Hello Everyone,
We are beginning to feel like seasoned missionaries with the arrival of the new mission office couple from Brisbane, Australia. (My parents were both raised in Brisbane so I love the connection!) The Munro's reminded us of ourselves six months ago and we gently smiled as they experienced Africa for the first time. Driving to Kaneshie Stake conference yesterday Sister Munro sat beside me, i-pad in hand ready to capture all the new experiences.... cows ambling across major busy roads, the traffic, the beggars, and Amazon on the street. Oh, they are loving it already except for the looming challenge of driving on the "other" side of the road, and in the mission truck. Elder Munro has never driven a truck so they are in for a fast learning curve if they want to survive!
This week we have been pondering a few problems that have challenged the work of self reliance. Our manager asked us for some possible solutions so we sat down, identified the problems and then moved forward brainstorming several ideas that may help. During the process I realized that testifying of the value of the program was not enough, a spiritual witness also needs to be borne of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to enable change and growth. "A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost to our souls that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true. It is through the Holy Ghost that we can know the truth of all things and his communication to our spirits carries far more certainty than any communication we receive through our natural senses." Testifying is essential!
Then on Saturday while we were training the self reliance committee at Ofankor Stake this truth was made evident as one of the committee members bore testimony of the change he had seen in a friend who participated in the program and went from "going nowhere' to becoming successful in his business. But the greater change was in his spiritual progress and he now serves as a Bishop of one of the wards in this stake. When each of us recognizes that through faith in Christ we can improve, tackle our trials and overcome our challenges then we become a little more like Him
Kaneshie Stake Conference was inspiring., With a YSA choir setting the tone for the meeting we heard some wonderful talks on tithing, family history, strengthening marriages, self reliance and African LDS pioneers.
So I will finish by sharing this sweet story of the grandmother of the Stake President's wife. Her name is Lily. She gave birth to 18 children, 13 of whom survived childhood She first heard about the church from Billy Johnson in 1970's. Along with her husband and other relatives she joined the church and has had an amazing impact on succeeding generations. When her youngest child was six years old her husband died, leaving her to raise the children as a single parent. Her children remember walking 5km with their mother every Saturday to clean the Cape Coast chapel. Then walking the same distance home and repeating the journey on Sunday, Her faithfulness, influence for good and example of a parents sacrifice has been a blessing to her posterity. All 13 of these children are active members of the church today and several live in Kaneshie Stake, serving in leadership positions.
We all have a story. Are you recording yours?
Love,
Elder and Sister Lambert
Pictures: Lamberts and Munros
Face timing with Brayden on his 1st birthday!
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