I have talked to a lot of american missionaries this week for one reason or another and they all have different views of the mission. Some love it, some are counting the days. I don't know quite how I feel. From what I have heard from what this mission could be I have been greatly blessed. And it is thanks mostly to my companion Elder Mukendi. I will never forget this Elder my whole life. He was meant to be my trainer. President Morin was very inspired. Some peoples' companions are rough, so hard, but with Mukendi I have realized how easy the mission really is. Me and him are like brothers. I didn't know this at first but we have a very similar sense of humor and now that I can communicate with him better we are having a lot more fun together. We make jokes in the sector, just talking and laughing just bringing two smiling young men to these people in Benin, it is so fun to just hang out with him. For example, at the end of all our texts on our companionship phone there is our names and most missionaries put a inspirational scripture reference or missionary power scripture but me and Mukendi put Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 which says:
"Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity."
We don't really hate the labor, however the sun is super hot and it is always a worry that when you leave your sector you might leave it to a bad missionary which would really stink, so the scripture works, it's just the clever humor I like to do.
The mission is hard though, Elder Olela and Elder Warr had to go to the hospital this week Elder Olela has a hernia and Elder Warr has an infected toe, they both can't go out into the sector, it's kind of funny. Olela will get an operation here in 2 weeks and it will be a three week recovery and I don't know what will happen to Elder Warr, I hope it will heal. But it has been weird this past week. I didn't go out into the sector very much because there was some craziness with people going home early and people missing flights and one elder dosent have a companion, it's just crazy. I hope things will settle down soon, because staying at the apartment is like prison, going out into the sector is like heaven after you have been stuck inside for a few days.
I guess there is just one other "only in Benin" story I had. On Sunday there was a face to face meeting with all the youth of Benin and some leaders and their parents. It was to talk with the three zone leaders of Benin, the mission president, return Beniois misionaries and the stake presidency to try to help coordinate an effort for getting more people from Benin to go on missions it was a weird format and I was only there because my companion is the zone leader. But one question somone asked was so funny. He stood up and asked "if I don't know my birthday, can I still go on a mission?" I thought that was so great, that face to face meeting was super weird and it lasted 4 and a half hours. I was at the church from 8:45 to 6:45 yesterday, which means it turned into like a fast Sunday but that's what happens sometimes. I am learning how to not let things bother me too much, this mission can really beat you down if you let things get to you too much.
And I know lots of people are praying for me which is so kind, and I love it so much. If you want to know something specific you can pray for, pray for my next companion, I dont know who it is, but I really, really need a good one, thank you so much.
Breakfast is the best meal here. Scones (with a side of Malaria medication)
The meal I eat for every lunch and dinner. Sometimes with egg, sometimes chicken (always rice and red sauce). I make the red sauce: tomatoes, peppers, onions, chicken powder, little bit of tomato paste, water and oil
Mukendi pretending to be dad (He was wearing this boys' dads' glasses)
