President Holland Visits the DR Congo, Kinshasa Mission and Dedicates Central African Republic

This was an exciting time for our Mission.  Because of problems getting the young Elders into Kinshasa, the outlying area missionaries were not invited.  Our Branch Presidents were, though.  They were excited as little children.  President Bala, our District President, said that he was greeted "warmly" by Elder Holland.  President Holland came first to Kinshasa and met with the Branch Presidents, members and the missionaries.  Then he went to Bangui, Central African Republic and dedicated that country.  You can read about it below.

I'm taking liberties, but I wanted to post this on our blog, so that we would have it for reference.  You can read more details on the Church News website.  You could also read Sister Jameson's blog at http://grammyandpapas.blogspot.com/

On a heavily forested hillside overlooking the capital city of Bangui, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve offered a prayer of dedication and blessing upon the country and people of the Central African Republic.

The prayer was offered Monday, October 29, on Gbazabangui hillside overlooking the Ubangi River—a major tributary of the Congo River—a few degrees north of the equator that is the original site of the Bangui people.

“What I’ve said about Africans in general, I say about these people: It strikes me that what life and circumstances have not given them materially the Lord has made up for spiritually. These really are devoted, spiritual people.”

Of the meeting in Bangui, Elder Holland said, “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 the 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. 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.”

The dedication of the Central African Republic was one of many activities during Elder Holland’s visit in the Africa Southeast Area, October 19–30."

Elder Holland Dedicates Central African Republic

By Ruth L. Renlund, Gerry Avant, and Marianne Holman, Church News

9 NOVEMBER 2012