ENDURING TO THE END

This was a good week with a lot of different experiences that happen in missions throughout the world.  Some good and some not so good.  Just to highlight a few….. 

Jill saw a glass pitcher fall and cut her foot pretty badly.....very deep cut. She didn't want to go get stitches, so she cleaned it and used super-glue. It was fine for a few days and now it is infected. So now we are dealing with that. Pictures below. We had an Elder who contracted typhoid.  He will be fine after some antibiotics and rest. We had another Elder come down with malaria. He will also be fine. We had a Sister missionary that came to us from another mission as her visa finally cleared…..but she does not know any English. Zero.  Jill picked her up at the airport and she spent about 4 hours with us, and it was so interesting trying to communicate with her.  She is very sweet and smiled all the time…..but she did not know what we were saying and we did not know what she was saying.  After a couple of nights with her companion, it was decided that she should go to the Ghana, Accra MTC for six weeks and learn some English.  Jill picked up another Elder that came from Zambia as his visa cleared…..He does know English and he will be great.  Sadly, one Elder that has only been here a couple of weeks went home, and Jill and I took him to the airport and stayed with him…..he kept looking for us as he went through passport control and then security…..kept looking and waving.  Very sweet young man that realized his time is not now.  We had MLC with all of the leaders of the mission and there are pictures below showing them here in the Mission Office.  Jill and I were asked to speak in church at a Ward we attended six months ago.  The Bishop came up to us a few minutes before church started and asked us to bear our testimonies. I like doing that. Sometimes the Sacrament Meeting programs are short of speakers…..I think they like the Senior Couples showing up to their meetings, just in case.  We attended a District Council meeting with 8 missionaries.  I thought to myself, here we are in Ghana, and these young people are meeting on a Monday morning to discuss how they can improve, how they can find new people, how they can keep the ones they are teaching excited about what they are learning.  It was a great experience for Jill and I and we continue to be very impressed with these young people…..they are just “good”….. and full of life and love and want to share their message with the world. 

One thing I've been thinking a lot about lately is my own mortality.  My time on Earth has been quite the ride, and I am very thankful I was born during this time in the history of the world.  I don’t know how much longer I have here on Earth.  Hopefully, another good 15-20 years at least.  But the end of earth life is coming for me…..and so I find myself thinking about it a lot.  The question I ask myself……what am I doing to become more Christ-like?  Or even…. am I becoming more Christ-like?  What can I do to improve my life and the person I am?  What can I do better? 

I was listening to Elder Todd Christofferson on one of my evening walks this past week and was reminded once again the importance of changing who I am and to always strive to become better.  I have listened to his talk many times…..I love some of the things he says…..and below I will share some of his thoughts. 

It says in the Book of Mormon, “Wherefore, if ye shall press forward feasting upon the words of Christ, and ENDURE TO THE END, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”  What is the significance of enduring to the end?  Its significance, according to Elder Christofferson,  “lies in the need not to just simply believe in Christ, but to develop the character of Christ….. If we are to live with Him and the Father eternally.  It’s about what we are becoming. It’s not just about boxes we check or points we collect for doing good.  Salvation is not a matter of just good works alone…..neither is it a matter of divine grace alone.  Works and grace matter because of their role in what we are becoming.” 

A few years ago, President Dallin H. Oaks said, “the final judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts…..what we have done. It is an acknowledgement of the final effect of our acts and thoughts…..what we have become.  The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”  Therefore, for those of us who have received the gospel of Jesus Christ and have entered upon this covenant path….. the question at the end of life will be…..are we still on that path of discipleship.  Are we still on the course that demonstrates both our desire and our capacity to abide the law of a celestial kingdom. Our final judgment will measure what we have become and even more importantly what we have shown we can yet become. However great or small the challenge, we can count on our Heavenly Father’s help, His angels, and His Holy Spirit.  And, in addition, we have the infinite grace of Christ to forgive and sanctify us from sin".

Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf said, “We know that our efforts alone cannot make us celestial.  But they can make us loyal and committed to Jesus the Christ…..and He can make us celestial.” 

I love my wife and I love my family.  I love my friends.  I love my life.  It has been a good life.  And I look forward to the next 20 years or so and hopefully will be able to make more friends…..and watch my kids and grandkids and great-grandkids grow up even more.  Elder Von G. Keetch, said a few years ago before his passing at the age of 57 of cancer, “Life will always have its valleys and peaks. Everyone will have moments of great peace and happiness, and times of great challenge.  At times, life will be richly joyful.  At other times, it will be terribly painful.  But because of the birth in Bethlehem and what it led to…..there is nothing in life that need be eternally tragic.  There is a happy ending.  There is a rising after falling. There is life and there is love….. always. There are new births and rebirths and a resurrection to eternal life.  It is the joy of the stable.  But much more important…..it is the joy of the empty tomb…..forever.”

Have a great week.  We are excited here in our Mission because we will meet with an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ on Tuesday and Thursday. His name is Quentin L. Cook. 

Sister Johnson .....one of our Sister Training Leaders

Sister Ngubi...Elder Basoah and Elder Mbuyi...Sister Malama, Sister Lesa, and Sister Stambuli

Sisters Archibald, Johnson, Ngubi, and Malama. Elders Crawley, Okopi, and Tshisuaka

Elders Nielsen, Bucsit, Okopi and Mamouna. Sisters Bennett, Ngalula, Indayi, and Lokwa.

Love Ya, Love Ya, Love Ya, Love ya, Love Ya.....45 year-old Blodgett tradition after family prayer.

Elder Mamouna is really getting into leading the music. He is very good.

Sisters Fandresentsa, Jonqueiro, Naigaga, Archibald, and Johnson

Elders Radford, Gbedema, Stewart, McClean, Elisaia, and Pheta

Elder Tingey resting in the President's chair.

Sister Ntumba and Elder Tingy about ready to go home.....one to the DRC and one to Texas.

This good brother was a good friend of John Riding when he served here as the Mission President and then the Temple President. He remembered him well.....was very fond of President Riding.

Jill's cut on her toe....didn't want to go and get stitches....so we super-glued it. Sorry Emily and Bonnie and Dave.....and anyone else that do not like to discuss anything to do with "blood".

This a large part of our "senior couple" group having a dinner for the departing couples.

Jill and I are asked to speak in church quite often.....but we don't mind.....we are on a mission.

Every Ward and Branch have the cutest little kids.....the girls are always dressed so cute.

This Ali.....he is the other Security Guard that works with Gilbert. We got them a fan.

This is Fampah....who is doing some woodworking for us. The other good brother was very busy Sunday.....he conducted the church meeting, led the music, spoke at the baptism, and baptized the new member. Years ago he came to church to find out if the terrible things people were saying about our church were really true. He found out they were not.... Listened to the missionaries and has never looked back. He is full of life and love and when you are around him....he just makes you smile. He wanted a picture.....He said, "I will probably never see you again".

This is where a lot of the Senior Couples live....the church owns this apartment complex. It's a nice area.

I just liked this message.....growth is good.

Sister Johnston and Sister Kapinga