Luke 22: 42
“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
Mi Abusia, mi do wo pa.
I've been transferred! I said goodbye to Asutsuare last week and
was welcomed this week by the Branch in Asokore, Koforidua. Koforidua is a
District that is made up of 12 Branches, but we are hoping to make it a Stake
before July. It is going to be a lot of work but the missionaries here are
prepared and willing to press forward in this great call.
My new companion is Elder Harris. He is 21 and from Idaho. He
attended BYU Provo before coming on mission and was the beat boxer for an
acapella group there. We haven't had much time to try anything out but I am
looking forward to some great singing sessions with him dropping the beat. He
is a wonderful guy, very funny and very enthusiastic. I sometimes get
tired just watching him because he is energetic, but there is never a dull moment
with Harris. He will be going home in May so I will be making the most of the
time we have together. Lots to learn.
Elder Harris and I had a wonderful lesson this Sunday after Church
with a Sister named Gloria. She is 28 and has been progressing towards baptism
for a few months. As we visited with her we were asking her a few questions
about the Plan of Salvation, or our Heavenly Father's plan for bringing His
children back into His presence. Gloria was having a difficult time
understanding the Atonement and how it can be a part of our daily lives. We
felt prompted to open to Luke 22 to read about Christ suffering in the Garden
of Gethsemane. She read it but did not understand so I shared my own comparison
with it. I told her of my many summers spent working on my Uncle's farm. I was
the youngest and not skilled so much of the labor/cleaning jobs were passed to
me. I remember a time when my Uncle dropped me off at a field with a shovel,
asking me to walk around it weeding the nightshade from the edge. This was not
my first time doing it. I knew how tired I would be and I did not want to do
it. I was tempted even to complain, but I knew it was what my Uncle needed me
to do, so I did it. I compared it to her. Children in Ghana grow up fetching
water for their family. They will spend many mornings walking to water tanks to
fill buckets that they will carry on their heads back to their homes. Gloria
had done that many times and could relate to not wanting to do it, but doing it
because that is what was needed. As we talked about this, understanding of the
Atonement came to her eyes.
The Atonement is something that we need every day. Because of
Christ our sins can be taken away and we can be made new again. But each day we
have to choose Christ. We must make the choice to follow him, even when we do
not want to. We make the choice to follow him because we love Him. In our lives
we will always be tested to see who we will follow, but I pray that each of us
can look to the example of Christ and make the choice to do God's will. It will
never be easy, but it will always be worth it.
I love you all. Thank you for your support and prayers. You are in
my heart.
PREPARE IT
Mi Kwaba,
Elder Bergeson
