Winks and Smiles and a New Branch in Moyamba Junction

We organized 10 new branches during the past two months and are awaiting approval for three more. (We are trying to keep up with our missionaries!) Let me tell you about our newest branch and its first branch president. The branch was organized one week ago. It is the Moyamba Junction Branch and its first branch president is Donaldson Frazer.

Brother Frazer grew up in a Muslim family. Seven years ago, while living in Moyamba, a small town 90-minutes out of Bo, he learned about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was baptized a member. One year ago, he decided to give everything he had to help the Church grow. He moved to Moyamba Junction, 25-minutes from his home, so he could start the Church there.   

He was offered a busy job in his new town but turned it down because his full purpose was to build the Church. The job would take too much of his time. So, with limited resources he moved into a small apartment: no indoor bathroom or kitchen, just a room with a mattress on the floor.

He knew there were two members of the Church—two young men—living in Moyamba Junction. They were not attending sacrament meeting on Sundays because they couldn’t afford the cost to travel to the closest branch 25 minutes away. Kathy and I didn’t know about Brother Frazer until several months after he started sharing the gospel in his new community. The first missionaries to work in Moyamba Junction were Elder Adjakpa from Togo and Elder Gallagher from America. Kathy and I first attended sacrament meeting with the Moyamba Junction home group on July 6, 2025. By then more than 50 members were meeting in the small room of a little house. The members couldn’t fit in the room so they spread out into an adjoining room and outside on the porch.

During our first sacrament meeting with the group, I was sitting up front facing the congregation with my back to the wall and my knees a few feet from the children on the front row. I looked at the children. I couldn’t stop myself. I winked at a little girl and was rewarded with a huge smile back. I raised my eyebrows a few times quickly and smiled at a little boy and he responded with a bigger smile. I discretely caught the eyes of a few more. They were all surprised and returned joyful smiles that consumed their faces. None of them made a sound or wiggled in their chairs. They just smiled at me brightly. The children are the happiest part of our lives here. "Jesus said, Suffer little children . . . to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14.

After sacrament meeting, Kathy went outside with the primary children for their class. And then, during our Sunday School lesson inside, we could hear the sweet voices of the children singing the new songs Kathy taught them.

Last Sunday, I set Brother Frazer apart as the first branch president. He has found a larger building for the branch to meet. As soon as we finalize the details we will move there. With more room to grow, they will grow.