“I
have always marveled that in October 1831, when there would have been
only a few hundred members of the Church, the Lord made this powerful
declaration through the Prophet Joseph Smith: "The keys of the kingdom
of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the
gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut
out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled
the whole earth" (D&C 65:2).
One of the quiet confirmations of the restored gospel is the miraculous way this promise is being fulfilled.
On Wednesday, February 17, at 11 a.m.,
while traveling from Zimbabwe to Botswana, Kathy and I, along with
Elder and Sister Carl B. Cook of the Seventy and Area President in the
Africa Southeast Area, met with the branch members in Kasane, Botswana.
Kasane, a small town with only a few thousand inhabitants, is far from
the Botswana capital of Gaborone, where we have a stake. Isolated from
other large population centers, the branch is not part of a district or a
stake but is watched over by the mission president.
It
was a blessing for Kathy and me to hear the histories and testimonies
of the branch members. The branch president, Brother Tebogo Khombane,
joined the Church as a student in Durban, South Africa. Sister Cornelia
Rautenbach came to Kasane for work from Zimbabwe and was introduced to
the Church by friends in Harare. Brother Meshack Keimetswe and Sister
Nametsegang Keimetswe were family friends as children. Both eventually
joined the Church and moved to Kasane shortly after getting married. The
Lopez family is from Mexico and have a daughter, Aurora, serving a
mission on Temple Square. Zambia and Kenya were also represented.
Several had joined the Church in Kasane since the branch had been
organized. A sister who had just recently been baptized this past
December spoke of her desire to be an example to the six in attendance
who were not yet baptized. I exclaimed to the branch, "And you did all
this without missionaries?" They quickly and kindly corrected my
declaration. "We are the missionaries," they responded!
The
Spirit of the Lord filled our meeting together. We were sad to leave
but left as friends and fellow disciples of Christ. I was deeply moved
by their conviction of the Savior and the restored gospel. They
reconfirmed what I already knew: the gospel is moving across all the
world, and righteous people in every nation, among an amazing array of
cultures, languages, and economic situations will greet the Savior when
He returns. And while it is not easy to be apart from a large body of
Church members, every disciple of Christ has access to his or her Father
in Heaven through prayer; every baptized member has the right to the
gift of the Holy Ghost; every committed Latter-day Saint can keep the
commandments and study the scriptures; and to have the guidance of the
prophet and the ability to have the strength of the sacrament and the
other ordinances, we are deeply blessed.
Kathy
and I were pleased to meet with Sister Cornelia Rautenbach who has been
instrumental in the Growth of the branch in kasane.”
‘Early Days’ of their ‘Group’ in Kasane, Botswana…
First Sacrament meeting was held in a Members Home on 9 May, 2010
Meeting in a Member’s Home…
With President & Sister Poulsen, their Mission President Couple
Cornelia was Baptized in Harare, Zimbabwe…
For
her first 5 years of membership in the Church while living in Kasane,
Botswana, 3-4 times a year Cornelia drove and crossed the border from
Kasane, Botswana to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and then caught an hours
flight to be able to partake of the Sacrament. She FASTED & PRAYED
for a ‘Branch’ to be started in Kasane, Botswana!
She
is now living in Maun, Botswana (600km from Kasane) where her
non-member Parents live.Over the past few months she has been BLESSED to
find 17 other Members of the Church who live in Maun…
Her Prayer once again is to be able to start a Branch in Maun and to be able to partake of the Sacrament!!
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