Happy Birthday

Well my crazy week has come to an end and I'm glad its over!  I'm very glad about receiving the news that the Red Sox are World Series Champions and I'm not there to see it...and it happened very close to my birthday, so I'm just going to guess that was my gift from Heavenly Father :)

Ok, so where to begin from the last week... on Tuesday we had our zone meeting, which is the meeting with everyone from our zone. We learned about how to make sure an investigator is ready for baptism. It was a really great lesson. Thursday we had a zone conference, it was pretty great. We talked about a lot of different things but I enjoyed how Sister Weed talked about honesty in all things.

Filling the font for their baptism

Saturday we had a baptism.  So in Benin, Cotonou the church has a few different church buildings, but only 2 have baptismal fonts. One is located very close to my area the other is about 30 - 45 minutes away, so to our luck the one that is closest had no baptisms, so we took a taxi out to the other building and they had no water there so we had to fill the baptismal font with well water.  After 2 hours we got the font full enough to baptize the people. we baptized them and then returned to our area.

Sunday we had a party at Mémés house for me, that was really sweet.  All and all crazy week but it was a good week.

So back to the baptism for a little bit, we baptized a girl named Gaelle. She had been struggling to figure out what she should do because her dad is a pastor for another church that she was baptized into as a baby, and her mother also attends another church, but finally she decided to make her own decision in life and do what she thought was best and she was baptized.  It was amazing. I was so happy for her.  I'll try to send pictures but I'm having difficulties with that.

Well that's pretty much it for this week. I hope all is well. I love and miss you so much!

Avec amour,

Elder Joseph D. Allred II

Wren - a member of the Cocodji branch
"She had the cutest little smile"

Birthday party at Mémé's

Ganvié

Life in the New Area

Well two weeks has come and gone and here we are again.  Well a lot has happened these past few weeks so I guess I’ll start from the beginning.  There wasn't really anything exciting that happened the
first few days.

On Sunday we had the District conference of Benin Cotonou.  It was pretty awesome seeing all the members from around Benin and a lot of old friends from my first area.  We also had a member of the seventy there, Elder Vincent.  It was awesome.  I couldn't hear much of his talk because I sat in the very back but what I did hear was good.  Sunday afternoon we had an appointment with a new investigator. We got to his house and it turned out that it was a church... the appointment started out really well and then the guy’s pastor came and got in and after that it ended with a lot of yelling; them praying that Satan would leave us and they tried to "save" us. Lol… probably my most interesting appointment since I've been on the mission.

Last Monday we had a zone activity and we went to Ganvié.  Ganvié is a city that is built on top of the lake that is on the outside of Cotonou. It was pretty awesome. The city is pretty huge, something I thought was cool was they have people that sit on their boats and go around the city selling things. It’s awesome, and there were some kids on a boat that were on their way to school, I think the kids were maybe 8 years old and they were in a boat just chugging along. They also have a mosque built on the water that was pretty cool. All in all fun trip but I left my Oakleys at the city on the lake so ya oh well!

Finally the work in our area is really starting to improve, and it’s all because of an amazing member in our area.  She translates for all the people who can’t speak French. She is introducing us to her friends. Anything that you can do to help the missionaries she does. It is truly a blessing having her in our area to help us.  Most of our progressing investigators live on her street! We found a lot of new people this last week that seem like they will progress.  This new area is hard but I’m thankful for the opportunity.

I’m thankful for the help of your prayers. I love you and miss you. Have an amazing week!

All my love,

Elder Joseph D. Allred II

"Ganvié is a lake village in Benin, lying in Lake Nokoué, near Cotonou. With a population of around 20,000 people, it is probably the largest lake village in Africa and as such is very popular with tourists." (from Wikipedia)

Pictures from Google images:

1st Transfer

Hello from Menontin!! Well I'm sure you can imagine the craziness of my life the past few days.

After getting off the plane Monday of last week and getting my stuff I was met by President Weed. After that President and Sister Weed took me to my old apartment and President Weed told me that I was being transferred to Menontin. He said they would come and get me on Wednesday, so I went back to my old area to sleep there until Wednesday.

Tuesday I woke up, studied and packed almost all morning, I wasn't quiet finished but I had been packing for a little while so I decided to rest and then Elder Kent came running into our room and said the office missionaries are coming in 30 minutes to get you!  They got there in 10.  So after rushing to get everything else packed and ready to go I got in the truck and said goodbye to my first area after staying there for 6 1/2 months!

I arrived in my new sector and put my stuff down and went straight to work!  This area is one of the oldest in Benin. My MTC teacher taught people from this area but it’s good.  We don’t have a lot of progressing investigators so we are working on that. There are also a lot of inactive so we work a lot with them.

Things here are good. I’m adjusted back to Africa, feels like I never left!  It’s nice to be back in the swing of things.  I hope all is well!  I love and miss you so much!

Avec amour,

Elder Joseph D. Allred II

Home...

This week was an interesting one as Elder Allred came home for a few days. He had to testify in a trial and so the court ordered him home. We picked him up at the airport around 10:45 p.m. on Oct. 1 and the first thing I noticed is how skinny he was. He's lost 40 lbs. since he left but it looks good on him. We went and got something to eat because of course he was hungry. Afterwards we talked until around 3:30 a.m. The next afternoon we went through the temple with his sister as she got her endowments. She is getting married later this month. It was really good to have him here for that.  He brought home all of the souvenirs that he has bought so far so it was like Christmas. He grandpa came and stayed with us so Elder Allred would have a companion with him at all times. He testified on Oct. 4 and then left to spend a day with his dad. He flew back to Africa on Oct. 6 - his eighth month mark. He his supposed to be transferred as soon as he returns so we will know more next week. It was great to have him home but bittersweet at the same time knowing that we had to say goodbye again.

This represents the family unit

Nativity - my favorite

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

Where Did a Year Go?

Well I have no idea where the heck last week went but here we are again!  I'm sad to say that there wasn't really anything exciting this week.

So basically there was a major decision that Elder Kent and I made. No one in our sector is really progressing; more of people that just want to talk with us but not move forward, so slowly we are going to start letting them go and start finding new people.  So anyway wish us luck. Letting people go has always been the hardest thing for me to do on my mission, but its ok that is the mission.

Other than that things are pretty much the same. Things in the apartment are good, French is good, and things are good.

So just something interesting that I thought everyone should know is that one year ago yesterday (Sept. 22, 2012) was the day I went through the temple and opened my call that said I was coming to Benin.  CRAZY...lol. Where did one year go?  Anyway I hope all is well I love and miss you so much! Have a great week!

Avec amour,
Elder Joseph D. Allred II

Flashback to opening the call and going through the temple:

Working Hard, Praying Hard

Well another week has come and gone and here we are again!  This week was pretty interesting but it was good.

Like I said last week I got a new companion!  Things with that are awesome!  It’s great living with another American but to be companions with one is even better!  It makes me happy.  It’s really weird walking around with another white guy for my companion. The kids surprisingly don’t yell at us as much as I thought they would. They still do, but that’s Benin for you.  That was one reason the week went by fast. It was just busy saying goodbye with the old companion and introducing the new one to everyone.  Things are good though, we only speak French when we are in the area but at the apartment we speak English and French kind of mixed. It’s going good.

The other news I know is that it’s for sure that in October that I’m being transferred so I’m working extra hard to show Elder Kent the sector.  So anyway Togo here I come...maybe. I think there is a good chance I’m staying in Benin so we will see!

The new task at hand is to find new people to teach, so I think we are going to be starting that this week. Other than that, things are pretty much the same, working hard, praying hard, all the same stuff.

I hope all is well!  I hope you have an awesome week!  I love and miss you!

Oh I've been forgetting to say the past couple weeks that I got that package from the young women and it was awesome! Our ward back home is the best! I love you!

Avec amour,
Elder Joseph D. Allred II

Ya, it's possible

New Companion

Well another week has come and gone and the time continues to fly!  I have to be honest this week was actually pretty boring lol. There isn't much to report on! 

We were pretty busy this week with my visa work here in Benin so two days this week I was in a immigration place where they took my fingerprints. I had to sign some stuff and get my picture taken for the visa so that's one exciting thing I guess. I'm legal in Benin for another 3 months! woo! 

Ok so for the more exciting news there was a transfer this week, and.......ELDER BOTO is transferred!  I'm staying in Jericho for a little longer haha!  Elder Boto is being transferred to another area in Benin. Another missionary is finishing this week and Elder Boto is taking his place as a zone leader!  And I'm getting a new companion, his name is Elder Kent!  And he is from the United States! lol This was very surprising to me because, one he is white, two he is an American. It's a little crazy but I'm ok with it!  I'm pretty sure I'll be transferred in like two weeks but we will see. I think it's cool so I hope it stays the same for a little while.  

Well other than that things are the same lol. I'm loving life. I hope all is well. I love and miss you!  

Avec amour,

Elder Joseph D. Allred II