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!

Long Time No See

Hey guys!

I really loved talking to all of you guys too! That was definitely the best part of my day! It was also weird to see how much the kids have grown even if its only been 4 months. Which is another thing that's kinda weird because really it doesn't even feel like its been that long! So the weather was a little bit to adjust to. but that was mainly because you just sweat a lot more so that s been the biggest change but for the most part everything is going good whether wise. Apparently its supposed to cool down a little bit in January but well have to see about that!

Haha yeah you did mention that a couple of times! I honestly feel like 2 hours wasn't nearly enough to give you the whole story in Benin because really there's just so much going on! But I'm glad for the time that I got. Honestly I can't thank you guys enough for how much you guys give me even when I'm miles and miles away. I really appreciate all the effort that you guys put in for me! Also before the mission too even when I wasn't always very grateful for it. I'm thankful for you guys being my parents because really you guys are the greatest!

So for now my companion is the only one that's moving but sometimes they will switch out multiple people at a time. Also with Togo its not too common to move back and forth but this transfer there were a lot of people that were switched so I'll be seeing some missionaries I've never seen before so that will be kinda cool!

I'm also glad Vaughn is still getting spoiled! Anyway Thanks for all the things you've sent me! I don't have anything to specific but if you could keep some peanut butter coming that would be cool! I love you guys a ton and thanks for everything you do! See ya and have a great week!

Christmas Countdown

Hey Guys!

I'm glad to hear that you guys have had a good week! I always thought Mason was going to stay home until he's thirty so that kinda surprised me ;) but I'm happy for him! I hope they'll be super happy! I'm glad that you're a little bit more ahead of things this year! But even with that I know that you're still pretty busy. But that's why you're gifts are some of the best because of how much time that you put into them!

So at the snake temple there's really just the one type of snake that's not aggressive so that's really all that it is. Its also like a little tourist site where they explain a little bit the background of voodoo and what they believe in so it was actually pretty interesting!

So I believe the plans are still on! We have to still find a cam for the computer but other than that we should be all set. As a back up plan we'll probably just end up calling. It cost a little bit more but I would rather Skype but really we'll be in touch Sunday so I'll make sure we get to talk! Um I'm going to be trying to shoot for 5 o'clock our time so hopefully that will work for you guys over there!

 So this week nothing to special happened. Like I've said, I've started to teach a lot more and that's been a lot more fun and the branch is making some progress from it's apostate so that's really good! Were finding investigators and I just hope that they're willing to stay in the church! Anyway I'm going to wrap up. Since its Christmas I just want to say that I'm really grateful for what you guys have done for me. I would like to say that I was always perfect and perfectly grateful for what you guys have done for me but I know if I did, I would be lying. Even when I wasn't the most obedient thanks for always being there when I had a problem. Even if I never told you a problem specifically, just being with you guys really helped me out so thanks. I hope one day I'll be able to repay you for what you've done for me but, that's going to be pretty difficult. Thank you for all and I'll see you guys on Christmas!

Teaching

Hey Guys!

I'm glad you guys have a good week! It sounds pretty jammed packed with just about anything I could think of. I'm glad that mom is keeping busy like her usual self. It's good to be busy and really it makes time pass by so fast when you're working. Oh and there is no way I would let Prentice do even pretend surgery on me! I miss those kids sometimes! I'm not really looking forward to seeing Vaughn and Baby Miles. That'll be the weirdest thing for me I think.

So yeah what Craig said is true but really I'm thankful for it because it really helped my French. I can speak pretty well already and I'm just thankful for the position I was put in cause that really helped!

There's been a lot of times where I've thought to myself of 1st world problems and how in Africa that's kinda the least of my worries! But honestly things are really different but I'm just happy to be here. There is a lot of work to do but that means time will go by faster than I could've imagined and that's a good thing but at the same time a bad thing.

So this week we had a baptism of a kid named Fr Kenneth. Hes seriously one of my favorite investigators so far and I was so happy that we could baptize him. He is way nice and he seems really prepared so that's been a gift. We received his number as a contact just about 2 weeks ago so really it was just kind of a random event. So I'm rather happy cause really he is one of the coolest kids I've met. This week has actually been really good. I've been able so start teaching more cause my French is actually to a point where I'm not spacing words for more than 10 seconds so this week to me is when I actually feel like a missionary. Before, I would always bare a testimony and give a little bit of the lesson that I already practiced a ton but, last week I was able to give a whole lesson on the Book of Mormon and that was really rewarding.

Donc, je vais finir en francais parc que, comme, j'avais dit avant, c'est bon pratique pour mon francais. Je veux vous dire que je suis très reconnaissant pour tout ce que vous avez fait pour moi. Je suis tres impatient pour l'occasion de parler avec vous pendant Noel. Je souhaite que vous tous soyez en bon sante. Je vous aime beaucoup et Je vais vous voir ce Noel. Passez bonne semaine et je vais vous parler le Lundi prochain.

PS so for the time I'm not too sure. I'll have to talk to my companion a little bit more but it will be after 1 o'clock. At least here anyway Ill try to narrow that down more.
I've received one letter so far so I don't know if that's all.
We have a font at our church so that's where we do our baptisms.

Snake Temple

Whats up guys? :)

So I'm glad that you guys have enjoyed your extended fall break and I'm sorry that the snow had to come but I honestly I completely forgot that by now in Utah we usually have snow! That's one of the weirdest things to think about because usually I would just be hanging out with friends and getting ready for Christmas but I'm instead in Africa and honestly, I'm not sure I would want it another way! :) at least for this Christmas! We'll see how I feel next time around but really I'm doing good!

It sounds like you've guys have had a really good week and I hope your good days continue! I'm really glad that everyone is doing good and that everyone is happy! Um and one second, what happened to Courage in the first place? Cause the last time I heard he was on his mission? Also some disappointing news that I found out this week was that one of the Elders that came into the field with us ended up going home this week. I don't know for what reason but it was really sad to hear. It's really a sad thing to hear when missionaries go home especially when you've personally known them and seen who they are.

With that thought really I'm starting to figure that out more and more. Especially here because sometimes the missionaries here are literally asked to open up a new sector and basically establish a church in a specific town so if there's questions in the branch it truly is the missionaries who are there to make sure everything goes right. Really I've been able see how much is possible to help. I really wish that I could do everything I possibly could to help everyone but sadly I can't help every single person. No matter how much I might want to. There's so many little things that I've took for granted at home that some of these people haven't even experienced before and it really has given me a new perspective. Oh and now I'm not exactly picky in what I eat now ;) But anyway I've learned a lot and I hope that I'll continue to learn.

So just a quick story we went to a snake temple and there we could pick up and touch a whole bunch of snakes so I got some pretty decent pictures of that so I hope that you'll like them!

I hope you're all doing good and that you also will continue be like that! Thanks for everything that you've done and I did get the Christmas package and I haven't opened up the other half yet so Ill keep forcing myself not to! Anyway until next time!

Nice snake tie

Ring around the snake

Watch your step!

Point of No Return Monument