Some Memories of Nigeria

We arrived in Nigeria on a Thursday about noon. Thursday night we were invited to the Neuder's apartment for dinner. Around the table sat Pres. Cardon of the Area Presidency, Sr. Jones, Dad, Pres. and Sister Neuder (Lagos West Mission President and wife), President Jones (Lagos East Mission President), and Sr. Cardon. It was such fun to dine with them and talk.

The next day we flew to Calabar. I was mesmerized by the view out the window. Rain forest as far as the eye could see, winding wide rivers - all that I had seen and mapped around on Google Earth but here it was before my very eyes. I loved every minute of the flight.



In Calabar we were met by President and Sr. Sitati (Calabar Mission President). We went to the mission home and had a wonderful lunch and again great conversation. The Sitati's are from Kenya and understand the people so well. From Calabar we were driven to Uyo. Our driver was a hired driver and he had his foot on the pedal and his hand on the horn the whole way. Passing 4 cars at a time and barely making it before the traffic coming toward us passed us by. It was Mr. Toad's wild ride for sure.

We stayed the next two nights at the Meridian Resort...the most beautiful hotel we have seen in West Africa - It would easily compare to a 4 star hotel in America. We spent Friday night and Saturday meeting with Stake Presidents mapping their units on Google Earth. It was nice to put a face to a name. We are on the phone with the stake presidents in West Africa on a daily basis - I think it was nice for them to see our face as well.

One difference between Ghana and Nigeria are the Akata's - motor bikes that are the transport for the majority of people. You will often see 3-5 people on one. They use these as taxis...much more economical. From the sky it looks like little ants crawling on the streets. I saw one mother on Sunday dressed in her Sunday best with a 3 year old daughter dressed to match on the back holding on to her and a 1 year old little boy in his Sunday best sitting in front of her - I'd wished I had had my camera ready!

Sunday we were driven to Aba from Uyo. Our driver explained that when we entered the state of Abia things would change - the government is corrupt he said and so the roads are in disrepair, there is garbage lining the streets (no garbage service) - its just unkept compared to Calabar and Uyo, Pres. Hinckley talked about going through ruts in the road that would swallow up their car - and yes that is true - about every 1/4 mile you come to one. Sometimes trucks are off to the side of the road because they have broken their axels. It is a real challenge to drive these roads. Then there are the police checks about every 1/2 mile. One of the things we do to get through them is have MISSIONARY painted accross the front and back of the car.

Nigerians belief in God comes through on the pictures painted on some trucks we saw. (The first is of Jesus and the second of baby Moses being placed in the bullrushes)

But it is the children who always capture my heart - they are beautiful and full of light and hope in their eyes. Although these children look a little apprehensive - they rarely see an Obruni! (white person)

Nigeria was a fun experience - nice to see the land and to meet the people. We came home with some positive feelings and were thankful we had the opportunity to go there.

The Aba Temple Complex: A Little Bit of Heaven

The Aba temple site was a little bit of paradise dropped from the heavens into the city of Aba. Large expanses of brilliant green lawns with hedges and palms and white egrit birds lending their beauty. All is in perfect order and cleanliness. Gardeners work to keep every dead leaf or flower picked off and discarded for this is a place that symbolizes Christ which gives us life, living waters, and blessings unmeasured. The spirit on these grounds is one of peace in a city of some turmoil.

Aba is a very crowded dirty commercial city. Streets are generally lined with makeshift storefronts and trash is everywhere. Compared to Accra where we walk the streets and find women and men with their palm stick hand brooms sweeping the dirt of all liter.'' The church built the street that approaches the temple. Hence you see sidewalks - something unheard of in Aba. There is a stake center, some offices, an ancillary building where missionaries reside, and of course the temple on the campus.

Security is high at the Aba Temple. As the risk of kidnapping of whites is ever present, the missionaries rarely leave the complex, and only with security driving them in white vans with "Missionary" plastered on the front and back of the vehicle. These faithful people are close to each other. They work together, have family home evening together and frequently invite each other to dinner. The Aba Temple campus is one of the most beautiful temple grounds I have ever been to, and I feel we were blessed to be able to visit it.

Mapping Boundaries in Nigeria

We spent the past week in Nigeria with the express purpose of mapping stakes and districts. In Uyo and Aba we met with stake and district presidents to discuss their boundaries and determine where the people in each ward lived.

You can tell by the pictures that these men were involved! Many traveled long distances (4-6 hours) to meet with us. They looked at their ward area on Google Earth and tried to determine where their members lived, and where their unit boundaries should be. Our efforts in West Africa are focused on bringing the church to the people, and in building centers of strength. We do this by creating managable boundaries for Bishops and District Presidents to minister to their people; boundaries that allow members to travel to church on foot within 30 minutes; and by directing missionaries to teach within a 3km area around the chapel.

These leaders were amazed at what they could see on Google Earth. For the first time ever they were able to visualize their boundaries. They began to see where boundaries needed to be changed, and where new units would bless the lives of people.

The following scriptures were the inspiration for this project:

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; Isaiah 54:2
...strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
Moroni 10:31

Carpet Bowls

Last Friday night we were invited to the Golden's home for dinner and a game of Carpet Bowling. We were first treated to a wonderful chicken curry dinner. It reminded me of the curry I make at home -one that Marilyn Branham taught us all how to make in Relief Socity. It was yummy with bananas, coconut, chutney and pineapple to add on top.

After dinner, Elder Golden got out Carpet Bowls, a South African game. You have two balls each - they are a little bigger than a pool ball and they are weighted. There is also a little white ball that is dropped on the carpet. The object is to roll your balls as close to the white ball as you can. The closest roll gets a point.

If you put the weighted circle on your right, as you roll the ball, it will turn left. If you put it on the left side as you roll the ball, it will roll right. If you put it straight up it rolls straight. The men were first. Elder Cardon and our DTA, Bob Eppel comprised one team and Dad and Pres. Snow were the other team. The men were fascinated with the curve, but that was their downfall. They just had a hard time getting it to roll to the little white ball that was droped at the far end of the carpet. They would roll too hard or without success, try to get the curve under control. As the game progressed they got better.

The women were next and learned a lot by watching the men. Sr. Snow and Sr. Eppel were partners and Sr. Cardon and I were partners. The women had a softer touch to the roling, and none tried to curve the ball. Sr. Cardon and I won the women's round.

After dessert we had a playoff:the champion women's team against the champion men's team. Near the end, the men were ahead. I had the last roll..well you all know my competitive side...maybe I should have just let them win!

McCarthy Hill Youth Camp

Our work is in an office. The opportunity for Elder Shipley and I to be involved in the events or experiences of the members of the church is slim. However, we do know what is going on...we hear about experiences everyday. The McCarthy Hill Youth Camp is one of those experiences that I thought might be interesting for our readers.

Accra Ghana McCarthy Hill Stake held their 2nd annual youth camp August 19-23, 2008. Youth 14 and older were invited to attend. The camp was held in Nswaum at the Boy Scout Training Camp. Last year the youth slept out under the stars so it was a real treat to discover they had tents this time. The tents were donated by the Salt Lake Stake
For many it was there first trip out of their villages and the drive itself was an adventure. “So many villages” was the comment of one of the youth. The campers arrived between noon and 2 o’clock. After registering, finding their tents and relaxing, dinner was served followed by the movie Esther.

Each morning at 4:30am they were awakened by the ring of the bell to attend seminary at 4:45am and then exercise group at 5:15am. With an hour to get cleaned up and dressed for the day, breakfast was served each day at 7am.

Everyone enjoyed weaving baskets and stringing beads as well as an introduction to the art of photography. Workshops were held on dating, public speaking, HIV and aids, first aid, salsa dancing, career development, and scriptures fun. Each evening after dinner were special activities: a movie, a debate on chastity, a play. The final night was a dinner dance where each boy was required to ask one of the girls to accompany him. At the dinner they came in their Sunday best and practiced the manners they had learned, conversation and eating with utensils. In Africa it is custom to eat with your hands, so this was a challenge. The dance gave them an opportunity to practice the salsa they had learned during the week.


Young men and women in Africa work hard everyday. For many their daily life consists of carrying water in buckets on their heads to their homes several times a day, walking great distances to school, selling goods on the street to help their families provide food and schooling, and carrying for the young ones in their family. Vacations are being home with your family. They are a happy and grateful people for the blessings God gives to them. They delight in being able to come to the temple to do baptisms. They never would dream of a camping trip.

The Sunday after Youth Camp, my husband and I sat behind a young man in Budaburam Branch. During the sacrament he pulled out his itinerary from camp. He had written so many notes on the back. He ran his fingers over the words he had written with a feeling of gratefulness. He read his notes over and over. For him, a refugee from Liberia, youth camp was a dream he never even considered. It was a dream that was a reality that he will never forget.

Go Vote!

Tomorrow is election day in America. I believe this election is one of the most important in my lifetime. Elder Shipley and I cast our absentee ballots the first part of October. Our daughter Holly had written her feelings on America in her blog (www.casosfamily.blogspot.com). I was so impressed with her picture and her quote from Ronald Reagon - I've stolen it and placed it here. Go Vote!

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.-Ronald Reagan

A Special Day in the Temple

This past week I had the opportunity to be an escort to a sweet lady named Precious Dike. Her parents named her perfectly - she truly is "Precious" Precious was baptized just a year ago and came this week to receive her endowment in the temple. Some of her ward came a week or two ago, but not being a member a year she was unable to go with them. Her friends told her that she could go in December, but she told them she didn't want to wait that long. So she got on a bus by herself in Cotonou, BENIN and rode 8 hours to Accra for this special day.

I met Precious in July when she came with a senior missionary couple who had completed their mission, having served 18 months in BENIN. Her membership record could not be located so I was contacted to help find it, which I did. She also wanted her patriarchal blessing at that time and so Elder Shipley arranged with our resident patriarch who works in the Area Office for her blessing. Precious has a beautiful countenance and we were immediately endeared to her.

She has had a difficult past. Shortly after the birth of her 3rd child, her husband was killed in an accident in Nigeria. It was a very difficult time for her. She moved to Cotonou to live with her parents and receive the support and comfort needed to cope with her sorrow. A year ago she was introduced to the church by a friend. She received a testimony of the restored gospel quickly as she felt the spirit testify to her heart of its truthfulness. She loves the gospel and realizes what a positive influence it has been in her life and the blessing it has been to her children and her mother.

This week I fulfilled a promise made to her in July to accompany Precious when she choose to come to the temple. The spirit was strong, and we had a sweet experience...it was as if she was my own daughter. I am sure it will be one of the highlights of my mission. I love these people.