Our last day in AWA / Our first day home

Our last day in Accra went like this:

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Our good friends, Greg and Debbie Lewis, offered to drive us to their ward to enjoy the meetings.  We had not visited that ward before so it would work out great.  We could take the sacrament and also meet with the bishop.  We went to the Bethlehem Ward, Ashaiman Bethlehem Stake.  The bishop is Samuel Fiifi Qudjo.  A good man who knows what he is doing and takes his responsibilities seriously.  He and I had a good visit.  I gave him several copies of the Africa West Area Financial Integrity Guidelines and went over it with him.  He had seen the first page before but didn't have a copy of the whole document.  He also wanted it in electronic form.  I sent that to him later in the day.

In priesthood meeting I sat next to a brother who was dressed not in a white shirt and tie like the rest of the brethren.  It was a lively discussion on honesty and being fair in our financial activity with each other and with businesses.  I learned later the subject was selected by the quorum president because of some dealings in his quorum with some members.  I also learned that the guy next to me, Isaac, is an investigator.  He and the two elders assigned to the ward talked to me after church and asked how Isaac could begin paying tithing before he is baptized.  He can do that.  I told the elders to contact Collins Yeboah at the Area Office who can help them with that.  I also encouraged Isaac to get baptized right away so he can begin enjoying the blessings of church membership and make it easy on the ward to record his contributions!

The Lewis's also had us over for dinner of roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and rolls.  She is a great bread maker.  The dinner was delicious and reminded us of the usual family Sunday dinners.  Perfect.

The afternoon was spent moving things from one suitcase to another to even out the weight.  I had great stories ready if the weight of one was a little over and the weight of another was a little under.  (The gal at the check-in counter didn't even bother to weigh them.  No hassles at all.)

There was a Senior Missionary gathering at the Accra Mission home where Elder and Sister Nelson (Jack and Diane) were speaking about their experiences so far with Area history work.  They spoke about the early years of  the Church in Ghana which we are familiar with.  There was a lot of desserts to sample (typical of Church gatherings like this, isn't it?) so I did my share.  Our luggage was in the Lewis' truck and we were totally ready to go so we got up and headed to the door around 7:00 pm.  When the participants realized we were leaving they all got up and sang "God Be With You 'til We Meet Again".  Tears flowed freely and easily.  We hugged many of our dear friends and expressed our love to them all and left for the airport.  

Among the deepest and dearest emotions we have about our mission include this exceptional comradery and love we feel for these choice individuals.  So many different personalities with varied work and Church experience.  It is difficult to express the feelings of joy in knowing them and the hope that we will see them again.  We love them all.  Heaven has room for every personality and type of smile.  The gospel love runs so deep because it originated in the spiritual, pre-mortal realm and was not just begun on earth.  We inherited it from out eternal parents.  We truly are brothers and sisters.  So peaceful and joyful is that feeling. 

Our flight departed at 10:00 pm.  Ten and a half hours to JFK, two and a half hours navigating through customs, then five hours to SLC.  Elaine didn't sleep and I got a few hours nap across the Atlantic.  We are so ready to be home, among our children and grandchildren and neighbors and friends.  Returning home feels so good.  The airport greeting felt so good.  We couldn't hug and kiss them all enough!

Not long after we returned home, we got out the big butcher paper that we used in January 2021 to measure the grandkids and did it again.  We all wanted to know how much they have grown.  Not much at all to five and a half inches.  It was fun to see.  Elaine and I grew a lot, or I should have said changed a lot; spiritually and deeply in the gospel.  Testimony of truth is one thing.  Conversion and dedication to the truth is another.  Our mission experience, all of it, was so worth it.  God is closer than we can imagine.  Exercising our ability to listen to Him is so worth it. 

He restoreth our souls and our cups runneth over.