Here is today’s good news! I got a Negatif COVID test result today! This will allow us to fly back to Abidjan tomorrow. Dina is flying with us, then will continue on to Accra to her mom, where she will prepare to deliver her baby.
Our instructions are to spend 3 weeks in Bamako, then 2 weeks in Abidjan. We have some exciting things to do in Abidjan, so our stay may extend just a bit. Stay tuned!
I love these Primary children! This last week I’ve been helping with an article for The Friend about these great kids here in Bamako. Today I took a few pictures of them to send to the illustrators in Salt Lake.
Esther and her siblings are pictured above. And here is a picture of a wonderful future missionary, Desire (right) who brought his school friend to church with him today.
Ester and Judith and Desire were baptized last May. They have been faithful and good, attending church every single week. Today they brought Mariam with them, a younger sister.
Judith:
Valerie, our Relief Society President and Dina, our Primary President are both expecting babies in the coming weeks!
Another treat we had today was meeting Ty Turley, a distant cousin of mine. He’s in Bamako for the next 3 weeks or so working on a film project.
Today the Elders and Pres Sekou attended the group in Mountougoula, where they held the service under the mango tree. They had a great time meeting the members there!
We passed by these cooking pots today on our way home. You can get an idea of the volumes of food they must home when you see their size!
Here are some of the interesting views from our neighborhood yesterday (Friday) during afternoon prayers. We love living in such a religious neighborhood surrounded by good people who remember God and pray every day, multiple times. We do the same and we love being here.
Here are a few pictures of our Elders up on our big balcony. We had a visitor from Abidjan this week–Cedric, the auditor, here to help with the Branch audit. He stayed in the other missionary apartment at the church. We enjoyed a great dinner together this evening.
Here are a couple photos of our dear friends, Enoch and Leah with their new little baby. Enoch is the main guard of our apartment building. He also helps us each week, cleaning our apartment. We love this little family.
Things are getting warmer here in Bamako. Here’s what the forecast looks like for the coming week:
This morning we met with Pres Sekou and the Elders and spent a few hours orienting them to their new area and the good members here. We are so excited and so are they!
There is a lot to learn!
Pres Sekou with Elder Bah and Elder Koffi:
Today was a red-letter day in Bamako! Our missionaries have returned! Today Elder Bah and Elder Koffi came to us from the Abidjan East Mission. We haven’t had missionaries here since the last Elders returned to Abidjan in August, after the borders finally opened (after being closed for COVID).
We are thrilled to receive them here. We have so much work to do in this corner of the vineyard
Today was my first day out of the apartment since the Saturday we cleaned the church. It’s great to be out and about again. And tonight I was able to taste food again for this first time in more than a week. Oh happy day!!
I have one thing to say. I am GRATEFUL.
Last week after the expedition left us (Sunday evening) we learned that Judy was sick when she got home on Tuesday with a bad cold: runny nose, fever, cold symptoms. Thursday she tested positive for COVID.
For about a week, I’d also been having symptoms of a head cold, with a mild headache and some sinus pressure and a stuffy nose. I was taking cold meds. By the time I learned about Judy’s positive test, my sense of taste was gone. That’s when I started thinking twice about it. Could it be possible that I also had COVID??
On Friday 29 January, after a week of cold symptoms, John administered a rapid-response COVID test. We had some of these tests give to us by the expert malaria doctor at the University of Bamako.
That wand was rammed into my nostril, all the way to my brains and twirled for 15 seconds. Then John put it in the vile with a solution and shook it vigorously for a few minutes. Then 3 drops of that solution were put on the tester below. The first line is the control line. The second line is the test line. If both lines show up, the test is Positive.
Today is day #10 since my first symptoms appeared. I haven’t left the apartment since taking the COVID test last week. They say after 10 days, you are no longer contagious. I hope that’s true so we can get back to work. John hasn’t had any symptoms–he’s feeling fine.
I’ve spent the last week feeling tired, but not uncomfortable. My taster is still out of order, but I can smell. The cold symptoms never got bad. I had 2 days with a bit of a wheezy cough, but it went away. All in all, this has not been bad at all, and I consider that a huge blessing of protection and love. I know that many do not fare as well with this virus. I know Heavenly Father watches over his missionaries and I am Grateful. So Very Grateful.
Here are the stats for COVID here this week:
Ivory Coast cases: 27,096 Deaths: 146
Mali cases: 8,006 Deaths: 327
We also visited our woodcarver friend, Pascal today to pick up the pieces we ordered for the Ouelessebougou Alliance benefit auction. I love visiting his shed where he and his helpers work.
We had a couple of hours this evening to pack all the auction items, have a final meal together, and then send our friends off.
Judy and her team had 5 empty totes they let us fill with carvings our friends at home ordered before COVID hit. We were able to fit almost everything in! What a huge relief to send these things home now. When we get home in September, we’ll sort out all the orders.
When the expeditions come from the States, we always make a trip to the Artisan’s Market to purchase items for our annual benefit auction. Today was our only opportunity to do that.
This market is one of my favorite places to photograph. It’s a visual feast! Here are some of the interesting things I saw today, beginning with this mud cloth shop.
Here are some faithful men praying. The Artisan’s Market is right next to the big mosque.
Here’s a leather worker. They make shoes, belts, wallets and other leather goods.
This man is scraping the leather:
How about a crocodile skin?
These are leather covered boxes:
These are boards where they stretch the skins.
Making a man’s belt:
Machine for stitching leather:
For making shoes:
There are plenty of curios and items for sale. There just aren’t many tourists or visitors here anymore. It’s sad to see the effect COVID has had on sales here and on these artists.
Traditional drums and instruments:
I love the old masks. Each face is unique. 
This is a silver worker making bracelets for children:
We had a great Sunday service with several of our visitors from the States who are heading back to their families tonight. We love having visitors here.
The adult Sunday School class:
Our Primary:
Judy and John Hut from Salt Lake: 
This is Bamako Branch member, Abram Cosby. He’s a teacher at the American School in Bamako.
When you live by the Sahara Desert, dust flies! Every week on Saturday morning we go to the church to help prepare the building for Sunday. It’s no small job.
Frere Dustin always comes to help. He is a Saint.
These are the cleaning tools we have to use:
And this is how it looks when we are finished!
We usually spend most of our Saturdays at the church helping there. Today John and Frere Mbaya worked on membership records.
Our Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan East and Bamako, Mali Mission 