Here is a landmark photo of a baptism earlier this year in Gabon. One of those baptized had waited 16 years for that ordinance. Gabon was just barely opened last November, when Elder Bednar came to dedicate it. It has taken this long to get visas for missionaries to get into Gabon and to get a portable baptismal font.
The DRC Kinshasa has 6 countries: Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic ( no missionaries yet but has been dedicated in 2013), Cameroon, DRC and Equatorial Guinea (not yet dedicated - no missionaries.) This mission was just divided effective July. A major reason for the split is that the people of this area are very receptive to the message of the restored gospel. Everyone will talk to you about the Savior and want to come to Church to see for themselves.
All of the outlying countries are now in the new Brazzaville mission with a native mission president from Lumbumbashi. It is in this new mission where only American missionaries will serve. Kinshasa has 7 stakes and a branch in Matadi DRC. The current mission president and his wife, President and Sister Bryce Cook, travel 50% of the time to care for the branches and missionaries. (He is pictured in the baptism photo). Only the local missionaries serve in Kinshasa (120).
This post is made because often more missionaries trained in the MTC at one time are from the DRC than any other country. Although this mission is not in the Africa West Area, it plays a significant role in the program for this missionary training center.
Note that Gabon is just to the South of Cameroon and is located on the Coast of Southwestern Africa.
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