On 28 December, 2014, residents of Misikhu, Kenya, gathered at a newly constructed meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to witness the dedication of this house of worship in their community. Some had come on foot, some rode bicycles, and others travelled for miles on Matatus (public vans). President Gary C. Hicken of the Kenya Nairobi Mission offered the dedicatory prayer, consecrating the building worship and wholesome use by the members of the community. Work began on the building a year ago, with the breaking of ground by Area Member of County Assembly, Hon. John Masakali.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The building is located on a rise with a gorgeous view overlooking Mount Elgon, one of Africa’s tallest mountains. The structure is the fourth Mormon meetinghouse in the general area of Kitale and Eldoret where there are over ten Church congregations. Over 140 people attended the meeting, including opinion leaders from the community.
Two choirs sang, one from the Eldoret District and one from the Misikhu branch, and a tender feeling was felt. Eldoret District President Dominic Kogo was the first speaker. He related how the spirit was present when the land was chosen for the site almost 2 years ago. He reminisced about how missionaries had changed his life many years ago, and the sacrifices that had been made for this to come to pass. He said the heavens and the mountains would smile as the building was dedicated.
President Hicken then followed, and defined what it means to dedicate a building to God and to Christ. He remarked that this was a historical event for the members in the area, and that even though there are only 12,000 members in Kenya at the present time, someday there would be millions, as well as Mormon Temples. He had all the full-time missionaries stand up, and recognized them for their service to the people and members in the surrounding areas. He then gave the dedicatory prayer, during which time he dedicated the individual rooms and the purposes for which they were built. It was a special experience for all who attended.