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| "Why yes, it is my birthday. How'd you know?" |
Dear Family,
What a week... A good week! Went by super quick like always. I looked at my watch today showing "MO 11-05" and like you, I couldn't even believe my eyes! It was absolutely mind blowing. Just a little more over a month and I will be at my year mark! I would agree with you and call it a hump, but I don't really see a hump that needs to be gotten over! Haha I seemed to have passed that hump after day 3 in the MTC! Seriously reflecting back on everything that has happened in the past couple months, I have loved every single second of it! A big part of it going so well is for sure the love and support that I receive from each and every one of you! AND THAT PICTURE!
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| This is the birthday picture that we emailed Elder Layton today. |
That was so awesome!! On pourrait même dire incroyable! It almost made me cry... But then I remembered I was a man and refrained... Haha just kidding. But really that was super awesome and I loved it a ton! I am going to get that developed for sure! Thank you for your birthday wishes and all! And yeah I did get your packages! Whoo! Along with mail from the young women’s and Deb! Whoo!! And I totally opened them the day that I got itI couldn't wait! Loved the shorts and t-shirt! And all the other things as well... We had quite the party this morning! I will touch on that a little later on. Congrats to Jackson and his football team and going undefeated with the championship! That is for sure an awesome experience! I am going to reply to him and congratulate him for sure. Awesome!
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| Jackson just won 1st place with his Grandpa. Elder Layton's nephew and Dad. |
That was nice of dad to fly out there too and watch him! I bet Jackson was stoked that Dad was there to watch. What grade will Jackson be in next year? I swear he is still only in 4th grade! Growing up way too fast.
Like I said, this week has gone by quick like all the others. Started out going and having a family night in the sector of the other missionaries, we were invited. That was good but didn't have my camera, so I couldn't take pictures. Sorry... We fixed baptism dates for Jaqueline and Constantine this past Saturday, but we couldn't find Jaqueline's marriage form, and Constantine’s mom wasn't there to sign her permission slip, seeing that she is only 17. So we ended up not having any baptisms this week... But I think that they will come around! Augustine and Gistlain are going well! We talked to them Saturday night and they said that they were going to come to church, then Sunday morning came but they wern't there. I called them at about 9:15 and they said,they'd make it next week. So looks like we gotta add "l'importance du jour du sabbat" to our teaching plan. I really believe though that they will progress and be baptized! All my recent converts are going good as well! Agathe definitely is strong. She is one we feel like we don't need to call and remind to come to church every Saturday night. She was even sick yesterday and still came! That is some commitment right there! Innocent still comes. But he came a little late and left before priesthood quorum... He said he was tired and didn't feel good. I am sure that it is a shock to someone’s system to go sit through three hours of church. I'm sure it'll come around though. Kevin bore his testimony on Sunday which was pretty unexpected and cool! He bore his testimony on the Law of Chastity. It was nice to hear him bare his testimony in front of all the branch! He was wearing a white shirt that had an "Amstle Light" beer brand badge on the sleeve and the front pocket. You gotta use what you have, right? I think I might hook him up with one of my shirts. Heck you sent me with enough. I have so much extra stuff it is crazy!!! The work is good and our amis are progressing. I can't complain! Loving the work.
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| "Gettin' ready to put Jerry (the goat) to sleep!" |
So like I said, this morning we had a little party with a goat! Haha my companion really wanted to get a goat and have a "feast" for our birthdays! His is the 4th, and mine is the 9th. So we celebrated them today! We paid one of our investigators for one of the goats he had at his house for 20,000CFA, or around 40 bucks. You should have heard the thing crying when we had to tie it up! It was pretty loud and going crazy! We were planning on just carrying it back to our apartment about 15 minutes away but Augustine said that he would take a moto and just meet us at our apartment. So we got there and tied it up in our back yard.
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| "Kinda blurry... But you can kinda tell by this picture how bad he was freaking out!! He was going crazy. The neighbors even looked over the fence to make sure everything was okay... Little did they know, it was perfect! It's awesome right!? Just wait till you see the video!" Be happy that I didn't post the other 2 pics! |
Long story short, we killed the sucker and totally cooked it and ate it!!! WHOOO!!! It was crying all night and Elder Longuet said it kept him up all night and he didn't feel bad anymore about killing it haha. You will see it all when you get my memory card... But here is my warning now, that mom, you might not want to watch it haha. Lots of blood... It was a super cool experience though! It's not everyday that you get to buy one of your friends pets goats and kill it and eat it! I felt like I was in the village for sure! It is funny though because it seemed so normal to me while I was doing it haha. I am such an African! I really told myself, "I have to think like this is the first time I am seeing this so my family will understand" Because I have become just so used to it all! But yeah everywhere you go, there are goats and chickens just running around... So you just grab one by the foot and say, "hey, who owns this?" and it is usually someone close by. It's just how they do it here!” I think the pictures explain it better than words can. So yeah there is my party! Tonight we are going to make our "birthday pancakes" that you sent! We will see how that turns out! If it doesn't we will just eat batter and icing!!
Well fam, I think this is about where I am going to let you go for this week. The work is going super awesome and I am still, as always, so happy to be enrolled in the service of our Lord. Thank you for all of the prayers and support you give me. At the end of the day, and the help from my Father in Heaven, that is what gets me through the day! Good luck in all that you do, and I will write you again in 7 short days! LOVE YOU!
-Elder Landon Dean Layton
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| "Me with my birthday present... Gotta have pride in your prize!" Please, don't feel sad!! Doctrine and Covenants 89: 12-13.... And yes, we plan to eat it sparingly :) |
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| "Just about 20.... WHAT!? I'M NOT A TEEN!?" |
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