This evening we took a walk through the neighborhood. It was hot and humid with a cooling breeze. It was fun to watch these men playing the game they call Awalé here. In other places it’s called Mancala. It’s one of the oldest African board games known.
You can read about how to play here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oware
These men kept track of their wins with the broken pieces of white glass in front of them on the bench.
Here’s a video clip of these fellows playing!
In this week of national terrorism at home, there is something calming to me about beautiful stacks of perfect fruit. I am grateful to be here, in this place, at this time, where I am surrounded by wonderful kind people and God’s interesting creations.
This fruit is called mangosteen. 
Here’s the inside of the mangosteen. You eat the white part.
These pineapple are from Ghana. They are the most delicious pineapple I have ever eaten. The fruit is pale yellow and syrupy sweet and delicious. The core in the center is tender and this fruit is not acidic. It is heavenly.
This fruit is called soursop. It has white flesh with seeds and it’s known to boost immunity. People here believe it helps strengthen the body against cancer.
Look what I saw growing in the tree above this fruit stand! Calabash gourds! These are dried and used for bowls. 
This is dragon fruit and a cocoa fruit. These were in a local grocery store.
This is called romanesco broccoli. It looked like a type of cauliflower. It was spectacular!
I came to his favorite fruit vendor to buy coconut. They are harder to find than you might expect. I bought 8 to get me through the next week. I haven’t been able to find coconut yet in Mali. 
We also bought a small watermelon, which my friend put in this box with the coconut. She insisted on carrying it all to our car down the street. 
I am grateful for the gift of beautiful produce.
Today our mission leaders met in MLC. We spent a lot of time talking about key indicators and what they really represent (people, not numbers). Pres Bendixsen asked the missionaries to consider the question, “Are you finding joy in the work? and if not, why?” Sis Bendixsen talked to them about unity and she showed flags of all the different countries represented here in our mission.
In the coming weeks we are going to receive dozens of missionaries. Some served here in the past and are finally returning from Nigeria and Ghana. Some were called here, but then sent other places because of COVID. Next month we should receive our first American Elders since the COVID evacuations. There are more than a dozen who will return after being reassigned to other missions. We are excited to see our numbers start growing again. Right now we have just over 80 missionaries serving here in the Abidjan East Mission.
Lunch time!
New signs outside the Mission Offices:
This afternoon we started preparing for the upcoming departures and arrivals. It’s exciting to think of many of our missionaries returning!
Living here, we’re getting used to expecting the unexpected. Yesterday morning we headed to the airport for a flight back to Abidjan. We’ve been instructed to keep our living schedule sporadic and unexpected so we are not predictable. It’s part of the plan to keep us safe here. When we got to the check in, we discovered that our Ivorian visas expired a few days ago. There was no way to get on our flight.
The very helpful airline personnel told us to go right to the Ivorian Embassy and see if they could issue a same-day visa to enable us to fly out tomorrow. So we loaded our bags into a taxi, dropped them at our apartment (9 flights up), and then continued to the Embassy. We then discovered that because of COVID, the Embassy is closed MWF. It was Monday. The guard in the booth was kind and helpful and wanting to help us, he called the visa boss, who was willing to leave his home on the other side of town to come to our aid.
In the picture below, the Embassy is the building on the left behind the banana trees. After about an hour of waiting, the guard led us down the dirt road and around this corner.
It was under this tree (out of sight from others showing up at the Embassy for help) that we trustingly handed over our passports and all of our documents and money for the new visas. Sometimes you just have to trust people.
While we discussed our situation, the guard brought one more man and his wife to the tree. They were trying to drive to Cote d’Ivoire and needed a signature for the border crossing.
The next thing that happened was we all 5 got into the border crossing car (that was packed to the brim with luggage and stuff) and the gentleman drove us to our apartment where the helpful visa boss took copies of documents we didn’t have with us, needed for the visas. Then they left and we waited for the day to pass, with the promise of receiving our visas today (Tuesday) by noon.
We went to bed wondering if we were right to trust.
This morning John went to the Embassy and there he met our friend who had prepared our visas. We learned that he is from our neighborhood in Abidjan and he lived near the Temple site. He said, “I know Mormons. You are good people.” We are grateful for his kindness and honesty. Everyone we meet wants to help us get to where we need to be. We live among good people here.
So today, we tried again to return to Abidjan. This time it worked.
The Bendixsens and Eveque Mel greeted us in Abidjan this evening and we had a delicious meal at the Mission Home. It’s great to be back with our friends here.
We learned this evening that Trump sent his followers to storm the Capitol Building today. Unbelievable. We were up late reading the updates on our phone news apps. Unbelievable.
I love watching inventive children at play. The children here are happy and creative and they are masters at entertaining themselves. Below are some pictures I’ve taken of children at play, with their creative toys, trucks, cars, balls and games.
A rolling bike tire is always a big hit, or kicking an empty bottle.
These boys were playing marbles:
Footbol or soccer is popular with boys of all ages.
Table footbol is also very popular here.
These girls were sneaking a turn when the boys were gone!
Here is a homemade ball for playing a game that looked like a cross between keep away and tag. 
These children have made whirlygigs with sticks and paper. When they run, the whirlygigs twirl!
Here’s a budding gymnast!
These boys were loving their slingshots!
And these boys were learning Taekwando:
We see lots of pull toys –vehicles made from all sorts of things like plastic containers or pieces of wood.
I think this boy is especially talented. He was hauling batteries in his little vehicle!
Here’s a game of checkers:
When we arrived in Binabougou this afternoon, our group leader, Shaka met us in his compound. A group of about 15 friends had gathered and were waiting for us, wanting to learn more about the church. Some of the younger kids came with their hymn books, hoping we’d have a church meeting today.
Shaka is the one wearing the baseball cap.
Pres Sekou talked to this group (speaking Bambara) and explained many things to them about the Church. One of our visitors was the brother of the chief. After a very nice discussion, they asked if it might be possible to have missionaries teach the people, maybe using technology, until we have missionaries again in Mali (hopefully soon). Shaka is going to help us find a computer and a source for wifi so we can start holding weekly lessons.
This is Catherine, who is preparing to be baptized.
The children love to sing and once the tithing settlements started, they wanted to sing for me.
Singing “I Am a Child of God” and “How Great Thou Art.”
Straight hair is a wonder here.
Conducting tithing settlements.
As it got dark this evening, the ladies brought out a flashlight so they could see to sort and clean the rice they’d cook for dinner tonight. The water was boiling on the charcoal cook stove. We said our good byes and navigated our way home on these tricky roads in the dark.
Here’s a look out the window as we drove through the N’gomi area today on our way to Binabougou. I enjoy watching every-day life here. I always wonder if I could do what these good people do.
These boys are filling containers with water to take home to their families.
Here’s another public tap where young women are filling their containers.
This road is “paved” with plastic bags.
Here is a kitchen shop selling gourd bowls and spoons, chew sticks, scouring pads, brooms and other utensils.
A place to sit and rest outside the shop with a pink door.
A quiet afternoon.
A hardware shop.
Empty shelves.
Stoves for sale.
A simple shop.
Purses and handbags for sale.
A load of water to be delivered.
Firewood ready for delivery.
This girl is looking for treasures in the trash.
A nicely organized oil and lube shop.
Children out and about.
A fast food shop.
Fruit for sale under the umbrella.
Laundry drying.
Interesting construction.
Boys keeping shop.
A dry goods shop.
A shop for cool guys.
A coal stove and a solar panel for sale.
Animal feed in the tree.
Constructing a stairway.
Drying in the sun.
A tin home with a foosball machine. 
This afternoon we went to Banconi and Binabougou with Pres Sekou so he and John could conduct tithing settlements with the members here. Our first stop was at Rose’s compound. Her father had just arrived from Niger and he wasn’t feeling well.
While Pres Sekou and John visited with Rose, I enjoyed life in the compound with the family.
The neighbor was using a long 20′ pole with a wire loop on the end to pull mangoes from her tree. They are starting to get ripe, but they are still green.
I really enjoyed watching these 4 boys. They were playing a game like “do as I’m doing, follow follow me.” They’d sit in a circle, cross-legged, then one would change positions, or twist, or stretch, and they’d all have to do it. Or they’d run around and copy each other. They played happily the whole time we were there. I love how creative Malian children are.
Princess and her friends kept me company too. I love spending time with the children.
Oh how we love these children in the Bamako Primary! They come faithfully and regularly every week. Dina Mufa, Pres Sekou’s wife, is our Primary President. We are all learning together.
Dina is handing out little treats to the children.
Every week after church Esther and I have a piano lesson. She studies at home each week with a paper keyboard, and then we go through the lessons together here. Esther is 13 years old. She’s bright and accomplished. She’s two years ahead in her school work and she speaks French, Bambara and she understands a lot of English. She has always been fascinated in learning to play the piano, and it’s really fun to teach her.
Our friend, Pascal and his son help us every year with beautiful butterfly artwork for the Ouelessebougou benefit auction. We’ve enjoyed purchasing artwork from them for many years and have enjoyed their friendship even more. There is a Ouelessebougou Alliance expedition coming to Mali in a few weeks, so we are helping to prepare by doing a few things ahead of time.
These beautiful pieces are so fun to look at. Pascal tells us the butterflies come from Cameroon, where they fall to the jungle floor when they die and are collected there.
Pascal was curious about why we are living here now, not just visiting as we have in years past. We explained that we are serving here now as missionaries for 2 years. When we explained a bit about our church, they were interested to know more, and interested to have something to read to learn more about what we told them.
It’s a beautiful thing to share the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
This afternoon we went to have COVID tests for our upcoming return to Abidjan. The Area Presidency has asked us to continue to travel back and forth between Mali and Cote’d’Ivoire every few weeks. They feel we are safer if we are unpredictable.
Here’s what the results looked like when they came in:
Our Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan East and Bamako, Mali Mission 