# 19 Al Ain ~ Motorcycle/Primary/Congrats/Badminton

⚠️ WARNING - A couple pictures in the first collage might be disturbing.

Gabriel is a wonderful member from Ghana who joined the Church, here in Al Ain, in January. He has been in the UAE for almost three years, but during that entire time, he has continued to send almost all of his money home to his wife, Sandra, and their two daughters. This has been a little problematic because he would only keep enough money for his rent and gasoline and went hungry much of the time.  With the Food Storage here at the Villa we have taken care of at least that part of the problem.

Gabriel drives a motorcycle and is a food deliverer. One day he was on his way to deliver some food when he entered a roundabout and unfortunately, an oil truck had spilled oil on the street and Gabriel slid on his bike and skidded several feet. The ambulance came and took him to the hospital but because he missed his delivery he was suspended from work 🤯. There was also no compensation from his work or from the truck that caused the accident. He tore his pants and ripped his shoe and he ended up with a deep hole below his knee and two deep holes on his foot. We were in Abu Dhabi and couldn't get back until that evening so we asked Louie 😊 to go pick him up from the hospital. The next morning we went to see him. He had never picked up his antibiotic prescription and had instead gotten some medicine from friends 😕 to keep the infection and pain at bay. Of course, that made us all a little nervous. So, we spent the next few days going all over the place trying to find somewhere that would fill his prescription. Some of the hospitals won't fill prescriptions with the 'economy' insurance, which makes everything even more difficult. We had to take him back to the doctors twice and each time he wanted them to tell him that he wouldn't have to wear the bandage wrap anymore because he couldn't wear a shoe with it (and couldn't work). He was disappointed each time when they told him he still needed to wear it. His sores were just so yucky and deep. Anyhoooo, it took a few weeks for him to get better and then he got suspended again because he had been off work for more than three days. His contract says he is supposed to have 15 days with pay, 20 days at half pay, and then more days with no pay. No one seems to follow the UAE's rules.

Through all of this, Gabriel has just been such a good sport. He is always thinking about his wife and daughters back home and trying to get back to work so he can continue taking care of them. It has been hard to watch him go through all of this, especially knowing how much he sacrifices for his family.

Now the great part about this story is that Sandra has saved all that money that Gabriel has been sending home for the last three years and is now able to open a bakery! But the really beautiful thing in all of this is what Gabriel has been able to do for his family spiritually. Because Gabriel has been sharing the Gospel with his wife, she was baptized at the end of May! And then, just last week, his oldest daughter, Blessing, was baptized too. His youngest is still little, so he'll be able to baptize her in a couple of years when he is back in Ghana. He has been working so hard and sacrificing so much to provide for his family, but he isn't just sending money home; he is sharing the Gospel with them and helping his family find the same joy he has found. Gabriel's goal now is to save money until the end of the year (or next year 🤔) and buy a car so he can be an Uber driver back in Ghana. Cars, especially used ones, are hard to come by in Ghana because everyone hangs onto them and doesn't seem able to ever upgrade. So Gabriel has figured out how to ship a car from here back to Ghana at a better price.

Above are a few pictures of: the Sisters and Elders teaching Blessing the missionary lessons/ Blessing's baptism (which Gabriel was able to watch on FaceTime)/ the sign that Sandra is using for her bakery/ and a gal's order for 350 cookies! The bottom picture is the driving school that Billy has taken Gabriel to around a dozen times to sign up, take the test, practice lessons, etc. It took him three times before he passed (let's just say we were all very happy when "they" let him finally pass 😒 - need I say more).  On the other side of the street from the driving school is the designated area where churches that can get permission can build. It still hasn't happened with us, which is so discouraging. When we meet together for church or any activity, it is absolutely so wonderful. There is just something really special about all of us being together and I wish we could do it more often.

We joined Leena and Jacob at another Indian restaurant and it was so delicious! It’s always so much fun being with them. Leena is so funny and has the best sense of humor. One night, Leena wanted to make dinner for one of our Branch activities. She gave me a shopping list but a few of the items were a little difficult to find, but after hunting at 3 different stores I was able to get everything. Talk about scrumptious! It really was delicious. I only wish I had taken a picture of the finished meal! I also had Leena over for a lesson and afterward we watched the Relief Society devotional together. It was fantastic and I really enjoyed spending that time with her. I’m so grateful for the friendships we are making here and for the opportunity to share these spiritual moments together. 

At Primary today, we invited Alma to join us even though he’s not quite old enough yet. He had a blast. Even with only Kahleia and him, it was a little hard for him to sit and focus for the full two hours. It was still so much fun though, and it’s always good for Alma to get out of the house! Whenever the kids miss Primary, we save all the pages and activities we used that week and try to drop them off to them; Kahleia is always more than happy to work on her pages! We try to make copies for little Alma and Elli, too; they’ll get to join us next year in Primary. 

Two movie dates: Billy and I went and saw the sheep movie then passed them on the road ^^^ 😂! Then we took the gang out (YM) and they watched one movie while Taonga and I watched the 2nd Prada movie! Then a little dinner at the food court 😋! Just threw in my Mango and sticky rice, which is exactly the same as in Thailand 😋.

A huge congratulations to my Marce! She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Fashion, with an emphasis in Costume Design and recently walked with her class in beautiful San Francisco. Over the past few years, she has worked so hard; taking classes, balancing everything life brings and slowly but surely making her way to this incredible accomplishment. And she did it! We could not be more proud of her. What a beautiful achievement! I wanted to send her a gorgeous bouquet to celebrate such a special milestone. I carefully picked out what I thought was the perfect arrangement (with yellow Daisies), so I have to admit I was a little disappointed when what arrived looked quite different from what I had ordered (picture). I’m trying to let that go and remember that, in the grand scheme of things, the flowers are just a small part of this very big celebration. And I shouldn't let my disappointment override her pleasure in receiving them (but I was gravely disappointed ~ hmmmmm, I think I am still having a little problem letting this go 😯)! 

We went and visited Mary, who we found out lives the very farthest from us or anyone in the Branch.  She is an absolutely adorable sister and it was a delight to meet her.  Some of her friends had come out and we had a large feast of every kind of Filipino food that there was! It was a real joy to be with her. The bottom picture is of Mike Howard who is the DTA - Director of Temporal Affairs here in the Middle East/North Africa Mission and Joseph who is the financial guy of some sort (didn't get all of his info 🤔). Joseph shared his conversion story and all I have to say is: WOW! We are going to ask him to come speak in one of our Sacrament meetings and share it with everyone. It is so inspirational and fascinating! It was a wonderful visit and delicious authentic Thai food (yep, I got Mango and sticky rice)!

Another Primary day! We talked about Esther and how brave and courageous she was and how her whole life led up to her going before the King to save all the Jewish people. Both the girls' families came with them to primary (everyone enjoys hanging out at the Villa together).  I told them if the girls came out because of their FOMO they were to send them back into the Primary room! The girls behave so much better when the parents aren't around cuz they think that if I do the 1... 2 ... 3 ... ~ I really will spank them on THREE 😂😂😜! 

While we were having Primary, Josh fixed everyone pancakes and they really are soooo good. He has mastered it and we all enjoy them.  He cleaned up everything which was so thoughtful of him; and really appreciated! Sophia and Teena walked from the bus stop after work and enjoyed some pancakes with us, too.  We dropped them off at Teenas before we met Christine at Chili's for a visit. Christine is the cutest girl ~ ever! She is about 5' (maybe a little shorter 😉). She laughs so much and is so fun to be around. She has one of the better paying jobs as a laser technician.

I know with each Sunday collage it seems like a repeat of the last but I do love it so much. I take pics of the screen shots because it is like my notes or a handout from the amazing teacher ~ this is one advantage of online church.

The RS lesson was taken from the talk by Elder Dale G. Renlund, "Because of Jesus Christ". Rochelle did such a fantastic job. I love all our RS and SS teachers and, of course, the Sacrament speakers!

Far Left: Victoria, Front Row: Ram, Rob,Carla, Prince, Jamie, Sheila, Taonga, Charm, Louie. Back Row: Rochelle, Sunshine's friend, Alex (in blue), Hygine, Billy, Sunshine.

What a fun time playing badminton! Victoria is not only our YW’s President, but she is also our wonderful Activity Chair, with Adrena as her assistant. They plan such great activities and this one was definitely a favorite! Everyone joined in and had a great time and there was so much laughter and fun. It was a memorable evening together!

Sometimes it's difficult to remember that hardship can produce growth, endurance can produce strength  and difficult seasons can ultimately contribute to a good life. That is what we are experiencing in Al Ain with these phenomenal people!

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 — “Two are better than one… For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow.”

Proverbs 17:17 — “A friend loveth at all times.”

#18 Al Ain ~ Come with Me to Denmark and Norway

This is not a normal thing for those that are out serving all over the world but here in the ME/AN Area (Middle East/Africa North Area) everyone gets to take a 10 day leave from our volunteer service in the summer. This stems from the fact that it is scalding hot in these areas and most of the church leaders, US govt workers and many ward/branch members take off in the summer.  It is just wonderful that we are included in these plans. We wanted to go somewhere we hadn't been and had always thought about! We chose Denmark/Norway; and we were not disappointed! Oh. My. Goodness. ~ it was spectacular and truly a trip of a lifetime!

We arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, checked into our hotel, rested for a minute and off we went for some fun adventures. In the top pic of me you can see a little arrow pointing to a blue thing; this is my blanket and eye mask from W&G last Christmas and I take it everywhere I go ~ the best ever since I tend to be cold even when living in the desert. Anyhooo, it came in extra handy since this trip the weather was a bit nippy, chilly but soooo refreshing which was such a relief after instant sweating, when walking out the door in Al Ain.

Billy figured out where the subway was and off we went to go for a glorious boat ride!

The boat ride was amazing. Ours was a smaller, shorter boat so we could see everything from both sides. There were all these little tunnels we would go through and our guide would remind us to make sure and sit down, keep our arms/hands inside the boat and not to touch the walls (as they were within inches of us).  The boat drivers are very skilled and had to go through these tunnels with exact precision. You can see in the lower right corner the very crowded 'long' boat (I'm afraid that might have been a bit claustrophobic for me 😉).

We were on one of Copenhagen's harbor/canal sightseeing loops, traveling out through the Inner Harbor (Inderhavnen) toward Holmen/Nyholm, then up toward Langelinie, where the Little Mermaid sits. Holmen was Copenhagen's historic naval base and Nyholm still has naval facilities, which explains all the warships.

The Little Mermaid was written by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author. He published the original fairy tale in 1837. I personally don't like the Disney version as there are no consequences for Arials choices, but that topic is for another time. 

We came back through the harbor and canals around Christianshavn before returning to the starting point. The classic tours specifically advertise the Opera House, Amalienborg, Christianshavn and Little Mermaid as part of the loop. And here's the cool geographical bit: when we were out by the Little Mermaid we were getting very close to the open harbor entrance. If our boat had continued north/east instead of turning around, we would eventually leave Copenhagen Harbor and enter the Øresund, the strait between Denmark and Sweden.  We were essentially cruising on saltwater connected directly to the Baltic Sea, not a freshwater river.  

Next we went to Tivoli Gardens ~ Wow! Soooo, fun and beautiful! Tivoli Gardens is one of Copenhagen’s most iconic attractions and it’s much more than a typical amusement park. It combines roller coasters, beautiful gardens, restaurants, live music, theatre and a wonderfully old-fashioned atmosphere right in the center of the city.

It opened in 1843, making it the third-oldest amusement park in the world. Hans Christian Andersen visited Tivoli and was reportedly inspired by it while creating The Nightingale. The little bear in the bottom left corner is Rasmus Klump, a beloved Danish children’s character and Tivoli has created an entire themed area around him (like, Mickey Mouse ~ someone said Walt Disney visited here and got his idea for Disneyland from Tivoli 🤗). The Pancake House sits next to the Rasmus Klump playground, in the heart of Tivoli by the lake. The restaurant itself is designed like a whale’s belly, which fits the playful nautical theme.

Our next stop: Norway! First stop was Geirangerfjord, Geiranger, Sunnmøre! Absolutely gorgeous. I love all the trolls hanging around the town. When you visit us in Alpine you might notice my 3 little monks sitting on the entry side table.  They are the cutest things that I brought back from Thailand.  No one else seems to take my viewpoint on them as they are kind of spooky and ugly looking.  I'm not sure why I am drawn towards them but it's the same reason I love these adorable little trolls. I just think they are the cutest! 

The top middle pic are of houses with grass roofs; they are traditionally called Torvtak and they are surprisingly practical. Traditionally, the roof was built with wooden boards, covered with birch bark for waterproofing and then layers of turf/soil were placed on top. Eventually the grass and plants grew into what looks like a little meadow sitting on the house. The thick turf provided excellent insulation against Norway's cold climate. It also used materials that were readily available locally. The roof eventually becomes part of the landscape. From a distance, an old farm with a turf roof can almost disappear into the hillside. That's especially useful when you're looking at those old farms scattered impossibly high above the fjord.

We took a Fjord Guiding tour which took us out on the Norwegian sea! When you're cruising the fjord there are tiny green terraces way, way up high. You'll sometimes see what looks like one or two little houses surrounded by an impossibly small patch of grass. Those are often former farmsteads. Some of these farms were not connected by a road at all. The fjord was their highway. People would take boats along the water, then climb hundreds of meters up the mountainside to get home. And the reason you still see the buildings today is that many of these farms were occupied until surprisingly recently; some remained in use into the 20th century. The middle top picture by my head: Knivsflå, an historic mountain farm, located beneath the famous Seven Sisters waterfalls. 

Skageflå is probably the most famous farm. It's perched dramatically about 820–980 ft above Geirangerfjord. It was a working farm with several buildings and grazing land. Our guide pointed out all the, surprisingly, many farms built way up on these mountains. Insane!

So as we were cruising through Geirangerfjord, and looking at pretty scenery, we were looking at a landscape where: ⛰️ mountains + 👹 folklore + 🌱 turf roofs + 🐄 farming + 🛥fjord transportation all developed together.

Next day we got on a bus that took us all over the beautiful city of Alesund, Norway and I'm so glad we did. It was stunning. 

This is the open-air museum, Sunnmøre Museum, in Ålesund, where historic buildings from the Sunnmøre region were moved and reconstructed on one site, creating a little historical village. It’s on the island of Nørvøya, just outside central Ålesund, and has old farmhouses, boathouses, barns, and other traditional buildings. It was so fascinating and if I would have figured out how to set up my Fitbit from K&L I would have at least recorded 1 mile of walking here!

They advertise the "Best Fish & Chips in the World" and although I have had Fish & Chips in many places these were very delicious to what I can compare with my limited expertise.

The city was truly beautiful and with the luxury of more Trolls ~ "The Trolls come from very old Scandinavian Norse folklore. Some of the earliest written references appear in medieval literature, including the Edda from around the 1220s. Think of a troll as a way people long ago explained a landscape that was huge, dangerous and mysterious. Imagine living here hundreds of years ago: You're in a tiny wooden farm surrounded by enormous mountains. It's dark for much of the winter. Avalanches can come down the mountains. Rocks fall. Fog rolls into the fjord. You hear strange noises in the forest. You don't have modern geology or meteorology. So perhaps the mountain isn't just a mountain. Perhaps there's a giant sleeping inside it. That is essentially the world of Norwegian folklore. Trolls were generally imagined as powerful, primitive creatures living in mountains, caves and forests. And there's a particularly famous rule: Sunlight turns trolls to stone. That's why Norwegian folklore explains so many strangely shaped rocks and mountains as trolls who were caught outside when the sun came up."

Flam, Norway ~ a wooden viking guardian and the sad wife and child he is leaving behind as he goes out to fight the enemy and protect his homeland. What an amazing life these people and all those that lived in the earlier century's had.  I can't even begin to comprehend the emotions, hardship and sadness they experienced (especially when they had to worry about being trampled or eaten by trolls 😉).

Wow! Wow! Wow! We rode The Flåm Railway, which runs from Flåm up to Myrdal, about 12.5 miles. It climbs roughly 2,840 ft and takes about an hour. Myrdal is a railway junction, so from there you can connect onward toward Bergen or Oslo.

This was the coolest ever ~ I took a video but even that doesn't do justice to the magnificence of the water gushing down the river and the singing/dancing lady, Huldra. She is a mythical Scandinavian forest spirit. At Kjosfossen waterfall, an actress performs as Huldra when the train stops. She’s there because the Flåm Railway turns the old Huldra legend into a short theatrical show at Kjosfossen. In Norwegian folklore, the Huldra is a beautiful, mysterious forest spirit who uses singing and dancing to lure people (especially men) into the mountains. So when you see her dancing by the waterfall, it’s basically Norwegian folklore brought to life for the train passengers. So this mythical creature lures our men into her lair.  Some stories say he never finds his way back or becomes mentally/physically ill but some say that sometimes a man who treats Huldra respectfully is rewarded with good fortune and in some tales she even marries him and becomes human.

Last stop: In Keil, Germany we noticed the “roundabout art” (Kreiselkunst) everywhere. Germany commonly puts sculptures or themed objects in the centers of roundabouts, partly to make otherwise ordinary traffic intersections more distinctive and attractive. This became especially common from the 1990s onward. In Kiel, the particular animals can also have local meaning; for example, the stork is associated with the region and even appears as a symbol/mascot connected with local culture and sports. 

We took a taxi to Laboe where the U-995 sits. It is a real German World War II submarine that you can walk through. It’s a Type VII U-boat, built in 1943, and now preserved as a museum ship on the beach at Laboe.
 This WWII submarine was very cramped and much smaller than any of the other submarines we have been in. The ONLY good thing for me would be that in the downtime we could play a lot of cards 😜. 


Norway captured U-995 at the end of WWII and used it in the Norwegian Navy. After a while Norway had no further military use for it and since Germany requested it back in the 1960s, Norway agreed to return it as a museum ship as a gesture of goodwill to Germany in 1965.

ALL DONE. A very incredible, much needed getaway from our worries and cares.  I was probably better at closing my mind off to the problems back in Al Ain and it helped that I sent this message out to anyone that happened to text me (I had first put it in our Branch WhatsApp feed so they knew we were going to be gone):

Auto Reply:

Hey Everybody, President and 

I will be gone until the middle 

of August ~ so:

1. If you need a ride contact

Louie +971 55 289 8162

2. If you need food contact

Sunshine +971 56 854 3851

3. If you need advice contact

Carla +971 56 135 5896

Anything else?

Wait 10 days or contact

James +971 56 483 3985

or

Brian +971 50 207 5228

😇💙😇💙😇💙😇💙😇

I only got a few texts while in Denmark and after receiving my reply text once, twice, even 3 times, all correspondence ended until I got back. I tried to tell Billy to just let everyone believe we were still gone for a few more days, but with so many little problems awaiting him, we were back in full work mode the next day 😢.

When can we go back . . . 😉?  

💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖

Sources: CHATgpt, Wikipedia, V Visit Norway, R riksantikvaren.no, W Wikipedia, M Mynewsdesk, Lille norske leksikon, en.wikipedia.org, B Bobilavisen

#17 ~ Al Ain - Come with us to Jebel Hafeet/little Branch

It wasn’t long after we arrived that we met Teena ~ what a sweet, funny, determined young woman she turned out to be. She had been living in Al Ain for about 5 months by the time we got here. Teena is from Sri Lanka; she married quite young and has a five-year-old daughter. Her husband, Gayon, and their daughter are living with her mother back in Sri Lanka. Gayon didn’t have a job, so they decided he should come to Al Ain and see if he could find work here. At the time, Teena was living in a single room with eight other women. Eight!😳!  Each woman had her own little section of the room, divided by . . . a sheet 😧! There was a shared kitchen, shared bathroom, shared everything; privacy was a luxury. Sooooo, Teena needed to find a bigger place for her and Gayon. 

Louie helped her find a new place, which, by comparison, must have felt like a palace: one room with a double bed, a dresser and closet cupboard, a  bathroom and a tiny kitchen (< about the same size as the bathroom). But it was hers! We helped move her few belongings over and she got it all fixed up for her and Gayon (pronounced Guy - on).

Finally, Gayon was able to make the journey to Al Ain. They got settled into their cozy new home and before long we decided it was time for a fun adventure.

Off we went to Jebel Hafeet, the spectacular mountain rising out of Al Ain near the Oman border. It’s one of the UAE’s most famous natural landmarks and definitely the kind of place you take someone when you want to say, “Welcome to Al Ain!” 

The views were incredible and the mountain was breathtaking. Jebel Hafeet is one of those places where you can look out toward Oman and feel like you’re practically standing on the edge of two countries; although, technically, the whole mountain belongs to the UAE!

The road winds up the mountain for about 7–7.5 miles with lots of curves and spectacular viewpoints. The drive to the top of Jebel Hafeet was an adventure in itself, a winding road climbing higher and higher, with the desert stretching out below us. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the summit, but naturally, we had to stop along the way to admire the views and pretend we weren’t terrified of the drop-offs! 

Once we reached the top, we grabbed our blankets and headed over to a picnic table. It was such a beautiful spot; quiet, breezy and with an unexpected bonus: cats. Lots and lots of cats. I took a special liking to the youngest one who stayed right beside us the whole time (I did not touch her, as tempting as it was). Some of the bigger cats were downright aggressive. It made me wonder, do people really bring their unwanted cats up here and just leave them? It certainly seemed like it. Whatever their story, they had clearly figured out how to survive and they knew exactly who to approach when a picnic was underway. On the way down we stopped by the Alberni Jebel Hafeet Hotel & Resort. It sits about 3,000 feet up the mountain, with beautiful views over Al Ain. We just drove around the roundabout and enjoyed the view.

After Gayon had been here for a couple weeks, we invited him and Teena over so Billy could confer the Priesthood on him and give him a blessing. Gayon is a convert of many years but somewhere along the way he had fallen between the cracks. We wanted to help him get started again; to work through My Covenant Path and to do English Connect with him. After receiving the Priesthood, Gayon was able to bless and pass the Sacrament to Teena (and to us) for the very first time. It was a pretty special moment and we really hoped this could be a fresh start for both of them.

Then, naturally, we celebrated the only proper way we knew how; with Baskin-Robbins! And yes, I had Pralines ’n Cream; some things never change.

Not too long after that, we got a frantic call from Teena. Gayon’s mother had been put in prison because she had been living in Dubai illegally for the past three years and finally got caught. They needed a ride to Dubai to gather the mother's things from her apartment. We couldn’t go that week, but the following week we made the trip, helped gather everything, grabbed something to eat and took pictures of the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai; which is still the tallest building in the world; it stands 2,716.5 feet tall, more than half a mile straight up! A fun comparison: Jebel Hafeet is about 4,068 feet high, so the mountain itself is considerably taller than the Burj Khalifa but the Burj just happens to be a very impressive building sitting in the desert! 

Then after that we headed back home.

Things seemed to be looking up for a while. Gayon found a dishwashing job, eight hours a day, six days a week and was actually making more money than Teena, who was working 12–14 hours a day, six or seven days a week, without overtime and a smaller paycheck. In a way, this turned out to be a blessing. Teena is so mild and soft-spoken that she had never complained about her situation at work. But with Gayon working and with Sophia (a member who now also works at Grandma’s house) helping to encourage her, Teena finally talked to her boss. Between all of us, she was able to work toward a better work situation and since she was also a senior Bistro, she really should have been getting more pay for that responsibility. So, at least in that area, things were moving in a better direction.

Unfortunately, things between Teena and Gayon were not going nearly as well. His abusive and controlling tendencies began to show and it became a very difficult situation for Teena (email #10). He also couldn’t get a 'work' visa and had to make trips to Oman and Dubai to deal with paperwork. We had been helping them with groceries and rent since he arrived but we didn’t help with those 2 trips. To be honest, by then we were becoming more and more concerned for Teena and secretly (or not so secretly) hoping Gayon would go home. Eventually, Teena (who had finally come to the realization that she was taking on much more of a “mother” role with Gayon than a wife should have to) took care of everything and arranged for him to return home (and yes ~ in our growing eagerness to see him leave, we may have even helped with that airline ticket 😏).

Sometimes helping someone means knowing when to step in and sometimes it means knowing when it’s time to let them go. Somewhere along the way, Teena went from being a young woman we had just met to someone who was finding her own strength and taking some very mature steps for herself.

It has been wonderful (and painful) to watch her grow. She has started Pathways, is preparing to receive her patriarchal blessing and has accepted a calling in the Church. She has always been a strong member and faithfully pays her tithing but over the last few months we saw her become more confident, more independent and more grounded in her faith.

I think Heavenly Father had a hand in bringing Teena into our lives and maybe us into hers. We don’t always understand why people cross our paths but sometimes we get to see a little bit of the reason. Watching Teena find her strength and move forward has been a pretty special blessing for us, too.

I think of the scripture in Ether: “then will I make weak things become strong.” Maybe that is what we have been watching in Teena; not that her trials disappeared, but that through them, she has become stronger and learned to lean more fully on the Lord. 

Below is a quick look at our 

beautiful members/friends

Every one of these members has faced trials and tribulations that I could hardly have imagined until I came here (and Ghana) and witnessed their lives firsthand; my single, divorced  mother raised 3 kids since I was 5 and we were considered 'poor' but compared to other people in all these 2nd and 3rd world countries; I had no idea what poor really meant 🙁. 

And yet, through it all, these beautiful members remain faithful and strong. They rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and receive comfort and strength as they continue along their journey. It is a privilege to be around them. Their faith, endurance and unwavering trust in the Lord are deeply inspiring. We love them dearly and care for each and every one of them. Their strength through adversity is a beautiful testimony of the power of faith and the enduring love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Ether 12:27 “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness… then will I make weak things become strong.”

President Thomas S. Monson expressed the principle beautifully: "Decisions determine destiny."