About Benin

First Institute Class Held in Benin September 26, 2007 —

Enthusiastic young adults in the West African state of Benin sat in their first institute class earlier this year, nine years after the first citizen of Benin was baptized. "Each of you, this day, has become a part of history," said Leslie Southam, a full-time senior missionary, to those in attendance on that first day. "You will always remember this day as the first day institute was taught in the great country of Benin, and each of you will be remembered as pioneers by others who will come after you." The country of Benin has one branch consisting of 166 members. Nineteen people have been baptized since January 2007, and members say institute has helped the investigators who regularly attend the meetings to learn the doctrines of the Church. Those who teach the institute class are still fairly new in the Church, but they love the gospel and are preparing to serve missions, said Sister Southam. Lionel Missigbeto, who joined the Church a year and a half ago, is one of the teachers. He submitted his mission papers and will become the second missionary from Benin. The pioneer spirit is evident in the French-speaking branch, said Sister Southam. "These people are much like the Church [members] in 1835," Sister Southam said. "The members are young in the Church but willing to learn and grow." The first citizen of Benin to become a member of the Church, Claude P. Toze, was baptized in October 1998. The Church was officially recognized and a branch was organized five years later.

Thoughts

A friend asked me how I was doing. The following is how I responded.

"As a missionary mom, it depends on the day. Some days I do really well. Other days the littlest thing will set me into tears. It is hard because I want to learn about where he is at, but don't want to learn so much that I get scared. I feel better about him being in Benin than Cote d'Ivoire. I thrive on his letters. I got to talk to him right before he boarded his flight in SLC. I didn't think I was going to get to because the time had gotten so late. I just broke down when I didn't think I was going to get to talk to him, but then he called and things were great. When we didn't get a safe arrival e-mail, I got a little sad, but I prayed and had the confirmation that he was ok."

Benin

Michael was assigned to Cotonou, Benin. He flew there on October 23rd. Elder and Sister Black are the senior couple missionaries serving in Benin. They wrote: "Our airport experiences are always interesting. We had word that the elders were to arrive at the airport about 7:00 in the evening so some of us went down to meet them while Soeur Black stayed home and fixed a spaghetti dinner for their arrival. By the time we waited at the airport for a while and started to ask questions, we became aware that there was not even a flight scheduled to arrive from Ivory Coast until almost 9:00. We finally picked them up and got back here by about 10:00 and had a good spaghetti dinner which was welcomed by all the new elders as well as the old. It was a good time to get acquainted and find out about them all."

The Blacks are from Blanding Utah. It is said that wherever you go you will meet someone from Blanding. It has been true for us.

Michael's companion is Elder Phillips. He is from Layton, Utah.

Cote d'Ivoire

First apartment

Bedroom

Kitchen

I am using a French keyboard today, so there will likely be a lot of wierd puncution and spelling. q instead of a, ; instead of . and with q,z,w, and m as well a and m will be the biggest though.

So; I qm here safely, which is good, The last week hqs been by fqr the hqrdest of m,y life, but now things qre going okqy: well, mqybe not ok, but they qre better now: It has been really hqrd q lot of the time: But, it will all work out in the end: So, thqt is good:

So, yeqh, it is pretty crazy here, but good: It is much different thqn what I am used to: Riding in q tqxi at 60 km per hour, on the wrong side of the street, pqssing somebody; quite exciting: especiqlly with onco,ing trqffic: Or; todqy I got to do laundry for the first time, without a wqshing machine : Thqt wqs quite the experience: And then; after finishing, going inside and not hqving air conditioning: Or q warm shower; thqt is probqbly the hqrdest thing:*

Church is amazing here, the highlight of my time so far: even though it is in french, the Spirit is still the same:

Be grqteful for qll thqt you hqve: There is a lot here that is the same as America, but also a lot that we take for granted that is really nice to have: Be grateful: you probably donùt have lizards running around your apartment, or bugs everywhere:

Africa

I got to talk to Michael right before he boarded his flight in SLC. I didn't think I was going to get to because the time had gotten so late. I just broke down when I didn't think I was going to get to talk to him, but then he called about 3:10 and things were great. He boarded his flight about 3:25.

Michael left for Cote d'Ivoire, Africa on October 13th. He flew to France with 6 other missionaries. He then flew on to Cote d'Ivoire by himself. He arrived on October 14th.

His mission president is President Ayekoue. He is a native Cote d'Ivoirian. He was a professor of biology then an educational administrator before going to work for the Church as the Seminary and Institute program supervisor and then was called as mission president.

When I didn't get a safe arrival e-mail, I got a little sad, but I prayed and had the confirmation that he was ok.

Africa

If you want to read something interesting about the pioneers in Africa, go to the following link. Michael is going to have a great mission. http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2001_04_03_LeBaron.htm