The Next Round of Meeting.

During our first round of zone meetings each trip required a round trip drive of an hour or two, the next round of conferences required real traveling and was pretty intense.

Six days, three countries, two boat trips, five cities, six airplane flights, numerous car adventures, four zone meetings, one branch block of meetings, visits with branch and stake presidents, looking at church properties, three mission release interviews, 44 young missionaries and three senior couples with whom to get acquainted. Did I miss anything? Wow!

On Thursday afternoon we headed for "the beach" to take a boat across the Congo River. In order to go to any of our other cities we first go by boat to Brazzaville. We've been told about this trip, but you have to do it to believe it.

Thierry, our office manager, took us to the “beach.” We stayed in the air conditioned car while he arranged for tickets on the boat, took our passports to the immigration officials and exchanged dollars for Central African francs to be used in the two countries we were visiting. (Note: This was all happening on the day before his wife, who was in the hospital at the time, gave birth to a 2 month premature son. Baby Ariel's doing fine, but will be in the hospital for some time.) Bless Thierry's heart!

There were crowds of young men wanting to help us with our luggage and people wanting to sell us everything imaginable. Noisey merchants and their porters were everywhere. It was just masses of humanity going about the business of life on the docks.

Thierry knows everyone and arranged for an immigration official (in the green & white shirt) to walk us through the process of getting on the boat. Sounds easy enough, but not so! There were hoards of people wanting to cross the river, pushing and shoving and yelling at each other. It was seriously tight quarters and my claustrophobia was really put to the test. We were held between two iron fences, along with a few hundred others, while we waited for the next gate to open. There were two lines going opposite directions. We were in the line to the nice boats and we were very glad.

The gates were finally opened wide enough for one person at a time to get through and we were rushed over to a nice touring boat. It held about 20 passengers. Each of us was given a life jacket. The boat ride lasted five minutes and was safe and easy. Getting to it was a challenge.

At the other end of the dock from our boat were larger boats, crammed with crowds people and their belongings. They had been in the line going the opposite direction from our line. They had piles of plastic chairs, buckets and bundles to take to Brazzaville to sell. There were animals and every sort of baggage. Thierry made sure we weren’t on that kind of boat and we were so grateful!

When we reached the other side of the river we saw just how easy our ride was compared to the transportation of many goods. Dugout canoes take people and goods across the river. We saw them loading as we exited our boat. It was just amazing. These people work so hard.

When we arrived in Brazzaville there was no ramp to use to disembark, so we had to climb with our luggage up a steep hill about 30 yards long. The assistants accompanied us on this first leg of the trip and helped us with some of our suitcases. I don't know what we would have done without them. I was helped by Elder Yangoie near the top of the hill when we reached a huge step up . He literally saved me from tumbling back down. At the top of the hill were hundreds of people coming and going across the river. I could hardly believe my eyes when we saw the enormous numbers of people packed into the dock area. We were so glad to have people to help us make this trip!

We were met at "the beach" by a "brother" of the church employee that was supposed to greet us. Frere Gaetan was held up in traffic. One never knows if a brother is really a brother or just somebody that you feel close to. But after waiting for a few minutes out in the crowds of people on the dock who were working and traveling, we got through passport control and Gaetan took us to our hotel. It was a really nice hotel, probably the nicest we've stayed in while in Africa. It was fresh, clean and well decorated and we enjoyed it very much.

The hotel and the statue in the roundabout outside.

As soon as we were settled in our room, the first order of business was meeting with the 20 missionaries in the Brazzaville Zone in an upper room of a restaurant, with some privacy. The conditions in a restaurant weren't as conducive to the Spirit as we would have liked, but we trudged ahead. As always, we loved the missionaries as soon as we met them. There were several whom we had met in Lubumbashi and Likasi.

It was especially an honor to meet Elder LaGuerre. He's the first missionary to ever serve from Central African Republic.

The next morning Gaetan picked us up at 6:30 to go to the airport to fly to Cameroon. There's a new airport in Brazzaville and it was very nice.

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The only problem with it was the crazy pushing and shoving that went on to get into the passenger area. Wow, are the people here ever anxious to get on the plane. We had a stop in Pointe-Noire that was supposed to be just to let passengers deplane. Then we were supposed to leave immediately for Cameroon. We were on the ground for two hours for reasons unknown—no explanation. This made us late for our connection between Douala and Yaoundé. The couple in Douala, the Nuttalls, met us and an airline employee took us to the office to change our tickets to a flight to Yaoundé later that night. Our flight to Yaounde was on a new airline that just started service. Cam-air Co. They were really wonderful. They were helpful and their planes were the nicest ones we've been on. The walkway to their plane was also interesting.

Again the rush of people happened when they announced a flight to Paris. We sat quietly waiting for the Yaounde flight. Then we noticed that everybody but us was leaving the waiting room. We asked an airline worker when the plane to Yauonde left and she said it was boarding. It was going to Paris through Yaounde, but there was no announcement of that. We boarded a jumbo jet that was going to Yaoundé (a 40-minutes flight) and then on to Paris. We were tempted not to get off and go on to Paris for a little vacation, but we rose above it. We finally ended up in Yaoundé around 10 PM where the Thompsons, a great senior couple from Canada who both speak French, met us and drove us about an hour to their apartment. We fell into bed about midnight, happy that the day's travel was behind us. We'd been on planes and in airports for almost 14 hours. After all day traveling, it felt good to share the home of this great missionary couple.

Meeting the Missionaries

Before our mission our first goal was to meet the missionaries. So, before we left home, we arranged to have a little "Meet the Mission President Tour" set up. Our goal was to meet all of the missionaries in the first two weeks that we were here. So, the day after we arrived we began having conferences. First, we held meetings with the missionaries in Kinshasa. There are 5 zones, each of which services a stake. We didn't get pictures of every zone, but we did remember to get some of them.

This is Kimbenseke Zone. It was the first one that we visited. We went there the morning after we arrived, still a bit jet lagged from the 28 hours of travel, but moving on. The Headlees (outgoing mission President) and Koellikers (Area President) went with us to this building. The Headlees were on their way to the airport to go home. They stopped just long enough to greet the elders and take a few pictures.

Then they waved good-bye and drove away, leaving us on our own for the first time.

There we were standing in front the the church, about 12 hours after we arrived, and watching them drive away. It was pretty shocking knowing that we were now in charge. But a whole group of great young elders were waiting for us. So, off we went to our first "meet and greet."

Next we visited Mont Ngafula zone.

Our hearts have already been turned to these missionaries. An interesting note-one of these missionaries is from Madagascar. We have a few missionaries from there. They're easily distinguishable by their names, which are very, very long. I have no idea how we can remember these names.

Elders Andriamanomjy, Tsifolimandefitra, Zaphimaarnanjara, and Andriantolojanahary, Tshimanyangala,

The Mont Ngafula stake has a nice building with a full basketball court and big parking lot. Interesting that they have these big parking lots when there won't ever be more than three cars in the parking lot on Sunday. Planning for future needs?

The drive to each building was long and interesting. You could take a picture every second and get something worth seeing. It all looks like.... Africa.

The last picture is of a very large enclosed area that our driver told us was the Zoo. When we asked about the animals, he said that there aren't really many animals. They were all eaten during the war. Things have been rather complicated in the Congo.

We visited the missionaries in three more stakes and the corresponding zones, Kinshasa, Ngaliema, and Masina.

The trip to each was like all the others. You could have taken a picture a minute. It was fun to meet all the missionaries and most of the stake presidents and also wonderful that in each group there were one or two that we knew from our last mission.

Kinshasa is an amazing place. It goes for an hour or more in every direction with just miles and miles of... Africa.

Kinshasa is a city of nearly 10 million people. We're not sure that we'll ever find our way around in this enormous place.

Thankfully we have a driver, Aime, to get us where we need to go for now. Brent's trying to learn his way around and hopefully it won't be long before we head out on our own. We need to be able to be independent and leave the comfort of our nice mission home apartment when we want. Although it's such a nice place that one could just stay here forever and enjoy it. We feel very blessed to live in such a comfortable home.

Family room/dining room combination

Kitchen and view from the living room

Our first round of "Meet the President Meetings" was great. We enjoyed so much meeting our new sons and daughters. Thurs. we're off to the other side of the mission and the adventure of travel in Africa.

Again We Leave You...

During our four and 1/2 months at home we had many fun visits with dear friends. However, we spent all the time we could with our family and it was heavenly. We made trips to St. George, Salt Lake, California and Texas.

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Because of our early release we were home for the birth of a new grandson, Everett Scott Jameson.

We had grandkids' camp, went to the zoo several times, attended preschool graduation, school plays, concerts, ball games, car shows, birthday parties, and all the other things that grandparents should and love to do.

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Then the time was past and with one more party together, we were saying goodbye. Goodbye is never easy but sometimes it's the right thing to do and our family supported us in our departure.

The grandchildren who were there that night sang a special song for us, Nephi's Promise.

Then there were hugs all around. I guess that one more hug will last two years and will be easy to remember when we miss these little people so much, especially if it's moments like these.

The next stop was Utah. We spent a few wonderful days with the Utah Jamesons and tried to pack in more memories to hold onto for the two years to come.

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On June 22, 2011 our family gathered in a beautiful room in the church office building to await the time for our setting apart. Brent seemed pretty calm as he took a quick peek at the sports news of the day.

All six of our children and three of their spouses had made the trip there to be with us, at some considerable sacrifice. Thanks kids. Brent's sister, Marilyn, was also able to be there. We missed three of our in-law sons, and our brothers and sisters who couldn't be with us that day, but the day was "practically perfect" in every way!

Brent was set apart as President of the RD Congo Kinshasa Mission by Elder Jeffrey Holland, assisted by Elder Steven Snow. Then I was set apart as a missionary and Brent's companion by Elder Snow, assisted by Elder Holland and all of our family priesthood holders (Brent, Ryan, Eric and Scott.) It was very special to have these two men set us apart, since they had been with us in Burundi when Elder Holland dedicated the land. They came in talking of our shared experiences.

It made it a very personal and wonderful event. We will remember it as one of the highlights of our lives.

Blessings for us and our family were clearly promised as we follow the Lord's direction and do our personal best. We were comforted and encourage and it was a never-to-be-forgotten day. Maybe, with the Lord's help, we really can do this. We sure plan to give it our best effort and pray that the Lord will do the rest. We know that's what he's promised each of us and hope to qualify for His help in everything we do. The great need to rely on the Lord as we do things beyond our abilities and to be qualified by the Lord to do more than we're able to do alone is in reality a wonderful blessing.

Groundhog Day

The movie "Groundhog Day" has impacted my life over the years. It's the story of a man who wakes up every day to find the same day repeating itself. He has to keep doing it over and over until he gets it right. Actually, it's makes me crazy to watch the poor guy struggle through the same day over and over again, but it sometimes says exactly what I'm thinking. So, here we are having "Groundhog Day." After four and 1/2 months at home, we're returning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission. This is the mission to which we were called on our first mission. We're back in the same mission home apartment where we stayed the first four days of our last mission, the sky is still grey, the bread lady is still on the corner, the police are still ever present, and this world has changed very little. Last mission, after four days, we went to the Lubumbashi and then on to the new mission when it was created. But so many things are just as they were. The big difference is that now it's our home, Brent now has the responsibility to serve as the Mission President and I'm "the Mom" to 127 great young missionaries. Somehow all that hasn't registered yet and we just feel like it's "Groundhog Day." Fortunately our Groundhog day is a happy one, filled with wonderful missionaries and members. So, here we go again!

History of the Church in Burundi

Before leaving Burundi, I was asked to write a brief history of the church in this country. This is a copy of the document that I wrote.

The History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Burundi, Africa

In 1992, Elder Earl C. Tingey of the Seventy traveled to Burundi and, through an amazing sequence of events, obtained government recognition for the Church. This permission was originally denied, but after feeling the prompting to share the pamphlet “For the Strength of Youth” with the government official, the man changed his mind and granted permission for the organization of the church to have official recognition. The Bujumbura Branch was established by President Homer M. LeBaron. The first branch president, Pres. Egide Nzojibwami, was set apart by Elder J. Ballard Washburn of the Africa Area presidency and a member of the Seventy, on Nov. 27, 1992. The first branch meeting was held two days later with 39 in attendance. Full-time missionaries from the Ivory Coast served in Burundi. These missionaries were Elders Francois Boue, Felix Gnamba, Aime Cesar Kipre and Bassin Kouhon. The branch grew through convert baptisms and was becoming well established when civil war broke out. After a coup, the constitution was suspended in 1996, missionaries were removed from Bujumbura and the branch was officially dissolved.

October 25-26, 2006 President William Maycock and Sister Maycock of the DRC Kinshasa Mission, who now had responsibility for Burundi, made an exploratory visit to the country. They found no church presence but did find several members from the US working in the American embassy and for the UN.

They also visited with the family of Malabi Kyubi Wa Kyubi. The family consisted of Kyubi, his wife, Veronique and four children. Only the oldest child, Ann Marie, had been baptized. Alain was nine but had not been baptized because of the lack of priesthood leadership and no branch presence. Alice and Raissa were not yet old enough for baptism. The family was faithfully holding church in their home, without the sacrament since they had no permission to administer it. They had saved their tithing in a bank account and were living in close compliance to the gospel. They also met with others who expressed interest in the church. They were eager for the church to establish a presence in Burundi.

(See appendix folder 3 for complete Maycock files)

From that time until July 1, 2010 many contacts were made by people in Burundi and Eastern Congo with the office of the Area Presidency. They had learned about the church and gathered others who were interested and formed their own churches, sometimes using the name of the church.

Among them were Hatungimana Johnson, Belamwa Methode and NtibiyumweThomas. They and others petitioned the church asking for missionaries to come, teach and baptize them and groups of people who met with them.

During his tenure as mission president, Michael Headlee visited Burundi, accompanied by Eustache Ilunga, of Kinshasa. Their visit was Dec. 9-15, 2009. During this visit they talked with some of the same people who had talked to President Maycock, attended some of the church meetings being held by these groups of people and taught basic church doctrine to them.

President Headlee felt that future investigation should be made into reintroducing the church into Burundi. (see appendix folder 4 for complete report.)

On July 1, 2010 the DRC Lubumbashi mission was created with Gary L. Packer as mission president. Burundi was included in this new mission. Having seen many of the letters that came to South Africa while serving as Executive Secretary to the Area Presidency, President Packer began to feel a strong spiritual prompting to explore the situation in Burundi and respond to those who were seeking the gospel. In response to this impression Pres. Packer organized an exploratory visit and conference in Burundi Aug. 12-19, 2010.

On Aug. 12 President Gary L. Packer, along with his counselor, Elder Brent L Jameson, and Elder Craig R. Frogley went to Burundi to investigate the situation and present an exploratory conference for some of the pastors who had written to the church and all members in Bujumbura and Uvira, DRC. Kyle Brown of church security joined them to evaluate security needs in Burundi.

They were met in Burundi by President Eustache Ilunga, a stake president who came from Kinshasa, and had been to Burundi with President Headlee during his visit the year before. His insights and experience were invaluable.

A conference was held on Aug. 14 at the Hotel Source du Nil. Twenty-eight interested people and members attended.

Those attending the conference

Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010 a sacrament meeting was held in the hotel room of President Packer for the members of the church in Burundi and their families.

During this visit, investigation was also done into rental properties for senior couples, young elders and a meeting house. All three places were found and contracts signed for rentals. A location was also found for a dedication of the land of Burundi, which would occur in October 2010.

Ded Dedication site at the Monument to Unity First missionary apartment First couples’ apartments

First meeting hall located above DHL inside Gallerie Alexander

After their visit to Burundi, President Packer was given permission by the Area Presidency to make further plans to send missionaries to Bujumbura. (See appendix 5 for Packer complete Packer report.) (I don’t have a copy of the official report Pres. Packer made to S. Africa.)

On Sept. 22, 2010 missionary couples Brent and Lorraine Jameson and Craig and Janet Frogley arrived in Burundi. They were followed shortly thereafter by eight young missionaries- Elders Moussele Fridorin Aristide, Mpoyi Bukasa Jean Paul, Tshituka Job Lafuluaba, Moussa Kadiata Christopher, Kintembila Nzuzi Jonathan, Kizimbou Guy Alain, Diazola Mbambukula Junior, N’Gondo Nkombo Clerck Gilson.

The first week that sacrament meeting was held, the small chapel room was overflowing with 72 people in attendance. So, the next week construction was done to break through a wall and double the size of the chapel.

Baptisms began almost immediately. Alice Malabi was the first person baptized, followed by her brother, Alain. Their parents had moved to in Burundi five years earlier and had been waiting for this day. Fleury Suguru, the son of Simon Suguru who joined the church in 1994 when original branch was in Burundi, was also baptized that day. It seemed fitting that these next generation members were the first baptized.

Every other week baptisms occurred and the branch grew quickly. By the end of 2010 the branch had 39 members. Baptisms were held at Sun Safari Hotel and Source du Nil Hotel. The church continued to grow in number of baptized members and our average Sacrament meeting attendance was 185%.

On October 19, 2010 a small group of saints gathered on a hilltop high above the city of Bujumbura, Burundi at the Monument of Unity, as Elder Jeffery R. Holland dedicated the land of Burundi for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was accompanied by Elder Steven Snow, of the Presidency of the Seventy.

In addition to Elders Holland and Snow, the small group of 18 who attended included the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission president, the Bujumbura group leader, eight young African missionaries, two senior couples who served in Bujumbura and a public affairs missionary couple from Kenya.

Back row-Elder and Sister Jameson, Elder and Sister Puckett (PA missionaries), Elders Holland and Snow, President and Sister Packer and Elder and Sister Frogley Middle-Elder N'Gondo and Kyubi Wa Kyubi and Veronique Malabi Front -Elders Kintembila, Moussa, Diazola, Mpoyi, Moussele, Kizimbou and Tshituka.

Even the elements, which are not always cooperative during the rainy season in this small African country, seemed to honor the day as clouds brought comfortable weather conditions, but withheld their rain during the dedication. As Elder Holland spoke, he commented that below in the busy city of nearly 3 million people, they had no idea that this great event was happening; quietly and without fanfare, on the mountainside above them. They were unaware that the hand of the Lord was extended over this tiny, long-suffering, war-torn land. Now the blessings of the gospel in its fullness could be extended to Burundi and thousands would hear and embrace it. He encouraged those present to consecrate their lives, as he consecrated this land. He encouraged them to join their prayers with his as he acted as voice for their collective prayers for the blessings of the Lord as He opened a window to the future and sent forth the blessings of heaven on the little African country of Burundi.

Following the dedication, Elders Holland and Snow meet with about 25 local members in the newly acquired meeting house. They were joined by more than 45 friends of the church who are studying the gospel. One group of investigators, some of whom traveled over 120 km, came from the Eastern Congo to join with the Burundian saints to see and hear an apostle of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Elder Holland encouraged all in attendance to be patient as the church began to grow and develop after the order of the priesthood. He told them to look to Joseph Smith as their example. He explained that Joseph Smith waited and prepared for many years to begin the work of the restoration. He reminded them that the restoration itself didn’t happen for 1800 years after the gospel was lost from the earth in the time of Christ. He told them that God is very patient and they must be patient too. He asked them to be faithful and obedient to the commandments and commitments they would make as they wait upon the Lord. He promised them that this work will go forward, but we must “do it right” as we begin the great task of gathering the Lord’s children into His flock and spreading the gospel throughout the newly dedicated country of Burundi.

It wasn’t long before the numbers supported the need for a Branch to be created. Jan. 9, 2011 under the direction of President Gary Packer, the Bujumbura Branch was created. Ninety-four members and investigators attended the sacrament meeting on that day.

Called to serve in the first branch presidency were President Malabi Kyubi Wa Kyubi, first counselor Hutungimana Johnson and as second counselor Suguru Simon.

Burundi Otis Amiable was called as Ilunga Jean Jacques was called. the first elders quorum president as the first branch clerk

Not yet called

The first Relief Society president called ___________________________________ was Mininahazwe Magnifique was called as the first Primary President

Not yet called

The first Sunday School President called was _____________ __________________

By Jan. 31 2011 the membership of the branch had grown to 67 members and twelve missionaries. The branch was quickly outgrowing the building and a second remodel was done to increase the size of the chapel and construct a baptismal font on the verandah of the building.

Not yet completed Not yet completed

Growth in the church in Burundi continued just as Elder Holland had said it should. It came with order and patience. But it continued to grow in numbers and in strength.