Banner days…

The month of March begins with a great Sunday at one of my favorite chapels - Odorkor.  Church royalty was there…a guy named Kissee who wrote a book called  A Walk in the Sand.  For the record, there is no real Church Royalty, but there were American pioneers who walked across deserts to get to the Salt Lake Valley (when it was not part of the USA). There are the OG members in the countries in Africa like this guy - they are true pioneers of the church and sacrificed to build the church here - Good faithFUL people.  The first week of March seemed like a month that went so quickly…but it’s been only a week. I like the speed of love…enjoying every day…never a dull moment…really.  Even accounting can be interesting.  Instead of names for missionaries, I draw a picture of their name. “…how does your brain work, Elder Bertha!?”

Sunday YSA (Young Single Adult) lesson:  There were 2 to 1 - Men to Women in the class.  I see the reverse in the USA.  I thought the women were sharp and good-looking.  The men here are often faced with the challenge of having to pay a “bride price” to the family of the woman.  Sometimes, they start a family and have kids as they are saving up to pay the price.  It’s a tribal tradition that is hard to break and will take time, still part of the African culture.  The Church would rather see an emphasis on marrying another church member over marrying in the tribe.  That can be a tough pattern to crack. The Lesson was great and I hope that they can find each other…and raise families in the church.  We see such a difference between some of the African missionaries who were raised in the church.  There is a confidence and strength that helps share the gospel. The converts have an enthusiasm and desire to share.  So much to learn and so much to share with family and friends. It’s a good message…

Pack and Go:  At church, we met some really nice people who come to Ghana to bring laptops in for their business and then go home with empty suitcases.  I have missionaries who struggle to make weight on luggage (under 50 pounds) with the nativity sets for mom and Fufu bowl gifts.  If I can do some matchmaking and pack up the missionaries' stuff, label it for their home, and catch an empty suitcase, I would do a service for these kids who have spent 18-24 months sweating in Ghana.  Easy trade. I love to play Tetris with boxes in a bag.  Biggie Joe knows, ”I’m Rick James…” when it comes to packing.  They said they could do it for me. Then I found out that they were flying business class and I asked if they were going to ship a third bag. "No?  Can I give you one already to go?"  This is how stuff traveled in the past…find someone going that way.  That is how we get packages around our mission also…

“Ghana Interruptus.” I think there is still an animal that De-evolved from the Cro-Magnon man in Western Africa.  They are similar to the dodo bird which was a genetic mutation of the Ostrich (why even give it wings?).  This animal, or missionary, “Ghana Interuptus,” comes out in force when faced with a short time frame and a high concentration of people.  They ask questions right as you have been talking to another person.  They are in your personal space demanding attention and service.  I believe that they are related to the tribe of German snow skiers that step all over your skis to get to the other side.  I think their favorite song is “Me, me, me, me!“  The Americans have been programmed not to do the same, but often they are learning this bad habit by association…and if they do, I give them an eye slap (I want to physically slap them, but I look at them like “I know you know are better than this; did they do this back at East High?).  It was crazy busy and I was prepared, but maybe not enough. It’s a thing.  Everyone wants attention NOW!  But they are all wonderful young people growing up to do the same thing as wonderful adults. It probably reveals my shortcomings and a place where I can get better…

”I am coming…”

-Ghanaian for Hold your horses

MuFUNdisi.  How cool is that!? He has 'Fun' in his name.  I went out and bought a transparent phone case, printed a picture of the two of us, and put it between the phone and the case.  He loved it and I made sure he had a bracelet to go home with - Hope and Humility.  I am running low on stock of bracelets.  I gave one today (then the next Sunday to a young man headed to Nigeria on his mission from Odaben).  This week we had three elders and 4 sisters go home.

The First:  The Pioneers made trails for others.  18 months ago, four sisters from North America came around to Ghana the same time.  They were the first white women in the Accra West Mission, at least for the Jacobsen’s.  They had to put up with hard trainers who maybe did not want to work as hard and maybe struggled with exact obedience, but these four young women sister missionaries led with love, worked hard, and created a lasting culture of work, hoping to share the gospel.  They were tough and loving and baptized so many into the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were pioneers in our mission and a hole will be left as they leave this week.  DeGraffenried, Bello, Wilde & Carter.  All spiritual and great teachers, but think how resilient you have to be to live in Ghana.  They were!  We were blessed to have them here.  I hope there are men good enough for these women…

“Find someone that can pull the Hand-Cart with you…Pioneer Stock”

-Dick Peery advice to Young Adults

Childhood dream:  Don’t you wish you could be that guy just for a moment?  The crossing guard or the police directing traffic for an afternoon.  They have many traffic directors here, but rarely where it is really needed.  They are there more to help you park and make sure your wheels are straight (I really don’t care about that).  We parked for the departure dinner and there was slow traffic.  I could see our mission van in the distance so I asked the parking guy (more like, took) for his yellow vest and then grabbed his hat.  He was much shorter so he gave it up and it happened so fast.  I started directing traffic and made sure there was a parking spot saved for our missionary van. I stood right in the middle of the road, stopped traffic from right and left, and directed our van to back into a prime spot.  I made sure to spin my hands with extreme emphasis in different directions to make sure they followed turning their wheels accordingly.  With the hat and fluorescent vest, President Jacobsen didn’t notice at first.  He is getting used to new glasses, he said “That looks like Elder Bertha!?”.  Sister Jacobsen chalked it up to another Ferris Bueller moment.  Sandy was already in the restaurant so was not embarrassed in person as I am sure she would have been.  Fun times…

Banners for Departing Missionaries:  Some people have said that the missionary goes on a mission or stays on a mission just to get a banner.  I think that is kind of ridiculous.  No one would endure the work and hardships of a mission for a glorified custom scarf.  However, it is a Ghana tradition (possibly an African tradition), that I really like and there is a tangible thing like the tassels kids wear at graduation that represents an accomplishment.  The President and his wife share some words, present the banner and the certificate of accomplishment, take a picture, and the best part is when the missionary shares their testimony.  There is growth and a deeper connection with their savior and the people they just served.  It’s wonderful to see.

Because we are more powerful when we are together.

It brings the Spirit, peace, joy, and harmony.

Nothing can move without the support from each other.

UNITY is our power source.

There is a good reason God sends us out two by two,

Only when we are united will the Spirit come.

Because nothing else works.

-SJ Zone Conference Unity slide

Another Banner of Love… On Sunday in Swedru, the stake relief society president got up and told the congregation how much they loved the Jacobsen’s for always coming to stake conference and supporting them.  They were both presented with Kente banners with their names on them and they wore them as they spoke.  That was unexpected and may have caused the President to realize this really will come to an end in 4 months (less).  It will be their last Swedru Stake Conference.  Their messages were good and well-received.  Sister J spoke about Unity and the need for it. President J also added to the theme of Unity and how we can do more when we work together as missionaries and members.  This year, the mission goals were a collaboration with the wards and stakes so they are playing from the same page…

“The journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step…”

-Chinese Proverb

The First Day:  After we say goodbye, we say hello to the new incoming missionaries.  It’s the first day of the real mission. When they come to us, they have been in the Mission Training Center here in Ghana for 3 weeks for people who already speak English; or 9 weeks for others, learning English as a second language (about 50% of our mission).  New missionaries coming in are deer-in-the-headlights and it's a lot to take in for them.  Some don’t get what we are saying and then you see them in the next 6 weeks during a zone conference and they are speaking English. It’s a blessing and it's amazing to see.  Good new missionaries.  I pulled aside three from Samoa, and let them know that they should not wave the Samoan Flag - only the GAWM flag.  We are all on God's team in the mission and we want to make sure we all are focused on Christ and not make someone feel left out.  Unity helps us go farther

Independence Day Ghana (March 6th, 1957).  They have a new president and he had a celebration 1/10th the cost of the previous president.  He does not think the economy can handle it right now.  It was a holiday so the office was closed and we took a “mental health day.”  Sandy and I joined the Jacobsen’s for a morning walk and saw a VVIP motorcade (serpentine motorcycles and black Lexus vehicles with super dark windows). There was a guy in the front seat that looked like he came out of the play, Nutcracker.  Same red coat and a big hat.  Sister Beeson wanted to go to the Bead Market.  She couldn’t go so Sandy and I went on a little road trip to discover somewhere new.  The trees are BIG and the road was not that bad.  It’s a game to weave around the potholes.  The bead market might have been smaller because it was Independence Day, but it was good enough for us and we both found some things.  Sandy has made bracelets for all the sisters in the mission. S is the Bead-Master!

New Leader Meeting:  President Jacobsen and his wife bring all new leaders (District Leaders, Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders) in for Leadership training.  I do not recall anything like this on my mission, but we also did not have phones, spreadsheets, or the internet.  It is so good what they do.  I sat in on it this month to see what they taught.  I wanted to connect the dots from what they are teaching to what is happening in the mission.  When you go to district meeting on a Tuesday anywhere in our mission, you have well-planned meetings with an agenda and participation from everyone.  These are skills that these young missionaries will use for the rest of their lives in the church and in business.  God’s house is a house of order…

Bats and Moon:  Saturday night in a hot (no heater, just the sun) pool looking up at bats just coming out.  I could have been in Transylvania.  It was so beautiful in a Halloween sort of way.  Bats look really cool from a distance.  Upside down in the tree, they are ugly.  Bats for sale for dinner on the side of the road...not appetizing...but watching them roam the air eating malaria-carrying mosquitos. I cheer them on and I think, "I am so far away from my home…"  It was an unusually beautiful evening in an unusual way.  Bats and the Moon, not my normal evening but it is working here. Sister Bertha suggested we have a movie night. No place like our room, our oasis from the rest of the office in which we live in and she set up a TV screen on an ironing board at the end of our bed and hooked it up with an HDMI chord to her iPad and we watched "Palau". He was a bilingual Billy Graham. It was really good.

Comparison:  It is 6 hours and 30 minutes from London to Accra by plane.  It is 6 hours and 40 minutes from Boston to San Diego.  It is 11 hours and 50 minutes on a direct flight from Amsterdam to San Diego.  We booked plane tickets which made an ending real and we are not ready for. 

Odoben Stake Conference:  As we drove up, there was a big school bus that was filled with members who came from a different area.  A stake is made up of maybe 6-9 units, wards, and branches so they have to travel a bit to get to the conference.  Most people just walk to their wards on Sunday.  Stake conference happens two times a year and it’s a big deal with a screen on the outside for the overflow. The only thing bigger is our General Conference (Coming the first weekend in April at www.churchofjesuschrist.org to stream).  It's good to hear from the prophet and apostles, but important people in your life are usually within a walk (Ghana) or a short drive (California) away. 

“We will be pleased to hear from President Jacobsen and the wife..”

-It is still a man’s world in Ghana

No notice is fine:  In the middle of the meeting when the choir was singing, the man conducting came down to where we are seated and asked Sister Bertha and I to speak/bear our testimony. After the song, we came up and I stood next to her and with her big smile. Sister Bertha just exudes enthusiasm for the missionary work in Ghana.  I made a short reference to a scripture I had just read in the Book of Mormon. (If you read every day, you always have something to reference to).  Sandy has no problem getting up at a moment’s notice and just speaking from the heart.  Her confidence has increased as this has happened a few times.  It’s really a blessing to be put in that kind of situation and know you can trust the Lord that He will not let you mess it up.  We are all there for the benefit of the people attending, so share what is in your heart as it comes.  The spirit really does guide you in those moments.

“Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.”

-D&C 84:85 

Fun Size-Right Size: Our church is not in the business of getting bigger for each location.  Our church is NOT a mega church.  There is a benefit to having a manageable size.  The Bishop of a ward is not paid and so it's not a full-time job. Too big and he cant manage or minister to his flock.  When a ward or a stake gets too big (like when we are finding new members) the ward or stake will be split and start growing again.  There is a size that you can know most of the people in your ward and they will notice if you don’t show up and if you have a problem.  We minister to each other in keeping tabs on them.  Keeping an eye on your fellow members is a good thing and part of what Jesus wants us to do.  Be kind, share, and help out…

Bike Master in the House…yikes!  I was inundated by the missionaries with bike issues at the Sunday Stake Conference.  They brought me to the locked-up bikes and pointed to all the issues.  While talking to one Elder, there would be another Elder interrupting saying “Elder Bertha, Elder Bertha, Elder Bertha.”  Everyone wants attention at the same time…It’s a Ghana thing I think.  I came home with a tire with broken spokes and maybe 5 bikes I need to trade out. Bikes are easier than cars, but still require constant maintenance.  One guy wanted to trade his bike because his brakes were weak and I just showed him how to adjust it at the lever…He was kinda happy.  They never return a bike that is clean.  But I am glad to help them keep teaching…

Cabo San Ghana?  On a P-day, we went to pick up one of the American sister's packages to ship home and to take her luggage.  They then had us take them back to the beach where they had an activity.  Playing soccer on the beach and eating snacks.  I think they were surprised to see the Berthas, but the Berthas were surprised to see how nice the beach and rock outcropping were…it did remind me of old Cabo beaches we used to explore on surf trips.  The approach was all poor shacks but what a cool little find.  Fun to see how the missionaries love the opportunity to hang out together

“The Ghana English is not the normal English”

-Sister D at Homecoming in Utah

“I know this to be true…my husband is a pastor and I do not want to go to his church anymore”

-Sister D’s Friend with 7 children who eventually was baptized.

“Doesn’t matter where you serve, it matters how you serve…Keep the commandments and enjoy your blessings”

Clara going to Nigeria from Swedru Stake

“It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.”

-Jane Austen

“What we do every day matters more than what we do every once in a while”

-Laura’s Instagram…

Time keeps slipping….I have to get this out because another week has begun and we are still doing stuff.  Week by week, it is so fun to serve the missionaries serving in Ghana. Resilience and spiritual strength.  I am growing, watching them, and once in a while teaching with them.  Sister Bertha and I are trying to schedule more time out with the missionaries.  It is so fun to teach and see people change. God loves us all.  So love his children…you fellow man.

Elder Bertha

March 2025

Off to teach in Kasoa! - by Sister Sandy Bertha

Today Sister Jacobsen and I went out to teach with Sister Bello and Sister Khupe. We went to the Ashtown ward in Kasoa. When we got there we went up to Adom Estate where the Sisters house is and dropped off snacks for them.  Their place is quite large.  It has turquoise paint on the outside.  

We walked back to the church to meet Issac who is getting baptized next week.  Isaac is in his 30s and has been going to different churches for a long time. This past year he had stopped because of the way his church was handling people who had sinned (all of us?). They publicly shame them. They say their names and make them stand and they humiliate them. 

When Sister Tuman and Bello were walking down the road one day, he was at a shop with other men and he called to them saying he wanted to be taught by them.  The Sisters tend to get a lot of calling out to them and they don’t take them seriously, but they felt inclined to talk to him.  They started to teach him and then he got so busy and wasn’t coming to church so they dropped him because they thought he wasn’t interested.  Fast forward 4 months. Now Sister Bello and Sister Kuphe were out proselytizing and ran into him.  He stopped them and asked, "How come you haven't been coming to church?" Turns out he had been reading the Book of Mormon and saw that they had written that church starts at 9 am (at the new year they had a time change to later) and he had been attending church in the other Sister's ward for the last 3 weeks and had been loving the Book of Mormon. Sister Bello was happy to tell him that the ward he was supposed to be going to started later. They met him at church the next Sunday and had an appointment at his house right after and he told them how much he loves the Book of Mormon and wants to be baptized!!! They have been teaching him the last 5 weeks. He has truly humbled himself and has a great desire to make changes. 

That’s a little background on Isaac. Sister J and I, and the Sister missionaries, went into a classroom at church to teach him. Sister Bello went over the baptism questions that the District Leader Elders will ask him this week in preparation for his baptism. He had good questions during our discussion and we answered these questions. He asked if a man can remarry after being divorced. Yes. The next question was about the law of chastity.  Sounds like he has a girlfriend and he wanted to know if he makes a mistake with the law of chastity again, could he be forgiven? What does the church do to you if you sin?  That was what brought up the conversation of shaming that I mentioned at the start!  I said, "Oh no, no public shaming!"  And Sister J said we are the church of JESUS CHRIST.  That would not be what Jesus Christ would do.  This is a church of joy.  A church of love.  

We did tell him that a sin as great as breaking the law of chastity has to be addressed with the Bishop who is the mediator between you and your Savior. Forgiveness comes from God, not your Bishop. He will help you work through it if you come with a truly repentant heart, a broken heart, and a contrite spirit.  We told him why breaking the law of chastity was such a great sin, so he could have a clearer understanding.  Just like Murder, which involves the taking of a life that can not be restored; the law of chastity also involves the taking of something that can not be restored - one's virtue and the misuse of this power. The most sacred power given to us by God is to create life, and it is grievous to Him when done outside the bonds of marriage. He was grateful for the clarification. He had read the Chastity pamphlet put out by the church and said it was really helpful and that it was the first time he had understood the importance of this law. He said he was willing to keep this law, especially with his new understanding. Wow! He is making commitments.  It’s so exciting. 

Sister J said, "How has your life changed since you have been meeting with the missionaries?"  He told us that he feels so much peace, and it feels good to now understand what the Lord requires of him and then he said with a big smile on his face, "I feel  FREE." How beautiful is that!? God is so merciful.  He will forgive us as many times as we come to him in sincere repentance. Isaac will be baptized next Sunday and is so excited about this new direction in his life. He will be on the covenant path that will bring him closer and closer to our Savior Jesus Christ, as he moves forward in faith!

Next, we took a taxi...

...with no door handles to meet with a 25-year-old man Collin, and his mother Edith. He has come to church once.  Sister Bello and Sister Khupe had met his Auntie on the roadside and they found Collin through her.  

They just started teaching him but he is doing his reading in the Book of 

Mormon and keeping his commitments.  His mother, you could tell, had questions and we all had a great discussion on baptism and the gift of the holy ghost. 

The mother then wanted to know if we did public healings, where people fall down on the ground (that is a thing here). We said no, and then told her that we don’t pass a basket around for collections like they do after the healings.  There are many churches set up to get gain and it profits the leaders and not God.  We told her that our Bishops are not paid and that all the leaders of our congregations are volunteers.  Our bishop and his counselors all have regular jobs but are called to volunteer for a certain amount of time (5-6 years) to lead a congregation. 

We told her that all the missionaries pay their own way and spend 18 months for the Sisters and 2 years for the Elders away from the comforts of their homes to help others increase their faith in Jesus Christ and make covenants with him that will bind them to him.  Sister J told her that she left her home, 6 children, and 10 grandchildren for 3 years to do this work.  Edith was amazed.  We all stated that there was no way we would give all of this up if we didn’t know for sure that what we were teaching was true.  We are here to prepare the world for the second coming of the Savior Jesus Christ.  Once again, there are prophets and apostles on the earth, priesthood power that has been restored, and the Book of Mormon which has been translated - a second witness to the Bible that Jesus is the Christ.  These 2 books of scripture, when combined, bring about the fullness of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Edith’s whole look changed from the time we entered her home to the time we left.  We invited her to church. We told her to just Come and See. Come and bring all that you have and See if we can not add to it. Well, she showed up at church today.  I just got a text from Sister Bello.  She sent me a selfie with her. 

She was all dressed up and looking beautiful with a smile on her face.  She said she would come again and that all the teachings and everything were so clear to her. I am telling you, these beautiful Ghanaian people put their trust in the Lord.  They have great faith. Their hearts are soft. They are searching. The growth of the church here is unbelievable!  

At the next stop, we visited a family with 6 kids.

The mom was gone and the Dad works as an engineer for a gold mine and wasn’t around very much.  The mother is totally interested and has been coming to church with her 5 kids.  Her stepson who is 25, even though he’s been invited, hasn’t stuck around for the lessons with the missionaries but with a little playful convincing from Sister J and I, he stayed.  It was really sweet.  He had his little 6-year-old brother by his side as he read from the Book of Mormon. mI snuck a picture because it was such a tender moment. 

He was answering questions on faith and repentance, which is what we were there to teach that day.  I was amazed at how sharp and smart the 16-year-old girl was. She had done all the reading the missionaries had given to her from the last week they were there.  She and her 12-year-old sister are really learning and taking it all in.  It’s a beautiful thing to see.  The confidence and light that comes to an individual who is striving to build a relationship with Christ is visible! Sam, the 25-year-old, softened during the half hour we spent with him.  He is studying engineering at University and is a smart guy who was able to tell us what he understood about faith and repentance after our discussion.  I was really impressed. 

I hope he chooses to hop on the covenant path with his family.  The mother and 5 kids all came to church today. The husband joins in when he’s home and is fully supportive of the family meeting with the missionaries.

Sister Bello and Sister Khupe sent me a selfie with them today at church.              

There is nothing that makes me happier than teaching and testifying.  It is a great opportunity to verbally acknowledge how grateful I am for the things that I KNOW to be true! I know that when we remember Him and keep the covenants we made at baptism, which are to take on His name and keep His commandments, we will prosper in the land. (Prosper spiritually, mentally, and physically). We are reminded of that over and over in the Book of Mormon.  

I am grateful to be a member of Christ's restored church. Grateful for the prophet Joseph Smith, who at 14 years old in 1820, when confused by all the Christian churches and not knowing which church to join, inquired of the Lord after reading in the Bible James 1:5, "If any of ye lack wisdom let him ask of God". The answer to his prayer, while kneeling in a grove of trees not far from his farmhouse, has changed the world for the better. There in the grove, God the Father AND his son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph. They stood above him in the air. One of them "spake unto him, calling him by name, and said pointing to the other, "This is my beloved son, Hear Him."

Joseph was told to join none of the churches. He said they "draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."  He was told that over time it would be through him that Christ's New Testament church with the foundation of Apostles, prophets, and priesthood authority, the power to act in God’s name, would be restored after almost 1740+ years. That big gap was the great apostasy. 

Over time, many people tried to start their own churches taking bits and pieces of the truth that they could remember. This explains why there are SO many Christian churches today!  Finally, in 1820, the Lord restored his church through this humble and teachable young farm boy Joseph Smith who he made his first prophet in these latter days.  Joseph Smith, over the next 10 years, was tutored by heavenly messengers and through these heavenly messengers, the priesthood power was restored back to earth to Joseph Smith. With the restoration of priesthood power, we are able to perform ordinances that when bound on earth will be bound in heaven.  That is why we talk about a temple marriage as an eternal marriage, because the sealing power was restored which binds families forever, not just this life. 

Part of the preparation for the establishment of Christ’s church was the translation of the ancient record called, The Book of Mormon.  It tells of 2 nations, a history of the ancient American inhabitants recorded by God’s prophets in the Western Hemisphere covering the time period 600 BC-400 AD. The crowning event of the Book of Mormon was Christ's visit to the Nephite nation shortly after his resurrection.  There, on the American continent, Christ shared, and it was recorded, the fullness of his gospel.  The Nephites on the American continent were who Christ was referring to in John 10:16 when he said, "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd."  

The Book of Mormon is an abridgment of 1,000 years of records.  It was abridged by the ancient American prophet Mormon.  Mormon tells us that this record, which was preserved and passed on from generation to generation, was written for our day.  The prophets of old saw our day.  They knew what we would need to hear and the lessons we would need to learn.  We always learn from other’s mistakes and also learn from those who lived obedient and righteous lives.  When we read from the Book of Mormon we are told to ask ourselves, how does this apply to me today?  Why was this preserved? There is so much Power in this book. We are instructed on how to live a life that will allow us to return to live with our Heavenly Father.  This book is a companion to the Bible.  These 2 books together teach the fullness of the gospel.  The Book of Mormon was written to convince the Jews and the Gentiles, that Jesus is the Christ.  Man will get closer to God by reading this book than any other book. I love this book.  It brings peace and understanding. I testify to you that this book is true.  I invite you all to read it and find out for yourself if it is true.  If it is, you will know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that Christ's church has once again been established on earth.  

So, what makes our church different from other Christian churches? 

1. Our church has a foundation of Apostles and Prophets with Christ as the head of the church

2. The restored priesthood power 

3. The Book of Mormon, which is another testament that Jesus is the Christ.

   
   

I invite all of you to come unto Christ and strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by repenting, which simply means, you choose God. You ask for forgiveness with a sincere heart and you turn to face him making the necessary changes in your life that align with His will not your will.  Let God prevail in your life. Repentance is a gift, a privilege, and an opportunity that Christ has given us to free ourselves from the burdens we carry.

I am grateful to be here serving the Lord.  President Nelson, our prophet and the prophet for the entire world said, "There is no greater work on earth today than the gathering of Israel."  We have missionaries all over the world gathering Israel from the 4 corners of the earth in preparation for his coming.  He IS coming. 

Love you all!

Sister Bertha

March 2025

Precious and Bright…

Meanwhile in Ghana...we had a busy week that ended with a Saturday of going to the market in the morning (Selfish) and then working with the missionaries in the field (Selfless-not about us).  We love working with the missionaries and teaching the gospel; it is a unique opportunity we do not turn down.  I am told by the other mission president who lives across the street that it is unusual, but we love it.  It’s the mission's highlight, especially when you see them join and change their lives for the better.  The church is growing right in front of us every day…. Sister Bertha wanted to go on a proselyting mission and was so enthusiastic when she got to teach. 

You said yes, right?  Sandy told me that the President and his wife wanted to go on exchanges and teach with some of the missionaries on Saturday (our P day or our only day off).  They asked if we wanted to go…they asked Sandy.  I love that she knows that my answer will be yes to that question every time here in Ghana.  I also love that there are some things, I am not comfortable with her making my decision for me (and vice versa).  I love that she has learned the difference; mission miracle.  We are here to serve and working with the missionaries is the best thing we do here.  In Ghana, the opportunity to go out with the missionaries is not just knocking on doors.  If we are finding, we are at least talking to people.  They are not trying to avoid us.  They will always talk small small (for a little).  When we go out with the missionaries, we get to teach…every time!  It’s amazing!

Precious: This was a 17-year-old girl who was not embarrassed to sit with a 60-year-old gray-haired man, a white kid with red hair (Nile-style) in a bucket hat, and an African still learning English on the side of the street (really in the street) about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Gotta start with prayer; I heard that Pragia went by while the missionary was praying.  It was funny that we three were on a bench we pulled from the store and she was on a stool.  We taught her about the Doctrine of Christ…Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, Enduring to the end...I told her that repentance was turning back to God; we can do that every day when we get off course.  Super nice girl and open to learning.  Then she taught me…

Give when asked…. During the lesson, an older woman who was obviously poor or looked at the part interrupted us where we were seated on the road and wanted 2 Cedi, Precious just got up and patted her pockets and then started to cross the street and was looking for the money.  I had a 2 Cedi coin in my pocket so I gave it to her and she then gave it to the beggar.  I asked, “Did you know her?” “no.”   She sat down and was ready to go back to the lesson.  She was just doing the right thing because that is what she does.  Wow.  Pure love in action.

Walk this way:  After the first lesson with Precious, we walked (maybe 20 yards away) by a girl selling rice and our missionaries had started teaching her already.  She was not ready to have a lesson right then, but they made an appointment for later.  They asked if she was reading her Book of Mormon and she reached out and tapped it!  It was right there next to her station.  Elder Roche dog-eared a place in 3 Nephi for her to read.  Then we kept walking to see if we could teach a new member…

“A good name is to be cherished even more than riches”

-Proverbs 22:1

“Bright”… Is that really your name? I asked.  We had just taught Precious the scripture from 2 Nephi 31 about having a BRIGHTness of Hope.  We worked it into getting our lesson started.  He was 15, similar to the age when I joined the church.  I told him how much I did not know when I was first baptized.  You don’t need to know everything!  All you really need is faith in Jesus Christ and that this is his church and to keep moving forward and follow the feelings given to you by the Holy Ghost to guide you.  You learn along the way by acting on and exercising your faith.  He was baptized a month ago; we were there that day to teach him a little more and make sure he understood.  It was like most lessons, 20-30 minutes, simple and easy, and try to leave them with the feeling of the spirit.  He has his own brightness and as a new member, he is just discovering how to feel it and follow it…

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect BRIGHTness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”

-2 Nephi 31:20

Pragia rides: Kasoa is a unique area that is mostly flat and they have a lot of 3-wheel Pragia.  It’s like the Vespa Ape, but made in India and it’s the taxi of choice for short rides.  It was my first time in one and I was happy I survived and needed no stitches (Tannahill).   They charge by the person and there is no limit to how many people you can cram in.  Elder Roche told me he had fit his whole District (6-10 people?) in one…those have to be small people.  We sat three in the back seat and you had to alternate the front and back parts of the seat to make it fit-ish.  Grateful for short rides.  Would not want to travel a long way in these things.  No extra credit for comfort.

Sisters two:  Sister J and Sister Bertha spent their time with a sister trainer, Sister Bello from SLC, and Sister Kuphe from Zimbabwe (first transfer!).    When Sister B and Sister J came back in the car to go home, they were brimming with excitement for what they had just experienced…I will let Sister B share the experience from her perspective.  So happy she is having these experiences.  So often we try to share the gospel in California and we get shut down by our friends…which is agency in action.  The Lord has asked us to invite…we do that.  

President Jacobsen: The President taught with the Zone leaders and one of them had just been called to be his Assistant.  He picked up me and then we picked up his wife and Sister Bertha.  They got in the car and spilled about how cool it was. 

“Thanks for coming out…I think you are the only ones doing this in Western Africa.”

-President Jacobsen

“Ghana is the perfect place for a cowboy.  I don’t think I could survive in a US mission.”

-President Jacobsen

Barbie in Ghana:  one of the cutest things I saw this week, but I did not get a picture of it was a young girl with her Babie doll strapped to her back like her mother.  The women strap the baby to their back with 2 yards of fabric and the baby is with them every step of their day.

Art Market:  Went with the Mission Presidents on Monday and some missionaries on Wednesday.  I feel like an advanced man who is making sure that my friends do not get taken advantage of; the color of our skin increases the price of everything.  I met a former ambassador from Ghana.  He was happy to see that we were supporting the economy.  Ebony is a unique wood that is hard and only found here in Western Africa.  But is also a color.  They sell “ebony nativities” but it is not the wood, it is the color.  Honesty and integrity are still a fluid thing in Africa.  Buyer beware.

Pruning:  …we got 40 mangos of our tree last month and Sister Bertha thought it needed some pruning because of a disease (It was still producing?!).  The workers pruned it with machetes, destroyed the electric fence along the Uruguay Ambassador’s residence, and covered over our generator.  How many leaves are left? ZERO.  The mission couple after the next couple might see a mango…The master of the vineyard, Sister Bertha, wants new branches!

Elephant:  You have to be careful what you say around a Ghanaian.  “That looks nice” can be thought to mean, “I want that” or “I will buy that.”  Sister Kaaen ended up with two dresses she did not know were coming and my woodcarver started on an elephant “I liked”…now I will own.  He asked when I wanted to see my elephant.  What elephant?  The one you wanted…I had it made for you…Oh well…It was worth the experience of getting behind the curtain where they make things.  It was interesting seeing how he was making it.  I thought it was clever that he used a magnet to hold all his tools and the nails used for plating.  I like my new elephant…he’s coming home with me.

First Transfer Training:   It has been almost 6 weeks since the new missionaries were introduced to their trainers and started the Ghana Accra West Mission adventure.  They all come in for this training and they are paying attention now more than the first day.  They all mentioned how hard the first week is and I think hearing the same thing from others helps them know they are not alone in feeling that it is hard.  After the first week, they settle in and get used to it and start to grow from there…Sister Bertha was there Thursday morning to greet them with a hearty pancake breakfast.  I gave away DR Pepper to the two US elders out in the bush as a reward for toughing it out.

Fast goes slow.  We, as a mission, are doing a 40-day fast with different wards and rotating companionships fasting on different days.  Sister Bertha and I have some people we always fast for and we did it on the day that she was cooking and the new missionaries had pizza.  Two sisters were on schedule to fast that day also, so it was good that they had Sandy and I join them in their fast.  A fast makes you focus on others (Laura, Geoff, Dan) who are going through something.  It is also used to plead for a blessing or get clarity in an answer to a prayer.  Jesus did a real 40-day fast for all of us.  We are just doing a 1 day fast… It can go slow…but like many hard things, it is worth it. 

“Only the good die young”

-Billy Joel

“…another one bites the dust..”

-Queen

Remember:  “Remember” It’s one of the most used words in the Scriptures.  It’s the reason we go to church on Sunday--to renew covenants made at baptism and to remember Jesus Christ.  The other way to think of Sunday is that it is like a funeral—we remember a good friend and all the good things we shared with that person.  With Jesus, yes he died for us, but he overcame death so he still lives for us and he still communicates with us through the Holy Ghost and Prophets.  Sunday, we remember him, we check in, and we express gratitude for his life and his death and the plan of happiness.  It’s good to go to funerals and remember our friends and family.  It’s good to remember that we are all connected as part of God’s family.   When we go to church on Sunday, we remember our Savior and what he did for us…we can also remember our family and friends that have already passed on….RIP Steve Fryer.  I love Seal Rock in San Clemente…Will, Gilbert, and others…you will be remembered and now you can say hi to Jesus yourself…

“Fear is what if, faith is even if”

-Inus Tagramn, LDS

“What Ifs’ can be painful;

“Even if” this happens, I will move forward in faith…

Maybe ask “What can I do today that is useful?”

“Who needs my help today?”

Loss yourself in the work, find your joy in others.

Other things heard along the way…

“What they’ve done is the opposite of everything we do in the USA – everything you do to prevent wound healing”

-Sister Kaaen, our Medical Advisor at the Hospital

“President Jacobsen and spouse”

-introduced in church

“you said?”

-Ghanaian version of “pardon me”

 “I use sweat as my hair gel now and it seems to work just as well”

-Me

Good Week in Ghana

Elder and Sister Bertha

End of February, start of March 2025