Award for the Cleanest Apartments

We started a new policy in our mission to award the cleanest apartment a trophy to display in their apartment for each transfer.  We started this in December and for the month of January three apartments tied for 1st place.  Here is one of the winning apartments it is the Elders in Matadi.  It was excellent.  All of the apartments improve through this new evaluation. Here is the President awarding the trophy to the Sisters apartment in Binza. We are so proud of them!

Here is our new senior couple Elder Gary and Debbi Bailey from Ogden. They are serving in Pointe Noire Congo.  Their assignment is Missionary Leadership Service.  They take care of our American missionaries in Congo and help the branches in Pointe Noire.  This is their second mission in Africa.  They were an office couple in Cote De Ivory.  We are so grateful for their williness to serve.We could not do it without them.  We are so far away in another country.

Saying good-bye is one of the hardest things to do.  Here is Elder Mpungu. He was our "trainer" when we first arrive.  He taught us everything.  He speaks beautiful English and French.  He spent many hours interpreting for me. He was one of the first Elders to go to Gabon. We are grateful for his service. He has a beautiful voice and has a dream of being in the Tabernacle Choir someday.

Here is our Elder Zurcher.  Elder Zurcher is from Providence UT.  We knew him before we came.  We are dear friends of his parents Arnette and Charles Zurcher.  Elder Zurcher was one of the first Elders to go to Gabon.  This was because of his diligence and hard work as a missionary.  Elder Zurcher is a great Elder!  We have loved serving with him.  We have spent the entire month of February doing Zone Conferences.  We have 12 zones so we have done 12 zone conferences.  It's so interesting to me how each one is different even though we use the same outline.

We said good-bye to two of our Senior Couples. The Gaileys serving in Douala Cameroon and the Whitesides serving in Yaonde Cameroon. They did a wonderful job in helping us in these areas with missionaries and branches. Thank you to them! And wish them much happiness!

President Cook celebrated his birthday on February 12 in Pointe Noire with our missionaries.  We had a great time there.  Time is flying !!