Cotonou, Benin - October 2022

Until we came to West Africa, I don’t think I’d ever heard of Togo or Benin, the two countries that separate Ghana and Nigeria. They are small French speaking countries where the church is established, and therefore have young single adults and a newly called coordinating council YSA senior missionary couple who needed to be trained with a face-to-face visit.  

 

We flew from Accra to Lome, Togo, then on to Cotonou, Benin on Friday, October 14 to Monday, October 17. Our YSA French speaking missionary Sister Yacoubou and an English-speaking friend met us at the airport. We drove to our nearby hotel which was near the 90-foot-tall bronze Amazon Warrior statue, a strong symbol honoring the women warriors of Danxomè, (now Benin) the first purely female army. (Watch the movie “The Women King.”) We checked into our hotel, then went to dinner with Elder (EY) and Sister Yacoubou. (EY speaks fluent English, which was very nice!) 

 

We have learned to appreciate the unique life and conversion stories of the people we meet. Elder Yacoubou is oldest of his father’s eleven children, but the only child of his mother. Polygamy is legal for Muslims in most West African countries, but Elder Yacoubou’s mother wasn’t interested in being one of many, so she took her son and left the large family and the faith. Families are important to Muslims, so EY has stayed in touch with his father and knows all his half-siblings. As a young man EY moved to Accra to find work. He, coincidently, lived and worked close to the Accra Temple. He said that as he walked by the temple every day, he and his friends would mock the golden trumpet blowing statue and wonder what type of people would worship in the building. He eventually learned the doctrines and was baptized. EY was humbled as he entered the temple for the first time to receive his own endowment. He had discovered what type of people worshiped in the building with the large golden angel. His mother, still in Benin, also joined. He returned to Benin where he met and married Sister Yacoubou, who was a child of record.  

Saturday we trained the stake presidencies and YSA committees from the two stakes in Benin and the two in Togo. Translation French to English was necessary. The YSA who had been assigned this duty was at the church early so we could discuss the schedule and our focus. He was very astute and proactive, but when his stake president arrived, he was given the thumb gesture of “out you go.” Now! He was wearing a commonly seen, nice conservative traditional outfit (bomba—I believe it’s called), not a white shirt and tie. This stake president wasn’t having it! After the ousting, the young man lowered his head and sat reverently for the rest of the four-hour meeting. The next day he was in white shirt and tie teaching priesthood.  

Sunday we attended Sacrament with the Yacoubous, then traveled to three other chapels to meet with young missionaries. One was soon to leave the mission for home, the other two were soon to enter the Accra MTC. The first was very anxious about how he would support himself and where to live, the others were wide-eyed and wondering about their upcoming experiences.  

 

The buildings were rented vs church owned and built, so the interiors although renovated are still “interesting.” TMI- We were in the bishop’s second floor office meeting with the bishop and his counselors when Dale asked if he could use the washroom. The brethren shot nervous looks back and forth between themselves for what became an uncomfortably long moment. Then came the timid question, “What do you need to do…” Now, we were the ones looking uncomfortable. Dale tactfully replied, one of the counselors jumped to his feet, dashed from the room, then fairly quickly returned carrying a bucket of water which he handed to Dale before he entered the washroom. We are used to using bucket water to flush, but the complication in this building was that the flushed water ran through the toilet, then down the stairs. We saw that firsthand as we stepped over pooling water as we walked down the stairs to leave the building.  

 

We ended the day with lunch at EY’s mother’s house where we met his mother and his four adorable children which included a set of 7-year-old twins. In addition to their YSA service missionary calling, EY serves on the high council and is a church history consultant writing the history of the church in Benin. They are very fortunate to have his mother close by to care for their young children while they fulfill their callings! She loves it and the children love her. 

 

As they took us to the airport Monday morning, they presented us with two pieces of lovely African fabric. Kind. EY told Dale that he considered him a father and appreciates his wisdom and counsel. Wonderful people who, with limited means of their own, freely give and share.