Our Best Friend Denis - Affery, Côte d'Ivoire

Hey everyone, big news! I've officially been a missionary for six whole months! It's crazy how the time passes. I can't necessarily say that it's been quick, because sometimes it's felt super super slow, but it's still crazy that I've already hit this milestone.

It's been another awesome week here in Affery! We've been working really hard and we've found a whole bunch of really solid people to teach! We've been putting our all into the work I couldn't be happier about it.

We've been teaching Seminary the last few weeks and it's been a great experience. It's awesome to be teaching and talking with all of these future missionaries. The coolest part is that Sœur Lilliane, who I baptized my first couple of weeks here, has come every week because she wants to serve a mission! That seminary class has really become a highlight of my week every week.

Story time: Every two weeks we have to take a "bus" down to Adzopé, about two or three hours away, to use the ATM and go shopping for our food. So that day was today and about half way there, Elder Kouadio realized he forgot his card. The thing is, my card was stolen just before I left America. So we had no choice but to have them drop us in another village and take a taxi back to Affery. 

So after we got back and got the card, we went back to "la gare" only to find that all of the buses were already gone. 

Now for the next part of the story, I have to introduce a new character: Denis. Denis is a man who we've seen around the village a few times. He wears full winter clothes and a big motorcycle helmet 24/7. I can't even begin to explain how impossible that is in this whether. Anyways, this guy is actually insane and he's tried to follow/chase us and the other Elders home a few times. We're all pretty scared of him. He's also superhuman strong it's freaky.

So now that we've introduced Denis, Elder Kouadio and I had to find a taxi to Akoupé, the next village over, so we could find another bus to Adzopé. So we finally find a taxi, get in, and wait for the three other people that'll inevitably be sharing that back seat with us. And who happens to be one of those people but our best friend Denis. So I shared a seat with him for that taxi ride. That was probably the most uncomfortable car ride of my life. This guy is terrifying. 

Anyways, we eventually made it to Adzopé with barely enough time to get our money, buy our food, and make it back on the last bus to Affery.

So that's been my week. We oughta have another baptism fairly soon so watch out for that one!

Love you all, stay safe!

Comme toujours, à la prochaine!

Elder Farr

The Affery and Akoupé Elders!

Bon Arrivé Elder Kouadio! - Affery, Côte d'Ivoire

 Bonjour et bonsoir tout le monde! It's been crazy week here in lil' ol' Affery!

So, as you know, last week we found out that Elder Kamenan would be transferred to a different area. So the plan was that that transfer would happen on Wednesday when my new companion came up. So on Tuesday morning, we went out and visited with some of our amis and said goodbye.

After that, we came back for lunch before we'd go out to visit the rest of our amis. But as we were eating lunch, we got a call from the Zone Leaders saying that the four of us had to leave ASAP to Adzopé. 

So Elder Kamenan and Elder Christensen frantically packed their suitcases and we all loaded into a tiny cab to head down as fast as we could.

The thing was, the cab didn't fit all of the stuff we had to bring so we had to hold onto the suitcases as they hung out the trunk. 

Also, the cab was run by a propane tank in the trunk and the hose kept disconnecting, filling the car with propane and leaving us stranded on the roadside for 20-30 minutes at a time. Also, most cabs here are missing important parts like door handles so that was a fun puzzle trying to figure out how to escape the car before the propane kills us first.

Eventually, we passed by the Elders' apartment in Akoupé where they dropped me off and continued their journey to Adzopé and then Abidjan. I said a rushed final goodbye to Elder Kamenan and Elder Christensen and they were off.

So I stayed the night in Akoupé with a couple of the Elders there and then waited until 5ish on Wednesday when a van came back with Elder Dent and our new companions!

My companion is named Elder Kouadio and he's an Ivorian. He actually started his mission just a couple of months before me in August and he's waiting to go to his original assignment in the DRC.

One of the greatest blessings about being companions with Elder Kouadio is that he loves to work! All week since he got here, we've been working non-stop and it's been the greatest thing in the world. I couldn't be more excited for this transfer.

On Saturday, the other Elders had a baptism for one of their amis. Unfortunately, as the branch president was bearing his testimony to close the program, she walked out of the room twice to talk on the phone and then fell asleep so deeply that we had to shake her awake. So that was a fun time for us all.

My French has had to improve really fast this last week because, as the missionary people recognize, everybody's been coming to me with their questions and comments. But thanks to what can only be attributed to the gift of tongues, I've been able to, for the most part, understand what people are saying here.

Something interesting about Affery is that, being as small of a village as it is, most of the people don't really speak French at all. In their homes, they speak their tribal languages they've been passed down for ages. So the only time they speak French is when they're talking with someone from outside the village, which is hardly ever. So that's been a fun challenge to figure out.

I've learned a lot this week about learning to fully rely on the Lord. I've had moments where I've felt entirely hopeless and helpless this week. But it was in those moments that I learned what it really means to rely on the Lord.

I'm very happy with how this week has turned out. I'm getting to work a lot more which is the greatest blessing and Elder Kouadio and I are becoming really good friends. 

I love you all and I hope you all continue to trust in God in all things. In Alma 36, we read:

"for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."

À la prochaine mes amis!

Elder Farr

Elder Kamenan and I as we rushed out the door for the last time

A pic of Elder Kouadio and I that I took while writing
this 'cause I realized we didn't have a picture together yet