I have read the history of the Church in the DR Congo. The Church was not officially recognized in DRC until around 1986; until the government recognizes the church, there are no official wards or branches, nor any active missionary work. In 1986 - shortly after official recognition by the Congolese government - the very first baptisms into the Church occurred. Two young boys - brothers Junior and Phillip - were baptized and became the first members ever baptized in the DRC. A small branch was subsequently organized and the "rest is history".
Today, for our last Sunday in the US before we fly out tomorrow, we attended Stake Conference at our daughter's stake in West Jordan. A member of her stake who knew we were going to the Congo on a mission told us just before the meeting that there is a couple from the Congo living in their stake. Coincidentally they were seated right across the aisle from us. We planned on going over and introducing ourselves after the meeting.
During the meeting, when the stake officers sustaining sheet was read, the name Junior Banza was read as a High Councilor in the stake. I know that name from the history of the Church in Congo! We were shocked and wondered the entire meeting if this was the same Junior.
At the conclusion of the meeting we went over to this couple and introduced ourselves - sure enough, this is Junior Banza, the very first member of our Church who was baptized in the DRC! He and his wife are such kind, gracious people, and were so supportive and excited that we are going to their home country on a mission. We had a wonderful conversation with them. He informed us that the Church has decided to do a special film production telling his early story and so he will be coming to the Congo in May. We look forward to seeing him again then. They were both raised in the area we will be serving in and have relatives there and visit usually a couple of times per year.
Adding to this story - from the history of the Church in DRC, I learned that all of the early officers of the first church unit in DR Congo were native Congolese - with one exception: an American by the name of Wiley Cragun was the very first Elders Quorum President in that branch back in 1986. It just so happens that I went to Church with a Wiley Cragun when I was a young boy back in Logan, Utah. I spent lots of time at his house when I was growing up and knew the family quite well. Indeed, this is the very same Wiley Cragun! He and his family were living in the Congo back in 1986 doing linguistics work for the American government!
Brother Banza remembers Brother Cragun well and knows the family quite well. Sadly, Wiley passed away back in 2021.
Brother Banza spoke very encouraging words to us about what we could anticipate in the Congo, and put many of our potential concerns to rest. We are grateful to have met this beautiful couple; we know that God is in the details of our lives and know that the Congo is where we are meant to be at this season of our lives. We really don't believe in coincidences!
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