Dear fam,

P-day was pretty great, quite the adventure. Got up and ready to go to Cape Coast to play ball. Left by 7:30, got there around 9:15, headed to the bank to take out money, card got stuck in the machine.so I went inside to beat the heck out of someone and I explained what happened to this lady and she didn’t want to tell me their policy because she knew id get mad so she told me to wait in a line of a few people to talk to one of the managers, so I did. When my time came I explained what happened and he told me that the bank’s policy is that when a card is retained it has to be sent back to the bank it comes from….at this point im pissed and fired up and wanting to scream. Then he says, however, because of your circumstance I think I might be able to get it for you, BUT you’ve gotta come back at 2 o clock. I said fine.

We then went to a chapel by the field we were planning to play the other two zones at when I saw all the elders coming back to the chapel. We got kicked off, apparently because the field is near a school and the headmaster came to tell everyone that they are distracting all of the classes going on, yes, their classes are INDOORS! Whatever! So we all grab our stuff from the chapel and started getting into taxis (we are a group of 40 so this might take a little while to get that many taxis to handle us). Eventually we get to the other field (the crappy dirt one, it works though).

We play and have fun and and the game goes smoothly right? Well sorda…It seemed t get very competitive, lots of fouling and arguing with the ref (another elder). We were getting beat 2-0 with 10 mins left in the first half (yes, we played a full game! And yes im also surprised I can run that long) when I decide I want to play UP FRONT instead of back all the time, so I did and I get a great pass to me and I beat the last defender (one of those very competitive elders that drives me crazy) and nail a ball passed the keeper…with the left foot! Take that! That finished the half and we came back ON FIRE! We ended up winning 5-4! It was sweet especially cuz these same zones played last transfer and they killed us like 5-1. It felt good. Then we get dressed back into priesthood and pass out mail (a sweet package from grandma over there in gilbert, AZ! Thanks for that! Oh and I totally forgot to mention for you to thank Sister Mckay for the letter and the music she sent!!)

then we left the field and get into a taxi to go to this burger place called mcdonalds, not what you are imagining. The taxi got in trouble with the “police” so the so-called policeman got into the car with us to arrest the man after he dropped us off. (He is just a guy who works at the taxi stations who wears a uniform and wants to show it off and probably get some lunch money out of this taxi aka bribe) So we get to the place and enjoy a nice burger, just me and elder joseph. We then remember that I still need to get my bank card before we head back to Fosu (an hour and a half away). We get to the bank and I wait in a long line this time to talk to the guy, he saw me and called me up and asked for my passport…umm sir I don’t have that but I have my drivers license, will that work? “Well I think that will work.” (IT BETTER!!) He gives me my card after I sign something to get it and we happily move on to Fosu…falling asleep every few minutes in the car that is speeding way too fast and hitting too many potholes along the way, swirving in and out of cars on a 2 lane road, it was sweet.

When we got out of the car it started sprinkling so we start running to the house cuz its probably about to down poor harder than you can imagine. We wait a little bit till it stops than head to the café to email. Rain=water. Water=electricity problems. Light off=no emailing. So I hope that explains why im emailing you today on Tuesday for the third week in a row. It rains a lot in Fosu! Which is great! I love the cool weather in the mornings, but the no emailing thing sucks. So that was my day yesterday.

Sunday we woke up and got ready for 8:30 church. When we get there, a man who was about to be called as a second councilor in the new bishopric, told us that we should be prepared because they are going to use us to perform ordinances. What? My companion and I just look at each other confused as to what that means. So as the meeting goes on, the new bishopric was sustained and took their place on the stand then it came time for confirmation from our baptism two weeks ago (cuz of stake conference last week) and only one of the girls was there, Florence. So they asked my companion to confirm her (I was excited that he was doing it haha). After that they then did something ive never seen done in a sacrament meeting, they called the priests who were sustained last week to be elders and asked us to ordain them to elders….lucky for me I don’t have my line of authority with me (I didn’t know I needed to have it to do this! The new bishop asked me if I had it and I said no so then he said I couldn’t do it…YES!) But he had us stand in the circle for the 3 ordinations. After we sit down, the other sister that was baptized last two weeks walks in and so my companion tells the bishop she is now here so they call us up again to confirm her and now my time has finally come, I couldn’t get out of this one. I was way nervous and struggled to get words out of my mouth, she understands English but not when im talking freakin fast and that’s what I was doing when I actually got words to come out haha. So now that that was over, church finishes and we realize that we have NO FOOD in the apartment, so we just went out to teach a few investigators and see a few members, hoping that maybe one of them would invited us back in the evening to eat. (Its called forced fasting…and if you don’t start with a prayer its called starving) So I starved all day and guess what….none of the members told us to come back to eat that evening so I look at my companion as we are headed home and asked him how bad it would be to buy an egg sandwich, he said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath hahaha, this is why he’s my companion. So we waited forever while the coals cooked our eggs and went back to the apartment. Right when we get home we realize its late and we need to do our numbers and then receive the weekly numbers…fun!....not! So we finally finish that then we chopped those egg sandwiches fast fast, went to bed and that’s when pday began. All of this is only two days of this week, a lot more has happened but these two days are more interesting haha.

I cant believe what has happened in Japan! Elder harris said that over 1,000 bodies washed ashore this morning in Japan…I wanted to cry! Wow, pray for them! That’s good that the missionaries are fine!

How did it feel for that family to come to church this week? That’s exactly how we feel when our investigators come to church for the first time or when an inactive member comes back for the first time after we’ve met with them for a few weeks or months. It’s refreshing and it gives me a hope that what I am doing actually has meaning and worth and its working! I love it!

Don’t worry about high school softball, no need to blow a blood vessel over it! She’s not worth our time if shes going to mistreat anybody over their beliefs. Sadly, she won’t have the last laugh.

So when do we find out the scores of the proficiencies? Don’t worry mom, im sure she really meant it this time when she said they were easy! Hahaha that’s so Tine!

WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO BRO. Neuenswander!!? That is so scary and crazy!! Tell Frankenstein I say hi and that he should lay off the led-foot. jk

Just imagine in 5 months that escalator at mccaran with your wittle boy smiling ear to ear, giving you a big hug! Have a good week!

Love, Elder Lehr

(the bank just sent Cody a new card due to a breach in security--that's what it said--card is not expired and there is money in his account....gotta switch his B of A account!!!! We have sent his new card to him)

Thank you for the money, it will go to good use…dad says im too skinny so ive gotta change that.

Today we had a zone fufu party! A member prepared all the soup and chicken and we pounded the cassava and plantain after playing soccer with ward 1 and ward 2. Yes I said ward because on Sunday Assin Fosu became a STAKE! Woo! It was a sweet day. President Carden, the area president and Elder Mensah of the seventy (from Takoradi) and the temple president and president Sabey and their wives came and most of the addressed us. It was sweet to hear and learn from them, even if I had to stand in the back on the stage fighting to even look at them while they spoke….there was just so many people there. My branch president became the new stake president! He’s a sweet guy! He loves having us over and gets mad when we don’t come eat his food since he has a son on mission and knows that members are feeding him, so he has to contribute. We don’t mind! Plus, I got to see all of the members from Twifo Praso! They were so happy to see me again haha. Kasim came running up and about killed me with his hug ha. I was caught off guard. I love them though so it was great seeing them.

Sooo there was a sweet temple trek! Man it sounds like it was amazing! Wish I could have been there, I want pictures! Even if you have to email them, do it! You’re right about how the girls need to do things without their parents….it’s kind of like moving out going off to college, it’s a test of testimony instead of relying on mommy and daddys, just on a smaller scale. Next generation of great YM and YW in Silverstone ward has come! That’s sweet about the testimony meeting being such a powerful one. I hope they will always remember how they felt about the temple that day. I remember a powerful testimony meeting at the San Diego temple on our priest trip to cali!! From that day on I knew it was where I need to be. Im jealous…I can’t go to the temple for 5 months and 2 weeks…I didn’t know how long I had left until I read bug’s email! Dang her! Just leave the counting alone for now, wait until its days! ?

Do you have landons address? Or his email? Same with Kayla, you have hers? I need to write them! Matt wrote me and blair an email telling us how lazy and trunky we are since we don’t write to him anymore haha. Then he wrote something in Spanish and translated it just for me, blair probably loved that. All 3 of these guys will be spittin Spanish when we come home. Don’t worry, matt said they will force me to learn it.

I read these emails yesterday but then the internet crashed so im replying today. As for right now we don’t have any baptism dates, mostly because we are working with member families, helping them to prepare to go to the temple to seal their families! The hard part is getting them to legalize their marriage, plan for a small ceremony, and getting the money to actually go to the temple….oh yeah, did I mention this goal ends in june? We’ve got 4 months to finish that and baptize someone who has a family member in the church. Could any other mission do this? President told us that the Lord doesn’t just want these people to benefit from this goal, but us as missionaries. We get to learn the importance of sealings. President is convinced that the main reason the Lord sends us on missions at this age and time in our lives is to prepare us for marriage. Everything we do is with a companion….one that we didn’t get to choose. This is perfect practice and sometimes its freakin hard and most times its sweet!

Wow, Sorry to hear about Rachel! I hope she gets better! I pray that she will be just fine. Her new child will definitely make the sickness worth it! Happy birthday Jacob! This might be the first time ive said happy birthday to a member of our family in an email ha. Im terrible with remembering things like that.

I wish I could be there to help you in all the ways I didn’t when I was at home. Ive got a lot to prove when I go home, I hope im ready for those 5 months to be finished!...Not yet, still working at it!

Love, Elder Lehr

Nobody ever told me Josh Howells had a call! And now he's leaving! Thats so awesome!! I just love that family! Was his mom as hysterical as you get?? Hahaha im just kidding!

Pres Utchdorf in a State Stake Conference!! You guys are so lucky! Thats awesome you got to hear from him. And it sounds like the same advice that we have been given since forever! Its very simple advice but a lot of us members have a hard time just DOING it. I can definitely see that we need more missionaries, there are so many areas jsut in our mission where president sabey could use more, but we just dont have that many to do what he could do with this mission. Its frustrating im sure.

It looks like speeding tickets run in the family! Hahaha im not the only lead foot! Hehe. Tine is lucky that i lead the way in tickets so that if she ever got one it wouldnt be as big of a deal to you and dad! It worked! :)

Oh no....you poor guys with no dryer!! What will you even do now?? Atleast you can dry your clothes inside where nobody can see, but we hang it on lines outside and of course they always get blown off into the mud and we've gotta rewash em. You would think by now we would of gotten clothes pins (yes i bought some for when i came but they are gone now).

Sorry i cant be there to help with the funerals!! Im coming very soon ha! As sad as it is to see anybody pass away, its so good to hear that she was about to go to the temple and worthy to go!! SHE DID IT! We should be happy because of that!!

So this week we have been preparing florence for her baptism which happened yesterday!! WOO! It was awesome. We combined our baptism with branch 2. It went really well, except that the power went off right when we got to the chapel so that means, no pump to fill the font.....dont worry, the young men in our branch are powerful!! They took a bunch of buckets and went across the road to fill them and carried them back (on their heads of course) until it was atleast passed the knees. It was still difficult to do the baptism cuz the water was so low, but it worked out! Also, more exciting news... This next sunday is the district conference and they are going to announce that they have applied and been accepted by the First Presidency to become a Stake!! Everyone was so excited because they have been working very hard at accomplishing that goal. Branch presidents have dont wonders in this area, sending 25 or so elders out on missions, sending so many people to the temple and of course this area is known for the amount of baptisms each month! These people are working so hard, they deserve this! President Sabey has been telling them that if they want to be a stake they need to start doing things as a stake and that they need to look like a stake, so they fired the custodians that are paid for by the church and started using members to clean the chapels and mow the grass and keep everything in order. Its been sweet! A few members of the area presidency and another general authority will be at the conference this weekend and im sure President Sabey will also be there. It will be an awesome conference! They will prepare tons of food to celebrate afterwards!! (fast sunday being the following week haha).

So i said the good news first, now for the not so good news....yesterday morning the assistants called me and told me that there will be some emergency transfers that will happen today (monday). Elder Speechly and Fawole left this morning. Speechly is going to Sunyane and Fawole to Sekondi (Takoradi). Everyone was kinda shocked and wondered what the heck is going on, but i guess its all because they have moved all of the foreign missionaires from Ivory Coast and made Togo/Benin their mission and they had too many missionaries so they sent the missionaries from that mission that were from Accra area to come to our mission. So we got 3 extra missionaries from their mission that showed up on saturday and now today they will be with their new companions in their new areas in their new mission. Kinda sad for them, no more learning or speaking french. We are getting Elders Gibson and Dodd (i think thats how you spell his name) in the place of Speechly and Fawole. They are on the way here right now...I hope they are ready to play some football because we are going to play against branch 1 and 2 today at 3! Itll be sweet especially cuz they talk a lot of smack and think us obrunees cant play! We'll show them! haha.

Well i am doing great and loving life, knock on wood i havent gotten malaria in 8 months or so!! YA!! Dont ask me if i sleep in a net or take my meds, i dont want to lie! :D I love you guys! Cant believe Feb is over already! Bring on March!

Love Elder Lehr