My dearest family.

This week was pretty great! A lot has happened and hopefully i can remember most of it haha. Elder Holland comes next Tuesday and that is the same day as transfers. Hopefully we will know the transfer news before Monday of next week so i can email about it. Either way i don't think im going anywhere...still not sure about E. Akoki or even his companion. Any of us could go, but i doubt it. The ward is really trusting us because we have built good relationships with them and showing them how missionary work is supposed to be done (side by side with members). We seem to have a whole lot more member present lessons and lots more referrals ever since that Elias goal which made us get into members homes and serve them. President really knows what he is doing haha. This Sunday will be 6 months...can you even believe it? I cant....its amazing. That hymn keeps going through my head..."Wake up and DO something more, then dream of your mansion on high....doing good is a pleasure..." Hahaha, that song is motivating. It's what E. Akoki plays almost everyday becuz he cant even believe its almost 9 months for him. Asokwa ward used to suck...not even joking. Elder Akoki and Adjeifio really turned that around and now we are all benefiting from it. The members never used to trust missionaries and now they asked us to give talks!!! 20 mins each!! and they told us Wednesday night this last week! Hahaha...be prepared i guess. E. Akoki and I stepped up and did it. It went pretty good. E. Akoki spoke about the "tribe" of Jesus Christ and how when you become a member of this church you have to leave all old traditions behind if they are contrary to commandments or the church. It was good. It was Valentines day so i spoke about love... hahaha. The Love of God. and the 2 great commandments in Matthew 22. It was alright lol. Nothings changed...still write my talks last minute, either night before or in the morning. BUT I dont have LDS.com to help me out haha. Sunday was a pretty crazy day... we are going to start preparing some members to go to the temple. Their trip is in march so we are trying to get at least 4 new people to go who haven't been. I'm pretty pumped about it lol. It ll be so awesome to see people go to the temple even if its baptisms. :D  Bounti was sustained in priesthood to recieve the Aaronic about a month ago and they still hadn't gotten around to doing it so i talked to bishop and he said "oh ya! Bring him in now." So he received the priesthood yesterday. It was awesome...i really want him to go to the temple for baptisms this trip. That'd be sweet!

I cant wait to go to Cape Coast and possibly see the beach, see all the other Elders in the mission, most of whom i have never seen before since kumasi is a mission of its own up here. It feels weird knowing my way around all of Kumasi and knowing which tro-tros to take and which ways are fastest to go and at what times to stay away from traffic. I never thought this day would come haha. Its going to be so weird coming home and seeing so many white people haha. Ive been changed, I am now the one yelling Obrunee at the white people we pass by or something. Hahaha everyone in the tro-tro usually gets a huge laugh out of that. Its funny when we pass a small group of kids playing football and i call for the ball...they all marvel that a white man can play football hahaha. Elder Clements is probably annoyed with me stopping and playing for a min or so but hey, its a commandment from my bishop hahaha. The people always smile and love when they see an obrunee playing with them or speaking their language. Its definitely a missionary tool haha.

I'm glad i wasn't there for Tine driving the rest of the trip home...scary!  Still cold weather?? I cant even imagine cold...always hot here still lol. I cant wait for rainy season, I'm getting sick of it being "dry" and dusty. I'm so jealous that the winter Olympics are on...we were at a members house last night and the news station for Ghana said that Ghana's first ever winter Olympic athlete qualified!! It was hilarious! Hes skiing for Canada hahaha. We all cracked up. And yes Elder Holland is stopping in Ivory Coast for 2 days before he comes to Cape Coast :D :D  I heard there is another general authority coming to KUMASI in March!! I don't know what for or who but that's just what president quietly mentioned to us here in Kumasi haha. It should be sweet, if I'm here. Never know.

Well, i love you guys so much and cant believe February just started and in two weeks is over...that's crazy. March is almost here haha. Mission is flying by and i hope it all goes this fast. Fast is good. It means work is getting done. I love missionary work, its so rewarding both to others and to me. I can see my relationship with my Father in Heaven growing so much. I really do trust Him and rely on Him almost completely, I'm working on that haha. I have felt the peace and comfort that come from the Savior's Atonement. What a wonderful feeling to feel uplifted and empowered by the Spirit. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and there is no way anyone can come to the full truth without reading it. Its the center of missionary work (besides service of course). I love seeing people embrace the Book of Mormon and realize how much it talks about Christ and seeing their words and actions and life-style change. Its incredible. I love doing the Lord's work, what a blessing! Thank you mom and dad and teachers and leaders for helping me to gain a testimony and to have a desire to serve the Lord in this capacity. I am so grateful for that. I love you mom and dad. You guys are an amazing team and someday i want my marriage to be like that. Tine and Bug... keep fighting through high school because adult life isn't any easier hahaha. I love you guys so much!

Love, Elder Lehr