Today we went to Akifs with all of the missionaries here in Lome! It was all good fun!

"Our Apartment"

"Street by our Apartment"

Dear Family,

"Another street view of our apartment."

     What up fam! It was good to hear from you today! And it was fun to hear from everyone individually as well! It sounds like everyone is doing great and loving life! I would love to reply to each on of you in your own email but I don't know if I'll have the time... I will try my best! But I can say congrats to Jackson for making it to the playoffs! That will be fun for him for sure! And it sounds like the Braves took care of business in the first round. Haha and what was up with your quote, "BHS won and will play Mountain Crest (remember them??)" I don't even know what you're talking about... Other than Kuresa stole my state ring right off my finger.. Anyways, I'm sure that'll be a fun game. Get some payback for me eh? I loved Lor and Lee's costumes! That was super cool! I wouldn't expect anything less from them. And Cam and his job offer! That is awesome! Now they'll finally start reapin' those benefits!! And Kylee sewing her little side job! Maybe she would send me something? I would love to cuddle with it! Haha or she could make a little dress for a little African girl and I could give it to her! I bet they would love that. You could totally use the picture that I would send you as publicity... People would love it! Everyone sounds good and healthy and that is good news!

     For me this week went by super, super quick! I really feel like I blinked, and when I opened my eyes again, it was p-day! Crazy times... It is probably because I have no one to talk to in my apartment seeing that I am the only American so I just pass the time studying... Which isn't a bad thing! I really enjoy it! And my French has improved so much over the past 2 weeks! I consider it a blessing for sure! Being with Elder Ouonnebo has been great. We have been working really hard and hopefully will be having some baptisms coming up soon! We met two brothers named Augustin and Gislain who are about 20-25 years old. They are super interested and even made it to church on Sunday. We are going to try and fix a baptism date with them for next Saturday! So cross your fingers! They are really good people. 

     I don't know why but I am having a really hard time trying to think of anything that went on this week... It was really just a week of Study, teach, eat, use the bathroom (a lot), sleep, and repeat. I guess I could tell you about how frustrating it is when people don't respect their rendez-vous! You call them the night before, "hey, will you be there tomorrow?" They say "yes". Call them the next morning, "hey, will you be there today?" They say, "yes". Call them when you are just about there and ask them, "hey, we are on our way." And they say, "Oh.... About that appointment that you confirmed about 6 times with me, I won't be at the house. Maybe next week..." Like what the HECK!? That is probably the most frustrating thing to deal with here is people not respecting their appointment. Because when they don't show up or aren't there, it throws off your whole day! And you get stuck doing O.V.B. (ouvrez votre bouche) aka door to door and not finding anyone... I guess it is just something that you gotta deal with! And I guess it is something you have to do to find other amis to teach. Seeing that all of our baptisms lately have been from finding them on our own. Which, isn't a bad gig!

      Unfortunately it is starting to get hot here again... The kind of hot like when you walk outside your shirt is already wet and you're sweating like crazy! I seem to be used to it though so it's no big deal! Gotta love it am I right? I have yet to get my packages... I believe they will be coming this week with the Leavitts. I am excited! 

"5 Best Lookin' Missionaries in Togo!"
Leavitt, Haycock, Layton, Cline and Shumway

     Today we went to Akifs (cheeseburger place) with all of the missionaries here in Lome! I will be sure to send some pictures! That was sure fun. I got to see Shumway and Haycock and little Leavitt and Cline. It was all good fun! Although I am SUPER full... Haha opposite of last time! I am in like a "lazy just ate too much wanna take a sunday nap" mood right now! Haha it's all good though. We had a mangez-vous with Agathe's family last night and that was fun! I forgot my camera so I didn't get to take pictures... But I talked to the mom for a little bit and she said that she wanted to talk to us too. She said that at first, she thought that we were bad people that did weird voodoo stuff. But she said that she prayed to know that she wasn't letting her daughter do something that wasn't right for her and she said that after she did that she was at total comfort! So that is pretty cool! We will look at her marriage situation and see if she is eligible for baptism. Seeing that half the people here in Lome are living with their spouse when they aren't married! Which is always a problem... Like one of our amis,

"Brother Nestor and I, my comp took the pic. Jaqueline and her 3 little girls!"

Jaqueline, she has an issue with her husband but we are in the middle of trying to figure all of that out. She is so amazingly nice and has such a sweet heart. She invited us over to eat this last Friday so I will send pictures of that too! She has three little girls who are adorable! Especially the middle one named Shilo!  

"Just me and the cutest little
girl in Togo, Shilo!"

"Hahaha little Shilo and her
awesome hair...I put clothes
line clips in her hair...

 She thought it was funny!"

     

Well this is where I leave you... Kind of a boring letter but nothing really went on this week... Haha so I will get started on sending you pictures. Have a great week and again thank you everyone for the messages! I loved them! I love you all and continue to pray and think about you always! 

                     Love your son,
                                      Elder Landon Dean Layton

"Haha me chastising little Lehi! Not really though...
Just playing with him and he didn't know what was going on..."

DAD- Elder Layton, Are you on line today?

ELDER- Yes sir I am! I just barley got here. How is your day starting out?

DAD- Well for a Monday it is Ok! I have been here for a couple hours. How has your day/week been?

ELDER- A couple hours already? Haha what time do you get to work?! The day has been good here. We just ate at Akifs with all the missionaries and that was fun to see everyone! I will send pictures! I saw the pic of your truck stuck... That is rough. Did it hurt it at all?

DAD- Did you like that? I drove on to a job site. The electrician who dug a trench for the power didn’t compact the trench. All of the rain made it mushy. I had no idea that the trench was there! So I sunk clear down to the frame. Had to have a wrecker come pull me out. Only a little damage to the front plastic part that attaches to the bottom of the bumper. Then the brakes were full of gravel. Had to take it all apart so it wouldn’t make a bunch of bad noises while I drove it. It is all good now! Not a good day though. How are you and your companion doing? I got released from teaching Gospel Doctrine yesterday. Now I don’t have anything to do but just hang out at church.

ELDER- Ah that is rough... Did you let them know that they didn't do it right or did you just let it be? Those lazy people... They probably just have a bunch of … working for them haha. Elder Ouonnebo and I are doing well! He is just like an american just black and doesn't speak English haha. I can talk about anything with him and it is like living with an american. With others they don't talk to you so you can't hold normal conversations with them. But with mine seeing that he is an Ivoirian, it is super fun! I like it a lot! That is cool to hear about your release! You have been teaching that for too long... Maybe they are just getting you ready for your call in the stake presidency!! Hahaha. Are you sad about that or happy?

 DAD- I just put up some warning tape so no one else would drive into it! Yes, I am happy about the release! I have taught it for a long time. Mom and I were thinking that I taught it for about 6 years total in this ward. I was Elders Quorum President for like three years and in young men’s for a little while with Mike Birth. But most of the time I taught Gospel Doctrine. I think it was time to let someone else get a chance to do it. I did like it though. I don’t think I need to worry about being in the Stake Presidency! HaHa!! That would be a test of everyone’s testimony! But I am happy just going and attending church!

It is nice to hear that you are enjoying your companion! It makes the work a lot more fun when you like who you are working with! How is the teaching going? Have you spoken to Sister Leavitt yet?  

ELDER- No I haven't seen them yet this week... I think that they are going to be coming over this week and I will talk to them for sure and let you know next week what they say. I went a whole week without speaking english to another american! That is pretty crazy... I have been picking the frenchies mind like crazy because I know he is going to give me the right answer about french. Even the africans here don't speak it too well...

DAD- That is crazy! I think that’s cool though! You might forget your English! Sounds like a great chance to prefect the French!! Also did you say you were learning to speak another native language?  That’s so cool! Carson Kennington asked how you were doing! When he spoke he had a challenge doing the English thing! He has only been home for like two weeks! He is still kind of lost can’t start school until the next semester, so like January I think!  Man I can’t believe how fast his two years flew by!!

ELDER- Yeah that is insane that he is already back! I feel like I haven't seen him forever but at the same time it feels like just yesterday we were all there at church! I can already tell that I am going to have a hard time speaking to normal people when I get home... Like messing around with the other americans is easy but when it comes to talking to sister weed and the other couples here it is so hard! I don't even know what to say it is so awkward! Just because I want to say it in french...

DAD- I bet! Well I am so proud of you and what you are doing! I know that you are an awesome Missionary! Keep up the good work! Life will be so much sweeter for you with the Gospel foundation you are gaining! I know for me I don’t like to think what my life might be like without it! There are times in life when I seem to forget about the larger picture! And don’t always do the best that I should. But as I get older my own mortality and weakness make me reflect on the important things that I need to be doing! I will let you go it is nice to chat with you! As I said before I am proud of the work you are doing. I love you, have a good week this week! We pray for you always. Keep up the good work! Don’t settle for just going through the motions. Work hard and you will be blessed!