I Am So Happy to Be Continually Engaged in This Work

Elder Layton's Zone at Conference a couple weeks ago with President and Sister Weed.

Dear Family,

"Graduating from paper"

     It sounds like you guys had a pretty good week! It sounds like everyone is doing well and healthy. Ben is looking so big now! He seems like he is quite the little bandit for sure writing all over the walls... That, I guess, is something that every kid does! "Graduating from paper". Haha. 



That is fun to hear that Shelby is starting her new work training! I am sure that that will be fun! 

Shelby is starting her new work training!

Is she going to do the same thing that Jordan did? Or is it different? I'm not really sure how all that bankin' stuff works. Maybe one day I'll figure it all out. 

Kev's car looks pretty dang slick! 

And Kev's car looks pretty dang slick! He will be turning heads down there in Vegas in that thing! I am so excited for them and their new adventure that is in front of them! They are going to have a good time that is for sure! Everyone just in general sounds like they are doing really good! And that is good to hear :) So I guess that I forgot to tell you, but I did get my package a couple weeks ago! And another letter from Debbie! So thank you all for your support and love that you are constantly sending towards me! It is greatly appreciated.

     Well this week for me was a pretty dang busy one! On Monday there was no family home evening because the person who was supposed to do it couldn't. So we were able to actually be home on time! Usually we get home really late from FHE because everyone talks FOREVER and makes us late. So that was nice to be able to get to bed on time on Monday night! Haha our Monday nights here are like your Saturday nights at home! That is pretty funny. That will be a weird change once I get home for sure! On Friday Saturday we had our helping hands activity and that was cool. I feel like it was more exciting and there were more people last year... But nevertheless it was still a good time. I cut some stuff up with a machete, and I burned a bunch of sticks! So that was fun. Where we would load up and take it to the dump, they pile it up and light it on fire! Haha I think that I like that better. I think that we should just burn our trash in our backyard from now on! That sounds like a better plan then the dump. And think of the weekly fees we would save in not paying the garbage man! Something to think about. Then after that we came back to the apartment to shower and change, we didn't have any time to rest.. We had our baptism for Ma Fille, Rita, Parfaite and Akpedjé. We have been teaching them for about 2 months now and they were finally ready to get baptized! 

     So I think that I am bad luck for baptismal services. Because every time that I have a baptism, something wrong happens! Like the water not working, or having a bunch of grass in the font, or filling it up with buckets of water... This last time was that the water just simply wasn't there... in any of the water sources! My companion and I were the first ones there, and we were even late.. I think that tells you a little something about the organization here haha. But in the end, it turns out that someone turned off the breaker, and that was why the water pump wasn't working.. WHO TURNS OFF A BREAKER!? I was ticked when I saw that it was off! But after some mayhem, we finally got the font filled up and started two and a half hours late. But hey, at least we started at all! I have met Elder Hawkins, he’s a nice kid. I also met Elder Buxton from St. George. He goes home in a long time, I don't know exactly. I just remember being in his shoes. He is working in Attiegou where I was. It is fun seeing old members at the baptismal services. They are always so happy! I love it!

Heck, Ty and Taylor are already pretty much home! That is super insane. Can't even understand that. 

     I finished reading the book by Stephen Robinson that you guys sent me in the package "Believing Christ". It was a really good read! I really liked it a lot! Here is a quote that I really liked from it; "But in every case the sum of the joint effort is the same - Anyone's best efforts, however great or small, plus the atonement of Christ will equal 100 percent of what is needed to enter God's Kingdom." I love that! The whole book really just stresses that we are nothing without Christ. And we would never be able to be exalted and enter into the celestial kingdom without his help. I don't know if you read it before you sent it to me, but I would for sure recommend it to other to read! It is a really good good. 

     Other than that, I don't think that there was much that has been going on in the week. We have 2 families that are going to be baptized in the following weeks. One of them has 9 kids, and the mom is pregnant with another one! And the others have been amis for 3 years! They have had problems with marriage, but it is all good now! You could tell Haycock that Lorent and Veroniaue are getting baptized. He would like that. He was ZL here before me. Well I love you all and I am so happy to be continually engaged in this work. Have a good week and keep working hard in all that you are doing!!

                Love, Elder Layton