Twelve Days Out of a Suitcase-Part 3

Douala was our last stop on our tour of the outlying cities. Here we have a great couple, the Nuttalls, who supervise the missionaries and give branch support. We don't know what we'd do without these folks. They serve alone in their cities. We have the utmost respect for their courage and faith to serve in this way. The work could progress even better if we had twice this many couples like the six in our mission. The Nuttalls have had an interesting life as they've lived in South America, China, and France during his working career. Now they add Cameroon to their list of places they've called home. Their French is extremely helpful, although Sister Nuttall says that sometimes she throws in a little Spanish or Chinese by mistake and totally confuses everybody.

Douala Zone

Our first priority on our visits is to be with our missionaries. We had a great zone conference and trainer meeting, breakfast question and answer session with them, visited their apartments and Brent went to teaching appointments with the zone leader and his companion.

These are great elders who work hard and are obedient and faithful. We just love these young men, Elders Spens (who's been here one transfer), Waite, Lamm, Kalenga, Pistor, Buck and our two new Elders, Nash and Addington. They serve valiantly, but still love a chance to be a little silly and we had fun being with them. Brent interviewed the new elders and when he did the others all asked if they too could have interviews. So, he interviewed everybody.

We've started a mission memory project that we're excited about. We're having every missionary and others who are a part of our mission experience sign squares of fabric, made for us by Sister Livingstone ( the wife of a past mission president.) Then I'll make it into a quilt that we can sit under and reminisce as we rock in our rockers someday. It's been fun having everybody sign the "petit morceau de tissu" as we go around the mission. The American elders knew right away what this was all about. The Africans couldn't figure out why I'd cut up fabric, into little pieces and the sew them back together to make to a big piece, stuff it with heavy, hot batting, and sew it to another piece of fabric, instead of just laying under the original piece of fabric. The construction of a quilt does sound silly when you try to explain it, but it will become a treasure to us. I think our elders and friends are happy to be part of our quilt memory.

Our mission quilt in progress

Brent did another branch division in Douala. The church is growing and since these are mission branches, Brent is responsible for them as a Stake President would be in a stake.

Bonapriso Branch meeting house

He does all the priesthood training, interviewing and calls as well as all other functions that a stake president would do. This time it was just a branch divided, so it took less interviewing and time to make this happen. But it's still always a big project. The Bonaberi group was changed into a branch and the Bonapriso Branch stayed in tact with just some leadership changes. One special things was that our assistant from Lubumbashi, Elder Nkong, (on the left in the picture of Bonapriso Branch presidency) was set apart by Brent as second counselor in the Branch Presidency. It's really special to see our returned missionaries fortifying their branches and wards.

Bonaberi and Bonapriso Branches in Douala, Camersoon

Marius Nkong and his fiancee, Sonja

On Monday, after 12 days of visits, meetings and fun with missionaries, reorganizations, visits to church apartments and buildings and a great deal of wonderful time spent with our great couples, we headed back to Kinshasa. For the first time we flew straight there on Air Belgium instead of flying back to Brazzaville. staying overnight and crossing the Congo at the beach. Wow was it easy! We think this will be our new plan. It's worth the little extra that it costs. After all that time traveling a quick trip directly home was very welcome, especially when we only had three days to prepare for the visit or Elder Soares, a member of the 70. Life just keeps on coming at us n the Congo.