Traveling in Faith to the Nairobi Kenya Temple

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In a remarkable journey, hundreds of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from Tanzania traveled to attend the Nairobi Kenya Temple open house Tanzanian Saints Visit Nairobi Kenya Temple Open House, prior to its dedication on May 18^th, 2025.  On July 30th, 2025, many of these members returned to Nairobi once more, anxious to perform saving ordinances in The House of The Lord, many for the first time.

These faithful members of the NJiro Branch and Arusha District in Tanzania have been blessed to have the love and support of Alan Jackson and Brenda Angle, both of the U.S.A. who, along with donors, have made it possible, twice now, to bring them to the Nairobi Temple.  Both times, the undertaking was fraught with challenges, unexpected difficulties, and faith promoting experiences. 

Laisha’s dream was to go to the temple, but she is raising a very young grandchild and could not find anyone to watch the baby.  The day before the trip someone showed up offering to take care of the baby and Laisha’s dream was realized as she joined with her branch members for the trip. 

Sophia also has a grandchild she cares for and she didn’t have any diapers for the baby to make the journey to the temple.  She had a strong feeling in her heart that she needed to be there and to enter the temple, but she had no money.  Someone showed up the day before the trip and supplied her with many diapers, enabling her to make the journey. 

Rehema Nnko is a twenty-year-old young man who joined the church last year.  In April, he had planned on attending the Nairobi Temple open house and prepared all the necessary documentation but, living an hour and a half from the church, unfortunately arrived late and missed the bus. This time, Brenda went to his home to pick him up so he could spend the night with them in Moshi and be sure to make the trip.  As they prepared to leave, Brenda asked him if he had his passport and yellow fever card, required documents needed to cross the border.  He just pulled out and showed her his temple recommend.  Not knowing where his documents were, they had to leave without him.  Later that night, he was able to find the necessary papers and he made it down to the main highway where they were able to pick him up on the way to Arusha. This time he would enter the temple doors.

Stephen Masika Soi was a popular and successful pastor in another faith but felt something was missing in his ministry.  After extensive study he was convinced that what he needed was the power of the priesthood, but he did not know how to get it.  Upon learning of The Church and priesthood power and authority, he gained a testimony and was baptized as a member of the church, and in so doing lost his means of support.  His wife and three children had to go live with her mother on the other side of Tanzania.  From a donor in the U.S., his wife was able to travel twenty hours by bus to join him to travel to the temple.  After eight months of separation, they were able to journey to the temple together. 

There were not only obstacles to overcome in preparing to leave for the temple, but along the way as well.  As Brenda relates “Satan will always throw out roadblocks to make it difficult to go to the temple”. 

One of those roadblocks was literal, as they came across a wreck on the road, which temporarily blocked their way.  Another was more difficult to overcome. For five days before departure, the machine at the immigration office in Tanzania was not working to process any passports.  The equipment finally started working at 7:30 PM the night before they were to leave. Emmanuel, a new convert to the church, stayed up all night working to get their passports processed in time.  He had all but thirteen ready to go when they left and hoped to finish those remaining and send them electronically before they arrived at the border. 

Unfortunately, he found there was no system in place to achieve this, which led to a three-hour delay for the buses as they endeavored to cross the border.  After some effort, they were finally able to get all the participants through the border crossing and on to Nairobi, where arrangements had been made to house them for the night. 

The following morning, four buses carrying ninety-nine excited members, pulled up in front of the Nairobi Kenya Temple, smiling and waving to a group of senior missionaries, waiting to welcome them there.  After greetings and pictures these faithful saints were ready to enter the temple and participate in the sacred work there.  Some receiving ordinances for themselves and some for those who passed on before. 

In all, three hundred and twenty-seven ordinances were performed by these dedicated members, including one hundred and thirty-four baptisms, one hundred and fifty-six confirmations, twenty-six initiatory, ten endowments, and one family eternally sealed together.

The spirit was felt throughout the day, and many did not want to leave.  Jerome Valerian exclaimed, “I wish I could just stay here!” and went on to relate that he had just received his mission call and would be returning to Kenya soon to serve in the Kenya East Mission. 

Janeth Paulo Chang’a who came, along with her sister, to receive her own endowment felt the same way as she remarked, “I feel so much peace, I don’t want to leave”. 

While this experience has come to an end, the blessings of the temple will follow these faithful members, with the prayer, as stated by Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 109:22  “…we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them”.