"Coach Watchers"..."Deceivers" and District Leader!

Hello my wonderful, loving, caring, good looking, family!

How is everyone doing this fine Tuesday? I am doing grrreat! Tony the Tiger great even. Today has been a good day! Woke up at 5:00, went back to sleep. Woke up at 6:10 to turn the showers on and to get my favorite one. It's the handicap one but there isn’t any on our floor so we use it. It takes about 20 minutes for the water to warm up so I sit by the shower and brush my teeth till 6:30. Then I get in the shower till around 6:45, and then I go and get ready for the day! I put my shirt on always first. Well my garments of course, then my shirt. Then I put my socks on next, and then I put my pants on. I used to put my tie on before, but then I had to flip it over my shoulder when I was doing up my pants, so I switched that up. So after I but my pants on, I put my tie on. Which I am a master at now BTW... Dad taught me well! Oh yeah did you get my letter about sending me the rest of my ties? It's kind of a big deal. I NEED THEM!! Anyways, then I put my shoes on, belt, then suit coat. Always in this order. If I don't, my day is just all out of funk... Anyway. Yeah then we go have daily planning in our classroom! Which we didn't know we had to do till like 2 weeks ago.. Haha but it’s all good! Then we have personal study and go to breakfast! Then we have more personal study, then go to the TEMPLE! I love it... It's so nice!     We usually switch off between doing an endowment session, and sealings. We did sealing’s today. It was awesome! I was able to seal a boy from the 1500's! How insane is that? To think that he has been waiting that long to be sealed to his family, and I was the one who got to do it! Simply amazing. 
Oh yeah... And I was made the new District Leader on Sunday! It's like not a big deal or anything... Haha no just kidding. But yeah I really am the new district leader. It's been pretty good so far! A lot more responsibility, but I like it! I have been able to connect this leadership position to being a football captain so many times it is crazy! And not just the leadership, but the whole mission in and of itself! I gave the analogy of the "Coach Watchers" and what those are from a football stand point. I'll just tell you what I said in our district meeting. We were talking about accountability. I said something along the lines of "In football, there are the people my dad called, coach watchers. And you never wanted to be one of these kids. These coach watchers would try their very hardest when the coaches were watching, and then right when they would turn their back they would stop doing their “up-downs”, or stop “driving the sled”. 

 The coach would look right back at them, and they would start working again saying, “look at me coach, I'm working so hard! Give me the starting spot!”. When in reality, they were being deceivers. Coach watchers. When we are out in the mission field, or in our everyday lives. The same concept applies. When the branch presidency comes around we are on our best behavior. Then right when he steps out the door, we go back to what we really are. But there is a 'Coach' out there, that never turns his back on us. He knows what we are doing 100 percent of the time, and we cannot deceive him. He is perfect. He is the Son of God. He is Jesus Christ. When we give our 100 percent, 100 percent of the time, we will get that starting position. Or in this case, blessings. Blessings of health, blessing of safety, blessings of family, and blessings that unfortunately, go unnoticed. So we can be coach watchers to the people around us, and not excel in that we do. But we will be accountable for everything we do. Hopefully, get that starting position, because we worked hard for it! So yeah something like that haha. That's just one of the many similarities to life, missionary work, and football. So similar!

     The MTC is going really well! Not a lot of stuff happening still. Except the fact that it snowed and everyone who has never seen snow before is FREAKING out! It's hilarious! It's about time it snowed though... I started to think that I was living in Washington with Lindsay and Kevin! It's really good though! LOVED the package of doughnuts. All the poly's love them because they don't have them on the islands! So I like to share them with them. The language is coming along really well! I will send another video of my speaking more of it... It's gotten a lot better! It's to the point now where I am just learning all the different words and nouns and adjectives and stuff. I have the whole Joseph Smith’s first vision memorized in French! So that's cool... The teachers here are so dedicated in helping us with the language it is nuts. They are all awesome! I have seen JP and Dave, but not Dillon yet.. The foreign language speakers and the english speakers don’t really see each other that often because they are on different schedules. I will see them before I leave though! I will be sure to get some pictures with them. I "Host" tomorrow. You know when those elders took me away? Haha yeah that's what I do! I will hopefully get to pick up Rich. I think I know the car he will be in. I'll let you know how that goes! Gym time is always a blast. We I have it at 6:30am and I usually just stretch and and then play volleyball for 10 minutes.

But when we have it in the afternoon I usually do a little work out and play volleyball. I weight 230... so I have gained a few. All in muscle! I have a 6 pack and ripping cuts... so... yeah. Just kidding. I think I look the same ha. I figure it will all come off in Africa. So get ready for a slimmed down, tanned, good looking elder when I get back! And you guys will be white because it will be December here... Suckas! No just kidding.

Hey I wrote Ty! He sounds like he is doing really good! I can't wait to get out into the field! It is going to be exciting! This letter is all over the place now haha. I am on a role! 


 I flippin’ miss all of you guys so much! But, not that much. Just kidding I do a ton! I saw a missionary the other week crying, carrying his luggage to the front desk, only assuming that he was leaving... It made my heart sad for him to know the blessings that he was missing out on. Hopefully he will make it back out into the field! Oh FYI, when you copy and paste things into the Dear Elder from like Google Translate, or anything, it doesn't really work... The format all changes and yeah. It's weird. Just food for thought. Well I best be off, I absolutely cannot wait to hear back from you guys! You’re the gas that powers my engine. You're the water that falls down my waterfall...? You're the hands on my wrist watch.  The ting to my tang. The tick to my tock. I love you guys!!! Can't wait to hear back from you, again. You’re ALWAYS in my prayers. 

Which is a lot because I honestly pray, no joke, probably 12 times in a day! Prayer is very important :) I love you!!!

 Ps: Did Sam get my letter? I am trying to remember if I sent it... I'm pretty sure that I did! I dunno though. Okay awesome! Love you all with all my heart!

Elder Landon Dean Layton