Sunday,
December 29, 2013
Attended
services in the Wellington 2 Branch, and then traveled home by way of
the mission office where I input more CDE's; this assignment never
lets up as this mission continues to reap a very large harvest of
converts. When we left the office I still had another 60+ to enter
before the end of the cut-off date of January 10th; this
is not even counting the CDE's that should be turned in tomorrow from
the missionaries coming from Bo/Kenema for the Mission Leadership
Council meeting.
Scott
and I have been reading old Ensign issues of conference reports. I
read the 70's, am now on the 80's and he has been reading the 90's.
Last night we read one from the 90's and as I was looking ahead in
that same conference, I found a talk by Vaughn J. Featherstone
entitled, “Prisoner of Love” April, 1992 Ensign. 21 years ago,
and the plea for senior couples to serve missions. I actually read
the same plea from a conference talk in the 70's. Elder
Featherstone's remarks really struck a chord with Scott and me as we
read it. Just to quote:
“We
are prisoners of love. Come, my beloved brethren (sisters). Let our
generation do something great and noble, come join our ranks. Let us
march by the thousands out into the vineyards to nurture, teach and
bless the tender branches (so true in a mission consisting of more
branches than wards). Let us protect and bless the fruit of the
harvest. Let us gather the sheaves into the garners, away from the
storm, safe from the whirlwind, a holy place where the storm cannot
penetrate.”
“There
has never been a greater need than now (21 years ago) for an army of
mature couples to go out into every far corner of this earth and
retain the fruit of the harvest.”
“There
is a holy hand behind the divine purposes of God. We can be His
'instruments.”
“........As
we come to the latter years of life, we come to a mature spiritual
understanding. We have these next years to do something great,
important and significant for God, our religion, our wives
(husbands) and children. We ought to raise a new title, not a
title of liberty, but of love – a banner that will remain long
after we are gone.”
“Who
knows, but what God will grant for us and ours what we do for others?
Come, lift your banner high and march with us into the mission field
in the spirit of love and caring.”
I
needed this talk to rekindle the flame of commitment, service and
consecration. I pray God will grant for Scott and me and ours what we
do for others here in Sierra Leone!
Tuesday,
December 31, 2013
New
Year's Eve – our first and only 31st of December we will
spend in Sierra Leone. We went out to dinner with the Burns and
Ostlers; we came home through terrible traffic when we attempted to
take a short cut by driving down the wrong side of the road with
oncoming traffic, a very angry policeman diverted us into a parking
lot. While another motorist in the same predicament was out of his
car arguing with the officer, Scott backed up and out of the parking
lot and we proceeded to where we came from, taking a much longer
route home. I promptly laid on the couch, began reading, fell asleep
and came to about 11:45 am. I don't even think I wished Scott a happy
new year, and went to bed. Exciting times!
Last
Mission Leadership Council was held today for the year, bringing in
all zone leaders, sister trainers, and assistants from the entire
mission. I believe it will be the last of its kind; the continued
growth of the missionary force will warrant a council to be held in
Bo/Kenema due to the logistics required to transport missionaries to
Freetown.
Wednesday,
January 1, 2014
Can't
say that this past year has been uneventful with 8 of its
months living in Sierra Leone as missionaries. Today was very
eventful, fun, joyful, and emotional.
Richard
Carlos and his family invited us to their home for a day of
celebration, but on our way, we stopped in Grafton to deliver beds to
the elders' apartment and transfer their water system from a hand
pump to a switch with an adapter attached to the faucet; the Burns'
were with us and needed to stop at the polio camp in Grafton because
the Waterloo Zone was providing service by painting one of the
buildings in the camp. I am so proud of our missionaries; I feel so
blessed to serve with them. Our Grafton elders were there as well, so
Scott and Elder Burns left us to “oversee” the painting while
they attended to the bedding and water issues in the apartment.
I
experience so many emotions when I visit one of these camps; first,
such admiration for these people, dealing with their afflictions and
how they survive and exist. I looked for the two little boys I met
when first out on our mission and within the first week but could not
find them anywhere. I then witnessed a scene that was heart wrenching
– Rose, who seems to be the matriarch of the camp was holding a
little boy in her arms, not much older than 6 months. She named him
John. I asked Sister Burns if he was her son and she informed me he
was delivered to the camp by someone who found him abandoned along
the side of the road by a bridge......words can't describe what I
felt for this little guy with Rose confined to a wheelchair doing her
best to care for him because it was obvious he was sick. I asked
Scott and Elder Burns to give him a blessing; there are no “homes”
to enter where it ccould be more private, so while the missionaries
were painting, women cooking, and kids all around, the little guy was
annointed with oil and given a blessing. What more could we do, and
what is the future for this little one?
We
left the camp and traveled about 20 minutes to Waterloo and the
Carlos family compound; very humble circumstances, but Richard is so
hospitable and kind. Chairs were set all around outside his home and
invited guests included neighbors, members of the branch, dignitaries
from the community, the Burns and us. He had us all stand up and
introduce ourselves; of course there was very loud music and of
course there was dancing as well as a short program. It was just a
wonderful place to be on New Year's day. Scott and I have danced so
much in the last 8 months I won't be able to keep him away from
Church dances when we get home. Apparently, my bunny hop is known
throughout the East, because unbeknownst to me, Richard gets up and
announces the last shared talent of the day – you guessed it. Some
of the young women who attended the activity in Lungi earlier in the
month prompted the announcement and joined with me once again. When
finished, Richard thanked me for dancing the “body hop,” and it
took a few moments to get through to him over the blaring of the
music that it was the bunny hop. But, body hop isn't such a bad idea
the way I look and all my motion.
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While
sitting around and talking, I saw some commotion with a little boy
with his head under a bush and I see that he is pulling a rope that
has a chicken attached. I am thinking he tied up the future meal for
someone, but I am going to rescue it; I proceed over, get on my hands
and knees and stick my head in the bush to find 2 chickens tied to
the bush with the rope around one of their legs. So while the boy is
pulling on the rope, I am telling him to stop and I am trying to
untie the chickens! I was amazed at how they didn't peck me as I
tried to free them but to no avail so I called over Sister Burns to
help me...that didn't work and I gave up quite upset about the
chickens. Scott is wondering what is wrong with me but I can't speak.
In the meantime, Sister Burns comes back and we find out the chickens
belong to the Carlos family, and if they don't tie them up, they will
be stolen. There I am a guest at their home trying to free the little
the feathered creatures!
The
day ended on a very happy and joyful note.
Thursday,
January 2, 2014
It
is with deep sadness I record the news I received this morning on my
walk with Rachelle. Elder and Sister Lauritzen, the office couple,
were informed today that their 39 year old daughter passed away
suddenly in her sleep. They were scheduled to go home the first week
of April, but due to this event, they will be leaving next Tuesday
after serving for 19 months. Wonderful, faithful, dedicated people;
you don't expect something like this to happen while serving as a
senior couple on a mission – “we should be exempt from such
things by the mere fact we are on a mission, right?” Of course not,
but it is still very difficult - though the Lauritzen's are taking
it all in stride, as they wrap up 10 months in the mission office in
4 days as well as train 2 office elders to take over their
responsibilities until such time as another senior couple come to
Sierra Leone. This is not the way a senior couple wants to end their
mission. Additionally, two weeks ago, Elder Lauritzen's brother lost
his daughter suddenly to death.
Love to all!
