Today in Relief Society my good friend Lynlee (from the previous Stake Young Women's Presidency) talked about our brothers and sisters in Ghana, Africa. After listening to her today I know that at some point in my life I want to go to Africa. I have always had a desire to see Africa and Russia, but after today I feel a strong desire to feel of the spirit of the people of Africa. I may have mentioned before that a teacher I worked with previously is serving a mission in the Nigerian temple and the stories she has relayed to me just in the few months since she's been there have brought me to tears.
Today Lynlee told us about these people and how faithful they are. All over the place she said that these beautiful people show signs of their gratitude and their faith in God. I saw that in a book I read called, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza. Lynlee told of how people had come across literature about the church in the 1960's and begged for more literature from the first presidency, but they were told that the time was not right. They waited for years to join the church whose doctrines they were living. These people had faith that one day they would join. I can't even imagine how difficult I would be to want something so wonderful as the gospel of Jesus Christ and have to wait years to attain it.
These people in Ghana and Nigeria are so so poor. Val (in Nigeria) told of a woman named "Lydia who came to the temple with her son who had served a mission in Ghana. She wanted him to be sealed to her and her late husband. She and her husband live in a village 2 days away from the here [the temple]. They joined the church in 2000. Her husband was murdered by the Islamic uprising for being a Christian in the year 2004. She has to save money and it takes her 2 or 3 years to save enough to bring one of her children with her to have them sealed in the temple as a family. She said with tears streaming down her face that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is so wonderful that it is worth dying for. Her husband was literally a martyr. She went to every session in the temple for the two days she was here."
Val also told of a woman named Katherine "who has not been able to have children. Her husband is angry with her because she cannot give him children. He is inactive because he is angry with God. She traveled two days on a crowded, dirty van to receive her endowments. I went through the session with her and then did sealings with her. This evening, I was worried about her and went downstairs to where the patrons stay and knocked on her door. I asked her what she had eaten since she left home and she said just rice, but I am so full spiritually. I took her some food to travel home with."
Today Lynlee was telling us of how it only costs a child the fee of a uniform $12 to go to school. Many families can only afford to scrape together enough money for one uniform so the children in those families take turns going to school each day and when they outgrow that uniform their education is finished. They don't have books, pencils, paper, or any of that so they go to school and sit all day listening in order to learn. Yet they are grateful for the opportunities to learn.
When I hear of our brothers and sisters in Africa and many other countries how can I not be grateful for the wonderful opportunities I have been given because I live in this country. I wish that every American could live at least 6 months in a third world country. If we did maybe we would stop being entitled. Maybe we wouldn't buy into this consumerism idea that having more will make us happy. Perhaps Thanksgiving would take on a whole new meaning. We might truly be grateful and happy with the many wonderful things that we have been blessed with. I am so grateful for all that I have been blessed with and more than anything I am grateful for my change in perspective. Through writing what I am grateful for everyday for the last 18 days I realize I have so much that I really don't have anything to complain about. I may not be able to keep my cable, or my high speed internet, but I can afford to buy food. I can afford to buy soap and shampoo and clothing, and I was able to get an education. I am a smart woman and I can provide for my family if ever I need to. I am so blessed that it is worth staying up late to get my feelings out while they are fresh on my mind. More than anything I have been blessed with the love of a good family, a great husband, and a son who I couldn't love more. My life has been so blessed. My cup runneth over! I hope that this week you will realize your blessings and have the blessings that come from having gratitude, because it truly is a blessing to be grateful!
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