LIFE IS LIKE AN OLD-TIME RAILROAD JOURNEY

Even though we love serving here in Ghana, I’m not afraid to admit the days can be somewhat stressful and very busy. Before we know it, the day is done, and we are out walking or resting.  Sometimes I forget to eat breakfast and lunch. The walk down the street in one of the pictures below, is peaceful….not necessarily a beautiful setting with all the wires…. but that is Ghana…. beautiful people, which you also see below, living in very humble and poor circumstances. Are they happy?  Yes, they certainly seem to be. Life’s journey has them here and someday maybe we will understand why?  The sunsets are always peaceful no matter where one lives. We are about 2 miles to the Atlantic Ocean. There is a latter-Day scripture that says, “All things….of the earth….are made to please the eye and to gladden the heart”.  Sunrises and sunsets and oceans do exactly that….even on those very stressful days.  

This week was busy for me with several financial issues. Let me share one, that does not have anything to do with missionary work…..but it does have to do with helping the missionaries do their work…. and trying not to slow them down and cause them to worry. Here is the experience:  Twice a month we do a bi-monthly Card Load that gives extra money to the missionaries for their travel, medical needs, utilities, and biking repairs. It is expensive to travel here in Ghana, something we were surprised to find out with none of the missionaries having vehicles….some live 4 hours away from the Mission Home.  They submit their requests to the 2 Assistants, and 8 Zone Leaders. After they review them, the Mission President and I look them over to make the final approval. This week we had 91 transactions of separate payments to 91 missionaries, per their requested needs. I did all of the paperwork, Salt Lake City Missionary Headquarters had to give their consent, and then hopefully the money ends up in their individual bank accounts.  I submitted the requests last Friday….  thinking the money would be transferred on Monday. Nothing happened on Monday. I became somewhat concerned. Nothing happened all day on Tuesday…. And I worried about it as I went to bed….thinking I had done something wrong. Wednesday morning came and still nothing by 1:00pm. Now I was kind of in a panic mode…..thinking what did I do wrong?....continuing to call and email Salt Lake but could not get a hold of anyone. All of these missionaries that are in need of this money…. and now may not be getting any of it. Please note that the monthly stipend they get is not really much at all….maybe $80 for two weeks to live on. I then was prompted to go upstairs and get on my knees and say a prayer….asking Heavenly Father to help me and give me some comfort or peace of mind that everything would be okay. I then came downstairs and heard a sound on my computer, indicating I just got an email message. I opened it up and a person from Salt Lake, who had just got to work and was going through all of my emails, sent me a message that said, “Elder Blodgett, we are here. We will help you. Please look once again at one of the balances of one of the missionaries to see if the money has been transferred”. I had just done so before I went upstairs 10 minutes earlier. I opened up one of the accounts….and there it was….the money I was trying to transfer. I opened another account, and the money was there. All 91 transactions had now been completed. I felt so relieved and extremely happy that the worry I was so engulfed in was now gone. The money was in their accounts. I felt the comfort and peace I was looking for.

Some would say I should have just waited more patiently….but I did wait for five days and nothing was happening. It wasn't until I decided to offer a prayer for help that my problem was solved. No one can tell me I did not get divine help. Even if it was just the comfort and peace that comes from calling upon the Lord. I offered a prayer and within 10 minutes I felt relief and peace and the problem I had…. was no longer a problem. The lesson I learned from this experience….the Lord is in the details of our lives and it does not matter what the problem or concern is….He wants us to go to Him and He will help. I believe that to be true. It has happened to me countless times in my life. We just forget many times to get Him involved.  We may say. “I don’t need to bother Him about that”.  Nothing is too minimal if one needs some help. If you are concerned about it, He is concerned about it with you. It is a lesson I continue to learn. Sceptics would argue….and they can argue all they want....that’s okay….let them doubt.  To me….it was a direct answer to a prayer. 

This journey we are living, this mortal experience, comes with its ups and downs, for sure.  There is always something to worry about. There is always a problem. There are always concerns. That is what we call life. One of my favorite people of all time is a Prophet we had in our church many years ago by the name of Gordon B. Hinckley. He said something that I have written down and have referred to it many times. It is very good advice.  This is what He said:

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed.  The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.  Life is like an old- time railroad journey….delays….sidetracks….smoke and dust…. cinders and jolts…. interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.  The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride”.

We are grateful for having this ride in Ghana…..which is just a small part of the journey we have been on for the last 70 years. There will be very stressful days like I had this week, but there will also be experiences where one is prompted to approach Heavenly Father in prayer to get help with what some would say was a silly, minor problem that would have worked itself out eventually.  To me……..I received divine intervention on my behalf and that is what keeps me going every day. I know He cares and loves me, and I know He loves you ….and He will help us all, if only we think but to ask.   

When the day is done, its nice to go for a peaceful walk. We have not felt "unsafe" for one minute since we've been in Ghana.

This was a long day with my Area "boss"... Pres. Sosu, local Stake President, who continues to train me in making sure all funds are accounted for. We go thru about $10,000 per month, not counting the bi-monthly stipend each missionary receives.

Mom tired of sitting at a desk.

A beautiful Mosque 2 miles from where we live.

They clean themselves up before they go into the Mosque..... and no shoes inside. They pray 6 times each day.... 5 memorized prayers, 4 different positions. They say about 1,500-2,000 men can be inside at one time. Friday is their busiest day.

Mom's always working..... babies too.

Difficult to do...

Beautiful faces.....I love pictures of little children. They are so, so innocent and sweet.

Two Deacons that take their responsibilities very seriously.

Everyone loves Jill

I loved this guys tie. And the little ones love Jill's phone....who knows what she is showing him.

Another baptism....different Ward this time. We have been to these every Sunday we have been in Ghana.

Beautiful family

Just regular members of the Ward we visiting this last Sunday. And below they don't care if they are in tune....they just like to sing really loud....unashamed and not embarrassed at all.

The asked us both to bear our testimonies. Mission President and Wife to the left.

Love chocolate chip cookies.... So do the missionaries. Mom has made "no bakes" 4 times already. Still afraid to eat the local food!

A grade school. 300 kids.

Exploring

High school basketball game.... Foos from BYU would be so proud.

Young ladies having fun....kids can make their own games....and they don't have to spend money.

Found a hamburger stand that taste as good as "Five Guys" ....with much better french fries.