Today we left Sierra Leone and traveled to Liberia. In order to get to the airport we had to cross the bay again but we chose to take the large ferry instead. President Squires was also transferring 3 elders to Liberia so we took the trip on the ferry and the airplane together. Elder Greding and I felt much safer with the missionaries on the plane with us. It was a small 17 passenger plane that of course has seen better days.
As we entered the "airport" (strip of asphalt with a building) in Liberia we were greated very warmly and our immigration process went very smoothly. As I was being interviewed by the immigration officer I noticed his King James Bible, with the Church's name on it. Sure enough he was a member of the church along with a few other immigration employees. Now I know why they were so helpful to us and seemed to prioritize the missionaries before anyone else. I quickly noticed the UN troops around the airport with the machine guns. There seems to be a little more tension in the air here, most likely because their ex-president is currently on trial in the Hague, Netherlands for war crimes.
This morning as we were trying to get the younger missionaries loaded in the van I walked upstairs and knew the a new missionary had arrived yesterday, Elder Smoot from Farmington. The second I walked in and looked at the three missionaries I could immediately tell who the green-bean was. His eyes were open big and he was just standing there in a daze as he was slowly going through the motion of tying his tie. Like any of us would be, he was in "shock". It's hard not to smile and chuckle as I think back about my own experiences in Japan and all the other experiences young 19 and 21 year old missionaries are having all around the world. President Squires mentioned that on the average 500 missionaries are either going home or arriving each week of the year. What a miracle they are in the Lord's Church.
Tonight we had dinner with two senior missionary couples, Elder and Sister Wire from Kanab, and Elder and Sister Mauldin from Darrington, Washington. The story of the church in Liberia is very similar to the history and current status of the Church in Sierra Leone. There's about 4,000 members and growing quickly even with them creating parameters to keep the growth organized and sustainable.
With each of the days that pass it means that I'm closer and closer to seeing my family again. I miss them so much and fully recognize that they, along with my testimony are my greatest treasures on earth and in eternity. The two most influential people in my life have been my mother and my wife. Jill has shaped me to be more than I could have ever been on my own. Our children have each been blessed with wonderful gifts and talents that they will be able to use to bless others. Today was their first day of school and I hope they all enjoyed it!
I love you guys.
Dad
1 comment:
What part of Japan did Matt serve in? When was he there? My husband went to Tokyo North mission.
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