Sunday, May 14, 2023

Week 17 - Mother's Day, Triple A's & Ga Mantse

Happy Mother's Day to ALL of the amazing women in my life!! Thank you for the incredible examples you have been to me in my life.  If you are reading this, you have touched my life in more ways than you can ever know.  I'm so grateful!  💜

President James E. Faust said: “There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood. The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation” (“Fathers, Mothers, Marriage,” Liahona and Ensign, Aug. 2004, 3).

President Joseph F. Smith said, “The love of a true mother comes nearer to being like the love of God than any other kind of love.” 

TRIPLE A's (Another African Adventure!) 

#1 - As I sit here writing this, we should actually be on a flight to Cote d'Ivoire.  We were supposed to travel to Abidjan, Ivory Coast with our Legal group here from Accra.  Upon arrival at the Kotoko Airport this morning, we learned that amongst our group, only our visas were given the wrong date.  Although all 6 missionaries traveling together had passports given at the same time to the embassy, and visas requested identically, everyone received correct travel dates except ours.  Since everything is in French, we only saw the stamp of Apr 27 on our visa and assumed we were good to go!  NOT!  We watched as our entire team disappeared from site and then we took a sweaty taxi back home.  The small little taxis do not have air conditioning.  Can you say HOT!!??!!      

Legal teams from all over Africa are gathering for the African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ACLARS) conference, beginning Sunday evening, May 14 and ending Tuesday evening, May 16.  This 3 day conference is held yearly.  The mission is to help secure the blessings of freedom of religion and belief for all people.  

Depending on the embassy being able to remedy the situation tomorrow morning, we may or may not go. 

#2 - Air Conditioning leaking like a sieve!  Friday morning, we awoke to find our small desk that sits below the main AC unit, covered in water.  Luckily the laptops and phones we plug in there nightly, were not completely drenched.  We contacted management and they assured us our unit would be serviced while we were away in Ivory Coast (whoops...still here in Accra!).  Now, as I sit here at the side of the desk where the only plug-in for the room resides, working on my old laptop that won't stay charged, water drips into a bowl beside me and splashes every so lightly upon my skin and computer screen, keeping me refreshingly cool.  Always something to be grateful for!!  Just FYI, the amount of water filling the bowl is about 1 quart per hour.  Surprisingly humid here!!! 

GA MANTSE

As mentioned in previous posts, the Ga Mantse (sounds like Gah-mawn-chay), the Ghanaian King of the southern area, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru ll, visited Salt Lake City and attended General Conference in April 2023.  He and his chieftans met with President Nelson and many of the apostles and authorities.  

Back home in Accra, we have been working tirelessly on the Humanitarian contracts associated with a large 3 part project, where the church is providing Hospital supplies, renovating a very old school, and putting together a sanitation project.  The hospital supplies were delivered in March.  Now on to the 2nd project, the renovation of Tackie Tawiah School with new classrooms, new library with updated equipment, new boreholes for water, etc.  

https://gna.org.gh/2023/05/latter-day-saints-to-refurbish-mantse-tackie-tawiah-i-cluster-of-schools/  

Jordan was requested by Elder Nielsen to be in attendance.  I had the option to go or not, I chose to remain in the office.  Knowing the heat situation, it was a good choice.  After 3 hrs in the sun listening to every person in attendance (may be a slight exaggeration), Jordan was dying of heat and dehydration (I did encourage him to take water but he refused!).  He wasn't the only one who experienced some slight heat-stroke symptoms and came home to a cold shower.  None-the-less.... some great pictures were captured!

Cheiftan and Priest 

King Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru ll

 



Stay safe, avoid trouble, be cool! 😎


A few quotes on Religous Freedom

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/official-statement/religious-freedom

Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right that protects the conscience of all people. It allows us to think, express and act upon what we deeply believe. But around the world, and in the United States, this freedom is eroding. Churches, religious organizations and individuals face increasing restrictions as they participate in the public square, express their beliefs or serve in society. But there is much good that Church members and people of goodwill can do to preserve and strengthen religious freedom.


Why We Need Religous Freedom
Religious freedom, or freedom of conscience, is critical to the health of a diverse society.  It allows different faiths and beliefs to flourish.  Religious freedom protects the rights of all groups and individuals, including the most vulnerable, whether religious or not.  


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