BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI
To most members of the Church, partaking of the sacrament is a special weekly experience but, at times, might be taken for granted. For the Malabi family of Bujumbura, Burundi, the service held last Aug. 15 was an opportunity that brought them to tears and rejoicing as they partook of the sacrament for the first time in five years.
In 1992 missionaries worked for a short time in Burundi. The Church received government recognition and a small branch was organized. The branch was later disbanded as most members in the country left because of civil unrest. After that time no Church meetings were held and there were few, if any, members of record in Burundi.
Meanwhile several unrelated and unofficial groups, meeting under the name of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of Burundi," began teaching and following the principles of the Restored Gospel as well as they could with limited materials and with no officially approved leadership. For over a decade, the Africa Southeast Area Presidency was petitioned by the leaders of those groups to send missionaries, copies of the Book of Mormon and hymnals. They also desired baptism.
Because of civil unrest, economic trials and safety concerns about sending missionaries, those groups were asked to be patient in a situation reminiscent of the early days of the Church in Ghana and Nigeria. Finally, in 2009, after the country had enjoyed several years of respite from civil unrest and a peaceful second national election had been held, the Africa Southeast Area Presidency dirrected Michael Headlee, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo Mission, to make a fact-finding trip to Burundi.
On July 1, 2010, the huge Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission was divided into two missions. The eastern portion of the DRC and the tiny African nation of Burundi became part of the new Democratic Republic of Congo Lubumbashi Mission. Shortly thereafter, the area presidency authorized the new mission president, Gary L. Packer, in company with others to make a trip to Bujumbura, capital of Burundi. It was during that trip a handful of members were found and preparations began to consider establishing the Church once again in Burundi.
A conference was planned for Aug. 14, 2010. Invitations were extended to all known members and to approximately 20 leaders from the various unauthorized LDS congregations. During the conference, the members of the Church were invited to a small sacrament service. Thirteen African and five American members attended. The local priesthood administered the sacrament and nine people were asked to bear their testimonies. The Malabi family sang two hymns, one for the prelude and one as a special musical number. Following the meeting, the Malabi family was asked to stay and share their story.
Both Brother and Sister Malabi were born on the western shores of the immense Lake Tanganyika in a small city, Uvira, on the far eastern border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were married in 1989. Brother Malabi had several jobs with UNICEF and at several schools and a university in the Ivory Coast and the DRC.
When civil unrest broke out in 1996, they moved to Tanzania where he again worked as an instructor in various schools and a university. Sister Malabi taught school for a time while they were there. It was while they were in Tanzania that they joined the Church. In 2005, the family moved to Burundi. Since that time, Brother Malabi has worked as a professor at the University of Hope.
Soon after arriving in Bujumbura, Brother Malabi was contacted by a large group of individuals from Uvira who were meeting unofficially under the name of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of Burundi." Hundreds of these yet to be baptized individuals were meeting several times a week and yearned for more materials and information. When one member of these unofficial groups went to a Bujumbura market, he heard that Brother Malabi was a member of the Church and sought him out.
From that time forth, Brother Malabi made the long trip to Uvira to teach them two or three times a month. This continued for five years. He traveled at his own expense, usually alone but sometimes accompanied by his wife or one of his children. When asked how much he paid for each trip, he responded, "$10". That travel expense of $30 per month was 5 percent of his total monthly income of $600.
Brother Malabi has also been faithfully accumulating his tithing in a savings account waiting for the time when it could be given to a proper Church authority. Because there was no fast offering fund, the Malabi family, after fasting each month, would seek out the poor and needy and use their fast offering to help them.
Brother and Sister Malabi are obviously proud of their four children: Riziki Anne Marie, 18, was baptized while the family still lived in Dar Es Salem, Tanzania. She has finished high school and will be enrolling in a four-year law school in February. Ruguy Alain, 13, loves science classes and looks forward to being baptized and ordained a deacon when the Church is organized again in Bujumbura. Neema Alice, 9, is in 5th year primary school. She loves both math and French. The youngest child, Rehema Raissa, loves playing sports.
When asked if any of the children remember participating in Church six years ago, the younger two children did not, but Alain remembered Primary and Riziki loved Young Women. She especially remembered Sister Smith, the wife of Jeff Smith, a U.S. State Department employee. Brother Malabi looks forward to baptizing Alain and his two younger sisters very soon.
Both Malabi parents served faithfully in Ivory Coast and Tanzania. He served in Sunday School and elders quorum and as district mission president and branch president. Sister Malabi was a teacher, counselor and president in Relief Society. She also served as a Young Women counselor. When asked if they missed living where there were other members of the Church, both parents got tears in their eyes.
This family has been conducting a Sunday School class in their home each Sunday for the last five years and holding family home evening each Monday night. When asked if they have been faithful for these years away from the Church, Brother Malabi replied, "We have lived the gospel."
The visit by President Packer and other Church leaders was most welcomed. Sister Malabi said, "When we heard you were coming, we wanted to have a celebration party at the coming of the Church to Burundi."
When they were asked what was the hardest thing about being away from the organized Church she said, with tears welling up in her eyes, "That we could not serve!"
Earlier this year on Oct. 19, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve offered a blessing on the people and the nation of Burundi, and dedicated the country for missionary work.
With the prospects of a new branch soon to be created in Bujumbura, the Malabi family will have many opportunities to serve and continue to build the Church in Burundi.
