A visit from Elder Rasband

Dear Mom,

This was a great week.  I met Elder Rasband today, so I'll tell you about that. So, we got to the temple site this morning and I started greeting all my MTC friends and they all commented on how skinny I looked.  It was very good to see them.  I was also reunited with Elder Barfuss for the first time since Christmas.  He said he is very proud of how far I've come.  Then we all sat down and ate lunch together.  We shared stories of our time together in Kwabeng. 

After lunch, we all went and sat down in the chapel and waited for Elder Rasband to enter. There was a sense of anticipation. Then he came in and we all rose.  Then President Snow told us that we would all get a chance to shake his hand, so I waited my turn.  I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but when I shook his hand all that nervousness was swept away.  When I looked into those calm gentle eyes, I remembered that those eyes have seen Jesus Christ face to face. 

It wasn't just Elder Rasband who spoke, it was the entire Area Presidency.  They bore their testimonies and then Elder Rasband spoke.  The first thing he said was that Thomas S. Monson told him to tell us that he loved us.  The second was a thank you from the general authorities of the church.  Then he came down with a microphone to have us ask questions.  So I was thinking to myself "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to stand in front of the mission and talk to an Apostle", so I did.

He called on me and I started shaking.  My heart had never beat so fast in my life. I told him that in the last general conference when he talked about his reaction to being called an apostle, he read the scripture "Ye have not chosen me, but i have chosen you".   I told him that when I opened my call, Ghana was the last place on my mind and that I was nervous about coming here, but now that I've come to love it so much, I'm so glad and grateful the Lord chose me to come here because I didn't know how wonderful it was and I wouldn't have chosen it back then.  He said he was nervous when he was called as well. He thanked me for my support and comment and that I had used his talk, but grown my own testimony. I sat down, thankful that I did not pass up the opportunity to share what I knew to be true with an Apostle of the Lord.  It was an experience I will never forget.  This day was wonderful!  

I haven't received my most recent box yet, but I did get my instant potatoes.  The Elders loved them.  Mom, I love you so very much and I'm glad that I got to share this experience with you.

Love,  Elder Seanshine Keddington

At the lunch before hearing from Elder Rasband

I'm so glad he had such a wonderful visit.  He is becoming very mission minded.  I love it!