Elder Ian S. Ardern, a native of New Zealand, is serving as Africa Central Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Recently, he thanked senior missionaries who are serving in Africa and other parts of the world, and invited more to serve.
Elder-Ardern-and-Senior-Missionaries
Elder Ian Ardern, General Authority Seventy, and his wife, Paula (center) are shown with senior missionaries from New Zealand serving in Ethiopia, a part of the Africa Central Area of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he is the Area President. Shown with Elder and Sister Ardern are President Oliva and Sister Rebecca Cowley of the Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission; and Elder and Sister Stanford; Elder and Sister Tohiariki, and Brother and Sister Rangi.© 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Just when you thought you had heard the last of me, I reappear with a news item from Ethiopia, a country of 127 million people and part of the Africa Central Area where Sister Ardern and I are currently serving.
Can you imagine our joy this weekend in being with our fellow New Zealanders-- the Ethiopia Mission Leaders, President and Sister Cowley; Elder and Sister Stanford; and Elder and Sister Tohiariki. To be with Brother and Sister Rangi again is always a pleasure. They are all over 14,000 kilometres from home, but each has chosen, for a season, to make Ethiopia home.
The response across the Church to the General conference call of Elder Ronald A. Rasband for additional senior couples has almost been beyond belief. As senior couples you too are invited to join the throng.
Those thoughts of not being able to receive your New Zealand pension while overseas can be put to one side, as it is possible to serve abroad and continue to receive your pension.
Be it in the Pacific or Africa, you are needed—and as it is for the couples serving in Ethiopia, great shall be your joy.
Arohanui,
Elder Ardern