Family!! This week has been sweet! We now have 5 people on the date to be baptized....the other guys have a whole bunch from other branches that have to come to our building cuz they don't have a font sooo the baptism is now too big to have together so we are having two different weeks for the baptisms. It ll be sweet. We will all complete the goal and have back ups just in case some new guys come and haven't finished it yet. On Wednesday we went out of our normal area because there is a man who has been coming with the 1st counselor to church for 2 weeks and we needed to teach him. We drove towards cape coast for a while and then stopped in a place called Twifo Hemang and from there took a car west into the DEEP bush....the 1st counselor was like "ya this is the first time missionaries have ever been out here." I had to stop and think about that...I cant believe there are so many places in the world that the church is still not in even though we are growing so fast. There are 100 members in Twifo Hemang that are mostly less-active because they couldn't afford to come anymore....its sad. Wish there could be a group put out here but the area president said no to that since there isnt much leadership in these areas yet. Once we get leaders this place will grow like crazy. President said that this place (Twifo Hemang) Could have like 400-500 members and split the branch in the first year. These people are READY to listen and follow the gospel. That would be sweet if i could be around when that branch starts! Hopefully by the end of the year! On Sunday we had a full house since some American teachers who teach at a school in Twifo Hemang came and brought a school bus full of people and students to church. They all knew the hymns and loved the church because the school they go to is Forever Young, the school that Billy Johnson started. Its kinda like an LDS school....it has all grades. Billy Johnson is the guy who kept writing the church headquarters to get the church to start in Ghana!! Yaaa thats the guy. This place would grow so dang fast! Pray for leadership in these areas, missionaries cant do it all....they need leadership.

Well i hope girls camp was sweet!! Christine enjoy EFY!! You guys are going on too many softball/family vacations without me. Im kinda jealous....wish i could go. But, ive got a sweet work to do. I love it here. All the primary children know me and yell at me during the week when they see us passing. My comp isnt as friendly with them sooo they only know my name haha. I know enough Twi to ask them if they are coming to church and primary this Sunday and of course they all say yes. I then tell them to make sure BOTH of their parents come to church haha. I love the little kids here, they either love me or are scared to death to see a white person haha. I like teasing those ones.

Bro, Landon....get on a mission!! I cant wait for the day i receive an email saying where you are going!! That's so exciting! We need more missionaries here soooo just come here. That'd be nice! haha. I wish.

I love you guys so much. I hope you know how much i love this church and the changes that have come into my life because of the choices ive been taught to make. Satan is real and will never stop trying to work on each of us. Just overcome our weaknesses as they say here a lot in Ghana, "small small" or cancra cacra in twi. By small and simple things.... :D
I know its hard and of course following this church and gospel is going to be hard. Was it easy for the Nephites and Lamanites in the BOM? Was it easy for the apostles and Saints in Christs time? What about Joseph Smith and Brigham Young just 100 something years ago? It has never been easy to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. But if we can always remember the picture and quote that was on the refrigerator at home for years of Jesus Christ saying, "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." I love you and know that the temple plus prayers and scripture STUDY not just reading....can give us so much power and strength. Rely on Him always. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love you guys have a great week!

Cody

Hey Family,

My companions name is Elder Bentum from Accra. Hes chill and we are working hard. 15 new investigators this week, i don't like talking about numbers. We gave a few people baptismal dates this last week so we should be finished with this new goal by the 31. Elder Holmes is paired with the Ivorian named Kouakou. (Kwaku is how its pronounced).

I lost interest in the world cup once the Germans lost...sigh. Good job Spain! Cant believe grandma is 70, she still moves like shes 50 hahaha. So you mean finally some mail?? SWEET!! Got the oreos....they are gone yesterday i ate them all.

I'm making CDs of all the pictures and videos....relax, these things take time.

So no rice or burger or fufu for me....yesterday it was BANKU!! That is one of my least favorite meals in Ghana, especially with the fish in the stew!! ahh! Still cant let members down and not eat it so Elder Holmes and i manned up and finished it all, once again our comps didn't eat anything. They really don't understand that if we get the part members to love us then one day the husband will be receptive....until they get it we'll just keep killing ourselves by finishing the HUGE amount of food we don't enjoy haha.

President Sabey talked about those elders in the Accra Mission....they are in deep trouble it sounds. Its a 50/50 case since the companions weren't around each other when the so called "rape" occurred so its her word verses his and both of them will be in trouble with the law if guilty... Ghana doesn't mess around with rape cases....if convicted they face a 25 year sentence...26 years til they return home to their families....President made me cry when he said that. Please pray for them, even if they broke some mission rules and even if they did it....25 years is too long. man! sorry to make you sad with this!

This week was pretty good...worked hard contacting for the soccer goal. The goal is we have to find people to teach during the matches then baptize one of them before Sept something.... we should be finished baptizing a few of them by the 31 of this month so that will be nice to not have the pressure of the goal. This next baptism should be pretty small....only about 15-20 people this time...small right? 10-12 of them are from another branch that have to come to our chapel for the font. hahaha Africa is booming!! If only more people could read English they'd accept the gospel like crazy here!! Education is a problem here. By next year president wants these 3 branches to be the center of a district...which is a stake but the mission president is in charge instead of a stake president. It ll be sweet to see how much things have grown and changed by this time next year...gotta stop thinking about a year from now. haha. So ya things are getting better in the apartment it seems. I hope. If not, ill let em fight next time.(tif between other Elders in our apt)  I got torn up last time and now im asking myself why i got in the middle. haha jk.

Well i love you all and am enjoying the missionary work here. I love being a missionary!! It is so sweet to see people change their lives because of the gospel and to think they could of never found it without missionaries searching around for humble people to teach. Missionaries all around the world are in the hands of the Lord performing miracles to further His work. It is real. Ive seen many miracles just in my small experience out here in the field. Cant wait to hear from all my friends from all over the world. Im guessing we have all had similar experiences with the Lord guiding our words or steps. Mission is sweet. I know the work is true and I know that there is no way id be out here if the church wasn't true. I now know it is. Im so thankful to my family for helping me get out here and for the support and love they continue to show me. You guys are great! Cant wait to come down that escalator at McCarran....not thinking about it. Anyways, have a good week and love you all! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love, Elder Lehr

Hey my family!

Man, that Hawaiian teriaki stuff sounds horrible.... eat plenty of it for me!! Tell the whole family i miss them and love them and Happy Birthday Grandma Leuca! we got to play futbol today and enjoyed! We ate a few burgers at a sweet restaurant called..............MCDONALDS!! No not the real one....some knock off but it was pretty legit, no complaints. I ate two and a bunch of fries, a few cokes and an ice cream called mcflurry. It was sweet!! Spent a good 12 cedis on that! haha. Worth it!

Transfer news came this week and my companion left....he has been here for over 14 months so we knew it was coming. Dont have much time, bought like 10 mins and using most of it just to load this page haha. Hope the email sends! Things are good, new companion...interesting guy we were in the MTC together. The other American in the apartment also got a new companion, oh man how he disrespected some of the members his first Sunday here...he loves to chastise....and i was seriously about to take the Ivorian (from ivory coast) OUT BACK!! Man, I've never been so mad on my mission. He didn't eat the members food and expected us to finish it all. I'm my fathers son so i did but it wasn't easy!!


Some native elders in the Accra mission have been in jail....wrongly accused is what we've heard so far...very sad for that mission and especially their families!!
So i guess the missionaries were in jail all this week. Had a trial on Monday but something screwed up with what language the trial was supposed to be in so they have another one today for English. What a joke. I heard the girl was 14 and they helped her and her family out by using their apartment running water to fill some buckets for her and one day somebody called the cops because a young girl went into a missionaries apartment at night time and so whether they did anything or not nobody knows, but they at least had the girl in the apartment. Stupid mistake.... people here are looking for things to hate against the church. The media doesn't like the church....Satan at work for sure. It still helps the work regardless because people start asking us questions about the church and learn to love it! :D

Oh miracle of miracles.....every one finished the goal....of baptising a husband and a wife. Everyone in the whole mission did it and in 4 1/2 months!!!! The Lord's work is really progressing here in Ghana.

No more dancing in the streets for Ghana....lost World Cup Game to Uruguay!

Still jealous about the boat....maybe next summer, oh wait....i might be home by the end of that summer.....suuuuhhweeeet!!!! :D

Well i love you guys!!! :D

Elder Lehr