Our Hearts Have Been Touched Forever!

Our 6th Intake of missionaries had their farewell devotional tonight.  Each district had prepared a hymn to sing to each other.  We have great voices here!  WE have been together with Soeur Kwofie, Soeur Rakodramanana, and Soeur Ounlu for 6 weeks.  We will miss them so much!  

Our first departure was at 4:00 am for the airport.  Then the next group was at 9:30 am.  They have all become such great friends.  

Sister Tibbitts treats these missionaries as if they were her own!

A sweet send-off!

They are off to share the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Dedicated Missionaries Learning French

 We have dedicated and only the best teachers here at the MTC!

The Alma district are here for 6 weeks.  They are learning French.

They first come wondering if the language will ever stick, but with each day, little by little, with much hard work, the French language becomes a little easier.  

The missionaries start classes at 8:00 am and finish at 9:00 pm.  They look forward to lunch and sports time!  

 Soeur Adu and Soeur Bondah work tirelessly.  

 Elder Owusu and Elder Toufique are a great team!

 Elder Lagos and Elder Umoh are a great team helping each other with the language.  

Sister Ilekhue and Soeur Kortsikpa are from Ghana, and will both be serving in the Côte d'Ivoire mission.

Elder Yirenga-Tuwiah Is Our Guest Speaker at the MTC

We were so pleased to have Elder Yirenga-Tuwiah visit us at the MTC today!  He is an Area Seventy, and he lives here in Tema!  He shared his love for the MTC.  He said there is a sacred feeling here.  He told the missionaries of his conversion to the church.  It took him over a year to be baptized, while he was attending school in Kumasi.  He read the Book of Mormom over and over again.  The missionaries asked him to pray about it.  He took this leap of faith.  He had a very sacred experience, and surprised the missionaries when he told them he was ready to be baptized!  He went to London to graduate school.   He was a Stake Missionary, where many Africans enjoyed baptism.
He shared with the missionaries many great thoughts and scriptures

We have made a covenant to follow Jesus Christ - Matt. 26

To submit to the will of the Father we must be meek, submissive, humble. - Mosiah 3:19

How do we do it?
Not is the flesh, but with the Spirit.  Our attitude is so important.  As missionaries we must
have the spirit and follow the words of Christ from the scriptures.
BE PROUD OF BEING A MISSIONARY!  

Missionaries from Mosiah District!

Missionaries from Jacob District!

Missionaries from Mormon District!

The humble missionaries from Lehi!

Missionaries from Helaman District!  We love them all!

These Missionaries are here for another 3 weeks!  They are from English speaking countries  learning French!

They are in the Abinadai District!

The Alma District is learning French too!

The Alma District is learning English!  They all have the best attitude!

Our great district of Jarom!

Faithful District of Jarom!

And last but not least, our Joyous District of Benjamin!

French and English Missionaries Spend Day in Temple

Elder and Sister Tibbitts took good care of our missionaries while the Mission President's Seminar was just a few blocks away.   

Soeur Droudjai and Soeur Kinkela are compagnons from Côte d'Ivoire and DR Congo.  

The English missionaries spent all day Wednesday in the temple.  Many of the missionaries were able to do work for their own family members.  

We love to go to the temple!

Palm Sunday

By Small and Simple Means Great Things Are Come To Pass

We were driving through a small village.  We saw this man weaving a basket.  We stopped and learned about fish traps.  In the Volta Region of Ghana, there are people who make and use an 

interesting fish trap.  It is woven out of reeds and looks like a conical shaped basket.  There is something that makes it different from other baskets.   

There is a little door at the top of the cone that has some 

reeds going to the inside which make it easy for the fish to slip into the basket.  

But the poor fish, once inside can find no door out.  The reeds cover the opening and

there is not way out.  

Just as by small and simple means are great things brought to pass.

Alma 37:6

The wrong things can lead us safely down to hell.

Put off the natural man.

Mosiah 3:19

Be careful with even the insignificant decisions we are making in our lives.

Obedience is so important here at the MTC.  

Even the small things are important1

One of Our Most Recent Apostles Visits the Ghana MTC

Just 3 days after all of our new missionaries arrived we were blessed by the visit of Elder Ronald Rasband who is a new member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  We were so honored and excited that he would come and talk to the missionaries in the MTC!

It was raining outside when he arrived!  We moved the photo in the cafeteria.  

He took the time to shake 104 missionaries' hands!  When he spoke to the missionaries, he told them he learns many things about them just by a handshake.  He asked the missionaries what they would want him to know when he shakes hands with them.  Sister Njoroge, from Kenya said, "That I am one of the Lord's witnesses."  Sister Arthur said, "That you see the light of Christ in their eyes."
He said, "I noticed when I shook your hand that you are wearing a noble crown right now.  You have a name tag that identifies you as a witness of Jesus Christ.  By looking into your eyes I can learn a lot about a person.  When you meet people on the street, look them in the eyes, and let them know you love them, and will take good care of them.  You were all interviewed by an apostle as I shook your hand.  I shook President Monson's hand before I left to come here.  You are only a hand shake away from" the Prophet of the Church!"

Our sweet Sister Koffi lead us in singing,

"Called To Serve"

It is an overwhelming joy to hear these missionaries sing!

We then had the privilege to hear him lead a discussion tailored to our missionaries.  He shared a message from our dear prophet, Thomas S. Monson.  He said tell them two things for me.

1.  President Monson and the 12 Apostles love you!

2.  We thank you!!!!    Thank you for serving a mission.

He said to the missionaries, "You will leave your families in better condition than when you left them by serving your mission."

When Jesus Christ came to the Americas in III Nephi, he taught 

'One by One'.  

Faithful and Beautiful Sisters Are Happy to Be at the MTC!

We are so blessed with 32 sisters here at the MTC.  They are from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, DR Congo, South Africa, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe,  Liberia, and Madagascar!

Another Group of Great Missionaries Arrives

Last Thursday we had the largest group ever arrive!  We have 104 missionaries in the MTC and we have 104 beds for missionaries. We have people here with 31 different mother languages!!!

When the missionaries first arrive, they meet with Elder And Sister Tibbitts, check them in, and find out if they have check out all of their Medical Paperwork.  They receive a warm welcome!

Then they  wait in line for an interview with President Brubaker.

Anaang

Edo

English

Ewe

Fante

French

Ga

Gikuyu

Hausa

Ibibio

Igbo

Kirundi

Kissi

Sometimes it takes 2 full days to criss-cross Africa to get here!!!!

Kono

Krio

Liberian

Lingala

Luganda

Mann

Mende

Ndebele

Shona

Swahili-Shaba

Swahili

Swedish

Tshiluba

Twi

Urhobo

Yoruba

Zulu

Sister Brubaker loves meeting with the missionaries!  They come so excited to serve the Lord for two years!  She makes sure they have the physical needs they will need as a missionary.  Elder Assoumou is Sister Eyamo's brother!  Sister Eyamo was here in the MTC with the last group!  

Missionaries are asked to bring their 4 Generation Pedigree Chart with them.  If they don't have it, we have them fill it out here.

Elder Yates is from the United States

Elder Ridell is from Stockholm, Sweden

Sister Droudjai and Sister Kinkela meet for the first time!  They are companions!

Sister Kortsipka and Sister Ilekhue  come from Nigeria.

Elder and Sister Stutz are serving as our Family History Specialists.  They help the missionaries add all information in Family Search  on the computer.  

We see big smiles, as missionaries find that they can do the work in the temple for a loved one, while they are at the MTC!



 Orientation Meeting

Who Can Recite the Missionary Purpose?

Tomorrow it will be to the CLASSROOMS!!!!!!!!!