When Elder Aleph Josué Segovia Ramirez, a native of Lima, Peru, serving in the West Africa Ivory Coast Yamoussoukro Mission, was assigned to his mission territory in Conakry, Guinea, he realized that teaching the people of Guinea the gospel of Jesus Christ required some innovation.
The main religion in the French-speaking country is Islam, and traditional missionary activities such as door-to-door canvassing are prohibited, explained President Serge A. Zadi, president of the Ivory Coast Yamoussoukro Mission.
But Elder Segovia’s determination to share the gospel remained undiminished.
Instead, he used his creativity and used English Connect, an English language learning program offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a way to start meaningful conversations with people in his community.
Although Elder Segovia’s lessons focused on teaching English, Elder Segovia’s ultimate goal was to reach the people of Conakry, Guinea with the gospel. Driven by that purpose, he set to work.
On Thursday night, members of the community gathered in the chapel where Elder Segovia taught.
“I drew or made a verb structure, but I wrote it on paper. I wrote it on paper and then I wrote it on the blackboard.”
However, from conversations with locals during lessons, he soon learned that children were taught more Spanish than English at school, and he urged them to take advantage of their interest in the language.
With encouragement from his father and peers, Elder Segovia used EnglishConnect to teach his native Spanish to his community.
He used the EnglishConnect materials as a blueprint, translated them from English to Spanish, and created lesson plans the day before he and his colleagues were scheduled to teach.
His efforts proved effective.
After each lesson, people thanked him.
“I was able to touch lives,” Elder Segovia said.
He said he is grateful that the lessons have served him and those he has taught.
finding strength through service
Elder Segovia’s desire to serve in evangelism reached its climax when he experienced and felt in his heart that “the gospel brings happiness.”
That desire reminded him of the prophet Lehi. After Lehi ate the fruit in a vision, he experienced “exceedingly great joy” (1 Nephi 8:12).
Just as Lehi wanted his family to eat the same fruit and experience the blessings of the gospel, Elder Segovia was forced to follow that example through his ministry.
“That motivated me to take on the mission of preaching the gospel using the talents the Lord has given me,” he said.
But that sense of purpose came with challenges.
Elder Segovia called his service in Guinea “truly one of the toughest areas of my mission.”
“Being from Peru, I never expected to come to Africa, and no one had the African experience to prepare me for this mission. But my desire brought me here,” he said.
He recalled his struggle learning French when he first began his mission, saying that it took several months to get used to the language.
But amidst hardship, his ministry in Guinea was also where his testimony of the Gospel and the Savior grew. Elder Segovia realized that by relying on the Spirit and His gifts, he could impact many lives.
He attributed his success to his gift of tongues and his God-blessed talent.
Segovia recalled the second time he was teaching Spanish, when a friend of his who attended the lesson expressed gratitude for his teaching. At the end of the lesson, the friend thanked him.
That simple attitude motivated the elder Segovia to keep working hard.
From gifts to good work
President Zadi acknowledged the faith of the missionaries at Ivory Coast Yamoussoukro Mission, saying, “Each of them came with a special gift.”
President Zadi said that despite the challenges of missionary service, missionaries recognize the need for the people and the gospel around them and choose to “forget about themselves.”
He said he often reminds missionaries that Heavenly Father has blessed their individual talents and encourages them to use those talents to advance God’s love for His children.
“If your talent is smiling, keep smiling. If your talent is music, you can sing. Just as Elder Segovia did with Spanish, you will use every talent you have to invite others to the knowledge of the gospel,” President Zadi said.
