Snow on Snow on Snow

Hey guys!

I hope you are all having a good week! So I think I ate a little to many eggs. We eat bread and eggs in the mornings pretty often so I think I just happened to eat a lot more than I should've. But it's all good now and it didn't last too long but it did worry me a bit.

Yeah the plan of salvation is actually a really big topic, if we have enough time to talk to them about it cause sometimes investigators just kind of drop off from the face of the earth. Its usually cause they don't want to see us anymore but its all good. Also with Mamma Josiane there is another problem with her ex boyfriend. So I guess his dad and him like all are a part of the Voodoo religion and usually its not like that big of a deal but these guys seem a little bit crazy. So I guess cause shes expecting a baby the dad and ex-husband, who is the father. have been helping her out a little bit with buying food. They came to her and said that like if she doesn't worship with them and like leave our religion they're going to stop helping her. He said that he like will curse her and stuff so that's the problem were dealing with right now... It really almost sounds like it belongs in a movie to be honest. So far voodoo sounds like its pretty much just a grand old mess. There's not really much we can do we are going to talk to President Morin to see what we can do. We went to her house and blessed it and dedicated it so that was actually really super cool. We gave a blessing to each member of the family and it was a pretty memorable moment so far. The spirit was definitely there and it was just really nice and peaceful.

We also have the transfer coming up so I might be somewhere new or I might be the same old same old. Nous allon voir. I say that quite a bit. Hows the french coming by the way?

I'm really sorry to hear about that. I really hope that everyone is doing ok. That's something that's very difficult to imagine and I don't know how much I can do but really if there's something that's possible I'm more than willing to help. I hope that Whitney will be ok. I haven't lost a friend like that but I can only imagine something like that. I hope that shell be ok. Please let the family know that I'm thinking about them even though I don't know them all that well. I'm glad that you're there for her friend Mamma. You've always been a best friend for me.

If I was to explain all that I've learned it would take me quite a bit of time. This place is so amazing and the people are so happy even when there's sorrows pretty much all around. I could talk about it for a long time but that would be a little too long. I'm grateful for all that you guys have done for me and I couldn't ask for a better family. Love you all and have a good week.

A Bunch of Sickies

Hey Guys!

Alright so today I'm all good! I really just think it was some really bad food poising but its all good now. Pretty much 100 hundred percent!

I hope that everyone gets feeling better and I fixed my memory card so this time you should be getting some photos so yeah! That's crazy to hear about Annie. Personally I don't really know if I know her but anytime something like that happens its pretty sad. I hope everyone the best that are involved.

So this week I don't have any massive stories but just a couple of little ones. So we baptized Mama Sylvia yesterday and it was really good! She really seemed super prepared from the beginning and I really think that what we have will really bring her peace in her life. Really shes had a pretty rough time out here and it would take me so much time to explain it all. We were teaching her and at one point during the lesson I just really felt the spirit super strong. I hope that she felt it too cause I know it was there. Also I feel like as she learns more about the plan salvation that's something that's really going to help her out cause shes had some stuff with happened with a baby she was expecting and that just really touched me.

Also I would really like to express my gratitude to you guys for sending me my Patriarchal blessing. I read it 1 time at the MTC and really almost forgot it was in my bag. and sorry I accidentally sent half of my email. But I pulled it out this morning and was able to read it again and really it just gave me a great sense of peace. It helped me look for the better things especially when really there a lot of things that can be discouraging out here. So if its been a while since you've read your Patriarchal blessing I would highly recommend that you take the time to read it again.

So I'm sorry If you guys don't really know how life is over in Africa cause I haven't really described it in too much detail because really its rather hard. Sometimes I see things here that are just normal for me that are just not normal. I will try to explain something that was pretty funny.We were in the middle of teaching and just from behind us a group of kids just ran passed yelling and smacking each other with sticks. They were all maybe like 4-14 years old, oh and they're all wearing pretty close to nothing. So I turn my head and I just see the baby just jiggling towards the other kids stick hand with the most determined look and a pair of like superman underpants and he was maybe 3 or 4 so that was really adorable and hilarious.

Anyway that's it for me, I hope that everything is going well for you guys! Have a good week and love you all! ​

Winter Blast

Hey guys!

I'm glad to hear that you guys have had a good busy week! That's when the time flies by the fastest! I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing good and that everyone is healthy! I would like to write a longer email however just today I've become sick. Its a little ironic that I was thankful for my health last week and now I'm sick but its whatever. I just wanted to write you guys to let you know that I'm OK but I don't know what the problem is. I'm thinking that it might be some food poising because it reminds me a lot of Logan. I'm sure I'll be getting better shortly even though right now it really kinda sucks. Don't worry I'm not being stubborn and I'm trying to figure out the problem instead of just saying I'll be OK in a day or two. I don't think its malaria, I don't have a fever so that's good but I'll keep you guys updated!

Alright so the momma and her children had the baptism last Sunday. The momma wasn't able to because there was apparently something in her interview that needed to be regulated by someone other than the zone leader. The three others everything went pretty well! I'm sorry I can't write any longer but really I should probably be getting to back to the apartment and start sleeping so yeah. Anyway I love you guys a ton and I hope that you all have a good week!

Need for Photo's

Whats up guys?

So sorry about the photos just sometimes the cyber has a place for them and sometimes they don't and recently its been a little difficult to find a good cyber so really we've been moving around a lot and I haven't been able to upload but I think I'll be able to upload today!

I'm sorry that a lot of you haven't been feeling very well that's not very fun at all. I've actually been very fortunate to have really good health here so far and I just hope that continues. I've never realized what a blessing health actually is so that's been nice.

Good for Mason and Elyse! I look forward to seeing a lot of pictures as well!

So this week we actually tried to talk a little bit to the leaders of the branch to help us out and straighten things out a little bit but there all a little bit stubborn. Because out of the 5 people I've baptized 3 don't really come that much no matter how much we visit them throughout the week and its a little discouraging. We have some investigators who are progressing really well. They are a family of 4 and the mom her name is Sylvia has really had some problems. It seems like she really has attached to the Gospel and that's something I'm really happy about and they seriously come every single Sunday and that's always encouraging.

Sometimes the mission is a little frustrating because there's only so much we can do but there's always good in the week that we can find even in the days that are kinda a tough. That's something I've been reminded of this week. Anyway I love all you guys and I'm going to try and upload my photos now and well see how that goes! Love you guys!

And concerning the letters its possible that we've gotten them but we haven't really been in Cotonou to go pick them up so they next time I'm at the bureau I'll let you guys know! So actually I tried uploading some photos and it looks like there's a little bit of a problem with my memory card. I still have all the pictures on the card but for some reason when I try to upload them to a computer they aren't showing up so until I figure that out I wont get pictures for a while I'm sorry

Haha so there's one time that we were driving to Cotonou and some guy had strapped maybe seven or 8 goats to his motor cycle and when the goats are in distress they just start yelling.  So I'm just chilling in the car and this motor cycle just drives past us with the goats just screaming their heads off! That was pretty awesome!

Happy New Year

Hey Guys!

I really enjoyed seeing you guys too! I'm really glad that we get to speak 2 times a year too because seeing everyone doing well made me super happy! So Christmas here is a just a little bit more subdued. There's not like a ton of promotion around it people exchange gifts like we do but its not like terribly important and that's just kinda how it is. Its kinda difficult to go all out because like I said before everyone is pretty poor but they do what they can!

So I really like my new companion! Hes from Ghana and hes super cool! He also knows how to make popcorn and he likes to cook it every single day so I'm doing pretty good with him right about now! He also is very direct and its kinda fun to see when someone does something that isn't exactly right because he is just so direct and later he told me that here on the mission you should always speak from your heart so I thought that was pretty cool!

I'm glad that you had a good new years party and that everyone is doing well! So here in Africa new years eve is like a pretty big deal! There was literally people blasting music and wandering about until 5 in the morning! They also had fireworks too so that was awesome! We had a little party with the members but of course we didn't stay out till after midnight but that was still a fun little party.

Haha even though problems are a little bit first world they are still frustrating and I understand your pain. That honestly is like one of the worst things and don't think I'm mocking because that's a real problem.

Ah I miss Brother Johnson sometimes. Sometimes out here we could really use his directness and his strong testimony. Because me I'm a little to scared to direct the branch in what they should do but he would be fantastic at it if he was here. Maybe he could give me some lessons on some leading skills, if so that would be great! So recently I've started reading Jesus the Christ a little bit, and I've only read 4 chapters but really its such a great book. The way he lays out everything is just so simple even when his words sentence structure and grammar is sometimes difficult to follow, he connects a lot of things and its all super cool so I recommend that!

Ahh good old Jeanette Jewkes! I hope that shes doing good and don't worry I've started taking the doxy more and remembering to take it, but the mosquito net not quite but I'll start soon I'm sorry momma! I hope you guys are having a good day and that you'll have a good week! I love all of you guys and hope you stay safe!