An Important Day-April 25,2010

Today was a great day in the Congo and in all of the Africa South East Area. We arrived at church to find the Congolese Saints already filling the chapel. They were dressed in their best, which for some was beautiful, colorful African dresses made of bright prints and scarves to match. For many men it was white shirts and ties. A few wore suits. For others it was t-shirts and jeans. But we knew that whatever they were wearing, it was their best. This was an important day. They were ready and excited for it. They soon completely filled the chairs that were crowded into the chapel and all eyes were fixed on a 23- inch TV at the front of the room. It was sitting on a small classroom table that was standing carefully balanced on two sturdy chairs, so as to elevate the TV for better viewing. A generator kept the TV running. A DVD player and small speakers were hooked up to the TV to provide both picture and sound. At the appointed time the TV was turned on and the first ever video presentation of General Conference held in the Lubumbashi area (and translated into French and Swahili) began. Across the aisle from us on the front row was the Katuba Stake President, Pres. Makubu. He had his notebook and pen ready so that he could write down the things he heard, as did many others. He told Brent before the meeting that in his 20 years in the church this was the first time he had ever seen General Conference and what a thrilling occasion it was. They showed the two Sunday sessions consecutively with only a thirty-minute break between them. Nobody complained and it seemed that there wasn't a sound in the chapel for the whole time, except when they sang along with the Tabernacle Choir. In a smaller room down the hall we could just barely hear the sounds of the conference being broadcast in Swahili for those who don't understand French. This was a historic moment for the Church in the Africa South East Area. Conference was being played in all the wards and branches of the Church. In Lubumbashi Stake it was much like at home with a big screen and curtains to block the light so that the picture could be easily seen. In Katuba Stake, they had no curtains and no screen, so they covered the wall behind the pulpit with white paper and brought their curtains from home to hang over the windows. In Gecamines it was a 23-inch TV. In buildings all around Lubumbashi, and Kolwezi the same scenes were repeated. We understand in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Botswana, S. Africa, Malawi, etc. it was the same. For Likasi, DRC the important day had to be postponed until next week because their DVD didn't arrive until noon Sunday. Things didn't go without a hitch. This is Africa. But it happened. The General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with sound and video, came to the Africa South East Area today, for the first time. It was a touching moment to share this historic day with these faithful African saints.