Week 18 - Ziggy

Dear Family and Friends,

    

     After being on the road for the last three weeks, it was nice to sleep in our own bed for seven nights in a row. This week we have explored new options in our travels around the neighborhood and have decided that eventually all roads will lead us home. Whether we take the route past the American Embassy, the Koala grocery store, the Goethe Institute or Burma Camp military base, eventually we arrive at our destination. Unlike Dorothy's encounter with the Cheshire cat "We DO know where we're going and any road will get us there!"

    Teaching another group of Returned Missionaries was so fun. They have wonderful goals for their future careers including; civil engineering, software developer, joining the military and flight school to become a pilot. We love their passion and desire to make their lives better. 

    

     Elder Lambert taught them what successful people do and included the story of "Ziggy" Ezekiel Ansah, a young Ghanaian who went to BYU on an academic scholarship. Because of his size it was suggested he try out for the basketball team. Twice, he didn't make the team, but then someone said, "Why don't you give football a try?"  I'm not talking about Ghanaian football (soccer) but American football. He had never played it in his life and had to have help putting on his pads for the first time! Well, amazingly, he made the team (2010-2012) and eventually was drafted to play for the Detroit Lions. During the 2015 season he was ranked 2nd in the NFL in sacks! His story is so inspiring we are sure it is a movie waiting to happen. We understand he also donated bottled water to the residents of Flint, Michigan. What a good guy... and his head is on straight!

     

    Sister Lambert facilitated a "My Plan" devotional where the participants access their level of self reliance.

After a lunch break there was a  lengthy discussion about marriage and the bride price. The bride price is a practice throughout Africa where a young man must pay the bride"s family exorbitant amounts in money and gifts to wed their daughter which usually takes years, and creates a whole new set of problems. (Just imagine, with our five daughters, Elder Lambert and I could have our own island off the coast of Spain by now!)  On top of that, the bride price does not include the cost of the wedding, and some weddings here are as extravagant as some weddings in the USA. The only thing to outdo a big wedding in Ghana is a big funeral .... but that's a whole other story! 

    President Mensah of Kaneshie stake, gave these RM's the best counsel when he told them to go to the Bishop's office to get married, and then as soon as possible take their wife to the Temple. Nothing else is as important as a family sealed in the Temple. Speaking of the Temple, we feel so grateful to live within a 15 minute drive from the Accra Temple. We love it!

What evidence of God's goodness did you see in your life today? Did you thank Him?

We love you,

Elder and Sister Lambert

On Sunday we joined 6 year old, Michelle in celebrating her birthday.