Weeks 56 and 57

The main events the week of February 10th were the multi-zone conferences on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  

On Monday (February 10), we had our second session with Brother Osei, the second counselor in the branch presidency, teaching him the temple preparation instructions.  It was a little interesting because one of the things we did was show the Church's video on "Sacred Temple Clothing" and talk about the temple garments.  A friend from Accra, who is not a member of the Church, was visiting Brother Osei.  We gave Brother Osei and his friend a copy of this handout on garments.  The friend was actually quite sincerely interested.

We actually took a "vacation" from doing apartment inspections on Wednesday.  We were getting low on water in our poly tank.  A load of water was supposed to be delivered on Wednesday.  We waited all day but no water came, so we used the time to catch up.  It was quite nice just being home!

The focus of the multi-zone conferences on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday was on being united as missionary companions and missionaries and the local units (branches and wards) being united.  Here is an African proverb emphasizing this focus. 

During the zone conference on Thursday, Sister Bibomba, a missionary from DR Congo, shared this:

"There were missionaries who were leaving for the sector.  There was a path in a plot of land of an old father.  This old man likes to sit under a tree to get some air, and the missionaries passed by there every day to go and teach.  When they pass by there, the old man sees the missionaries are three people--the missionaries and another man behind them wearing white.  The next week, the old man called to the missionaries, asking, "why are you two today?"  The missionaries were surprised and said that they are always in two.  The old father said, "I saw you every day in three people, you and another man."  The missionaries did not want to confuse this old man, so they accepted that it was three and that the other man did not walk with them that day.  After that, the missionaries returned to the apartment to apologize to each other for not being united with each other and to pray to ask forgiveness of God for letting the devil enter their companionship and take away the peace and unity between them.  That day was the day that the missionaries argued in the apartment before going out to teach, and they did not pray to ask forgiveness before going out.  The old man saw that the angel was not with them in the area that day because they were not united with each other.  That is the importance of being united with our companion."

President Jacobsen talked about the inward focused missionary compared to the outward focused missionary.  He encouraged all the be an "Outward Focus" missionary.

Pictures from multi-zone conferences:

                Sister Sam, Sister Judd, and Sister Jacobsen.       Participating in a break-out class.

Elder Saye and Elder Reidhead are the A.P.'s.  On Friday, Elder Reidhead shared with us what had happened on Thursday morning before zone conference.  Elder Reidhead had not ironed his shirt Wednesday night before going to bed and planned to iron it Thursday morning.  However, the power went off around 3:00 a.m.  Sometime later, Elder Reidhead woke up and heard a scratching sound.  He got up to go see what it was and found Elder Saye "ironing" his shirt.  Elder Saye had gotten up, realized that the power was off and that Elder Reidhead's shirt was not ironed.  So, he got a frypan, heated it over the gas stove, and proceeded to iron Elder Reidhead's shirt for him using the hot frypan!!  Such unity and love!!

After zone conference on Tuesday, we took bikes to the elders at Dabanyin.  Elder Bertha asked us to engrave an ID number on each bike as we do apartment inspections.

Elder Otin engraving the ID number on his "new" bike

On Sunday (February 16), we went to Swedru for Gospel Literacy.  We assisted with the Swedru 2 Ward Gospel Literacy class in the morning.  There were five learners in class that day.    

In the afternoon, we along with Brother Tetteh (stake gospel literacy specialist) met with President Wallace (Swedru Stake President) and helped him to have a fuller understanding of Gospel Literacy, the focus of each of the books (ABC through Book 5), and what is important in assuring the success of the classes.  President Wallace had invited the bishops/branch presidents and the Gospel Literacy teachers to a Gospel Literacy training which was then held.  Ten of the thirteen units were represented.  Each was asked to report on the number of learners, which book is being used, and what challenges each is having.  Following the reports, Brother Tetteh talked about what can help the Gospel Literacy classes be more successful.  Then, Sister Judd explained about each book, what its focus is, and what the learners can gain from each book.  Elder Judd expressed appreciation for the efforts of each in Gospel Literacy and shared a brief message and testimony.  

On Monday, we drove to Accra for our monthly participation in the senior missionary staff meeting.  And Tuesday, we were in Galilea for their district council.

Galilea District--Sisters Marume and Windous, Elders McLean, Vave, Anderson, and Bey 

and Sisters Tanui and Bibomba

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Michael Ringwood, and Bishop Christopher Waddell and their wives were touring West Africa and holding leader training, devotionals for the youth and young single adults, devotional for the area office personnel and senior missionaries, etc.  On Wednesday (February 19) was a special missionary devotional for the Accra West, Accra East, and Accra North missions.  The missionaries were excited to be taught by an apostle. 

Here are some "take aways" for us.  Sister Waddell shared that we should not count the days until we are finished with our mission but that we should make every day count.  Elder Ringwood talked about five words to contemplate in our missionary service.   

1. Consider your ways (Haggai 1:5 and 1:7) – Be obedient missionaries.
2. Settle in your hearts (Luke 14:27 footnote) – Decide to be “all-in” serving the Lord here in Ghana
3. Contend:…thou, therefore, morning by morning; and day after day let thy warning voice go forth… (D&C 112:5) – Be diligent in your missionary work, have a great work ethic.
4. Astonished: And now, when Amulek had spoken these words, the people began to be astonished (Alma 10:12) – Be astonishing missionaries in both character and teaching ability.
5. Generational: …his name shall be had in sacred remembrance from generation to generation (D&C 117:12) – Leave a good name for yourself here in Ghana and realize that your faithful service will affect your life for good in the future and for generations to come.

Elder Christofferson quoted D&C 6:9 where the Lord instructs Oliver Cowdrey to say, “nothing but repentance unto this generation,” noting that the same or similar wording is found multiple times in the Doctrine and Covenants, citing D&C 15:6: “And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.”  He then asked the missionaries why declaring repentance would be of “most worth.”  After hearing a few comments, he asked them, “What is the point of repentance if there is no Savior?”  He said that repentance only matters and is possible because Jesus Christ came to earth and atoned for all of God’s children.  We can repent because there is a Savior, so “declaring repentance” is testifying and teaching of the Savior.  Faith in the Savior and His atonement leads to repentance, which leads to baptism, which makes repentance complete.  Then grace is carried to the repentant soul through the Holy Ghost which cleanses and sanctifies us.  It was amazing to sit at the feet of an Apostle of the Lord and be taught the Doctrine of Christ as he expounded on the scripture in D&C 15:6 and why declaring repentance would be of most worth to each of us.

We left for Accra and the devotional with Elder Christofferson at 5:15 a.m.  Sisters Appia, Tavita, Lautaimi, and Najjuka rode to Accra and back with us.  On the way home, they all fell asleep!!

Thursday was our day to teach and visit with Sisters Lautaimi and Najjuka.  We went to teach Godfred who lives next to a Christabelle, a recently baptized member.  When we got there, we were surprised to see Christabelle at home because she should be away at school.  As it turned out, she was sick and the school had sent her home.  Elder Judd was able to explain about priesthood blessings and give her a blessing of healing.  We then taught Godfred, who is very knowledgeable of the Bible, about the First Vision and the Restoration particularly the restoration of priesthood authority.  There were a couple of other appointments that fell through, so we went to visit Angela, a member who moved into our branch from Kasoa a few months ago.  She was also not feeling well.  The muscles in her side and chest were causing her quite a bit of pain.  She earns money by making and selling sobolo and other drinks.  To sell them, she has to carry them in a large tub on top of her head for quite a distance into the village.  The strain of doing this was causing her muscle pain.  Elder Judd was able to give her a priesthood blessing as well.  

On Friday (February 21) we drove back into Accra.  Saturday, February 22, was Sister Jacobsen's birthday, so President Jacobsen took all the senior couples along with Patrick and his wife, Gifty, to a nice restaurant for a birthday dinner for Sister Jacobsen.  Sister Bertha had compiled a book for Sister Jacobesen's birthday with a note from each of the missionaries in the mission and pictures of many of them with her.  She was very touched!

After dinner we played games with the Bertha's and Jacobsen's and then slept at the mission home and returned back home Saturday morning.  Saturday afternoon we went with Sisters Appia and Tavita to teach lessons and do visits.

Sunday was busy and full.  We were getting close to running out of water again, so Isaac had made arrangements for a load (1,000 gallons) to be delivered early Sunday morning.

We then went to church in our Awutu Breku Branch.  After the meeting block, we taught the last of the temple instructions to three sisters so they would be ready to go to the temple to receive their endowments.  We then drove 20 minutes to teach the last of the temple instructions to a counselor in the Elders Quorum presidency, Abraham.  Following that we drove another 20 minutes to Ojobi to meet with Brother Yamoah, the first counselor in the branch presidency.  He is preparing to receive his endowments.  He had taken a temple preparation class previously but the branch president asked us to do a review and make certain he was ready.  We spent about an hour and a half or so with Brother Yamoah.  We took extra time with him and also with Brother Osei in reviewing and discussing the temple recommend questions since they will be doing interviews in the future with individuals who are renewing their recommends.

On Monday (February 24) we also met with Sister Duoduwah and spent a couple of hours with her teaching and preparing her to receive her endowments.  

The Awutu Breku Branch conference will be on March 9.  There will be a temple trip on Saturday, March 8.  President Narty, the branch president, had asked us a few weeks ago to help prepare several members to receive their own endowments on this temple trip on March 8.  Hence, the reason for our being so busy with temple preparation.  

Just for interest sake:

Diamond and Lovely doing the dishes while we were teaching their father, Abraham.

Cutting palm oil kernels off and Sister Gamor sorting out the bad kernels 

getting it ready to make palm nut soup.

We commissioned Brother Acolatse (a member in our branch) to paint this for us.

In the month of January, President Jacobsen coordinated with the 7 stake presidents and the 1 district president for each ward/branch to set goals for baptisms during 2025 that the mission would also use as its goals.  As part of the focus of unity between the missionaries and the wards/branches, the mission is doing a 40-day fast.  That means that over the 40 days beginning on February 17 there will be two different companionships each day who will fast and pray along with the ward or branch they are assigned to work with.  All of the rest of the mission will pray for those two companionships and that ward/branch on that day.  It has been amazing to see the unity and miracles that have resulted from this combined faith and prayers for gathering Israel in the Accra West Mission!  Here is an example of what happened on the day Elders McCallister and Marchant and the Akrofufu Branch were fasting and praying:

"We have a small bush town in our area that has been really struggling to take off and progress. We've ended up dropping most of the people in the village because they weren't keeping their commitments. So, we've really needed to find new people to teach. The problem is, most people don't speak English. All around, a stuggling town. Well, today we went there to visit a couple of people and do some contacting. During our contacting we just had the greatest streak of luck with finding prepared people to teach. The first two people we contacted both spoke very good English, and both gave us time to teach them right away and invited us to come back again. The third person also spoke English and was very excited about us coming. We'll be seeing her the next time we go to that village. It was a huge miracle for us to find three people who are able to learn, meet with us, and are prepared to hear the message we have to share. Especially in that small town we've been struggling with."

The Lord knows His "sheep" and knows who is ready to hear His word and come to Him.  It will happen as we each do our part with faith in Him.  

May you each feel the Savior's love for you and know that He does know you and value you!

Love,

Elder and Sister Judd