What Does it Take to Baptize 120 People in a Small, Remote Corner of the Jungles in West Africa?

Many of our friends back home spend Saturday mornings watching soccer games; we go to our missionaries’ baptisms. There are a dozen baptismal services every Saturday spread from one end of our mission the other, five hours in one direction, six hours in the other, and plenty in between.

Last Saturday, August 23rd, 120 people were baptized during a combined service of a branch in Moriba Town and three other branches in the small towns and villages nearby. You’ve probably never asked this question, but I assume you want to know the answer. What does it take to baptize 120 people in a small, remote corner of the jungles in West Africa? The answer: it takes a lot.

It begins with missionaries finding and teaching families and individuals. Nothing is rushed. The missionaries teach people at their homes one-at-a-time. They teach 2 or 3 times per week over an average of seven weeks. Each lesson lasts for about 30 minutes. If you’re counting, that’s roughly twenty 30-minute lessons for each person. Some people want more time. Being baptized is a big decision. They’re not just joining a church. They’re repenting and changing their lives. They’re changing their hearts. Some have to quit smoking. Some couples need to get married. They start attending sacrament meeting on Sunday mornings and meet local leaders who will support them going forward.

Leading up to each service, the missionaries add up how many people are ready and make sure they have enough baptismal clothing on hand. The missionaries in Moriba Town have baptisms every three weeks. But the service on August 23rd looked like it was going to be bigger than usual. And these weren’t the only baptisms in the zone that weekend. The Matru Jong Branch was planning for baptisms on the same day and Bonthe, a newly opened area, was having their very first baptisms. They didn’t have nearly enough clothes. Well, you can guess there is not a baptism apparel store in town. In fact, there aren’t many clothing stores in any of our towns. Most people buy fabric at a little shop and hire a tailor to make clothes for them.

The missionaries in Moriba Town called a senior couple three hours away in the mission office, Sister and Elder Arnell, and they went to work. The Arnells have found a small 8 x 10-foot shop in the market in Bo with a purveyor of stature so slight he makes the establishment look big. His fabric is stacked to the ceiling. But of course, he didn’t have 210 yards of white cotton on the shelf. 210 yards stretches all the way down a football field and back. With suppressed excitement, he promised to order enough immediately. The Arnells returned to pick up the fabric plus four large spools of white thread and 3 bolts of elastic. A runner drove the material to Moriba Town and gave it to the senior missionary couple there, Sister and Elder Hansen. They took the material to local tailors. The tailors' sewing machines look like my grandmother’s. With no electricity, they peddle for power to drive the needle up and down through the cotton fabric.

One of the tailors is a humble, 30-something-year-old man who lives with his family in the teeny town of Mokanji. He has a small shop on a hill next to his house with a commanding view of the surrounding jungle. Inside his 15-by-15-foot shop are three sewing machines. He had to hire two additional tailors to help him keep all three machines working to finish the order in time. After dropping off the material, Elder Hansen started walking back to his truck. Halfway back, he glanced over his shoulder and caught the man doing a little victory dance. There isn’t much work in Mokanji. This was a big day for him. After the clothes were delivered and paid for, Elder Hansen saw the tailor carrying a 110-pound bag of rice home. The baptism did more than feed souls. It feed a family for a month.

A week prior to the baptisms, young mission leaders travel to each person’s home to conduct a personal baptismal interview. Each person is asked about their testimony of Jesus Christ and the restoration of the gospel and their commitment to keep the commandments. Some are repenting of serious problems. I get to talk with these people. It’s a favorite activity of mine. Leading up to 120 baptisms, each young leader conducts 30 to 40 interviews. No one owns a car here. The missionaries walk or hire a small motorcycle to drive them from place to place. Between all the interviews, the young mission leaders are preparing their own friends for their baptisms. This is an exceptionally busy time.

The evening before the baptismal service, the zone leaders collected size estimates from the missionaries and sorted the baptismal clothing by companionships. The next morning members of the branches met at the church to fill the font with water, set up chairs, and sweep the chapel. With dirt roads and a dirt path to the front door, they are always sweeping the chapel floor.

Kathy and I were staying at a small guest house down the street. We were up early and drove to Elder and Sister Hansen’s house. On the way, we saw our missionaries walking from house to house inviting every person they had prepared for baptism to walk with them to church.

We are in the rainy season. All the roads are dirt; there is no pavement. The rains turn the clay soil into slippery mud. They fills up potholes and dips with water. They make some roads impassable for hired cars and small vans, difficult for little motorcycles. One of these roads goes to Moriba Town from the smaller community of Gbangbatok. The missionaries prayed. The rains stopped two days before the baptisms. The roads dried up and everyone was able to travel in and back safely. We have stood through many baptisms holding umbrellas over our heads; most fonts are outside. But this was a special day and the missionaries’ prayers were answered.

The people dressed in white and gathered outside for snaps (snapshots), a few big pictures of everyone and then numerous pictures of smaller groups of families and friends. And then we went into the chapel. 120 people plus the missionaries and a few local leaders to help baptize them, filled up the seats. Family and friends present for support, filled in the back. From the stand, where Kathy and I sat, it was an awe-inspiring sight. After a short opening service, each of the companionships took their candidates to the font in small groups. While the rest waited their turn, they sang, listened to music, and talked.

The people in each small group were baptized one at a time, changed into dry clothing, and then gathered in a classroom with local branch leaders where they were confirmed members of the Church and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The service lasted two hours. After everyone had enough time to travel home, the sky darkened and dumped the rain it had been holding back.

The missionaries met at Elder and Sister Hansen’s house near the church for a quick lunch after the service. It had been a long week. They were exhausted but happy. We shared stories and expressions of gratitude. After a few minutes, the first companionship stood and said they had teaching appointments and needed to get going. They thanked Sister Hansen for lunch and walked off in the rain. There are more souls to save.