Farewell to the prophet — 'We all waved goodbye'

The day after dedicating the Aba, Nigeria, Temple on Aug. 7, 2005, President Gordon B. Hinckley was preparing to leave West Africa for home. It was a bright, humid morning in Aba, and the church president was on the tail end of a whirlwind tour to Russia, parts of Asia and Africa — the crowning moment being the dedication of the third temple in Africa and the second in West Africa.

Just three days before, I had stood on the grounds of the new temple watching hundreds of Nigerian Latter-day Saints gathering and lining the streets to welcome their beloved President Hinckley. For safety reasons, President Hinckley was flown by helicopter from the Port Harcourt airport to Aba, where he landed in adjacent school grounds. Soon, a convoy of cars arrived on the temple grounds, bringing cheers and tears.

Now he was going home, and the same helicopter was going to ferry him back to Port Harcourt. I was part of a convoy of news media that preceded the church president's car. We jumped from our vehicles to film the event, arriving before the helicopter. Soon, we heard the familiar thump-thump and saw the red and white helicopter descending onto the field, which until that moment had been completely empty except for our cars.

That's when I saw them — dozens of Nigerian children coming seemingly from nowhere. First, they seemed mesmerized by the helicopter landing in their school yard. Then, as President Hinckley stepped out, the children began to crowd in to see who this white-haired man was being greeted by a helicopter. Local church leaders became a little alarmed that the children would rush upon the venerable church leader or that they would be harmed by the helicopter's twirling rotor blades.

The local leaders, by linking arms, were able to keep the children at bay as President Hinckley walked to his ride. He climbed aboard, after which an assistant helped fasten his seat belt. Then everyone began stepping back. By that time, it seemed hundreds of Nigerian children and adults had gathered. As the pilots prepared for takeoff, President Hinckley began smiling and waving. I will never forget standing among those beautiful Nigerian children as we all waved goodbye to President Gordon B. Hinckley.

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E-mail: julied@desnews.com