Finishers Wanted!

Stick to your task ‘til it sticks to you;
Beginners are many, but enders are few.
Honor, power, place and praise
Will come, in time, to the one who stays.

Stick to your task ‘til it sticks to you;
Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too.
For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile
Will come life’s victories, after a while.

Four months before missionaries are to return home, we have what we call “Finisher’s Wanted.” We bring the returning missionaries in for fun and games but most importantly a reminder they have never been better missionaries than they are right now and to give it their best effort in their final months of their service.

We are reminding ourselves of that very thing. With one transfer left, we are giving it our all until we cross the finish line. This has felt like an all-out sprint with a marathon length of three years, but we are grateful for the opportunity to be in the service of our fellow man and working with the Lord’s wonderful missionaries. 

In April, we went to Ghana for our final Mission Leadership Conference, held at the Royal Senchi resort. As always, we enjoyed the leadership training and connecting with the other 25 couples from the missions of the Africa West Area. We also enjoyed a couple of hours of downtime on a beautiful river boat ride. I was reminded how much I love being out in nature.  

The training was conducted by the Area Presidency. We were fortunate to have Carl B. Cook and Mark Bassett of the Seventy, and David Wade of the Mission Department as special guests. Their teaching and counsel were inspiring and rejuvenating. We love being with our fellow mission leaders, as only those who serve in this role can appreciate and understand this experience. In our final session, our “class of 2025 mission leaders” was asked to share our testimonies of this work. It has been such a privilege to serve alongside these men and women for three years.

Before flying back to Monrovia, we made a mad-dash to the Butterfly Market. It is a charming outdoor artisans market where we gathered a few small souvenirs and gifts.

After a few days in Ghana, we were excited to come back to Liberia, recharged and ready to jump back into the final stretch of our mission. The past few weeks have included eight different zone conferences (shown below), medical support for missionaries, missionary and member interviews, branch needs, etc.

On Saturday, May 3, we held a full day of training for the women leaders of 17 branches. The branch presidencies and all the women in branch leadership positions (Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary) were invited, many traveling great distances to attend. It was impressive to see that every branch was in attendance. We held the first session in Kakata (shown below) in the morning. Following the first training, Jeff and I, and all the senior couples quickly traveled an hour to Harbel to train the leadership in the Harbel District. 

The theme was “Faith in every Footstep.” The senior sisters told touching stories of the sacrifices, hardship and joys of the early Mormon pioneers, many who were direct ancestors. We reminded the Liberian leaders that they too are the early pioneers in West Africa. They are paving the way for generations to come, and one day people will be telling their stories.

We taught them the song, “To Be a Pioneer”:

You don’t have to push a handcart
Leave your family dear
Or walk a thousand miles or more
To be a pioneer.

You DO have to have great courage
FAITH to conquer fear
And WORK with might for a cause that’s right
To be a pioneer.

The leaders loved connecting themselves to those that came before them, and recognize they are building the foundation of the Church here in Africa. After the combined session, we broke into our various groups. This is where the magic happened. We invited the district presidents of each organization to present part of the training. THEY DID IT! AND IT WAS FABULOUS!!! Their teaching was correct and sound and full of love and encouragement. They are great leaders. At the end of the day, we left feeling encouraged by their efforts, knowing that this work can and will continue after we leave. We see the progress in this work!

In addition to these leaders and our young missionaries enabling the branches to grow, we are thankful to our senior missionaries who shepherd the members, teaching them their responsibilities and guiding them to the temple to make covenants with the Lord.

We remind everyone who comes into the Church of Jesus Christ, “Baptism is not the end. It is only the beginning.” We emphasize Finishers wanted!

 “Stick to your task, til it sticks to you, Beginners are many enders are few. For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile, will come life’s victories after a while.”