Bonjour from Cote d'Iviore! Semaine 7

The first week here in Port Bouet has been great! I've learned so much just in these past couple days that I've been here. I'll try to explain some things, but there's so much that I could say.

My companion is Elder Kalala. He's from Congo, Kinchasa. He's awesome. He's absolutely phenomenal at teaching lessons. He's also the district leader, which is also exciting. He's super patient and teaches me as best he can while doing all the other things that he has to do. He can speak a little bit of English, enough that if I completely don't understand French, he can help me. I love that he's my companion.

The other two Elders in our apartment are Elder Kasaou and Elder Kamara. Elder Kasau is from Congo, and Elder Kamara is from Sierra Leon. They're both really cool too. Elder Kasau helps me learn French a lot. Elder Kamara is always playing music and eating tons and tons of food haha. I love them both.

The people here are so kind and are so receptive to the gospel. Each lesson that we've had has been wonderful in my opinion. The people we have taught understand everything and want to learn. It's so so cool.

My French is coming along, but it's really really slow haha. I can say a few things, but I'm far from being able to hold a conversation with someone and even further from teaching a good lesson. It's okay though, it's only my first week here, it'll get better.

The ward here is really different from back in the states. Everyone is so loud haha. I still felt the spirit a bit, but man, everyone is so loud. There's a church right next to us that plays the loudest music every morning at 6 and every night at 7. It makes thinking hard haha.

My scripture for this week is pretty simple.
"And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me."  Moroni 10:23.
If we have faith in Christ, we can do all things. I know that we can overcome any challenge face any obstacle if we have faith in Christ. I'm learning French, and it's really tough. But, I know that if I have faith that I can learn, then I will be able to speak and I will be able to bring people to the truth.

 -Elder Lyman

Mine and Elder Kalala's room on day 1(before making the beds). It was Elder Kalala's first day in the area as well. (There is no air conditioning)

Where we eat and do our morning rendez-vous.

The view out the broken bedroom. Endless rooftops. No screens in the windows.

The kitchen! You can see the washing machine in the bottom left and the stove in the bottom right. There's a fridge to the right of the stove, but I couldn't fit it all in the photo. We bend over to cook on the stove.

Where I take my bucket showers and brush my teeth!

Our "courtyard" where we dry our clothes.

Where my companion and I do etude personelle et en equipe in our room.

My first breakfast that I made. It's really just oatmeal, but Elder Kalala had me add Nesquik to it haha.

Another photo out the broken bedroom. It rained so we couldn't leave because of the lake that was outside our front door haha.

Every day a different missionary prepares the meals for lunch and dinner. This day it was my turn. I think I did a pretty good job making African food, even though I kinda burned the stew.

The broken bathroom that no one uses because it doesn't have running water. 

 

Photo 12: I found some stuff in the broken room downstairs. A bunch of old planners from this one elder, a phone battery that I might try out as an extra for my camera, and a Livre de Mormon. Except it's not a Livre de Mormon. It's in Malagasi. Whatever they speak in Madagascar. It's wack. I opened up to D&C, and the translation for D&C? Jeez. Fotopampianarana sy Fanekempihavanana. That's probably as long as Rock's name in The Way of Kings or the brother of Jared's name.

Photo 14: My study stuff on Sunday.

 

 

 

And a few photos from the Mission President's blog from the day the missionaries arrived in Cote d'Ivoire...

Elder Lyman's companion is to his right.

 

 

A little bit more information we got while texting him today...
•The people are loud in church, especially when they argue and yell in the chapel during the second hour. The chapel is small.
•He doesn't know why the mosquito net had to be washed and hung.
•Elder Lyman doesn't know what people do since everyone he sees isn't working.
•The computers at the cyber are so slow he can't video chat or send very many photos.
•He doesn't think he needs sunscreen but suspects he is burned right now. He hasn't seen his reflection since getting to Cote d'Ivoire.
•Today, Pday, Elder Lyman and his companion took a taxi 45 minutes away to the Stake Center to see other missionaries and watch the Africans play soccer.
•The elders don't have a smartphone or tablet, just a "teeny phone that is probably the size of my first two fingers"
•There are "tons and tons of dragonflies, but no mosquitoes". I then asked him what the dragonflies eat...
•Elder Lyman didn't get to watch conference at all. "The church doesn't have anything to project or broadcast conference with".
•While at the cyber Elder Lyman had tons of people standing behind him watching what he was doing. They were interested. And curious.
•Elder Lyman has "taken up the habit of eating chicken marrow." and okra.
•The African elders cook with "tonsssss of oil".
•"I usually have sleep for breakfast, atcheke with onions and tomatoes or rice with a stew with meat. Dinner is usually fried bananas/plantains if we even have dinner."
•Elder Lyman has eaten two meals in the past 2 days. Mostly because yesterday was fast Sunday. But he says he is rarely hungry.
•The streets are sand and the homes are very small cinderblock homes

•They are currently teaching Soeur Christelle, Frere Michael, Soeur Ange, Soeur Ma Floe, and Soeur Lisette.

•They "teach about 2 lessons a day in the afternoon. {They }have seen some of their investigators every day, some every other day, it varies a lot."

•It's not too hot, but when the sun is out during midday it BLAZES.

•When asked how his first week in the field was, he said "it's been awesome!"