Faith, and Joy while Overcoming Obstacles are Defining Attributes of New Africa Central Area President

Anyone who has met Elder Thierry Mutombo once, twice, or ten times will have experienced the booming “hello,” the big smile, and the hug.  For men, there’s always a hug.  His greetings exemplify a joyful life.  Elder Mutombo, and his wife Nathalie, have experienced heartbreaking adversity.  Their joy has its foundation in their strong testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and faith in God’s great plan of happiness for His children.

On August 1, 2024, Elder Mutombo became President of the Africa Central Area of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Elder Mutombo, along with his counselors, Elder Paul B. Pieper and Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier, will oversee the Church in the 11 countries of Central Africa where the Church is authorized.  The Area stretches from The Indian Ocean and Kenya and Tanzania on the east to the Atlantic Ocean and Cameroon, and The Republic of Congo on the west.  There are 192,000 church members in the Area.  Membership in the Church as grown by 54% since the creation of the Africa Central Area in 2020.   

Elder Mutombo joined the church with his family in Kinshasa of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) when he was ten years old.  Sister Mutombo joined the church a few years after him when she was nine years old.  Her older sister, Hope had met the full time missionaries.  With the blessing of their parents, Nathalie and Hope both were baptized.  5 years later their mother passed away.  Two years after that, their father died. 

When At 19 Thierry was called to serve a mission in the Cote D’Ivoir Abidjan mission he had never read the Book of Mormon.  His bishop encouraged him to read it cover to cover before commencing his mission.  For three months Theirry went every day to his ward building to read, ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon.  This experience of daily study resulted in his taking into his mission a strong testimony of the book.   He has said, “the greatest tool that we have to bring people to the light of the gospel and gather scattered Israel is the Book of Mormon.”

His mission was profoundly impactful on his life.  French is the principle language of the DRC and of Cote D’Ivoire.  Thierry had multiple English speaking companions.  His mission president counseled him to take time every day to learn English from his companions.  Thierry obediently added English language study to his gospel study and proselyting.  His English and French language proficiency has blessed many.

Nathalie also served a mission.  She was originally called to serve in Nigeria.  A delay in receiving a visa for Nigeria stretched throughout her mission so she was re-assigned to her home country.  This would prove providential for it was while serving in a Kinshasa ward that she came to know Thierry’s parents.  During her mission, Thierry’s mother told her returned missionary son about Sister Nathalie Sinda.  “There is a sister missionary in our ward and she is just amazing, If one day you could get married to that sister missionary, you would be the happiest man.” 

One day, months after that conversation with his mother, a friend of Terry’s took him to visit some friends.  Nathalie Sinda was at that home.  She came out to see the visitors.   She had been home from her mission for one day.   Terry was surprised to meet the woman his mother had raved about.  Remembering his mother’s suggestion, he asked her out on a date.  One year later, they were married.  Thierry’s mother was right, Nathalie is amazing.

DRC is the second poorest country in the world.  In 2002, the average income per person for a year was less than $100 (US Dollars).  On November 29, 2002, they were married in a civil ceremony.   Their love was abundant, money was not.  After being married, the newlyweds went to their ward building where a member had made donuts and Juice and invited friends to fete the young couple. Nearly two years later, on November 19, 2004, they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Johannesburg, South Africa Temple. 

Hard work and faithful, diligent service has always been a part of Elder and Sister Mutombo’s life together.  Heartache and adversity has been as well.  Four of the Mutombo’s first six children died while infants.  The youngest died at one week old, the oldest of sudden infant death, at 9 months old. In the face of the heartbreak of losing four of their first six children, Thierry and Nathalie’s faith in God and love of each other was undeterred.  Today, they have six living children, Jason, Blessing, Ariel, Marvel, Harvest, and Ruby.  Ruby, their 10^th child and 3^rd daughter, was born while the Mutombo’s led the Maryland Baltimore mission.

In 2018, at the age of 42, Thierry commenced service as President of the Maryland Baltimore Mission.  His diligence in learning English while serving as a full time missionary was now a necessity in his new responsibility.  Thierry and Nathalie experienced miracles as mission leaders.  On one occasion, in a tender and timely mercy, Thierry had a vivid dream.  In the dream he saw the footsteps of Jesus.  He approached the footsteps and placed his foot inside one.  It fit perfectly.  He realized, that as a servant of God, he was following in the footsteps of Jesus.

In December of 2019, while serving in Baltimore, Thierry and Nathalie were invited to meet with Church President Russell M. Nelson.  The meeting was virtual.  The prophet asked mission president Mutombo what was the most important thing they had learned on their mission.  President Mutombo answered, “trying to follow the Savior’s footsteps every day.”  President Nelson then extended a call to Thierry to serve as a General Authority Seventy.  Thierry was 43 years old.  For the next nearly 27 years, he would devote his life to the Savior’s work.  On Saturday afternoon, April 4, 2020, while watching General Conference as a family in Baltimore, Maryland, the six Mutombo children learned of their father’s new assignment.  Walking in the Savior’s footsteps would continue for many years.

In August of 2020, Elder Thierry K. Mutombo joined Area President Joseph Sitati and First Counselor Matthew Carpenter as the first Area Presidency of the new Africa Central Area.  Now, as Area President, Elder Mutombo brings a life of faith, of devoted service, of joy in the face of challenge, and of love to his new responsibility.  And, he brings hearty greetings, big smiles, and hugs, big hugs, to the saints in Central Africa.