Missionary Service
The Power of Coming Together
“This training needs to be shouted from the mountain tops! We will not rest until we have left our footprints on the sands of time!” Elder Augustine Nnadi, a young-single-adult senior missionary from Owerri, Nigeria, spoke for all the participants in the recent young single adult leadership training conference held in Accra.
The conference brought together nineteen senior missionary couples representing eleven Africa West Area countries for three days to be together, strengthen each other, learn about how to support stake presidents and the YSA Gathering Places in their area. They gathered together and experienced the powerful feeling of being united in strengthening the rising generation in West Africa.
“We were so happy to meet different YSA senior missionaries from different countries and places coming together to share ideas on how we can help the rising generation, and how we need to understand and support our stake presidents. We believe that the Gathering Place is indeed a place of learning and a place of hope to the rising generation,” Sister Karen Aryee a YSA senior missionary serving in the Accra Ghana West Coordinating Council shared about her experience at a unique training conference.
Sister Peggy Manu, serving in Accra Ghana said, “This conference has been a renewed energy for us.”
Elder Emmanuel Grualee traveled to Accra from Liberia on his own. His wife recently had a baby and could not attend. He recorded every training for her so she would not miss anything. His great hope was to return to his country and assist the seven stake presidents in his coordinating council to strengthen the rising generation.
Elder Peter Olagunju from Ibadan, Nigeria will be 72 in February. He and his wife, Sister Felicia Olagunju, diligently serve the nine Gathering Places in their coordinating council and lovingly welcome home each returning missionary.
In addition to the training, another highlight for the couples was being together as they attended the Accra Ghana Temple. Sister N’mah Williams, a senior missionary from Sierra Leone received her endowments while at the training and Elder and Sister Yacoubou senior missionaries serving in the Cotonou Benin Coordinating Council were blessed as they participated in a proxy sealing ordinance for Sister Yacoubou’s deceased parents.
Africa West Area President Elder S. Gifford Nielsen welcomed the YSA senior missionaries and shared his vision of the importance of the couple’s callings, “As you sit in the temple this afternoon, expand the thought of YSA in the endowment room to YSA in the celestial room. Visualize them being sealed as eternal families. You will hear many things in your training sessions, listen to the promptings of the Spirit and seek personal revelation from the Holy Ghost as to how you personally can and should implement your missionary calling.” Elder Nielsen continued, “Of all of the meetings you attend and the feelings you have, the most significant revelation you receive will be while you are in the temple.”
Elder Nielsen continued, “This training is also to help us know what to teach and how we need to assist returned missionaries in terms of setting their goals and assisting them to have a support team. We need to pray and love them as our own. As the YSA come together to learn the gospel and to socialize, it will surely help them stay on the covenant path. The Gathering Place will then become a tool on which others will come unto Christ and be saved.”
Elder Jorg Klebingat, First Counselor in the Africa West Area taught the missionary couples, “Your assignment is very important. For a long time, Africa has been protected from the evils of the world. Not anymore. The adversary is attacking, especially our YSA. Make your Gathering Places not only a place just to sing and dance, but also a place to find an eternal companion, to gain job skills, to help them enter and stay on the covenant path. We invite you each to have, develop, and personally strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ so that you will be successful as you support and work with your stake presidents to establish and sustain a Gathering Place. Go back into your coordinating councils, head held high. When you speak, they will feel your power and authority. You are representing the Lord in this very important assignment.”
Sister Akudo Ihesiene from Enugu, Nigeria felt so blessed to be at the conference and the temple. “This conference has been the climax of our service.” (They served for two years and were released 31 December 2022.) Then she turned to her husband and said, “Thank you for bringing me here. I got to sit at the same dinner table with a General Authority.”
The Africa West Area YSA senior couple missionaries returned home committed to fulfill their stewardship. There is great power when the Lord’s servants come together to do His work. In the Africa West Area 19 couples are moving forward, united in the purpose of strengthening the rising generation.