Ah, Conference Time....a break for us!

We look forward to conference time, not just because we can hear the words of our prophets, but because this is the time that our Area Presidency leaves for Salt Lake to attend conference, and our work load lightens. The week before conference they are involved in meetings there and so we have about 10-14 days that we can take a deep breath and recharge our batteries, knowing when they return it will be back to 10 hour days.

Last Friday we drove to Cape Coast and picked up the Miles - the office couple for the Cape Coast Mission. The Miles were on the plane with us when we flew to Accra. From Cape Coast we drove about 1 1/2 - 2 hours north to a beautiful little beach resort called Bushua Beach Resort. By African standards it was 3 stars (of 4). By American standard probably 2 stars. We loved it! We walked the beach, played games on our front porch which was about 20 steps from the sand, ate outdoors in their restaurant, and took a short walk into a very small part of the village darting into a few shops. Baskets, carvings, tableclothes, beads, and clothes were for sale. Sr. Miles found an outfit she liked...but her husband thougth it looked like material to line a casket! So the purchase was not made.

This beach had the charm of Hawaii without the people - pristine sand, wonderful surf (though we did not go in) and just beauty everywhere you looked. Out in the ocean was a small island, about a 10 minute boat ride from the shore. The boats in Africa are hollowed out logs - only about 3 feet deep. It is amazing to watch the Africans take their boats out into the ocean. It reminded us a little of "The Other Side of Heaven". We all agreed we were not ready to trust our lives in one of their boats. So we watched.

Along the beach the Africans from the village would walk by with their wood on their heads. They use wood to make fires for cooking. As you can see in this short movie, the whole family was involved. Notice the mother has a small baby tied to her back. Everyone carries their babies this way.

Sunday on our way home we stopped in Takoradi for church. We got a little lost and pulled into the Stake Center in Takoradi to discover the Cape Coast Mission President and a little boy who just kept waving at us. His scriptures were nearly bigger than him...he was just so cute I had to take his picture. The Stake Center in Takoradi was definitely the most beautiful LDS church building I had seen in West Africa - I think it was because the grounds were meticulously kept. We have other buildings that look like this but no where have I seen the grounds so lush and well manicured. As the members take care of the landscape and the cleaning of the building, we realized it reflected their great love of the Lord and their subsequent respect of their building and grounds. It was a way they could honor Him.




President Sabey and his wife led us to the Sekondi building so we could attend church...only to find out it did not start at noon as the Stake President had told us, but at 10:30, so we caught only the last of Sacrament meeting and then Sunday School and Relief Society and Priesthood. All was taught very well.

We were amazed at the prosperity in Takoradi. There are actually street signs in this town and it seemed that nearly everyone had a TV in Takoradi and in the villages between this town and Cape Coast. You will see the evidence of this by the antennas above the roof tops!

Entertainment: Reading

There are few things to do for entertainment on this mission. One which we enjoy is reading. My latest read was "My Grandfather's Blessings" by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD. It is a collection of stories of wisdom she learned in life. Rachel grew up in a family that believed religion was the opiate of the masses. Her Grandfather on the other hand was a Jewish rabbi and on the sly filled her mind with teachings of God. When she began her practice of medicine she discovered she looked at life as taught in medical school - with a hard scientific eye - little attachment with people. It brought her little satisfaction and a feeling of burnout. As the years went by she found that the teachings of her Grandfather brought meaning into life and into her practice of medicine. I loved this book.

In thinking about her grandfather's story of the Israelites being led out of Egypt, Rachel asked her grandfather, "Why does God come Himself (as a pillar of fire) , Grandpa?" "Ah Neshume-le, many people have puzzled over this question and have thought many different things. What I think is that the struggle toward freedom is too important for God to leave to others. And this is so because only the people who become free can serve God's holy purposes and restore the world. Only those who are not enslaved by something else can follow the goodness in them."

I love that. I love the way it is written and expressed. Each of us has things that enslave us: our pride, our greed, our sins, our weaknesses, our feelings of inadequacy, etc. What are we to do: Come Unto God - God will lead us out of these webs that enslave us and bring us to freedom so that we can follow His goodness and have joy!

This book is easy to read - story after story - none more than 5 pages long - most 2-3 pages. I just wish I had written down all the wisdom statements that I loved - I may have to re-read it!

Mmmm Sugar Cane!

One of the workers here grows sugar cane. In talking with him a week ago I told him I had never tasted Sugar Cane and that I would love to try some. So yesterday he brought some for Elder Shipley and I to try. It looks a little like bamboo, but it much weightier. They take the outside cover (green) off and then slice the stick into pieces. To eat it you slice the little rounds into pieces and chew on it. As you chew the juice squirts in your mouth: a cool refreshing very sweet juice. After you've chewed it you spit out the reeds of cane. I ate quite a bit.

An hour later I got sick. My body must not like it! Now maybe the sickness was unrelated but it began preciously an hour after eating the sugar cane: nausea, headache and other less pleasant things to discuss. I seem to all right this morning except for the headache which continues.

Don't think I'll have sugar cane again!

Pictures for Africa

Several months ago I was walking out of the ancillary building (our apartment building) to find many of the custodial staff collected around a painting in our lobby. It was of Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey - Palm Sunday. They were pointing at something in the painting. I joined them, and soon discovered what they were all talking about - in the shadow was a black man - a soldier I believe. They told me that they loved that painting because one of their own race was depicted in it.

I determined then that I would with the permission of the Area Presidency search for some religious art work depicting African's. My contacts at the museum where I was a docent began the search. But little has resulted from that exploration. Meanwhile other's recognized the need. President Snow ordered 2 paintings of an African family that were painted by a student at BYU who did an internship here in Africa acquiring images to take home and paint. Then Steve and Sally Murray ordered a painting by Greg Olson which they gave as a gift to the workers in the Area Office before they left to go home after living here for 3 years.

We are thrilled to have these two paintings which hang in the lobby of the Area Office. The African's love them and the paintings illustrate that God is no respector of persons. "he denieth none to come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile" 2 Nephi 26:33."

The Task: Becoming

What are we becoming? That is the great question. Several weeks ago when we attended Kasoa ward our gospel doctrine lesson was on Alma 40-42. We spoke of resurrection and restoration. It has been on my mind ever since.

All of us will be resurrected with a perfect body. “Every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restore to their proper and perfect frame.” Alma 40:23

The world around us teaches so much about the body: build up muscles, be a size 8, dress in style, get a facelift, a tummy tuck, a nose job. And yet in the resurrection our bodies will be restored in perfect form. Is this focus on the body a distraction Satan himself is the author of? To get us to focus on the body rather than the spirit?

I am not saying exercise of the body is not important. It is important. An unhealthy body affects our spirits. We must care for our bodies through exercise and nutrition. But is there an unhealthy focus on exercise and the body? The need of developing muscles that sculpt our body? The use of diets that starve our bodies of nutrition to become a size 8?

On the other hand, the spirit that will be restored to the body is made of our everyday choices. Choices of obeying God’s commandments, repenting, living by the guidance of the Holy Ghost, serving others, developing our ability to love others, living to bless other lives, filling our minds with uplifting thoughts and images, all help our spirit to develop to the goodness of Christ’s spirit. Disobeying God’s commandments, being self centered, focusing on acquiring the world’s possessions to define our importance, seeking for power, abusing others, immersing our minds with demeaning thoughts, and images, lying to get ahead, all bring our spirits in control of Satan.

Our spirits will be RESTORED to our perfect bodies. “The meaning of the restoration is to bring back again evil for evil or carnal for carnal or devilish for devilish---good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous, just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful. For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.” Alma 41:13,15

Alma's prophetic words on the resurrection are worth reading and rereading.

We need ever more to listen to our prophets. Most often in conference they encourage us to refine our spirits: Be kinder, reach out to others, pray, exercise faith, teach your children. I loved President Hinckley' B's: Be Smart, Be Clean, Be Grateful, Be Humble, Be Prayful, Be True. His focus was on developing the Spirit. It is the “Becoming” that is important.

I cannot get out of my mind: What kind of spirit do I want restored to my perfect body in the resurrection?

A Boy With a Gift

Sunday we went to Kasoa to worship. The keyboard was played by this boy who could not have been older than 12. He was amazing. There was one song we sang that he had never played before. He opened the hymnal to the page and the breeze blowing through the windows kept blowing his page but he would continually push the page back to see. Once he played it once he never worried about the pages again. He just knew it and played it over and over for each verse, barely looking at the music and not caring when the page blew over. All through the meeting his feet were tapping to music. While people gave talks he was fingering on the keyboard playing something. Music was in his soul. I could not help but wonder what type of a musician he could become if he had some formal training. I am sure he learned to play from a missionary serving who taught keyboard lessons. Many of the sister missionaries who play the piano teach keyboarding to the members. They are usually overwhelmed with requests to learn. There is a non profit organization in Utah that sends keyboards to missionaries to give to students who have some competency. This young man had his own keyboard.

Sometimes in Africa I feel like it is the 1800's in America. No indoor plumbing for most people: they haul their water from streams, wells, lakes, rivers or from the local water truck. They pee outdoors and think nothing of it - to them it is normal. Formal education has been established but is just becoming available in the last year to all children. People live off the land for the most part. Few Ghanaians can afford to buy food in a grocery store. They sew their own clothes. And many find their living by selling whatever they can on the streets by hawking, or in a makeshift open air store. Recreation is rare: most have to work everyday - even the children - to pay for food, transportaion, and schooling. And yet like Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and many other early Americans, there is brilliance.

Sunday in Buduburam

Sunday we drove to Buduburam to attend church. Buduburam is a community about 27 miles west of Accra. This little village is the home to the Liberian refugee camp. Buduburam began 17 years ago as a United Nations sponsored refugee camp for Liberians. The camp was populated with 40,000 refuges. While it was once a tent city it is now a shanty town with cinderblock homes crowned with tin roofs. There is little electricity in the village and no running water. The Ghanaian government has been trying to deport the refuges back to Liberia this year. Many are hesitant to return. Some having lived in Buduburam during the first civil war in Liberia returned and were killed when the second civil war began in 1999.

Buduburam branch has a current population of 250 members with 125 coming from the refugee camp. The village is on the main highway to Cape Coast, but the branch currently meets in center of the village in the Ghana Primary School building. Few roads are straight. The roads are dirt often with deep ruts washed into them by the rain. For our children visualize the worst case senerio for the Maple Creek Road to our Cabin, except without the steep hills to climb.

Driving through the village without a 4-wheel drive vehicle was quite a challenge. We traveled up and down the road 3 times asking questions about the location of the building, as everyone stared at this nice van (an oddity in itself) occupied by four "Obrunis" (whites). We had in our company the new Area Doctor and his wife. In our last attempt at asking directions we noticed a small family crossing the highway dressed for church with scriptures in hand. A tender mercy of the Lord placed in our path so that we could get to church on time. On the way down the dirt road, another family saw us coming and begged for a ride. We obliged and opened the door to let them in. We had 7 Ghanaians and 4 Obruni's in an 8 passenger toyota van on a rutted dirt road. Needless to say we often drug bottom!

We did arrive on time with just a minute or two to spare. The building was very sparse - a cinderblock building with slits in the walls for ventalation and probably for light, though we did have electricity inside. A chalk board adorned the front wall of the large room with cement floors and folding chairs to sit upon. Sacrament meeting began on time. As we sang the opening hymn I could see people walking quickly to get into the room before the sacrament began. By the time it was passed the room was full - my guess would be about 150 people. A deacon age boy sat in front of us. The McCarthy Hill Stake had had a youth camp during the last week and he pulled the camp's program from out of his scriptures. Notes were scribbeled on the back and he read and re-read the paper carefully handling it as if it was the best experience of his life! Two talks were given by women and the last by the high counselor for the ward.

Sacrament meeting was followed by Sunday School. Primary for age 12 and under was held in another room of the school. The Gospel Doctrine class was attended by families, mothers and fathers and their older children who sat together as families. The teacher was excellent. The subject was Alma - the 2000 sons of Helaman - the wars. We were impressed with their knowledge and ability to glean from the scriptures the truths taught. Having been in a war torn country they had a lot to say about the motivations for war - righteous and unrighteous. They realized in the end that unrighteous wars are for power, and righteous wars are fought for freedom. Even the children participated.


Lastly we attended Priesthood and Relief Society. The main room was divided into two rooms by a metal screen. As we sang the opening song in Relief Society the men were singing their opening song in Priesthood and it was like a competition to see who could sing the loudest! Outside the Young Women sat under a tree to be taught and the Young Men sat under a different tree nearby.

It was just beautiful to see that these people who struggle so much, were able to express their testimonies of the gospel, and treasure the knowledge of the restored gospel.