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

Small Businesses in Abidjan

Almost every direction you look here in Abidjan, you see mobile vendors selling their wares and services. Portable drink vendors are especially popular. They have a barrel on wheels as their serving area and they walk up and down the streets, offering hot drinks to people passing by. They keep a thermos of hot water in the barrel and you can choose what sort of drink you’d like and what you’d like added to it.

Here’s what one looks like up close:

Here’s someone else’s office–a barrel and a chair under an umbrella. Money transfers happen at places like this, or any number of things.

I passed these two women on our street today. One is selling fabric, the other probably prepares and sells food of some sort. More selling goes on here outside of shops than inside shops. It’s easier that way–no rent, no buildings, no worries.

The gullies and ravines in our road change from day to day. Some days it’s easier to walk than to take the car on these roads!

Here’s a shot from the car window. The woman is roasting maize and a wandering cow is enjoying the corn husks. A win-win for both!

Also on the road where we live: Forbidden to urinate here. 10,000 cfa fine if you do.

Binene Missionaries!

2020-7-8 Elder Binene with parents (1)

Elder Jonathan Binene, son of Pres and Sis Binene was called to serve in Kumasi Mission in Ghana. When COVID came into our world, he was returned home to the Ivory Coast (his family was here and he left from here). He was assigned to serve in the Abidjan West Mission, right next door. We haven’t seen much of him here, but today he and his companion were able to drop by so we could take a photo of Elder Binene with his parents with their nametags on before Pres and Sis Binene return home.

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District Meetings with the Riviera and Cocody Districts

This morning we attended 2 District Meetings with our local missionaries. Here are some photos from these meetings. This is the Riviera District:

And here is the Cocody District:

Two New Sisters Arrive!

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We happily welcomed two new Ivorian Sisters to our mission today. They will stay with us until they can travel to their permanent missions. Sis Gbalo has been called to the DRC Congo. She’ll be serving with Sis Mwimbu.

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And Sister Koenig will be training Sis Guei, who has been called to serve in the London East Mission. One of the bonuses of COVID-19 is we get to meet and keep our local missionaries for a season, or until they are able to travel to their assignments.

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A Farewell Testimony Meeting and Dinner (for those who didn’t depart in April)

This afternoon we had 6 missionaries come to the new office for a final gathering and meal. This is the group that was scheduled to depart in April, but couldn’t because the borders closed. These 6 missionaries are still here. This afternoon they had their final interviews with Pres Binene. They still aren’t scheduled to leave, but if the borders open, they could go at a moment’s notice.

Elder Kwizera had his interview at the front end so we’d have time to meet with him. We interviewed him once before (oral history), but somehow we lost the audio file, so we did it again today. Elder Kwizera is the only missionary currently serving from the country of Burundi. There are 3 branches of the church in Burundi. I think Elder Kwizera is a Pioneer. He joined the church in 2015 when he was 23 years old. He will be a great strength to the members there when he eventually returns. He’s been serving now for 27 months!

After the interviews were completed, we gathered downstairs around our big new table for a testimony meeting before having dinner. We each shared our thoughts, and Pres and Sis Binene ended with theirs.

Our long-over due six:

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sis Celestine and Sis Debrime had ready for us. We are grateful for their help, even late on a Sunday evening. All this food was prepared elsewhere and brought over this afternoon in public transport.

What interesting times these COVID-19 months have been. Perhaps most interesting for these missionaries who have no idea when they will return home.

A Farewell Dinner for the Binenes with the Stake Presidents and their Wives

This evening we had a special event–a farewell dinner with all 6 of our Stake Presidents and their wives and the Binene family. Our Area Seventies, Elder Guei and Elder Dekaye helped to organize this send off. We had a lovely evening in a nice restaurant here in Abidjan.

Here are some photos of our evening together:

President and Sister Binene spoke to us one last time.

The Binene family:

Dinner was a delicious buffet with lamb, chicken, fish, rice, scalloped potatoes, attieke, plantain, vegetables and some sauces for the rice.

The Binenes were presented with gifts of traditional clothing from the western regions of the country. This traditional dress is called a boubou yacouba.

The wives of the Stake Presidents:

Photos with each of the Stake Presidents and their wives:

President Sossou and his wife, First Counselor in the Mission Presidency:

President Lewis (Second Counselor in the Mission Presidency) and me.

Eveque Mel, the Greffier to the Mission:

The Binene Family:

A Baptism in Bamako!

We miss our friends in Bamako, especially on days like today. These good Elders have been teaching Destin the last several months. We enjoyed being in his home with him when we were in Bamako before COVID. Today he was baptized. Oh happy day!

Our wonderful Bamako Branch is growing!

A few Sister Missionaries

We happened across these good Sisters teaching a lesson this afternoon. This makes me feel so happy.

And this makes me sad. These 2 Sisters, Sister Adantonon and Sister Bankole, are flying to their homeland of Benin early tomorrow morning. They have completed their missions and their borders have opened. We will miss them here. We wish them well.

In the Neighborhood Today

This is such an interesting place. Everywhere you look, you could pause and watch things you don’t see at home. It’s fascinating and it’s inspiring. People here do hard things.

Strong young women sell fruit all day. They wear flip flops.

Mangoustan fruits

It must be recycling day!

The biggest load ever, with lots of add-ons hanging from the sides and top!

High school boys at the end of the day.

Lawn care business on a bike.

Hot drink vendor on wheels. Bottles of peanuts in the shop.

Potions for whatever ails you.

Peanuts for sale, mother and baby.

Street vendor with fruit and a tired child.

There go the bananas!

Yams, firewood, eggs, and peanut paste for sale.

Luggage and lingerie

Sending sand to the roof, one bucket at a time.

Ladies things like hair pieces and extensions, dresses and fabrics.

A new umbrella

A shoe shine man waiting for customers

Working Hard

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Our dear friends, Pres Sossou, First Counselor in the Mission Presidency, and Eveque Mel, the Mission Greffier or clerk.

Today Elder Kouakou, who finished his mission last week and was released, returned to us with a new calling. He will be an assistant to Eveque Mel, helping to keep track of the records in part of the mission. He was set apart today.

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Here is another hard worker. We stopped by the stake center today and I watched this landscaper haul several loads of weeds and pulled grass out to be dumped.

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