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

Sunday Services in Bamako and N’Gomi

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We went to the Bamako Branch early this morning to meet Pres Sekou before traveling to N’Gomi (we learned that is the most correct spelling). Before leaving we had some time to help prepare the room for sacrament meeting and get the sacrament ready.

This week Pres Christ Anselme Prince attended. We were so happy to hear that. We have been missing him. He came with his brother, Rich and his fiance Merveille.

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While they met in Bamako, we traveled with Elder Usoh and Pres Sekou 1+ hours north to N’Gomi to meet with the group there. Pres Sekou and Elder Lewis spent the rest of the day there conducting tithing settlements and temple prep interviews.

This is the road in front of the school where we meet for church. It’s a small private elementary school owned by Chiaka and some partners. Chiaka is one of our members and he’s given us permission to meet in one of the classrooms on Sundays.

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On the way to N’Gomi we picked up Rose Albert’s 3 girls: Habiba (Mischou) age 16, Amissetou age 17, and Ame age 17 (niece to Rose). They live in Banconi along the way.

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This is Elder Usoh’s last week in N’Gomi. He is being transferred back to the Ivory Coast. He has come to love this sector and today was a sad day for him.

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Our church meeting place:

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Pres Sekou is preparing the sacrament.

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Elder Usoh led us in singing while we waited for everyone to arrive.

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The meeting started at about 9:30 with Pres Sekou conducting.

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Really wonderful talks were given by Ame, who is preparing to be baptized, and by Elder Usoh.

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Our sacrament meeting felt perfect to me–a gathering of Saints and friends who are trying to keep the commandments and come unto Christ. We had 8 investigators attending today. I could feel them belonging here and I think they felt it too.

I often think about how small and simple the church is here right now in Mali. It’s not big or showy. It’s not shouting “look at me!” We are humble followers of Jesus Christ and we quietly invite others to worship with us and learn of Him. When they come, they feel His spirit. They feel His love. When they read the Book of Mormon, they can feel it is true, just the same way I feel it. There is a strong and powerful spirit moving among these people who will become Pioneers here. There is no place on earth I’d rather be than with them.

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After sacrament meeting we had a Sunday School class taught by Pres Sekou. We talked about the Book of Mormon, Another Testimony of Jesus Christ. Each shared their feelings about the Book of Mormon. We read the Introduction to the book together. We talked about the prophets and what they taught and the stories about their families and people. We talked about how the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and how reading it will bring us closer to Him. What a gift the Book of Mormon is!

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Each family received the new Come Follow Me study guide for this year and also the last editions of the Liahona magazine.

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I felt completely content here today, with these friends.

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Our group today: back row–Elder Lewis, Pres Sekou, Catherine, Marie, Moussa, Julien, Elder Usoh, daughter-in-law of Pascal who is Mousa’s brother (front) and Nicole with child. Second row: Michou, Amissetou, Ame. Front: children and relatives of Moussa.

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Julien, Catherine, Elder Usoh:

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Moussa with children, Catherine and Elder Usoh:

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After church, Pres Sekou and Elder Lewis spent the next several hours doing the interviews. I had my own adventures with the children.

Traditional Medicine and Witchcraft Items Sold Here

The Bamako Artisan’s Market is right next to the big mosque and it is surrounded by swarms of people and vendors selling their wares–in shops, out of wheelbarrows and carts, and on mats or tables lining the streets. Many of the vendors just spread things out on a tarp on the ground. The parking area is full of poor people and the infirm begging for alms. I’ve seen lepers here and crippled and the deranged, all hoping for a coin or two from anyone passing by.

Because of the mosque and the religious sensitivities, I don’t take many photos here, but here are a few I found online. They give a pretty good idea of what’s going on here.

These next 6 photos I did not take. These are the tables of the traditional medicine and witchcraft items. The vendors do not like you taking photos here unless you pay them or have a local guide who pays them. Here’s what one traveler posted:

The most interesting place there is a fetish market (though there’re just several spots). You will never find so many attributes for black and white magic elsewhere in the world! Monkey heads, crocodile heads, dog legs, lion urine, donkey ears, horns, dead parrots, bats, horse parts, porcupine quills, etc. You have to pay 1000 francs (1,5 euro) for taking pictures of one counter, but it’s worth it! Come with a local guide and he will tell you the stories how to use all this staff! For example, donkey ears help you to weaken your rival in love, or shockfish skin will help a pregnant woman.

These are cola nuts which are used in traditional celebrations like marriages, or like when we visit a village chief.

I took the rest of these photos today outside the Artisan’s Market. First of all, here are some of the motorcycles of people in the market. No idea what you’d do if you had to leave in a hurry.

Here are some more traditional healing things and animal parts and pieces:

Here’s some coconut!

Anounou and the team, waiting for our car to be fetched from the gridlock.

The rest of these were through the car window as we drove through the streets surrounding the Artisan Market. It’s all a big market, everywhere you look!

The Artisan Market in Bamako

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If you ever visit Bamako, one place to be sure to put on your list is the Artisan Market. I love this market–the artisans, the smells, the unusual things to look at, and all the best friends you make the moment you express interest in any little item!

This is a working market. The artisans actually craft their art right here in front of you. If you want a pair of crocodile shoes, you can see the skins pinned on boards drying. If you want an elephant carving, you can watch the tools in the hands of the craftsman and smell the black shoe dye it’s rubbed with.

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Everywhere you look, there’s something interesting and there are interesting people. I’ve visited this market enough over the years that my vendor friends remember my name and remember exactly what I purchased the last time I was here. I am always happy to see them again.

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I hope you will take a few minutes to really look at these fascinating photos and every little colorful item you see here. This will give you a good feel for African culture and tradition and a good idea for what shoppers like to buy!

Welcome to the Bamako Artisan’s Market!

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Silversmiths making bracelets.

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Old Malian glass wedding beads:

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Our expedition shoppers buying things for our Ouelessebougou Dinner Auction in May:

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The tools are just as interesting as the carvings!

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When you soak a crocodile skin in the stuff in the tubs, it softens it.

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Finding some gifts for our Mali Elders.

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Where they dry the snake skins:

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Crocodile and large lizard skins:

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Bargaining!

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I hope you enjoyed that visual feast! In the next post I’ll show you some of the traditional medicine and witchcraft items you can find for sale just outside the Artisan’s Market.

Pascal and his Woodcarvers

We’ve been doing business for many years with Pascal and his woodcarvers here in Bamako. We have purchased his beautiful carvings to raise money for the Ouelessebougou Alliance annual benefit auctions in Salt Lake.

I went looking for Nativities and artistic carvings in Abidjan last month, and brought a Nativity back for Pascal to replicate. He’s holding his version (above). It’s beautiful.

Many of the moms of the missionaries asked about the Nativities I posted on the mission Facebook page during the holidays. I decided to see if any of them wanted to purchase Pascal’s work, so I put the word out. They were thrilled and already dozens of Nativities have been ordered. I’ll take them to Abidjan to hold there until the missionaries go home so they don’t have to carry them around for two years.

Note: these prices are the direct prices from Pascal. If you see his work at our benefit auction, the prices will be double this or triple this so we can raise money for our projects in Mali. The point there is to raise money and bless more lives. If you are interested in contributing to the Ouelessebougou Alliance headquartered in Salt Lake City to help our humanitarian work here, please check this link:

https://www.lifteachother.org/ THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

This has been a fun project and it’s a great blessing to the carvers here who are always looking for work. Here are some of the pieces we can get:

Traditional 16-piece Nativity ($85)

Hut Nativity ($25):

This Nativity has moving parts. Pascal calls it a Marionette Nativity ($30).

Resurrection Morning ($30):

Held in His Hands ($25):

Joseph and Mary on Donkey going to Bethlehem ($35):

Noah’s Ark ($170)

Woman with Calabashes ($27)

This is a fun project that will provide our good missionaries with a real nice memory of their time here in West Africa.

District Meeting and Dinner with Dick and Eddie Loomis

We had our weekly District Meeting today with our 4 Elders. We’ve learned that Elder Usoh and Elder Sulu will be transferred back to Abidjan next transfer. We’re sad to see them go. The work here is hard, but rewarding. We’ll miss them.

John and Bro Mbaya are always cleaning up the church records.

Tonight we had dinner downstairs in the restaurant in our building with Dick Loomis and his son, Eddie, who have been with the expedition in Ouelessebougou. We had a great evening and heard lots of exciting news about a German doctor they visited here in Bamako who is the leading expert in the WORLD on Malaria. Good things are happening!

Malian Appliances

Here’s how our friends grill their meat and heat their little pots for tea.

Primary in the Bamako Branch

Our numbers are growing in the Bamako Branch. Here are our beautiful Primary children. Today we taught them about the song “I Am a Child of God” and what the words mean and how we can stay on le bon chemin, or the good path to return to our Heavenly Father.

It was nice to celebrate my 61st birthday here, with our members who sang to me in French, Bambara and English!

Dinner with Mike Maughan and Sekou

We had a great evening visiting with Mike Maughan and Sekou. Mike’s been with the expedition in Ouelessebougou this last week and he flies out late tonight. We loved hearing more of the details of Sekou’s life and conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He’s a remarkable man and a stalwart here. We’re grateful for him and for good people like Mike who come over to learn about this country. Mike’s grandfather, Marion D. Hanks, was the founder of the Ouelessebougou Alliance in Utah. Their family carries on the tradition of helping and serving here.

The Chicken Farm — Where the Church Began in Mali

There is a chicken farm in the village of Mountougoula, about 1.5 hours from Bamako where some very important things happened. It was in this place that Elder Bednar, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, came to organize the first Branch in Mali. I think Heavenly Father picked a good place to begin His work here in Mali. It’s not too different than a stable with animals long ago, or a grove of trees or a mountain top.

23 May 2017 Elder Bednar visits with the members.

3 June 2017 Authorization was given to create the first Branch.

9 July 2017 The Bamako Branch was created and the Farako Group (at the chicken farm) was organized.

2017-7-9 Elder Bednar Visit — 23 May 2017 Sabbath Meeting with Elder Bednar

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2017-7-9 Bamako Branch Organized by Elder Vinson — Bamako Branch Organized by Elder Vinson 9 July 2017

2018-11-17-Mali-67 (1) — John and I attended church here at the chicken farm 17 November 2018.

Here is this building today:

The Mountougoula Group now meets in a quiet rented building about 25 minutes from here. But this is where it all started.

This was the first baptismal font in Mali:

2020-1-4 Chicken Farm (26) — First baptismal font at the chicken farm. Photo taken Jan 2020.

2018-11-17-mali-71 — Baptism held at the chicken farm on 17 November 2018. These new members were baptized in the wooden font.

Today we came to Mountougoula so Pres Sekou and Elder Lewis could conduct some tithing settlements here. We spent the day here and they were able to meet with 5 of the members.

Adama Coulibaly

Ousmane Saco

Robert Dabou

Sibiri Ouattara

(Missing a photo of Issiaka Ouattara.)

Elder Ikpeti and Elder Sulu also came, along with Frere Mbaya.

While the interviews were taking place, the Elders and I visited with members of the four families living at the chicken farm now. It was a peaceful day and I enjoyed it very much.

This is my friend, Oumou. She has completed a law degree! Her husband Barai works here at the farm. She taught me how to help her clean this calabash of rice. We sat together for a couple of hours picking out the chaff and little rocks.

Gathering firewood:

The women brought us some food:

There is Always laundry to do!

I gave the Elders a tour of the farm and told them the history of what had happened here.

Here are the chickens!

Once a day all the eggs are collected. When the 3 young boys came to gather the eggs, I stayed to help. It was better than Easter morning! The eggs are beautiful, big and many are still warm. We put the eggs into the plastic trays.

Today we gathered all of these beautiful eggs! 108 flats!

Next they are transported to Bamako, over bumpy dirt roads.

I bought a flat to bring home! 1,750 cfa = $3.00.

And that was how we spent this interesting day in this historic place. I enjoyed every minute of it!

Our Neighborhood Hardware Store

This is the shop we visit in our neighborhood when we need something like an extension cord or a light bulb. It’s amazing how many things he can fit into this tiny space!

He had to climb on a chair to find the right kind of light bulb for our fixture. Living here is so fun. We meet so many good helpful people!