Bonjour from Bénin!

The new apartment: Elder Merrill (from Utah), Elder Gomun (from Ivory Coast), Elder Izekor (from Nigeria, who I'm replacing, he's going to the office), me, and Elder Sahue (from Ivory Coast) 05.12.14

Bonjour from Bénin!  Well, I got a transfer call last Wednesday, and today they moved me to Bénin!  So, here I am!  My new area is Fidjrossé, and I am with Elder Sahue from Ivory Coast.  The new perks of my area? Well, I can walk out the door of the cyber right now and see the beach.  We can see the beach from our apartment, too.  The cyber is really nice and really quick.  Our apartment has really good natural light as well.

Other than that, I'm not really sure what my area is like.  I've actually only been here for like two hours, so I haven't been able to touch too much here.  But the ride today was fantastic.  Many great views of the coast of Togo and Bénin.  In total is was about 4 hours.  But it went by quick.  Especially the Togo side.  It was weird to go through customs again on the border, considering that the last time that I did that was at the very beginning of my mission.

With Elder Peterson in the van 05.12.14

Togo palm trees 05.12.14

The beach near the border was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!  I didn't know that beaches like that exist here! 05.12.14

Another shot of the beach 05.12.14

This past week has been great.  After receiving the transfer call on Wednesday, I was able to get a few good-byes in before leaving today.  Church was interesting as they had been remodeling and weren't even close to finishing on Sunday, so it felt even more informal than usual, but the spirit was still there.  I was able to bear my testimony as well.  The Baguida branch is a very special branch, and they have grown very close to my heart.

One last picture with Peter from the Wuiti branch before he leaves for his mission next week!

I crouched down to take a picture with a few of the Primary kids on Sunday, and then they attacked me!  05.11.14

The work in progress. 05.11.14

           My old room is now yellow! 05.11.14

Well, I don't have terribly much to add this week.  This work has brought many, many experiences into my life that I could never have dreamed of.  I love this work and I love this mission.  I am very excited again for the things that I will be able to learn with my new companion.  Every companion teaches us very valuable lessons that will help us with the rest of our lives.

Enjoy a wonderful week.  My week will be spent with learning my new area and getting situated, so hopefully next week I'll have more stories!

I love you all so much!  Have a great week!

Avec amour,
Elder Jenkins

Celebrating my birthday with a few members! 05.05.14

From the baptism of PATAKA.  He's an awesome man that has progressed so well.  His brother will be baptized next Saturday, but unfortunately I am now in a different country. 05.10.14

Elder Stagg sent this picture of Elder Jenkins right after the baptism on 05.10.14 (note from Mom - this came just as we were walking out of a baptism here in Florida - at the same time I was speaking at a baptism in Florida, Elder Jenkins was playing the piano and performing a baptism in Africa - sure makes the distance apart seem a lot smaller)

Feeding my new camel friend!

He's super nice!!!!!

Ok, maybe even TOO nice!

Christmas party and shopping

At the Christmas party 12.17.13

Hey everyone!  So I was a bit late getting to write my email today, so I'll try and write quickly!

The work is moving along well here in Baguida!  We have two baptisms scheduled for this Saturday.  We were supposed to have five, however, three of them did not come to Church yesterday for various reasons, so now it's just two.  But we are still extremely grateful for the blessings that the Lord has given us for our work here.  We still have a lot of work to do and continue to improve ourselves.

A glimpse of Church downstairs!

The holidays are coming up here in Africa!  It is definitely different, but it's still the holidays!  I have been hearing a bit of Christmas music in the street (and a lot on my iPod), and noticing how the Christmas Spirit is working its way into me!  It's weird being a missionary in Africa for Christmas.  You just don't get that Christmas feeling by walking around like you do at home, but you can find it if you want to.

the Christmas card that the First Presidency sent us!

Last Tuesday we had a missionary Christmas party here in Togo!  It was a blast!  The first part was an hour and a half of playing games!  We had musical chairs, Pictionary, Chinese football (everyone stands in a circle with your legs spread and you try and hit the ball between someone’s legs with your hands), and President Weed's favorite game: guess the color that I'm thinking of and then I splash water in you face!!!  I don't really understand it, but he loves it hahahaha!

My clutch game winning pictionary of Moses.  It took me 2.24 seconds to draw

Chinese football madness

President Weed's game

We then had our devotional where every District was assigned a scripture and a hymn to describe Christ's birth.  We were given "O, Come All Ye Faithful" which actually sounds good with a guitar, so I looked up the chords and then was able to play it for the devotional and I don't think it was too bad!  At the end of the devotional, President Weed sang us a song with his guitar and he and Sister Weed shared a few thoughts with us.  After that we ate lunch which was African fried rice, some salad, and half of a roasted chicken: literally a roasted chicken just cut if half longwise.  It sure was a blast and a great experience!

Sister Christensen made this delicious goodness for everyone!
IT WAS SO GOOD!

This starbursts package was blessed by God himself.  I couldn't believe
my eyes when I opened it.  THAT is the definition of a "tender mercy."

Other than that this week was normal.  Until today.  I did some Christmas shopping.  To start off, we went to the bookstore (the library in french) and I got a Bible in éwé.  There was an anatomy textbook in French for 100 dollars that really tempted me, but I didn't want to pay that much for it.  Then we went to Superamco, the white supermarket (if you want to find white people, go to Superamco) where I found powdered sugar, vanilla, aluminum foil, and some steak, but they didn't have any bread rollers!  (note from mom:  this is what he calls rolling pins.)  So rolling out the cinnamon roll dough should be interesting, but I can do it.  

We then went and visited a few members around the Grand Marché and I bought two pagne outifts and a drum!  I called Soeur NGuessan to come help me choose, and she brought her husband (who I've only met once because he works in Gabon, but he's home for Christmas) and Koukou, her 10 year-old son!  It was great getting to spend the day with them!  I also called Peter (the Secretary of the Wuiti Branch who is like one of my best friends here that isn't a missionary) because he is a tailor.  Anyways, we went to three different shops throughout the market, and they were all three members (or one soon to be) of the Baguida branch!  It was so cool seeing them at their work.  At President Hervé's (our branch president) shop there are five members that work there and two more came over to visit!  It was so cool to see how they still stick together as members even at work!  

one of the two pagne shops we visited

The view of the Grand Marché from President Hervé's!!  It was pretty cool!

In President Hervé's shop.  There are five people that work there
and they're all members

After we finished shopping, we got a cab home and I had to climb ninja style into my bathroom window upstairs because the other two missionaries locked the staircase door and took the keys.  I got a video, but unfortunately the connection will not allow me to upload it.

So that's our adventures from today!  I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and find the chance to give to others!  If any of you feel sorry for me on Wednesday, please don't.  I'll be in Paradise talking with my family.

I love you all!

Avec amour,

Elder Jenkins

the moon during Harmanttan

(from wikipedia:  The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind.
This northeasterly wind blows from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea 
between the end of November and the middle of March (winter).
The temperatures can be as low as 3 degrees Celsius.
The name comes from or is related to an Akan cognate.)

I saw this sign this past week and thought it was pretty cool.