Riley in Africa : KEMBO-KEMBO

Well, right after leaving the cyber last Monday we went to a family home evening, it was fun. I taught a lesson on spiritual gifts that went over well and then came the dinner. The dinner was classic pat with a tomato sauce and fish. It was really good actually, but the amount they gave us was insane. But as is the culture here you have to finish. But you have to be carful. If you eat too fast, they will add more of that hot dough on your plate. After eating that they gave us each a bottle of bisap, a drink made from hibiscus. I don’t know what did it but that large amount of pat and bisap killed all of us that were there. McKrola was the least affected, but Kerr, Naneon and myself were all suffering all night long and then the next day on the toilet. Oh, how it hurt.

Then we had another family meal the next day with a member. That meal we had a special pat where they use basically rotten corn to make the corn flower. It’s pretty intense and it’s pretty bitter. Anyway, we ate that and the 3 year old daughter of the family took some pictures. Some look really weird. I’ll put some down below.

One day in the past when I was with Martial we went to eat somewhere and we saw a guy with his daughter. Martial’s heart was softened and he secretly paid for his meal (the guy with his daughter) and ours on the way out. Martial just wanted to do a random act of kindness. Anyway, I totally forgot about that until this Wednesday when walking out of the church after a district meting a guy stopped Naneon, thinking it was Martial, and thanked him for paying for his meal a few months earlier. Naneon explained it wasn’t him but that it was Martial and I. I saw the guy and I remembered the time we did that. So we got his contact. Turns out he lives right by the church and Kerr will start teaching him.

On Saturday there was a huge talent show to celebrate the creation of the 100th stake in West Africa (Nigeria). So, here in Benin we all went to the Stake Center. I saw lots of members and converts and my converts, the Mikamonas, did two songs in the show, they were the invited guests. It was so cool to see them sing because that is what Papa Mikamona does for a living. I bought his CD after. It was so cool. His singer name is KEMBO-KEMBO.

We had yet another baptism with a bunch of problems. We put the baptism at 15h00 because the celebration at the stake center was supposed to be at 10h00, But, it ended up starting two hours late, which really screwed us over. So, all of the branch members were at the stake along with one of our candidates while the other candidates were headed to the branch for the baptism. None of the members wanted to leave the stake talent show till it was over. So, we did a bunch of scrambling and yet again the font did not get filled all the way. Kerr had to baptize with just a tiny bit of water. But in the end Romans 8:28 pulled through for us again and everything worked out.

It was sad saying goodbye to Cocotomey. I bore my last testimony there. It was great to see the ward totally full. I baptized 9 people while here and over the time I’ve been here I’ve seen 17 baptisms total. It’s been great. The branch has progressed so much. I also gave two blessings for the sick because it is rainy season everyone is gunna need blessings because everyone gets malaria this time of year and that is super hard.

I finally know my last sector and last companion. I’m the king of Benin. I have the most time of any missionary in Benin in the whole mission right now, including the mission president. I’m going to my sixth branch in Benin, Fidrosse and Elder Gardner from Idaho will kill me. I’m very excited. I know this transfer was inspired. I will move over to my last sector on Wednesday.

Dinner and FHE (pictures taken by 3 year old)

Good Bye, Kerr

Saying good bye to Damian

Saying good bye to Viviane

Saying goodbye to Serge and his family

Mirisse (Serge's wife) was thinking about how hard it would be for a mom to let her kid leave for two years on a mission. She felt so touched, she got a present for my mom.

[Kaelyn here: I am SO touched she would think of me. I love her for taking care of my boy in Africa]