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

Today we traveled with the Binenes to the Cocody Stake Center for our 2nd Zone Conference there.  It was an excellent day, especially being with all of these amazing missionaries.  Here are a few of their faces.  (All of the photos taken at these conferences are posted in albums on the missionary FB page.)

The proceedings of the day were described in the previous post, so take a look there to learn what happened here.

 

Today we traveled with President and Soeur Binene to Adzope for our first of 3 Zone Conferences.  It’s so great to meet with all the missionaries in the mission during these 3 days.  Our meetings are interesting, instructive and helpful, and we can feel the goodness of those called to serve here.  It’s not an easy place for many.  It can be oppressively hot and humid.  Things don’t always run smoothly.  The food and culture are different for some of us, but we all agree, this is a Great Place to be.

I enjoy taking photos of the missionaries, because I can be their mothers’ eyes.  They don’t always have access to picture taking or wifi to send photos home, so I do what I can when I’m here.  All of the photos I take are posted on the Mission Facebook page.  These are some of my favorites, representative of what happened today.

Here’s a brief outline of our Zone Conference schedule:

Song, Opening Prayer

One of the Assistants reads a page of announcements and policy instructions–like phone usage.

Pres Binene talked about some issues and policies, things that need improving.
He talked about phone calls with parents.  The rule is the missionary must initiate the call and only on P-days. He asked the missionaries not to take all of their mission problems to their parents–like things in apartments that need to be fixed, or troubles here. He said we can solve these problems here. Don’t worry your parents about them. He talked about missionaries who don’t go out to work because they’re “tired.” He said if you’re sick, we can get medical help. Being “tired” is not a reason to stay in. He said you are not a hospice helper to your companion. Get to work!

Next we had 2 short talks. I think they invite everyone in the mission to prepare a talk on one subject, then in each conference, an Elder and a Sister are picked to present theirs. Sometimes they announce it after the opening prayer so the 2 can scramble to get their thoughts together if they need to.  Sometimes they have no warning!

Then each of the 2 Assistants give a talk/training. Elder Kabambi talked about how to become more pure (Jacob 3:1-4). He has pleasant and good spirit.

Elder Tenney did a lesson from PMG, then had us compare the stories of Lehi and his sons and the Rich Young Ruler, and we talked about consecration.  Then he told a personal experience about a talk his brother shared with him when he left on his mission.

Then the last hour + was Sis Binene teaching about integrity. She used several scriptures to illustrate her points–Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, George Miller in the D&C (who had no guile), Job and the 2000 Strippling Warriors.

Then we had a 30 min lunch break to eat our rice, plantain and drumsticks from the Styrofoam boxes.  This food tastes good. The rice is flavored well. The drumsticks tasty. The Sisters sit together and the Elder sit together.

After lunch we reconvened for the last part–all Pres Binene. He spent the first hour reading from and telling them things in the new Missionary Handbook. Then he said a bit about being careful with sacred funds–don’t spend the missionary allotment money on clothes or on things that aren’t mission expenses. He said they upped the allowance awhile ago because missionaries weren’t eating well. Today he said, “You’re still not eating well. Maybe we should take the money back!” and everyone responded to that with a “no!”

He talked a lot about the difference between being a member of the church and a convert to Jesus Christ. There was discussion. There was a section of stuff from PMG on the Doctrine of Christ and faith and repentance. He’d have us read a section in PMG then he’d ask for what did we read, and people would parrot things back. Then the last 45 min he had us do role plays.  We had to teach 2 other missionaries about faith, then about repentance. We were done at 4:00.

Afterwards we took a group photo.  Sister Binene handed out bags of medications for each companionship or apartment.  Supplies are also distributed and any packages that have arrived at the mission home.

 

Here’s a look at what the Dokui Zone did today in their area!  They cleaned up several streets that surround the Dokui Stake offices.  The people passing looked with wonder at the selfless service these missionaries gave.  It was fun to watch them Light the World in this corner of the Abidjan East Mission!

Today for P-Day, every zone in the Abidjan East Mission did a service project in their area to Light the World.  We had a great time beautifying the lovely little park in the Cocody Zone’s area!

This morning we attended the Cocody Ward which wasn’t too far from where we are staying.  There are two wards that meet in this building, first the Agban, and then the Cocody.  We got there a little bit early, in time to see some of the members and the Sisters from the Agban Ward before they left.

Here is the chapel:

Here’s the Relief Society room:

And here are our Beautiful Sisters who were coming and going with their beautiful investigator.

These beautiful children really do Light the World!

Sacrament meeting:

In Relief Society today our lesson was on increasing our spiritual capacity (Sister Craig’s last conference talk).  I shared with them what it’s like living next to a large mosque in Bamako where prayer calls are blasted through the neighborhood several times a day.  They always remind me to keep a prayer in my heart.  But how much better it is to have the gift of the Holy Ghost whispering to our hearts and minds every day at any time, in quiet peaceful ways that share ideas and promptings and Heavenly Father’s love.  I am grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  (Yes, I said all that in FRENCH!!)

Our Relief Society Sisters:

The rains began about the time the meetings ended, so we stayed and visited with these good Sisters for awhile.

Waiting for the rain to pass.

The baptismal font:

These youth were happily gathered after church, to look at things on lds.org and to enjoy each other’s company.  Two of these young men gave excellent talks today in Sacrament meeting.

Happy Sabbath!

There are 6 Districts in the Abidjan East Mission and there are 6 Stakes.  Districts are made up of Branches, Stakes are made up of Wards.

Those attending were:

President Binene
President Sossou, counselor to President Binene
President Okoubi from the Aboisso District
President Nadje from the Alepe District
President Beda from the Agboville District
President Anon from the Abengouron District
President Agbation from the Akoupe District
President Yapi and his 2nd Counselor, President Beda from the Adzope District

These are the first on several slides on these topics, which were discussed at length:

Snacks prepared for each in attendance:

Here is the group of these faithful good Priesthood Leaders.

After the meeting the food helper started bringing out all of this delicious food!  There was the seasoned rice, fried plantain, cubed fried potatoes, tomato and onion sauce, spicy hot sauce, chicken and big chunks of fish, and bottles of flavored water.  It was delicious!

Soeur Binene told me this is the meal they serve to every arriving and departing group.  It’s very traditional Ivorian food and it’s wonderful!

What a treat on this Saturday afternoon!

Today we got to attend an MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) meeting at the Cocody Stake Center in Abidjan.  It was great to be back with these missionary leaders!  The skies in Abidjan are cloudy and gray and most days we get some rain here.  Everything looks green and lush after being in Bamako!

The Abidjan Temple is growing!

This part of the parking lot will become a Distribution Center.

Elder Tenney with his new companion, Elder Kabambi, our new Assistant to the President.

President and Soeur Binene arrived and greeted all the missionaries.

Here’s a summary of our day:

–Song: Silent Night
–Opening prayer
–Missionary Purpose, recitation
–Handbook reading–missionary conduct
–Announcements by Elder Tenney–Next zone conferences, Christmas gatherings
–Testimonies (1 minute) from each new MLC member. There were lots of them.
–Pres Binene’s welcome–he talked about using the missionary portal –he said that only about 50% of the missionaries are writing to him on P-day. Then he encouraged them to watch Safety Zone by reporting who had watched how many episodes.  He also said something about a missionary survey–not sure what.
–Zone Reports, key indicators, goals by each set of ZLs.  Each read numbers from each of their districts for each of the key indicators, then asked Pres Binene if he had any questions. Each had prepared a paper with the numbers for him and for the APs.
–Elder Kabambi, our new AP taught on Effective Leaders being firm in the faith and good examples.
–Elder Tenney taught from PMG 12 on adapting teaching to individual investigators.
–Sis Binene taught from D&C 88:74, 119 about sanctifying, organizing, and preparing yourselves.
–Lunch at 1:15 for 30 min. after a blessing on the food. We had styrofoam boxes with rice and chicken or plantain and fish.

Part 2
–Song, Opening Prayer
–Pres Binene taught for 2 hours on preparing candidates for baptismal interviews, he showed slides about letting the Spirit direct, and we talked about inviting to baptism when the Spirit directs

–Song, Closing Prayer
–Light the World –Elder Tenney got up after the meeting and instructed everyone to do Light the World in their Zones or companionships. No other mention was made of it today. It feels like this year it’s more of an online campaign, and we can’t really do that here.
–Mingling until transport and taxis came

Here’s what the slide above says:

How to Improve how to Let the Spirit Guide us in Giving Invitations
Don’t:
–Invite your investigator to be baptized on the first or second lesson as a general rule, or as a badge of honor, or as a way of sifting out someone.
–Extend the invitations in a routine way.
–Give the invitation the mode of a check list.
–Resort or move quickly to teaching the first lesson. (In 2015 they told us to “Rush to the Restoration”and then extend the baptismal invitation on the first visit)

Do:
–Be confident to let the baptism happen as indicated by the spirit, as indicated by the individual’s spiritual preparation.
–Extend the invitations that help the people where they are.
–Help the people to recognize spiritual experiences, feelings and questions.
–Understand where the spiritual starting point of each person and then teach from that need.

What a fun day with great instruction.  These Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders will take this information back to their Zones and District Leaders and to the Sisters.  We’ll get together again for the Christmas gatherings the week before Christmas.