Meet Elder Ako - who was sealed to his parents today

Elder Ebenezer Ako

Elder Ebenezer Ako was sealed to his parents today.  He was born in Krobo of the Eastern Region of Ghana.  When he was a child his mother cared for him, but at the age of three, his father became ill and died.  All through his younger years, he and his mother lived alone as she sold clothing to support him.  When he was 13 years old she became ill, often for a month at a time.  Then a year later she passed away.  Young Ebenezer had felt such loneliness and that feeling was to continue.  He went to live with his aged great grandmother, who was 86 years old.  He said that he does not remember a happy time in his childhood - a time where he was happy to just sit around a table with others and laugh.

At the age of 18, Ebenezer went to live with his uncle and his wife.  They were very nice to him.  An LDS neighbor invited Ebenezer to help him with chores and it was during this experience that he learned about the Church.  The neighbor invited the missionaries to come teach Ebenezer in the neighbor home and shortly after he was baptized.  Last year during a Church course on Family History he realized he could be sealed to his parents and was most anxious to do so.  Today, that dream became a reality as he was sealed to his parents.  He said it was a very emotional experience for him.  He is now happy.  Elder Ako departs from the MTC next Tuesday to serve in the Nigeria Lagos Mission.

Elder Baah, Elder Ako, Elder Ekah (all three have lost their fathers in addition to Elder Ako's loss of his mother)