The Torch is Passed. The Cooks Arrive

 On July 29, 2013 Bryce and Karol Cook arrived in Kinshasa.  Despite jet lag and culture shock, they were ready to go to work and eager to get started on their new adventure.  We were so grateful to put the mission in the hands of these wonderful, competent and devoted folks. We had a great visit, the mantle was shifted, the pressure was lifted and we were happy to have them come and help the mission to move forward. They're great people and we're sure that the Lord will do wonderful things in the DR Congo Kinshasa mission under their direction.  We can't wait to see what happens in the next two years.





Sunday we had a little time spent talking, and then went to church where all four of us spoke. It was a good time to say goodbye to special people.  We prepared the last of all the meals we've prepared in the mission home and enjoyed a quiet time with the Cooks .

As always, Aimé was waiting in the office to aid us one last time and we were off to the airport.

  

 Antoine was at the airport waiting to help us through the "formalities" of travel in the DRC.  What a great aid he's been to us and everybody who comes to Kinshasa.
It was independence day, July 30th and the airport was more crowded and crazy than ever. Cars were parked in the parking, on the streets, on the grass and every other imaginable inch of the property.


But  despite more than usual craziness and with a last minute fright that we might miss our plane because of the backup of people trying to get processed, we raced on.  Finally we dropped into our seats on the plane and watched as we saw Kinshasa fade in the distance. It was with a mixture of relief, immediate longing for those we know and love in Africa, and excitement to greet others we love at home that we said goodbye. We've finished our work. We've done our best and it was so worth any effort or sacrifice that we made! We have been changed and forever improved by this unique and life-changing chapter of our lives.

Our last Transfer

Doesn't it just seem fitting that our last transfer would follow RULE #1 perfectly? We had five missionaries leaving and 11 coming on the last Thursday and Friday of our mission.  Nothing was easy about this transfer!!  It was the first one since our change in staff and we'd all worked very hard to make it run smoothly. Transfers are a stressful and exciting time for the missionaries. It's when they see if their life,

whether they're enjoying their current assignment or not, will change dramatically.  When the letters come it's a really big event. It's also a stressful and crazy time for the office staff, MLS couples and us. Changes have to be made right up to the last minute. For those moving to new countries, letters of invitation, airline and bus tickets, and visas have to be done. Then the staff and senior couples, literally, pick up all 50 or so missionaries and their "stuff." They take them to airports, bus stations, or new apartments. Then those on the other end of the transfers pick them all up and take them where their new home will be.
Add bringing departing missionaries to the mission home for their farewell dinner, interviews, weighing of luggage and helping them repack it to get under weight limits, taking departing missionaries to the airports, picking up, interviewing, orienting, feeding. It's a sweet time to say good-bye to our dear missionaries.

Then we welcome our new missionaries, train them and have a welcome dinner for them. We get new missionaries to their companions and meeting with and training their trainers.  All  this happens in two days and you have pure madness even if it all goes perfectly.

Well...
This transfer has been anything but perfect!

Our senior African couple finished their mission this transfer. So we had to close up their apartment. They were scheduled to leave a week after Zone Conference, for which they had to make the six hour bus trip from Matadi to Kinshasa.  That would mean that they'd have to make that trip twice in two weeks. That was just too hard so we made special arrangements for them to come here for Conference, stay in the TA transition housing and then leave at a time other than the normal transfer. One of the elders who was being transfered to Kinshasa from Matadi had to make arrangements to do nearly the same thing, only we went ahead and transferred both him and his replacement early.

Then we had visa problems and three American elders will be delayed in their transfers to another country.  Some of them will have to wait a week to get their travel documents. That makes it necessary to have three elders together during that time on both ends of the transfer. One of the elders was all ready to leave when Republic of Congo changed the rules about invitations for those re-entering the country. So, he may even be delayed longer.

Next, we had 11 missionaries who were supposed to have gone to the MTC for this transfer, but one never showed up. It turned out that his non-member family didn't want him to go and sent him to a village to prevent him from doing so.  That means that the transfer had to be changed to accommodate one fewer new missionary and we continued to have an odd number of elders. So, there were more last minute changes.

And then all 10 of the missionaries from the MTC thought that they were flying on Kenya air and they actually were on Ethiopian air. They missed their flight. We weren't sure when they could get seats for all of those 10 missionaries on the same flight and right away. That would have meant more airport runs and delayed training. We thought for awhile that the Cooks would have to receive and train these new missionaries on their second day as mission president. But they somehow got all 10 missionaries on the plane just a day later. We decided to orient them on the day planned, but just later in the day. As it turned out they were in the airport and still looking for luggage at 4:30pm.  It would take two hours in horrible traffic to get here.  They'd been traveling for two days and were nearly exhausted when they arrived.  So, hey, we're flexible. We will train them early Sat. morning and have lunch and then sent them on their way just in time to get last minute meal preparations and organizing done before we go to the airport to get the Cooks. We have always asked our missionaries to work to the end and be strong until their last hour.  All these changes have given us no alternative.

But, the last problem was the worst of all the game, we lost a new American elder for a few hours. Worst "arrival on my mission story" ever!! He started out from the MTC in Provo just fine, although he was nervous about flying half way around the world alone.  Then when he arrived in Belgium, his next plane was delayed for five hours, which left him a 9 hour layover. His next flight was 9 hours from Brussels to Yaoundé with just a stop in Douala to drop off / pick up passengers. Upon arrival he spent two hours searching for the couple who was to meet him in the airport. Part of that time he was  looking for his luggage and then trying to tell somebody in French that it was lost.  He finally asked a 10 year old boy to interpret for him.  In desperation he checked  his paperwork for somebody to call. The only number he could find was for the couple in Douala, not the Yaoundé couple, who were to pick him up.  He called them anyway using a borrowed phone.

The Douala couple called the couple in Yaoundé to see if they'd forgotten the elder.  They replied that they and his companion and another missionary had   been searching for him in the Yaoundé airport for two hours as well. These airports just aren't big enough to be lost in for two hours. Both have just one small area for arrivals. They had no idea what to do next.

The Douala couple had a sudden insight and called the missing elder back, asking him to verify with somebody else what airport he was in. So, the elder asked the airport employee whose phone he'd used.  Our poor elder wasn't in Yaoundé but in Douala. He had gotten off the plane when it stopped in Douala. At 11:00 pm the Douala couple made the 20  minute drive and finally found the poor, stranded elder, who had now been traveling for nearly 40 hours.  But this wasn't the end. They didn't get out of the airport before a good interrogation by security, who had made all the passengers disembark, taken all the luggage off the plane and were pretty concerned about a passenger who had disappeared leaving his luggage behind. Once convinced that he wasn't a threat, security let them all go home. Now the poor elder has to take a six hour bus trip to his final destination.  At least he will be going in the company of another elder who's being transferred. He's been a real trooper about it. He didn't make a single complaint when we talked to him on Skype . When asked how he was feeling he said he was "ready to go to work."   Aren't these young elders just remarkable!  The best of the best come to the Kinshasa mission, but sometimes getting them here is quite a challenge.  We'll not forget our last transfer!

More Firsts in Gabon

We have been very blessed to see the opening of Gabon to missionary work.  This week we got a great letter from the Moodies telling about the latest wonderful events there.  She's given us permission to put it in our history.
LETTER FROM THE MOODYS IN LIBREVILLE

The miracles come daily here in Libreville. 

Last week we counted over 30 people at our services and the social afterwards. It was held at the spacious Koumba home (The husband is a cousin of Marie-Cecile Price, a member visiting from Calais, France). There was a great spirit and good fellowship; Sister Price was moved to tears as she shared a heart-felt testimony with  her family and friends. 

Yesterday we held our first Sunday meetings in the "new" Church building. It's as if it had been designed for this very purpose. It was clean and bright and nicely accommodated 22 people in the smaller part of the chapel, including eight friends of the Church. Two lovely middle-aged sisters who were with us last week were eager to have us meet with them. We'll hold our first discussion in the chapel tomorrow afternoon. 

There was a strong spirit, and a vision of hope filled our hearts as we sang "Now let us rejoice . . . Glad tidings are sounding to us and each nation." 

Yes--the field is white here. The thought that came to Elder Moody's mind was "all we're lacking is a sign, enough chairs and some young elders. Love, Moodies"  

The Lord is moving fast to accomplish his work in Africa.  Sometimes we've felt like we had to run faster than we had strength to keep "the stone rolling forth without hands" from crushing us. But it's been an amazing ride. And this growth and work will go forward "nobly and independently until it has penetrated  this continent, visted this climate, these nations and rung in every ear." - Joseph Smith

We are so astonished and blessed beyond words to have watched it happen here in Africa.  We look forward to hearing how it continues, and it surely will do. 

Good-bye to the People at Temporal Affairs

We and all of our couples were invited to come to the Temporal Affairs devotional on June 25.  In place of their usual weekly devotional they had asked if they could do a little Farewell Devotional for us. It was so kind of them to give us a chance to say good-bye to many with whom we've worked closely.

They had a nice program planned using our favorite hymns- Because I Have Been Given Much and Lord I Will Follow Thee.  We so love to hear the Congolese sing!

Then Eustache Ilunga and Pascal Lomboto spoke. Each has had many experience with us and it was just right that they were the speakers.

Eustache went with Brent to Burundi when the men went for the first time. He was the office manager of the mission when we were in Lubumbashi., so we've known him for a long time. Now he's the director of theTemporal Affairs Service Center and he and Brent have worked closely together.  He talked about Brent in a very personal way. He especially referred to his kind nature and how he could work through a problem in a positive and loving way, even when the situation was very frustrating. He talked about how Brent had taught him to be grateful and how often after working through a difficult time with many emails going back and forth, the last one would be from Brent. It would just express his appreciation for the resolution of the problem and the work that had been done by individuals to make it happen. He talked about Brent's even, steady way. It was very tender because Eustache really represented who Brent is.

 Pascal is our senior office manager. He's worked for seven mission presidents. He talked about things that he's learned from President Jameson.  He said that he wasn't sure what to expect when we came because he knew from "the grape vine" that President Jameson was a "by-the-book man." He said that he worried that Brent would be severe and hard to work with.  But he had quickly learned that it was just the opposite. He had learned humility, kindness, encouragement, respect and love from Brent.  He has also learned that you can be completely obedient and still be loving and compassionate. It was a great tribute to Brent to have these two men who know him well say things that were so "Brent."  They really know him well and represented his personality and talents well.

They presented us with a gift. It's the most perfectly Congolese table cloth that there could ever be. Matching place mates are to follow but didn't get done by the meeting time.   They're made of  fabric woven for the celebration of Congolese independence. The date of June 30th and pictures representing Congo are appliqued on fabric with the Congolese national colors.                                                                                          

Sister Maggie, who made it, told us that it represented not only the country of DR Congo, but our departure date, June 30th.  It's a treasure!  It's appliqued  pictures so perfectly represent the Congo.

Then we were invited to share our testimony one more time.  These "lasts" are certainly difficult to do, but we were glad to share our testimonies of the truthfulness of this work and our gratitude for the help of Temporal Affairs, without which the work of the church couldn't go forward.

 

After the meeting everybody greeted us and then they served pizza and soda. It was a real effort on their part to make this a nice event for us.

We were grateful for this time spent with these dedicated TA workers and our senior missionaries.

Theirry, Mbuyi, Tommy and Brent visited while enjoying the refreshments.

Elder Alfred Kyungu and Elder Jean Claude Mabaya, two friends and Area Seventies were there too. Both are church employees.

The Smiths, our every faithful, hard working office couple and Chantal and Eric Van Hauvermat, our French friends, were enjoying the pizza too. I Chantal tells us that they are "delicious!" Whenever they eat with us, Chantal always says that American food is "delicious."  When she says it in French it's delightful and she says it often. She always asks for recipes.  This week I gave her a box cake mix and jello to make herself because she'd asked for the "recipes."

It was very kind of Temporal Affairs to have this wonderful evening for us.  We have made good friends here, African members, senior couples from the US and Canada and expats who work for the church.

A mission is an enriching life experience in so many ways.

The Kinshasa Symphony

 

Since we were sent a link over a year ago to a "60 Minute" special on the Kinshasa Symphony, I have wanted desperately to see them perform. We tried for a long time to find them, without success. Then we heard of a benefit concert they were doing at the German Embassy, but we were out of town that day. Then there was a free concert advertised on their website, but it turned out to be one of those days when the daily security alert suggested that we stay home and especially away from crowds, so we passed again. I thought that we wouldn't be able to have that "bucket list" experience.

Then last week our PA couple went to several churches to meet with leaders as part of their Public Affairs assignment. One of them was the church were the symphony practices. It's located in the home of a man who left his work as a pilot and used a large compound he inherited as a church and a music school.  It's in a typical Congolese neighborhood with dirt roads and no electricity much of the time. We actually got lost in this neighborhood last week when all the major roads were blocked for a bike rally. This is a sample of the neighborhood where the symphony practices.

This might actually be the street where the symphony'practices.
It was hard to tell in the dark.  If not, it was one pretty much like it. 

Imagine this garden area over two block long in the middle of LA.
Kinshasa is a huge city, more than 2 1/2 times the size of  LA, not what you'd call a modern metropolis. 

During the day people crowd the streets going about daily life.

But inside these walls is a place to enjoy the joy, peace and freedom of music.

But it's not just the home of a symphony, it's a place for Congolese of all ages to learn the joy of playing music. There were musicians young and old all over the compound practicing.  All of the instruments are either donated and refurbished instruments or those that they had made from scratch themselves. Many are not to standard specification and are thinner or thicker, a bit longer or shorter than others. But they are treasured by the musicians.

They were able to talk to the pastor/maestro and he invited them to come to a rehearsal any Monday, Wednesday or Friday.  When they told us about it I was so excited and asked if they might fit it in this week.  They immediately made the arrangements to go for our last FHE.

We drove through Kinshasa, which is mostly unlighted at night in a caravan with four cars of expats.  It was so hard getting there that two of the cars couldn't follow us and eventually turned around and went out for ice cream instead.  But we were determined since it was our only chance to go.  After going down one of the paved streets full of crazy traffic, we turned down a dirt road into a darkened neighborhood, lit only by a few candles on the stands of vendors.
 We were met by one of the vocalists who showed us the way through the compound into a warehouse-type building where they had placed plastic 10 chairs for us right in front of the orchestra.

They treated us like honored guests and we watched an hour of  orchestra practice . Then they were joined by the symphonic choir for 30 minutes practice.  Their music completely blew us away.  It was just magnificent. The Congolese are so musical and when you added the finesse of good musical training, it was remarkable. At the end of the rehearsal the maestro explained that we were representatives of a church and they welcomed us with a "clap" of greeting from one Christian to another. We were then able to tell them about us.

 

Again the beauty and the indomitable spirit of these Congolese people was an inspiration to us. 

If anybody would  like to see something amazing go to Net Flix and watch the documentary

The Kinshasa Symphony! 

Last Supper with the Couples of Kishasa

The farewell moments just go on and on.  We had one last dinner at the mission home for the senior couples, Smiths, Gates, Bybees and Moons.

These folks are quite a wonderful group of faithful, dedicated servants of the Lord and wonderful friends.

We will miss our times together and will remember and be inspired by their willingness to serve in the DRC.

They've proved that they can do hard things and we've had a lot of fun doing them.  Au revoir, dear Friends!

Sister Flagbo Gets a Brace

One of the greatest missionaries in our mission is Sister Flagbo. She comes from Togo and has been an inspiration to all who know her. When she serves in a ward or with a companion, they're so grateful to have her and so sad when a transfer comes.  She's just wonderful.  It's hard to imagine that she almost didn't get to serve. Only through sheer faith, determination and inspiration is she here.  She was born healthy, but at the age of  7 she and two other children were mistakenly given triple doses of a vaccine.  One of those children died, the other is in a vegetative state and Sister Flagbo was left with problems that caused one leg not to grow correctly.  In order to walk she had to put her hand on her knee to steady her leg with each step.  Her family was able to send her to a good school and despite here physical challenges she did well. When she was 17 her father, who was a successful CEO of a bank, died of a heart attack. As is sadly sometimes the custom in Africa, her aunts and uncles came and took everything they owned, leaving her and her mother penniless. Life was indeed hard for them, but they persevered.  When Sister Flagbo found the church she wanted to serve a mission. Her priesthood leaders discouraged her because of  her physical limitations. She listened to their counsel but her desire didn't go away.  One day she met a general authority who had only one arm. He told her that she should pursue the goal of serving a mission and that's all she needed to continue her quest. She filled out papers and was met with more opposition. This time she was told that she would have to begin an exercise and diet regime and become more physically fit if she wanted to serve. This she did, eating mostly cucumbers and tomatoes.

 Finally she was allowed to submit her papers, received her call and went to the MTC in Ghana. There the MTC president was concerned about her physical ability to serve.  He suggested that she might be called to work in a temple or complete a church service mission. Many options were discussed. In the end, Brent felt the inspiration to let her at least try to serve in Kinshasa. She came and she has never complained a single time about her circumstances, her health or her limitations. She's a bright, shining star in the mission and has influenced everybody she meets to be better and happier.

We love Sister Flagbo and are so grateful for the inspiration the Lord gave Brent to allow her to be given the chance to be a missionary.

We wanted to find a way to make her physical situation better. We got permission to have tests done and sent to South Africa to see is she could be helped.  There the doctors said that they could do nothing for her.  We asked Thierry if he would investigate at local hospitals and clinics to see if we could find somebody who could make an orthotic device to assist her in walking.  To our surprise, a doctor was found and she received her brace this week.

She was so happy that she called to ask if she could come and show it to us.  She came and demonstrated how much easier she could walk.  She still has a significant limp but no longer needs to balance herself with her hand on her knee.  She is ecstatic and most grateful.  This will bless her life from this point forward.  Of all the missionaries in our mission, she is the least likely one to complain of her difficulties.  She is an amazing person and a wonderful example to all of us who know and love her.  It's such a joy to see what a great mission she is having. It's also wonderful to see that she'll go home in August better off  physically as well as spiritually and personally. We're inspired by Sister Flagbo!