Under the Mango Tree…

So much has happened and is happening…all these experiences are teaching me, and I love them, but my favorite activity (too many good things this week…now last week/weekend) was a lesson with Emanuel in his front yard under his mango tree.  The setting was “straight out of central casting,” as Uncle Ralph would say -- if you were casting a nice low income African suburbia.   We all sat outside under lots of clouds, a cool (relative to Ghana) breeze, and we had a good lesson about the commandments. I gave him my copy of the Doctrine and Covenants when we talked about the Law of Health, or the Word of Wisdom, in Section 89.  It was hot, but the shade and the breeze…made it perfect.  I can’t even write well about how enjoyable it was to be outside, sharing the gospel.   His mango tree produces three times a year.  It was so beautiful.  Elders Bey (Cote d’Ivoire), Vitale (Am. Samoa), & Shook (Republic of Texas) are a threesome companionship, and they also taught about the 10 and the 2 commandments…I love the two great commandments that Jesus taught this holy week 2000+ years ago.  The greatest of all commandments…

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the Second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

-Matthew 22:36-40

Love your neighbor:  Our neighbors are all over Ghana in the ward and branches, and walking the streets.  Normally, a senior couple is assigned to a ward by the mission president.  Because we are friends (BFF4L), the president and his wife usually let us go with them, and that has broadened our view of the mission and allowed us to meet more people.  So grateful.  When there is a baptism of someone we know or we have taught, we try hard to be there.  Such a blessing for us I can barely explain it…it’s like you are seeing your neighbor drive up with a new car and a remodeled house, but it is not the worldly joy, it the heart-felt joy of seeing that their heart has opened up to getting the best blessing of all…a relationship with Jesus Christ and a real treasure map…that leads us back to our heavenly Father and our heavenly family…infinite blessings!

Easter Baptism:  I went out to the mango tree lesson this week because Emanual was “on date” and working towards a baptism. I felt somehow connected because I went to sit with him on his first visit to the church when we had the Domeabra Branch Conference.  I am always impressed that a person has faith to set a date and work toward that date with faith that you can actually learn what you need to learn to make the commitment.  You do not need to know everything; you need to know what you believe, and you need to have faith that what you are being taught is true and that it is right to follow Christ.  We can’t trip you into a baptismal font.  Even a hardened firefighter from Chula Vista can soften enough to be baptized.  It’s great to see people making positive changes in their lives.  The missionaries teach, the spirit confirms, and they feel their faith grow, and then they know what we are taught is good and true…

Saturday Surprise:  “Elder Bertha, will you baptize our brother Emanuel?”  What are you serious?  Don’t you want to?  “He met you, and you are his friend.”  “Well, if I baptize him, I will hassle him the rest of his life!”  It is a blessing to share that experience, and it is a thing that you remember, and he really does become my brother.  Right after I talked to the missionaries, I reached out to some of the people I have baptized who are still alive.  Rich blessings from those friendships!

“John the Baptist”. When I got to church on Sunday, two others were getting baptized also, and Sandy had met them the Sunday that Emanual came.  Usually, at a baptism, there is one person who is the designated “John the Baptist” who performs the ordinance.  That was me that day for Emanuel, and I was also lucky to do Mabel and Isabelle.  You are here to help people come unto Christ, and Baptism is an important first step and important covenant that starts them on the life down the covenant path.  After baptism, you are confirmed a member, and you get to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.  The Gift of the Holy Ghost is different than the light of Christ and the Holy Spirit that comes to you from time to time….with the Gift of the Holy Ghost after your Baptism, you start a life fully bound to the Lord, and the Holy Ghost can be with you more often, even as a “constant companion.”  Great gift and a great start to a new “born again” life closer to your Savior and Heavenly Father.

Rise Up:  That is what Christ did on Easter...He rose up out of the tomb and conquered death on the third day so that we all can be resurrected.  It is another great gift we will be given when we die...it is not over then.  We will all be resurrected because he conquered death.  He also conquered sin, which is a bigger problem that needed to be solved.  His mercy cannot rob justice.  The laws of God are just, and we would be thrown in prison, but for the fact that Jesus has paid our bail...IF, IF IF we accept Him as our Savior, enter in the gate of Baptism, receive the Holy Ghost, and Follow Him to the best of our ability-endure to the end.  When we make mistakes, we repent (that means turn back to God). He will give us every opportunity to succeed if we keep striving to be better and have faith in Heavenly Father’s Plan to get us back to be with Him and our heavenly family.  Easter was even better this year with Emanual, Maybel, and Isabel, going down into the waters of baptism and rising up out of the water and starting a new life as a follower of Christ.

“He is risen, and we can be forgiven.  Gifts for everyone…it is a great day”

Fast with a purpose:  Because it was Easter and Saturday is dark Saturday, we decided to do a fast.  Jesus is dead, he has been placed in the tomb, and all his disciples are in disarray because he was killed.  If you fast for no reason, you are just going hungry.  I have some close friends battling some health issues, and I am constantly thinking of them, but for my fast this weekend, I was thinking of the most important three things: My faith, My Family, My Friends.  The stuff in life does not matter without those three.  I love my church, my kids, and my long-time close buddies.  That makes me happy, so I fasted for the health of those three…then, of course, I had to include my new friends, all the Ghana Accra West Missionaries.  And the last reason was in preparation for Sandy’s Sunday Easter meal…which was amazing….

The Easter Meal:  My son saw a picture and asked, “Do you really feel like you are in Ghana?”  Well…not when Sandy does this!  Delicious roast (thanks to Elder Kaaen for finding it finally), mashed potatoes, Betsy brought a yummy carrot dish, Renee made a great dressing, the Sandy Salad, and she also made Popovers (GG Nanc Style).  There was greater emphasis on the Holy Week.  If you think about it, if Easter and the Atonement never happened, we would not go back and celebrate his birth for Christmas.   It is his life, teachings, and infinite sacrifice that make Christmas worth celebrating, but Easter is the culmination and the triumph of it all.  He is risen, and we can be forgiven.  Worthy of the best holiday of all.

Holidays in Ghana.  For Easter, they take both Good Friday and Mormon Monday off.  They get two days off!.  I just made up Mormon Monday, but it sounds good.  We believe that after Christ was risen and conquered death, he did what he said he was going to do in John 10:16 -- there were other sheep he needed to visit.  Because we have the Book of Mormon, we know he showed up in the Americas and taught them there…

“And 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.”

-John 10:16

Viva la sheep:  The Nephites in the Americas were the “other sheep” of whom Jesus spoke in Jerusalem.  He also said there were others, and it seems reasonable that he visited other people around the world, but we do not have records of those visits.  How many of you hear a great speech that is impactful, but do not write it down in a journal?  Have you ever lost your journal?  They are valuable to remember the tender mercies and the good things in your life.  I am grateful for the scribes who wrote down what the prophets and Jesus taught and said.  Those records are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and other modern scriptures.

What Jesus taught:  If I had a friend that could only read part of the book of Mormon, I would point to the promise given by Moroni (page 532 10:3-5) and then I would point to the chapters when Jesus taught the Gospel to the surviving Nephites (page 350-75 3Nephit 11-18). He taught them what he taught in Jerusalem.  The important teachings, like what he taught nn the sermon of the mount.  Jesus wants us all to know what he taught and to follow his example.  We are never wasting time reading the scriptures….that is how God communicates to us.

Off the cliff: “If you were hanging from a cliff, your arms shaking, no strength left, and someone offered you a hand, you wouldn’t negotiate your way to safety.  You wouldn’t have to hurry and make things right first.  You would just reach.  You’d surrender, you’d trust the one reaching for you.  And that is what God’s love is…it’s not a reward, it’s a rescue”.

-Sister Brown in France in her Easter talk.  So grateful for this thought of the rescue provided by our savior.

Finish strong:  I have started a lot of projects that have not been finished, but this mission is not one of them.  We have been talking about it for years, and all the sticks fell in place to get us here now.  There is a window of time under 100 days that you need to keep running and finish strong.  I think we have a good kick in this.  We want to leave it better than we found it, and we really want to make sure that all those missionaries are well taken care of by the new people.  We will finish strong and we hope to be able to encourage the new people to start fast like we did…like in the transition zone of a relay race; you are keeping your speed, they start accelerating and the baton is passed and you do not want anything to drop or slow the team down…. Missionary work is important, and it will continue…it is accelerating…

100-day challenge:  Younger missionaries want to get in shape before they get home.  The 100-day challenge is to do 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups every day…I have been doing it and will see how this works out.  It is now part of my morning habits, like prayer and reading the scriptures.  REM does this, and he is past 80, so I should be able to continue this.  I feel better.  We have also been 100% successful in making our bed EVERY day.  I like that.

Don’t let them sit alone:  When we have friends in church, we stay engaged.   The church (weekly gathering of the saints) needs you more than you need the church.  You will be fine on your own, but what if a person comes to church and really needs your personality that day? If you don’t go, they will miss that important interaction and the spirit only you bring.  If you show up at the church and get to know (for example) the Sando family, you will want to come back. And if the Sando family is going on a trip to an important church site, they will want to go because of them.  If you don’t feel like going to church, go anyway so you can be kind to another person.  And to my friends who are not members of our faith, you are always invited.  Someday, you might wake up and think, today is a good day to go to church and give it a try.  Awkwaaba! “You are invited.”

After a great Holy Week.

Al & Sandy Bertha

Accra Ghana