Legal affairs and Miracles in Gabon

In Gabon we were joined by the two area attorneys for the church. They went to church with us on Sunday and stayed in the same hotel where we stayed. So, we were able to have some meals together and talk about the future of Gabon and the issue of legal recognition. The previous attorney from the area office had gone last year to try and work out the legal issues for recognition. The church had even hired an attorney in Gabon to work for the church there, but  had not been successful in getting the church recognized. Things just seemed to be stuck. But Elder Renlund felt strongly that we needed to continue to work to get the church into Gabon. His resolve made us feel like the Lord was telling us to move forward. So we all made the trip in hopes of making progress.
On Monday the attorneys went with Gaetan to work on this legal issue. They returned just before we left for Pointe Noire, where we were going to interview the missionaries and train the branch leaders. They reported that they had made some small progress. They had worked through Gaetan's sister to find a good contact and they thought that with three or four trips over the next few months we might be able to receive recognition.  It was a real possibility and Brent and I headed off town with a feeling of optimism.

  

We were hoping that they were right about getting recognition within a the next six months and that was progress. Without legal recognition, even though there are some members, we can't organize in any way.  So, this step is very important.

What we didn't know was that the Lord is  ready for Gabon to move forward and he had placed people in strategic places to make progress happen in a most unusual and, we think, miraculous way.  Gaetan just happened to have a sister in Gabon with some political connections. Gaetan's sister, who is not yet a member,  just happened to be willing to talk to her ex-husband to enlist his help. He is a senator in Gabon.  He just happened to know the Secretary of the Interior well and was willing to set up a meeting for the attorneys with this man who just happens to have the responsibility and power to grant us recognition.  They met with the Interior Secretary and explained our intentions in their country. They gave him a packet of information, pamphlets, CD's etc. that told him about the church and its goals. He was impressed with the things he heard and said that he thought recognition could happen.  The attorneys were pleased with their meeting and the agreements they had made and went back to their hotel very encouraged.  Then to their surprise, the next day the Secretary of the Interior gave them provisional recognition.  He told them that we could go ahead with any church functions that we wished and move forward to organize in Gabon.  There are some financial things to set up, but we are provisionally recognized NOW. When those financial things are in place, the church will be formally recognized in Gabon. We were stunned when we heard the great news. Things had gone much better than we had ever hoped and things "just happened" to fall into place perfectly. We know that these things didn't  "just happen."  We know that it was the Lord's time for church recognition in Gabon. We believe that He placed all these people right where they were because they could make it happen. We can't wait to see what His next plans are for this country.

Today we got a copy of the provisional recognition of the church in Gabon.  We are so blessed to be watching the history of the church take place in these African nations.  We know that it won't be too long before the work of gathering the Lord's children begins in earnest in yet another African land. Miracles are still happening.  We've witnessed another one in Gabon.