Month: July 2020

This afternoon we had 6 missionaries come to the new office for a final gathering and meal.  This is the group that was scheduled to depart in April, but couldn’t because the borders closed.  These 6 missionaries are still here.  This afternoon they had their final interviews with Pres Binene.  They still aren’t scheduled to leave, but if the borders open, they could go at a moment’s notice.

Elder Kwizera had his interview at the front end so we’d have time to meet with him.  We interviewed him once before (oral history), but somehow we lost the audio file, so we did it again today.  Elder Kwizera is the only missionary currently serving from the country of Burundi.  There are 3 branches of the church in Burundi.  I think Elder Kwizera is a Pioneer.  He joined the church in 2015 when he was 23 years old.  He will be a great strength to the members there when he eventually returns.  He’s been serving now for 27 months!

After the interviews were completed, we gathered downstairs around our big new table for a testimony meeting before having dinner.   We each shared our thoughts, and Pres and Sis Binene ended with theirs.

Our long-over due six:

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sis Celestine and Sis Debrime had ready for us.  We are grateful for their help, even late on a Sunday evening.  All this food was prepared elsewhere and brought over this afternoon in public transport.

What interesting times these COVID-19 months have been.  Perhaps most interesting for these missionaries who have no idea when they will return home.

This evening we had a special event–a farewell dinner with all 6 of our Stake Presidents and their wives and the Binene family.  Our Area Seventies, Elder Guei and Elder Dekaye helped to organize this send off.  We had a lovely evening in a nice restaurant here in Abidjan.

Here are some photos of our evening together:

President and Sister Binene spoke to us one last time.

The Binene family:

Dinner was a delicious buffet with lamb, chicken, fish, rice, scalloped potatoes, attieke,  plantain, vegetables and some sauces for the rice.

The Binenes were presented with gifts of traditional clothing from the western regions of the country.  This traditional dress is called a boubou yacouba.

The wives of the Stake Presidents:

Photos with each of the Stake Presidents and their wives:

President Sossou and his wife, First Counselor in the Mission Presidency:

President Lewis (Second Counselor in the Mission Presidency) and me.

Eveque Mel, the Greffier to the Mission:

The Binene Family:

We miss our friends in Bamako, especially on days like today.  These good Elders have been teaching Destin the last several months.  We enjoyed being in his home with him when we were in Bamako before COVID.  Today he was baptized.  Oh happy day!

    

Our wonderful Bamako Branch is growing!

We happened across these good Sisters teaching a lesson this afternoon.  This makes me feel so happy.

And this makes me sad.  These 2 Sisters, Sister Adantonon and Sister Bankole, are flying to their homeland of Benin early tomorrow morning.  They have completed their missions and their borders have opened.  We will miss them here.  We wish them well.