Oct. 8, 2013 Meetings and Insights

Hello Everyone,

     This last week was filled to the brim with meetings and spiritual insights. I know that there will be more weeks that will be like unto it, but I will just live one day at a time. If we don't enjoy the experiences that we face today, how can we be sure that we will enjoy the experiences of tomorrow?

     On Monday last week, we had a wonderful FHE at Sister B--- residence and had the opportunity to give her our encouragement before she left for a different town. She works for the government in agriculture, so she is always being transferred to different towns where she is needed. She has always been nice to the missionaries and was willing to feed us whenever she had the time, so I know that her life will be blessed wherever she goes. I was the one conducting during the Family Home Evening, so I made sure that we learned about the importance of families and how we can have enjoyable experiences wherever we go as long as our families are strongly knit together. As we were discussing, I had an overwhelming feeling of love for everyone back home, whether nuclear family or friends who are close enough to be family, and I had to hold back tears. I know that without family and without my close friends pushing me, I would not be here on my mission serving the Lord. Thank you for all of the encouragement and the support, for it was part of the guiding light that I needed to follow the right path.

     I want you to know that I was protected by the Lord's hand on the way home from Family Home Evening. Sister B--- always provides us with a car and a driver to make our way back to our apartment (since we live close to 20 minutes away by car), but this time something was wrong with the driver. As soon as we all entered the car and the driver started the engine, I smelled alcohol in the air and immediately started to pray. Sure enough, as we went along, it became readily apparent that the driver was drunk and that we would be in danger as long as he was driving. I didn't know what to do besides to ask for protection, so that is exactly what I did. On the main road, he sped along in the lane and swerved into oncoming traffic a countless number of times. At one point, I thought that we would be crushed by a semi-truck that was less that 2 meters in front of us, but our driver swerved away just in time. By the time we arrived at our apartment, I knew that the only reason why we were alive was because the Lord saw it fit for us to live and continue on with this work. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but one that I will never forget.
     On Wednesday, we went to Bantama to receive Non-Citizen Identity cards so that we will not have problems later with immigration, so now I feel confident whenever I walk around because I have something to prove that I am legally here. To mom: the immigration officer here has a copy of the visa now, so he is satisfied that we came to the country legally as well. After receiving the card and conversing with other missionaries there, my apartment mates and I left with the Zone Leaders to stay in their apartment because we also had a meeting to attend on Thursday and did not want to go back to M--- (approx. 2.5 hours away). We had fun playing basketball and taught a lesson with the Zone Leaders to a powerful investigator that they had, and then we enjoyed a good meal back at the apartment. I fall asleep pretty quickly, and then we had to go to Zone Conference in the morning.

     Zone Conference was a good experience this time around, especially because the mission president addressed many problems that have been going on in the mission. At one point, he impressed upon us the responsibility that we have as missionaries to be independently righteous. He told us that it is really hard to be obedient when our companion is not being obedient, and I have to agree with this wholeheartedly. After listening to his counsel though, I know that the Lord will give us strength to do what is right as long as we are willing to humble ourselves and do whatever is in our power. Then, after we have done all that we can, we are then commanded to stand still, and know that He is God. If we find ourselves straying from our purpose or our focus is delineating from the right point, then we should have a prayer and rededicate our efforts so that we may be reminded of our true purpose. I know that missionary work will never be easy, but if we humble ourselves and allow God to guide us, then we will be lifted up until the last day.

     Well, I guess that two meetings may not seem like much (really 3 if you include the regular district meeting), but they filled a lot of our time during the week. We did not have the opportunity to see General Conference this week, but I am currently trying to download the sessions so that we can watch (or at least listen) to them in our apartment later. I was going to say that my picture was in the New Era, but I see that you already saw it. Mud soccer was really, really fun, but it required a lot of washing as well. The Elder kicking the ball is Elder A--, the Elder at his back is Elder N---, the Elder in the black shirt is Elder W---, the Elder in the blue shirt is Elder A---, and I'm having a hard time remembering the other names at the moment. Oh well. Only 4 of them are in the Kumasi mission, and the others are now in Sierra Leone and Liberia.  We will all come back together at the end of our missions, and it will be fun to share our experiences together.

     Now your question was "If you had to convince young women that being a home maker is a worthy carrier what examples from your childhood or teen years stuck out to you about the importance of having a mom available in the home?" First of all, I think that it was most important for me to have my mom available in the home because I was able to explain the problems that I had faced at school as soon as I got into the car, and then I received comfort as soon as I needed it. I remember a countless number of occasions where I needed the comfort of my mother, and I don't know how things would have worked out if my mom was away all of the time. For a teenager, the love of a mom is the most important thing for them to have and experience. To the young women: If you want your children to grow up and stay strong in the gospel, then be willing to give your time freely as a stay-at-home mom so that you can train them in the ways of righteousness. The most valuable hours are those which are spent in conversing with your children after they have just finished their day at school, so you should do everything you can to have free time to talk with them during these hours. I will be forever grateful for my mom and for her willingness to sacrifice her time, even if it was just to have the chance to know me better. Thank you mom. I love you.

With much love,

Elder Twede