Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Sorry for the late post! We had a bit of trouble with our blog but we think all the kinks are worked out and we're ready to go again. So...Happy New Year everyone!

Sahr Doe, a wonderful and kind man from Freetown, invited all nine mission couples from the Bo and Freetown missions to a Christmas party at his home. He was the perfect host and even dressed up as Santa Claus. We had such a nice time being together and sharing our love for Sierra Leone and missionary work. It was a great way to start the Christmas season!

While we were in Freetown, we stopped by the temple site. It is scheduled to be finished in two years. What a blessing it will be for the people in Sierra Leone!

The students at Njala University live too far from their wards and branches to attend church each week. They asked if they could start their own group at the university. We believe it’s the first student group in the country.

Some of the baptismal fonts don’t have a water source nearby. Many Jerrycans must be filled with water and transported back and forth from wells. It can take several hours to fill a font with enough water for a baptism. The missionaries and members get up early to help with this task.

I love attending baptisms, greeting those who are going to be baptized, and clasping their hands in mine. They have a light in their eyes and a joy in their face that is undeniable.

Our zone conferences were extra special this month. I loved the musical numbers prepared and performed by different missionaries. My favorite part was reading the Christmas story in Luke and singing Christmas hymns along with it. Hearing 40 missionaries belt the chorus from “Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains” was thrilling! It’s hard to imagine the angels who visited the shepherds at Christ’s birth singing with more enthusiasm than these missionaries!

All our missionaries received stockings full of fun things from a group of mothers in the United States. Many of the missionaries said it was the first Christmas gift they had ever received. They were so happy! Thank you, Mothers of Sierra Leone Missionaries!! We love and appreciate all of you!

On the P-day prior to Christmas, we attended a football match. Our missionaries vs. the YSA. It was a close game and so fun to watch! We have some amazing football players in our mission!

On Christmas Day, we joined Elder Christensen and Elder Sonerholm in the morning and Elder Boateng and Elder Mpofu in the afternoon and visited people in their homes. We had the opportunity to share our testimony of Christ many times. It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas Day!

One woman we visited had a Santa Hat on. She was shy but pleased when we asked to take a snap (her picture).

 It is Harmattan Season in Sierra Leone right now. It starts in December and lasts until April. It’s a season when dry, dusty winds blow into West Africa from the Sahara Desert. The air is hazy, especially in the morning, but it results in gorgeous sunrises.

A unique way our missionaries have found to stay fit. These weights are made of cement and are very heavy!

On December 28, we drove to the city of Kailahun to attend a baptism. The font at the church wouldn’t hold water so the branch president rented a small bus and crammed as many people as he could inside so they could be driven to a river. It was a beautiful place to hold the baptisms – so quiet and peaceful. To quote Sister Merriam - we had a "White Christmas!"

Christmas Miracle #1

After we arrived in Kailahun, we received a call from the Arnell's who were in the Mission home. They asked if we were okay. We assured them we were and asked why they were concerned. They told us there was a large puddle of oil that had dripped from our car. It had continued to drip in a steady stream all the way up the drive to the main road. They were sure our oil had run out and we were stranded somewhere.

Our car was parked inside the missionary's compound as we had stopped to visit with them before the baptismal service. Scott opened the hood and checked the oil. It was completely empty! How had we driven two hours with no oil? How was the car even able to run? The engine should have seized up! Instead, we were safely parked inside a missionary compound.

Our driver, Parscal, picked up a mechanic in Bo and drove to Kailahun. We attended the baptism and by the time we finished the services, the car was filled with oil and everything was fine.

I could give dozens of examples like these. Times when things should have gone badly but they didn't. Guardian angels? Maybe. But also - the many prayers that are offered by our family and friends and people we don't even know in our behalf. If you are reading this blog - you are one of them. Thank you!

Christmas Miracle #2

One of our zones is stationed in Koidu, a 5 1/2 hour drive from Bo. There are 17 police check points between Bo and Koidu. The police are friendly and usually wave us on. Sometimes they hold up their hands for us to stop and occassionally they ask for identification papers. Most of the time they just ask where we are coming from, where we are going, and why. Then they say "You are welcome" and wave us on our way.

At the last police checkpoint before entering Koidu, one of the policeman held up his hand. We stopped and I lowered my window to greet him. I said "Good evening" and asked how he was doing. He said, "Not good! Not good!" My brother is very sick and is in the hospital. I am worried about him. His family is worried about him." I responded, "I am so sorry! That must be hard. We will pray for him." He nodded and said, "Yes - you pray for him." Then he gestured for us to pull off to the side of the road and said, "Now you pray!" I was startled because I didn't realize he thought my offer to pray for his brother meant to do it at that very moment.

He rested his arms on the ledge of my open window while Scott and I bowed our heads. I said a quick prayer, telling Heavenly Father that this man was very concerned about his sick brother and if it was His will, would he please heal him so he could come home and be with his family for Christmas? I expressed thanks for the blessings we had and then ended the prayer. The policeman smiled, thanked us, and waved us on. As we drove away, I thought about the prayer I had just said. The words had felt right at the time but now I realized the policeman would expect his brother to be healed quickly. What would happen if he was not healed? What would happen if he died? I decided to put the thought out of my mind and just focus on the upcoming zone conference. We probably wouldn't see the policeman again anyway when we left Koidu because police shifts always change.

Two days later, when we were driving back to Bo, a policeman at the checkpoint held up his hand for us to stop. I realized it was the same man who had stopped us before. I lowered my window, greeted him and tentatively asked, "How is your brother doing?" I held my breath, worried about what he was going to say. He beamed at me, held his arms up in the air and said, "It is a miracle! My brother is healed! He is home from the hospital and is with his family! Thanks be to God for His grace!" As we drove away, I sighed in relief and offered a silent prayer - asking for forgiveness for my lack of faith in God's power.

The people in Sierra Leone have great faith. They believe in the power of God and they give him credit for any blessing they receive. Because of this belief, they see His influence in their lives every day.

Christmas Miracle #3

We were in Moriba Town a few days before Christmas, holding zone conference and interviewing missionaries. The Moriba Town Branch asked us to attend their End of Year party.

The church was packed with people, seated in several rows all around the sides. A space was left in the center for skits. The Primary performed first. Each child would hold the microphone and say, "Hello Church!" They would introduce themselves and quote a scripture.

It was fun to watch the faces of the parents in the crowd. They smiled when their children performed and cheered when they finished. I found myself thinking of my children and granchldren at home, participating in all the fun activities and events that surround the Christmas holidays. I felt a twinge of homesickness - wishing I could be with them for just one day. Suddenly, a little boy, no more than two years old, walked up to me from out of the crowd. He leaned against my leg, laid his head in my lap and turned to look up at me with his beautful brown eyes. He lay in that position for ten minutes while I stroked his little head with my hand. Then he stood up, looked at me one more time, walked back into the crowd and disappeared. I didn't see him the rest of the night.

Some may call it a coincidence, but I think Heavenly Father knew I needed that little boy at that moment. That small interaction with him reminded me of why I was in Sierra Leone and the important work I needed to do. In future Christmases, I will always think of this little boy and how he reminded me of another little boy, born more than 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son!" (The Living Christ, The Testimony of the Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, January 1, 2000)