FELIZ NAVIDAD!‏ (Alyssa)

LEE FAMILY!!!!!

Well, first of all I have to apologize for not e-mailing or writing you back for about 3 months! I have only been using the churches e-mail lately (the one I am e-mailing from now)…and so today I was doing something with my companion and when I checked my hotmail account to my surprise there was an e-mail from Becky, Amanda, and Ron! You guys are great! I am sorry I wasn´t able to reply sooner so real quick I just wanted to send an e-mail off to you all and wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Aka FELIZ NAVIDAD! All I have to say is that Christmas just isn´t the same without snow! I am not sure how you are holding up in Texas or what the weather is like there…but today is Christmas Eve and here we are in the mission office. Just seems like another day!

We have had to be here (in the office) a lot more this change because I am training the new nurse (and because we are moving offices on Friday). It is a joy and a blessing to be the nurse because of all the things you learn and experiences that you have unlike anything else…but at the same time I have seen the weight of the calling shift from me onto her…I no longer have preoccupied thoughts of elders calling about foot fungus or worrying about rashes or coughs, allergies, parasites, or doctor’s appointments, ect! It´s great!  at the same time it is a difficult thing to watch because she is struggling with Spanish, and half the time no one can understand her…lol but I guess that is just a nice little reminder of how I was...and also how I will sound here in about 1.5 weeks when I am officially off to k´ekchi land!

To respond to your e-mails…How exciting to hear about Amanda speaking in Stake Conference! I think I would be scared to do that NOW, let alone when I was still in high school! Congrats to her! Also how funny about the general authority comment about the boys all wanting to go to seminary now because of her….#1…she´s a gorgeous girl! #2…the funny thing is that I was reading that part out loud and there was an elder here in the office who said..¨well that´s why I went to seminary, for the girls¨ haha and now he´s here on a mission and his girlfriend (that he met in seminary) is married. That is actually something that I have come to realize on my mission. Everyone has different motivators or reasons for doing things. In a zone conference with Elder Clark (of the 70) we did an activity where all the elders stood up…then he asked who went to seminary…and who made them go….and who made them go to church…and who made them go on a mission… there was always a mom literally dragging their kids out of bed, or splashing water on them, or some really cute girl or some womanly motivator! Haha brings a whole new light and meaning to the saying ¨behind every great man is a woman!¨ Something else I learned on my mission and might be good advice before Amanda takes off to college…there are more than one kind of Returned Missionary! I used to think just the title ¨RM¨ was golden, but there can be a difference depending on the things they learn…and actually apply from their mission. Crazy to think that she is graduating this year! And Jayne? Last I heard she was playing the French horn…but I´m sure she is great as well. How is everything else? I am sure the ward there is just great now that you have been there for more than a year! Crazy! I know you miss Idaho, and the Harwards! How are they doing anyway? Do you have any fun plans for Christmas or new years? Anyway…Thanks again soooo much for the Birthday Package! And for all the love and support! Not just to me, but missionaries in general. I hear from David in Texas and he sounds like he´s loving it! And of course I hear from Africa every now and again and sounds like he is doing great! Tell him Hi from Guatemala! If you get this before you talk to him…. the capital or city is not as bad as he thinks …just watch out for cars…that was my hardest adjustment after my first changes out where there are mostly motos. It´s for sure different…but there is always something to learn and people to help! :)

Well, Thanks for all your prayers. Espero que tengan un buen Navidad! quise hablar en español porque sé que Ron lo puede traducir…y tiene que practicar para que hablemos secretos y nadie pueden saber! Tengo que compartir mi testimonio de que sé que esta es la obra del señor. I have seen god´s hand in this work, truly preparing people to accept the gospel and then placing them in our paths if we are spiritually sensitive enough to recognize them and open our mouths! The góspel is true, and has been restored by our loving father in heaven through a latter day prophet. The Book of mormon is the most amazing book on the planet!  I love the scriptures soooo much! Can´t wait til we get all the rest of the sealed books and other lost records ect. From the book of mormon! The scriptures are a map for our lives and truly the best way to receive personal revelation when accompanied by sincere prayer! I know that god does hear and answer our prayers and that he is always leading and guiding us by the Holy Ghost! That is truly the most important part of this work…the spirit! I love sharing the gospel! Seeing all these amazing families and helping them realize the necessary steps to become an eternal family! And all the cute little Guatemalan kids! Gotta love them! Haha

I hope that you have a great holidays! Have a great and MERRY CHRISTMAS! And a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
-Hna. Alyssa Collette

Mélange de deux mondes differents

Well sorry about writing late, yesterday was p-day but because of the rebels, there was an attack in the area, helicopters, tanks, jeeps with mounted machine guns, where wizzing by us and we could hear machine gun fire, so we decided to not to go out the internet yesterday... mom you scared? Côte d'Ivoire is not like that, not at least here up north but not in Abidjan, all is nice, way too nice, so last week was spent in Cotonou saying goodbyes to everyone, is was so crazy to be back, see all the changes and see all the old familiar faces and that they remembered me was incredible, alot thought I had already finished my mission, it was so good to see them all again. Benin is completely changed new couple, new missionaires, new members! So I went over with Elder Carter from Togo, then elder Phillips et Crooks left with us on thursday at 10h30, we took a plane ride over there and arrived 10h30 over there, all I got to say was it was a culture shock! Incrtediblably different over here! Everythign is top notch, the elders had to get shots cause they didnt have any record of shots, i did! But the whole airport airplane was crazy, we got there, president met us, jumped into some really nice cars and took off... on a FREEWAY! I was scared because of how fast we were going! Abidjan is like a mix of two worlds, I dont like it, its like a little of Togo, and what I can remember of home, freeways skyscrapers, big billboards, fancy flashy cars... the list goes on! I am with Elder Amany, we are the ZL's of Cocody. We are in the WARD cocody, in the STAKE of Cocody, and we have NO investigators, the area is dead, president gave me a lot of work to do, the missionaries are awesome, Amany reminds me of the movie actor, the rock. Yep, he is my comp! THe office missionaries are there too, we leave in the second story of an apartment, nice, witha bakery on the main floor, its great WHOLE GRAIN BREAD!!!! I remember that! We elave near the edge of Abidjan, its very quiet and nice, and very HILLY, not mountians but it will do, the countryside is not far, and everythign is really green! THe ward will be moving to a building the church is building, its big, i forgot. Ivorians are a lot less friendly, no body greets each other. grr. The little kids all speak french, and they are not really suprised when the see a white guy... All in all it different. To be honest, I feel liek I already finished my misson, said all my goodbyes to everyone I knew left on a airplane with basically the same missionaries that I came with. Its kinda hard right now, cause I got to start from scratch, but I guess it will keep me busy if I can refocus right again, I will just it feels like we are done as missionaries cause everything they do here is different. Elder Phillips and I talked about this today after conference. We had a regional Zone conference, meaning ALL the missionaries in Abidjan came, even the sister missionaires, sister missionaries..aie aie aie. they cause a lot of ruckus! That in itself is its own story, so different here. Anyways time to go, all will be great here and know that I love you all!!! Have a great week and remember who you are!!!

Elder Lee

Elder Lee
Mission Côte d'Ivoire
06 BP 1077 Abidjan 06
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Afrique d'Ouest

Well.... I didnt lie...exactly‏

Umm this week, well tomorrow morning at five I will be leaving Togo and flying to another country, Côte d'Ivoire, it will be the first time a white missionary has been there since the Civil War... Im pretty excited and disappointed! I found out yesterday moring that I was leaving, I was pretty bummed cause I love it here and had it set that I was going to be here for x-mas, but i guess He has other plans for me... It was fast and testimony meeting so I got to render my testimony, and dang it, it was like my farewell, a lot of crying, I feel like I am leaving home again, saying goodbye to everyone for the last time, it was heart wrenching... I cant believe that i am leaving... I took a big photo with my family, the branche... I have to come back, there is no way I couldnt... So tomorrow morning i will leave with Elder Carter and we will go to Benin for a couple of day to search a vista, we cant search one here cause there is no Côte d'Ivoire embassy, so I guess I get to see some people over there and say good bye to them, it ahs been 14 months ssince I was last there! Its a pretty unique mission ici, any transfer you can switch between three countries! And this week was an awesome week! a lot of non actives that we have been trying to motivate came, one of our investigators baby was blessed, Euro. Papa Tepe is incredible! When we came out his house he was dressed up in priesthood, he didnt know why, but we planned earlier that day to ask him to come visit an investiogator, and he was prepared to go and rendered a huge testimony at this guy, Papa is the best!!! I dunno everything is clicking... this area is by far the best area now in the mission, the members, friends and everyone are incredible, i cant imagine leaving...so I dont know where I am going in côte d'Ivoire hopefully into the mountains!!! that would be the best for me... We have a lot of new people like Ama and their famille, Assou, Amassogblé,Kodjo,Better, Kokouvi, Therance, Rubin, Gael, Florance, Akoffi, Daniel, Wahib, Souria, Mawuko, Mawuli, José, Essi, Diane, Jenni, Bella. Too many to name!! I dunno was ready to leave until after x-mas. anyways hope all is well at home, Elder stucki plays x-mas music when we return, still isnt any signe of x-mas, maybe there will be over there, the Ahuhatumn came this weeken, means cool weather until i leave!!! The hot season was killer this time, wow even the lizards were feeling it, it rained ALOT saturday all day, HARD. anyways when I figure out a mailing address I will let you know, love you all and remember who you are!!

Love tons et avec beaucoup des bissous,
Elder Lee

MAL a la tête!‏

So Im still here! I guess the Lord has other plans and I am not ready to leave Togo. President kinda of did transfers, sending a new american here! That has been such a long time since there has been an american; well new come here, Elder Adams from Utah. IT really funny cause her doesnt speak a lick of French. Reminds me of how innocent et unknowning I was at first! So as far as I know I will stay here another transfer with elder Stucki again. It going to be a difficult transfer in alot of ways. Well this weekend was incredible, Nicole and Diane got baptised! I love that family so much!!! They are the sweetest people ever!! I was sucha great  blessing to be here to see them baptised!!! I spent alot of time writing president, so I dont have much time to write, thanksgiving we went to this resturant, wasnt very good. I fell bad cause I dont write much but All is well is Togo, Elder stucki started to play x-mas music this morning. Anyways have a great week and remember who you are!! I love you forever!!!

Elder Lee

Tr

This week was one of the best weeks ever!!!! At least the feeling at the end has left me amazed! So Papa Tépé, Petit, Félice et Ayoko all got baptised this week! The baptismal service was incredible the best one I have seen! Incredible! So Honoré baptised Félice, Ayoko, et Papa Tépé. Bakana baptised Petit, and they all brought beaucoup of friends! I love those people so much!! Petit brought us all bissap and biscuits to celebrate. He is cute! This week was nuts trying to get it all ready. And we had Zone Conference, so that took two days to do. And cut alot of our time being able to prepare, then Félice and Ayoko had to have a polymgamy interview to be baptised and we did it wednesday, and usually it takes four days to process that through interregion, but friday morning president called us telling it was cleared! That was a miracle! THen throughout the week had to do alot of droisser work and scheduling appointments and interviews for baptism. elder Kra was the lucky one chosen to do them all. We were going to do Papa tépés entretien, I told elder Kra, that I didnt think Papa was quite ready... saying that he is old, we were not sure if he was ready for thi... all this stuff,just playing up the moment. He get done with the entretien and as he is walking out his face was in total shock, Papa just bouncing along grinning as usual! Told me that I got him good, said it was the most spiritual interview he has ever had, especially when he rendered his testimony to him! Papa is the best, he will be the patriarch here when there is a pieu! I took alot of pictures this weekend, so when I see yous again I will show all, cause it too dangerous and slow to send them by email. sorry! Then on sunday, we had a ton of people show up,we had 103 at church for our branch and 20 were our investigators, the work is booming here!!!!!!!!!! I love it so much! So I did something I havnt done here, that is confirm. So I was sitting in the back of the room during sacrament with little pierrette, and they called me up to confirm, I have never seen a missionary do that, but I got to confirm Papa tepe! That was an incredible experience! All during church think ing this is probably my last time see ing alot of these people for the last time really made me sad, but thinking how much has been done and seeing and feeling what we have done is very humbling. I realized this week the greatnest of God, I love the scripture in Alma 37 when small and simples confound the wise... it really puts it into perspective when I think about all that he does, with small and simple things like me! Anyone can do something great if they have great stuff to use, but its a true façon to make something great with nothing like He has! I love this place so much! Its not going to easy to leave here. So we havnt recieved transfers but during my entretien with president I am moving either Benin or Cote d'Ivoire. we will see. But I have been here for over a year, that pretty remarkable for a mission life. Tonite we are going to teach felcie and Ayoko how to make pancakes and they will teach us another dish, it will be great!  Anyways hope all is well wherever you are, love you and remember who you are!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Lee

Je suis chargé.....‏

I thought last week was bad, but today not a lot to write. It seems just like yesterday that I was here. I will find out transfers this week. President will be here tomorrow, i gues then we will find them out. So I dont know address and all that stuff. This week, was really busy, especially trying to prepare four people for baptism. But they are all doing well, they threw us a knuckleball this week. Interregion called us and told us to hold a special stake conference saturday. This was Thursday, and we were to show a DVD that Uchtdorf,Holland,Pace did for africa. grr. That was a mess trying to inform everyone within such a short period of time. There werent a whole lot of people there. Oh yeah, so saturday we did a big activity at the university of Lomé. This university is bigger than BYU, its huge and what we did, was we took as many members that showed up, took them to the campus and told them to do missionary work and invite people to a presesenation that we created to introduce to mass amounts of people the gospel. It went pretty well, it was really interesting to walk about this campus, cause in this thing there are villages, and villages inside villages. Its not the normal sort of campus, cause its HUGE! BUt all in that day was filled with contacting and seeing new things. Then we went to a funeral of Félice mom. HE is having pretty tough time. We heard Obama won, everyone here wanted him to win, suprise? I started to read the perle de gand prix, the creation is very interesting right now, lots of symbolic stuff I never really noticed. Remember who you are and I love you!!

Elder Lee

Family!

Hello family!

This week, was general conference weekend. IT was AMAZING! BUt the worst part of it was two things. One, no one knew that this was going to happen until monday nite, and two our phone was stolen. Other than that it was pretty good! This week was filled with lots of running and sweating, its the hottest it been on the mission, especially cause it rains in the morning and then sweltering hot during the day. Everynite I drink close to 2.5 litres just before bed. We had to warn all the members about General Conference and try to see all our friends. IT was fun! I did an exchange with Elder Richard this week, interesting fellow, he is going home in Decembre. Kinda weird doing exchanges with him, just cause he is older and a better missionary. This week we started teaching an English class, trying to find another approach to find MORE people. English class is funny, Bakanna calls Elder Stucki, 'teacherStucki' is this funny english accent, it makes me laugh! I dont know how much I am helping them, I was teaching them the alphabet, and for W I taught them it was 'double V' instead of correct proper english of 'double U' English doesnt make sense. But we taught them to pray in English! Papa Tépé is doing really well, we found a HUGE serivce project, the Elders are going to take out a huge mango tree! Seriously 80 ft high and we will do it with machettes and hack saws. All of our friends came to church, at least either sunday or saturday or both. I think for the most part they all enjoyed themselves. I really did! Right after we watched the Priesthood session we went out and tried to do some rendez-vous. Had an interesting experience. OH, this week we taught a buddhist, interesting fellow, told us he is a priest of some order and can make manifest Jesus in darkness and light. So many people believe/do wierd stuff. Hopefully they will see the light one day and rise from the darkness of their own ignorance and pride. Anyways I think thats all, hope you have a great day and rmemember who you are and that I loe you all soo much. During the talk of Eyring, he said something that made me smile, but the thought came to mind that next genral conference, i will see it with my family!

Elder Lee

Cantique °3‏

So how is everybody? sounds like is patchy patchy. Here things are terrible. Africas hourglass is broken, its leaking time everywhere and everyday it looses more time and less time do do anything. Its catastrophic. We had a good week, and everyday I realize how much i love this place, and especially the people! Incredible people with incredible faith!

This week was nuts, my comp was sick and trying to see everyone that we need to is a hard task, trying to make it from Casablanca to Akpamé everyday is quite the challenge and tiring! This week we made an 'american' dinner for Félice et Ayoko, we made pancakes. It was quite funny, seems like everytime we go there they feed us so it was our turn, Ayoko didnt know what to think about the whole cas. But they really loved it, I ended giving them that peanut butter that you sent me cause they were very attached to it. I love that family!

Et Papa Tépé brought his wife to church yesterday! That was incredible! He told her he needs to have her besi de him so that he can recieve all that His father hath! Petit really likes the 10 commandements I love teaching them cause everyone church going says they keep the commandements but no one knows them especially the first 4.

We have right now 8 people with baptismal dates and I hope we might get another 3 this week. The work is moving well, and its thanks to livre of Mormon! Gentil has been working with us alot, I love that kid, he is going to be a great missionary, but I told him he needs to finds us 9 families out in Adakpamé so that we can start a branch there, Im pretty certain by next month we will have 6 of those families!

So much happens and there is never enough time it seems I waste a lot of time here like everyday at the internet. Time is really broken and its deranging me alot. anyways right now I am reading in D&A, i love it, I am almost finished then I will read the old testament and then  can say I have read the entire standard works in french. D&A is a powerful book, its all Christ speaking to us today! I love rendering testimony, teaching is all good and fun and eventful but when it comes down to it I love just rendering a heartfelt testimony, and especially when our investigators do theirs! This work is divine! There is no question what I have seen,lived, heard will never be able to be written down, expect in the fleshy tablets of my heart. And it's going to stay there. It is true. God Lives. Jesus Chri st can save us if we repent and humble ourselves. Joseph saw God and Jesus Christ. This is truth and truth NEVER changes. Have a great week and I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Remember who you are!

Elder Lee

BIG NEWS! (Alyssa)

LEE FAMILY!!!

WOW can I just say you are amazing! this week I definitely received a package
for my Birthday! That was so sweet of you guys! I don´t know how to say thank
you enough!  It was perfect too, I have been missing orbit gum lately, the candy
is great, see the picture for the end results of the cake, and well i took the
bag of tootsie pops to a ward bon fire and all the little kids definitely mobbed
me for them! I felt like a human piñata! haha but i just wanted to say THANK YOU
SOOOOOOOOO MUCH !!! I hope that everything is going just peachy over their in
Texas! I was thinking about you  guys when we had a little photo shoot the other
day on our roof so that is why i have included a little bonus pic for Ya¨ll!!!
:)  also i thought i would forward you on my family letter for the week, because
just like the subjects says there is some BIG NEWS! at least for me...read on if
you would like...

But just in case i didn´t get my point accross...
THANKS AGAIN!!! you guys are GREAT!!! love ya´ll
-Hermana Alyssa Collette


Well, so I know it has only been a week since I last wrote everyone but I
just…well there is so much to tell! Changes are always a time of excitement and
suspense. All the missionaries gather around and it is almost like Christmas as
their eyes light up and they receive their new companions.  I guess the exciting
news isn’t that I have a change.  I am still going to be here in the capital and
will be training the nurse next change.  But, anyway so today was our little
orientation day for the newbies and I had to do my lil nursing spiel in front of
like 30 people…a little nerve-wrecking….but so we do it and it´s good, the
spirit was really strong in this conference for some reason, maybe it was
because our air conditioning broke and so we all were feeling a little more
extra ¨warmth¨.

After the presentation we left the room and started to, ya know, do nursing
stuff when president came out and called Hermana Hall and I into a quick
meeting.  I was a little worried because it was during the conference and you
don´t just miss that for anything because they are kinda a big deal. Anyway our
meeting…wow! it was intense. He told us, or rather called us, to learn a
language called K'ekchi. It is a very old, ancient Mayan dialect, and actually
it existed here even before Spanish did and officially now is a language!….. so
my deadline is set. Starting the first part of January until I end my mission I
will head to the real live jungle and be living much more primitively than here.
It is definitely a difficult place to live, a very hard language to learn and
speak and the most humble of people you could meet.

We will be opening new Hermana areas in some places where the elders aren’t able
to teach, and he was mentioning a lot about hygiene and just basic principles
like brushing your teeth that they are not quite living.  Also he mentioned that
the church has been thinking about doing a huge welfare project for the people
there and one day have a goal to bring them electricity (but we, as
missionaries, will be blessed to have it meanwhile) and so really there is no
way to even imagine the magnitude of the work that will be a part of! It just
makes me SOOO excited to even think about! Just to give you a little taste of
the language I will be speaking….or more like trying to speak :)

Lix Pabal Li Jesucristo Reheb Laj Tiquilal Sa Roso´Jiqueb Li Cutan = The Church
of Jesús Christ of Latter Day Saints. Also if you wanna say my name in K´ekchi,
you would say Laa´in lix kole´k which actually my name kole´k means ¨saved¨ so I
guess that is pretty sweet to think about the literal saving of souls that I
will be there to do!

So….I´m not going to lie, I was a little stunned when president told us, but
honestly, i felt the spirit was very strong and i knew immediately and you could
just feel that even though he was speaking, the words were not coming from him.
I really can´t describe how powerfully the spirit hit me and then just the most
overwhelming sense of peace, and confidence that I can do it, because that is
what he wants me to do! I remember about a week ago, President Torres asked me
about if I wanted to end my mission as the nurse. I just mentioned if he could
help out my ADD a little and switch me areas or ya know it would be nice if I
could leave the capital again.  But overall, I knew it had to be up to the
Revelation that he is entitled to receive for the mission.  I know that this
future is totally in the hands of God and i know that my president is really and
truly and inspired servant of the Lord!

I am not sure where I will go exactly, but its way up north, in the jungle, like
a 12 hour bus ride from the capital. It´s actually not as North as when I was in
Peten, but it´s more jungle-ish and so the windy bus ride will be longer! I am
pretty excited even though I don´t really know what kinds of adventures are in
store for us! Ya know opening this area and there are a lot of things planned
for the future up there that we dont know yet, but will be laying the groundwork
for and will probably in years to come change the life of the people there.
Sounds like a slight exaggeration, but our mission President has a pretty great
vision of the work that needs to be done here.

Anyway I guess now would be a good time so put in a few Christmas
suggestions…ummm well I have my chaco sandals somewhere and I was thinking if
you would send me those…or I don´t wanna sound demanding and say buy me other
ones, but that is exactly what I need.  And you see the reason is, well, when it
rains there and the streets flood, i´m just thinking my ¨attractive¨ shoes just
won´t cut it! Plus it is hotter than Hades up there and I won´t even want to
look at nylons.

I will still be hanging around the office for a bit, but just a heads up, for
when I leave because I will be out of the capital and out of easy mail and
package reception.  No worries I will still be able to e-mail! so. yeah. anyhoo,
i will write more when i know more.

love you all!!! good luck and i will write more next week or whenever i can....
I am so excited for this. wow. President compared us to the hijas de mosiah!
(the daughters of mosiah) haha
well, i guess bring it on, eh?
Love you and miss you all! Have a great week!

Lix Kole´k

The market bombed?‏

So this week has been everything plus tiring. And this week is going to get worse. BUT I LOVE BEING TIRED FOR THIS WORK! It is totally worth all the pain sleepless nites to see people really grasp this gospel, what light and what hope!!! Félice and Ayoko are moving along really well Félice is an inspired man, we come introduce a subject and he explains everything to us and then to his wife! They are amazing! Papa Tépé is the same thing, yesterday he came to church in a white shirt et tie! It was the first time and I told him he was looking beau, and he told me, yeah I know I am going to wear this until the day I die coming to church! He is the man! Our area is just amazing, and then President gave us another booming area cause we dont have enough missionnairies, so no rest for the weary!  Sunday was a missionary sunday, the first one ever here meaning the missionaries do all, sacrament the talks the lessons all. So I got to bless the sacrament, give 2 talks in two of the branches and teach sunday school twice. Then afterwards we went to the hospital to visit the mamma to Félice cause she is malade, and then we came into the apartment et were doing our weekly planning session we Elder richard who just got done talking to his parents(he is leaving in the next month so he got to call home and tell them when) but they told him that the stock market crashed and it was worse than when it bombed in 1930. We were pretty stunning, I started thinking about how to make a log cabin and start my propre jardin. Interesting thoughts, then this morning we found out that it was not like that. Well interesting enough, hope you all have a great day and remember who you are!  Love you much!!

Elder Lee

Blown Away...

Another week has gone by, another Zone Conference and another transfer.... someday too soon this will all be a memory... thats something scary... So this week has another eventful week here, Président Ayekoue came this week, our Zone Conference was really good, I had some questions I have been trying to find answers for and both President Ayekoue and President Dieudonné answered them during the conference, nothing happens by coincidence! It is really the work of the Lord! We had some AMAZINg food prepared by mama odette and some other sisters, even kaka one of my investigators that was baptised recently they all helped create the best food ever, Attiéké and Akumé! We had our first Branch conference this weekend, it was really neat thinking that we sustained all the church dirigeants with the the whole churxh the same day, hopefully we will get to watch con ference in the near future. But it was nice this week cause we were able to stay for all of church! Usually we leave after the sacrament so that we can fish for big fishes, but we stayed and assisted, it was really uplifting! Our area is doind really well, we decided this week that we are teaching the future patriarch of the church here, Papa Tépé. In Anciens class they talked about missionary work, and the people who talked the most we our investigators! Félice, Papa Tépé Edwardo all rendered powerful testimonies of missionary work and how it has affected them, all voluntary! they are such amazing people and I think the members hopefully will want to live the gospel and Share it! Well Vaida and Akpéné got baptised this weekend. THey are really sweet people! So for the transfer.... I am staying in Bé-kpota and sadly Elder howard is leaving, he is a good kid him. and I am recieving elder stucki, another old companion. I guess he is having a hard time right now, staying motviated and happy, so president asked if I would help him out, so it will be fun, he is a good kid just little down about missionary work, but we will trop busy to even think about that, because one this area is booming and two president gave us another quartier to do. C'est-à-dire my new area stretches from ghana boarder to other other extreme end lomé. It is jsut us two in this branch and there is more than enough work for three teams of elders: Im excited for it! And now he has asked us that we do missionary sundays, meaning that every second sunday the missionaries need to do all, teach bless the sacrament, give discourses, teach all the lessons, that a BIG order for two missionaries! And we hae to do it this weekend! We had 122 at church last week, last time it was like that we split the branch, the new branch that they created had 58 at church, they started at 40. so I will be so tired soon! After zone conference, sitting around all day I went and played with the national team of togo again, it brings back so good memories! Running around, shooting jumping falling and that good stuff! Well I better get going, souns like you are rendering lots of service, cutting down trees and cleaning up!  THat is awesome that amanda got a 30 on her ACT, I always knew she was more than blonde hair and shiny shoes!!! Anwyays have a great week and remember who you are love you tons!!!

AMour,
Elder Lee

Toxins sont parti!‏

So I think this day as one of the greatest days. Cause one, I actually did some HARD physcial work for a change! Sadly, there was this restuartant that somehow caught on fire at three in the morning, and the wall  a joining them to a members who, Cedric, was fast asleep and awke up to a fire wall of doom! He made it out just fine, but his stuff didnt. So this morning we helped him clear out all the rubble from the crubled wall. Lots of cement and rocks we had to move...TWICE! So the first time we moved it all by ourselves, us six, then they wanted us to move it again, so this time we started doing a chain work, and then people saw us working and then stopped and helped us finish the job! My fingers tips are just sore sore and tender, it kinda hurts to type, I cant wait to get rid of these ridiclously soft ahnds, it drives me nuts!
This week I witnessed three miracles! By the way I recieved my package! Thank you sooo much! I have already read lectures on Faith once, I really didnt understand a lot of it but what I did tire was that everythign we do we do it by faith! everything! And to God is such a person that he qualities attributes and even the way he made them known unto us is such a way that there is no room for doubt! So much I learned, I think I am going to read it again. Back to the miracles, one I was doing a switch off with an Elder Hubbard fro Oregon, anyways we went out to try to find on of our investigators house, I have been there before its a maze, and every time they take a another bizarre way to get there and I am always lost, so we wanted to get there, on our own. So I started going, said a bunch of silent prayers cause I ahve heard around dark in this quariters for a yovo is scary, somehow we made it there, by pure luck or divine guidance.  Two was the same thing , me and elder howard were lost looking for an investigators house, totally lost and we bumped into right before dark. I am glad that God looks our for his lost misssionaries! Threes was Félice and Ayoko, I love them so much! Ayoko and had some stomach problems for two weeks now and she looked exhausted. So we decided to do a short lesson and let them rest. During the lesson I felt prompted to ask her if she would like a blessing, we gave her one, the spirit was intense and profound. This was saturday nite, next day we are al church , and these two walk in!!! She was all in smiles during the whole thing! As amanda found out this week, the priest is si REAL! If one is worthy, prompted and has faith, the hand and love of God will manfest itself! I love my God!
Papa Tépé is one of the best people ever, we told him we were going to watch Le rétablissement with him, so the day came and he invited 7 of his friends, his wife and all his daughters! Before we watched it, there some techniqal diffiuclutes so he took the occasion to preach the first three lessons to them in éwé! I love him! THe best part is when he asked, you think the bible is the only word of God? Eh walked/ran over to the side and pulled out his book de mormon and borea full testimony about the divintiy of this book! Incredible! Oh I jsut finished reading the book of mormon again, this time while I was reading I marked every reference to God and Christ I could find, I found by the end there are 7,671 references! It is really another testimony of JESUS CHRIST that makes people want to repent, that is my focus I have now taken. They need to pray, come to church, read and REPENT! I started reading the D et A again, but chronologically. it seems all that book say is preach faith and repentance! I love my mission! I love being a witness of my Savior and His gospel restored! anyways love you all have a great week!!! Remember who yuo are!!

Elder Lee

Stellar‏

This week was a stellar week,one thing that amazes me is that I can remember the word stellar! haha! It really was! So to start off, we were are Président Amangendji house, and in the middle of the courtyard thing there is this tree, one that we sit under to teach his cousin from Bénin, and when we were there, there were about 24 BILLION marching ants all over this tree! Not even kidding! You couldnt even see the tree, it was a constant moving flow of ants all over it. It was incredible! Then we sat down and started teaching Kwami, and they started all marching towards us, ridiculously fast, and then Président came to the rescue with bug spray and put up a Frontier, and all the ants that tried to cross it died, and they heaped up billions of them. Incredible!
Papa Tépé is amazing! We taught him the plan of salvation this week and he just ate it up, asking so many questions and reading and praying. He told us that he going to start his genealogy this week, so that he can go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead for them! I love them! We got some really good new investigators, someone just found a leçon 1 brochure, read it and felt really compelled to read the book of mormon! I love the book of mormon! It is so powerful! so many members that we have been talking to are finally sharing the gospel and it is showing. Sunday, we had enough people at church to divide the branch again, only after 3 weeks since we divided it last time. We are soooo busy and soooo tired and soooo happy! All I am going to do this afternoon is sleep and then go play some basketball! Anyways I gotta go, I learned something interesting this week, I have always thought that the reason they built the tower of babel was to reach to heaven, but I read a book that lead me to think and come to the conclusion that the reason was so that if God sent another flood, the people would be higher than the water. Some exlaination that I thought of! Anyways love you all and have a great week! Remember who you are!!!!

Elder Lee21

We got some really good new investigators, someone just found a leçon 1 brochure, read it and felt really compelled to read the book of mormon! I love the book of mormon! It is so powerful! so many members that we have been talking to are finally sharing the gospel and it is showing. Sunday, we had enough people at church to divide the branch again, only after 3 weeks since we divided it last time. We are soooo busy and soooo tired and soooo happy! All I am going to do this afternoon is sleep and then go play some basketball! Anyways I gotta go, I learned something interesting this week, I have always thought that the reason they built the tower of babel was to reach to heaven, but I read a book that lead me to think and come to the conclusion that the reason was so that if God sent another flood, the people would be higher than the water. Some exlaination that I though

GRINGA IN GUATEMALA!‏ (Alyssa)

HEY EVERYONE!!!

So, 10 months has come and gone, and I am still here in GUATEMALA! For some of you it has been about that long since I have heard from you! But I just wanted to let you all know how I am doing! I just cleaned my memory card off with all our baptism and family photos so these are mostly of my area here in the capital. I LOVE GUATEMALA!!!!!!! I dont' think I could have enough exclamation marks to truely express my feelings....but the real reason as to why I love guatemala, isn't because they have really cool markets, or a lot of garbage, or the jungle areas, or cement houses with tin roofs....those are all close seconds. The real reason that I love it here is that all day every day I am testifying that Jesus is the Christ! That God has restored his Gospel again in the earth through the profet Joseph Smith. We have the Book of Mormon to use with the Bible and to help us truely know our Savior and the promises that he has made with his people. To be able to feel his love and to help people receive their own personal witness of the spirit through sincere prayer and scripture study. Missions are great! And how lucky am I, that not only do I get to teach the gospel all day, but also I am the Mission Nurse here in Guatemala! 180 missionaries! We use one of the nicest hospitals here in the capital and I have gotten to work more with various Doctors and Specialists. I found out that the Hospital Herrera Llerandi has a website so I thought I would include that for all of you who are curioius and want to see it. http://www.herrerallerandi.com/ But there are so many neat experiences that I never could have anywhere else. Service comes in so many shapes and forms and I truely just feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity that I have to be here. Well I hope that in reading this, you might feel inclined to send me a letter or e/mail and let me know how you all are doing! It has been a while, and I woud like to keep in touch! you can e/mail me back at this address, or write me at www.dearelder.com in the Guatemala City North Mission.

Miss you all and Love Ya!
Do Good, Be Good, Become Better!
-Hermana Alyssa Collette

Je suis encore la!‏

Cher Famille,

Aujourd'hui je vais vous écrire en Français, comme ça quand je rentre, vous pouvez me comprendre et nous tous pouvons parler français ensemble! Just kidding! That would be nice then my broken English would make sense to you! So I decided that you should have stayed in Idaho, there is nothing like monster hurricanes that can hurt my family there. Yeah, be safe over there. Well last week I I typed a pretty big letter and then myldsmail ate it up and decided to go on holiday, so I didnt get to send any letters except to president. So I wil try again this week. Anyways Our area is doing aweome!!! We had found and are teaching so many INCREDIBLE people! The thing that we did once we got there was started bearing testimony and wanting everyone to read the book of mormon everyday, and there are doing it!! Vaida, is an English speaker from ghana, she doesnt speak engliosh very well but they way she express herself is so funny! I love it! The phrases and just her attitude is awesome! She really understands how to LIVE the thigns we teach her, everytime we go over there she explains some change she has made in her life! Papa20Tépé is a old big fish, as we call him, he very rich and very humble to our messege, just one guy I would always want to be around and he reading the book of mormon liek crazy, always wanting to know more in depth. Sweet old man! Félice et Ayoko, is a young family who actually loves each other. Here people jsut get marrried to some unknown stranger alot of the time, and sometimes they dont live under the same toit, which is wierd. But these two you can tell they really love each other and their little girl Pierrette! THey are eating the Gospel up! Petit, is an guy that is already a better person than me, we taught him not very often, but on his own he gave up alcool, made friends with his enemy brothers and have taken huge strides towards Chirst! Richard, is a nurse, brother of a member and is really a deep thinker and asks really good questions! THere are so many people that have been prepared for this and they are reading! If we can get someone to read the book, its over they are converted! That book is the most powerful tool we have! A member yesterday, Joseph Tchare got his mission call. Life is good, even though its the hottest season right now, going out is a pleasure, we dont want be inside! anyways time almost up, love ya family and hope you rendre some good service! Remember who you are and I love you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Lee

Good Old Bé-Kpota!

First of all, I am still in Lomé, Togo, just in the old branche de Tokoin. But I am in my old quartier of Bé-Kpota, still ZL, it has been over six months since I have stepped foot over there. Its been really wierd cause it like I know everyone and where I am going, kinda liek déjà-vous! Elder Howard is the same guy, he is really good cause it wants to work hard too so we hear each well. The quartier we have now is good, we had 12 investigators at church, and we taught a lot of lessons with members, 18. That almost beat the record here of 19. We casse that prety soon! Mama Odette tried to kill us on Saturday nite, we stopped by to say hi, and then she shoved 19 pounds of Ackumé into us. Ackumé is one of the best thigns ever, its made of manoke and it has the same consistancy as play-doh, but tastes lots better! You dip that in some sauce and eat that, really after you eat ackumé, you are not hungary at all, it really heavy in the stomach and last about nine hours! they know how to eat here! That is one thing I love about here, is the food! F resh bananas, pineapple, payaya, guavana, organges all the time and cheap as sand! Our investigators are awesome, Vaida is a english speaker and is really funny, I like her attitude! Félice and Ayokoé is a couple with a little girl that are becoming really strong. We started teaching a kid who has 11 years and is soo smart! He really understands everything we teach him! He has hae a rough life, he mom and dad died, he now lives with a member who adopted him and his older sister and his little brother.
People jsut randomly die here, at least two people that I taught when I was here last are dead, and no one knows why. Sad. We had a very funny experience on Saturday, we decided to see if someone was home who the other elders said went on vaction. We knocked on the door an a very attractive women came to the door, it was her and she invited us in. We walked into the little compound thing, and she invited us to eat, we just finished eating and said no, but africans dont understand that word when it comes to eating. Then she invited us into her house, a small dark room, umm we told her we would come back cause we need to have an other male with us to teach women. Then Elder Howard looked into the room and ther was a man. We told her we could talk to them if we did it outside. She agreed. So she brought out this plate of food and two cans of soda. Then the guy came out, looking a little annoyed. We sat down together and ate this little lunch. We found out as we were eating it, that it was her boyfriend, it was his first time over to her house, and it was him that made this little repas we were eating. Then it dawned on us what was happening.  We finished our meal, taught about the book of mormon  and left. As we left Elder Howard and I just turned to each other and started laughing. He made this little romance lunch, and then two yovos come and break it up and ate it. We call ourselves the chasity police... Anyways life is good, the work is divine and I dont want to leave. Hope all is well at home, I didnt know Jayne was learning another instrument besides the guitar! Hope all is well, love you all!! remember who you are!!

Love,
Elder Lee

Akbé‏

What a week! Running round like a chicken with our heads cut off trying to see everyone that we needed to. We had no phone this week the grilledour sim card so that we had to buy another one and that one didnt work. This week President Ayekoué came. We had our little Zone Conference, its interesting with a little baby... President became sick during it and was throwing up, the little baby also had to go to the hospital for something... It was interesting... President has a heavy load ono his shoulders. He came here on Thursday, we ahd our entretiens with him, Vendredi was Zone Conference, he had to do all our polygomy and abortion entretiens, he had to choose a new branch president. the next day he held an amazing training session with the leaders here. Went to Benin the same day for something over there. Came back sunday to divide the branch. Then returned to do Zone conference over there. He is a busy man! That is the big news, we divided the branch here! In fact the new branch was the quartier that I served in for 6 months! Its a good feeling knowing all that work is paying off over there! We had transfers and it looks like Im going back to the same area as I was in when I first came here, Békpota, and with an old companion Elder Howard. I think that is going to be wierd, going back to an old branch, apartment, area and companion. Im sad to be leaving this area and elder picard, he is by far my favorite companion yet, we taught and heard each other well. This week we worked hard, and one of our families came to church for the first time! we were estatic! From all our work we ahve lots of investigators and now is the time to enjoy it and im leaving, grr, and I hear that my new area has a desprite need of new investigators, so starting over!!! really my area is awesome right now, this week we found 8 new investigators that the Lord really lead us to and are the big fishes of the sea! One investigators, has this huge house and we watched the retablissement, afterwards, he was the first person I have ever heard say so no churches are true, and god restored the verite back on the earth. wow is it true? How can I know? That is what we call un ami d'or!  a friend of gold! It was amazing, he even prayed for us and asked God if it was true, the first prayer he ever said!!! Awesome, so I figure ther are some people waiting for me in Békota so I guess I got to go. sounds like mom had an interesting trip. Olympics that missed me, but during lunch a couple of times we saw a little bit of it. I even saw the 110H hurdles! That was great! anyways have a great day and remember who you are!! Love ya much!

Love,
Elder Lee(Chinois) this hat is awesome!

Dandy Dan Lee

So mom, I dont know what you are worrying about, I did too send a letter. It just wasnt very long.  Mom, Im glad to know that you love me! This week was amazing! We found lots and lots of new and interesting people to teach. Especially families! We talked to lots of good families this week! So it looks like fishing for big fishes in big ponds is working! We even started teaching a couple who is here on vaction, orginally there are from France, and will leave in the next couple of weeks, but we will have planted some seeds! The families we found are quite the sight, one of them has like five or six daughters, and its pretty crazy but the parents understood amazingly well! We started teaching a Protestant pastor, maybe he will be become converted and then his congration afterwards. We also are teaching some Muslims. I like teaching them cause usually they dont have these ridiculously false ideas that pastors pound into people head. Doing porte à porte we ran into a paster with a HUGE house, it felt really wierd thinking that this big house of his was from is job as a pastor of a c hurch, Im glad we have the true chruch! I love this work! Elder Picard and I worked really hard, leaving early and not coming back until late. But our efforts are paying off! With lots of new people and old people making progress,  we set a land speed record yesterday, in the morning we set off early to encourage people to get up and go to church, and we kinda lost track of time, when we looked at our phone it was 8h36, and we were  so far away from the chapel, usually its takes us 1h10 to walk to the church from where we were. But we set off at an amazing speed speed vite walking speed and got there in less than 30 mintues, it was really a miracle, we almost beat some members who took a taxi to get there! I got some photos I would send home but there is a problem, but next week it will be taken care of and I will send some. Its hard to believe its already August, time going by soo fast! Amanda is a senior? Jayne looks so big! I will be coming home to a new family! I played basketball the other day, it really energized me, i miss it, I played against some kids that were like 6'9'' 6'6'', they didnt think a yovo could play with them until I blocked  both of their shots, haha it was good! well there is always so much stuff to say but little time. Anyways hope you have a good day and remember who you are!!! Love ya!

Love
Edler Leee

Moi-la!

So another week had passed. This week, or today I should say is a big day for us as a companionship, cause Elder PIcard hit his year mark and me its the 16 month mark. Is that true? I have been out for 16? Yikes! Time goes by way to fast! So I think we will celebrate by roasting chicken dogs over charcoal with our radio antenna. We know how to celebrate! This week we rendered some service! It was so awesome! We rendered some service for some members and a family we jsut baptised. They live on farms, or gardens and thats how they make a living. Some the morning was spent pulling weeds and moving them around! There are so many interesting bugs and stuff here! Lots of new creatures that we saw!  All different colors shapes and sizes, it reminded me of Timon and Pumba! haha! Jacques had piles of weeds they pulled the day before so we put th em in big basins and put them on our heads hauled them to where they dumped them! It was so much fun, there were a lot of yovo driving or walking by that day, seeing two yovos out in the field was probably a funny sight! During all this, JAcques girls were busy helping us, and we found a lot frogs, my comp was really sacred of them and so were the girls, some of them were pretty big, I had to catch them all and we put them in a big bucket thing and then when we were finishedwe set them loose in the pond. So I asked jacques if there were snakes around, he said usually not but this morning he found one and killed it and gave it to the chickens, I asked him if they were dangerous ones, of course they were. I was a little more cautious putting my hands  under the piles. So we did a lot of contacting, find big wise fishes. We acutally taught a lot of them. One house was the biggest and nicest house I have ever seen,let us in and they had a monkey. the kids were weird, they didnt speak éwé but french, like little white french kids, it was kinda weird but we wil see them again this week. For the most par they are very nice to us, even the muslims. We have been witnesses for a big softening of hearts this week, alot of people amazed us this week. Anyways thigns are moving well here, glad the stake president didnt have too much bad to say about me! Anyways have  a good week and rememer who you are!! Love you!!

Love
Elder Le e

21 Juillet .08

So everyone is back in Texas, with some crazy half brothers, so I guess you half to get two to make up for the lost of one. haha! So things are going good here. We started teaching only using the book of mormon, some day we leave only using the book of mormon, like yesterday. our president asked used to take all of Sat. et Sun and find big fishes, the rich and wise. SO yesterday elder picard and I just took some brochures and book of mormon, and we went out knocking on all the big houses. It was quite the experience! It was wierd walking around without a backpack, I kinda liked it! IT was awesome to see evryone wondering why we didnt have backpacks, just a book in the hand, we were able to tell alot of people about hte book of mormon! We will see if they are any serious. It kinda weird, I have an odd feeling doing this, cause he told us all the belle portes and so in our quartier, so we would walk and find a house knock on the door and move on to the next big house, passing alot of people just watching us. So I decided to talk to them too, anyways got to go. I need some info. Like texas address, telephone, email.  Bishops address, telephone, email. and what ward. President de stake, his address, telephone, email. and the name of the ward and stake. Our new president needs this info! What else? I dunno but I gotta go so we will see each other next week. Amanda, you need to be careful of the those boys, one looks like he liked the smell of your hair a little too much. haha Have I good week and remember I love you and remember who you are!!!!

LOve
Elder Lee

Alyssa Let

FMILY LETTER!!!

Well i gotta say that i am pretty happy because the office elders called me

today and said that I GOT A PACKAGE!!! haha not sure yet as to what is in it

but here i am anxiously waiting like a kid on christmas eve to open it!! haha i

guess that is how you get after some time in the mish! 8 meses tengo yo!!!  que

rapido esta el tiempo! this change ends on the 21 and just after that instead

of counting up the days you all will be counting down!!! the time flies soooooo

fast! it´s always great to hear about how things are going at home! even though

home now is all over America! NY, FL, UT, ID! I sent some photos...not sure if

they went through, but some of my new comp and I....remember how at first i was

really scared to be senior comp? well i{m not really scared anymore and actually

we are a really great team! she is healthy too so we take the 14 flights of

stairs to our office on the 15th floor....something funny, i never realized it

with the elevator but there is no 13 floor! haha it made me laugh becuase we

asked someone and the people here really are crazy with their

superstitions...some of the things they do are the apostasy traditions of their

fathers...you know catholics and their crazy necklace rubbings and what not...ay

ay ay! SO this last week we had a huge 2 family baptism! and one of them lives

down in a colony where you can see me carring the firewood! they are the only

memeber down there with all their family and poco a poco...they are coming

around! down there is a gold mine or here more appropriate a VOLCANO waiting to

EXPLODE!!! there are a lot of really good people...just they are a little mixed

up and confused with their priorities! also this week we had the usual hospital

adventures...wouldn{t be a week without them! also we got our new president!

PRESIDENT y HERMANA TORRES! they are mexican but from utah! haha very nice and

super spiritual people! i am really excited for all the things that we will

learn from them! they both served missions here in central america! anyway

since we are the office crew we are always a little closer with presidenet

since we are with him at least one a week in the office...and hermana torres is

just the cuttest little thing! both of them are tiny spiritual giants! haha so i

guess that is all for this week....love and miss ya! Do Good, Be Good,

Become Better 

-Hermana Collette

photos now...will write later!

man i love the pineapple here!!!

also we had a two family baptism!! it was great!! 

the pic with the other missionaries was at a conference...we are all from idaho therefore representing the 208!  

ps. i got a job at mcdonalds 

this is my new comp...hna chavez she is amazing!  

LOVE YA! -Hermana Collette 

good

I gotta say, arfricans look alot better in african clothing! Except Dad, I dont know where you got that hat but I like it! haha! I laughed pretty hard seeing that! So I decided that I get some stuff made then we can all wear them to church! Man, Amanda you are so tall now, almost as tall as mom! I couldnt believe it! But you are wearing high heals! That made my day! So this week was interesting, from exchanges, buring african idols, and finding another family! So we have been doing exchanges, while one exchanges I got to meet alot of new and old people! During one lesson, we taught an member that has never even heard about the temple, a single mother with some kids! It really suprised me that she never has been taught about it, so we taught her and I asked her daughter Rachelle to draw the Ghana Temple on the chalkboard behind her, and the pic is what turns out! haha I also got to go back in my old quartier with my old companion and it was like deja-vous! People are telling us like, oh its back to normal again? Got to visit some friends and members, it was really wierd to do but I quite enjoyed the experience! The other interesting thing was Jacques, he has a jardin over by the port and lots of cute kids, but I guess one of his....twins that the word!... died and the tradition is that they make a statue of the dead twin so that you can talk to them and have them protect you from evil, but its totally opposite! THe old missionnaries told him to burn it, but he never did, saying stuff like he just couldnt do it, talked a lot about the evil spirit of the thing. So we kinda forcefully told him that saturday you are goiong to bring it here and we are going to burn it! so sthe next day in comp study we were reading in PMG, and we read that how we needed to show respect for religions and cultures and stuff like that, oops! But we decided that stuff of the devil doesnt count, especially against the 10commandements! So saturday we burned it, it was really weird the statue, eery feeling not good at all, but we burned it!
Well I get to resume writing cause I couldnt send it off earlier this morning cause of all the power outages, so I will finish real quick, i gotta say something though, basketball misses me! We played today us six elders, it was good just to have a ball in the hands again! Well to answer Dads question, yes were are in the Ivory Coast mission, i talked to president last week and made plans that he is coming here this weekend with his wife and baby. no aps cause I think they are going to fly, so I dont know if we will go over there yet, we will see. It seems like lately we have been giving a lot of priesthood blessings, i filled my container for the secind time in two weeks and we gave one tonite! We visited a family that investigating the church, talked about the book of mormon and watched the part when christ visits the Americas, they were all kinda rowdy until Christ gives sight to the papa, I hope the recongize the Spirit! So im really tired as usual, just plain woreout, so Im going to leave,just wanted to send something so mom doesnt worry all week! have a good nite and remember that I love y'all and remember who you are!

Love
elder Lee

hey

Hey, so like all the missionaries are getting like free money from President Bush, did I sign up for this free money?

oops

I forgot to mention something amazing that happened! Okay one day this week my comp and I just bith woke up dead, not really much of that burning desire to preach, it was hard to walk out that door at 10h00, but it got better that day, we had a good day and right before we were going to go home for the night, we decided to stop by a members house and ask for a referral, we got into their compound an dwe saw a young boy laying on a mat, we kinda was whimpering, so we asked his mom if he was sick, yep sure enough, and we looked at each, elder Picard and I and knew what we needed to do, we ask the member to help us, his wife made him put on a white shirt, that is a great wife there, and he had never anointed so we taught him how, it was really dark that night and after the benediction we just kinda sat there waiting for something, I wanted to tell the kid to stand up, rise and be healed but, seconds after thinking this the kid started moving around and asking for things to eat. The mother thanked us and we left and was talking with Frère Augustin, he said the boy has been sick for three four days and something about bowels and stomach problems, he said something that really touched me, he said, Now they know that God is with us! How true is that! GOd is really with us!!!! I jsut wanted to share that! have a good vaction!

LEEtter haha

This week is fourth of july, I remember the last time I spent fourth of July in Africa, it was in Benin and wed got to go to a Celebration at the US Embassy, I specially remember thinking at that time, hey I got only one more Fourth of July here! And its here! Crazy! Well this week has been fun, we have had two sick elders, 4 baptisms, tons of rain! Kinda sounds like David had the same thing, its starting to become a favorite pastime for us, trying to navigate our way through maze of lakes and mud to find our friends! Its really funny cause a lot of the time we had to runn and do a long jump to get across some parts, its a good thing I pretty dang good at that! We had four baptisms this week, one was a family that does gardining out on the beach, there places is so ideal, its what I thought mission would be like, quiet, tranquil, green and African! They are a good family! I dunno what else to talk about, you will be seeing the southams so they will fill you in! and Idaho! Say hi to everyone of me! well Things are good, its hot and humid and rainy and hope all is well and take of care of yourselfs! i Love ya! Remember who you are!

pic-some cute kids with a Texas a&m shirt, made me think of you in Texas!

HAppy, Akossiwa,Moi, Rose, her Dad Elder Gillis , Laméssin, Elder Picard and the two cutest girls ever!!!!!

happy

This week has been crazy always something new!! Well the Southams have went home,  sadly I wasnt able to return and see them in Bénin again, but I have lots of time after the mission to visit with them.  They stopped by the apartment on p-day and said their adieux, it was good to see them again.

Well then this week I recieved official news that one of my buddies from BYU was actually coming here last wednesday.  I was going have to find a companionship to put him up for a couple of days. I wanted him to be with us, but president said he needed a bed, anyways it was really wierd to see him! It was a collision of two worlds! Of all the places here in africa, I meet him.  To defy the odds, his comp in the mtc was a kid from my football team back in the day! The world is ridiculously small I find out!

The other day, we were trying to find a taxi, and someone offered us a ride, he was a muslim and said that he usually doesn't do stuff like this but he ahd a good feeling about us, turns out that he lives in Austin,TX a good part of the year, and was just here visiting his family!

We got about 6 baptisms this week, which means a lot of paper work this week for me. We met with the branch president this week, seeing what we could do to help him and his branch.  He told us the first thing is attend PEC and ward council, which makes sense but the ZL hasn't been doing that for two years.  So I attended this week, and wow, wow there is a lot of wokr here still to do.  I cant believe this branch works.  We didn't get one thing done in either meeting.  So we going to help them be more effective!

So much work, never have time to rest.  We got up a little early so that this afternoon we will have time to sleep a little and just relax cause if not, my mind will explode! This week we have been looking up all the non actives in the branch.  Wow there are a lot.  We even met with the guys who brought the church here from Denmark.  The guy doesn't even care anymore, which is really sad.   I think he is a little jealous too of the others that help started it here.  Very sad.  After the meeting with him, the scripture from 1 nephi came to mind, its better than one man to perish that a whole nation to dwindle in unbelief, Elder Picard and I had a good laugh over that one! Its soo nice to have a comp who actually likes, sorry LOVES to work! it soo much easier and better attitude, I love elder Picard, we work really well together! We gave a record high of 6 blessings this week, I love being able and worthy to use the priesthood to bless the lives of others, really there is no greater joy than that in the the humble service of our Lord! Well that a whole lot hope.  As you read every word of this know that I love this work and this people.   I love Him who sent me here and and I Love all of you!!! Have an amazing week and remember who you are!!!

Love
elder Lee

Time is ticking‏

Well it sounds like everyone is doing amazing! My family is going to Idaho, Dad's winning me free stuff, Idaho is warming up, Elder Luebke is finding what is means to be a real missionary, Alyssa is now a Senior Comp, Jayne is swimming with scout, Southams are going home today, we had five baptisms this weekend, and it raining! Life is so good! So the Southams are coming through day before they head home, I remember thinking when I left Bénin that they still had a long time until they left, but they are already going home! Well this week was awesome, I really love my new comp. he actully likes to work and he is everythign a good missionary is! such an example to me! We worked really hard this week, I think we taught like 32 leçons and gave 4 people baptismal challenges and dates! I think 11 came to church, it really pays off to work hard and be humble! I love this work, there are some days I just want to run around telling everyone that Its here again!! Its here its here its here! The gospel of JESUS CHRIST is here, not this polluted doctrine skewered(smart word) by men, but His Church AGAIN! Usually when this happens people just give me wierd looks why some yovo is gleefully skipping down the streets talking with everyone, but whatever its true! I wish people could just grasp that concept, even a lot of the members dont even grasp that! I dunno, its a good life! God is great! I have been trying to listen to that CD that mom sent me, the Called to Serve by MOTB, and our CD player has its own mind, but teh other nite I got it to work, and I am in Love with the Song He Sent His Son, seriously, children songs are the best, so simple but so powerful, it really has made me think of Gods love for us and the sacrifice of His son, I have never really truly understood the atonement, nor will I ever fully comprhend it, but everyday I find a new way, a new appreication for this sacred sacrifice, the most powerful moment in the history of eternity! I hope I can continue on this path, using, testifying, and learning about the Atonement! anyways love you all, hope you are all as happy as a clam and remember who you are! I love you so much!!!!

Love,
Elder lee

Boom boom boo!‏

I Moved. So I left the good old branche de Tokoin and now in the branche de Lomé! I got a new companion Elder Picard from Tahiti! I think if I could of picked my comp this transfer if would of been him! He is an amazing guy! Ideal missionary I think, just he way he acts and talks, really a good missionary! So now when I go and visit Bora Bora I can see one of my old companions! Im liking the change cause now I have no idea where we are when we are walking, last area I was there for 7 months in that quartier, I could walk blind folded up and down those roads! Its good for my head! And I get to meet some other amazing people! So far the investigators I have met are really good, they have about 4 people for baptism saturday, and another 7 in two weeks, so that means we got to fidn some new people to teach! Anyways along with this move President Dil called me to be the Zone Leader for the two countries, yikes. That was a suprise hopefully I can serve him well. It was a pain moving cause, mostly its two new missionaries who never had done my quartier and so I had to carefully detail every friends house so that they could find it, usually one elder stays but me and elder stucki bith moved out! The nex apartment we moved into is not an apartment, we called it 'le chateau' meaning HUGE HOUSE in french! seriously this thing is way too big for us, it an entire house two stories, we have a entire room for our pressing board! But the worst part is, that is only half of it! This house has what we call the slave quarters, there is four room, two bath slave house just past the 'gardin' Its pretty ridiculous, I feel ashamed walking into this place cause its so big! It was kinda hard to leave my quartier cause I love the people so much! But I like change, anyways its been raining alot here, last nite we were out  visiting some people and we got caught a members house because of the rain storm, and it poured as usual, it was about dark and we decided to brave it and go for it, elder picard and I we puddle hopping trying to find a way through the lakes that covered streets and houses, it was quite the adventure cause it was dark and it was really hard to see, but we finally found a way and worked out way back to the chateau, things are going pretty good here, got lots to do so I will see ya later remember that I love yoo so much and remember who you are!!!

Love
Elder Lee

So when we see another yovo here, this is the typical face that is displayed, yovos are wierd.

this is another family, english speaking from Nigeria

Cassandra, Emeka, Alice, and ma fiancée Angela(babé)

Alyssa Email

hola familia!!!
¿qué tal? so i know that you are all going to think that i forgot about you because it´s been almost 2 weeks since last wrote! and even still time here is for sure the most precious thing that we have so i am going to make this quick! so we went on our conference tour and it was really neat! we got to go to coban which is a place really famos for waterfalls and rivers stuff like that and also there are a lot of women there who still use the typical clothing! so i bought a corte and it´s really really pretty!!! that is what the skirt thing is called and it´s really not the most flattering dress but the lady i bought it from made it BY HAND!!!! it´s really neat i love so much the culture here! in other places in central america they don{t so much still have that...a lot of it has been modernized ect, but it´s so amazing i can´t even describe it! so that was coban it was pretty much a normal conference but oh we played with the cuttest little kids while we were waiting for the AP´s to finish interviews! we weere outside with them catching zapos!!! very fun and the kids we so nuts i loved it! so next we rode up with president to peten! that is where tikal is and all the tour sites by flores! it´s pretty and it my first zone so i felt perfectly at home (althought i had forgotten a little about how hot it is up there!) our presentations were pretty cool i{m not going to lie! maybe next week i´ll send ya a copy of a¨scripture¨ we made up....president wanted us to talk about the basic problems we have here as a mission, fungus, parasites, rashes, ingrown toenails and then emphasize cleanliness (spiritual, fisical, y su ambiente aka enviroment) so we made up a MOCK dyc section 4 for everone to recite like you do at conferences. anyawy it was really neat to be able to do all that and to get to know president as a real person! i think before i was a little intimidated because---well, he´s the president but to see him as a normal person and how he treats his wife is soooooo cute! we stopped at rio dulce which is just outside the polochic valley! there is acutally an area for the hermana´s there that i would love to go to when i leave the capital called elestor° if i went there i would get to learn some Ket´chi! that would be sooooo sweet!!!! so i{m going to put in a good word with the new president! speaking of he is supposed to be here the beginning of july! we are also getting a new dr. for the missions, well he´s an eye doctor so i guess i{m going to have to remove the ingrown toenails haha but yeah so i guess that is about it....really things have been so much fun! we have been so busy with nursing stuff that it´s been hard to really focus on the area and the ward so that isn´t as good as i would like....not sure if i mentioned it last time but we have now sent home two elders for testicular cancer! not sure if there is something in the water here or what but i think with all the medical problems we have been having, it´s a little hint from above just reminding me to go back to school and to finish my RN! also to never stop learning no matter where you are! i mean if i want to be a goddess someday i have to be ´allknowing´ right? haha well i am really excited for my next comp...we have an ehrmana that hurt her knee really bad, and only has one change left so i{m thinking she might be with me and die in the office....but anyway i{m excited becuase she is really good and i can learn a lot from her! also we are starting a more sigudo agenda de divisiones con nuestra barrio so we will be having more participation and help and references from them! yesterday we made divisions with the youth, they are soooo much fun! well anyway it´s always great to hear from you guys! i love and miss you all!!! hasta luego
-hermana collette

La nouvelle dés l'elder!

Well mom you can say your prayers have been answered cause Im still as roudy and rumbustious as ever! Seemed just to last just that day! So twenty one isnt all that bad! It was an interesting day cause at 18h00 p-day ends and we go out teaching, at this time I still wasnt feeling very well at all, we had no rendez-vous or nothing really to do but I decided to go out anyways, putting a little faith and we found three people that we have been trying to contact for a LONG time!! I can say, God works miracles everyday around me, I just hope that I can write them all down and remember them! Anyways we had our last Zone Conference with Pres. Dil, I am going to miss him! He is such a good man always diligently working for the Lord, like the other day, after Zone Conference they went over to Bénin, did the Zone conference over there, came back and at 22h00 he was at the church here doing temple interviews, it really shocked me to see him there, but gives me a good example of one I need to act like him! Week was really stressful, more than usual I guess just being soo old, dont move quite like you used to, but the yoga stretching is helping for old folks like me! We added another person with a baptismal date, Kossi, he was an old investigator, who brother got robbed and mobbed, left him half brain dead, and so Kossi was working overtime as Zimijian, and I havnt seen him for months but we finally caught him one nite and after a good discussion he wanted to continue cause he felt something was missing in his life, THE GOSPEL! Sadly there are alot of people like that, hopefully I can be an instrument utile entre the hands of God! It is sucha blessing to see people light up when they finally come to know the true meaning of the word LE retablissement, or THE Restoration! I love it! Kaka and Celestin, some people who jsut started coming to church had that experience this week! It was a bitter week but the sweet experiences of these two healed those wouns quickly! I feel so tired like today, I jsut wanted to sleep for 24 days and then I could maybe sleep another 6 then I would be well rested and prepared! Transfers are this week, we will see where I end up, could be in another country! I love this mission! Where else can you say that at transfers you could be switching countries! So I think I might let you guys go, cause I could catch a few z's before tonite, donc have a good week and remember who you are and that I love you sooooo much!!!!!


Love
Elderlee

This aint good....

So what does it feel like to be twenty-one years old? Well the first morning Im really achy and have a headache, not a good way to start adulthood! Its wierd to think that know I am held totally accountable for anything I ever do, I better put one my smart cap! But today I think Im going to buy a hammock, a little african gift! Well this morning was a really neat experience, we have a member, agian, who has to do some surgery, little Fortuné again cause the first time they didnt completely remove the infection, I dont agree with the doctors here, I going to come back a create my own hospital, but anyways we were going to give him a blessing, but he was being really fussy so we took him outside on a walk and found a bench under my favorite african tree, the flowers are so beautiful, I told Elder Howard that when I become a God, I am going to create the same flowers!!! Anyways, it was quiet and peaceful and lots of people walking around, and it was a sacred moment, just thinking what everyone else around was thinking, why are these yovos laying there hands on this kid? I dunno afterwards, after the prayer there where a couple of people just standing around watching. I felt very humbled, especially thinking about the scripture in james 5 talking that the Elders of Israel laying hands to heal the sick. Here people witnessed this event! Elders in Israel with the same authority and power as Jesus Christ exercising it today!!! If only others understood what this meant!!!! Really!? I felt very very remericed for having this hold calling and holding a this sacred responsibility! I really wanted to shout ''hurrah hurrah for Israel!'' I am an Elder in Israel!! I dunno just a good feeling of peace! This week has been crazy, one elder went home, just one day he was gone, during mothers day another elder went home cause of medical problems so we are pretty short handed now, but good news that one of my friends from BYU is coming here, same mission French Speaking! It would be funny if I trained him, but he entered the mtc this wednesday and will be here by mid-juin. Not to far away! Zone conference is tomorrow, oh the yovo teaching thing was totally wierd to do! Cause we went there and she is a volunteer at a orphange, so the people they were saying at were ridiculous rich, I felt like I was in an American home, even nicer than mine! But she was from spokane washington and she was lutheran. We taught here about the first lesson and book of mormon, but I dont think she was that poen cause she has a wierd philisophy, like a lot of people today, she said, and I  quote her '' well I believe that no body is right, but also no body is wrong'' its a vey common problem. Whats funny that its only with the gospel that people say this, you will never find someone saying that about a bank! Its only the gospel, only conerning things of eternal importance that satan puts of the wall of ''acceptance.'' Dirty trick there. But how grateful that this is really the true gospel with a prophet and apostles that talk and walk with Christ and that He really guides this church! There are Elders in Israel again! I love when people start realize that and then they get their answer to their prayers!!!! Life is so awesome! I got my b-day package from you mom! Thank you soo much! I really enjoyed the pictures especially the one with Dad and Doug and Scout in the pool! haha! anyways thank you so much and I have none else to say expect I love you sooo much and remember who you are!!!

A humbled Elder In Israel,

Elder Lee

Yeah all I can say that Mama Odettes Attiéké is the best!!!!! 

Decided to take a different approach one day and set a little stand by the big market hedzranawoé, it was so much fun! Met alot of interesting people and bearing testimony publicly alll day in front of lots of people!!! Some even came to church!!

Well... its about time for a change.... n'est pas?