara trying banku (cassava and corn dough) 
                                                                                                    with tilapia (whole fish with eyes and all).  
                                                                                                    Eating with her right hand Ghanaian style!



Saturday morning, we drove to the Kakum National Park to do the canopy walkway. The walkway consists of a series of seven suspension bridges above or near the top of the rainforest canopy and are from 35 feet to 120 feet above the forest floor.  The bridges are suspended from very large trees, some of which are estimated to be over 300 years old. 
  






 

There was a group of school kids at the canopy walkway which wanted to shake hands, give "high fives," touch white skin to see what it feels like, and take pictures with these three obronis.  We ate lunch at the Kakum National Park and then drove home.


And, Sunday (December 29), we went to Winneba to attend the Ansaful Ward Sacrament Meeting and then meet with the new Gospel Literacy class learners and teacher in preparation for their class to start next Sunday.   That gets us to the end of an event filled Week 48!


Sister Tracy Y. Browning's talk from October 2024 General Conference included a section on "Profound Trust."  In it she quoted Elder Richard G. Scott:

Elder Richard G. Scott taught that “this life is an experience in profound trust—trust in Jesus Christ, trust in His teachings, trust in our capacity as led by the Holy Spirit to obey those teachings for happiness now and for a purposeful, supremely happy eternal existence. To trust means to obey willingly without knowing the end from the beginning (see Prov. 3:5–7). To produce fruit, your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience.”

Elder Scott continues: “To exercise faith is to trust that the Lord knows what He is doing with you and that He can accomplish it for your eternal good even though you cannot understand how He can possibly do it.”


May we each strive to develop that kind of trust!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our dear family and friends!!

Love,
Sister and Elder Judd



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Weeks 73, 74, and The End

Image
We are sorry for being so late in doing our last blog post for our mission.  The last two and a half weeks on our mission were crazy busy.  We then left Ghana on June 25th and arrived in Salt Lake City on the afternoon of June 26th.  This was followed by spending time with family including doing baptisms and confirmations in the temple with some of our grandchildren and doing sealings in the temple with some of our family, renting and moving into an apartment in Orem, going to Coalville for doctor appointments and spending the night and visiting with Elder Judd's sister (Shanna), meeting with Elder and Sister Burtenshaw (who are on their way to Ghana to replace us), spending time with the Klundt's from our Tennessee mission, visiting and spending time with lots of family, and just plain going and doing.  We needed to just stop and take time to do this last blog post to let you know that we are home and to express our deep appreciation for your prayers and support. ...
Read more

Week 72

Image
The weeks continue on without stopping! This week has been full of early mornings and short nights.  On Tuesday, we got up at 4:30 to be gone at 6:00 to go to Asene in the Oda Zone for district council and then to inspect the Asene apartment.  The good thing is that it was our last apartment inspection!!  We inspected all the apartments in the mission during the first six months in Ghana and again during the second six months except for a few of the apartments which were given to another senior couple.  We then inspected all we were responsible for  a third time and the apartments in the Swedru and Oda Zones a fourth time during the third six months. Asene district council with Elders Rea, Jones, Tafuna, Albrecht (in back)  and Reidhead and Anderson (in front) Elders Albrecht, Tafuna, Reidhead, and Anderson at Asene apartment inspection Wednesday morning was super early, waking up at 3:30 and leaving at 5:00 to be at the mission office by 8:00 for "Springbo...
Read more

Week 30

Image
Monday morning we left for Accra around 8:00 a.m. to do some shopping, have a tire with a screw in it and slow leak fixed, and go to senior missionary staff meeting which we attend once a month.  Not too long after we left, we got a text message with some pictures letting us know that Monroe Elizabeth Jenkins had been born to Katie and Parley in Virginia!  This takes the grandkid count to 41 now!!  Oh, how very blessed we are!! Sweet Monroe Elizabeth, and Monroe being snuggled by her "big" sister, Hadley  The biggest and smallest feet in the family! The biggest feet belong to Caleb, Sara's son.  The smallest feet belong to Monroe. We forgot to mention in last week's blog that Caleb, Sara's son, received his mission call and will be serving in the California Newport Beach Mission, Spanish speaking.  He is super excited and reports to the Missionary Training Center on October 7th. Caleb was ordained an Elder today by Katie's husband, Parley. Caleb, Sara, Kati...
Read more