Week 51 (In Ghana)

To start with this week, we would like to thank those of you who sent us Christmas and New Years greetings!  Please know that we appreciate your love, support and prayers and are grateful for all your kind thoughts and well wishes. Thank you so much!!  

Monday (January 6) this last week was Heaven sent!  We did not go anywhere all day.  It was a much needed day to work on several things that we had not had time to do.  One of these was to make a list of apartments that we recommend terminating the lease on and getting a new replacement apartment for each.  President Jacobsen had asked us a month ago to do this, so it was good to finally complete the assignment.     

Tuesday, we went to Swedru for the Swedru district council meeting.  

Elders Lomate, Heerdink, Mboya, Mamouna, Fernelius, 

Nakatuzayako, Salatielu, Eyo, Laulu, and Yobana

Enthusiastically singing "Praise to the Man"

On the way back from Swedru, we stopped at Ghana Make a Difference (GMAD).  They had received a large shipping container of donated items from the U.S.  In it were two boxes of school kits with scissors, pencils, eraser, glue stick, pencil sharpener, ruler, and crayons.  The boxes had "Please give to senior missionaries" written on the outside of the box.  Since we are the only "senior missionaries" close by, we ended up with one of the boxes.  Sister Judd is now trying to identify who is in need of and can use them.

Wednesday is our apartment inspection day, and this time we went to Oda.  It was a long day leaving at 6:00 a.m. and getting home just before 6:00 p.m. with a 3 hour drive to and a 3 hour drive from Oda.  We had good interactions with the missionaries and felt that we had made things better in the three apartments we inspected so the missionaries can focus on their missionary purpose of bringing others to Christ.  

           Elders Ambadang and Donahoo at Asene.            Elders Rawlings, Abule, Nzundu, Kroll, Tupa, and Tuinakauvadra at Oda.             

The last apartment we went to was Achiase.  The missionaries in this apartment have had a challenging time.  First, Elder Lusk ended up with severe malaria in his liver and almost died.  He was in the hospital for an extended time, so no one was in the apartment during that time.  When the elders went back into the apartment, they didn't really clean as they should have.  Then, Elder Cheney's father passed away unexpectedly with a heart attack, and Elder Cheney had to return home.  His companion was moved to Oda into a trio and was out of the apartment for two weeks.  The result was that the apartment needed some serious cleaning and attention.  We took Elders Tuinakauvadra and Nzundu with us from Oda to Achiase and spent the next two hours or better helping them.  

Elders Nzundu and Tuinakauvadra at Achiase

  

On Thursday (January 9), we went with Sisters Lautaimi and Najjuka to visit and teach.  One visit was to a new member, Patmos, to teach a new member lesson.  His brother was there this time.  Emmanuel was baptized when he was young but is not currently active.  He in fact has avoided the missionaries whenever they have gone there.  This time, Emmanuel not only joined in but was very attentive and engaged even asking questions.  The discussion was on the plan of salvation particularly after we die, the spirit world, the Resurrection, the judgement, and going to one of the three degrees of glory.  

Morgan (the father), Emmanuel, Patmos, and Sisters Lautaimi and Najjuka

As we were returning to the truck, these kids shared their talents with us!

Another visit was to teach some new investigators--Evelyn, Kweku, and their daughter, Mavis.  As we were getting ready to start, Kweku called to three men who were walking past and told them to come and join in.  They reluctantly came and sat down.  The Sisters had taught the family in the previous visit about the plan of salvation and had intended to teach them about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  But, with the three new learners, they retaught the plan of salvation.  As it turned out, one new learner was not at all interested, one was more interested in Sister Lautaimi than the plan of salvation, and one (Ebenezer) was interested and asked some very thoughtful questions.  

Evelyn, Kweku, their son, Sisters Najjuka and Lautaimi, Mavis, Ebenezer, Gamal (the one 

interested in Sister Lautaimi), and the one not interested in anything (next to Sister Judd).

There is a neighborhood water spot next to where we were teaching.  It is plumbed, like many of them, with the water discharge above the head so the people can fill the container with it still on their head rather than have to lift it up after filling.

President Jacobsen wanted Elder and Sister Kaaen to start doing apartment inspections in the Kaneshie Zone.  We had made arrangements with them to do an inspection together to show them how we do it.  So, we met them at the Weija apartment Friday morning to do this.  It took a little longer than usual because of the training we were doing with the Kaaen's and because of some issues with the apartment that we tried to fix.  

Elder and Sister Kaaen, Elders Kalubi and Anderson

Then Friday afternoon, we met with Ernestina and began to teach her about the temple and help her prepare to receive her own endowments in the temple.  

Saturday morning, the trash man came to haul away two weeks worth of accumulated trash from the missionary apartments and ours and the sisters' household trash.  

The baptism clothes and towels for both the Awutu Breku and Dabanyin Branches are kept in our apartment.  We received a call on Friday afternoon from the Dabanyin branch president saying they will have a baptism on Saturday morning and asked us to bring baptism clothes to the baptism.  We thought it would be here in the Awutu Breku baptism font, so we planned to take the clothes there for the baptism, come home until after, and then go get them.  However, we talked with the branch president Friday evening and were told that the baptism would be in Buduburam.  He asked us to be there with the baptism clothes at 9:30 a.m. for a 10:00 a.m. baptism.  Knowing this is Ghana, Sister Judd said, "The baptism may be started by 10:30 or 11:00 and we may be home by 12:00 or 12:30."  She was right on!

                  Waiting for the baptism to start.                               The group there for the baptism.

Saturday afternoon is when we go with Sisters Appia and Tavita.  However, when we went and met them where they had been teaching, Sister Appia did not look like she was feeling very well at all.  We asked if she wanted to go back to the apartment, and she said that she did not because we needed to do the visits they had planned.  We had not gone very far when she started to dry heave.  She had a terrible headache and felt very badly.  We told her she needed to go to the apartment.  When we got there, we gave her a malaria test which was negative.  After talking to Sister Kaaen, the mission medical advisor, the determination was that she was dehydrated from the heat and not getting enough water and electrolytes.  We fixed a couple of bottles of hydration solution for her to drink and had her rest for the balance of the day.  By Sunday, she was doing much better.

On Sunday, we went to Asikuma in the Swedru Stake to help start a Gospel Literacy class in the branch there.  We got up at 4:30 a.m., left at 6:00 a.m., picked up Brother Tetteh (stake Gospel Literacy Specialist) at the Swedru Stake Center at 7:00 a.m., and arrived at the chapel in Asikuma around 8:40 a.m.  Elders Watkins and Shook had just finished doing a baptism.  Asikuma is a small branch with about 35 attending Sacrament Meeting.  The branch president moved away, so the branch is currently under the direction of the two counselors.  As Elders Watkins and Shook began preparing the Sacrament, they couldn't find any Sacrament cups.  As it turned out, the Sacrament cups were locked in the clerk's office and the clerk was "traveling."  When someone finally came with a key to the clerk's office, there were only 11 Sacrament cups.  After some discussion of what to do, the counselors decided to buy sachets of water to use.  A sachet is a plastic bag with 500 ml of water in it.  To drink the water, you bite a corner just enough to get water out and then squeeze the water into your mouth as you suck on the small hole.  So, on the Sacrament table was the bread as usual, a tray with 11 Sacrament cups with water, and a pile of sachets of water.  After the water was blessed, the sachets of water were handed out, one sachet per person, and the 11 Sacrament cups were used for 11 of the members.  

With members not arriving on time, the issue with the Sacrament, and just plain lack of Ghanaian urgency, the 9:00 a.m. Sacrament Meeting finally started at about 9:35 a.m.  As the counselor conducting started the meeting, he invited us to come and sit on the stand.  Then during the opening hymn, we were asked to talk for 5 minutes each.  It was a good thing we talked, because the only other speaker was the other counselor, and he only talked for about 5 minutes.  So, Sacrament Meeting ended shortly after 10:00 a.m.!

The Primary and youth went to classes and all the adults stayed together in the chapel for Brother Tetteh and us to introduce them to and teach them about Gospel Literacy.  We then met with the newly called Gospel Literacy teacher, the branch Sunday School president (who is responsible for Gospel Literacy), the two counselors, and Brother Tetteh to do additional training.  They will now determine who is interested in being in the Gospel Literacy class, do an assessment to find out the level of English ability of each learner, and start the class.  Just like any other time, we never know what to expect or what is going to happen as we go to a ward or branch to help get a new class started.

At the Asikuma chapel

Loaded a little heavy to the left!

We are part of a message group with other senior couples and the mission leaders from our Tennessee Nashville Mission.  We each take turns sharing insights from the week's "Come Follow Me" reading.  This last week was Elder Judd's turn.  Here is what he shared:

"I love the Doctrine and Covenants! It is my favorite scripture after the Book of Mormon. I believe this started with seeing Adom-ondi-Ahman at 15 or 16 years of age. At that time, there were no improvements like now. There was nothing there except the valley. To get to Adam-ondi-Ahman, we drove up a dirt road that was barely passable by our car. But what struck me so forcefully was the powerful and overwhelming feeling I had standing there looking at the valley below. At the time, I did not fully understand what happened or what will happen there, but I KNEW it was a special and sacred place! I have had that same feeling each time we have been at Adam-ondi-Ahman since."

"As I was re-reading D&C 1 yesterday trying to understand what I might share, I had the Spirit bear witness to my soul once again that the Prophet Joseph Smith was called of God and was guided constantly by the Savior in accomplishing the beginnings of the Restoration. Indeed, “Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah! Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer. Blessed to open the last dispensation, Kings shall extol him and nations revere!” As CFM references, he was but 25 years old in November 1831. Yet, he had already had a “lifetime” of experiences with the Savior, angels, revelations, spiritual guidance, tribulations, and so much more. I also listened again to Sister Freeman’s recent conference talk wherein she referenced Emma and what it might have been like for her. I am “so much grateful” for Joseph and Emma and their valiancy in their “testimony of Jesus!”"

"The last thing to share is in regard to verse 21, which says “that faith also might increase in the earth” because of Church members and leaders proclaiming “these things unto the world” (verse 18). We have been amazed at the faith of the Ghanaian people with whom we associate. We know new converts who barely read or understand English and do not have access to the resources you and I have to be able to grow in their understanding of the gospel but who faithfully walk an hour to get to church because they have had the Spirit witness that it is all true. We have many times heard children offer a prayer that is pure communication with Heavenly Father full of sincerity, faith, understanding of gospel truths, and love for Him. In almost every prayer that is said by young or old, there is often a pleading of forgiveness for our sins. Those we teach with the missionaries all know the Savior and have a desire to follow Him. Oh, that our faith in the Savior might also increase!!"

May we each stay focused on our Savior!!

Love,

Sister and Elder Judd