April 4-10, 2022

Thank you all for your inquiries of John's health and for all the ideas and suggestions you sent.  The mission doctor finally agreed to try the Epley maneuver (turning the head and body to different positions to adjust the inner ear crystals) last week.  It may need to be repeated a time or two but John says the dizziness has gone away for now.  He still has occasional light-headedness if he sits up in bed too quickly in the morning.  He has resumed walking 2-3 miles each morning and I have grudgingly allowed him to drive again.

Saturday was our ward temple day.  We went to an endowment session in the morning.  There were only 20 people in the session, seated every other chair.  We're still wearing masks here and this temple is seriously fanatical about hand sanitizer!  The machines were spaced every few feet and the workers blocked the way until you cleaned your hands.  The youth baptisms were later in the day and look who was able to participate!

Solomon received the priesthood last week and they both were interviewed for recommends.  We had a nice fellowshipping visit at their apartment on Friday and learned more about why they left Nigeria.  Many years ago when Wumi was in college she worked with the International Red Cross.  One of the groups that came to Nigeria to train them was from Montreal.  Wumi was friendly with one of the women, who told her all about Canada and Montreal.  She has wanted to come to Canada since that time.

Solomon owned and operated an import business - he purchased used items from foreign dealers that buy donated items from places like Goodwill, Deseret Industries, etc.  This was very common in Ghana as well.  That's why we saw so many NBA, NFL and U.S college tee shirts and jerseys on the Ghanaian people.  Most of the time they didn't have any idea what the shirts represented; it was just an affordable item at the market and kept them clothed.  Back to Solomon.  They traveled quite a bit to arrange for the purchases and the business was quite successful.  They even traveled to the U.S. on vacation a couple times.

Their home was located in Northern Nigeria, which is controlled by the Muslims.  Boko Haram is a very active terrorist group in that area.  Solomon's father was a pastor in a Christian church and Solomon joined him in his work with the church.  The parents lived on the main floor of a house; Solomon and Wumi lived on the second floor.  One night they were awakened by thick smoke and had difficulty finding the way out and down the stairs.  He has a long scar on one leg where he kicked through the wall to get to the stairs.  They escaped but his mother and father both died in the fire.  Witnesses told them it was the terrorists that started the fire because they were Christians.  

They continued their church work.  During a youth meeting, the terrorists came in and badly beat Solomon.  The only reason they didn't kill him was because he was unconscious on the floor and they mistakenly thought he was already dead.  He has scars on his ear and head from the beating.  A church member hid them in his home but a few days later, the terrorists broke into that home looking for them.  They escaped out the back of the house and ran.  Having no home and no safe place to be, they were encouraged to go to the United States.  They already had a visa so that is what they did.  They went to New York and somehow made contact with a refugee group that assisted them.  They applied for Canadian visas and landed in Montreal last November.

Solomon bears strong testimony that his life was spared and that they were led to Canada so they could find the gospel.  He says he has a family again and feels so much love from everyone at church.  They have applied for work permits and are both doing volunteer work at the food bank and a shelter while they wait.  They are both awesome and we feel honored to call them friends.  Their story and many others we have heard remind us how blessed we are.

We learned the shortcut through the park to walk from the church to the metro station.  Now the weather has improved a little (although it did snow for a few minutes this morning) we can park at the church for free (metro parking is $14 per day) and take the 12 minute walk to catch the train.  Parc Angrignon is a large park with several ponds and a lake.  There is a 4-mile bike trail that is used by cross country skiers in the winter.  There are playgrounds and a dog park and lots of trees and nature to enjoy.

Our path takes us by this pond.  The white area on the water is the remaining ice.  Lots of geese and seagulls have gathered in the park now.

Zone Conference was on Wednesday.  Last month we were taught more about baptism; this month we learned about the Holy Ghost.   Sister Harkness used D&C 88:3 "Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John."  Receiving takes effort.  When we are confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we must "receive and open" the gift.  We were given three suggestions to help us use the gift more effectively:

• Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement (1 Nephi 10:17)  Faith leads to repentance.
• Show gratitude (Mosiah 2:4) Replace complaining with gratitude and the windows of heaven will open and pour blessings into our life.
• Obedience (1 Nephi 15:8) Ask what the Lord wants us to do, then do it.  When we are obedient we can call upon the powers of heaven.

The Mount Royal and Montreal Zones were combined for this conference.

It has been a week of babies for us.  Our niece and her husband living in our home welcomed their first baby last week.  They had a beautiful baby girl.  The Seminary baby girl was born Monday, which means we begin teaching Seminary tomorrow morning.  Our granddaughter had her first baby on April 7, a darling boy named James Wesley.

James Wesley is our ninth great-grandchild.  Number ten is on the way.  Aren't we so very blessed?