Sunday July 8, 2012 Africa:  Day 28

            I had planned last week with Arinze’s brother TG to meet him at his ward today.  I was excited that Kelsey was coming with me as we took a cab out the Adenta ward.  A little 9-year-old girl was walking into the church with her family the same time we were, and suddenly she took my hand and sat by me through sacrament meeting.  I love the friendliness of people here!  It was a great experience for me to try to listen to each church meeting from the perspective of an investigator.  Kelsey looked at me funny and asked why we were taking shots.  I had to explain that it was water for the sacrament.  J  

A young woman and a sister gave beautiful talks on the Book of Mormon, and then a brother came up and gave a long sermon on self-sufficiency.  I kind of felt it was more an opportunity for him to share some of his own opinions on how to become a successful businessman, and at one point suggested that people in the ward get together and start a co-op.  The talk in English was plenty long, and then he stopped and gave his entire talk again in Twi.  The bishop had to ask him to sit down as the minutes kept ticking by.  The bishop’s wife taught a great lesson in both Sunday School and Relief Society.  

During the Relief Society lesson the conversation moved to the importance of food storage and emergency preparedness.  Kelsey later commented that she loved hearing about this, especially because that’s such a focus of our school program, and again I was reminded of all the things that I take for granted. I forget that not everyone has been raised with bottles of water stored in their closets and buckets of wheat sitting in the basement.  I did love hearing the perspective from the sisters in Ghana, though.  Many gave personal examples of how they were so grateful to have food and water storage following some recent floods.  Many kept referencing the upcoming election as another reason to be up-to-date on their food storage because, as they kept saying, this is Africa and you never know what can happen. 

            After church we met up with TG and I tried to help him fix a problem with the kindle that Arinze sent with me to give to him.  He helped us get a cab back to Accra, and Kelsey and I went straight to the mall.  I didn’t love that this was how I was going to spend the rest of the Sabbath, but I think Heavenly Father will understand that I’m trying to do the best I can under the circumstances this summer.  We ate some pizza at the food court, then happened to run into Stephen and his cousin.  We all went and watched the Disney movie Brave, then went home.  The other girls eventually got back and we all headed to bed after a very busy and very fun weekend.