I love you guys. Love the gospel. Love the Fanta Orange that I am drinking.

"This morning we were welcomed by this goat sitting right outside out door... Haha we didn't know what it was doing there... Then when we came back from the market it was gone... We can only imagine what happened. That's my "ohhh yeahh! There is a goat out in front of our door!" face."

Dearest Family,

     Here I am, sitting in front of this computer again to write my family. And it seems like the week just flew by! It feels like I was just at the Zoo yesterday. But it was a week ago. Interesting... But thank you for your letter! It sounds like things haven't really changed which is good. The living room seems like it is just about there. I am excited to see it done! Sam told me that it would be really different for me. But I am excited to see! Have you guys talked about doing the addition onto the back? I know you have been thinking about doing that since we were even there at the start! I guess everything comes step by step. I was thinking the other day too... I haven't heard anything about the boat for almost a year... What is up with that!? I know that that means that it has just been sitting in the garage forever... Come on guys! I wanna hit the lake when I get back! Even if it is December... Oh well. But yeah have you been working on that or have you "hit another wall"? Haha remember when you told me that and I was totally lost in translation? That was weird.  

Jacky Boy got braces huh?

And Jacky Boy got braces huh? That is about the age that I got mine and had them for 3 years... Haha But I had a braces buddy, Jordan, do go through it all with me. So that wasn't as bad. Dieu va l'aider. Haha. 

     So I don't want to say it again because you got mad at me for saying it last time... So I won’t. (I told Elder Layton that he wasn't allowed to tell me that not much happened last week and that I wanted to hear anything, mundane or not.) But now it is implied so you already know that I wanted to say it. I guess I can tell you, "SO MUCH HAPPENED THIS WEEK!!!!” But then I would be lying.. I will start from the begging. On Thursday, nothing really happened the other days except English class that I don't have to do anymore! Yay! It sucks... Anyways Elder Baird and I did a split and that was a good time. We worked really hard and got a lot done! We also went to the president’s house (branch president) and ate some rice and fish. It was nice of her to give us that! She is such a nice lady and loves feeding the missionaries. Unfortunately I am not in her sector so that doesn't really matter. But then on Saturday, Elder Cline came and did a split with me and it was good as well! After that we went to a concert that Elder Barker did. He is a wizard on the piano. We had to bring an investigator if we wanted to come but we couldn't find one so we took a recent convert. Which afterwards we found out that that was okay too. THERE I SAW BROTHER AND SISTER SOUTHAM!!!!! I was so happy to see them! They came for someone’s wedding and just to visit. They came to our branch and I hung out and translated for Brother Southam. 

"I SAW BROTHER AND
SISTER SOUTHAM!!!!!
I was so happy to see them!"

They really are such amazing people. I hope to never lose connection with them. They are so sweet. Especially Sister Southam. Such a nice lady!!! I am going to try and send a memory card home with her. If not with Elder Cline. I think I already told you this, but I can't believe that all these Elders are going home so fast. Just a huge testimony to me on how fast the mission just flies by! I know I will be there one day.

     While we were doing our split with Elder Cline we got transfer calls! Like you said, it was a huge transfer and a lot of people were moved around, including me! Seeing that Elder Cline is going home next Saturday, I am going to replace him as zone leader and I will be working with Elder Kobongo. I have seen him around a lot in the mission. It seems like we follow each other around a lot. But he is a good missionary and I am excited to work with him! He is the first K-Viller I have had in a long time. 5 months or something like that. I am going to be living with Elder Faerber. He is from by Seattle. I'll send you pics. AND our apartment has hot water! Whooo!! Big plus!! Because the rainy season is about to start. So that means cold! And hot water! so excited! Here is what I know about some other missionaries... Elder Smilies (Kimzey) is going to be a zone leader in Benin, Elder Poll is assistant, Montross is coming to Benin for the first time, and there are a bunch of other missionaries coming in too. Excited to meet all of them!

     Well, the mission is going forward, people are leaving, coming, learning and growing. That is really what all of the mission is about... I know that I don't even have to say it but I will anyways. I am so stoked that I made this choice to come out here and do what I am doing. Preaching the gospel that has blessed my life so much... How could I not want to share it with people? That is the questions that I would like to ask missionaries that are wondering on going on a mission haha. "So you don't want to give people salvation?" Let them chew on that for a second... Well I love you guys. Love the gospel. Love the Fanta Orange that I am drinking. Have a great day and an AWESOME week!

                                   Love your son,

                                               Elder Landon Dean Layton

"This is what you get when you give a little girl
800cfa and tell her to get some cookies...
800cfa worth of Noreos!! Hahaha"

Pics:

1- This is what you get when you give a little girl 800cfa and tell her to get some cookies... 800cfa worth of Noreos!! Hahaha

2- This morning we were welcomed by this goat sitting right outside out door... Haha we didn't know what it was doing there... Then when we came back from the market it was gone... We can only imagine what happened. That's my "ohhh yeahh! There is a goat out in front of our door!" face.