September in a nutshell

We're are BACK from Benin!
Last week, actually, but I've been getting back into the swing of life here.

I'm having a hard time believing that October has arrived. Where did September go?
Well, September stayed in Cote d'Ivoire and continued on without me.

Benin.
Oh, how do I begin to explain? It's going to be a mish-mash of a blog.

Here are some numbers for you:
66: total number of hours on a bus.
7: number of buses taken.
7: also the number of times we visited the Immigration Office in Cotonou for our visas.

We made it, though! We spent almost 2 weeks working alongside Rob Wiens and his YWAM team in Cotonou (the south) and in Tanguieta (the north). The team was amazing- they brought us in as part of their family for 2 weeks and we were so blessed to get to know them! We spent time in neighborhoods and villages just talking to people about Jesus, and it was really fun! It also put my french to the test!

Day 2 of our trip, we somehow managed to get two seats together on the bus to Cotonou. We had been sold seats, but were told that the bus was oversold, so we'd have to wait and see if there was room. The next bus wasn't scheduled to leave for 4 more days! We were definitely thankful when we were seated and rolling out of Ouagdougou that day- last ones on! When we arrived at the border to Benin, I tried calling the contact we had in Cotonou with Rob's team to let him know that we would be getting in much later than we had expected, but our phone died. So we're riding the bus 13 more hours down to the southern part of Benin just praying that Rob would somehow find us! Well, we rolled into an alleyway (no, not a bus station) at 1:30 am and the first person I see is Rob! God took care of us. It was awesome!

I apparently gained weight, since my sister has told me multiple times that I've "grossir"-ed (gotten fatter)!
I think that FanMilk is to blame.
FanMilk.
Oh, how I love FanMilk.
It's ice cream in a little bag, but it is yummy! Especially to the girl who has been ice cream- less in Korhogo.

When Alyssa and I were riding down in the bus, we went through these hills in northern Benin that were beautiful! Alyssa saw a waterfall out of the other side of the bus. I was sad I missed it! She kept saying, "can we go back there?!" I was thinking, "No way, Lys, we're headed to the south! How could we ever get back here and get off the bus to climb a mountain and see a waterfall? Not possible." Well, week 2 with the team, we find out we're headed north to Tanguieta. AND guess what mountain we climbed our last day in Benin? Yup, that's right, Alyssa's waterfall! It was amazing- what are the chances?

Even though Rob and I have not been around each other for 11 months, we still managed to break into song simultaneously...  I'm talking same song...  It happened more than once...
Somethings just don't change. I'm thankful for that.

I think I'm still processing all that we did and experienced over the last few weeks. 

This is just a piece of it. 

....

We went to a wedding a few days ago! 

Don't they look happy?!

We were rocking the uniform!