Here are our 3 Haitians who have been waiting for a long time to go home. The borders have opened, they have visas to return via the USA (a miracle), and they are ready to go on Wednesday! They came today to weigh their luggage and finalize all their travel plans.
There are very few things in this world that make me happier than seeing someone learning about family history and how to honor and bless their ancestors. I happened by this happening today with Bro Brou Bah and Seraphin, our dear mission office guard who was has recently embraced the goodness of the gospel. His life is about to change even more!
This morning we had our West Mission office staff meeting. These are good meetings where we discuss the coming week and all the upcoming events. We have one Elder flying out tonight and 3 Haitians flying home Wednesday. And today we are all praying for Pres Lewis in Utah, who is having some exploratory surgery. It was a good day to be together to combine our faith for his return to us.
Here are a few photos of our office Elders, who are always behind the scenes. Elder Yrie is our financial secretary. It’s a hard job, as you can see.
Elder Balbutin is our travel secretary. He takes care of flights and visas and tickets and all the instructions surrounding those things. 
Elder Casupanan helps with technology.
Elder Kabeta is our mission secretary.
John had a little stress today about the upcoming elections and about a COVID test that we need tonight before Elder Unasa can return home. As of 4:30 it had not yet been processed.
John has headed to the COVID lab to make things happen. We need a miracle here.
There’s only one small problem–it’s not magnetic. Forgot to put that in the order. So it’s gone back to the shop for a re-do!
After church today in Port Bouet (pronounced poor buoy), we visited the apartment where 6 of our West Mission Elders live. This bright orange apartment is close to the Abidjan Airport, and it has several extra rooms, so it’s called “The Missionary Hotel.” Missionaries who are flying home often spend their last night here.
Here is a tour of this rather historic Missionary Hotel:
The entrance and lots of missionary shoes and shoe polish
The front parlor with some birthday decorations
The laundry area in the back of the main floor
The back yard
The garage and mission van
Laundry area
Exercise equipment
The kitchen
Bathroom and bedrooms
Upstairs balcony
After the apartment tour, we spent a couple of hours with Elder Unasa, recording an oral history for the Church historians in Salt Lake. Elder Unasa served in the fist branch in Guinea and he told us all about helping to establish the Church there. Elder Unasa flies home to Samoa tomorrow. He has served long and faithfully here, well past his scheduled departure date. We are so grateful for his service here and in Guinea.
Today we got to attend church with some of our office Elders in Port Bouet Ward, in Cite Sipim. We love opportunities to be with the wonderful members here in this area. You would love it too!
We had about 40 attending today, beautiful families and faithful Saints and friends. We partook of the sacrament, listened to sacred hymns and had a Sunday School class.
Today is Elder Usana’s last day here. Tomorrow he departs.
Our Port Bouet Stake President and members of his family: 
After church there were a few meetings going on and ministering visits.
This rented meeting place has 3 stories. Here’s from up above:
Au revoir de Elder Unasa!
The national elections in Cote d’Ivoire will be held on 31 October 2020. Elections here are every 5 years. When the current President was elected in 2010, there was a good deal of unrest and uprisings that led to the deaths of more than 3000 people. Five years later he was re-elected. He is running now for a 3rd term. The opposition leaders aren’t happy about that.
This next week, we will be sure to keep all of the missionaries safe and away from the areas where there are demonstrations and unrest. We hope this corner of the world stays calm.
I don’t often keep the duplicate photos I take. A wise photographer told me years ago, “Never take just one photo, always take at least two. One will always be better than the other.” It’s the best photography advice I’ve ever heard and I always take at least two and I delete all but one. One is always better. Except for today. I took the photo below, and then snapped a few more of these sisters who get excited every time we stop to buy fruit from them. Their mother is in the back on the right. They set up their stand on a busy road and do a good business.
The girls are always a little shy when I ask to take their photo, but then they love to see the photos I take of them. I think they are stunningly beautiful young women. It would be a sin to delete a single one of these photos.
Here’s a small look at a neighborhood we drove through today in Yopougon. As you can see, it’s a lively and colorful place!
Today was a fantastic day! I loved every minute of it. The interviews were incredible and inspiring and historical. It really is an honor to be here with these amazing missionaries. We met with 12 missionaries today in the Selmer Stake Center in Yopougon.
This is a large stake center in a busy area. The apartment complex across the street was well-lived in. There were lots of people and street vendors around the building lot which had a grass playing field in the back where kids were playing soccer at the end of the day. Our interviews started at 9:00 and went until after 4:00 p.m. It was really a great day.
Here are the companionships we met with today.
This is Pres Binene’s son, Elder Binene!
Our fearless Zone Leaders
Bishop Miliate is the driver for the West Mission. He’s really good at it.
Our Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan East and Bamako, Mali Mission 