Makeni, Sierra Leone opening for missionary work
For the first time in about seven years, full-time missionaries will open an additional city in Sierra Leone to formal missionary work this March. Located in central Sierra Leone, Makeni is the second largest city without LDS missionaries and has had a small number of members that have met for church meetings as a group under the Freetown Sierra Leone Mission Branch. Missionaries report that as many as four branches or congregations will be organized in the coming month or so in Makeni as rapid membership growth has occurred. Currently LDS missionaries and congregations function in Freetown, Bo, and Kenema. The Sierra Leone Freetown Mission includes Sierra Leone and Liberia and its 60 elders assigned to the mission currently baptize approximately 100 converts a month.
Cities opening for missionary work in Liberia
Full-time missionaries report that two additional cities in Liberia will open for missionary work in the coming months. Currently LDS missionaries only serve in Monrovia. In the late 2000s, branches were organized in Kakata and Harbel, which appear to be the cities that will most likely open for missionary work. I will provide details once they become available.
City opens for missionary work in Ghana
Missionaries have just opened Asokwa, Ghana for missionary work. Located near the medium-sized city of Obuasi, Asokwa has no wards or branches and any Latter-day Saints in the city meet as a group.
City opening for missionary work in Tanzania
Full-time missionaries will soon be assigned to Mwanza, Tanzania which bring the total number of cities with an LDS presence to three in the country. Mwanza is the largest city in northeastern Tanzania and offers favorable conditions for rapid church growth for Latter-day Saints . Some Latter-day Saints have moved to the city from the Arusha area in recent years. Full-time missionaries will also begin teaching in Swahili for the first time in Tanzania rather than English, which will likely foster stronger church growth.
It is a bit surprising that the Church is only in three cities in Tanzania, but I guess the principal is building from centers of stregth. Teaching the gospel in Swahili is a good development, but still not reaching most of the population in their mother tongue. Still, you have to start from somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThankyou for the detailed reports. Your work in posting these blogs is appreciated.
There's tremendous potential in Tanzania with only 5 branches and 45 million people. Perhaps it will become as successful as Ghana, Nigeria, The Congo, South Africa, etc. Use of Swahili will be a great help to missionary work.
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