Faithful 'til the End-Elder Prince

We have some wonderful missionaries in this mission and are learning great lessons from them.  We got this message from our senior couple about one of these terrific Elders,who finished his mission this week. He was indeed faithful to the work that he was here to do until the end.  We're so proud of him and will try to follow his example.

Here's the email that we were sent by our couple.

We took Elder Prince to the airport tonight at 8:30 and wished him luck.  I was at a rendezvous (teaching appointment) with him and Elder Porter until 6:30.  It was a 26 year old man that was baptized last Saturday.  They were there preparing him to receive the priesthood.  Elder Prince worked up until the last possible minute.  He then went home and packed his bags.  We will miss him.

In his last interview he promised Brent that he would be strong to the end of his mission. Well done, Elder Prince. We love you!

The Every Sixth Week Ritual

Every sixth week we have transfers. It's really a crazy time even when the numbers aren't too large. With big groups, it insane.
The schedule is that the day after a transfer Brent starts thinking about and working on the next transfer. When it's all in place Thierry starts working on visa issues since there are three, soon-to-be four countries involved.  Then we deliver the letters to each missionary who will be affected, usually between 25 and 50.  We work on plane tickets, packets of information and papers for both incoming and outgoing missionaries, transportation and schedules.
Transfers take three days.
Day 1- The new missionaries arrive and are picked up at the airport and brought to the office. We take their pictures for our missionary board  and give them their papers and supplies provided by the mission (bedding, books, red pencils, etc, etc.) The we get them settled in transition housing.
We bring the missionaries back from outlying cities who are going home and do the same with them.
Day 2-Brent has a final interview with each missionary going home and issues them a temple recommend. We weigh their bags and give them documents for them and their stake president and their transportation home. Then we take the going-home picture.

We take them to our home and do dinner and a testimony meeting. 

 

After that we send the departing missionaries to the employment center for a day and a half to help them see what possibilities there are in their future. The reintroduction of RM's to life is very hard, so we do this to help them see that they do have things that they can do to have a good future. Going home can be very discouraging with 90% unemployment and few good opportunities. So we hope to give them a hand up by having them do this training.
Immediately after that Brent holds the "train the trainers meeting." Each new trainer comes to the house and receives about 90 minutes of training on the church's First 12 Weeks training program.

Day 3- Brent interviews the new missionaries and then we and the Assistants do a morning of orientation and then lunch. Then they're trained in the afternoon on the First 12 Weeks program and they meet their new companions.  Our staff then loads them all into vehicles and delivers them to their first areas. 

We, at this point, collapse on the couch until we realize that we've done none of the normal things that we do during these three days, so we get up and move on.  This is the Every Sixth Week Ritual. 

Lesson from Alex

Today this sweet little four-year-old boy, named Alex, sent us an email. He had is mom type it for him. It's so wonderful that I have to have it in our history.
 "I love cheetahs. I love you so much Grammy and Papa. I want you to come back because I love you, but I know that Heavenly Father needs you being at Africa. 

I learned a sight word at school. I am practicing it all day. It is the-Like the cat, the moose, the horse and the cow.
I love you.

Love, 

Alex (typed by himself)
   Here's the whole story of this email, told by his wise and wonderful mom. 

"Alex wanted to send you an email today so he asked me to type it while he told me what to say. Here it is. He started telling me what to write and after he said "I want you to come back because I love you" he suddenly paused, then burst into big tears. When I asked what was wrong he sobbed "I just really miss them and want them to come back. Are they gonna stay forever?" I assured him you wouldn't stay forever and that it would just be a few more months and then you would come back. We talked about doing what Heavenly Father wants us to do and that we can all do hard things. I told him it was hard for you to live in Africa and that it was okay if it was hard for him because he misses you, but that it's very important for us to do what Heavenly Father wants, even when it's hard. He hugged me and wiped his tears and told me he could do a hard thing and that he wants you to do what Heavenly Father wants you to do. He loves you and misses you like we all do, but how better could he learn these lessons than through your example. What a blessing that our kids get to learn these lessons so young. We are all blessed for the sacrifices you make and are grateful that you are willing to teach us by example.

Love you,

Corinne "

I can think of a million reasons to go on a mission as a senior couple, but this is the best one I've ever heard. Thank you Alex and Mommy!  We can do hard things and we're blessed far more than we ever imagined when we do!! 

Stake Division- Kinshasa Continues to Grow

The day after Thanksgiving Elder and Sister Soares arrived from Johannesburg. He was here to divide three stakes, Ngaliema, Kinshasa, and Mont Ngafula, to create a fourth. That makes six in Kinshasa and a seventh will be created in two weeks.  He spent the whole day and into the evening Saturday interviewing because he  changed two stake presidencies,which requires getting people back and forth from long distances to interview and extend calls. Rule #1 really applies here. It's not like you can just call them and have them run over to the stake center. Moving people around is not easy! They had to go to great length to have interviews and make calls.
Saturday, Sister Soares held auxiliary training for stake leaders. We had the biggest classroom the building and it was filled to capacity.
 Sister Soares is just learning English and speaks no French, so they found a Portuguese translator. Ten minutes after the appointed time, he was not there and she and I were getting pretty worried that she would be trying her best in English and I would be trying my best to translate into French. But by the time we'd done the opening song and prayer the translator came. We were both very relieved. Sister Soares had prepared beautiful visual aids for her lesson and she had made a copy for each stake. Since there are very few visual aids available here, the sisters were delighted with what they received, not only in words but in beautiful posters. I had planned to do some of the training, but translation takes so long that I ended up just being there for moral support and it was OK! Her training was very good and the sisters loved her, how could they not? She's a sweet, gracious lady.

Notice there are no smiles.  It's like it was in the pictures of our ancestors, where you looked very serious for photos. 

 Sunday we had a conference where Elder Soares announced the stake division.  It was well attended with over 1,800 people there.  Since we can't take pictures in meetings, I only have a few of us trying to get out of the parking lot with the crowds parting like the Red Sea in front of our car, which was one of about 10 in the parking lot.

  Some wards had rented taxi buses for their members 

and they stood ready to cram in 20-30 people and head home. 

Later in the day Elder Soares held  a meeting for all endowed members. As we sat down on the stand he leaned over and asked us to give five-minute testimonies about the temple. In English, no problem! In French, extemporaneous speaking of any kind is challenging. I thought about using a translator, like Sister Soares did,  but I still think it's important that I use their language if I can, even if it's not perfect , which it certainly isn't. But I got through it and sometimes I feel like the spirit speaks better for me than I could with beautiful English. So, it was OK (except for my minor nervous breakdown) and after, people were kind  and appreciative of my efforts.
 In a city where over 8,000 members attended the conferences with Elders Holland, Clayton and Renlund last month, there were less than 300 in attendance at this meeting of endowed members.  Kinshasa anxiously awaits the new temple.

A Very Fast Trip

The day after we got home from Mission Presidents' Seminar Brent decided that we needed to have a Zone Leader Council, which we had thought we would skip because of our 19-day travel schedule this month. But he felt the need to go ahead with it.  So, I hurried and arranged for the lunch and Brent got the training ready and we held a monthly Zone Leader Council.  This is a tremendous group of young missionaries. Their job is to discuss mission issues, consider objectives, and receive training and then take the messages and decisions back to their zones. They are serious about this responsibility, take copious notes, and are just wonderful.

Walking the hall at the Adonis Hotel does
bring to mind a cruise ship.

 The day after that we headed out on our fastest trip ever to the outlying cities.  We had to cross the river and spend the night in Brazzaville because of the flight schedule.  Brent told the office staff that he was taking me on a little "overnight, romantic get-away." Crossing the river, staying overnight in a hotel, meeting with the Brazzaville stake president, eating camping meals, and reading and answering the 60+ emails from missionaries that come every week, is not my idea of a vacation!  But it was a nice thought.

Then Friday we headed out for Cameroon. We were gone for four days, took six flights, and visited three cities in two countries. Brent did priesthood leadership training in each city and interviewed 24 missionaries . We  held short zone conferences and dinner in each of the three zones. We have 20 North Americans, three Malagasies, and one Congolese there, plus our three fabulous couples.

While Brent interviewed missionaries I shared our Central African Republic and Elder Holland visits and talked about things we learned at the seminar. These were the only missionaries in our mission who missed the visit of Elder Holland. They were understandably sad not to have been there.
Distance, finances and national boundaries make it impossible for them to ever get to Kinshasa. The North Americans only serve in these three cities but are very accepting of this situation. .

I love to see the elders heading back to their sectors. They're really awesome!

It rained on and off for most of the trip, but it was a blessing to me that it didn't rain on any of our six flights.  When we got to Pointe Noire, the Wheatley's told us that it had rained heavily all the day before and there had been many areas flooded. As if life isn't hard enough, this is what  happened when hard rain hit this weekend and there was flooding.

 

So sad to see these people who already have so little suffer even more because of flooding. It will take them a lot of time to re-establish their homes.

We arrived home  the day before Thanksgiving just in time to get ready for dinner with our couples. We just love these folks and it was great to share Thanksgiving with good friends.

Later we talked to our children on Skype. They had it set up at Emily's home so that each family could greet us as they arrived and made last minute preparations.  It was really fun to almost feel like we were there.  When dinner was ready they asked Brent to ask the blessing, which he did in FRENCH.  Then they said goodbye and went on with their celebration.  We also had a chance to visit separately with some of the families at different times  We're so grateful for this good family of ours.

Late in the evening Brent turned on the television and to our surprise there was a football game. This was the first football game that Brent has seen in more than three years. He completely enjoyed it, even though the power went out right in the middle of the best play of the game.

We feel grateful for our bounteous blessings from our loving Heavenly Father.

We were also thankful for a great holiday with good food, friends, family and football. 

It's just what Thanksgiving should be.

Mission President's Seminar in Johannesburg

 

After each general conference the Area Presidency is directed to hold a mission presidents' seminar. Its agenda is set by the missionary department and the Area Presidency does all the teaching.  All  eleven mission presidents and their wives in our Africa Southeast Area attend this wonderful three days of instruction by the three 70's who serve in our Area Presidency, Elders Renlund, Soares, and Cook and their wives. So, three days after returning from Bangui, we repacked our bags and headed out to Johannesburg. The seminar started on Monday, but since the plane doesn't go to Johannesburg on some days, we arrived early. It gave us time to do some shopping and go to a couple of dentist and doctor appointments. It was quite a long time to be away. It's always hard to leave the mission behind, but mission presidents are available 24/7 by phone, and the mission doesn't hesitate to call. During most of the breaks in the seminar the mission presidents were on their phones talking to their missionaries and office staff.

It's always fun to go back to a world like the one in which we used to live. Johannesburg is very much like a modern  US city.  We stay in a nice hotel, eat at good (and very reasonably priced) restaurants and shopped in....oh my goodness, real stores!!! Malls, supermarkets, specialty stores. You name it, they have it!  We filled our suitcases with things for our couples and us.

This is Macro-S. Africa's Costco. Naturally, I loved it!

 

This nice Pharmacy is in a MALL.
They give wonderful service to the missionaries.

           

You really are in civilization when you see these kinds of places to eat. 

While in Johannesburg, we had one of the most remarkable experiences that we've ever had.  It was a very special little miracle. The mission presidents and wives were scheduled to go to the temple at 5:00 on Tuesday.  We found out from President and Sister McMullin, the Lubumbashi Mission President, that there was a group of Burundian saints who were going to be sealed at just that time. Because of the exact timing, it wouldn't interfere with the seminar plans and the  McMullins invited us to join them at the sealing.

We arrived and were escorted to the sealing room to wait for the company. We didn't know who it was and were anxious to see. When they came in, it was a joyous moment. It was the Malabi family, and the Mabingo family and their two young sons who are awaiting mission calls, Jean Jacque and one other family, the Lumbus, who moved from Rwanda into the branch after we left.  We couldn't have chosen anything more perfect than to be at the temple with these much beloved families from Burundi.

Malabi family This family of six lived in Burundi for five years before the church came, saved their tithing for all those years to be able to pay when somebody from the church came, took food to needy families monthly as a fast offering, held church in their home, but had never been able to baptize their children before we got to Burundi.  He was the first branch president and we love them dearly. Their four children were sealed to them. Top to bottom- Kyubi, Veronique, Anne Marie, Alain, Alicia, and Raisa. 

This family has suffered a great deal for the church. He's lost his employment and their home because he wouldn't deny his faith.  They continue to experience harship. She once told us that they don't fear because of their faith in the Lord.  We love them!

Menos Mabinga family  Brother Menos' baptism was the only one that Brent actually performed on our missions.  Brother Mabingo had dreamed that Brent would baptize him. He had special circumstances to consider before being baptized and it didn't seem possible to teach him, get the special permission needed and baptize him in a week.  But he believed that his dream was true and had great faith that it would happen. So, Brent and the zone leaders taught him. He read daily and had a long list of questions every day.  In a week he was ready. The request was made, expecting that it would take some time, but the approval came overnight . In truly amazing ways that baptism took place two days before we left Bujumbura. His wife and three children had preceeded him in baptism, and now all the other children have been baptized.  Eight young adults and two deceased children were sealed to them  What a joyous time it was to be with them.
Jean Jacques is a great young man who came to Burundi from Lubumbashi. He'd been in the church most of his life, but had no chance to be active when he went to Burundi for school.  He valiantly keep his faith despite questions and challenges from his schoolmates. We always talked about the future time when he would go to the temple and then this tiny miracle happened and we were with him when it did.
 Brent and President McMullin were asked to be the witness for the sealings.  Nothing could have been sweeter than this marvelous reunion in the temple.  If we could have chosen families to be with, it would have these.  We're grateful that the McMullins invited us to be there for this sweet reunion.  What a great blessing it was!
Two weeks earlier the first group from Uvira and Bujumbura had gone to the temple.

The  family of Methode was among them. He had waited 12 years to have the gospel in his life and moved to Bujumbura in order to be baptized.  What a faithful man.  Brent gave his shoes to Mehtode when we left and Methode had "fish clothes" made for us because we were "fishers of men at Lake Tanganyika." Odette and DieuDonne and Thadee where members who we know well and were also in this group. What a great thing it is to see that these dear Burundian pioneers, who wanted the church so much and waited so patiently, finally have all the blessings of the gospel.

I think all of us white haired folks were quite a sight.

Along with the serious learning part of the seminar there were some fun parts as we shared our experiences and laughed at the funny things that happen on a missions in Africa. We also went on a trip to the MonteCasino Bird Sanctuary.  The high point of the day was when Pres. Wood was a volunteer and  let a hawk land on his head during the bird show.




After the seminar we stayed a day or two and had a little time to shop. We bought some practical things for the couples and us. Then we went to Bruma, an craft market. I'd heard that it was a great place and it was. We also visited one of my favorite places, the African Market.  We picked up a few African arts and crafts that will help us remember our African experience.  We bought a Zulu wedding doll from a cute little lady, who said " I'll give good price because the rain make not many customers. You will bring me luck." The custom was that a Zulu warrior would make this kind of doll as beautifully and as elaborately as possible. He would leave it in the yard of the girl he wanted to marry. If she accepted the doll, she accepted him.  She would treasure and name the doll. Then their first child would carry that name.  They come in all sizes and can be quite elaborate.  I loved this little one that had nice detail and I loved the cute little lady who was selling them even more .

Traditional soapstone family figure

 

One of the unique trees in Africa is the Baobab tree. If you have ever read The Little Prince you might remember it. Brent had all his second-year students read it.  So, when he saw this little Baobab tree made from banana leaves, he just couldn't resist it.  It'll be just perfect with our tiny banana leaf nativity. This banana leaf art is a Congolese craft that's quite unique.

Two  gigantic Baobab Trees near the church in Matadi

Banana leaf Baobab Tree

We just keep finding   great reminders of our time in Africa.  I'm not sure how they'll all fit in our home, but we enjoy seeing and collecting a few things.
 The Mission Presidents' Seminary is a beneficial time for us to receive  council from our leaders, interaction,  learning from, and have fun with  other mission presidents, go on a  nice cultural outing, and even some  shopping. It's a rejuvenating time and gets us ready to go back to work with renewed zeal.

An Apostle Meets our Little Branch

After the dedication our caravan moved down the mountain and through the     streets of  Bangui.  The red dirt makes this area quite distinctive, but other things are much like the rest of our mission. Many little shops, people trying to make a living, children going to school and everywhere people walking and walking are found in every city in our mission.  




                                                           


In a few minutes we had traveled the distance from the dedication site to the building that is rented by the  church. 








The members had worked hard to make the building look it's best for the visit of an Apostle. They had a new sign on the front fence. The one that they had earlier had been stolen. It's hard to imagine why anybody would do that, but now they had one prominently displayed on the outside gate. They had painted the exterior and interior and had put in fans. The whole building just looked fabulous and they were so proud to show it off to the visitors.  There were 128 in attendance, in a very small chapel.

 As we come into the yard, we saw that the meeting room was not large enough for all who had come. The members had spilled out of the chapel and filled the porch in front of the building. 

Entering the room and taking our seats Elder Holland took special notice of the children. 

They were tightly packed in the front rows, siting quietly in their little plastic chairs.  They had been waiting for some time for the arrival of the Apostle.  Their primary leader had given each one of them a white tissue to wave to welcome the visitors. Just before we were to start the meeting Elder Holland said that he would like to have a picture with these little children.  

 

Quickly chairs were moved and little ones lined up. It was a special site to see Elder Holland standing among these little folks in this tiny hall in a small branch in Bangui.  

I thought of the words of the Savior when he said, "Behold your little ones."  It was a very tender moment.

After we were all seated again in our seats Brent, who had been asked to conduct, began the meeting. We were asked to speak, along with the Claytons, the Renlunds and finally Elder Holland. Brent interpreted for the Claytons and Georges Bonnet interpreted for Elder Holland.  

 Elder Holland first addressed the children directly. He told the story of a little girl who had worn her favorite dress out to play. It had been soiled and torn and she was brokenhearted when she returned to her mother. But her mother repaired and washed the dress and the little girl was happy again. He then related this to the atonement and how, through Christ's atonement, we can be clean and right again even when we make mistakes.  It was a great lesson for the children.
Then he addressed the adults saying how many places an Apostle could and needed to be and how happy he was to be able to be in this building today with the members of this branch. He talked about the blessings that would now come to their country. It was a message of love and hope for the members of the Bangui Branch. 

  As Elder Holland spoke he noticed that the little children on the front few rows in small plastic chairs were getting weary. The long day of waiting and listening had become too much for them.  One little girl fell fast asleep. Then a few more and a few more. Finally most of the row were sleeping peacefully. He chuckled about it and had us take pictures of the progressive abandonment of the little people. 

 

It was a great day for our little Bangui Branch. They never dreamed that an Apostle would be with them in their humble little rented building in isolated Bangui.

Later, in the church news Elder Holland was quoted as saying. 

 "I was so moved by their faith. These are believing people. They accept the gospel when they hear it — it is in their bones. They have genuine faith. They will walk scores of miles to attend meetings and perform their duties. It isn't superficial. It isn't a fleeting thing with them. They just believe. The thing I come back with from Africa is the spirituality and faith of the people who have so little materially."

Elder Holland spoke of Bangui Branch President Langue, a lawyer who trained in France, practiced law in the United States and then returned to Central African Republic. "He kept saying, with tears in his eyes, that he couldn't quite fathom that a member of the Quorum of the Twelve had come all that way and sought them out in their interior African world, in the jungle, in the isolated communities that they are in. He couldn't get over the fact that we would come and find them, that their little handful of members mattered. That was touching to me. I said, 'Of course you matter. Of course we will find you.' It was a great day."



After the member meeting we went back to the hotel and rested for a couple of hours and prepared for a reception and dinner for government, religious, and educational officials.  When we entered our room I was touched with what I saw. On the dresser there was a note from the Bangui Branch. They wanted to welcome us in a special way and had written a welcome note and left it with several bottles of water and some small packages of cookies. It was their way of saying how grateful they were for the visit.


That evening we went to the dinner and reception. I'm sad to say that after the remarkable day we'd had, it was quite a bit less remarkable. But how could it compare to the things that we had witnessed that day.  There was a small turn out but Elder Holland spoke to them in very clear terms about the mission and objectives of the church.  


We had spent a wonderful 24 hours with the devoted leaders and wonderful saints of Central African Republic.  We loved our time with them and look forward to coming back. There is a great love that forms between the pioneers of the church and those who are blessed to see them and help to watch over them. It's a special relationship that makes it hard to leave and makes us want to go back over and over again. 

Early Tuesday morning we had breakfast together at the hotel and then headed to the airport to take the charter flight back to Kinshasa.  We had to land at the main airport an hour out of town to have our passports checked.

 After a few minutes we took off again and flew four minutes to a small airport fairly close to the hotel and mission home.  The Salt Lake visitors spent a couple of hours resting at the hotel before catching a night flight for Paris and then Salt Lake.  Elder Holland told me that, when he arrived on Wednesday afternoon, he would go straight to the church offices to resume his work; this would be after three weeks of intense travel and meetings throughout southern Africa and nearly a 30-hour flight.  These men work so hard and give so much.  They could not do what they do without divine help. They left great memories and the love of the leaders of the church, which will always be remembered by the members of Kinshasa, Bangui and us.