Moni-Cade Visit

Monica came to visit with her fiancé, Cade Young.  They finally got engaged...they needed time to bake.  Cade said that Monica had been asking for years, and he finally said yes.  Haha, that’s not the story I was getting.  They are both first-round draft picks, so the teams had to work hard to make this deal happen.  I am so glad it happened.  It’s like David Beckham coming to LA…it was better than you would have ever thought!  (IYKYK)  I am so happy for them and happier that they came to see us in Ghana.  Especially Cade, not far removed from a back surgery!

A walk(s) to remember…We spoke with Cade via Zoom when he and Monica got engaged.  But it was quite another thing to have him here.  Monica and Sandy were in the fabric shop looking at material for dresses and suits.  I thought it best to walk away from that.  Driving in Ghana is never boring because there is always something to see; walking is even better.  Walking with Cade and having the man-to-man talk was the best.  I asked all the questions, and he had all the right answers, and he also asked me questions and listened.  It was so fun to talk to him, and I was even more impressed with Monica in her choice.  They will be great together.  Our second walk was a few days later at Matilda’s, the seamstress, and we continued our talks.  This time, he asked me questions and got me talking.  “Well done grass grasshopper.”  This kid is good!

Faith Walk:  I do my studies like every missionary is asked to do, and I was talking to Cade about Chapter 6 in Preach My Gospel.  Cade said, “That’s my favorite chapter.”  Ya right?! (Remember in The Father of the Bride movie when Steve Martin was thinking “Brown Nose” about his future son-in-law…that was not this)  Cade then told me why and how he studied Chapter 6 - The Character of Christ.  He has been home from his mission for over 6 years and knows it, studies it, and can refer to it.  That was impressive to this future father-in-law, who is walking in the white shirt with the tag.  No way could he have prepared for that curveball - and he hit it well out of the park.  He also turned it on me and got me to commit to study a different character of Christ every week until the wedding.  Verbal Jujitsu, and he pinned me!  Well done.  Sister Schindler would be happy with that faith walk.

Carry on: While Sandy and Monica looked at fabric and Cade and I had finished our walk, I got a new piece of material to mitigate my pointy head and practiced carrying things on my head.  My goal is to walk down the hall in an airport with my roller bag balanced on my head…Ghanaian style.  They do it all day long everywhere. 

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.”

-Blue Sky Foreign Travel Co. (Cade)

“Don’t trust Chinese people…don’t trust me”

-My friend in Hong Kong

Batiking:  We took Mo and Cade to make Ghanaian material again.  It is one of our favorite things to bring visitors to.  (These will be our last visitors.)  We made a tablecloth for Sister Jacobsen that she will not have time to make. So fun to make things.  I was copying a design that Sara had done the day before.  Very creative, talented girl/woman.

Exchanges: After seeing a local art gallery and the Art Market, Mo & Cade went on exchanges with Sandy and the sister missionaries.  They had a good experience, and they both have maintained the high standards of a returned missionary.  Thanks to them, and also Amy Antonelli and HXP, for keeping them busy doing good in the world and helping other people.  Seems that the best way to help yourself is to help other people.

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

-Matthew 16:25

"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

Mosiah 2:17

First Transfer Training:  This would have been good on my mission.  I did not have this training, but I had my MTC comp Tomoo Taguchi (AKA the Shadow) to commiserate with; we did not have the high-quality trainers that the President prepares here in Ghana.  The President brings in all the trainers and the new missionaries that are in the first transfer/6 weeks and teaches them things that they were not ready to learn on the first day.  They see their other friends from the MTC who are having the same issues adjusting, and they support each other.  It is so good to see the love for their trainer they built in that first 5-6 weeks. The new missionary is relying on that trainer to teach and guide them.  Monica and Cade came to watch, and the president asked them to share their testimonies.  What a great job they did.  The missionaries were in full attention! Mo & Cade: Once again, First Round Draft Picks!  Lottery one and Lottery two on the same team…almost unfair, but as a dad, I am happy. 

Health Update:  Sandy threw her back out, and I tore a calf muscle…how did you do that?  I have no idea.  I also discovered high blood pressure.  So new meds for that, but trying the natural approach also.  If you have ideas, let me know.  My friends across the street do not participate in vaccines and medications, and they caught the Nigerian version of COVID, and they were so sick for 3 weeks! One of our missionaries has Malaria for a record 5th time, and a new islander missionary has it as well, and last night we gave him a blessing in the hospital.

“80% of the world is alive because of vaccines…”

A reminder that we live in a dangerous place and the drugs do help…One of my Samoan Elders that I was with had a cousin come to Accra Mission, and he is buried here from a disease that killed him on his mission.  Sobering thought. He will not have a problem taking the Doxy that we take to prevent Malaria here.  It’s still a choice, as with all risks in life..

“Take your Doxy.”

-Health Advisor

“Take a picture of us, for the record…. I wasn’t talking about taking it with you, I was talking about Sister J!”

-Sister Bertha, documenting as many moments with Sister J as possible before June 25!

It’s not true.  Jesus did not die on the cross and come back to life.  Allah is God.  He did not have a son or anything. Jesus was a prophet.”

-Tour Guide at the National Mosque

“What is your gender?” 

 “I am a mechanic.”

-Ghanaian TV

Sunday Split:  Sandy, Cade, and Monica went to the Bortianor ward to see the baptism of a woman that Sandy and Monica had taught on Monica’s first trip to Ghana. Her two children were baptized 3 months ago, but she had to work out some private issues before she could be baptized.  She moved forward in faith and made the necessary changes, and entered the waters of baptism.  What joy she felt.  She now has a fresh start with her 2 beautiful children, free from an abusive partner and now living on her own with her 2 children.  She is so, so happy. The church family in Bortianor will be a great support for her.

Special assignment:  I was asked to go to Chantan ward because we had a man show up the last two weeks who was watching one of our sisters.  I loved this assignment.  There is nothing I like better than to be a protective detail for my wife, my daughters, or our sister missionaries.  Cade said, “For your sake, I hope he shows up; but for his sake, I hope he does not.”  The mission van may have scared him away.  He did not show up, and I was not able to have a man-to-man conversation or use the power of the laying on of hands…BUT, just maybe that was not why I was meant to be there?  I met four young men, all looking into our church.  I think I needed to be there for them.  First, Michael from the Central African Republic.  I sat next to him because he came in alone.  It was fun to have a discussion with him.  He met another guy after the meeting, and they went to a priesthood lesson together.  Then in the lesson, the other three - Ebenezer, Emmanuel, and Heyford were asking good questions, but getting unclear answers.  I met with them after church and set them straight and gave them the simple answers.  I don’t know why people have to complicate things.  It was so fun hanging out and talking to them.  They had visited other churches, and Heyward said, “I am in…I love that you talk about Jesus Christ”  …that is the message, isn’t it.  Preach Christ resurrected, and repentance?

"Yea, even he commanded them that they should preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people."

-Mosiah 18:20

“Faith isn’t proven when prayers are answered.  It's proven when they aren’t…and you still trust Him.”

-Laura E. preaching the good

Priesthood:  We have a priesthood power that is to hold and to bless others.  Like keys to the Uber that you can drive for others, not for yourself.  We have the priesthood, but it is power to use in the name of God to help God’s children and not ourselves.  I was reminded of that today when a new missionary was having some anxiety, and the president asked me to join with a blessing.  Do you have oil? Yes.  Do you remember what to say? Yes.  It was good to be ready and called upon to serve.  Be ready to do your part.  Your family and friends will be grateful.

“It’s not so much that you trust the Lord, but can the Lord trust you?”

-Will you be ready when the Lord calls on you?  President Jacobsen

“Powerful” Overlap: We had Monica and Cade here when Sara and JP were here. It was fun to have new young couples' energy around.  Fun playing games at night and talking.  We loved the occasional “that’s powerful” coming from JP.  It could be in reference to a comment made as simple as You should never eat more than you can handle. Or a comment like, If you read your scriptures every day, you will make better decisions.  The biggest laugh from Eric and me was seeing Cade and JP talk about the intricacies and nuances of certain Lego sets.  Are these grown men?  The President of the mission and a former cowboy just could not relate.  But there is some good data that says that it is good to act like children…

"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

- Matthew 18:3 (KJV)

"For the natural man is an enemy to God... unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit... and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him..."

– Mosiah 3:19

Elder and Sister Bertha

Accra Ghana

May 18-26