3 Kingdoms of Glory

"This is probably one of the biggest bandits that I have met on the mission and one of the coolest for sure! He's 1 and a half and he hates wearing pants. Absolutely hates it! Every time is mom calls him over to put pants on, he straight up refuses.. haha it is always fun to watch! This picture is right after I swung him around by his hands and put him down to run.. He was too dizzy and fell down of course... But he didn't get up! Not because he was hurt, or sick or anything. He just stayed there! Then I went up to see what he was doing, and he had found a sucker that fell out of my pocket and was eating it!! Haha he didn't want to get up because that would attract attention to him... It was super funny.."

Dear Family,

     Man... These past 3 weeks have gone by so incredibly fast! I can't even think of where they have gone... I feel like every-other day I am here at the cyber! Which doesn't happen really... Haha that wouldn't be very efficient now would it? No not at all.. Sadly there are missionaries that do. Kinda lame. Oh well. I am happy to read about the progress on Kylee and Sam's house! Now Sam can build his model car he got! I am excited to have them even that much closer to us! Sam and Ky are talented people and it'll be fun to have them so close. And that will be an awesome memory for Ben as well being so close to his grandparents! Awe... Tender! I will always remember being so close to my grandparent’s houses... Walking from the Laytons, then to the Millers. So cool! Talking to people hearing about where their grands are from.. When it's not close it makes me sad! Some even being on the other side of the country... That isn't cool! And that is awesome to hear about Cam's graduation! That is sweet! If there have been some of the best examples of the importance of schooling, it has been Cam and Kevin! Always putting the importance of school in my head! Make sure to tell him congrats on my part! And speaking of grandparents back there a little ways.. I did get a letter from Grandpa Layton like 2 weeks ago. I forgot to tell you, it slipped my mind! It was nice though.Tell him that it was very nice of him to write me. To take some time out of his busy schedule. Thank you. 

     This week out here on the mission was a pretty good one.. Things with the new Elder from Madagascar is going pretty good! His name is too long and I am not really feeling like going up to look, and ask him. Haha he doesn't speak really any french... Which is kinda hard. Sometimes when I ask him something or just say like, "How was your day?" He just looks at me and laughs super loud. Haha funny looking kid... But a good heart. Good soul. He only has 5 months on the mission, so it is all understandable. And yes I did take out the  money for the African fabric/clothing! Thank you so much for that! I will be doing all that at the start of the coming month I think... It is hard to get my companion to want to do that kind of stuff.  Today I went and dropped my, what now is my HUGE suit coat and pants to be tailored! Gonna come back looking fly... Super fly. The guy that I gave it to is the same one that made all of the suits for the missionaries that are home now. He has become pretty popular with the missionaries. Haha he is kind of a weird guy. Always wearing his pimp hats and suits.. I mean, he is a suit maker! Refuses to talk with the missionaries though.. Too bad. I'll take a pic with him when I see him again and you will see what I am talking about!

     The progression of the most part of our amis isn't very promising.. I mean for Natasha and Gabriel. Natasha has been ignoring us for the past week and we don't know why! She doesn't even answer her phone. We think that she talked to someone about our church and got cold feet. That person shall be judged for that! Gabriel’s story is still the same. Always happy to talk to us, but not willing to progress. We will continue to go over there, but we will see where he goes in the near future. Hopefully upwards! On the other hand, we have an ami named Francise, and he is progressing very well! He is a 20 year old kid that works at a bakery. He has come to church for the past 3 consecutive weeks, and have loved it. He is always worried that he won't be ready for when Christ comes... So we are always like, "dude! Calm down! We'll tell you what you gotta do!" He is going to be baptized the 18th of this month’s if all goes as planned. So cross your fingers. 

     I have two kinda funny scenarios to tell you guys this week... So we were teaching one of our amis. We were teaching him the plan of salvation about the 3 kingdoms of glory. Once we finished teaching him that, we asked him, "Now which one would you want to get to? Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial?" He sat there for a minute.. And said "Terrestrial." Me and my companion were kinda taken a back and didn't know what to say.. I asked him if he understood the question and the meaning of each kingdom. He said "ya ya ya I got it. Terrestrial still." We were still kinda looking at each other and my companion asked him why... Hahaha and he said, "Well ya know, I am more of a terrestrial kinda guy. I don't really like wearing nice clothes, doing too good at my studies. I just kinda like to coast by, under the radar." Something along those lines... Haha he knew that he was being kinda weird about it and then we all started laughing... In the end he said Celestial. I guess you just had to be there... I wish I would remember all of the things that people have said during lessons! Sometimes I have to try so hard not to laugh! Haha gotta love missionary work. And the second one has left me.. I left my planner at the apartment and wrote it down... Next week!

     Well I think that I am off for today... I love you all and hope that you have a good day! I know that the 3rd was a fun day for Sam's birthday! Not every day that you get a house for your birthday!

      God is love,  (get it Jordan?)

                  Elder Landon Dean Layton 

* "Remember last time on Mothers day I had the blessing of the Southams for Skype.. SO seeing that it is on Sunday I won't be able to go to the Cyber so it'll have to be on the phone." 

He gave me his number and we picked a time that we will call him. I'm so excited! This will be our last call before he comes home! We've Skyped twice. Once last Mother's Day and then again last Christmas! His first Christmas was in the MTC so we just received an email. I feel very blessed and lucky to have had 2 Skype sessions with him and am looking forward to his call on Sunday! CAN'T WAIT!! :) 

"This picture is mostly for Jordan and Shelby.. Haha I was sitting at a café (A wooden box with "café" written on it, don't get your hopes up) and there was a TV playing One Tree Hill!!! I didn't want to leave!! I wanted to watch it all! Such a small world.."