Look Up, Lift Up

On Saturday, October 15, 2007, about 70 of our missionaries participated in a city park clean up project. We wore bright red baseball-style hats that said "Mormon Missionary" on the front and "Look Up, Lift Up" on the back. The following comes from the website of the organization that sponsored the event:

"More than 400 volunteers from across the city gathered at the 9th annual “Fall for Your Park” celebration to beautify and revitalize the heavily used and well-loved Cobbs Creek Park. The clean-up included tree plantings, painting, gardening, woodland restoration, and more. A presentation and picnic lunch followed at noon.


The event highlighted the successful collaboration between the
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Green program, the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, Fairmount Park Commission, and more than 80 volunteer park groups working together to beautify the city. Support came from the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, the William Penn Foundation, AVEENO®, American Park Network, and the Philadelphia Committee of the Garden Club of America.

Philadelphia Green’s Parks Revitalization Project, initiated in 1993, believes that clean, green, safe and well-used parks are fundamental to the health and vitality of Philadelphia’s communities. For more, go to www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org."

(Click on individual photos to get larger image.)

Mission Presidents' Seminar - Kirtland, Ohio

Joyce and I attended a 3 1/2 day training seminar for eighteen mission presidents and their wives serving in the North America Northeast Area. The seminar was held Oct. 13-16 in Kirtland, Ohio. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Qourum of Twelve Apostles and Elder Earl C. Tingey of the Presidency of the Seventy provided the instruction. Joyce and I were uplifted and inspired by this training seminar. We attest that a little known event that occurred in 1820 has changed the face of world history and we're grateful for the opportunity of teaching this to many.

Why Kirtland, Ohio?

In 1830 the 24 year old prophet Joseph Smith, following ten years of sacred instruction and revelation from various heavenly visitors, was directed by God to organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly thereafter he was directed to move the nascant church headquarters to "the Ohio". Ever obedient, Joseph and his pregnant wife Emma embarked in the dead of winter from New York to Ohio -- a 300 mile journey in a horse drawn sled.
The church grew quickly in Kirtland where Joseph resided from 1831 - 1838. During this period of time he received eighty-four separate recorded revelations from God which contained clear instruction about the major points of the gospel and church organization. During these "Kirtland years" Joseph Smith also received at least nine recorded visions or appearances of God the Father and/or his son Jesus Christ. These revelations are recorded in a book of LDS scripture called the "Doctrine and Covenants" (see http://scriptures.lds.org/dc). In addition to formal instruction, these revelations contain beautiful inspriring words for all of us, such as "Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. (see D&C 64:33)" and "Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers. (see D&C 112:10)"

In one revelation God instructed the church members to built the first new temple of this time period, or dispensation. On April 3, 1836, the Savior appeared and accepted the temple as a place in which he would reveal his word to his people (D&C 110:1-10). Following this appearance, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received visits from Moses, Elias, and Elijah, all of whom gave them certain priesthood keys and important information (D&C 110:11-16). This temple served the Saints for some two years before they had to flee Kirtland because of persecution.

Here are some of our friends: President Joel and Genean McKinnon, Canada Montreal Mission and President Don and Jane Pugh, Pennsylvania Harrisburg Mission. Don and Jane come from Bellevue, Washington, the city adjacent to Redmond, Washington -- hometown for Joyce and me. It was great seeing Don at this special training event!

Halloween Cookies

Unlike the buiness world which runs on a monthly calendar, LDS missions are run on a six week calendar. This is because a new batch of missionaires arrives every six weeks and another batch of missionaries goes home, having completed their two year assignment. This big event is called the "Transfer". In between each Transfer we have a number of regularly scheduled meetings, interviews and activities, especially during weeks 3 and 5.

Our mission of 120 missionaries is divided geographically into six Zones. Each Zone has about 20 missionaries. During week number 3 of each six week transfer cycle we hold Zone Conferences. This week was Zone Conference week. The Philadelphia North Zone, Valley Forge Zone and Wilmington Zone met together on Thursday for a full day of training and inspirational uplift. The Reading Zone, Philadelphia South Zone and Chestnut Zone met together on Friday for a similar event. Joyce and I are very involved in structuring these conferences, providing instruction and assisting the missionaries who have been assigned to be Zone Leaders. We typically purchase low cost hogie sandwiches and provide chips, fruit and store bought cookies for these events. But one of our missionaries asked Sister Murray (as Joyce is known to the missionaries) to make some halloween cookies. What mother can turn down such a request from one of her missionary boys? On Wednesday morning the kitchen in the mission home was ablaze with action -- and some six hours later you see the delicious result. What took six hours to make and bake, took only six seconds to devour during lunch at our Zone Conferences!

A Lion Hunter Goes Home

Young Mormon missionaries volunteer to serve for two years. When one is forced to go home early due to medical issues it can create great personal disappointment. Such is the case for Elder Christian Appiah-Knudsen whom I took to the airport this morning. Elder Appiah-Knudsen has chronic back spasms and is in need of immediate care from a physiatrist or back specialist. As I write this posting to my blog, he is enroute to his family in Virginia.

Christian Appiah grew up in Ghana, close to the western border with the Ivory Coast. He is the oldest of three children and has never met his birth father. As a young boy he lived in poor villages and found it necessary to hunt for food to feed his two younger siblings. At age five he learned how to hunt lions as a source of food. He tells stories of hunting and killing lions and other animals, using slings and spears.

At age 12 his birth mother took him to Belgium. She abandoned him there and she later passed away. An older man, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, somehow found Christian and allowed him to live in his home. Because he was an illegal immigrant, he could not go outside during the daytime hours. So for 3-4 years as a teenager he stayed indoors and avoided the police, for fear of deportation.



While living with this LDS man, Christian was taught by local Mormon missionaries and joined the Church in May 2004. Later a senior missionary couple named the Kimballs befriended him and found a tutor who taught him to read and write English. This couple had such an impact on Christian that he now uses "Kimball" as his middle name.

Then an LDS family from America, the Knudsens, were working in Belgium and adopted Christian and his two younger siblings in April 2005 (I don't yet know how the siblings got to Belgium). The Knudsens now live in Virginia. Christian's first opportunity in his life to attend school was the year following his adoption. He has not yet finished the equivalent of high school nor has he earned his GED.

Elder "AK" (as we call him) arrived in the Philadelphia Mission in March of 2007. He expected to stay for two years. He did not know that an angry man would physically throw him off a front porch, crumbling onto the cement sidewalk. Nor did he anticipate the bicycle accident that would have him flying out of control over his handlebars and smashing his tail bone on the ground. His apartment that he shares with Elder Toone is a dilapidated one bedroom flat in an area of town that you will, most likely, never desire to see. But this is where he and his companion work every day -- greeting people on the street, knocking on doors and teaching the story of the restoration of God's church.

In seven short months, Elder AK has become a masterful teacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ -- he has dedicated himself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually to this work. And in so doing he has been transformed. He is a new person. Through his many trials and disappointments -- both before and during his mission -- he did not end up angry, cynical or bitter, but became empowered by the love of God. Being a personal witness of this miracle is one of the great events of my life. This is why Christ invites all to, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (St. Matthew 11:28-29)".

If you have an extra moment, please offer a prayer on behalf of Elder "AK" -- that his back might heal and that he might be able to return to Philadelphia to finish his mission.