Elder Rasband Arrives in Nairobi Bringing Aid for “Mully Children’s Family”

On October 23, 2025, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with his wife, Melanie, and grandson Hudson Werlich arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, after making the long flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The following day, Elder Rasband planned to fulfill a dream he has had since he first met Dr. Charles Mulli, co-founder with his wife, Esther, of Mully Children’s Family Foundation. This dream, as he explained in addressing Dr. Mulli is “that our church and your organization would have a continuation of the good work that you’re doing to bless the lives of children.”

Elder Rasband first met Dr. Mulli in Salt Lake City, where Dr. Mulli was a featured guest at the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s annual Christmas concert in 2024. As part of the Christmas program, Dr. Mulli’s story was told, telling of his abandonment at the tender age of six years old, his life as a homeless child, his experience gaining a testimony of Jesus Christ, and his gradual rise to become an international business executive, community leader, and minister in his local congregation.

Following this enormous success, his story sharply changed once again when he made the decision to sell his businesses and commit his life to rescuing children who were alone and suffering, as he had once suffered.

Despite having eight children of their own, Dr. and Esther Mulli not only opened their home but went out onto the streets of Nairobi and found orphaned and abandoned children whom they brought in, cared for, educated, and made part of their family. Thus began Mully Children’s Family Foundation, which has now provided care for over 35,000 children throughout Kenya and Tanzania.

Following the Christmas concert, Elder Rasband had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Mulli, telling him that he was going to Kenya the next year. “When I come to Kenya,” Elder Rasband told him, “I want to meet you, and I want to thank you for all the good that you are doing in the world, and especially in Africa.”

That wish came to fruition as Dr. Mulli, Esther, and their daughter Grace came to an event planned in their honor at the Church’s area offices in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing with them a choir made up of a group of children from their foundation. Elder Rasband spoke at this event saying, “It’s thrilling for me today to be here and to see the realization, Dr. Mulli, of that little visit that we had in Salt Lake City, where I promised you that we would meet again in Kenya.”

Dr. Mulli was equally pleased, as he expressed in his remarks: “I’m so happy, very excited to be with you. … I’m so, so, so excited and delighted. The peace of God be among you, brothers and sisters in Christ.” He also spoke of his time in Salt Lake City, describing it as “really another heaven, the joy, the glory, and the strength of those people, and they are great.”

He expressed his gratitude to Christ for giving him “the power of forgiving,” saying, “When I got to know that power of forgiveness, then I thought, now it was my time. Forgive my only father and my own mama. And later, when we were able to get together, instead of fighting, it was such a great plan that it became a great joy, rejoicing as a family.”

He went on to say, “And here I am, being the papa of the fatherless . . . and really I know it’s for winning the many lives of those young people, addicted to drugs, causing stealing, thieves, those kind of young people. . . . Now, as I look back, I say hallelujah, praise be to the Lord.”

Following his remarks, Dr. Mulli introduced his children’s choir, who sang and danced for the group, delighting all in attendance. Of his choir Dr. Mulli stated, “Praise be to the Lord, our God. Those who were neglected and rejected by society, they are the ones to sing praises to the Lord. Sometimes we wonder, when we see street children in Nairobi, or anywhere in the other continents, we wonder, what can we do? It is God’s, one child at a time. All those years, God has really done great things.”

Following the choir’s singing, Elder Rasband remarked, “Dr. Mulli, Mrs. Mulli, Grace, and beautiful children, choir, you honor Jesus Christ by being here today. And I feel that Jesus Christ is smiling on you and your family today. You bring glory to His name. And you do it all in His name. What a great tribute to you, Doctor.”

He went on to say, “Our church teaches to love our fellow man, the two great commandments, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might, mind and strength.’ The second great commandment is ‘thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ The organization that you represent demonstrates your love for God by your love for your fellow man. We praise you and we praise God that He has made you an instrument in His hand to bring these children and [currently] 9,000 other children off the streets of wherever you find them and give them a place they can call home, and a mommy and daddy that they can honor and respect.”

Elder Rasband then presented Dr. and Mrs. Mulli with a donation for their foundation stating, “It’s going to sound like it’s a gift from the Church, but it’s from the members of our church. What we’re going to present to you today is from the members of our church who have joined together to make a financial contribution to your wonderful organization.” He went on to add, “May God bless you, your wife, your biological family, and your immense adopted family, in your work of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In response to this kindness Dr. Mulli stated, “Indeed, what can I say related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days, showing the true love of Jesus Christ? He gave us the way. He showed us the way. He said, ‘Let the little children come unto me, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ Therefore, in the future they will become fathers, they will become the mothers, will become the missionaries, and will reach out to the whole world.”

He added, “From your church, the love that you have shown us the last few years, . . . I’ve seen Christ in you. The joy of the Lord is our strength. This is the day that the Lord has made, and I feel so much privileged to say thank-you, thank-you. May the Lord bless you.”