Blog

Being a birthday week and after getting the VISA crisis resolved last week so we could get money, thanks to a lot of help from Steve talking to Zions bank in Blanding who was on the phone to VISA headquarters in who-knows-where, the missionary apartment rented and the missionaries moved in, we were determined not… Continue reading Little Black Hands on a Big White Hand

Monday, September 15, began as any other P-day with a shopping run to the marche and supermarket. The elders are given their soutien, or living allowance, twice a month and after each soutien day we make our run for groceries. There a few things like hamburger and cold cereal that are impossible to buy at… Continue reading Farewell to Elder Elvis

The new crisis for the week is money. We have been trying all week to get money with our VISA card from our usual cash machines that have worked so well thus far. All of a sudden they won’t accept our cards. We are being told that it is a problem with VISA in all… Continue reading Dutch Oven Potatoes – African Style

The past couple of weeks have been filled mostly with administrative tasks. Let’s face it, looking for apartments just doesn’t give rise to that many spiritual experiences. Nevertheless it needs to be done and we are working hard to try and identify where each member lives so that we can draw some division lines, find… Continue reading Missionary Friendship

After the visit of President Ayekoue and his friendly encouragement, we decided that we need to be little more diligent in following the words of the song, “The world has need of willing men Who wear the worker’s seal. Come, help the good work move along; Put your shoulder to the wheel.” I wonder if… Continue reading African Children

“We are late. We are late for a very important date.” Maybe it isn’t an important date but it is an important blog letter, and we have plenty to write about but time has been at a premium around here. We have a zone conference every six weeks, and President and Soeur Ayekoue came on… Continue reading August Zone Conference

President Desire and Soeur Felicite, the Relief Society president, decided that the Branch needs an effective way to distribute small sacks of food to the needy members. There is a definite need here, and thus far President Desire has given people money from the fast offerings to purchase food. There is no Bishop’s Storehouse here… Continue reading The First Bishops Storehouse and Church Distribution Center in Cotonou

We have now settled into a routine with our new mission. This week all the elders received a letter from the First Presidency telling them their call had been changed and they are no longer part of the Ghana Cape Coast Mission but are now part of the Ivory Coast Abidjan mission. I think they… Continue reading An African Funeral

We have a fairly active group of member Branch missionaries here in the Cotonou Branch. Monday is P (for preparation) day for the full-time missionaries. That is the day we wash the clothes, clean the apartments, and the elders write home to parents, etc. (Soeur Black and I have the luxury of communicating any time… Continue reading “Horse” on P-Day

Soeur Josephine, a member since about a year now told me a few days ago that she had a piece of property she wanted to give to the Church. President Desire and I determined that we would go with her last Saturday to look at it. We went north of Calavie about a 45 minute… Continue reading Graduation and Prize Giving Day; Ebo Cooking