The Opares Are Here!

I finally got to meet the famous Mr. and Mrs. Opare today…and they’re just wonderful (surprise, surprise = )  Their ward meets after ours…so I first met them briefly after our church and their sacrament meeting was over, and they were so warm and friendly, pulling me into hugs (this was especially nice because it’s not a super huggy place…especially in comparison to Hawaii).  And then tonight, after dinner, we went over to their house (the house that Mandy grew up in) to chat.  They asked about what brought me to Ghana, and Sis. Opare told me about her miraculous experience with her heart.  I don’t feel like it’s my place to share all of the details, but basically, they were gone because she had to go to Kansas for an emergency open-heart surgery.  Before she left, her bishop gave her a Priesthood blessing, and a promise that she wouldn’t have to have surgery.  He didn’t know that she was actually leaving that very day for the States.  When she got there, the tests showed that her heart had been working to pump against blockage for a long time…but her arteries were clear, and no operation was necessary.  They couldn’t explain it.  It was such an amazing experience!  We also enjoyed RICE KRISPY TREATS that Melinda had made = )  They were SO yummy!!!!

Other than that, it was a pretty mellow Sunday.  Church was great = )  I don’t really have anything to share from church, but after church, Chuks put on the Relief Society broadcast and Priesthood Session from last conference.  Mandy and I were cooking, so we could only watch and hear bits and pieces, but we got to watch all of President Monson’s closing remarks from the Priesthood Session.  He was talking about how it’s important that we stand as a light for what’s right, even when we’re standing alone.  But how we’re never really alone when we’re doing what’s right, because we’re always standing with God.  I thought about how, if I was in the middle of a court having to choose a teammate, what an easy decision it would be to be on God’s team as opposed to, well, anyone else’s team.  But yet, in life, I often worry more about doing what will please the people around me than what will please God.  I need to work on that, and I was so grateful for those wise words from our Prophet.