I reread Elder Scott's and Elder Nelson's General Conference talks this morning as we drove to Senchi. (For a moment, I felt some sadness that we will barely miss the April Conference broadcast). Elder Nelson's talk spoke of Abraham being chosen before he was born and this caught my attention as we have been learning about Abraham in Primary. I shared with the children that Heavenly Father has known them for a very long time and that they were chosen to come to earth at this time. I wanted them to know that the reason they came at this time is because of their courage to do what was right and how brave they would need to be. I asked them to read the Book of Mormon every day and promised them that their understanding would increase as they searched for truth. I praised those who were kind to others in Primary to let them know I had seen how they changed from last week. Elder Nelson spoke of how we can change our behavior, even our very desires can change, through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can access this power as His commandments are kept eagerly, earnestly and exactly. I often wonder why we complicate living his laws when it is something as simple and certain as those three words.

This past week was transfers and although it is sad for two of our great missionaries to leave us, we were blessed to welcome four to start their service. One Elder was from Samoa, two Elders from Nigeria and a Sister from Nigeria. We are having an abundance of young men and women who will be and are serving from the Ghana Accra Mission Branches. It is delightful to greet them in the office when they first come for their mission interviews. I help process their papers to be submitted to the Area Presidency Office where they are then sent to the First Presidency at Church Headquarters. When their call comes, we find a way to see that they receive it as soon possible. This can be challenging because they live some distance from Accra, but it always seems to work out in a short time. We then see them again for Temple Recommend interviews, and finally for their setting apart right before entering the MTC. The whole process may take several months, but when this final step comes I feel so blessed that I have had the privilege to be a part of it.

We had a somewhat different day on Saturday when we traveled to Dodowa to take some needed supplies to the missionaries. We then went on to Aburi to see if we could buy some more things from Ghana for our family. As we drove up to the little shops along side the road, a man pointed to our tire that was quickly going flat. He was willing to help us change it and as my companion and Foster worked on the tire, I went to his sister Yaa's shop to see what there was to buy. During the whole process we made some good friends, and I must say, the excitement they expressed by receiving a Book of Mormon from us was something I wish everyone could experience.  As we completed our shopping and were visiting with them, a young man walked by and stopped to speak with us. He joined the Church about eight months ago and expressed very positive words about his membership. Foster (interestingly this is a family name of my companion) and Yaa's (which means Thursday born) phone numbers are on my desk and I will soon send to missionaries. We just opened up a new area called Mamfe which is very close to Aburi. I hope this will not be out of the missionaries area, or if it is, that they will have the means to go to the missionaries. What a choice experience we had by having a flat tire. We probably would have rushed to get out shopping done and been on our way, but with the delay, we took more time and did what the Lord had intended for us to do.

I don't know if I have used this quote before or if I have just shared similar ones. I have thought much lately about being truly converted and these words say it once again. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, "To testify is to know and to say, to be converted is to do and become."

With love,
Sister Avery (mom, grandma)