This week I was lost in the shuffle, I got transferred to Benin and they brought visas for everyone going to Benin but poor little Elder Larson. So I had all my stuff packed and ready but I watched the bus I was supposed to be on pull away. I then stayed the rest of the week with the office elders in Togo, Elder Blum and Elder Terri.
It was fun to stay with them. They are very busy doing all sorts of little jobs, we got to see the senior couples apartment in Togo, and they made us banana bread, it was so good. I also helped Elder Blum clean his apartment because it was so nasty, so nasty. I worked for three days to clean it with Blum and we didn’t even finish.
Finally, on Saturday I got to head to Benin. I got picked up by the president of temporal affairs in Togo. His name is President Blaze. He is a good guy, but does not like to talk. So we did that long ride to the border in complete silence. After quite a few hours and one stop, because I had to pee really bad, I got to Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin. It’s a cool place, I always wanted to work here.
The apartment is a bunch of new things for me. I’m working with my first American, Elder Kappel from Arizona, who just finished his training. I’m living with a Nigerian named Elder Daniel. He is really funny. He does not speak French so I joke with him a ton because I only speak French with him, and he loves it. And there is also a Tahitian named Elder Uaua who is super chill and is pretty funny he speaks English just like a young American. It’s a chill apartment. Uaua is a great cook, he is just tired, so I’m gunna eat some more tomato sauce and rice but you know it’s not the Benin Cotonou mission without it.
I think the branch here is hilarious, it’s not super organized and the president is kinda crazy but it’s pretty fun. He wanted every single member of the branch to testify in sacrament meeting, even the kids. All the kids gave a very similar but funny testimony that went like this “I’m thankful to God for all He has done for me in the month of November. I know more blessings will come and I will give my testimony again for the month of December.” This testimony of multiple kids made me guess this is a pretty normal thing they do. Also the president of the relief society like went inactive right before I came so the president just came in and called whoever was sitting there to be the new one, kinda funny.
Anyway, also December is close to a voodoo holiday too I think. There are these guys that walk around Porto-Novo in bright costumes that cover their whole body and people say they are people risen from the dead and they have parades where people just surround the guy and grab sticks and just hit everyone they see with the sticks. So yeah what an amazing religious custom. We saw two of these parades in the two days I’ve been here.
Okay, haven’t yet worked in the sector because I just got here but I’m excited. There is a lot of work to be done.
It was fun to stay with them. They are very busy doing all sorts of little jobs, we got to see the senior couples apartment in Togo, and they made us banana bread, it was so good. I also helped Elder Blum clean his apartment because it was so nasty, so nasty. I worked for three days to clean it with Blum and we didn’t even finish.
Finally, on Saturday I got to head to Benin. I got picked up by the president of temporal affairs in Togo. His name is President Blaze. He is a good guy, but does not like to talk. So we did that long ride to the border in complete silence. After quite a few hours and one stop, because I had to pee really bad, I got to Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin. It’s a cool place, I always wanted to work here.
The apartment is a bunch of new things for me. I’m working with my first American, Elder Kappel from Arizona, who just finished his training. I’m living with a Nigerian named Elder Daniel. He is really funny. He does not speak French so I joke with him a ton because I only speak French with him, and he loves it. And there is also a Tahitian named Elder Uaua who is super chill and is pretty funny he speaks English just like a young American. It’s a chill apartment. Uaua is a great cook, he is just tired, so I’m gunna eat some more tomato sauce and rice but you know it’s not the Benin Cotonou mission without it.
I think the branch here is hilarious, it’s not super organized and the president is kinda crazy but it’s pretty fun. He wanted every single member of the branch to testify in sacrament meeting, even the kids. All the kids gave a very similar but funny testimony that went like this “I’m thankful to God for all He has done for me in the month of November. I know more blessings will come and I will give my testimony again for the month of December.” This testimony of multiple kids made me guess this is a pretty normal thing they do. Also the president of the relief society like went inactive right before I came so the president just came in and called whoever was sitting there to be the new one, kinda funny.
Anyway, also December is close to a voodoo holiday too I think. There are these guys that walk around Porto-Novo in bright costumes that cover their whole body and people say they are people risen from the dead and they have parades where people just surround the guy and grab sticks and just hit everyone they see with the sticks. So yeah what an amazing religious custom. We saw two of these parades in the two days I’ve been here.
Okay, haven’t yet worked in the sector because I just got here but I’m excited. There is a lot of work to be done.
Me and my new comp Elder Kappel
"A lizard in Togo"
This was in the apartment I stayed for a few days with Blum and Terri. Wait until the end. The lizard runs into the door. He did that like a thousand times.
