Hey everyone!

Sounds like everything at home is just the way it was when i left, a year older and wiser too.

How was dinner with the Cordner's? Hope it was good.

Flying to Alaska? Mark and Rachel thats sweet...how long will they be there? The Kiffers made that place sound amazing and beautiful, maybe it is? haha so cold and far away.

First Howards or Lehrs to finish an eagle before 16?? hahaha good job Kayden and Derek! AND DON n Laura. They really are close to missions its crazy....cant believe Karli is a sophmore and Tine is a senior?? WHAT?? When did that happen? you guys were getting old when your FIRST child was a senior, but now two years later!! hahaha im a brat.

So today was probably one of the most sobering days ive had on mission and im sure most elders would agree. President sat us down before we played soccer at Takoradi (where elder Mackay is) and talked to us about how much disobedience is going on in our mission. He covered 4 topics, Movies, phones, music, and the internet use. He pretty much made everyone feel like crap and to be honest, just about every single missionary is guilty of one or all of these things. He taught us how they may be small things, but the scriptures say small and simple things bring about great things....he explained how that can go both ways, for good and for bad. Then he told us of a missionary who he sent home yesterday for breaking these rules a little too much.....then read to us a letter that that elder wrote to our mission.... by this time everyone is feeling like crap and wondering who that missionary is....then he read the name and my heart dropped.....one of my best friends i met in Kumasi when i first came. He was supposed to go home in just a month. This killed me....i couldn't even play soccer right, i played but it wasn't good. I cant stop feeling for this guy. So that's all ill say about that. This mission has just been humbled to the extreme, oh and he added to the white handbook by telling everyone that NOBODY is to have an ipod or mp3 player of any kind and that if you have one to send it to the mission home. We have two weeks to send it in then after that if he catches anyone with an ipod, either the ipod is taken by him and never given back or you take the ipod home with you. Sooo definitely sending that thing in haha. He then talked about the pride cycle and said that now we are in the "the Lord had to humble us" stage and he lovingly asked everyone to repent and that if we don't then the Lord has told him to start sending people home, TODAY WAS SERIOUS! Everyone is down, sucky feeling. But i can really feel how much president loves us and wants the best for us and this mission. Its the best thing that could of happened, just hard to take it all in at first.

Besides that, missionary work in Praso has been sweet. I'm really loving the area and people and enjoying the mission too much! :D I am learning so many things by living here and being a missionary. Its so sweet to feel the Spirit directing a lesson and to see it touch the hearts of the people we teach. I love it love it love it. It makes all the tiredness go away when you just fight through it and teach the gospel. 9 hours a day not including studies is definitely more than a full time job. Walking around all day may seem really tiring and sometimes it is, but just bearing testimony all day, always pondering about the needs of the people, that is probably the most difficult part of mission. I love it though.

Well this week is going to be interesting. My companion will be having trainings all week so ill be paired with the Ivorian who has started to become cool lately. We'll cover all the areas of the 4 missionaries, which covers 3 branches! Holy smokes it will be a full week for sure. Gotta love that, an already planned schedule is nice! :D Well i love you and hope you have a great week!!

Love Elder Lehr