Temple of Pythons (aka, Following the Counsel in Mark 16:15, 18!)

December 29, 2014

Hey Mom,

It was great to have been able to talk with you guys for Christmas! Hope you guys are having fun with Grandma and Grandpa.

We’ve had a pretty productive week, with lots of visits to the Bureau in Cadjehoun. The Tuesday before Christmas we got up at 4 in the morning and traveled to Cotonou to do some service at an orphanage. We cleaned tons of bottles. They had myself and three other Elders carry these huge mud covered bags of bottles all over the place. We were in our nice pants and white shirts (probably not the best clothes to wear for this service project!). We all got totally filthy, but it was good fun and we got to sing for the orphans afterwards. Then we had some food and fun at this place called the Majestique, which is a huge air-conditioned room for parties. It was great. The only downside was that I stayed soaked in sweat, and covered in mud for most of the party. We were going to go home afterwards, and have the bureau Elders drive us home (rather than take our taxi). However, they had to drive some other missionaries first, and by the time they could drive us it was quite late. They said President didn’t want us out that late, so they had us stay at another Elders’ apartment overnight. We didn’t get to shower or change clothes until after making the journey back the next day. I think I’ve accepted that I don’t get to be clean for 2 years now.

Elder Walls (right) and his former MTC companion, Elder Jorgensen,
wash bottles at an orphanage in Cotonou. December 23, 2104

We also had an activity at the temple of pythons in the voodoo city of Ouidah. Very interesting stuff. Basically the people there worship the snakes as gods and they slit their faces to mimic the holes in snakes faces. I’ll try to send some photos.

All in all, things are going well. My companion and I get along well (probably too well because we speak too much English with each other). It looks like it could take some time to get into our new apartment in our new sector. Sleeping on the ground and living out of suitcases is getting old, so hopefully, it won’t take too long to get settled.

Love you guys,

Elder Walls