Our Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan East and Bamako, Mali Mission

These are our closest neighbors.  Our apartment looks down into their compound.  Every day, morning and night we hear their laughter and singing, their food prep and pounding, and we listen to their radio music.  Their roosters serenade us morning and night.  They are happy families.  I would guess 4 families live in this compound with perhaps 15 or so children of all ages.  They are probably all related–one big happy family.

These are their homes, made of boards covered with black tarps with tin roofs.

Here is our building, next to theirs.  As I watch them each day, I learn about gratitude.  I learn about happiness and making do.  I learn about doing hard things.  My neighbors help me feel and see things I might not otherwise notice and I am grateful to them for that.  Sometimes I wish I could trade places with them for a day, or a week.  I wonder if they wish that too.  I wonder if they ever look up at my window and think about who I am and what I do.

Sometimes I wonder if asked to trade places, if I could do it.  I wonder about phrases like “the first will be last and the last will be first.”  In my mind, being first means being privileged, which means, I’m in that “first” group.  I would gladly give my place to them, but Could I DO what they are doing, right here outside my window, every day, surviving with dignity in hard circumstances?

Sometimes I am so grateful when our water comes on so I can take a hot shower.  We enjoy clean food and have a comfortable bed.  Oh how I wish Everyone had these same privileges.  In the Next Place, when we enter into His rest, I want to be where my African friends are, just watching how they will enjoy it all.  I long for that day.

Today we walked up the road to have a sacrament meeting with the Bendixsens and our Bamako Elders and the APs.  It was a delight.  After church we walked with the Elders over to the temple site.

This temple in this neighborhood will change things here.  We are so excited for that.

This morning our 4 Bamako Elders left Bamako and returned to Abidjan.  The borders opened, they tested negative for COVID, and we were able to help them get flights out.  Elder Kouakou and Elder Ikpeti have been serving in Bamako since last December and Elder Gbedevi and Elder Brown arrived in January.  They have been excellent missionaries, holding down the fort during these COVID times.  They have not been able to leave the country since the lock-downs began in March.  With their care, the Bamako Branch and groups have grown and many there have been blessed.

This was a sad day in Bamako, but we hope to return to Bamako soon with more missionaries.  There is work to be done there!

Arriving in Abidjan!  What a happy reunion!  We have missed these dear friends.

We took these Elders to Burger King for a welcome/departure meal.  Elder Kouakou has completed his 2 years here and he’ll return home tomorrow.  Elders Ikpeti and Brown will return to Nigeria and Ghana as soon as their borders open.  They’re due to return home this next transfer.  Thank goodness we get to keep Elder Gbedevi a bit longer!

Before and After.  That food was GOOD!!

Back at the office:

This morning we took the Bendixsens to our local money transfer kiosk down the road from our place.  It’s where John goes when we need to transfer money to a missionary and we’re at home.  These kiosks are all over the place, often just a fellow under an umbrella at a barrel with a lock on it, or in a small booth like this one with a window with bars on it.

When we want to send money to someone, we pay the transfer guy and he makes a phone call to a transfer guy on the other end where our missionaries stand waiting.  That other guy has to have enough money to cover the transfer.  There is a small surcharge to pay for the transfer.  This is how we handle emergencies or help missionaries with expenses like transportation or medical needs that pop up, not covered by their usual soutien (money allotment for the month).

While they did the money transfer, I visited with the beautiful young ladies next to the transfer booth.  They were selling plantain chips.  I haven’t seen how these are made yet, but I think they are fried in hot oil (ovens aren’t a thing here).  This girl was strikingly beautiful.

Also for sale here:

I want to know everyone’s story.  I get frustrated with my limited ability to speak French.

These girls are bagging the plantain chips.  I took these next 2 photos the next day when we came back.

Another nearby vendor with mystery bags and manioc (cassava):

Tables and umbrellas fascinate me here.  Everyone is unique and interesting.  Here are a few tables surrounding the money transfer guy.  It was early in the day and all the vendors weren’t set up yet.  Tables are often turned on their side after hours or during the night.  It’s like the vendor’s way of saying, “Please don’t take me.”

This load of bamboo happened by as we waited.

If a young boy has wheels, he’s in business!

Transfers completed.  They had to try another kiosk to get everything done.  This is our neighborhood and these good folks are becoming our friends.  We’re having fun introducing the Bendixsens to our local friends.

Adzope is one of my favorite areas to visit.  It’s about a 2 hour drive from Abidjan, up into the lush green village areas of Cote d’Ivoire.  It reminds me of where I lived in Nigeria, so for me, it feels like going home.  It feels peaceful to me here and my heart feels welcome and at home.

Here is the entrance to the church building in Adzope.

As we approached the building, we heard beautiful singing in the back room.  These four beautiful Soeurs and a few Elders were practicing a special musical number, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” with one of the verses in English–a special welcome for the Bendixsens.

Two of these Sisters just arrived last week and they have started their missions here.  They’ve been called to Madagascar and London.  We’re grateful to have them with us for now.  They are beautiful and we love them.

The others were waiting patiently for our meetings to begin.

Our two new Elders are also serving here.  Here’s an interesting piece of information about this Zone right now.  We have 16 Ivorian missionaries serving here right now.  Not one of these 16 was called to serve in the Abidjan East Mission.  Every single one has been called to another country or another mission, but because of COVID and border restrictions, they were not able to travel there.  We are so grateful they are here!

Elder Amani taught beautifully about the 4 in Mark chapter 2 who helped the paraplegic man find his way to Jesus.

John is always taking phone calls from missionaries throughout the mission needing help.

The special musical number.

Our sound equipment goes with us for each conference.

Pres & Sis Bendixsen introduced themselves to these missionaries and spoke to us about their family and their vision for our mission.  We talked again about leaving Babylon behind us and developing a mission culture of obedience and being the very best we can be.  The missionaries had a chance to ask any questions they had before the conference ended.  Afterwards we had some fun taking photos.  The missionaries were excited to have their picture taken with Pres & Sis Bendixsen.

The Adzope Zone

The more we get to know these good missionaries, the more we love them.

This afternoon we visited this beautiful oasis in Dokui for our next Meet & Greet with the Bendixsens.   The Dokui District recently became a Stake and this is their beautiful building.  A room full of reverent missionaries greeted us here and they were thrilled to meet the Bendixsens.

Here are some of our wonderful Dokui missionaries:

After the meetings we took some pictures with our friends here.

The Dokui Zone with smiles hidden and exposed.

Beautiful friends.  Beautiful faces.

This morning we met with the Cocody Zone at the Cocody Stake Center.  The Bendixsens enjoyed meeting more of our wonderful missionaries.  This is such a fun time for them to finally get to meet each other and look into each other’s faces.

Elder N’cho conducted the meeting.  Elder Amani taught about the 4 who helped bring the paraplegic to Jesus.

Sister Bendixsen introduced their family.

And President Bendixsen shared his vision and feelings about missionary work.

Our Cocody Zone