Africa West's Dancers

One of our members has created a dance troupe in order to preserve the cultural heritage of West Africa. Occaisionally when we have special visitors in town, these youth are asked to perform. We have had interns in from BYU for a few weeks and last night we were all entertained. Here is a taste of what we saw.

As amazing as the dancers, were the drummers.

Another Great Mission Presidents Conference

This past week was our Mission President's Conference. Twice a year the mission presidents in West Africa gather together to be instructed, to share experiences and testimonies, and to relax a bit. Elder Shipley and I are always in charge of the logistics for these conferences. Fortunately we have great help from Emelia Ahadje who is the manager of the travel office. She always arranges for the hotel and for the restaurant(s) we use and does a wonderful job. Elder Shipley prepares agendas, handouts, and makes sure all the supplies are at the conference. We pack the car up with equipment, song books, and materials and arrive at the hotel early to make certain everything is in order and then we get the priviledge of sitting in all the meetings. It is a real treat for us.

The people in the trenches of West Africa are our Mission Presidents who work hard long hours everyday caring for, instructing and sheperding about 100+ young missionaries. It is like being a parent to 100 young adults. My uncle was a mission president in France. He told me (when he returned 35 years ago)that he rarely got more than 4 hours of sleep. I think the mission presidents here get more than that but they can expect to receive phone calls anytime day or night from their missionaries. These Mission Presidents and their wives are great men and women. They serve for 3 years except in Nigeria where they serve for 2 years.

All of them bore testimony of knowing the Lord was in this work: of having words placed in their mouths, and thoughts come to them to make them aware of problems;Of feeling great peace in fearful situations; Of knowing how to handle situations.

Pres. Sitati, the first African to become a member of the Quorum of Seventy, a general authority in the church, shared his thoughts on the calling. He said he is often asked about how he feels to be the first black general authority. His answer was: "In the restored church we don’t have contituences. We have only one church. The message does not have color. The message is the same throughout the world. People must change to claim the same salvation. There will never be an African message but the true message of the restoration. We are preparing a people to greet the Lord."

What a great man he is. He does not think of himself as a "color" only a man of God. I have felt that way as I visit the saints in West Africa. I do not feel my color, I do not feel theirs. I only see them as children of God, purifying their lives that they may be prepared to greet the Lord.

The Woodwards left a Hole in Everyone's Hearts

The Woodwards are favorites of every senior missionary. They had to leave us in April for Emergency medical leave. We all hoped and prayed they would return to us this month, but it was not to be.

Sr. Woodward was in charge of the PEF (Perpetual Education Fund) in the Africa West Area. She interviewed students who wanted educational loans from the church. It is a beautiful program inspired by revelation to President Gordon B. Hinkley, our past prophet, to bring people out of poverty through education. It is available to those who are 30 years or younger. When Sr. Woodward began administering the program their were about 70 young adults taking advantage of the program. When she left there were over 250. She not only gave them opportunity but she loved them dearly and they loved her. She knew each one, text messaging them every month, sending greetings on their birthdays, and giving hugs to them as they would drop by the office.

Elder Woodward was in charge of welfare funds. These are used to help schools, communities, and individuals. Members of the church fast one Sunday a month and contribute the cost of two meals to the church. These funds are used to help members in need...some in need of basics like food,housing,and medical. Applications come to him through bishops and then he reviews them and submits them for approval. Welfare funds donated by members help to provide major projects: relief after a disaster, improvement to a school or hospital, wheelchairs for the handicaped, etc.

The wonderful thing about the Woodwards was their light heart. Their ability to laugh when things were not going great. Sr. Woodward gave you a word of encouragement and a great smile even though she herself was not feeling well at all. She would always say "I just love being here! I can't believe I was allowed to come to Africa! I love my mission." She felt that way every minute and fought going home until it was clear she had to.

Elder Woodward was Elder Shipley's walking partner. They walked the streets of Accra every morning at 5:30am for an hour, taking a different route each day. I'm sure they talked over everything. There is nothing better. It is like Sally in Peanuts "The Doctor is In". They loved that time together. It just hasn't been the same since they left.

Fortunately the Woodwards live within a mile or two of one of our sons...so we know we will see them again! We Love you Woodwards!

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."

Humility, the Ability to Distinguish Want from Need

In March our missionary couple in Liberia came for a two week break. We loved listening to them share their experiences. They live a much simpler life in Liberia.Our friends the Wires have only a hot plate to cook on each day for their meals. The hot plate is powered by propane. Electricity is questionable. Candles are reliable. They do have water and that is a blessing.

At Christmas time they came home one evening to find a fire down the street. They knew the area. It was where the less than poor, even below destitute call home. This was a world where every day you get up, and find a way to make enough small money to eat. There are days these people just wait and hope that the morrow will bring food. They say they simply learn not to think about food.

A pitiful old fire truck pulled up. The fire was put out, but not much was salvagable.

Little did Sr. Wire know that she would come face to face with one of the people who stood there with tears in their eyes and fear griping their heart, yet with faith that God would find a way to help her.

Monday morning a branch president came by the mission office with a 'request for fast offerings' form and told the Wires the inteneded recipient would come for an interview the following morning. (On the first Sunday of every month the Latter-day Saints fast and contribute the cost of the meals they missed to the church to help those in need.)

When they pulled up at the office on Wednesday morning to find a fragile elderly woman waiting to speak with them. We will call her "Mary". The Wires asked Mary to tell them what had happened in her life. She said she joined the church in 1991 and that her husband had been a member for 10 years before he was killed in the war.

Do you have any children? she was asked. "Yes she smiled, a strong boy, but he is not here. He is in the interior because of the war." "How old is he?", Sr. Wire asked. "He is 15." "So what has happened now?", Sr. Wire asked.

"Well there was a fire and I had one room where I slept with all my things. The fire came, and no one would go in the room for my things, and I have just me. Sunday Sister Jallah (the branch Relief Socity President) gave me this new dress. It was hers. She asked the sisters if they had small things they could bring me. So I'm doing fine.

"Where are you sleeping?" Sr. Wire asked. "I am with my brother. They have made me a space to sleep, and my brother's wife is fine with me coming."

"What is your plan now, Sister Mary?" Mary's face clouded with sadness. I lost my cooler. I sold water. I don't have a plan, I don't have a cooler. I'm strong. I can take care of myself. I sold water and made small money for food everyday."

Mary, Sr. Wire said, "If we got you a cooler and some water, what else would you need? Mary's immediate reply was "Nothing, Sister Wire. I can take care of myself. I have a place." The sister missionary told Mary, "I think we can get you those things." Mary's eyes filled with tears, she wrapped her thin arms around Sister Wire and said, "Oh God bless you, I can take care of myself now. I don't need money. I don't need things. I can work and save small-small I can do it!!

They were off to find Mary a cooler and some water to sell. The first stop was a street vendor who sold coolers. He had a sturdy cooler that included a small six-pack cooler. Best price: $75.00. Sr. Wire said, "I looked at him and said 'this lady is your sister. Her house burned. She lost her cooler and can't sell water. Now what can you do for her?" "Ok $65." he said. They took it. Next stop was another vendor where they purchased 10 packs of water (each pack hold close to two dozen water sachets).

They drove through town to the place near the river's edge, where mosquitoes feed on the people. The road had long since been forgotten by anyone in the way of repairs. Her new home was not an upgrade. As they travelled to her home Mary said, "What a wonderful day. My Relief Society sisters are taking care of me, the Lord blesses! If the church gave me money we would just eat it, and those I am with would see it and want part, but instead you gave me my life again."

Mary, a humble member of the church, is now in business again. She sells thin plastic bags (water sachets) of water, about a pint each. She keeps the water cool with a 'log' of ice in her picnic style ice chest, and sells them on the street for $5 Liberian apiece (.08 cents US). On a hot day she may clear as much as $1.50.