"I sit on the roof and look at the moon!"

Having a computer that actually works... This is kinda weird! But

very nice :) This week has really flown by!  I had my first baptism this 

week on Saturday! Well I had two... But one of them was another investigator 

that I just baptized. I didn't know who it was and all I could understand was,

will you baptize this man? Haha so I’m hoping it was all good! But for

the investigator that we were teaching, it was a really cool
experience! I almost messed the words up... Because I have to say them
in French, but I got it down! I've got a ton of pictures that I have
taken. There is an Elder coming back to the states in about 3 months.
So I will be sending one of those personal mailers with him for sure!
I will let you know if it will happen for sure when that time comes.

     I took some notes and will just bullet point some stuff:

~White sheets = BAD IDEA:  My white sheets are going to be tinted
brown before I know it... I guess we will see how that goes!

~Laundry isn't bad:  Elder Browning has a washing board that I use so
it is a ton easier! What I do is I wear 4 shirts throughout the week,
and 4 pairs of garments. And I wash them on P day. Then when they get
totally thrashed, I’ll just toss em and start a new pair. I
didn't realize how many shirts and pants I actually have... Haha I
have so many!

~iHome, I listen to it every day!: I love to listen to all my music!
It's nice to listen to English music haha.

~I received your package! Well the office received it! I should be
getting it sometime this week!

~In the next package: Some Tide-to-go. I use the one I got in the MTC
all the time and know I will need some more! Also, the pillows that
they have here aren't pillows... I feel like I am sleeping on lemons!
I don't know if it would be possible, but if you could like vacuum
pack one and send it that would be a life saver. You can't really buy
them here... And they are very  uncomfortable! I dropped the ball when
I didn't pack my own...

~If you could send me a pic of something in each email, that would be
really nice! It's nice to see you guys! Or just anything that has to
do with home.

~The language still is the same, I am starting a little bit to
"understand" the accent. I just need to learn the vocabulary now!

~The mission in a whole has had its ups and downs.. More ups though
that outweigh the downs! The night times are always harder... But it's
all good :) All in all it's been really good. Seeing that I'm staying
in the Hampton of Benin, and Elder Browning cooks me awesome food all
the time, it has been a good time! We have had pancakes, and alfredo
pasta! That was SO good! I loved it.

~I eat a lot of rice, chicken, and this stuff called Attekia. It is
kind of life rice, but like sand... But it tastes good! And you
usually eat that stuff with turkey, chicken, or fish. And it's like
straight up fish. They don't skin it or anything! You just eat the
whole thing! The brains are actually kinda good.. You just have to pick
the bones out as you eat it. And it's with your hands of course. But
it's really good! I like all the food here so far. They have drink
mixes that are better than Tang I’m pretty sure... they are awesome!

~The hankies that we packed, amazing idea! I used them all the time to
wipe the sweat when we are out teaching and such. Good call mom :)

~So I made a sick purchase of some high quality "Ray Bans"! Haha they
are called "Roi Bens"! I thought that was pretty funny!

~I also got a hair  cut... HAHA you would have died when
you saw how they cut my hair! They don't understand the concept to go
up with the clippers... They just go down.. I don't really know how to
explain it. It's weird though. My hair has never been this short
before! I look like a stud though... Of course. They cut it like a
black man. It's pretty cool. I'm like an OG. "Original Gangster"

~My clippers don't work... That's why I had to go get my hair cut. I
used the converter and everything. it's weird. I will try again and
hopefully they will work.

~So way random, everyday, without fail, I have thought about
wakeboarding! Haha it's so random. But when I am just sitting there,
that's always the first thing that pops into my head. ALWAYS!

~Our lessons are pretty cool, and odd at the same time... They are
always outside, sometimes on the ground, but most of the time on
chairs. It's always loud as well. Without fail. It is hard enough to
understand them when it is quite let alone when there are 243,524 motos 

(motorcycles)driving by!  We were teaching a lesson the other day and in the

background of our lesson, this lady just takes her shirt off... And
they were just... there. I was like wait what the heck??? I definitely
have to get used to it! It's kind of distracting and really hard to
invite the spirit into the lessons because of all the distractions..
But they don't seem to bother them. So I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
It's definitely not the MTC!

~I am learning a ton about the gospel as well! All the Africans here
are really knowledgeable about the Bible. And they do a lot of teaching
from it. I guess it's because that's all they had before and they are
all converts of just 2 or 3 years. But it's interesting to learn more
and more every day.

~I have had this obnoxious cough since the MTC and it will not go
away... I am always coughing! It is ridiculous. You know the ones
that just linger? Yeah it's still going strong! I hate it!

     So that's kind of what has been going on this week! It's all
going really good here! The weeks are going fast! Weeks are like days,
months are like weeks, and years are like months. Well not quite, haha
but it is going by pretty fast. I've got some questions as well.
Anything new going on at home? Or just in general? Dads job, how that
is coming along? Family, and cool stuff? News in the media or news
that is interesting? Let me know!

     I love you guys so much and I pray for your comfort multiple
times a day! So I hope that you're doing well :) You guys are all so
amazing to me and mean so much. You truly are a blessing to me. As
you are to everyone else. You really don't know how much you love
someone or something till you are away from them for a long period of
time. I have realized how much you all mean to me and how much I
love all of you! You truly are so amazing. I hope you all have an
amazing week!  I can't wait to hear back from you! I love you :)

So until next week,
know that I love you with all my heart! And tell dad that I love and
appriciate all that he does for me! He is amazing and has supported me
in so much and sometimes I feel like I don't tell him that like I
should. So make sure that he knows! And I will try and send a picture
every week. It takes super long though. But it's worth it right!?
Haha. Okay I gotta go. I love you all :) 

Here are some questions I sent him-
> 1- Have you had a sunburn?
     ~ NOPE! I am SUPER tan though!
> 2- How about mosquito bites?
     ~ TONS of mosquito bites... They have this stuff called confo
that you put on them though and they don't itch! So that's nice.
> 3- How is sleeping under the net going?
    ~ sleeping under a net is fine! I don't really notice it!
> 4- What is it like to shower there?
~     Showers are nice! They are always cool, but you're always hot!
So they are nice!
> 5- What about toilet paper? I had to ask.
     ~ I wipe with my hand. Then you don't have water to wash it off
you have to spit on your hand then rub it on your pants... HAHA! just
kidding. I have toilet paper!! I would die if I didn't
> 9- Can you print your emails? Letters?
~ No.....
> 11- Are you adjusting well?
~ Yeah it is going really good!
> 12- How was your zone conference?
~ It was nice! I saw Elder Burkhart and Poll!
> 14- What has been the biggest challenge for you thus far?
~ The language.....

> 15- Share with us a cool experience you've had.
~Cool experience... It's all been pretty rad! It's way cheesy,
but I love looking at the moon every night. It is always so nice at
nighttime and I just sit on the roof and look at the moon! That is
something I look  forward to everyday!