Week 58
Another week has passed, and a new week is starting. The weeks march on and on!
Monday (February 24) was a slower but still busy day. Sister Acolatse came to our place in the morning, and Sister Judd helped her with her Family History. There are essentially no written records in Africa. Everything is oral history. So, a member commonly talks to their older relatives to try and find out names, birthdates, death dates, and places. They write these down on a paper and then try to connect in FamilySearch how they fit with rest of the family. It is a real challenge. Often the birthdate is not known, but the death date and how old the person was when they died is something they seem to remember more. So, you subtract the age from the year of death to get a birth year. In the end, Sister Judd was able to help Sister Acolatse end up with eight names ready for temple work to be done.
Early afternoon, we taught a temple preparation class to Sister Rahamet Duoduwah at her home in Acoti. We were able to teach her in one session of about an hour and a half. She is well prepared, reads and understands English very well, and quickly understood what we talked about. It was a sweet experience teaching her.
Sister Duoduwah
Meg and Fred Kallas have been at Ghana Make a Difference (GMAD) for a little over a year as volunteers. We have gotten well acquainted with them and are good friends. Since they left to return home to Utah this week, we went to GMAD after teaching Sister Duoduwah to visit for a bit and tell them "good-bye."
Us with Meg and Fred
Tuesday was Kasoa district council. We really enjoyed being with this group of missionaries. They have a wonderful spirit and camaraderie. Elder Radford is the only member or active member in his family. He was baptized when he was 14 years old because of the influence of friends. Shortly after, his family moved, and he stopped going to church. In 2024, he reconnected with his friends that had influenced him to join the church. They were all going on missions and asked him when he was going to go. This made him think about what had happened to him. One Sunday morning, he just knew he had to go to church that day. No one knew him, including the bishop. The speakers in Sacrament Meeting that day were three mothers of missionaries who were currently serving. As they spoke, he knew through the Spirit that he needed to serve a mission. When he met with his bishop to say he wanted to go on a mission, the bishop did not even know who he was. He had never read the Book of Mormon and felt like he didn't really know anything about the gospel. Nevertheless, he immediately started his mission application process and was called to the Ghana Accra West Mission. He has only been here one transfer, but he has a powerful spirit and spiritual maturity in spite of his limited background and experience in the church.
Elders Radford, Creighton, Pendacheko, Roche, Onyango, and Nakatuzayako
Wednesday was a 13 hour day! We went to the Abomosu Zone to do apartment inspections. We spent 9 1/2 hours driving and 3 1/2 hours inspecting two apartments! One of those, New Abirem, is the apartment and missionary proselyting area furthest from the mission office and from our apartment. To get from Asuom (the first apartment) to New Abirem, you either drive 2 hours up and around the long way or 45 minutes cutting through a palm oil plantation. We did the shortcut even though the road was quite interesting. It was a very long day!
Elders Bangura and Mbala in Asuom
Elders Bethers and Rondon in New Abirem
Sister Judd's knee is starting to pain her more, and riding long distances is the worst. So, we stop every 1 to 1 1/2 hours so we can walk for a few minutes to get her knee going again.
Stopping and walking at our regular spot on the way to Asamankese and Abomosu.
On Thursday, we went with Sisters Lautaimi and Najjuka to teach and visit. After 3 or 4 appointments that fell through, we ended up going to visit Morgan and Rose "just because." They have been members for several years and live in Ojobi. As it turned out, Morgan's friend, Emanuel, was there. The Sisters had been trying to contact him to teach him but had not been successful. So, it was the "hand of the Lord" that the other appointments had fallen through so Emanuel could learn about the Restoration. We had a Spirit filled visit, and Emanuel was very receptive. Emanuel has four children. His wife took off and left the family. Emanuel is raising the four children alone. Emanuel and his four children came to church on Sunday!
Sister Lautaimi, Morgan's son (also Emanuel) behind, Sister Najjuka, Emanuel, and Morgan
Sister Judd has been cutting her own hair but has been frustrated trying to do it. So, when she found out from Sister Jacobsen and Sister Bertha that they go to a beautician who has actually been trained to cut and care for white people's hair, she called and made an appointment. Friday morning, we drove to Accra for Sister Judd to finally get a good haircut. She felt like a new person!
We then went to the temple in the afternoon and did initiatory. It is always good to be in the temple and feel the peace and Spirit there.
Then Friday evening was spent playing "Tap 4" with the Bertha's and Sister Jacobsen. President Jacobsen was working on transfer assignments with transfers this coming week.
We stayed Friday night at the mission home so we could go to the Butterfly Market on
Saturday morning. We had purchased a nativity set the last time we were at the Butterfly Market and discovered when we got home that it was missing the "Mary." We had made arrangements with Gifty (who we purchased the nativity from) so she would have the "Mary" for us to pick up. We also bought some hand fans to take to our daughters and granddaughters, material for a dress for Sister Judd, a nativity in a gourd, another wooden nativity set, and a couple of other things.
On the way home from Accra, we stopped at KFC at the West Hills Mall and
ran into Sisters Windous, Marume, Bibomba, and Tanui.
Saturday (March 1) afternoon, we went with Sisters Appia and Tavita. We took them to do a visit with a new convert, Jessica, but they could not find her. We then took them to meet up with Elder Mohetau (the district leader) and Elder Nyenyezi. Elder Mohetau was coming to do interviews with Annabelle and Richard so they could be baptized. Annabelle was not a problem, but when we took them to do the interview with Richard, he was not home and no where to be found. The Sisters finally tracked him down, and the Elder Mohetau was able to do the interview. Annabelle and Richard were baptized on Sunday.
Sister Appia, Annabelle's mother (Mayfae), Annabelle, Richard, Brother Visu
(referred Richard to the missionaries), Austin (did the baptizing), and Sister Tavita.
President and Sister Jacobsen emphasize continuously that the missionaries should carry the Book of Mormon with them so it is visible for all to see. It is amazing how often someone will ask the missionaries about the Book of Mormon which leads into teaching opportunities and baptisms.
Sisters Appia and Tavita leaving to proselyte with their
Book of Mormon in hand or on head, as the case may be!
Following a Tro-tro in a cloud of construction dust
Sister Lautaimi getting some coconuts from our tree for the Sisters to enjoy
Elder Judd read this scripture this morning in Alma 29:8.
He was impressed that the word of God, faith in Jesus Christ, the Restoration, and "all that he seeth fit that they should have" will be taught in every nation to the people of that nation in their own tongue.
We were discussing this morning that the Ghanaians who accept the gospel and are baptized are so filled with faith. They recognize truth and accept it without needing to know everything. They act on that faith unto repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost. Then, they learn and grow "small, small" and are okay with that because of their faith and trust that they are doing what God wants them to do. Oh, that more of us could have such simple faith unto action!
Love,
Elder and Sister Judd
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