Ward Division-Sept. 2012-Aime's Call

The church continues to grow in Kinshasa. Today the Kintambo and KasaVubu Wards were divided into three wards, creating the Gombe Ward, which is our home ward.  Aimé Ngoy, our driver who is an attorney and a judge, was just sustained today as bishop of this new ward all the couples attend.  He told Brent three weeks ago of his new calling and has sought his counsel in ward organization several times since then. He also asked Brent to stand in while he was ordained and set apart today.  When he arose to give his remarks in the meeting he became somewhat emotional, which is highly unusual for Africans, and his wife came and stood by him and put her arm on his shoulder while he made very tender comments about his feelings for the gospel.  He joined the church at age 15. He couldn't afford transport money to go to church so he walked one hour each way every week.  He said the members didn't give him money for transport to attend church but they did give him their love and that’s what kept him coming back.  It was better than transport money to be loved and cared about.  He turned down a rare academic scholarship (he’s very bright) to go on a mission when he turned 19 and said he has never regretted it.  He also turned down a judicial position in Eastern Congo, where the war continues to rage, because it would have meant he would have had to leave his wife and young child and the ability to attend church and he refused to do that.  So he continues to  work part-time for the mission for very little money and his wife sells eggs to keep their family afloat.  They are in their early thirties and are absolutely faithful as evidenced by the fact that they scrimped and saved to be sealed in the temple as soon as they could after their civil wedding.

 In June the church standardized the marriage policy and now requires couples who want to be baptized to have a registered or civil marriage, not just a tribal marriage.  Aime researched matters and gave us excellent advice on how to do this.   He discovered that a marriage could be registered for $10 if the family agrees to let the couple do it. (This approval is required no matter the age of the couple.)  But when the couples went to register their marriages, they found the officials charging $20-$50 for registration, with the extra amount going directly into these official's pockets. So, Aime went, on his own, to many community offices until he found a marriage officer who would do it for $15 (the cost of the registration and $5 for his time and effort to do the work and deliver the registration to the government offices.)  Now Aime and many of the ward leaders are helping these couples to register their marriages and be baptized. Aime has actually volunteered to take the paper work to the marriage officers for the couples who live far from this community.  He is a fine young man who has made many sacrifices because of his faith and testimony. He will make a wonderful bishop. Aime is another example of the people we love and learn from here in Africa.