Last Visit to Brazzaville and Libreville

Saturday we left Kinshasa to visit our outlying cities for the last time.  It's an emotional  experience to know that this is the last time we'll see so many of these people whom we love.  But what sweet memories we have.

 Brazzaville  Zone

Saturday we were in three countries.  We began in DRC. Then we crossed the Congo river on our most frightening trip EVER! It was on a small speed boat with a driver who was totally crazy.  The usual trip is about 10 min. He made it in five!  It was choppy that day and he didn't seem to know that you go directly into waves.  About 3/4 of the way across one of our assistants, who went with us, turned to Brent and said, "President, can you swim?"  Brent assured them that we both could swim.  Then asked Elder Kabuya
if he did. He answered "NO!"  Brent asked the other assistant, Elder Mpungu and, with eyes as big as dinner plates, he shook his head from side to side indicating that he had no idea how to swim.  But we made it safely to Brazzaville and had a great zone conference.  All was good. That evening we flew to Libreville, Gabon.  So, we'd been in three countries in one day. Amazing!
In Libreville we finally met Michael and Marie Moody, our new senior couple. They're just wonderful. His name is very recognizable  from all the church music he's written, including "This is the Christ," which is one of my favorite church songs.  His name is found in several places in the church hymn book. We have a very interesting history that we didn't know about until we got together. In 2009 the Moodys turned in mission papers and were called to be an isolated counselor in Lubumbashi, DRC to prepare that area for the coming of a new mission. This story is starting to sound very familiar, isn't it!  At the last minute they were called instead to serve instead as the temple president in Tahiti. They accepted that call and the church called the second string to serve in Lubumbashi, which was us.  The Moodys have pictures of our house in Lubumbashi and other things that they were sent as they prepared for that first assignment.  Several years before that he had served as the mission President in Haiti.  They had been home only a few weeks from Tahiti when their son, an employee of the US Embassy who had just moved to Libreville, told them of the need  for a French speaking senior couple in Gabon. They contacted us and volunteered to serve for six months while we looked for a permanent couple.  By the time they got their call they had decided that they would spend a year in Libreville. I'm so inspired by this kind of dedicated servants of the Lord. They hit the ground running  a month ago and are preparing for the church to be fully installed in Gabon.  We went to see the church building, senior couple home and the apartment for the young elders, who we hope will soon be sent to Gabon, that they have arranged to rent.   All three are in a large compound owned by a family who have built several homes to live in and to rent out on a large piece of land.  It's the perfect situation.

The interesting thing about this is that again the Lord has put things in place for the church to move forward in Gabon.  When the Moodys and the TA worker talked to the woman, she was somewhat nervous about a church being on their property.  So, she called her son in Italy for advice. When she told him what was happening and what church was interested in renting their home, he replied,"Mama, that's MY church. Please don't rent that home to anybody else. Wait as long as you must to rent it to them."   When Brent asked the Branch President who had actually found the place, he immediately replied, "the Lord." Truly the Lord is watching over Gabon.

Couple's apartment on top floor and Elder's apartment on the bottom. 

We spent our time in Gabon in the home of the Moody family. Brother and Sister Moody and their five children, and the Moody senior couple made us feel very much at home and we wonderful hosts to us. They live in a lovely neighborhood in a home rented by the US Embassy and it was about our nicest accommodations ever on our mission.
What a pleasure it was for us to be with children for a few days. This little family is thriving in a country where the church is just starting.



  They're home schooling their children, staying faithful and making a huge difference for those around them.  We loved hearing the children play their piano and violin pieces, listening to them having school in their home and watching them serve in the church.
 Dad is in the branch presidency. Mom teachings the Primary, Emma, age 10, played the piano in church and little Ann Marie, age 7, conducted the music in church like a pro. Being with this family for a few days was a special treat for us.

Church was held in their home that fast Sunday and the spirit was strong as each attending member bore their testimony. When Corinne was a little girl and ran for office at Meyer school, she used the theme "Small but mighty."  That was the perfect description of this lintel group of faithful saints in Libreville. We can't wait to hear about he grown in this city when the full-time elders arrive and go to work. Miracles will continue!

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