LDSLYF

This week has been very rewarding. We had a pretty good time running around and discovering more about the area an the places to be. So Tuesday was quite the full day. We went out and met up with Alice. We taught her about Joseph Smith and she seemed to understand pretty well. We left and met up with Kingsley and Jennifer. So that wasn't a good lesson because they didn't really get along too well. We then left and went to see a few people but that failed. We ended up seeing Frank early and that was still good. We left and saw the Osais and that was good. We even got the mother to join the lesson and that was good. We then left and tried to go visit Jerry and his friends, but that failed. We left and went and taught Earnistina in her compound. We then went and taught the hair cutters and that was pretty good. We came back home and yeah.

Latter-day Saints from the Yamoransa Stake (similar to a diocese) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared a part of themselves through donating blood to those in need. The donation occurred on May 6, at the Saltpond Municipal Hospital Blood Bank located in the Central Region of Ghana. According to Mr. Richard Odoom, a senior laboratory technician, the Saltpond Municipal Hospital has not received blood donations from volunteers for more than a year. “We depend largely on relatives of patients to donate blood.” he said. “This exercise with your church has been my pleasure to observe. You have eased the burden of people who are usually at the mercy of time when blood is not readily available in their time of need.”

In nearly every situation we have seen, those who are successful in Ghana start small and grow big by being patient, careful with their money and having the drive to make something of their lives. I was inspired by one of our daughters to try my own small business of making mango fruit leather this week. It tastes great! Maybe I will have to stick around and see if I can grow my business (haha!) On Sunday we visited three different churches; checking back with our friends at Anyaa, assisting with a My Path devotional at New Gbawe, and then traveling cross-country to Ofankor stake for a self reliance committee meeting. In Anyaa we were touched by a sister’s story of offering two cedis (50cents) to a man sitting on the side of the street. He had been in an accident and lost both his legs. However he refused her offer telling her he could not loose his dignity. He was still able to work and earn money for his family by shining shoes. She said at first she was embarrassed that her offer was rejected but then she realized he was trying to do the right thing, by working and taking responsibility for himself and his family... more goodness in Ghana.

Unlike many of his fellow shoe salesmen Ernest markets his slippers to high schools, so he sells them in bulk (ten schools and counting), who in turn sell them to the students. He has only been in business since last October and has been careful to save his money, refusing to consider a loan (loans in Ghana run at 40-60% interest per year!) So, following the counsel to "Start Small and Grow Big" he is now ready to move into a shop, employ one or two helpers, and brand his product- "Citizen Footwear.” We are excited to see what the future has in store for this young man!

As LDS member of the church, one of the greatest thing to do is to marry in the covenant.

“It’s important to study the scriptures so that you understand the gospel better.” Making time to study the scriptures can be difficult in our demanding world that is filled with distractions. A few people took the challenge to set aside time to study God’s word. They discovered new things and each experienced various blessings, such as a greater hope through trials, more peace, a greater relationship with the Savior, feeling more purpose, a different and brighter perspective, a stronger conversion to the gospel, more family unity, and a greater feeling of the Spirit in parenting. You too can experience greater peace, love, and strength in relationships and through life’s challenges by studying the scriptures with more purpose.

The Lord has declared that missionary work is the responsibility of all who follow Him (see Matthew 28:19–20; D&C 88:81). Members of the Lord’s Church can, by the goodness of their lives and the strength of their testimonies, share the gospel message and help prepare family members, friends, and other acquaintances who are not Latter-day Saints to be taught by the full-time missionaries. When we experience the blessings of gospel living, we naturally want to share those blessings with others. The Lord spoke of the joy that comes into our lives when we share His gospel: “If it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! “And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!” (D&C 18:15–16). After His Resurrection, the Lord commanded His disciples to “go … and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). In fulfillment of this command, able young men in the Church have a duty to prepare spiritually, physically, and emotionally to serve as full-time missionaries. Single women and mature couples also have the opportunity to serve full-time missions. Missionary work also includes helping and supporting those who join the Church. As instructed by President Gordon B. Hinckley, each new member of the Church needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with “the good word of God” (Moroni 6:4).The Lord has declared that missionary work is the responsibility of all who follow Him (see Matthew 28:19–20; D&C 88:81). Members of the Lord’s Church can, by the goodness of their lives and the strength of their testimonies, share the gospel message and help prepare family members, friends, and other acquaintances who are not Latter-day Saints to be taught by the full-time missionaries. When we experience the blessings of gospel living, we naturally want to share those blessings with others. The Lord spoke of the joy that comes into our lives when we share His gospel: “If it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! “And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!” (D&C 18:15–16). After His Resurrection, the Lord commanded His disciples to “go … and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). In fulfillment of this command, able young men in the Church have a duty to prepare spiritually, physically, and emotionally to serve as full-time missionaries. Single women and mature couples also have the opportunity to serve full-time missions. Missionary work also includes helping and supporting those who join the Church. As instructed by President Gordon B. Hinckley, each new member of the Church needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with “the good word of God” (Moroni 6:4).The Lord has declared that missionary work is the responsibility of all who follow Him (see Matthew 28:19–20; D&C 88:81). Members of the Lord’s Church can, by the goodness of their lives and the strength of their testimonies, share the gospel message and help prepare family members, friends, and other acquaintances who are not Latter-day Saints to be taught by the full-time missionaries. When we experience the blessings of gospel living, we naturally want to share those blessings with others. The Lord spoke of the joy that comes into our lives when we share His gospel: “If it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! “And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!” (D&C 18:15–16). After His Resurrection, the Lord commanded His disciples to “go … and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). In fulfillment of this command, able young men in the Church have a duty to prepare spiritually, physically, and emotionally to serve as full-time missionaries. Single women and mature couples also have the opportunity to serve full-time missions. Missionary work also includes helping and supporting those who join the Church. As instructed by President Gordon B. Hinckley, each new member of the Church needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with “the good word of God” (Moroni 6:4).

A number of years ago I heard Sister Wendy Nelson, the wife of our prophet, speak at BYU Women’s Conference on “What Would a Holy Woman Do?” She challenged us to seek holiness in the activities that fill our time each day—things like work, home, school, taking care of a family, and taking care of ourselves. Is holiness even possible in the busy-ness of life? I decided to give Sister Nelson’s challenge a try. I thought about how I could be intentional in seeking holiness every single day. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Nothing that I know of that’s very worthwhile just happens.” In that same spirit, John Stott, an English Anglican priest, once said, “No one ever drifted into holiness.” To help me focus, I made myself a little holiness journal, and each morning I prayerfully asked what I could do that day to increase my holiness. I thought about those things that I could do to have an increase of the Spirit in my life and about those things that I was doing to offend the Spirit. The act of writing down the promptings or revelation I received was refining. When faced with difficult situations or difficult people, I found myself thinking, “What does God need me to learn from this? How can this make me holy? Who does God need me to be?” I was more conscious about acting on promptings and about filling my thoughts, my mind, and my spirit with things that would make me happy and bring peace. Other women I greatly admire did this experiment with me. Here are a few of their thoughts: “I had a greater interest in people and less of an interest in things.” “In my prayers I used the phrase ‘Thy will be done’ more.” “I was constantly on the lookout for direction from Heavenly Father.” “I had more patience with the imperfections of others.” “I thought more frequently about my purpose in mortality and an urgency to get to work.” “I thought about the Holy One and the blessing to be called by His holy name.” “I found myself repenting each time I prayed.” And another woman wrote: “Praying every morning seeking guidance on how to incorporate holiness into my day has been one of the most impactful things I have ever done for my spiritual growth. Being intentional in this desire has brought me closer to my Heavenly Father. Not because of specific things I was doing throughout my day, which I thought might be the case when I started this experiment. I didn’t suddenly have more time to study my scriptures, attend the temple, or work on family history. My days looked pretty much identical on the outside. Yes, I prayed and studied my scriptures, but most of my time was still spent wiping runny noses, making peanut butter sandwiches, folding laundry, and changing dirty diapers. However, my prayerful desire for holiness changed who I was and how I felt about my life. I found myself asking, ‘How would a holy wife, sister, mother, or friend act in this situation?’ Being holy initially sounded so out of reach when I first started this challenge. I am so imperfect and fall short every day. However, by earnestly praying to be able to incorporate holiness into my life, I felt filled with His love for me and felt a desire to help the people in my life feel His love as well. Sharing that love with others became holiness in my days. Nothing changed, but somehow everything changed.” On each temple is engraved the words “Holiness to the Lord.” I ask myself, “What can I do daily to engrave ‘holiness to the Lord’ in my heart? What sacrifices are required of me?” The process happens one small step at a time. Sometimes those steps are painful, and sometimes they are halting. But even our small steps can lead us to our final destination: holiness to the Lord, holiness with the Lord. Regardless of our stage in life or our circumstances, we each have a stewardship over every single day. Every day, like every person, has a potential for holiness. We can be ordinary women doing ordinary, but really extraordinary, things—women who make their families and their homes holy because we make and keep covenants. As we turn our lives over to Christ, as we simply do whatever it is that He asks us to do, He can take our messy, complicated lives and change our focus and actions towards holiness. I know He can. Adapted from an address given at BYU Women’s Conference in May 2018.