"With all of our heart" she said and he nodded with content. As we sat at their humble table and shared a meal of fofo and snail soup under the open shy, I marveled at their act of kindness to Sister Dalton and I. They sat us in their only 2 plastic chairs as they sat on stones, we dipped our hands in a bowl of freshly drawn water from the river and they graciously waited on us with a dried cloth that had been hanging on the clothes line next to the cook house. As the fire crackled and we shared their meal talking of their life and how a 72 year old man and a 52 year old woman had a 6 year old son. This we a tender moment for Daniel and Mary Danquah and the story begins 36 years before. Daniel was a merchant marine worker and had sailed to Liberia to load medical supplies for the Ghana government. He was at port when war broke out in Liberia and their ship was taken over by rebels. He was held prisoner for 7 months along with a young woman gathered up by the rebels in the city. "She was young and beautiful and should not have been there" he repeated. Daniel protected her from some of the men and assured her she would be safe with him. They grew closer together and when she was released she would return with morsels of food for Daniel. "Just dip your hand into the Fofo and then dip it in the snail soup" she said as she demonstrated the technic. I was enthralled with Daniel's story and did just as she showed me so he would continue with his sharing. "A month or so later, I was released, no ship, no mates, no way to go home" he continued. Yet he knew he had a friend in Mary. She took him in and help plan his return to Ghana. In Daniels own words "I was so taken with this woman's kindness and generosity that I was determined to ask her hand in marriage. I did not want to return to home without her by my side." War and rebellion was rampant in Liberia at that time and Mary's family was leaving to try to get to the United States. She was torn for her loyalty was with her family and America, it was almost a dream, yet her heart was with this good man from a distant land who she knew really very little about. "Oh Mary, this is so good" as we continued to dip our fingers into the Fofo and then the soup. Sister Dalton and I where hanging on for every word from Daniels mouth and I noticed only occasionally would he swallow a small piece of Fofo or snail or crab that was in the soup. Mary and Daniel escaped from the civil unrest and came home to Sankubenase where they began life together. They are farmers and Mary learned to work along side her husband's side each and every day. They had 6 children when one day a set of missionaries stopped by their home. "It was raining Mary said and they shouldn't have been out in that weather." What light they brought into their home, It was if they were angels with the light they radiated. The whole family was baptized and the branch loved them into the fold. I 2005, Daniel and Mary took their family to the Accra Temple and were sealed as a family forever. It was a tender moment that Sister Dalton and I experienced as we whipped away the tears. They continued, "we were so blessed to feel that sealing power on our souls and have tried to please the Lord in all we do." Two sons have served missions and they have their 23 year old son serving in Nigeria now. "Eleven months now and he is safe and serving the Lord with all of his heart" as Mary brought out a picture he had sent home. We could tell they had held that photo many a times as the corner were dog-eared and it curled from a mothers clutch. "Oh Elder, you have dripped some soup on your shirt, please let me clean it" and she gently dipped her skirt into the clean water and dabbed at my shirt. I was almost over taken with emotion as I was attended to by the stately woman who had worked all day long by her husbands side at their farm and now had cooked a meal for her small family and shared their meager meal with us. Mary then said, "this little boy" as she held their son to her breast, "is our covenant child." "You see he was conceived right after our temple trip and there are 17 years between his brother and him. We were not ashamed or shocked, but happy God had a son for our family. We have raised him in the ways of the Lord and feel so blessed to see him love the Lord as we do."
They are humble servants of the Lord that trust and know his spirit in all their doings in their lives. Daniel teaches Seminary and Mary is the Primary President for the branch.
As Sister Dalton and I walked the little trail to our car with Daniel and Mary holding our hands, it was if we were being led to heaven. We hugged Daniel and Mary as we arrived to our car. "Safe journey! We love you with all of our hearts." Mary said as Daniel nodded with content.
"Oh we love you too, Daniel and Mary Danquah- for we will never be the same after this heavenly night."
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