PICKLEBALL
- Elder Denny Blodgett
- May 24
- 7 min read
WOW !!! This is Blog number 52. I guess this means we are about done with this wonderful adventure we have had in Ghana. I keep looking back and trying to remember everything….Jill keeps saying, “I hope we will never forget how we felt”…..I don’t think we will. And thank heavens for pictures and videos, which are shown below of our friends and friends from a year ago. As a senior missionary there is a bond that develops with other senior couples because we are here doing something "hard" and out of our comfort zones.....but we feel the spirit of unity and learn to love each other very easily.
Upon reflection of the last 12 months, there is one thing that we enjoyed doing in the US that we were pleasantly surprised we could do here……PLAY PICKLEBALL. I have some pictures below of our current Pickleball group…..but we do miss the Hobdy’s, Ben De Hoyas, Findlay’s, the Fawcett’s, and Kristie Wilson since they have left. We had a very good group…..with the current players being the Waterfalls, the Steeds, Emanual, the Palmers and the Campbells. Pickleball has been a rapidly growing sport, especially in the US, that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It has been lots of fun to get up a few times each week at 5:00am and go play up at the Stake Center. Jill will get back into Pickleball with her friends when we get home….. and I will spend more time up at Oakhurst with Doug Moore playing some golf. But, yes, I will also continue to play Pickleball. We love it and it has been a great blessing to us to be able to get some exercise, not knowing we were really exercising. That is the beauty behind every sport….. you are getting exercise and having fun…..and not feeling like you are exercising.....because who wants to exercise?
Is there a way I could bring the sport of Pickleball into a gospel setting? When we first began playing Pickleball, I played left-handed so Jill could learn the sport. She has dramatically improved over the years and now can beat me one on one..... once in a while. But she would argue she is better than I am…..so I will agree, not to disagree. It doesn’t matter anyway. For those beginners, you will soon realize that there is more to Pickleball than just a paddle, a net, and a plastic ball. It takes coordination, patience, discipline, humility, and consistency. There…..so as you can see…. I am going to try to formulate the game of Pickleball into a teaching moment with the gospel.
You cannot get good at Pickleball if you only play it once in a while. You just can’t improve. Progress comes through regular practice….small, repeated efforts over time. The gospel works the same way. Spiritual strength usually doesn’t come from one dramatic moment. It comes from daily prayer, scripture study, repentance and small acts of service. Consistency matters more than occasional intensity. You need to practice saying your prayers and practicing studying the scriptures. Line upon line, precept upon precept….the gospel takes practice to learn, to be able to grow….to be able to progress towards your ultimate goals.
Humility certainly applies to the gospel and yes, of course, Pickleball. Humility gets involved when one thinks they are doing great and then someone (like a 70 year old) comes around and defeats you without even breaking a sweat. It can be humbling very quickly. When you are my age…..it doesn’t matter if someone 40 years old beats me….they are supposed to beat me. But If I beat them…..they are humbled. The gospel also teaches us about humility. We all make mistakes. We all fall short. But humility opens the door for growth. When we recognize our need for the Savior, we become teachable. Pride keeps us from improving, but humility allows Christ to shape us into something better. In life, the world often tells us to chase recognition, monetary gain, and achievement. But the Savior teaches a different way. He teaches us to listen to the spirit, to gain wisdom, meekness, and follow the promptings we may feel on a daily basis. Sometimes spiritual success isn’t about doing more…..it's about being where the Lord wants us to be. Humility is a Christ-like attribute and the more humble we are….the more we are able to feel the spirit.
One other important principle (rule) in Pickleball is to learn about the “kitchen”. This is a small area near the net where you have to exercise restraint. If you ignore the rule, you lose the point. You cannot step into the “kitchen” unless the ball lands in the kitchen. Once you hit the ball, you have to step out of the “kitchen”. The gospel of Jesus Christ also has commandments, rules, and boundaries for the same reason – not to lose points or not to restrict happiness…..but to protect us and help us experience lasting joy. Heavenly Father understands the bigger picture better than we do. Obedience to the rules and commandments creates freedom and confidence…. not limitation. Standards are needed to give us direction in our lives. We need rules and boundaries.
Finally…..Pickleball is almost always more fun with a partner. You can play singles, but it it is much more difficult. The gospel was never intended to be lived alone either. We need each other. We need Ward members, friends, leaders, and family. Most importantly, we need Jesus Christ. He is the perfect partner….patient when we struggle, encouraging when we are discouraged, and always willing to help us begin again. The gospel is all about “new beginnings”. When we make mistakes, we repent, and we begin again. It is through the atonement of Jesus Christ that allows us to have a fresh start. No matter how many points we may have lost spiritually, the Savior offers us another chance every time….to earn those points back. Maybe there should be a rule in Pickleball that allows us to get back lost points?
I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who gives us opportunities to learn through everyday experiences…..even in the simple game of Pickleball. I know Jesus Christ lives. He is the resurrected Savior and if we work consistently on improving our relationship with Him…..we will find the happiness we are all seeking in this life and the life to come.
Ghana has been wonderful. I will never, ever forget this experience we have had…..the privilege and opportunity to share our light and testimonies with these beautiful people. They have had a very profound impact on me and have taught me….. and reminded me….. what I need to do to become closer to my Heavenly Father. For that…..I will be eternally grateful.
For those of you who have asked…..Our homecoming talks will be Sunday, June 14th, at the Alberta Chapel. I will send out a Zoom link…..and if you care…..you will be able to see and hear us talk about our experience in Ghana. It has been quite the “ride”.
These people became good friends. Our Pickleball group. And we have more, too. This was the good-bye to the De Hoyas on the far right.
You have to love Pickleball if you go up in the evening to clean the floor so that you can play in the morning. We are thankful we could play. There is no other place in all of Ghana where you have a cultural hall made of wood. This is the Stake Center necxt to the Temple....so it is nicer than most of the other chapels.....two stories and includes some of the Area Offices.
We will remember our Pickleball days here in Ghana.
When Denae and Landon came to visit.....yes, we did play some Pickleball.
This is the pool and Hotel that the Brethren stay at when they come to Ghana. The Movenpeak.....very nice and luxurious place, especially for Ghana.
Nothing like driving down a very busy road and seeing some cows nestled in a corral.
This is Benjaman, who took care of our yard and vehicles during the last year. He is currently serving as the Stake Executive Secretary in his Stake. Wonderful person, always with a smile.
It is nice to have Sister Beeson 4 doors down of the Accra East Mission. She has become a good friend and they will leave the end of June after three years of serving here in Africa.
We went out to Rocco Mama's for some very good hamburgers. These are some of the new couples coming to replace those of us going home. These are the Crowley's and Hess's.
These are wonderful people that are also in our Family Home Evening Group. The Hess's on the far right, Blodgett's, Crowleys. and the Waterfalls.
The church is growing and Africa is on fire.....over 2,000 converts in the last 12 months in our Ghana Accra West Mission. Ghana, with 6 missions, soon to be 8 missions, had over 12,000 converts. That is a lot of new callings and a lot of happy people.
This is Sister Bertha....who Jill replaced about a year ago. We are reminiscing of days gone by....wondering how the time went by so fast.
This is Elder Bertha.....who I replaced a year ago. He is now serving as a Bishop in a YSA Ward near San Diego. Great guy and the missionaries sure did love him.
This was the departing picture the night the Bertha's, Jacobson's, and the Judd's left the mission. The Kaaen's and the Blodgett's continued doing what we could to help the new Mission Leaders....along with the two assistants, Elder Kroll and Elder Abeka.
Patrick was everything to us....and is so valuable to this mission. He is a full-time employee and continues to do everything. He is currently serving as a Bishop in his ward and we will miss him.
The Campbell's arrived the end of June 2025. The missionaries love them and they have been a joy to work with.
This is what we get to go home to in California. I love my family...... Oh, how we have missed them. We are excited to see them all. Families are the best.
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