Modern Lamoni and Snake Temple

 October 28, 2019

I'm still alive! Sorry I just haven't sent out a weekly in a while. It's been rough the last couple weeks trying to find a good place to email cause the police have shut down all the cyber cafes because they're usually filled with scammers. 😂 Well it's gonna be hard to try and sum up the last 2 weeks because so much has happened so I'll just give a couple highlights. First, we baptized the frere Eugene and his wife! (the ami who was a pastor) Coolest thing was that the day we were at the church to do his interview there were some guys here from Salt Lake getting the translation process going to translate the book of Mormon in Fon! And Eugene started talking to him and guess who now got asked to help with the translation of the Book of Mormon!? Eugene!!! So, he went straight from 0 to hero and the day after his baptism he was in meetings with them all day starting translating. (You would assume to translate the book of Mormon President Nelson just whips out the urim and thummin but apparently not 😉) Its crazy to see now how God has prepared him! Haha, and he lights up Sunday School. By the time he finishes talking he has everyone going "amen hmh amen!"

Another experience we had was when we went with the stake president to go visit bishops to see how we can get missionary work moving here. It was amazing to see how led by the spirit the stake president is and I can truly say we were on the Lord's errand! After the first bishop we went to the stake president asked if there was a member in his ward we could visit. He mentioned a member and then we all went to visit him. When we got to the member's house, he told us "I knew you guys would come". The president asked "why?" and he said that his wife had seen us go to the bishop's house and he just felt so strongly that they would come to his house. At the next bishops house, we walked in and the bishop told us his 80-year-old Muslim father was at his house and wanted to talk to us. The father walked out with his Muslim robe, cap, and long white beard. He told us that his intention of coming to our bishop's house was to convince him that his church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) was wrong and to make him come back to Muslim. He watched him for 3 days. During these 3 days he saw the life his son was living and the spirit that glowed from him. He told his son that he didn't want to change his mind anymore, he wanted to know more about his church! He went to church on Sunday and he testified to us that this church really is the church of God and that the holy spirit is truly found here. He even told us that with time he wants to himself be baptized!! The president and us took turns testifying of the truthfulness of the gospel and I don't think the spirit has been stronger in my entire mission. He even started crying! People!!! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!! Go read Alma 22: 1-27! It's not just in Book of Mormon times, that literally happened this week!! Just like how Lamoni converted his father by his love for the gospel! If you know the gospel is true, take a look at your life and ask this question. Has the gospel had an effect on my life to the point that someone could tell a difference? 

Love y'all! Elder Briggs

Voodoo priest feeding an idol nuts.

More idols

 Here is a sacred rock that protects the village... pretty cool right 😎 Something about how every 7 years 40 young women come to dump buckets of water on it. 

 Python voodoo temple! It's in this voodoo village and they give kinda a tour and explain all their idols and Gods. Apparently touching the pythons is "good luck"..? they drink from the holy water.

 In the last 2 weeks I saw a coffin on the back of a moto, 8 sheep tied on a moto (but one fell off and painted the road) and then I saw this. Hundreds of live chickens stacked and hanging off this car! Gotta love Benin.

Sifting corn