Chocolate Chaos

What does it look like when 230 African kids come together and try to learn country western line dancing? Well, we found out this last weekend. We were invited up to Abomosu to teach 'slappin leather' (one of the easier line dances) during the first annual Abomosu District Youth Conference. The first of its kind for these kids.

 

Oh, you want the answer... OK, well watching  230 African kids trying to 'slap some leather' is like watching someone stir a large bowl of cocoa puffs--chocolaty chaos! I think it truly had more to do with the instructors though, than with their dancing abilities.

So to report, there are 230 kids in Africa who are a little more healthy, and 230 kids in Africa who still can't line dance. Oh well, they had fun shouting Yee Haw!

We taught the same lesson eight times over a two-hour session

We tried to teach them a few new things, but some just went right over their heads. Like trying to get them to act goofy for a group picture. The younger kids can do it well, the older ones seem already to be steeped in a stoic picture taking attitude.

Free time after lunch

Heading to the soccer Field

Lunch is served--T-bread and bananas

Bringing in the water sachets

Aside from the poorly taught line dancing, the kids did pretty much the same thing our kids do back home. They had a dance, they had classes, they had scripture chases, they had mini classes on 'For the Strength of Youth', they had a testimony meeting, and most of all they just plain had fun. There are somethings however, that could only happen here in Africa. We just chuckle sometimes and say, "only in Africa..."

 

I will give you one example but it may take some explaining. Since the district is so big and traveling every night to the chapel is not very practical, the girls stayed in the Asin Afo chapel where we had the conference, and the boys stayed 15 minutes away in the Abomosu chapel.  This is all well and good until the girls decide to head out for showers midway through the dance. We have been a chaperon at many a church dance, but we have never had to close a dance early because the girls were bathing on the lawn next to the dance floor. Yeah, I kid you not. One minute you look out on the dance floor (ie, the parking lot) and everyone is dancing, and the next minute you look over and see the girls stripping down on the lawn and dumping buckets of water over their heads! For the Obruni chaperons, nothing could be worse. For the kids and the local leaders, it didn't really seem to be much of a problem. The boys thought it was plain nuts to make them get on the bus before the music was finished. Oh well...only in Africa.

Even the boys put everything on their head

Re-enacting the scriptures

Hammin' it up at the dance

Over all, I would say that the youth conference was a big hit--thanks to the planning and dedication of Elder and Sister Dalton who are assigned to this district. We feel blessed to be here at this time and in this place...only in Africa.

...two marshmallows in a bowel of cocoa puffs

Elder and Sister Fife