Encounter with the Police

Last weekend we were pulled over by the police.
Elder Shipley: Hello how are you today?
Police: We need to check....Oh you are a servant of God. I don't want to waste your time. Go on.

Opps! There Goes Another Rubber Tree Plant!

When Elder Shipley and I were children there was a song that had a chorus that went, "Opps there goes another rubber tree plant!" Well we had never seen or known what a rubber tree looked like, but the tune was catching and we loved singing it. Last weekend we walked through a rubber tree plantation singing that song.

The forest was beautiful - very tall white barked trees - ferns and other vegetation on the forest floor. Little pails attached to the trees to harvest the rubber (the sap) from the tree. Many trees had 2 and 3 pails - one below the other - to catch the drips with the pail above them became full. We pulled a small glob out of the pail and formed it into a string and then tied the ends together - it was just like a rubber band - amazing.



And so while we serve in West Africa we continue to learn about the world and the creations of God. Really interesting how one type of tree sap can give you maple syrup and another type of tree sap can give you rubber!

Palm Sunday

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. As we entered Takoradi, a port city north of Cape Coast, we observed families walking to their services with palm leaves in their hands. Living in Utah we never saw a Palm Sunday celebration. We arrived at church in Sekondi. Accross from our church was another congregation. Their people had formed a parade and were marching down the street. I couldn't help myself I had to get a movie of it.


It was a beautiful site to watch the Ghanians show their love for Jesus. The people of Ghana love the Bible and they love God. Many will read their scriptures when they have a lunch break, and they feel no ridicule from those around them. Someone recently criticized the President of Ghana for meeting with religious leaders. He replied that Ghana was a nation that believed in God and would always seek His direction. It is nice to know there is a country in the world that honors God. We find it refreshing.

April is the month we celebrate the ressurrection of Jesus Christ. Latter-day revelation has taught us much about Jesus. He was not born in December but on April 6th. He was literally the son of God, born of Mary. He has a body of flesh and bones. He knows our thoughts and the intents of our heart. The world was created by Him. He created the animals, the plants, and man. He was chosen by Heavenly Father to come to this earth and take upon himself the sins of the world. He accomplished this in Gethsemanie and suffered not only for our sins but also the infirmities, pains, and sicknesses of all people that He may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infimities, and that he might be able to extend his mercy to us if we but repent. His atonement was completed as He gave up His life at Golgotha.

The atonement affects our daily life as the Savior extends to us his enabling grace that strengthens us to walk in His light and fulfill those things we were sent to earth to accomplish. He lovingly gave us commandments that would bring us joy and happiness in our life, if we would live them. He is unchanging: He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is someone we can trust. He is no respector of persons. He loves each one of us. He knows the beginning from the end. Love comes from Him. In the last days the 'love of man shall wax cold' said Isaiah. That is happening as the world turns away from Him: man is loosing his ability to truly love another.

Jesus is my comfort and my joy. He is always there for me. I can trust Him explicitly. He guides my life. He answers my prayers. I know He lives. I have felt Him in my life. He is my hope and my salvation. I love Him. For me, my greatest joy would be to meet Him and have Him say "Well done."