Continuing to Learn

I was told, when I was just starting school as a child, that I had difficulty learning to read. I don't recollect who or what was influential in my young life to change that difficulty, but I feel I have always loved to read. I have so appreciated the insight of others and have been blessed to know truth when I've read or heard it. I have difficulty putting my thoughts and feelings into words, and feel it is as much a gift to believe on the words of others as it is to have them as my own. This brings me to a small book that I have been reading to my companion as we travel to Senchi each Sunday. "To Draw Closer To God" is a collection of discourses by President Henry B. Erying. D&C 88:63 reads, "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." We have been reading how we can claim these promises and are being reminded that as we yield our hearts unto God, asking him what it is he would have us do, then we will know that he will prepare a way for us to do it, even under great difficulties. I surely do love to learn and I pray my heart is always open, because this mission in Africa is teaching me more than I ever thought possible.

I recently received the Missionary Recommendation of someone I know. My first experience with Matthew Roundy was in the High School production of Les Miserables. I was impressed with his talent and am delighted to learn that he is the grandson of the late Grover Swallow. I worked at the Swallow Pharmacy during my high school years and learned a lot from his grandfather. He is coming to the Ghana Accra Mission in September and even though he probably won't know me, I will be able to share what I know about him. Who would think someone from the same Stake would be called to this same mission. It was fun to read the priesthood leaders comments and I could just hear President Phillips and Bishop Matthew's voice as I read them. I take delight in things such as this.

I have another experience with one of the special interviews that President Judd recently had.  I was privilege to meet a delightful older women that had been taught by the missionaries for a long time. Her husband, who was with her, is one of the early pioneers of Africa that embraced the gospel. She, on the other hand, said she would never be baptized. She loved the missionaries and called them "her boys", but she refused to be baptized. Well, when one of her previous missionaries, that had loved her and worked so diligently with her, came into the office and saw her waiting her turn to be interviewed, I think the roof raised up because of the joy that was expressed. It was truly a beautiful experience.

This picture is what we experienced last week on our way back from Senchi. Thank goodness it does not happen every week!

The picture above is a common sight we see when we travel to Senchi. It is a bag full of homemade charcoal that the people use to cook with and it is placed along side the road for people to purchase.

The Sunday we traveled to Tsito and Ho, we passed through what we call  "pillow town". Colorful pillows for sale line the streets.

This is another town that sells clay pots and they also line the streets to be sold.

If you look real close (I think you can click on the picture and see it closer), there is a woman with a sewing machine in its case on her head. These dear people amaze me what heavy and bulky items they can carry on their heads.

This is a view of the beautiful green foliage that is up that area.

 When I was taking the picture above this one, I discovered this mother hen and her chicks. It was fun to watch them scratch in the weeds looking for bugs to eat. I think they were so intent on eating that they didn't even care that I was so close to them.

The goats in this land are very small and are everywhere. I watched this one for awhile while my companion and some missionaries were engaged in a activity. It would have been fun to have had a video of what I watched because she eventually moved to some small bushes with flowering stems growing up from them and how she got on her hind legs to be able to pull the long stem down so she could eat the flowers.

That was a lot of pictures all at once, but I wasn't able to add them when I first took them.

A quick update on primary today in Senchi. My companion felt so sorry for the hard time I had last week that he said if the leaders and teacher did not come today, he would come in and help me. Well the did not come, so he had a great experience. Juliana who was baptized two weeks ago, has two sons named Nelson (4) and Cephas (6). Church is such a new thing to them that they really haven't learned the slightest thing about reverence. I was able to teach the children about the obedience of Nephi in building a ship and the law of tithing. There was 25+ children today and it went well. Those two little boys were all smiles after primary because they have a great new friend who patiently encouraged them to keep their hands to themselves. I believe in time, they will adjust (we sure hope they will). The real problem is that primary leaders and teacher are not taking their calling seriously and I must have hope for them also.

It was our dear grandson Camran's birthday this last week and we express how much we love him.

With love,
Sister Avery (mom,grandma)