Week 58 - Spiritual Feast, Ditches & Prayers

SPIRITUAL FEAST - a receptive state of mind toward all spiritual good.

This past week has been a spiritual feast! We were blessed to hear from Elder & Sister Bednar, Elder & Sister Kearon (England), and Elder & Sister Gadoy (Brazil)... several times. It was truly a feast of spiritual goodness!

We were asked by our mission leaders, President & Sister Beeson, to read and study 6 talks previously given by Elder Bednar. By doing this, I recognized a couple of things. 

• Elder Bednar always invites the Holy Ghost to be present, to bless, edify and teach us as he is speaking and we are listening.  
• He generally defines the principle first, then gives guidance and counsel. 
• He also draws comparisons between principles and how they connect and support each other. (Ex: Testimony and Conversion)

I enjoyed seeing this pattern of his speaking and teaching style. I realized that my spirit really resonates with this method of instruction.

Rather than detail who said what, I just want to share some of my favorite take-aways from these experiences and what the spirit whispered to me as I was listening.

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Whenever you have upheaval in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants. 

In contrast to institutions that want us to know something, the Gospel of Jesus Christ wants us to become something. 

In 1964 there were 13 temples. We now have 335 temples in operation, announced or under construction! 

The work of the Lord will grow and prosper, but Satan will rage to thwart the progress. There will be great opposition. We need your help to prepare the world for more temples. 

One of our greatest gifts is the Covenant Connection we have with the Father and the Son. 

Our Heavenly Father loves us and has a plan for us. Jesus Christ atoned for us and is our Savior and Redeemer. These are the truths that matter most. 

Don't pray for what YOU want. Pray to know what GOD wants for YOU!

A testimony is not an exortation or story-telling moment. Make simple, clear, short statements of truth. It is the role of the Holy Ghost to testify of truth. Bear witness, bear pure testimony.

Strive to be worthy to receive spiritual gifts. We receive spiritual gifts when our desire is to use these gifts to bless someone else.

Make a solid commitment to do a little better each day. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about change. Stop worrying so much! Just be good and do good and go forth! You are that you might have joy!

Sure loved being in the presence of 2 apostles and their wives and other amazing leaders. Here is a little newsroom blip from this week...

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DITCHES

All this goodness reminds me how fast we can get derailed by the advesary! Don't let him win! Fight your way back to the light! 

And stay out of the DITCH... like this poor guy across the street from our apartment. 

Several logs, a small hydraulic jack and 4 hours later, the big dump truck was back in action. 

PRAYERS

Romans 1:9

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Sending lots of love from Ghana! 💖💛💚

Week 57 - Anniversary, Special Visitors & More to Come

Anniversary

We were married on February 14, 1981. We celebrated our 43rd anniversary this week! How have so many years passed? It is kind of mind boggling actually. 

We had a nice dinner and good conversation with a few senior missionaries at The Persia. So grateful for an amazing companion who influences me to be a better person in so many ways! 💘 Here's to eternity!

 

Special Visitors

Yesterday was the beginning of 10 days of awesomeness! We have special visitors! Elder & Sister Bednar, Elder & Sister Kearon, and Elder & Sister Gadoy are here in the Africa West Area (AWA). 

 

Their first stop was in Lagos, Nigeria for a devotional where they spoke to the Young Single Adults (YSA) and other YSA groups from all over the Africa West Area. There were no prepared talks. Instead, they fielded questions from the YSA. Our AWA Presidency also attended this meeting: Elder Nielsen, Elder & Sister Klebingat, and Elder Kyungu.

Here are a few thoughts from this meeting.

How do we know if the Lord has forgiven my sins?

(Elder Bednar) When we sin, we withdraw ourselves from the Holy Ghost. When the Holy Ghost begins to have influence over our lives again, we know that we are forgiven. There are consequesnces to sin. You can become clean again through repentance, but there will always be consequences. 

Repent Daily - Pres Nelson says to do better every day. We must initiate change to be better.   

(Elder Klebingat) Mosiah 4 - apply the atoning blood of Jesus that we may receive forgiveness... the spirit of the Lord came upon them and they received peace of conscience because of the exceeding faith they had that Christ should come. We should be actively watching for the feeling of knowing that we have been forgiven. 

(Elder Kearon) The intent of our Heavenly Father is that we will return to Him. It is not His intention to keep us out. It is why we have the Plan of Salvation. It is because of and through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we can feel true repentance. Heavenly Father wants you to be happy. Don't worry so much. Please stop it. Part of becoming the new creature is coming to a clearer understanding of just how loved you are, even with your faults, frailties and anxieties we have. 

How can we live our gospel standards without offending others?

Continue to quietly live your beliefs. Be accepting of others and don't demand they live your standards. Continue to live the gospel and influence others by the way you live your life. Don't push your standards in the face of others. It takes time to share the gospel and consistently teach the gospel and standards we believe in.  Live the gospel!

Can you give advice to someone who is looking for an eternal companion?

(Sis Kearon) Sometimes our expectations make it difficult to find a companion. There is no such thing as a perfect person, but there is a perfect person for you. If you are looking for someone with certain characteristics, you need to cultivate those same characteristics in your life. You need to be the type of person that would attract the person you desire to marry. 

(Sis Bednar) Do not become discouraged in your effort to find an eternal companion. Keep looking. When you are not actively seeking a companion, you are frustrating the very purpose for which the world was created. 

(Elder Bednar) You are not looking for the perfect person, you are looking for someone with whom you can work together to make sacred covenants and create a celestial companionship and family. You are looking for someone with whom you can share your love and devotion to Jesus Christ. 

More to Come...

This coming week we will be able to hear from these inspired leaders at least 2 more times. We look forward to the messages to come.  

Tro-tro wisdom photo Dump...

 

Sending much love from Ghana! 💘💛💚

Week 56 - Sun & Moon Perspective - Think Celestial - Hymns

Today, we had Trade Fair Ward Conference. The messages were powerfully focused on the theme of, "Think Celestial!"

Thoughts from our Bishop - Borngreat Dogbey (isn't that a great name!)

"Please think about this story of a young boy asking his father why the moon shines in the night. The father told him...

The sun shines brightly during the day. While the sun shines, the moon exposes itself to the sun and gathers light. After the sun goes down, the moon can then give light while the sun doesn't shine. 

Proverbs 23:3 - For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.

The way we think, influences everything we do. Think Celestial! Try to think about celestial things instead of worrying about what you aren't doing or what you don't have. As we think celestial, we are motivated with all the energy in our body to do celestial things. Prayer, forgiveness, keeping our covenants with God, temple attendance...

In everything we do, let us Think Celestial."

Thoughts from our Stake President - Pres Adjei

"Remembering means repetition. So I will speak on Think Celestial as well. 

As Bishop Dogbey mentioned, the moon is designed to gather light from the sun. 

When there is darkness and opposition in our lives, the amount of light we have gathered will make all the difference. Think Celestial!

Our choir just sang, Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer. Please listen to verse 2 again:

Precious Savior, dear Redeemer, We are weak but thou art strong;
In thy infinite compassion, Stay the tide of sin and wrong.
Keep thy loving arms around us; Keep us in the narrow way.
Precious Savior, dear Redeemer, Let us never from thee stray.

Please study the hymns. Many are prayers to God. Here is another prayer unto the Lord found in Redeemer of Israel, our only Delight:

Restore, my dear Savior, The light of thy face;
Thy soul-cheering comfort impart;
And let the sweet longing For thy holy place
Bring hope to my desolate heart.

Please buy a hymn book. Pick a few hymns and learn about them. Learn about who wrote them. When we study the hymns, we will Think Celestial. Singing the songs of Zion dispels darkness and brings peace and reverence. As we do this, we will be...

1 Nephi 14:14 - ...armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."

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Personal thoughts:

Like the moon gathering light from the sun so it can shine upon others when there is no light...

We can personally gather light from the Son of God and share that light with others when there is darkness, sadness, frustration... in their lives. 

Over the past 2 weeks, we haven't seen the sun, except through the Harmattan haze. Many of the Ghanaians even feel a bit "cold" without the intense burning sun shining upon them. 

I captured some pictures of the glorious sun this past week. A zoomed in perspective could almost suggest we are looking at a painting. It is only with the side-by-side full picture, that we can appreciate the reality of, fullnes of, or lack of LIGHT, and where it is coming from.  

Sometimes we get so hyper focused on something, we forget to step back and look at the big picture.

President Russell M. Nelson: "When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow." 

Stephen R. Covey:  "To achieve the life you want, you must start with the end in mind. This means identifying the big picture — the life you want to lead, the character traits you want to embody, the impact you want to have on those around you — and then ensuring each daily action is in line with your ultimate goals." 

Sending much love from Ghana! 💗💛💚

Week 55 - Naming Ceremony & The Best is Yet to Come

Today in church, we had the blessing of a new baby. A little background first. This sweet family now has 4 children - 1 teenager (boy), 2 young elementary aged boys, and now a new baby boy. The mother's name is Precious. The blessing today was given by 3 priesthood holders, called up by the bishop to officiate. The father was not in attendence. We have never met or seen him. My heart ached for what he is missing. As we listened to the beautiful blessing, it was obvious God is aware of this wonderful little baby. He will grow up and bless the people here. 

I love listening to the "naming & blessing" given to newborns (or sometimes older children) in our church. The child is held gently or surrounded by authorized Melchizedek Priesthood holders. Then one acting as voice for the group, addresses the child and gives a blessing as directed by the spirit. They generally speak of the future, of characteristic traits to be developed, hopes and desires for the child. Each blessing is different and unique, just like each one of us. Heavenly Father is so aware of what we need to make it through this journey. Our bishop then said, "We warmly welcome this new precious angel in our midst!" 

We met Precious and her family the first Sunday we arrived in the Trade Fair Ward, exactly 1 year ago next week (our first Sunday was spent in the Cantonments Ward, prior to being assigned to our current ward the following week). Precious was teaching the Gospel Doctrine class and it was obvious she was a strong, independent woman with beautiful and active children. She seems to be an incredible mother, raising these children "alone" in the church and at home. Her husband works 9 hours away and only commutes home a couple times a month to be with the family. Sacrifices must be made to support a family.  

Richardson is her oldest son and like his mother, has been growing his hair since birth. It is pretty rare and quite beautiful. He was sitting directly in front of us today.

It isn't often to see "real" hair being grown out, as most women braid synthetic hair extensions into their fairly short "real" hair and men keep their hair very short or head shaved. That said, the hair styles here are incredible!! Absolutely stunning!

NAMING CEREMONY

In Ghana, an Outdooring is the traditional naming ceremony for infants (not to be confused with the "day of the week" name they also receive at birth depending on day they are born). 

Traditionally, this ceremony occurs eight days after the child is born, where parents bring their newborn "outdoors" and give the child a name. Cultural beliefs dictate that after eight days, the infant was likely to survive and could be provided a name. In addition to the day name, Ghanaians frequently give children the name of an elder relative, either living or deceased. During the Outdooring, male infants would be circumcised and female infants would have their ears pierced. Currently in Ghana, many of these practices including naming, circumcision, and ear piercing are done after birth within the hospital, and the Outdooring serves only as a symbolic ceremony and celebration of birth.

Although there are slight variations among the tribal Outdooring ceremonies, the practices are mostly similar and focus on welcoming the baby. Among the Akan tribes, babies would be raised toward the sky three times as an introduction to the gods and earth. The Ewes thank God, giver of life called Mawu Sogbolisa for the new gift of life.  Among the Ga and Ewes, the elder drops water first, then dips their finger into alcohol and places the finger on the child's tongue to symbolically let them know water represents good and alcohol represents evil. Libations (a ritual pouring of a liquid like alcohol or grains such as rice) are given as an offering to a deity as protection over the child. 

After being given a name, friends and family provide gifts to the baby which is then followed by a feast. Seems like all good things have food!!

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

New life always gets me thinking, especially here in Africa. What is to come for this child? Will they be cared for properly, loved, encouraged, given opportunities for growth and learning? What changes might they influence, or contributions will they make within their family and community?

Speaking from personal experience, I can truly say, "The Best is Yet to Come!" 

I may not have had the best upbringing, the best chance for success in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the best chance to make anything good out of a difficult home life, etc. I struggled as a teenager to believe anything good could come to me, given the circumstances I faced and choices I made. There were some very difficult days ahead. I left for college, started to find Jesus Christ and then married an amazing man. However, we struggled and life was not easy. We had two very different upbringings, which created our vision and paradigms in life. 

Long story short, it took us quite some time to figure things out, all while raising 3 amazing boys who taught us some of the greatest lessons in life ever. I will be forever greatful for these incredible humans who were patient with me while I was learning how to navigate life. And now they have amazing companions and children who continue to teach me every day, as they quietly go about living their lives of kindness, service, hard work, determination, continued education and zest for life!

I'm currently reading, "Live Life In Crescendo: Your Most Important Work is Always Ahead of You" by Stephen R. Covey and finished by his daughter Cynthia Covey Haller. I love the message I am hearing! To me, Crescendo is a gradual increase of goodness in your life and ability to contribute to this life in a meaningful way, with everyone you meet! 

Yes, The Best is Yet to Come!!! We are trying to live our best life, honoring our children and grandchildren in everything we do and say. Giving all glory and honor to God above, His Son Jesus Christ and His powerful gift of the Atonement to each of us. 

I remind Jordan that we beat the odds, and continue to hang in there even when life throws unexpected curves and swerves in the road.  

Thank YOU for YOUR influence in my life along the way also! If you are reading this, our paths have likely crossed somewhere and I'm so grateful for YOU!

Sending love and admiration from Ghana!!  💓💛💚