His journey from Burundi was rough

Elder Hakizimana & Elder Mwamba

These two missionaries are among the 97 outstanding missionaries currently preparing in the Ghana MTC to enter the mission field next Tuesday.  They will be serving in the French-speaking nations of the DR Congo and Kinshasa.  Elder Hakaizimana's path to the Ghana MTC is quite sobering.

Burundi  is a landlocked country in the African Great Lakes region of East Africa, bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.  The Twa, Hutu and Tutsi peoples have lived in Burundi for at least five hundred years. For more than 200 years, Burundi was an independent kingdom. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Germany colonized the region. 

After the First World War and Germany's defeat, it ceded the territory to Belgium. The Belgians ruled Burundi and Rwanda as a European colony known as Ruanda-Urundi. Their intervention exacerbated social differences between the Tutsi and Hutu, and contributed to political unrest in the region. Burundi gained independence in 1962 and initially had a monarchy, but a series of assassinations, coups, and a general climate of regional instability culminated in the establishment of a republic and one-party state in 1966. Bouts of ethnic cleansing and ultimately two civil wars and genocides during the 1970s and again in the 1990s left the county undeveloped and its population as one of the world's poorest.

Since Burundi's independence in 1962, there have been two events called genocides in the country.The demographics of Burundi through the 1960s and 1970s were roughly 86 percent Hutu, 13 percent Tutsi, and 1 percent Twa (Mann, M., 2005. The Dark Side of Democracy, p. 431). For most of this period, the Tutsi maintained a near monopoly on senior government and military positions.

Small bands of Hutu and Tutsi 'gangs' have consistently fought both in and around the capital, Bujumbura, often growing into larger groups armed with machetes and attacking each other. Tensions finally reaching the boiling point on 21 October 1993 when President Ndadaye was assassinated, and the country descended into a period of civil strife. 

It was on April 8, 1992 that Elder Lasare Hakizimana was born in Bugendana in the Province of Gitega. He was the 8th of 10 children, 7 of whom were living at home with their parents when tragedy struck. The family is all Hutu.  Late one night in 1995, a band of Tusti pounded on the front door  and fired shots in the air.  Lasare's father refused to come to the door, so the unruly band burst open the door and came into the parent's bedroom and murdered them both with knives.  Hearing the commotion, the seven children ran out the back door into the forest, terrified for their lives.  They went to the nearby home of Lazare's oldest brother for refuge.  The next day his brother told the younger children that their parents had been wounded and were in the hospital.  He did this to help calm them down, but they quickly learned that their parents were brutally killed.  For the next year the seven children lived in very difficult circumstances with their older brother and his wife, who had three children of their own.  Conditions because so rough supporting 10 children that the seven were put in an orphanage where they could stay until they were 18 years old.  Lazare left the orphanage when he was 16 and went back to live with his older brother while he pursued his schooling.  

When Lazare was 20 years old, a close female friend invited him to her church.  He politely turned her down a few times, but she persisted so he accompanied her to Church.  It was there he felt a wonderful spirit and readily accepted the invitation to be taught by the missionaries.  Shortly after the lessons, he was baptized. (This was 3 years ago).  He said that in gaining a testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he learned to forgive.  There came upon his mind and soul a peaceful spirit that rested in his heart.  After he finishes his mission, his dream is to become a doctor.

Meet Elder Thierno Mamoudou Barry (First Missionary to Africa from Thailand or Guinea)

Elder Barry (left) and his companion, Elder Digbeu

Elder Thierono Barry was born in Guinea in 1989 and moved to Thailand in 2013 to live with his uncle who has been there for 20 years.    He was baptized a little over a year ago in Thailand and is the only member of the Church in his family.  He has 2 brothers and 4 sisters - and his entire family are not Christian and they are still in Guinea.  Therefore he speaks Arabic.  However, he also speaks Thai, English and French.  He was called to serve in the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission.

When asked how the missionaries found him, Elder Barry replies that they did not.  He found them.  He went to Church, asked for a Book of Mormon, had the missionaries teach him a lesson, and one month later was baptized.  After he was baptized, the members gave him the desire to serve a mission.  He said it is the best thing that he can do right now because he has a strong testimony of the restored gospel.  He does not know if he is the first missionary from Guinea but said that whether he is or not, it is the Lord's will what happens in life and he is most grateful to have found the Church.

By the way, Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a country in West Africa just North of Sierra Leone.   Formerly known as French Guinea, it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea.  Its official language is French and today the Church is not yet located in this country.

Elder John Wilson Oketch Was Robbed

Elder John Wilson Oketch was born in on the 7^th of July 1993 to  Elizabeth Oketch and the late David Oketch in Kisumu, Kenya.   He was raised by his grandmother seven months after he was born because his parents were separated until he was four years old. He is the second oldest child with one older brother and 1 younger sister.  He lost his father in 2007 from cancer. Even though his father died and it meant he would need to help support the family, he has always felt blessed.   Since that time of his father’s passing, his mother has been struggling to make ends meet and support the family because of illness and low paying jobs.  Expenses of the family were so high that it made life very difficult for the family. 

Young John changed schools his final year because it was became  a compulsory boarding school that the family could not afford.  Since he went to an inferior school, he was not well-prepared to pass his exams and did not.

This did not discourage John because he vowed to find other ways to survive.  He looked for a job to help support the family and moved to an apartment out of the home with his sister.  He worked in the hotel industry for a stint where he worked as a waiter and in a bar. After three months of hard work, he was promoted to work at the front desk.  He changed jobs because it required him to work on Sundays and meant he would miss Church.  When he resigned from that job, it took him a full month to find another position.  He felt fortunate because he found a job as a offloader after much prayer and hustling.  It was a tough and embarrassing job, but he had to do it.

He was later promoted to be the manager in the new branch, and so in appreciation to the Lord, he promised to do something in return and serve a mission.  Elder Oketch was introduced to the gospel by his mother in June of 2009 and was baptized in December of that year.  He later baptized his elder brother and his sister in 2010.  He was so inspired by missionary work and was encouraged by the missionaries serving in his ward.  He feels that he will be blessed by missionary service if he serves well and returns with honor.  He is committed to work hard to diligently serve the Lord.  Prior to coming to the MTC, people broke into his home and robbed his life's savings. 

He knows life can be tough but he has always challenged himself.  Nothing he has experienced can compare with what Joseph Smith went through in prison.  One lesson he always remembers from the beginning of his conversion is the example of our Savior.

Elder Benjamin Taylor Knows Why He is a Missionary

Elder Benjamin Taylor, Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission 2015-2017

Elder Benjamin Taylor is from the Manponse Ward of the Kaneshie Stake in the Accra area of Ghana.  This 18 year old elder lost his father 7 years ago and since that time has had much loneliness as well as spent much time working to pay for a mission and help provide for the family (his mother, himself and two sisters).  He says that his happiest moments have been when he is spending time with his Church leaders.  They have shown him much love and support.

His father, Mathew was a very successful business person but was persecuted at work because of his promotions.  His fellow workers were very cruel and would hassle him accusing him of thinking he was better than the others.  As a result, he took his own life.

He is looking forward to being a support as a missionary to other young men to bring them the happiness he has felt through the Savior's love and through the restored gospel.

Meet Elder Ako - who was sealed to his parents today

Elder Ebenezer Ako

Elder Ebenezer Ako was sealed to his parents today.  He was born in Krobo of the Eastern Region of Ghana.  When he was a child his mother cared for him, but at the age of three, his father became ill and died.  All through his younger years, he and his mother lived alone as she sold clothing to support him.  When he was 13 years old she became ill, often for a month at a time.  Then a year later she passed away.  Young Ebenezer had felt such loneliness and that feeling was to continue.  He went to live with his aged great grandmother, who was 86 years old.  He said that he does not remember a happy time in his childhood - a time where he was happy to just sit around a table with others and laugh.

At the age of 18, Ebenezer went to live with his uncle and his wife.  They were very nice to him.  An LDS neighbor invited Ebenezer to help him with chores and it was during this experience that he learned about the Church.  The neighbor invited the missionaries to come teach Ebenezer in the neighbor home and shortly after he was baptized.  Last year during a Church course on Family History he realized he could be sealed to his parents and was most anxious to do so.  Today, that dream became a reality as he was sealed to his parents.  He said it was a very emotional experience for him.  He is now happy.  Elder Ako departs from the MTC next Tuesday to serve in the Nigeria Lagos Mission.

Elder Baah, Elder Ako, Elder Ekah (all three have lost their fathers in addition to Elder Ako's loss of his mother)

Life Stories Continue - Meet Elders Moses, Lakougnon & Mgbeoji

"All of us who are under the baptismal covenant have promised to offer the gospel to others.    Sometimes, fear of rejection or of giving offense looms before us like an impassable obstacle. Yet some members clear that barrier with ease. I have observed them carefully in my travels. 

I can picture some of them now.  Saturday is a market day across the world. In the countryside of Ghana, in Ecuador, and in the Philippine Islands, countless people bring the produce of their farms and their handicrafts to a town to sell. They talk with those they meet on the road. And they visit with those near them as they wait for someone to buy. Much of the talk is about the struggles of existence, of breaking out of poverty, and sometimes about danger.

Among those on the roads and in the markets are Latter-day Saints. Much of their talk with those they meet would be the same as you would hear anywhere in the world."  - From a talk called A Child and A Disciple by President Eyring in 2003.

Latter-day Saints across Africa have touched the lives of those young men and women who enter the Ghana MTC to serve as disciples of Christ for 18 months or 2 years.  Here are some of their stories:

Left to Right:  Elder Moses, Elder Lakougnon, Elder Mgbeoji

He Learned He Did Not Have A Normal Upbringing - Elder Emmanuel Abraham Moses

Elder Moses is from Nigeria. As a young boy he felt like his childhood was normal but he was stressed that his parents divorced. He went to live with his dad who moved in with the grandfather who was a member of the Church. His other siblings went to live with his mom. When he was 15 his father died. From the time he and his father moved in with his grandfather, he began to go with his grandfather to Church and was soon baptized at the age of eight. He quickly realized that he had not had a normal life before joining the Church, but now had found happiness.

Orphaned at 10 - Loved by his Uncles - Elder Lidao Louis-Rodrigue Lakougnon

Elder Lakougnon was born in 1993 in Togo. When he was 6 his mother became ill and died and when he was 10 the same demise came to his father. Fortunately his uncle took him in, but his younger brother needed to stay with a different uncle. Young Lidao recalls being too agitated and unstable. He tried too hard to have fun but did well in school. He always had a huge desire to understand the mystery of life. On of his uncles was a member, but before his parents died they would not give him permission to become part of the Church. He did not have contact from the age of 8 to 17 with the Church because he lived in a city where the Church was not found. However, when he moved at the age of 17 his uncle put him in touch with the Church and so he was then baptized on March 5, 2011.

I Wished I Had Motherly Love - Elder Peace Udoka Mgbeoji

Elder Mgbeoji is from Nigeria. He was born into a home where the parents were not members. At an early age he lost his mother, so he did not experience “the motherly love and care that I would have loved to experience but I know that the Lord knows why it was so.” His mother died while giving birth to a younger sibling when Elder Mgbeoji was 5.  His father needed help to raise young children because there were many. His brothers were older and came to get Peace when their mother died. (His father died in March of last year.) Young Peace grew up under the care of his older brothers and appreciates so much their efforts to provide for him. It was through his brothers that he learned about the Church and always attended with them. He started understanding the importance of the restored gospel in his life as he grew older and is happy today because he has a testimony of the restored gospel.

Elder Guidia Overcame Difficult Moments of Despair

Elder Nesmoh Serge Privat Guidia from Ivory Coast lost both of his parents by the time he was 14 years old.  His parents were no longer living together and his mother had found another home and was with a man and his mistress.  The other woman poisoned his mother and she died.  Then three years later his father, with whom he had been living became ill and died.

In recounting his life story, Elder Guida said that he must stress that he did not have a stable upbringing.  In fact, he remembers some very lonely and difficult moments.  One in particular was when he was 14 and realized that he was an orphan and did not have anyone to support him.  So he went to live with his mother's sister (his aunt) and found a trade as a jockey at parties and celebrations.  Although it was not a peaceful  work environment, he never had the desire to drink, inspite of being surrounded by opportunities to do so.  After two years of this line of work, he decided to pursue studies in computer education.

It was about this time that a female cousin came to visit his aunt and being a member of the Church, this cousin invited him to attend Sacrament Meeting.  For the next year, he had off and on exposure to the Church, but during the last week of August 2011, he became serious about finding out if it was true.  Three weeks later, on September 17th, Elder Guidia was baptized a member of the Church.  On Tuesday, he will be endowed and the baptisms and other temple work will be done for his parents.

His Member- Missionary Friend Touched His Life - Meet Elder Ama-Gbodonon

Elder Folly Ama-Gbodonon, Cote D'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission

When Folly Ama-Gbodonon was four years old his mother became ill and passed away. (He was born February 12, 1990.) His dear mother left behind a 7 year old daughter; Folly, age 4; a little sister aged 2 and a little 8 month old baby boy.  His father felt he could not face raising the four children so sent the oldest daughter to live with a aunt in a different town, left the other three children with their 65 year old ailing grandmother, and moved to another country (Benin Cotonou). He does not wish to have contact with his children and has only seen them a couple of times during Folly's life.

Little Folly remembers well the lack of clothing or food as a child.  They lived in a one room house without electricity.  He and his siblings and his grandmother were always hungry. And his sweet grandmother was often ill.   At the age of ten he would go to the market and beg for money to go to school and run errands for people for money.  His little sister sold small bags of water.  Using this money, and fending for themselves, he and his siblings attended school when they could.  At the age of 17, Folly would work one year and go to school one year, and thus completed high school in what should have been 3 years, but took him 7 years. He recalls that during his childhood life seemed pretty bleak and was merely a matter of survival.  During those high school years, the missionaries found his older sister and she wanted him to listen to the discussions with her but he was not interested.  Life was not good to him and he did not see how religion could help. 

At the end of his high school experience in order to go on to college, he was required to pay for the exams.  Folly decided once again to ask people in his neighborhood for help.  This time he asked a very kind man, named Joel Lawson-Kiniadga for help.  It just so happened that Joel was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Joel and his wife had a small child and he felt prompted to help the plight of Folly and his siblings.  He also invited Folly to Church.  Folly took the lessons and joined the Church in 2013.  His older sister, who was still interested in the Church encouraged him to serve a mission.  She had just married and had a baby.  However early in 2014 she was taking a taxi to work and was killed in an auto accident.

Brother Lawson-Kiniadga offered to not only support Folly on a mission but help him and his little brother and sister through school.  Brother Lawson-Kiniadga is the first counselor in the Be-Kpota Ward, Folly's home ward.  This is in the Lome Stake.

Elder Folly Ama-Gbodonon is filled with the light of the gospel.  His future and that of his siblings is now bright.  He is honor-bound to serve a wonderful mission in gratitude to the Lord, in tribute to his deceased Sister and in appreciation to the member missionary who brought him the light of the restored gospel.  He leaves the MTC on Tuesday, March 3rd to serve in Cote D'Ivoire.

Elder Hitimana Survived Burundi Slaughter, Now in MTC

Since Burundi’s independence in 1962, there have been two events called genocides in the country. The 1972 mass killings of Hutus by the Tutsi-dominated army, and the 1994 mass killings of Tutsis by the majority-Hutu populace are both described as genocide in the final report of the International Commission of Inquiry for Burundi presented to the Unitied Nations Security Council in 2002.

At the age of 9 months, Elder Innocent Hitimana’s parents were killed in that war in Burundi in 1994.  He does not know their names or where this took place.  A kind passer-by, an elderly lady picked him up and raised him as her own.  However when he was 16 years old his “adopted grandmother” passed away and her children chased him away because they did not want him to lay claim to any inheritance.

He was sent to a boarding school and at the age of 18 was required to work in exchange for the schooling he had received.  So he went to the government (ministry of solidarity), an area overseeing social programs in Burundi.  The government sent him to an orphanage and covered his schooling and room and board. While at this school, he found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From that day he felt at ease.  He was called “brother” and felt like the Church was his family.

At the age of 21 he had what we say is the equivalent of a high school degree.  The government then helped him find a job that would pay for more school.  However, after two months into this internship the government had learned Elder Hitimana had decided to serve a mission for his church.  The government official over the program was angry with him, expelled Elder Hitimana from the program and said he should work first and serve a mission later.

  

Elder Hitimana then went to live with a Senior Couple named Cahoons for eight months.  It was with the Cahoons that he was able to prepare for his mission.  With tears of gratitude streaming down his face, he told his sad story in French, the language he is assigned to in the MTC.  He wants to do Family File work in the temple but does not even know the names of his parents or where they are from.  This is the sobering story, one of many, of one of the missionaries who has sacrificed all to come on this mission.

Elder Ezam's Life Journey from the LRA to the MTC

When Michael Emmia Ezam was very young, perhaps even under 5 years old, he was taken away by Rebels to be in the LRA.  The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a militant movement which is "Christianist," extremist Christian,acting as a new religious movement or cult which operated in Norther Uganda and South Sudan.

The LRA has been accused of widespread human rights violations including murder, abduction, mutilation, child-sex slavery, and forcing children to participate in hostilities.

The LRA was initially formed to resist the  Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF), called the National Resistance Army  (NRA) before it took control of the country. The NRA/UPDF has been accused of widespread murder, rape, and pillage. In June 2006, Radhika Coomaraswamy, the UN's special representative for children, found more than 5000 children recruited in the Ugandan government army.

Michael was not treated well.  Sometimes he would be beaten for making the smallest of mistakes.  Today there are marks on his back as reminders of that punishment.  The rebels taught him to fight, but he did not shoot guns.  Rather they had him clean up dead bodies.

After many years of this Michael grew weary of the army.  Because he had friends in high ranking positions in the army, he was able to find a way to be free. 

Shortly before his retirement from the army, he learned of the death of his parents.  He does not remember what they looked like but due to their names, he knew he had learned correctly.   He then knew he had to get out.  So he found a way.  He began to live on his own and took cleaning jobs to support himself. 

One day as he was returning from the market, he saw the missionaries and introduced himself.  He did not know that much about the Church, but invited them to his apartment.  The next day they shared with him the Joseph Smith story and invited him to Church.  Since that day, he has never missed Church and can feel his testimony about the Church and the restored gospel grow every day. Yesterday, Michael entered the Ghana MTC as Elder Ezam, called to serve in the South Africa Cape Town Mission.  He is now a member of God's Army - such a contrast to the upbringing he suffered for many, many years.

Meet Elder Victor Kangwa, the first missionary from Zambia

 Elder Victor Kangwa

Total Church Membership in Zambia  2,758

Missions1

Congregations 12

Family History Centers 2

History of the Church in Zambia

In 1991 President Vern Marble of the Zimbabwe Harare Mission went to Zambia to search for a couple who had been baptized in England, Johnson Makombe and his wife, Noria. With the help of a taxi driver he found them, and missionary work was begun. The Church was formally registered in July 1992, and that same month a branch (a small congregation) was organized in Lusaka, with a membership of about 50.

By the end of 1992 there were about 100 members, and by the end of 1997 the membership had grown to more than 500. To accommodate this increase in membership, a second branch was established in Libala.

Elder Fall - First Missionary from Burkina Faso

 

Elder Fall, 1st missionary from Burkina Faso with painting of first Ghana proselyter, Billy Johnson

 Elder Fall (right) with his companion Elder Gueu from Cote d'Ivoire

Elder Cheick Omar Fall is from the capitol city of Burkina Faso, poplulation 1.5 million named Ouagadougou.  His parents divorced just before he was born so when he was about 2 years old, he went to live with his uncle.  He was raised in that household, but when he was 18 he left to pursue his studies in Benin.  When he left his country he prayed to Heavenly Father that he could find a church where he could worship God.  While in Benin he often saw the missionaries, had the desire to speak with them, but did not get a chance.  One day he went to visit his cousin's family.  When he arrived the missionaries were giving  a discussion.  After the lesson, he exchanged address information with the elders, they came to his apartment at his school,  and subsequently taught him.  He was baptized during that first year in Benin. 

Since he baptism he has been attending Church in Benin, but has the desire some day to return to live in Burkina Faso and bring the gospel to the people there.

First Rwanda Citizen Baptized Enters MTC - Elder Paul

Meet Elders Paul and Nsengiyumva.  They are from Rwanda and entered the MTC today.

Elder Theodore Nsengiyumva (left) and Elder Hakizimana Dady Paul (right)

Elder Nsengiyumva was baptized a year ago and his parents are not members.  Elder Paul lost his parents when he was a baby.  They were killed in the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda in 1994 by the Hutu Tribe.  A soldier picked him up and dropped him off at an orphanage.  In 2006 a security worker at the American Embassy named Eric Hyde came to Elder Paul's orphanage and wanted to teach the children to play.  He invited Elder Paul to Church where he met with missionaries and was baptized in 2007.  Elder Hakizimana Dady Paul was the first Rwanda citizen to be baptized in Rwanda.

Here is a little bit about the history of the Rwandan tragedy:  

The Rwandan Genocide was a genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority. During the approximate 100-day period from April 7, 1994 to mid-July, an estimated 500,000–1,000,000 Rwandans were killed, constituting as much as 20% of the country's total population and 70% of the Tutsi then living in Rwanda. The genocide was planned by members of the core political elite known as the akazu, many of whom occupied positions at top levels of the national government. Perpetrators came from the ranks of the Rwandan army, the National Police (gendarmerie), government-backed militias including the Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi, and the Hutu civilian population.
The genocide took place in the context of the Rwanda Civil War, an ongoing conflict beginning in 1990 between the Hutu-led government and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which was largely composed of Tutsi refugees whose families had fled to Uganda following earlier waves of Hutu violence against the Tutsi.