Lunch at Portofino's in Abidjan

Avocado shrimp salad

Chicken breast with creamed mushroom sauce

Mozzarella pizza

Plain pizza bread

Fresh watermelon

Abidjan Zoo elephant

John is feeding Cany the elephant

Abidjan Zoo black Emperor scorpion

This black Emperor scorpion was on the ground at the zoo in one of the separation areas that keeps animals separate from the visitors. Joshua spotted it crawling around. It was larger than my size ten feet.

Abidjan Zoo

This turtle is over 60 years old.

Cany the elephant is 16 years old

Mike, Sue, Josh, John and George Assouf

George arrived to tour the zoo with us. This is a large Silk Cotton tree or Kapok (Ceiba pentrandra). Notice how the trunk branches out into supports. In French it is called a Fromager. Fromager is French for cheese tree, because the ripe seedpod smells like cheese.

John and Sue

The others were all on this bench that was on two piles of dirt a foot above the ground. Erosion had worn away the surrounding dirt.

Josh, John , Sue and Mike

As I joined them, the ground crumbled and it tipped forward. John caught the bench as we jumped from it. Then we took this photo.

John working in Africa

Daniel and John are nailing the first side piece to the pulpit.

The fruit of over 4 hours work!

John and Sarah now out of USA

Thanks for praying for John and his girlfriend Sarah. They are both in Iraq now, or at least real close. They haven't given us specific locations. They are doing well and grateful for your prayers.

Our Senegal/Côte d'Ivoire Field Forum is over. It was a real good time of learning and fellowship. I put together a new slide show on the bus from Saly to Dakar. Check it out. It includes photos of a dozen Senegal horse carts.

Now we are recovering and getting some last stuff done before we return to Abidjan on Thursday. Tomorrow, I will pick up some Singulair for Josh.

Mike New Year 2006

Maria and Ramon Sanchez and Mike