History in Togo

Dearest World,

Today begins with a story, and I hope that you open your minds to fully imagine the importance and the principles behind it.

Amid the gloom that told of the coming winter, the mist and fog rolled in upon the shores. The weather was cool, and good strolling atmosphere due to the silence all around harmonized by the crashing of the waves. Along the foggy shoreline paced an aged-man pondering over the deeper concepts of life, the unanswered questions that a man of his standing was not allowed to not know.

During these pensive moments he witnessed a strange thing taking place further down the shore. A boy stood facing the vast ocean before him, and just a little ways behind was a recently dug hole. The boy begins walking into the frosty water, and in hand was a little cup of some sorts.

The man, still watching from a ways off, began to make his way towards this young boy to give him a good “whatfor” for his act of stupidity. As he approached he saw once again the boy upon the brink of the ocean, this time making his way to the hole to place the water from the goblet into it. Shivering and soaking wet, the boy turned to face once again the enemy that was the ocean. Before the old man could raise his voice, the young boy was once again submerged in the waves to gain his little water to put in his hole.

He got out and placed the water once again his hole, and the old man finally arrived in time to stop him from going into the water. He asked the boy, "What do you think you are doing going into the ocean?"

The boy, with a puzzled look on his face responded, "I am filling up my whole with the ocean."

The old man then asked why the young boy would be doing something like that, and with derision in his voice he asked, "What do you hope to do with the ocean in your hole?"

The boy smiled, he went a little wide-eyed, turned his gaze to the ocean, and said, "I hope to put the whole ocean in my hole! It will take some time, but I can do it one day, somebody dug the hole that it is already in." The aged man responded with unreserved laughter.

"You honestly think that you could fit all of the ocean into your small hole!? What have your parents been teaching you?"

The boy nevertheless went back into the ocean to retrieve his little bit of water. The old man scoffed and walked away still laughing to himself about the hope of the young boy trying to put the whole of the ocean into his little hole.

Think about this, who are we in this story? Do you have the hope of this young boy in putting the whole ocean into our little holes through work and persistence, or do we have the laughter and scorn of the old man mocking the "impossible?" 

The ocean before us is the mysteries of God, knowing bit by bit His goodness and love, and the little hole is our heart and mind. Do you stand on the brink wide-eyed and excited? 
I hope that I am wide-eyed and excited, I sure feel like I am.

History was made here in Togo this past weekend. We spent Saturday and Sunday hosting an open house and then the dedication of the first chapel in Lomé!!!! It was a monumental moment in the history of Togo, and the most spiritual feeling that I have yet to feel here upon my mission: hundreds of saints humbly bowing our heads in prayer and dedicating the chapel to Him, and along with the chapel our lives once again. 

Chapel dedication at Kegue. Elder Haggard with Pres. Weed

Another great week here in Africa, though still rather warm. I am loving life, and everything that it entails. Keep the Lord first in your life and only good things will follow, for only good things are on the path laid for us by the Savior.

Sincerely, 

Elder Haggard