How I Lead in the Ivory Coast | An Interview with Norbert Kalogo Ounleu

Norbert Kalogo Ounleu is from Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). He grew
up Muslim and was baptized when he was 25 years old. Norbert served
as a Sunday School teacher, ward mission leader, and Young Men
president, and was called as a bishop at age 27, just two years
after he was baptized. He then served as a stake president, mission
president of the Ivory Coast, and area seventy. He currently serves
as a Sunday School teacher. He has worked as an Institute director
and teacher and currently works for the Church History Department.
He and his wife Valerie have four children. Highlights 01:45
Introduction to Norbert Ounleu and his conversion story. 07:10
Norbert talks about his very first calling teaching Sunday School.
09:40 How Norbert met his wife and their story. 12:15 Norbert was
called as a bishop at 27 years old, just two years after his
conversion. 14:00 Norbert describes what it was like stepping into
a bishop’s role without much experience or knowledge. He went to
the missionaries for help. 16:00 If Norbert could go back in time
and give himself advice as a new bishop he would tell himself to
just follow the Spirit. 16:30 Ward demographics and dynamics at the
time that Norbert was bishop. 18:00 Day-to-day responsibilities as
a bishop in the Ivory Coast Welfare needs Helping people with their
callings 20:45 After 3 years as bishop, Norbert was called to be a
stake president. 21:30 How being a stake president is different
from being a bishop. 22:15 Stake demographics. It was a very large
area for a stake. Members would have to travel for a couple of
hours to get to the stake center. 23:10 Norbert’s advice to stake
presidents and other leaders Be united with your counselors 24:40
The Church was very new to the Ivory Coast in the '90s and it was
difficult to find leaders and train them for callings. They relied
heavily on the handbook. 26:00 What Norbert learned as a young
leader. He had to learn the handbook very well. He made plenty of
mistakes at first but was humble when told what he did wrong. 27:45
Getting called as a mission president. He had less than two months
to prepare. 31:40 Once again he started a new calling, as a mission
president, knowing nothing. He relied on the help of other leaders.
He had the unique dynamic of dealing with a civil war, no MTC, and
not having a temple. Most missionaries were not endowed. 35:35
Serving as mission president helped Norbert and his wife grow
together. 36:50 Norbert’s wife focused on the missionaries' health
and training the sister missionaries. 37:30 Norbert talks about how
he helped grow the Church in his country when he served as a
mission president. 38:00 Right after his mission, Norbert was
called as an area seventy. 39:30 From the mission home, Norbert
moved his family to Ghana and started teaching and directing the
Institute, and served as an area seventy. 40:15 What it was like to
be an area seventy. He served in this calling for seven years.
44:00 Working for the Church History Department Links Pioneers in
every land: Norbert K. Ounleu has seen the restored gospel grow
exponentially in the Ivory Coast and in Africa Read the TRANSCRIPT
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