Not all pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pulled handcarts across the American plains. Samuel O. Amako, president of the Gambia Banjul Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is a pioneer of The Church in that country. Leaving his home in Ghana as a young man, he became a key figure in establishing a Church presence in The Gambia, where there had been no Church presence. His mission, to bring the blessings of the gospel to his friends and family there, culminated on June 6, 2024, when he and his branch members travelled to the Accra Ghana temple where he was finally sealed to his wife and children.
Brother Amako joined the church in Ghana in his youth when he was baptised by Elder Anthony Kaku and confirmed by Elder John K Buah, both of whom would later play a role in his life. Now a member, Brother Amako wanted to bring the blessings of the gospel to others so he was thrilled to accept a call to serve a mission in his own country. Upon returning, and wanting to travel and experience more, he left Ghana in 1993 with missionary friends to go to The Gambia where they believed it would be easier to get travel visas. Getting visas didn’t work out, and when the friends separated to go their various ways, Brother Amako remained. He eventually married Fatou Badjan, a local Gambian, and began raising his family there.
Since there was no church presence in The Gambia, but still filled with the missionary spirit, Brother Amako took it upon himself to begin holding church services in his home. Sister Amako was Muslim and had not joined the church, but she welcomed church members into their home. They continued this way for many years until, in 2022, Elder Christofferson dedicated The Gambia for preaching the gospel and, on June 10, 2022, the first and only branch in the Gambia was organized, with Brother Amako serving as Branch President. Sister Amako joined the church in 2022.
In August of 2024, Brother Amako, along with members of his branch, travelled to Ghana to receive temple blessings. Brother and Sister Amako, along with their children, were sealed together in the Accra Ghana Temple by the temple president, Elder Anthony Kaku, who was the very missionary that had baptised Brother Amako all those years before. Elder Kaku was just recently called as the new temple president, and the outgoing Temple president is Elder John K Buah, who was the missionary who confirmed Brother Amako.
The Amakos were true pioneers in The Gambia. Their small branch has grown to about 100 members, they now meet in a rented building, they brought members to the temple, they sent their son Daniel who was the first missionary called from The Gambia (and who just returned in time for the sealing) and they just sent out the first sister missionary from The Gambia. Although the Amakos' personal journey has culminated with a temple sealing for their family, they look forward to returning to The Gambia to continue the mission to bring others into the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.