Week 68

The weeks continue to come and go!  

A senior couple has been called to replace us here in Awutu Breku.  They will arrive two weeks after we leave.  They are Elder and Sister Burtenshaw.  We had a Zoom call with them on Monday evening to answer their questions and provide information on our assignments and living here in Awutu Breku.

We joined the Senya district council on Tuesday which meets here at the Awutu Breku chapel.

                     Elder Mohetau (district leader)                            Elders Mayima, Taggart, Pendacheko, and 

                                                                                                  Mohetau (front to back).  Sisters Tu'angalu, 

                                                                                                  Nipepe, Tavita, and Najjuka (front to back)

After district council, we drove the 45 minutes to the home of the Dabanyin Branch Relief Society president, Sister Lucy, to take her some Gospel Literacy books.  She lives out into the bush a little way.  She showed us her 700 laying hens that are about 8 or 9 weeks old.  Sister Judd did some training with Sister Lucy on facilitating the Gospel Literacy class.

Training Sister Lucy

Wednesday was a long day doing apartment inspections in the Oda Zone.  It ended up being a 12 hour day with 4 1/2 hours inspecting three apartments and 7 1/2 hours driving.  We were very glad to finally get home!

Elders Rae and Mika Maea in Manso

Elders McLean, Morgan, Fernelius, and Mboya in Oda

Elders Radford and Tuinakauvadra in Achiase

On Thursday after lunch we had the experience of teaching the first temple preparation lesson to Morgan and Rose.  They have been members of the Church for about 20 years and have never been endowed.  Morgan is 84 and Rose is 59.  Morgan understands, reads, and speaks English fairly well.  Rose understands essentially no English.  We have to teach in very simple language and explanations to Morgan a little at a time.  Then, we pause for Morgan to tell Rose in Twi what we have just said.  And, we hope and pray that Morgan understood and communicated to Rose correctly what we had said!  We will teach the next lesson on Monday.

 Walking toward Morgan and Rose's place.         Morgan, Rose, and their granddaughter, Princess.

We then met Sisters Najjuka and Tu'angalu to go with them to teach.  We first visited Priscilla.  She had been taught by missionaries in Accra.  Then, she moved to Ojobi, and the Accra missionaries referred her to these missionaries.  This was the first time being taught by the sister missionaries.  Actually, they turned the teaching over to us for this lesson.  We reviewed the Restoration with her.  

Sisters Tu'angalu and Najjuka and Priscilla

We then visited Evelyn.  Evelyn has been taught most of the lessons, but she says she cannot come to Church on Sunday because it is too far and the cost is too much.  She was taught about the Word of Wisdom.  We had met up with Helaman before this visit.  Helaman is a member who is preparing to serve a mission and goes with the missionaries at times.  He helped explain the Word of Wisdom in Twi. 

         Sisters Tu'angalu and Najjuka with Evelyn.                                   And with Helaman.

We next went to visit David.  David cannot read English or Twi, so it is very difficult for him to increase in his understanding of the gospel.  Elder Judd read a story to David and his son from the children's Book of Mormon Reader to help him get better acquainted with the messages in the Book of Mormon.

Reading a story to David from the Book of Mormon Reader

Elder Judd having fun at David's jumping a rope made out of palm tree leaves.

 

Walking from one visit to another

On Saturday morning (May 10), we went to Dabanyin to teach about the family to about 30 young men and young women.  The Dabanyin Branch was having a Youth Camp with activities and classes.  President Adjei-Fio, the branch president, had asked us to teach about the family because of the number of youth in the branch who do not have any real understanding of what a family really is.  We had been impressed to teach the doctrine and principles in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."  When we asked the youth how many had ever heard of the "Family Proclamation," only one young man raised his hand.  So, we spent an hour trying to help these young men and young women have an understanding of the doctrine and principles of the family and help them understand how to apply those doctrine and principles in their lives where they do not have an resemblance of a true family situation.

Then, Saturday afternoon with went with Sisters Nipepe and Tavita to visit and teach.  One of those was teaching a lesson on the Plan of Salvation to Daniel.  

Sisters Tavita and Nipepe, Berniece (a member), a young man who 

listened in on the lesson, and Daniel (seated)

We got up early Sunday morning so we could drive to Buduburam to pick up Brother Seglah and then go to Apam.  Brother Seglah is the Winneba Stake Gospel Literacy specialist, and he had made arrangements for him and us to attend Church meetings in the Apam Branch and then meet with the branch council to provide training on Gospel Literacy.  The branch leadership has all changed since the last time we were in Apam.  Before the change, the meetings were almost all in Fante rather than English, the meetings always started late, and things were a bit unorganized.  This time, the meetings were pretty much in English, they started on time, and things were very organized.  Such a wonderful change!  Both Brother Seglah and Sister Judd were asked to speak during Sacrament Meeting.  We had a good session with the branch council, and they were receptive to starting a Gospel Literacy class.  

    

   Road in "downtown" Apam.  Notice the sign for the Church.  The rented building for Church meetings.

                                                                                                       The entrance is the first door on the left.

Elder Tshuma helping an elderly member with his tie.

We got home around 1:30 ate lunch and then taught the last temple preparation lesson to Berla.  She is now ready to meet with the branch president and stake president for her temple recommend.

Us with Berla after her last temple preparation lesson

Sunday evening was the mission-wide Zoom call when the A.P.'s and President and Sister Jacobsen review the key indicator results for the month of April.

Sisters Tavita, Nipepe, Tu'angalu, and Najjuka intently listening to the 

review of key indicators for the mission and eating brownies that Sister Judd made.

And then, we finished Sunday night with our Zoom call with our family that we do every other Sunday night.

Here are pictures of the road to our compound and inside the compound.

The road coming to and dead ending at our compound

                        Inside the compound.                                        The Sisters live in the green house 

                                                                                                    with the unfinished second story.

                     We live in the yellow house.

Melissa (our daughter) has been doing BYU Pathways for the last five years and finally graduated from BYU-Idaho with her bachelor's degree.  We are so proud of her and her efforts!

 

Note Melissa's bare feet.  When her sister, Laura, asked her about it, Melissa replied, "I took all the classes and did all the work barefoot, so it felt appropriate for the picture!"

We would like to end by sharing some quotes we used when teaching the Dabanyin youth about the "Family Proclamation."  After talking about the doctrine and principles in the "Family Proclamation," we emphasized that (1) doctrine and principles to not change, and (2) with the Lord's help, we can determine what we need to do to make the doctrine or principle work in our life regardless of individual circumstances and situations.

Doctrine is "an enduring truth, a law, a rule you can adopt to guide you in making decisions."  (Elder Boyd K. Packer)

"Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances.  A true principle makes decisions clear even under the most confusing and compelling circumstances."  (Elder Richard G. Scott)

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "I teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves."

"Regardless of your circumstances, you can center your home and your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the source of true peace in this life.  Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do."  (Elder Richard G. Scott)

"The answer is always Jesus Christ.  Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ."  (President Russell M. Nelson)

We witness that the Savior and our Heavenly Father know each person and what is happening in his or her life.  They care about you!!

Love,

Sister and Elder Judd