Here are some crazy videos taken out my taxi window along the drive from Binabougou to Bamako yesterday afternoon. This area is called Bankoni. This gives you an idea of what it’s like driving through chaotic market place! We are bumper to bumper, squeezed in on all sides, with swarms of motorcycles on every side.
This is an area where big full trucks come in and unload and vendors fill baskets and carts and transports with produce and products to resell. You’ll see lots of young boys with handcarts ready for hire to move things to other parts of the market. You’ll also see plenty of women sitting on the ground sorting or selling mounds of avocados, onions, potatoes, plantain or cassava.
In this last clip, you’ll see lots of stoves and grills and burners for sale along with cooking pots and some household things. It’s all so interesting and fascinating to watch as we drive by.
For the next few weeks, we’ll be attending church in Binabougou, to help get things established there. Chiaka Traore is our faithful group leader and we meet in a school classroom where he teaches. We love coming here. Today Josephine and her 2 daughters with their children came. The family of Catherine is still involved in family meetings and gatherings after the funeral. We hope to see them here soon.
Chiaka and John preparing the meeting agenda
Preparing the sacrament:
Showing our friends our family while we wait for others to arrive.
We had a wonderful testimony meeting today with Chiaka taking the lead.
During the second hour, John set up his laptop and speakers so we could listen to Elder Renlund’s conference talk. We had a great discussion afterwards about how to be when things are not fair.
When the scriptures talk about taking the gospel to the farthest corners of the world, it’s talking about places like this. There is no place I’d rather be.
On Saturday mornings we go to the church to help clean the building. I don’t need to show every week how dirty it gets–I’ve shown before how the dust and dirt find their way to every inch of space available. We worked hard today with the Elders to prepare everything for our meetings tomorrow. It took us several hours of dusting, sweeping and moping with the tools above to make it look like this:
After everything was clean and presentable, I had a little cooking lesson with the Elders who wanted to learn how I made some chicken sandwiches I made when Elder Kacher was here a few weeks ago. They chopped and prepared some chicken breasts and I introduced them to Soy Sauce. Then they cooked and prepared the marinated meat for baguette sandwiches. It was fun and they will be tasty.
John spent some time with them organizing their Area Book. The missionaries are finally being taught to use the Area Book Planner we started to roll out almost a year ago. This will be a huge blessing to missionary work in the mission.
Here is how trash is put out in most neighborhoods. This is by the church. Boys with donkey carts come by to pick it up.
We’ve had the good pleasure this week of meeting Jonathan Bangalie from Sierra Leone. He came to Mali hoping for a way to earn some money as he prepares to go on a mission soon. Jonathan was baptized 11 April 2020 in Sierra Leone, and he has been a fantastic missionary ever since. He’s shared the gospel with 6 others who have joined the church, including his mother and sisters.
With the help of Pres Sekou and Elder Lewis, Jonathan was able to figure out that the people offering him the job were not honest and they were hoping to take advantage of him. He was wise to find the church here and ask for counsel. This morning, after a long 3-day bus trip, he returned safely to his family, more wise, and grateful to our Heavenly Father for keeping him and his money safe.
We are excited to see where Jonathan is called to serve. He’s begun his mission application process. He is a bright light here in West Africa!
We made a couple of stops on our way home this afternoon to check in on some member families. Here are the children of Mariam and Tomba who live with Josephine in Bankoni. Sitan, the oldest here was baptized 2 weeks ago. They were so happy to see us and we were so happy to see them!
We also stopped to visit Rose and her family, but they weren’t home today.
It took us 2 hours to drive home this afternoon after Catherine’s funeral in Bankoni. I don’t mind the drive in such a fascinating place. Come along with me to see what I saw.
A barber shop:
Filling the motorcycle with gas:
Clothing for sale:
Shade is good:
Cupboards for sale:
Shoes for sale:
Limes for sale:
These machines grind grain and food:
The little shop on the corner:
Friends visiting:
So much traffic:
How much can you fit on your bike?
Or in your moto?
Construction sites Everywhere!
Taking care of business:
An airconditioned ride!
Rice for sale:
Goods in a gourd:
Plaid pants for sale:
Motorcycle repairs done here:
Trash on every corner:
A pet store:
Bikes for sale:
Men’s clothing for sale:
What happens when the taxi in front of you dies: Everyone pushes!
This morning we received the sad news that one of our dear friends in Bankoni died. Catherine has been sick for awhile, and no one could figure out what was wrong. She recently traveled far to a hospital to find help. They could not find what the problem was. This morning her beautiful spirit returned Home. She was only 32 years old. Catherine was prepared for baptism and so happy to know and understand who Jesus Christ is. I know she will continue learning and growing in a new and beautiful place.
As soon as we heard, we prepared to travel to Bankoni for her funeral. We wanted to say good bye. The drive takes about an hour over bad roads. Our group leader there had everyone wait for our arrival to start the funeral. The missionaries have been teaching Catherine, and some of her relatives.
When we arrived, we left the car and hiked up the mountainside to her family compound where friends and family had gathered. There were about 50 men waiting under a mango tree. We joined them there on this hot 108 degree day.
Pres. Sekou conducted this reverent service with this group of Muslim men. Only men participate in funerals in the Muslim faith. All of the women were in another compound near by, visiting and preparing food for the family and visitors.
After a prayer and a few words, we started our trek to the cemetery, up on the hillside. Catherine’s body was on a stretcher waiting in this outdoor bathroom. Strong young men carried the stretcher and we all followed up the mountainside to the cemetery. It was about 1/2 a mile away off a dirt path.
The cemetery was baren and dry. The graves were simple mounds of dirt outlined with rocks. There were no markers or names on the graves.
This morning a grave had been prepared. It was under a Eucalyptus tree that offered a bit of shade. At the gravesite, Sekou dedicated this resting spot with his priesthood power. The men were reverent and careful as they gently unwrapped the blanket and placed her shrouded body in the grave.
Then they carefully prepared “a house” to hold her body and spirit, where she will stay until the final judgement and resurrection. While some held the blanket over the grave, there were 4 men in the grave with her body who placed mudbricks around the sides of the hole, so her body wouldn’t touch the dirt. Then they gently covered her body with mud bricks and finally with mud they mixed at the site with a bucket of water.
The folded stretcher and the things the body was wrapped in for transport:
Once she was in her “house” the men took turns filling the grave.
The grave was outlined with rocks and large clods to mark her place, then we returned to the family compound for some words from the Muslim leader and a final prayer.
After the service, we met with Chaka, Catherine’s father, and Moussa, her uncle, who has been receiving the missionary lessons. They were so kind and grateful to have us with them on this sad day. It was an honor to be able to be here and to say our goodbyes to Catherine, our dear friend.
This morning our neighborhood and mosque prepared for a day of prayer. The tent is put up every Friday morning and the prayer rugs or mats are brought out. As we took our morning walk, we saw these mats lining the streets near our home. We love Fridays and our faithful neighbors.
It was fun to help a bit with this article that was published this week in the Church News, featuring our very own Bamako superstar, Esther.
The Young Women general presidency are, from left, Sister Michelle D. Craig, first counselor; President Bonnie H. Cordon and Sister Rebecca L. Craven, second counselor. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
By the Young Women general presidency and advisory council
8 APR 2021
The youth have been invited to join the Lord’s youth battalion, and this is a responsibility they hold dear to their hearts. They strive to be active participants in the work of salvation, to gain and strengthen their personal testimonies of Jesus Christ and build up their peers in their own journeys toward the Savior.
In the scriptures, we read about young people experiencing the marvelous power of God in their lives and using those experiences to bless and uplift others. Examples of youth like Esther, Nephi, Abish, Mormon, the maid in Naaman’s household and others teach us the power of a willing heart and mind.
These noble youth saw the Savior, testified boldly, were record keepers, saved nations, were mighty leaders, kept their covenants during difficult times, built ships and followed the prophet. If miraculous and marvelous things can come to pass at the hands of young people throughout the scriptures, then why not at the hands of our youth?
Our young women are the strongest, most valiant the world has ever known, and they are not content to sit on the sidelines. They have been called of God to be leaders. They have been sent to earth at this precise time for a precise purpose and they are prepared for the challenges of our day. They too can be a glorious light that shines in darkness.
Esther Nable, 13, from Bamako, Mali, and her two younger siblings were baptized last year and are the only members of the church in their family. Every week, she faithfully walks with her siblings through busy, unpaved streets to attend their small branch. Esther loves to sing the hymns and is learning how to play the keyboard. And just like Esther of old, she is a powerful example of faith to her family and friends as she trusts God and testifies often of Jesus Christ and why it is important that we should follow Him.
Esther Nable, 13, from Bamako, Mali, is a powerful example of faith to her family and friends. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Aidrey Anderson, 18, from Ogden, Utah, sees the guiding hand of the Lord in her life daily. She serves on her seminary council and understands the strong desire that her peers have to gather during the pandemic. While closely following local restrictions, she continues to seek out ways in which they can participate in faith-building activities that strengthen their testimonies and help move the Lord’s work forward. Instead of the seminary students gathering at the temple every Friday, their seminary building has become an extension of the temple as together they gather their kindred dead through indexing.
Aidrey Anderson, 18, from Ogden, Utah, serves on her seminary council and helps her peers find ways to safely gather during the pandemic. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Romina Martinez, 13, from Treinta y Tres, Uruguay, is currently the only young woman in her ward. She too understands the need for her peers to be together and helped plan an activity where the youth in her stake could safely gather. They played games, ate snacks and shared with one another how their testimonies were strengthened during their recent For the Strength of Youth conference. This experience helped increase their faith in Jesus Christ, as together they felt the joy and belonging that comes from living the gospel.
As the only young woman in her ward, Romina Martinez, 13, from Treinta y Tres, Uruguay, helped plan a stake youth activity for the youth to safely gather. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
These young women are representative of so many throughout the world who follow the example of the Savior who went about “doing good.”
Most of us have an opportunity to interact on some level with youth — we don’t need an official calling to do this. We need to know their names and their interests; we need to see them as part of the solution to the problems that affect our wards and our communities. Enlisting the youth is the Lord’s pattern of moving the work of salvation and exaltation forward. We can expect miracles.
As the young women nobly accept this call from a beloved prophet, they, like noble youth who have gone before, will taste and know of the goodness of God. They too will find Christ in the everyday, as well as in the miraculous, and be the means of helping others find Him. They too will help prepare the world for His second coming.
* * * * * * *
Here is a picture of this 3-some taken last week:
Here’s a story we sent for our home ward newsletter this month. Elder and Sister Wilde are our Orem neighbors who are serving in the office of the Paris France Mission right now.
STONEWOOD 4TH WARD NEWSLETTER
April 2021
We have a story to tell. It’s another miraculous experience from mid-March that again involved Elder and Sister Wilde. We are amazed at how often our mission lives cross!
Air France in Paris had a suitcase that had been left at the Charles de Gaulle airport for more than three months. They were just getting ready to destroy it, according to their policy, but when they opened it, they found a missionary tag, scriptures, and some teaching records. Their hearts were softened as they realized that this suitcase belonged to a Church missionary and they just couldn’t destroy it. They looked up the number of the Church mission office in Paris and who answered the phone? Sister Wilde. As they talked about some of the identifying content, it appeared that the missionary had served in Cote d’Ivoire. So, of course, they called the only people they know in Cote d’Ivoire to see if we might have any clues about its owner.
Indeed, we did. During the five brief weeks that we helped out in the Abidjan West Mission, we helped Elder Kema get ready to return to his home country of Vanuatu to finish his mission there. He wouldn’t finish until June 2021 but flights to Vanuatu were rare and we were trying to take advantage of the last repatriation flight. He made it to Vanuatu the end of Nov 2020, but his suitcase did not. He and his mission president had tried and tried to track it down, but to no avail. He still held out hope and that hope was rewarded by his loving Heavenly Father. We are grateful that the Air France workers felt impressed to try and find its owner, a very unusual move, and called the Paris Mission office. We are grateful that the Wildes answered and knew someone in Cote d’Ivoire. And we are grateful that we happened to know this elder in the neighboring mission.
Elder Kema’s suitcase arrived in Vanuatu around March 26th, with all his personal items intact. This experience will always remind us of Heavenly Father’s love for each one of us and the very personal way He ministers to us. It also impresses upon us that all of us can be the earthly angels He uses to bless His children, in ordinary and not-so-ordinary ways.
We send our love from Bamako and Abidjan.
Elder & Sister Lewis
Our Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan East and Bamako, Mali Mission 