Elder Lehr Ghana Cape Coast Mission

Possibly Elder Lehr's last email home 08/08/11

2011-08-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

YOOO!!! One email left and i dont think ill even email cuz its a very busy day next monday. We are having a sweet fried rice and chicken meal with both zones then a few of us are heading golfing with elder zoll! It will be legit! I cant believe its so close!

Yesterday was sweet, a father and son show up randomly to church saying they are just visiting and want to know more! Too bad i wont be here for their baptism! Ah! But two of our investigators nana and osei came! I WAS SO HAPPY FOR THEM!!! They've been promising for weeks to come, they both bought white shirts to come, i sure hope they are here to stay. Bishop talked to them and they are very happy but still wanting more time to "go through the teachings." Its sweet!! I would love to baptize them before i go!!! Nana will be coming to the US for 6 months by the beginning of next year, he wants to see me when he comes he says haha. Its been pretty sweet lately. Im leaving my companion with some serious investigators for him to work with, which is pretty sweet considering how difficult asokwa is.

Im glad the dogs are ok! hahaha more importantly that you are all ok! I come home at 10am!! Holy crap, i can have lunch! That will be awesome!

I just lost all train of thought of what to say, i guess it doesnt matter right? Two weeks away...sweet!!

Love you!!!

2 more emails left............. Aug 1, 2011

2011-08-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

EFY!! Awesome! they will be great! Two more mondays left to email, that last monday ill be traveling to cape coast and probably wont email, and wont need to!!! :D :D :D :D :D Can u believe it mom, its finally here!!! Got just a few more weeks of keeping my head down and ill be right there flying over the hoover dam seeing the casinos! i cant wait! :D

I just asked dad to put some money in the acct, if not then its his wood carvings that wont make the flight!!

Bug sounded really excited about maybe making batbusters and having the byu coach talk to coach doug about her....thats so awesome, i hope everything works out well.

I love you mom, i cant wait to see you, i know u want to be my first hug, but im sure youll have to beat the girls running... or i can just imagine tine waiting at the end of the....disting.......i cant remember what they are called....stair thing that moves ummm....escalator??? Sigh, im so ghanain!

Elder Aloysius ate his first fufu yesterday and hated it.....it was the two biggest balls of fufu ive ever seen a member give us and he couldnt eat half of his and i ate 3/4 of both of ours......im a beast...you cant tell by what i look like, but just ask sister zoll. Elder Zoll things i have worms. They made us beef and chicken tacos last night.... OH MY GOSH!!! Ive missed REAL mexcian food, and sister zoll kept saying they ARENT COSTCO tortillas but it works! hahaha i love them. Needless to say i had a bloated stomach that whole night and i can feel my intestines right now, they are so sore! hahaha. It was worth it! :D

Well mom i hope your week is great! ITS AUGUST BABY!!!!!!!

Love Elder Lehr

Greenie is homesick--Elder Lehr trunky?!!! 07/25/11

2011-07-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a crazy week! Thats awesome about efy and bug getting to bat....winning the game for them! ha. BYU knows my sister....when its time to get karli in, we'll tell the BYU coach he has to pull some strings to get her brother into the school or else she will go somewhere else! hahaha, never know, it could happen! :D

I cant wait to be with you guys, its getting so exciting....the only problem about it is that i am having a hard time not talking about home and its killing my companion because he is just realizing how long two years is and seeing me leave will be really tough for him, he's pretty homesick. Reminds me of myself! He's a great missionary already!! We just had a baptism yesterday, he got to baptize brother Tetteh!! He was pretty excited to have his first baptism. Hopefully we'll have another one a week or so before i leave! We're praying for them. Mercy and Josephine came to church for the 5th or 6th time in a row! Awesome!

The zolls are getting to know kumasi very well, they dont really need me to show them around too much anymore. Elder Zoll is a pro ghanain driver haha. I love them, they are so down to earth and hilarious! They are still kinda in shock with being in ghana though, its not an easy thing to do.

Thats so awesome that Jared, Don and Justin get to go to scout camp in san diego together!! What a coincidence!! :D Im jealous of that....we need to go to the lake when i get home....can we plan a trip?? Lake mead isnt far! :D

Not much else to talk about! I love you guys, dont count the days just yet! Im pretty sure i want olive garden!

Love Elder Lehr

Training a Greeny :) for Elder Lehr's last transfer 07/11/11

2011-07-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hey mom!

This week has been alright! We got to meet our new mission president, pres shulz and his wife! They are pretty awesome! They served here in kumasi as CES couples 10 years ago and loved it! Pres is a sweet guy! He asked me about 30 mins ago if i would train a new missionary, this will be awesome!! the Zolls are very happy im staying here haha. Im so excited! This greeny is lucky because we have worked our butts off to get 4 serious investigators and probably 3 that will be baptized within these 6 weeks. We'll have a baptism for brother Wisdom Tete either this sunday or the next, gotta talk to the district about it since there are 3 groups that are under Asokwa's leadership and they want to coordinate baptisms together....their excuse for that is to save water. Lame. And nobody likes when there is more than one person being the baptizer....also lame. I think if the investigator wants their missionary to baptize them then it should be that way....not somebody from another group or another missionary who never taught them, thats just how i think though and its almost never the right way here. AND IM OK WITH THAT! Does this even sound like cody to you? I knew you'd say no!

Sister Wallace went to Cape Coast today and goes home tomorrow! She was probably my favorite sister in my relief society district in bantama...remember them?

Elder Zoll always tells me i have a worm or something because I can eat so freakin much but im so freakin skinny. Its funny, karli will definitely lose the wings competition!

I cant believe im on my last 6 weeks, last transfer. Holy crap time has flown by. Im excited but also very sad because i know i probably wont see most of these people or missionaries ever again! Its going to be a rough plane ride but im sure ill be very excited when i get to new york to see all of you in vegas! Got my flight info yet? I called the assistants to ask them to check on that.

Well ill send you some pictures! I love you guys! Have a sweet week! :D I have no idea where my companion is going or even who i am getting to be my companion yet. Youll know when i know i hope!

Love Elder Lehr

Getting Spoiled by the Zolls :) 07/04/11

2011-07-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Glad you got the pictures! Cant believe its 4th of july...didnt think about it til an elder at pday said "happy 4th of july!" All i could think of was las vegas lights and blowin stuff up and driving out to the indian reservation to buy boom booms AND BBQs!!

Yes the zolls are just so winderful!! I honestly think ive gained a good 5 pounds or more this week, especially after sunday dinner! I cant believe i heard them say sunday dinner, havent heard that expression used in a while! It was delicious pasta and chocolate chip cookies. Their grand kids skyped them during dinner so we got to meet a lot of their family....which includes a really cute grand daughter headed to BYU this august! :D I miss white girls... anyways!

We were with Elder Leko for a full week and got his same exact companion back. President just needed to talk to him about some stuff, now he's back. They are in UST ward where i used to have district meetings when i first came to ghana. Now we have them in our building here in asokwa which is nice.

Baking bread was a lot of fun especially since we are trying to speak twi and they are trying to speak english and neither of us can understand each other except for the small twi that i can speak haha. A member's mother in UST is the bread maker, i dont think we got a picture with her but just the workers. She is really nice, hopefully one of these days she will ask her son more about the church since we help out a lot. Those Elders in UST ward go there every saturday to do that, it takes most of the morning and afternoon to do. I was a little sore just lifting bread and bread dough off the ground to put in the oven....Im such a sissy and so out of shape its crazy.

Played some football today though! That was a lot of fun....the american team dominated, except the last game ha. Elder Harrison plays for BYU so its good to be on his team.

Do you know how many investigators i have given shirts or pants or ties and still never came to church?!?!?! I just wish they would tell me the truth about what is stopping them from coming so that i at least try to help them, but they like keeping things to themselves.

Lol runny tummy huh? I didnt notice you said it like a ghanain til i read it again haha. Sorry for bug!!

Im sure the dogs here would love to eat that little bird....they are just skin and bones here! Saturday night elder david and i raced back to the apartment because we both had a turtle head pokin out of us and then some dogs started barking at us and my companion freaked out and stopped running thinking they would chase the guy running...ha, i win! These skinny little dogs dont scare me much, they are rat dogs haha.

So you went to dinner with who? Uncle Bob!? How is he doing? He has spent more of his life WITH her then WITHOUT her so im sure i would miss her like crazy too if i were him! Even with the knowledge and assurance that we will be with our family again, its still a lonely world without your companion! Gotta try and stay busy!!

This was a great week! Took the Zolls around to all the different groups meeting houses in kumasi, which took two or so days since they are so spread out. Took them to our favorite investigator who randomly came to midweek on wednesday saying his brother found the church and he wants to know more. Met with him that wednesday night adn thursday and friday is when we took the zolls with us for their first discussion....they loved it! We taught him about the origin of the book of mormon, read some scriptures then went through the introduction with him. After that we taught him about prayer and the Holy Ghost....how to receive answers to prayers. It really was just a spiritually powerful lesson. Turned it over to the zolls and they bore their testimonies....both of them crying haha (we would call them "fresh") It reminded me of my first few lessons that were really good and i was trying to hold back the tears.....Im not much of a crier now! You wouldnt believe it! :D Then they opened up their laptop and we played the Restoration Dvd for him. He loved it and told us....now its up to me to read this (the book of mormon in his hand) and pray about it. Then he came to church on sunday and told us and the bishop he is ever ready to be baptized so we told him we could do it this month, we just have to finish a few more lessons with him! I mean come on....we just found him! He's sweet....sorry i didnt mention his name...Wisdom Tete. His brother said the church is a huge blessing in his life! Love him.

Also, we had a recent convert bring his wife to church the last 3 sundays, its almost impossible to meet with them but even through the rain we went to see them yesterday evening. Her name is lucy yeboah and she is just SOO SHY. She wouldnt hardly look at us or face us in the lesson, we kinda thought she was being rude and not wanting us to be there til we asked her how she felt about the church, her eyes lit up and she turned to us and said she likes it but just needs to learn more about it...she said kakra kakra which means, small small. So that has been our week, add a good lesson with a young guy named peter, he is reading the book of mormon here and there, we gotta push him a little more to come to church. So in short, im LOVING IT HERE! Its great to finish in this area i started in, the members are great!

I am well and fat and doing very good....7 weeks!

Love Elder Lehr

New couple missionaries-"The Zolls" 06/29/11

2011-07-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

yo ma!
The week has been pretty crazy, lots going on. First on wednesday we get a call from the ZLs telling us to pick up our 3rd companion since one guy had to be transferred to cape, so we took his companion with us. The guy with us is elder leko and came in elder harris's group. He's a sweet guy from uganda! So we had him with us all week.

Saturday he said there was a planned service project in between our two areas, we went and helped a bunch of non-member woman bake bread in those mud ovens....the round dome shaped ones with a single door. We have some pictures so u can see...maybe next week with the pictures.

Sunday we had a combined baptism at Asokwa for the Daban and Atonsu groups that both came off of asokwa. We are the ones with the font so they came to our ward after sacrament and sunday school. It was a pretty sweet baptism, 3 people and two of them were a husband and a wife. Nobody baptized from us though, not yet!! After that we went to see some less active recent converts....one was sick and the other had traveled somewhere, excuses excuses. They are powerful guys, they jsut need a little push.

Then we stopped by our apartments and met president and sister sabey with Elder and Sister Bennett and the new couples....Elder and sister Zoll (Bonnie and Bud, they havent gotten used to calling each other elder and sister zoll yet so we know their first names well haha). They are hilarious!! They are converts to the church contacted by two elders in OREM!! Now they have 5 sealed children with 19 grandchildren all strong in the church, wow!! He is an ex-marine and just retired from as a lawyer. I love them haha. Today was there first day out and we took them to the chapel to pass out subsistance for all the missionaries and they got to spend some time with all of us getting to know us. Afterwards we went to town and showed them some few places to buy some things they needed, lots of people trying to take advantage of them....This is Ghana. Then they took us for pizza....they have been treating us like kings ever since we got here, we've been very thankful and i feel very spoiled!! They are so ready to get going, but they just dont know kumasi or the leaders here yet so im going to be helping them a lot, which is sweet cuz they are awesome!! They are from sandy, UT.

Elder Lytle is home, wow!! Love that kid!! :) Zac is engaged!! Holy crap! haha too soon for me too. :)

Love you, have a sweet week!! The Zolls want me to extend cuz 2 months isnt long enough haha, he says he'll tie me down and water board me if i dont!!

Love Elder Lehr

Christine's graduation 06/21/11

2011-07-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

cant believe tine will graduate today! Sorry about having to make a slideshow cuz cody did hahaha, wish i was there to make it for you! The stones have been gone for a while. Feeling great! Except im sore from playing football yesterday.

Madagascar sounds freaking sweet!!!! Thats so awesome! I think that is a french speaking mission....maybe?? My MTC president, president harmon served as a mission president over a mission in madagascar and i think it was french! Does he go to provo?? Presidnet harmon loved it there!! Its pretty close to south africa so im sure its fine!! Its an island....remember risk??

I have never told any of my friends to start writing karli....they are just doing it...karli needs to be straight forward with them or just not accept their friend requests!!!!

Well i lvoe you so much!

Gotta go! Love your son, Elder Lehr

Barekessi Dam 06/13/11

2011-06-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

Yeah so im not sure if the kidney stones have broken up and passed or if they are just in my bladder still, but the mission doctor says i have an infection and im taking ciprofloxicin for that starting today. Every since that first day i havent had much pain but if they are still in there waiting, its only a matter of time. For right now im just taking those meds and drinking tons of water to hopefully flush it all out and get rid of this infection. Its not making me sick so its not too much of a problem, just really painful that first day. Um ya im not taking in very much dairy at all ha.

Elder david has been here only 3 months so he is pretty fresh and reminds me a whole lot of elder ekaette. I really like the guy and we're getting along just fine. We are sending 5 families to the temple on thursday to complete the mission goal for 9 missionaries in the other zone. Most of them have come to our area to teach these families and the next few days more will come. Asokwa is pumping out families for this goal haha. Everyone is very thankful and im suprised that so many from asokwa are prepared and ready to do it. The bishop is all about temple work and not so much into missionary work so thats perfect for this mission goal haha.

The Senior couple has had some visa problems for some reason and should be here the 26th, so i havent even met them yet, they are at home waiting to come still ha. So ill have 8 weeks to get them into gear, not that im counting :)

Today we drove out to see the Barekessi (thats how it sounds) dam. It was pretty sweet to go around the place and get a tour and be able to go underneath it through some tunnels where all the pipes are. Its a lot better than just playing football every week. It was a good change of scenery.

FHE at bishops wasnt anything special, because it was my first time i had to give the spiritual thought (they call it spiritual talk). Good thing i had the conference edition.(Thank you sis. Mackay) I went to president monsons talk on temples. It was sweet, they gave us water melon after wards.

Well ive gotta go, my companion is bored.

Love Elder Lehr

Good News? Kidney stones, not Malaria? 06/11/11

2011-06-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

So tuesday at 3am i woke up with pains in my side and back, then it went away. Wednesday morning about the same time i felt even worse pains, and it did NOT go away for 7 straight hours i was dying of these severe pains in my abs and side and lower left back.

Went to the hospital got some fluids in me since every time i would drink something i would throw it up. There was blood in my urine and just all kinds of problems. Got through to a doctor by 1 in the after noon cuz Ghana and hospitals suck! Got a few prescriptions including an antibiotic to kill the infection in my urinary track. Went to an ultra sound place and a med lab to take blood and urine tests....Ive been feeling pretty good since ive been taking that medicine every day 3 times aday.

The mission doctor says he's 100 percent sure its kidney stones....and i still havent passed them yet, thatll be a sweet experience. Ive been drinking water like crazy and havent felt too much pain since that wednesday but just thought i should let you know! Ill be fine i promise!! 3 months left! Dont worry about me! :D :D 7 Missionaries are coming to our ward tomorrow to teach some families so they can complete the temple portion of the goal from our families....asokwa is powerful! Love you dad! You can tell mom if you wanna scare her! :D

I finally feel like I know what I'm doing 06/06/11

2011-06-13T15:53:00.001-07:00

My week was fantastic! I got here on wednesday and we have been working our butts off every since. My companion has been here for 3 months and is from Nigerian, Elder David. He is awesome! I love this kid! We have found 6 new investigators that could be interested so we'll see. Asokwa has changed a lot. This is the very first area in kumasi that i came to straight from the mtc. I love it here. There are now groups in Atonsu and Daban that take a lot of the old members but there are also a lot of new faces that have moved here or been baptized since i was here, its exciting to be back.

As for the couples i havent met them yet, they come up on wednesday sometime. I think they are called the Zolls. Elder and Sister Zoll. It will be exciting for them to come. They have no idea what Ghana is like so it will be funny to see how they adapt :) . I got an envelope from the Mackay family! They sent me the new ensign and i got it today, tell them thanks for that! I get to use it to teach a FHE lesson with our bishops family! :D

President and sister Sabey leave like the first week of July. The Assistants have gone around taking videos of everyone saying something to them and theyll put it on a disk for them as a going away gift, besides that i think they have scheduled another zone conference in the next two weeks where im sure we can say our goodbyes and stuff, itll be interesting getting a new mission president. The new president has been to ghana i think twice, serving as couple missionaries both times.

I feel so good being in this area again. My companion and I are working so hard and its such a good feeling especially getting close to the end. Its a sweet feeling when my companion looks to me when teaching or when Im speaking a little Twi and he asks how to say some things and im able to teach him. I never thought i could get to this point where i finally feel like i know what im doing....Ironic part is that it will only last these 3 months haha. I wish i could have been like this my whole mission, how powerful that would have been.

Bounti, the guy that adjeifio and I baptized within my first few months is still here and active and going to the temple next month to do baptisms with the wards!! He was just so excited to see me again and to tell me that he's going to the temple and planning on a mission after his school finishes! :D :D

Well ive gotta head to bishops house for FHE. I love you guys. I know that God lives and loves me. I especially feel that love when i kneel in prayer asking for forgiveness each night. The church is true and this work is HIS work, to bring to pass the immortality and immortal life of man and HE directs it. I have had so many trials and frustrating times as well as amazing and powerful experience....add it all together and its called...mission, the best two years...SO FAR. :D I love you all and will talk to ya next week!

Elder Lehr

Back to the beginning---Asokwa 05/30/11

2011-06-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

So after we finish appointments durign the day and the evening comes there is nobody around to translate for us, so we use the day time and work all day then when it hits like 7 we come to the stake center to use the internet, its free and no hassle and just nice cuz of the AC....all of this doesnt matter since i am being transferred to.....DUN DUN DUN.........drum rollllllll.....................................................................................................................................................................................
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Dont cheat youve gotta read all of this before you know... ....................................................................................................................................................................................
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ASOKWA!!!!

Hahaha just kidding....

No really.... im going back to where it all began!! I cant believe it but its for real haha. President called me and said he has a special assignment for me and my heart was racing so hard.... then he explained the news of a new couple coming to finally replace the Kiffers spot in asokwa and he wants me to train them. Since i know all of kumasi so well. Then he said my companion is also very new and will also need some training too.....training 3 missionaries? Is this possible? Im excited to see the old stomping grounds and bare my last testimony where i bore my first! It will be sweet! My companion here in Fosu is also leaving so they are white washing this area.....which sucks cuz we just got a huge teaching pool and even baptized that man Baffur that was coming to church for the last six months....that was sunday! YAA! He was so happy and appreciative of us and going through the lessons with him. He'll is a solid guy!! He needs a calling!! HES RETIRED AND BORED OUT OF HIS MIND! Haha. We just got a sweet referral who is a nurse at the clinic across from our apartment...SOLID! She will be baptized in the next month for sure. She's so funny and smart....Its such an awesome feeling to teach someone educated and understands what the heck im saying without translation. I can actually learn how to teach that way! haha.

Well i love you so much and I can tell you that ive seen myself grow and change in a lot of ways which is wierd since i normally cant see changes in myself. This is a good thing. Ive still got a long way to go but at least im on the right path. Pray that i can get good enough grades for BYU's crazy hard business school?? haha ill never make up my mind will I? The church is true. God loves us all and shows us in so many ways....we need to humble ourselves and ask for blessings and He will be able to unleash so many more that are being held back cuz of our lack to just ask. I know that is true. I pray for certain gifts of the Spirit that i feel that i need and ive started to see changes. Ive got so many things to share with you and the rest of the family but just typing things and reading them just doesnt do it. Ive gotta be there. 11 more emails left after today! Can you believe that? Its almost less than 10 weeks left....very soon i will be home. I lvoe you so much! Im headed to Kumasi wednesday to be with Elder David from Nigeria!

Love Elder Lehr

and the baptisms continue............. 05/23/11

2011-05-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hey fam,

This week has been sweet. We had a meeting last week with the ward missionaries talking to them about referrals and this week we gained 4 powerful referrals that we were able to meet with. 2 of them are a husband and wife and the husband came to church yesterday then we met with him after church in his mom which is surrounded by members! Im so stoked for them! haha. 3 other referrals are these young guys in their junior year who are best friends with a ward missionary gideon who was baptized less than a year ago! He's powerful. 2 of the 3 seem very interested and serious, the other guy, henry will be a little bit more difficult to work with but its good for him to see his friends accepting it, that will help him see the light. The man who has been coming to church the last 6 months, Baffur came to church and we have finished teaching him the Restoration and Plan of Salvation and he is loving it and wanting to be baptized. The other elders in ward 2 are having a baptism this sunday so we will bring it up to him and see if it is too soon or if he wants it to be this coming sunday! We are going there wednesday and friday and possibly saturday if he needs to be interviewed for baptism. He's a very intelligent and wealthy older man who lived in an area near Asokwa in kumasi and couldnt come to church there because of his job but now that he lives here he can go to church on sundays and he was very excited to get away from kumasi for that reason haha. I named a few companies near his home in kumasi and he was so suprised i knew where he had lived haha.

Florence and Cecilia are doing well, they've been in the church for 2-3 months now and loving it still. They come to church almost every week. My companion was asked to give a talk on saturday for sundays sacrament meeting....last minute? haha but its ok the missionaries can DO ANYTHING. The women in the church even believe that we are more worthy and prepared to give their children priesthood blessings than their husbands.....this is something we are trying to change here!!! I was also asked on that saturday to teach elders quorum class....better than speaking in my opinion haha. I talked about the Fall of Adam and Eve and how it was necessary and a few of the bretheren had some wierd ideas that the Fall changed God's plan, meaning satan frustrated the plan a little bit and God's back up plan came into affect. I explained from scriptures how everything is done in the wisdom of Him who knows all things and it pretty much straightened their twisted theory out. Its kinda sad how people can be in the church for so many years and now fully understand basic standards and doctrines of the church. I used the same outline Elder Holland used when he spoke to us last year Feb. Its a sweet and simple outline that works well when teaching the Fall and the Atonement. I love it. It was wierd how everyone looked at me funny when i started talking about how the Atonement helps us to become exalted like God and how we can have all the He has.....It was like they had never heard that before. It was an awkward ending to the lesson. haha.

Besides the weekly stuff, our zone is finished with the goal, not for long im sure....transfer news are next monday and im sure we'll get 3-4 elders who havent yet finished and we'll have to send some more families to be sealed. Bring it on, Foso is powerful. I hope you have a good week and STOP counting the days!!! haha. Love you!

Love Elder Lehr

Food at PEC....there's a thought 05/16/11

2011-05-23T10:11:00.001-07:00

Everything is pretty good, we had more food at our PEC meeting on sunday and walked into a baptism....a guy who has been coming for months but for some reason everyone thought he was a member, so we will start teaching him the lessons this wednesday and have a baptism in two weeks i bet. Transfers are two weeks from today, the 30th. I hope im staying since i havent been here for more than 5 months but you never know, things happen. This week we had a meeting with all the ward missionaries to plan an activity and also to talk about how we can get more investigators...im sure after this week we'll have at least 4 referrals so that will be sweet. Much better than no help at all! :D Its almost like if the members feel like its been too long since they've seen a baptism they start sending referrals towards the missionaries. Its funny but its like hey, we wish we could of had these earlier haha. We played football today, elder ikor wanted to play really hard since its his last game against us haha. He seems so ready to go but hasnt stopped working hard just yet! He's a funny little guy.

Love you guys, not much else to say!
Elder Lehr

Whining......... 05/02/11

2011-05-14T15:43:00.001-07:00

Concussion?? what the heck?? Thats crazy! I want pictures of the prom!! Dont mail them....email them im not here much longer. haha. my last phone call has finally come....and i dont want to spend a lot of money this time so itll be shorter and probably be on speaker for everyone to hear me ok? Just wait out 3 months like i have to ok?? Be strong! :D and please stop being sick!! What will the family do without you up and going?? Get the rest you need...remember it takes 7 days with or without medicine...grandma says so. I am doing just fine...honestly. Im over the sickness completely. My toe is probably like my finger except it healed correctly, well atleast its still healing, im sure its broken, nothing i can do about it. It doesnt hurt unless i pull on it so ill stop pulling on it. Im a little irritated with having to deal with zone leader stuff....planning pday activities that nobody wants to do and if i do nothing then everyone gets bored, theres no winning with whiney missionaries. An apartment's electricity will be out for over a month so we have to move them to an apartment in fosu, so dealing with that is a lot of fun. And an elder's money is missing and is blaming his companion and his companion claims he didnt do it and is mad for being blamed so thats a problem... all 3 of the apartments in this area are almost completely out of propane and the place to fill it has been out so that is a problem, so we are carrying 3 or so tanks with us on a tro tro to trade with some elders in cape coast tomorrow, then head to zone council and talk about the goal that should of been completely finished by today but two of the other elders families arent going for a couple weeks, they out of the blue changed their minds. But hey atleast our family is at the temple right this second sealing their marriage!! Exciting! And then we have to deal with all of the money for paying bills. Just stupid stuff that i wont have to deal with, missionaries acting like little selfish kids, im sorry for ever being that way and giving you and dad such a hard time....i can now see how much of a punk i was for so long. Well the light is about to turn off cuz its raining and i need to send this, if it continues to work ill send more pics. hope you got the ones i sent to dad yesterday?!?! Nobody ever replies to tell me they got them!!! SO REPLY!! :D

LOve you!

Cody

Met someone from....Kanab Utah :) 05/02/11

2011-05-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

I hope this video works! Its of a monkey we found while coming to the internet to email today hahaha. Also a rare thing is what the monkey was crawling on.... an F350!! Never see american cars, well atleast not manly trucks. This week has been pretty good. We found a few service projects to do and also found a sweet new investigator named eric. He was convinced that there was no life after death....till we sat down with him and opened up the scriptures. We made a believer out of him and now he wants to know more about the church and joseph smith. Should be a cool week with him, we'll see how well he does. We went to cape today to get our money and we felt like a burger so we went to that place with the crocs and ate there. The place was packed today! We saw so many white people it freaked us out. There was a young mormon couple who live in accra there. I guess he works for the embassy so they live here. He was embarassed to say he is from Kanaab....saying yeah remember the place everybody uses for the bathroom before they get to lake powell? haha funny guy, but just wierd that he lives here. He asked us if we drive cars in our mission...we laughed haha. Burger was good and my companion couldnt just go without one so we enjoyed together. Expensive but worth it! Well i love you guys, everything is going good here. Im not counting but i am now sprinting for the next 112 days then i go to accra and wait for my plane. Its going to be freakin sweet to see you guys!! :D Im getting really tired of writing emails and trying to make things sound exciting when its just the same stuff every week, but ill continue to try cuz i know you love hearing it anyways. Ill try to send more pictures and keep the emails a little shorter. Deal? I love you dad. The church is true. Repentance is the only way we can become like our Father. Price for our sins are free, but God-hood takes refining AND God's help. Im learning a lot lately about the Atonement. Its opening my eyes to a lot of simple yet misunderstood doctrines of the church. Love it. Well im gunna load some pictures so i hope it all works! Love you!

Malaria for Easter 04/27/11

2011-05-14T15:37:00.001-07:00

Sorry i havent sent an email yet for this week but there isnt much to say. I have finished the malaria drugs and feel a lot better and have an appetite again but just still always tired. Itll be a few days of that im sure but its all good now. Hope you guys enjoyed your carne asada you punks....i thought about that all day sunday. Thanks for that torture. We are meeting with a couple who plans to go to the temple next week tuesday....they did the marriage ceremony with the bishop and some members there this last weekend but cant go til tuesday, so no worries thats approved (its supposed to be within a week of your marriage that you go to the temple or else you have to wait a whole year). So we will be the last ones in our zone to complete the mission goal, which is just fine since we will be the first zone completed!! Thats exciting! Well ive gotta go, love you all!
Love ELder Lehr

Happy Birthday Elder Lehr 04/19/11

2011-05-14T15:35:00.001-07:00

I wish i had a lot more to say about this week. Yesterday was transfer news and nothing happened in the zone, since we had emergency transfers last week and the week before. Our zone should be finished with the goal the first week of may, which is freakin good compared to other zones. There is something about assin fosu that just cant happen in other places in this mission. Its always the first zone to finish the goals. Im really blessed to be here. So last sunday we had ward conference and it was pretty good, cant say awesome since i dont understand what they are saying 90% of the time. Yesterday we all went to cape coast and played american football on the beach, tackle of course. It was pretty sweet. A few times we would get tackled in the water and a wave would come and nail us, so you cant call it swimming! :) Im really enjoying my new companion haha. He's a sweet guy, both of the Liberians in the apartment are sweet. Elder Holmes texted me today asking if we could come over and give him a blessing. He's been taking coartem (for malaria) since yesterday and its not working. He throws up everything he eats...Flu? Stomach Flu? Anyways, it went well and he went straight to the shower and off to bed after the blessing. He should be fine in a few days. School is out for 3 weeks here so we get to spend a lot more time with the ward missionaries and a few of the guys that sent their papers in. One guy is Joe and elder nelson and i like him a lot. He paid for our dinner (big fufu) at a chop bar for my birthday unexpectedly. It was really sweet!

Well i dont have much else to say...not a very exciting week haha. I love you mom and hope you can live through all of the stress of life. It will all work out i promise!

Love Cody

No General Conference for us YET! 04/04/11

2011-05-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hey mom!
Foot is doing fine, i can finally fit it in a shoe. :)While you were watching conference i had sacrament meeting! :D Cant compare the two. I cant believe its my last one on mission. Ill be excited to get the DVDs from Salt Lake to finally watch conference. We'll have to fight the ward for them ha. Church went well, had some investigators at church. Florence (our recent convert) was in the hospital for a few days, not sure what was wrong but she was released on sunday so everything is fine now. We have that family we are working with for the temple part of the goal and they are doing good and the mans sister cecilia will be baptized this sunday!
Thats sweet everythnig is all figured out for registration. Yes economics, but im pretty sure itll still be general classes since i havent even finished a full year yet so just jam it with general classes.
This week was kinda crazy, a lot of mid transfer changes. Two guys in the other fosu apartment were moved to different areas and so Elders Holmes and Baron came into that apartment to be companions! Im stoked cuz i love elder holmes and i finally get to be around my MT elder baron that i havent gotten to know so itll be sweet. Today was a sweet p-day! Elder Ochieng and I planned the party today....the goat party! We got a member to sell us a goat and one of the ward missionaries Sombato came and killed and skinned it. We grilled it! I hope you enjoy the pictures, we had fun with it! TIA! :) We had a bowl of fufu and a bunch of the goat meat to chomp on, expensive (like 7 bucks) but freakin delicious. Tomorrow we have interviews with president and i guess now we have to instruct...theyve never had the zone leaders instruct at interviews but now apparently they are. Ill be glad just to get tomorrow over with, then wednesday we have Cecilias baptism interview. Either Thursday or Friday we will go on splits in Praso, which is always fun seeing the old stomping grounds. Sister packer and Kasim are always the favorites to see there.
Thats all ive got for this week, ill work on more of those pictures for ya! Have a good week!
Love Elder Lehr

Bank card retained & taxi driver arrested-not bad for a Monday

2011-03-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

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)

Assin Fosu becomes a Stake! (03/08/2011)

2011-03-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

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

Ivory Coast Missionaries move to Ghana (02/28/2011)

2011-03-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

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

Lovin the visits from General Authorities...........

2011-02-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

Family!

Everything is going great! Im loving it here in foso. Its a sweet place to serve. In Foso there is Elders grant, speechly, and sintim who i have been around a lot before and love. These guys are awesome, especially speechly who's blog you always read i think. haha.

i will be home before you know it and youll want me out of the house before you know it too!! Try and believe that! haha. Tell everyone hi for me! I dont know what i said in my emails to have somebody cry, but i guess its a good thing? And yes I see elder ikor every two weeks or more it seems. He is a zone leader and doing very well! I love that kid. I saw elder ekaette yesterday for this meeting we had with 4 general authorities!!! He is doing good and got emergency transferred because they were opening up a brand new area in asokwa and brought in two new elders to take his place, so he got moved down to swedru, nothing serious haha.

Yesterday we had a chance to hear from a few general authorites.......
President Gonzalez and his wife spoke to us. Hes a president of one of the quorums of seventy. Him and his wife are from uruguay....he's a crack up. He mentioned where he is from and talked about how he wont mention the outcome of a certain soccer game that took place last year... meaning the world cup game between Ghana and Uruguay. He said it will just bring problems. Funny guy.

Also, Bishop Mcmullan (dont know how to spell it) from the presiding bishopric and his wife spoke to us. They spoke about their missions. He gave a powerful testimony about how our missions are the hinge on a door and will determine how wide that door of our lives opens. He bore testimony about how hard we need to work and even after our missions until the time "where we go to lay down our weary bones for the last time and pray saying O God, I thank Thee for....my mission." The way he said that hit me so hard. It reminded me of how President Holland always talks about how he is the most thankful for his mission and how much it changed his life. It was very motivating.

His wife, Sis. McMullan served when she was 21 and was sent to west germany....with NO MTC! She talked about how a certain experience helped her rely on the Spirit and ever since then the language just started coming to her. After being out for 3 weeks or so she was called to train a new missionary and was shocked! She said that not only does the Lord look out for each individual missionary but he looks out for each mission in itself. It was great hearing from them, i wish you could of been there! :)

Besides that my week was normal, we have a baptism this sunday. Her name is Florence and she is 19 and was born in Ivory Coast but moved to Ghana when she was young. She was one of the people we taught when president came and when we asked her if she kept her commitment, it felt so good when she responded with Joseph Smith's story almost verbatim!! Elder Joseph and I smiled at each other because it felt good to have our investigator be serious while teaching with president haha. The work is really growing here and these mission goals have really blessed not only our mission but each of us too since we get to learn the importance of families and the temple while completing these goals. Our new goal is going to be difficult but we're working on it with the branch president. He has already told us of 3 families who are trying to legalize their marriage so they can go to the temple within the next two months!! This goal is so sweet! Helping families become united by being sealed in the temple! :) :)

Hmm...something you didnt know about ghana....Is that you have to do everything with the right hand. Whenever you pay for something, use the right hand....when eating you use the right hand. If you use the left hand its an insult and a lot of people will give you crap for using the left. If you go to hand someone something with the left hand sometimes they just wont take it til you move it to the right hand. Not sure why, but i think its cuz they use the left hand to wipe....hahaha I dont know how many people use toilet paper. :)

Thats all ive got for this week. I love you guys so much! Oh and my camera is ummm spoiled, ill try to just copy pictures from other guys cameras so i can still get new pictures the rest of my mission. No problem! Itll be all good.

Love, Elder Lehr

PS:
1--"Ahhh melted chocolate in the dash, that really ups the resale value!" "Hm, they have a thick candy shell, suprised you didnt know that." "Your head is a thick candy shell" "Shut up Richard." "Are you talking?"
2-"I can hear you getting fatter!"

Teaching with Pres. Sabey (just updated past 3 weeks)

2011-02-16T20:46:00.000-08:00

Hi family,

COOP! Thats so awesome! I cant wait to see that guy! Thats funny you ran into sister corbett....moms just being moms always crying. Elder Corbett gets home in less than a month. So yesterday i met a guy in our branch who lives here but is schooling in accra, just got home from his mission in ivory coast last september, he was companions with elder legere and i guess he talked to him on the phone like a month ago and he's getting married?? Good for him! It was a funny coincidence running into one of his companions on mission in my area haha. He tried calling him when i was there but he was probably in church. Funny.

Jacob bingham is going to el salvador! Thats awesome! The familiy is growing up without me haha. Court of honors and baptisms and birthdays! Next monday is 18 months though...YES!

So this week has been pretty interesting. Elder Joseph and I got to do some teaching with president in our area....of course i was the nervous one. It poured rain the whole time and we ran through puddles and mud going to the next lesson ha. Normally would of jsut waited til the rain stopped, but had to step it up with president around ha.

Yesterday we had a branch council meeting that started with a huge pot full of yams and a bunch of stew....best branch council meeting ive ever heard of! Its a smart way to make sure everyone shows up....bring food!! The church is true! Also yesterday we recieved a phone call from a family in our branch that just got baptized maybe 2 months ago....the woman said her and her husband were getting divorced. My heart dropped and we hoped they would be at church so we could have the branch president meet with them. They came to church seperately and left seperately and only the wife talked to the branch president. The wife and husband both called us wanting us to come over that evening...we went over and the wife wasnt there so we acted like everything was ok since the husband never told us what was going on....so we taught a lesson from the Family a proclamation to the world....it went alright ha. In the middle of the lesson the wife came home and joined the lesson, akward feeling in the house. After the lesson things opened up and the husband told us the whole story and arguments were flying back and forth and we tried to cool things down and tell them that we cant do any counseling but that the branch president could really help. The wife refused but i think things ended in the right direction....we're praying for them. Two young boys that are hilarious and full of energy. I love this family! Members really look up to missionaries and they think we can fix everything....its just not this way at home, nobody would call the missionaries to come save the day, but thats how it is here.

Thats all ive really got for this week! I love you guys!

Love Cody

letter to mom......oh, and dad.......02/07/11

2011-02-16T20:36:00.000-08:00

LETTER TO MOM:
So happy the packers won....HATE the steelers haha. Sorry bro kilgore....maybe i could write an email to the ward and mention something? haha evil huh. I LOVE how you didnt mention what food you guys cooked up for the game, im happy for that. :D wow....coop will be home and giving his talk, thats so freakin awesome!!! I got the package from the howard clans...letters from everybody at the christmas party and a bunch of sweet goodies that are all gone already, except the ranch dressing and salsa....an elder in my apartment, elder toe, knows how to make tortillas so WE MADE A BUNCH and cooked a nice bean stew and i put the salsa on it.....MAN IT WAS so bomb! Busy saturday for don and laura, thats so awesome! They've redefined how our family does scouting. hahaha. Im so stoked about you and dad both getting work....Count our many blessings and stay humble so we get move up and onward, instead of spiral back down the path of forced humility ha. Im jealous about you going to the temple....i miss it.

Do you still have the email i sent about what classes i want and stuff? and yeah i dont think its time to register for fall classes yet... maybe ask someone at csn when that date is? I looked on the website for a few mins, couldnt find it. (and yes im allowed to do everything i need to do before i go home, meaning school and maybe online applications for jobs when the time gets closer... what do u think about what job i should look for??? I need help haha, ill be a stressed mess when i get home ha. Lots to do and not a huge clue about where i should go. Thank goodness we have our Heavenly Father. He is always there for us.

If i were home id be all over that funeral, setting up and pretending to help cook while eating the food....mostly im just moral support. haha. I love you mom. Cant believe 6 months left and a few weeks....thats only 4 more transfers after this one, holy crap. It will come very fast dont even worry. Cant wait though! :D Hope you have a good week and also hope the scriptures are able to help relieve your stress ....Book of mormon works everytime.

Love you mom!
Cody

LETTER TO DAD:
President Sabey taught us all something about our callings when we go home, especially leadership callings....he asked us to name all of the functions we could that a bishop has to do....we named quite a few and he said we could name a lot more....then he asked us what we think is the most important function....is it worthiness interviews? Is it working with the missionaries? Is it helping families? We could go on and on and on... then he said....the MOST important function of a bishop is to LEAD. There are many many men who are called to different callings that are over certain members of the church and they may perform ALL of the functions of that calling and maybe even be VERY good at it, but they are missing the point. They need to LEAD those they are called to lead....then he said now how can we lead those we are called to lead? What comes first? First, we need to KNOW what direction the Lord wants us to go....That takes effort in prayer and pondering about those we are over....then we ACT. I thought about this a lot... and its very true. We could perform all of the functions we need to in our callings but not do what the Lord wants us to do. This is how we miss out on the BIG time blessings that come from leading in the direction our Father wants us to. I hope this makes some sense haha....maybe apply it to your calling over the priests? I have no clue how you can get closer to the priests, but our Father in heaven sure does, so ask him. :) Simple concept, but certainly takes great faith to carry it out.

Sigh....both you and mom both talking about going to the temple....IM SO JEALOUS!! And your email was worse than moms because it included going on a date!! With your wife!!! You bum....you've got the life!

I love you dad. You are such an example to me. I cant wait to come home and be the best son you have ever seen. Hope you have a good week!

love you dad,
Love Cody

Bounce back email 01/31/11

2011-02-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

This is the email from last week, not sure why it got sent back to me.....
(this email is from January 31, 2011)

This palce is awesome i freakin love it here and am excited, hopefully i might finish my mission here! Ummm its a branch...there are 4 branches in this place, its sweet. There was actually more members at church on sunday in this branch then in my ward in kumasi. Sad. Abrua is in cape coast and thats like an hour away and we go there maybe twice a transfer. We'll be going there next p-day to play soccer.
Yes naomi sent me a bunch of goodies....talk about the REESES!!! AHH! :D :D
I miss hearing from those guys in ward conference...pres richards is amazing. Dont think too much about me coming home....6 months is too long to think about constantly! The time is really coming though. 5 transfers including the one that just started....itll come fast fast. My new companion is elder joseph from nigeria. In my apartment there is elder Toe from liberia and elder ochieng from kenya. Sweet apartment! I hope it stays us four for a while.
We had a service project on saturday. We went with a family to this place where they make palm oil. It was sweet, we made like 5 gallons, turning the oil press ourselves. Its not an easy thing but it was sweet haha. Ive got some pictures and videos of it, but have no way to send it to you through the internet, this computer sucks. Youll see it in 6 months haha.
I love you guys and hope your week goes well!
Love Elder Lehr

Back to the Bush....Assin Fosu 01/25/11

2011-01-25T18:13:00.001-08:00

The week was great! We had a "Missionary Sunday" yesterday where all 4 of us in the apartment participated in the sacrament then me and my companion gave talks along with our ward mission leader....then we had a baptism for Francis, Frederick and Mcallan!! That was freakin SWEET!! I'll send pictures tomorrow since im being transferred......drum roll.......back to the village!! This time its Assin Fosu!! I didn’t want to leave here but if i went anywhere i wanted it to be there ha. So it’ll be sweet. New companion is elder Joseph from Nigeria. Way cool guy.

I’m stoked for coop and his family, that’s so awesome! 2 weeks!! wow! Nate....knows how i feel haha. I’m sure its a lot alike...just different language.

I’ve been slacking on the letters....I’m just so done with letters, I write a whole bunch of them, get %10 returns so I stop. I know I know....my family has done really well with letters....but an email is just as good right? I’m doing pictures more often, I hope that counts for something. I hope it DID, cuz i can’t do that anymore so hope you appreciated that ha.

So on Saturday we went out to a place called Ampabame pronounced ampami. That is where Mcallan, the guy we just baptized yesterday, lives. After teaching him about the Aaronic priesthood he had a question that he asked in an interesting way....he was sooo excited to be baptized and couldn’t wait to receive the priesthood so that was his question, how long do i have to wait to have the priesthood?? We told him that its supposed to be the day you are confirmed but the bishop is in charge and we hope that he will talk to you about it. He just recently moved to this place from Takoradi (a bigger city than this small village haha) He’s heard that there is a small river that flows down the road from the town and that there are huge fish there that are children of the river goddess and if you touch them you will die very shortly!! hahaha. He, like us, didn’t believe it but wanted to see the huge fish they were talking about so we went down the trail to the river and brought bread to feed the fish and found the place. Its JUST catfish and tilapia....haha. I wanted to just go catch one and bring it on into the town to show them, but then i figured id just be transferred and they’d believe that i died hahaha. Mcallan took is two puppies with us, reminded me of walking our dogs, miss them! When we came back one of the men of the town asked me in Twi if i touched the fish....i told him that tomorrow i will go catch like 3 of them and we'll cook it and CHOP! He said no no no no no you shouldn’t do that if you like your life. I laughed, but they really do believe it. Crazy. Kind of like Juju, Satans power. watever. haha.

I have 7 months left and president has given me another assignment so I’m pretty sure I might "die" in this next area. I’m stoked for that! Assin Fosu is the zone I was in when I was in Twifo Praso, but now I’m actually in the Assin Fosu part an hour away from Praso. It’s an hour or so north of Cape Coast and they’ve been trying to make the area a stake! It has 4 powerful wards in the city and one down the road. We'll see if I get to experience that before the end. I’ve been reading the Book of Mormon a lot and am still amazed how i feel during the days that i read compared with the days I don’t, and yes that happens even to missionaries. I can really feel a power helping me, especially with temptations. I’ve gained a strong testimony of that and will keep that with me the rest of my life. I will never forget elder Holland’s talk about the Book of Mormon, go watch it again....it never ceases to amaze me the power in his words. I hope you have had a good week, a busy week, busy is always a good thing I’ve noticed, if we aren’t busy then there is something wrong. We always need to fill our days and weeks with meaningful things to do, run out of ideas? Look for someone to serve, or even better....go home teaching haha. The Lord CAN’T use us if we don’t go out and try to find something meaningful to do. Seems like a simple thing to learn but it’s real and that is how the Lord frames us into who He wants us to be.

I gave a talk yesterday about remembering our baptismal covenants and focused on a few of the qualifications for baptism found in DnC 20:27 I think.....I have it highlighted in my scriptures its on the left page bottom right of that page. My favorite one that I talked about was taking upon us the name of Christ, I used an example of working for a company and always having to do your best or else everyone will judge the company because you are their representative. I ended with the tree of life...mentioning an insight that the first thing Lehi did after partaking of the fruit was he desired his family should also partake of it. The ward members needed to hear that....not a lot of full families in this ward. I ended with DnC 18....the worth of souls is great. I really felt the Spirit as I spoke and that was a huge answer to my prayers....I know missionaries are seen as ultimate when it comes to speaking at church etc and that i shouldnt be nervous to speak.....but i still am. Im nervous for a homecoming talk haha. So much expectations to live up to. I know that my Heavenly Father can use me more effectively because of the studying I’ve done on my mission, the Spirit cant recall something to my memory if it was never there.

I hope you enjoy the pictures and video im sending tomorrow!!(video didn't work) Mostly of the baptism...Francis and Frederick were all hyped up like we were about to play a game, they wanted a sweet video to remember it so my camera and his phone did the trick, that’s the video ill send haha. You’ll love it but think its kind of funny and a little weird before a baptism haha. I love those guys...ill miss them for sure! :D Well have a good week, love you!!

Shortest email yet.....Jan 17, 2011

2011-01-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

I love all of your emails....you really take the time to write me, sorry im not more like you! This week kinda sucked....i had a bad cold and still have the snuffles ha.

Sorry bug! That sucks....keep your eye on the ball!! Black eye and stitches...attention hog?

THE BEAST IS GONE!! What??? You sold my truck? I loved that truck----hahaha---thanks for finally getting rid of it!!!!!

Im horrible at writing emails, sorry for that, just cant wait to come home so i dont have to write you emails, just talk to ya ha. This week we have a sweet baptism, so stoked for that!! And then transfer news comes next monday, comes so fast. Only 5 more transfers left...good thing they come so fast!! :D

Love you have a good week!!

Kiffers Going Home.....North to Alaska!

2011-01-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

Life back home sounds so complicated. I dont want to come home....life is so easy here. Just come move here, we'll live happy and stress free and be able to strengthen a ward here in ghana....what do you think? I cant even think of what to say anymore ha. We gave 4 people baptismal dates this week so thats exciting! Only 3 of them came to church though :( One of them is judith, she is our ward missionarie's sister. She's very quiet and very shy, you would never think she is 20! Looks like shes maybe 16. Shes pretty funny and always at institute and church so thats sweet! 2 others are francis and frederick. Francis is the guy who made friends with a member in utah on facebook and is now talking to sister missionaries on the phone and came to church the last 3 weeks!! Whoever says facebook is bad needs to learn how to use it! :D Theres my two cents about that. Frederick is his brother who hasnt been to ANY church more then 10 times in 3 years...promised to come yesterday and DID! Sweet guys! They love us and are going to bomb us with questions, elders quorum lesson is to blame....went into WHO created the earth...nice lesson for two investigators right? haha so we've got some work to do to be ready for their questions ha. THE KIFFERS ARE GOING HOME ON THURSDAY!!! HOLY SMOKES! Can you believe that?!?! Our zones got together and gave them two big thank you cards with signatures and a few words from everyone in kumasi. And printed a big picture of all of us up here and had them print ghana cape coast missoin....no i didnt spell that wrong on purpose, its what they printed on their and the kiffers thought it was funny since they know how ghana is haha. Sister Kiffer cried and gave me a huge hug ha, i told her what you tell me mom, this is not goodbye!! Its just a see you later! :D

Well i hope everyone has a better week....so happy to know the plan of salvation!

Love Elder Lehr

Referral from Facebook

2011-01-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry i am writing today, i read the emails yesterday but wasnt able to respond because we had to go meet with our bishop for family night which is sweet, i dont think the bishop has had missionaries over in a long time so that was nice. Right when we show up he was talking to a man and said we should take his number and call him and teach him this week. SWEET!! Im loving our bishop more and more the more i get to know him. This ward is pretty powerful! On sunday we had 4 investigators come to church who should be baptized by the end of the month! So that is exciting. One of the is named Francis. He said we randomly became friends with a guy in Utah on facebook and he started talking to him about the church and gave his number to the missionaries at the call center and they have been having conversations with him. He showed up to church last week asking to see us and for his own copy of the Book of mormon! SWEET!! The first day we met with him he gave us his brother, Frederick, to teach as well and we went there today to see them, powerful lesson reviewing the Restoration and the Book of Mormon, their next assignment is to read 2 nephi 31 which is the Doctrine of Christ! The baptism chapter ha. So that is sweet. Bantama's 2nd ward had a member bring two of his friends to church who stay in OUR area and we are supposed to see them tomorrow! Im stoked! Serious people to teach! The Lord is doing His work and its amazing to be apart of the miracles that consistently happen when we are just doing our simple part of going out to work. I love it. Our bishop has given an assignment to the ward council to call 2 ward missionaries from each auxilary to teach the 5 lessons after baptism to our recent converts....Elders will teach the men and relief society the woman and etc. And that doest count the 2 other ward missionaries that he has already called that are preparing to go on mission. One of them went with us today, it was sweet. His name is dennis and hes probably my favorite member in our ward ha. Well ive gotta go,.i love you all and hope you know how much our father in Heaven loves you. Anytime you need a reassurance or just a good peaceful feeling, go back to the basics of prayer and reading the Book of Mormon daily, ITS POWERFUL! Ive noticed since President and Sister Sabey gave us fresh book of mormons for Christmas and wanted us to read 9 pages a day starting with the new year. We will finish by the end of Febuary. While we read we are supposed to focus on all the scriptures where the Savior is either talking or talked about! If youve ever done this youll know that its practically every other verse! :D Im noticing things from the book of Mormon ive never noticed before and its enriching and refreshing. I love this book!

Have a good week!
Love Cody

8 months to go................

2010-12-29T08:05:00.001-08:00

I feel horrible since you wrote me a huge email and i feel like i have nothing to say back! I loved the phone call even though im now wishing my mission could just be finished ha. 8 months will come very fast though so thatll be sweet!!! Tell kayla good luck for me!! She'll love it and do a great job!! :D

Elder harris says hi! :D And that we are going to live together AGAIN in provo/orem. Well i love you mom! Tell the whole family sorry i didnt call them this year, i didnt call anyone but my family so take that mom and karli! You guys thought i didnt go take a nap but that i was calling other people, like who?!?! Theres nobody to call....they are all on missions.

Love you, talk to ya next week!! :D

THIS IS A LETTER FROM A MISSIONARY THAT CODY ASKED US TO WRITE TO LAST APRIL.....HE HAD NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HIS FAMILY OR ANYONE. NOW WE WRITE AND EMAIL HIM. HE ALSO CALLED AND TALKED TO EACH OF US ON CHRISTMAS....HE IS FROM NIGERIA AND VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND! THIS IS THE EMAIL FROM HIM AFTER WE SPOKE ON CHRISTMAS!

Hello dear family,
i was the most happiest person on Christmas day. i hope you have a wonderful celebration for the new year. i really appreciate all that you did for me this year.
i will write you my conversion story and post it to you i don't have enough time to email it to you. i will tell you every thing.
My family are doing great right now. i found out on Christmas that my siblings have all joing the church. My mum can not understands the teachings of the church because she did not go to school my dad have a little problem with alcohol and he can't be a member of the church without putting those stuffs away. That is my family. i have no uncle, no aunty because my father is the only surviving son of my grandmother. i did not come from a big family at all.i will tell you more things about my family as i continue to email you.Have a wonderful week.Bye
Elder Ikor your son.

Christmas phone calls are the best!!

2010-12-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

We got to hear from Elder Lehr very early on Christmas morning! It was great to hear his voice. Our family got to talk to him for quite a long time :) Countdown to Mother's Day!

Elder Kamara leaving the apt :(

2010-12-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a baptism which went sweet, it was for the sister missionaries in their branch but they needed their candidates interviewed so i was there for that. We have a baptism of our own this sunday that im excited for! We are baptizing a wife of this sweet member! He used to be into the "thug" life as he called it but changed and now his wife and two kids are in the church for good!! haha. Transfers were today, only one guy in our zone leaving, elder kamara, elder mackays companion right now in our apartment, we are all mad haha. The new guy coming is in my group of MTs (came the same time as me).

Not much else to say this week, im sorry but emailing just seems so boring, same stuff each week, not too much extra exciting stuff haha.
Short email= sorry! I feel bad.

Well i love you guys! Tell the girls ill email them next week and to enjoy their christmas break! Lucky bums!

Love ya!
Cody

Elder Mackay and Elder Lehr in the same apt! :)

2010-12-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Wow, i think i learned a lot just from your email mom about the Law of the Fast, repentance is needed and i WILL be doing it the right way next month. You read my email in the lesson?? What did i say again? Im sitting by elder mackay right now and he showed me a few pictures from the FHE with colby, sounds like you guys had a fun time, besides getting emotional, i can tell by the picture that you were! Sheesh mom, its been 15 months and ur still crying over ur baby boy? Haha. Im just kidding! Dont cuss at me just yet lol.

This week was a pretty good one. We got a few good referrals we will be meeting with this next week. One was from Temple square!! We'll see about that one, exciting though, automatically means future leader! The other referrals were from members here that seem to be pretty solid. There is a man named chief who has been a member for quite a while but wasnt sure if the "traditional" marriage was completed or not, found out it was so now we are preparing his wife for baptism, which is sweet. I love this family. Young couple with a few kids. Another baptismal date was given to a 9 year old girl who stays in a far place called Kotwi. She stays with a powerful family and they bring her to church every week. We asked her who Joseph Smith was and she suprised us! She told us the whole first vision and about his parents going to different churches and how he read in the bible and then prayed and God and Christ appeared to him. It was sweet! She's ready! :D So hopefully we can add one or two people to the baptism by the time the 19th rolls around in two weeks. We also have a missionary fireside the 18th that the ward mission leader has helped put together for the members to bring their friends to and we have a casual fireside to help those new people feel comfortable. We are watching the Restoration dvd too, its powerful! It gets me every time.

My companion is hoping we stay together for atleast another transfer since we both kinda just got here. I am hoping for the same. I love this guy. Today both zones played football on a real size field. We played zone against zone...we played well but in the end they killed us haha. We had like 15 mins left 0-0 and then they just fired them at us. 4-0, bummer.....yaaa it was bad. lol still fun. 2 of the missionaries last p-day so they made it count. One is our Assistant Elder Hill, cool guy and the other is Elder Ayim!! Remember that name? We were companions in Twifo Praso for that first transfer then he left. I love this guy, definitely one of the top Ghanains. And guess who else is gonig home?? My Father Elder adjeifio! Francis will be his name next week haha. Im gunna miss these guys but atleast elder adjeifio will be coming up next month to say goodbye to the Kiffers who leave this January! Crazy huh? Everyone who was somehow new is now going home.

I heard a little bit about Ivory Coast, but not a lot of details. Yes, their borders are closed but i heard it was just for a 3-4 day election, not because the parties were fighting or something. Never know though....it could be more serious then what i heard. Either way it doesnt sound good. Im sure Elder Legere will be able to get home by Dec. 18, things should cool down. Dont think missionaries are on lock-down so i dont think they should worry.(Cody is wrong, they are on lockdown) Ghana is just the most peaceful place on this earth. The only fighting you see is a few drunk people, crowds beating a man who stole something, or up north is where a lot of the fighting here happens lol. All the members say how safe this country is and how if you wanted to walk across the whole city late at night that nobody would bother you haha. Dont worry im safe here. Mesquitos and the sun are the only killers, oh and the cancer that is STILL on my arm haha. Its gotten a whole lot better but is still there, just red like a rash, but doesnt itch or sting. I get a lot of people asking me what happened...i tell them its cancer of course. Not many people understand sarcasm here, so of course i, just laughing on the inside. My companion understands it thank goodness! We are really getting a long. He got a letter from his friend in south africa, one of their missions, and the guy was talking about air conditiong in their apartment and driving cars and he had pictures of REAL pizza......jerk just rubbing things in haha. We both suffered seeing the real pizza haha. Ive decided that Zimbabwean's are the coolest guys in this mission. There are 4 of them up here in kumasi and 1 in Sunyane. They are freaking tight.

Sooo ya, about Sunyane, everyone in Kumasi will be going there next wednesday for a Christmas Gathering!! Food, music, fun, etc. with President, Sister Sabey and the couples. We are stoked about that! Everyone down south is headed to the mission home on different days to do their own there. Im excited for that! I just hope that there arent very many changes in the zones before that happens! The Elders here in this area are awesome, some of my best friends.

As for my health, im freakin tired from soccer today....cramped up both of my dang calves at the end of the game after they put a womping on us. Sucky feeling....these dang calves haha. Im not in horrible shape, but today was killer haha. This week we have district meeting, ill be instructing, not sure what that will be on just yet. Its tomorrow so i might wanna get something prepared. Also tomorrow, President and Sis. Sabey are coming up to check our apartments and probably to help with the new apartments they are opening up for those small groups here in Kumasi, which will be sweet. It will lower the amount of people attending wards but make it so much easier for more people to come to church and these groups will be in control of President Sabey so he will be able to train the new leaders of these groups which is the best part. No offense to the stake presidency here but having President train will be a good thing. Im sure a lot of missionaries come home talking about how amazing their mission president is, but president Sabey is the real deal. He brings power into every single instruction he has...He has always been able to teach me something new and bring the Spirit. He is so inspired and really does follow every impression he has whether he knows what he is doing or not or knows why or not. He's taught me a lot since ive been here especially when he talks about marriage or parenthood, which he brings up A LOT!! Haha. So im definitely excited for this Christmas Gathering to see what he has for us next!

I love it here. I love being a missionary and doing the work. Brother Kwame and his wife Jennifer still havent come to church, but are loving the lessons still. We watched the Restoration video with them and they enjoyed it. It didnt help that the little newborn 2 month old baby was crying and the 1 1/2 year old girl was begging for attention haha. It was sweet though! The wife said that when her baby is 3 months old she will start coming to church. Bro kwame told us he is having a problem with this land he bought and is desperately trying to sell it and only has time to meet with the real estate agent on sundays....kinda sucks so we are hoping he is able to sell it soon. They are progressing though, just need them to come to church which has always been the struggle in this mission. Not a financial issue with this family though so thats good.

Well i hope this email is a good n long one for ya! :D Well i hope you guys have a good week! Love ya lots!! Elder Mackay just lost his entire email cuz his time ran out so im gunna hurry and send this so it doesnt happen to me too!! :D

Love Elder Lehr

LOTS OF GROWTH BACK IN KUMASI-----11/15/10

2010-11-16T16:15:00.000-08:00

this week was pretty good, yesterdays zone conference was pretty sweet. Pres Sabey announced that he is going to be able to open up small small groups in kumasi!! He wants instead of 8 places of worship in a city that has 2 million people, 22 places of worship. They way he is doing this is renting missionary apartments with a big enough hall to hold sacrament meeting and have the missionaries RUN EVERYTHING until it grows big enough or atleast a group leader is ready and trained!! This will help so much! People will soon be able to walk to a building no matter where they live. He is opening up 3 of them this next transfer and before he goes home next summer he plans to have all 13 of them ready to go, plus a new building for Suame ward who doesnt have a building. THIS IS EXCITING!!! He is taking all of the wards and branches that have 4 missionaries and move 2 of them to one of these new areas. The area presidency is so excited for this and is just trying it out in the new Region up north! Its sweet...we are laying an incredible foundation for the growth of this stake. 5 years down the line it can split a few times!! It will be amazing to finish my mission here, i hope i get to stay for long!! :D 2 of the 3 new groups opening up this next transfer were in my old area asokwa! Its so exciting! There is a member out there who taught families in here area every monday night and taught primary each week at her house and now she will have one of these small group meeting houses RIGHT BY HER HOUSE!!! HUGE tender mercy for this woman! The Lord is seeing how faithful she is and this is a huge blessing that comes from it. There will be almost 50 missionaries in this city soon! This mission has a possibility to split by the time pres Sabey goes home. That is a goal of his. He is incredible.

Thats pretty awesome about tyler organizing the fireside and sharing personal experiences! Sounds like he is growing up a bit! Him quiting football sound like anyone you know?? Haha. He's a stud! We are definitely still finding new people....its more productive to serve members....we dont even ask for referrals, just serve them and let them know how much we care and the referrals follow! Its an incredible place to serve. Our mission broke the record for baptisms in a single month, i think it was close to 170 or something. Think about that for a second. We are working on a goal that focuses on recent converts, NOT BAPTIZING A HUGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE!! And you see how the Lord has used the recent converts to further the work. Its really amazing. Ponder how sweet it is to be a missionary here in ghana right now! Im so blessed and thankful for my call to serve, especially to serve here. I love it.

Thanksgiving will be awesome! Im sure grandma would love to hear from me haha. Either way, Christmas is coming soon! :D
Karlis grades slipped??? Was that a prophesy? I CALLED IT! :D BOY CRAZY!!! WORSE THAN GIRLS AND GIRLS ARE WORSE THAN DRUGS!!! :D

We have been given by the Brethren, 8 fundamentals of Preach My Gospel that we are to focus on. They help us to increase the effectiveness of teaching. It teaches us HOW to teach and not just WHAT to teach. The first fundamental is the Doctrine of Christ. Its found all over the Book of Mormon, but my favorite scripture to demonstrate it is the whole chapter of 2 nephi 31. WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO GO THROUGH THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST ON OUR VERY FIRST VISIT AND POSSIBLY ASK THEM HOW THEY WOULD FEEL ABOUT BEING BAPTIZED!!! Can you believe how bold that is. It tells them right off the bat what our purpose is. We still wont just baptize anyone, but fruit that remains, but it gives them a goal set and we are able to prepare them to reach that goal, whatever it takes. ITS SWEET!! :D

I love you a lot! I hope you can see how much serving a mission has changed my life. Its incredible what the Savior can do with someone who is ready and willing to follow through with whatever he wants done and the way he wants it done. Church is definitely true. Book of Mormon is incredible scripture, so clear and pure. I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

LOVE YOUR SON, Elder Lehr

New companion is freakin sweet! 11/08/10

2010-11-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

The new companion is freakin sweet! His name is elder kundiona from zimbabwe, bordering country of south africa. We are getting along pretty good. No he's not a greenie! haha. Elders kamara and thompson are in my apartment. Kamara is from sierra leone and thompson is from orem. Both way cool guys, sweet apartment. The guys in prison will serve their terms and then be released, we dont talk about that.

We had a lousy one investigator for the conference viewing. I was a little upset but its all good. Saturday we taught bro. kwame (the really smart guy who said he's "half way in, not all the way yet") on saturday. It went pretty good. We talked about the creation and fall of adam and eve and life on earth. Next time will be more on the atonement which will be sweet!! He's coming along slowly but surely. He said he wants to study the Book of Mormon in depth, so we'll see. Love lessons like that, these people keep me going!

Im excited for tine working a lot!! GO TINE!! Sorry about her backing into pres truman'S truck, how did that turn out??

Exciting about bug doing well! She needs a scholarship since i couldnt get any! hahaha.

So raiderS!!!!!! Beat the chiefs!! YAA!! OT!! hahaha go raiders!! Finally....ever since that superbowl that we should of taken the 2k. haha.

Definitely agree with the fasting and praying and going to the temple! That will help, but sometimes the Lord just wants us all to learn and grow so it still might take time before things get good again. Just hang in there!! I watched two talks of conference that i loved and made me think of our family so much. The first one is pres eyring in the sunday morning and then pres monson in the sunday morning!!!! Those two talks are so sweet!! Please watch them as a family!! :D

Well i love ya!! Have a good week!

Love elder lehr!

new comp from Zimbabwe :) 11/01/10

2010-11-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hey fam, doing well. Yes we had 4 investigators at church yesterday, one is a 19 yr old girl who's grandparents have been in the church for forever. She just stopped going to her church and has been coming and finally someone told us she WASNT a member. We teach her only on sundays since she is a hair-dresser all day everyday except sunday. Her name is gloria, she is very serious and wants to be baptized, so that was a nice baptism that fell into our laps. haha. T|he work is gonig pretty well here, just looking for more people to teach, always harder in the cities but not too bad.

TRANSFERS! So my companion is going to elder harris's apartment and im getting an elder from zimbabwe who is pretty cool i hear. haha. No other big changes except a few more elders going to the new area in the next REGION over. The city there is called Sunyane and now there will be 6 elders and a couple that was just put there. That place is growing small small haha. Elder Akoki is the new assistant! hahahaha. I love that guy. Kinda sad i have a new companion cuz i love elder marsan but we'll see what happens.

Thats awesome about your stake conference. I DIDNT KNOW THINGS IN OUR AREA BACK HOME WERE THAT BAD-HIGHEST FORECLOSURE? DANG! So glad im still here for another 10 months. Things better settle down. haha.

Well everything is going well. Healthy and happy, what more can i ask for. Missionary work is so rewarding! I love helping people come unto Christ and find the TRUE church through their own efforts. Helping people to gain a testimony is not an easy thing, but when it happens its the sweetest feeling. Love it.

Well gotta go, love you guys!

Have a good week....slackers....world series??? Not even ONE update, apparently the yankees are out so thats good. haha.

Love, Cody

14 months and counting.....

2010-10-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hey FAM!

I was excited this week to read your emails. Mostly because it was a great week altogether. Last week we asked bishop if anyone had any referrals and this sunday he hands us a sheet with 5 people to meet and also the names and numbers of the members who referred them. (yes we are still new and dont know many members, working on that haha). So this week we will be working on that a bit. Anyways, so there is this man named kwame who contacted us a little while ago. He read the restoration pamphlet and we met at the time we scheduled, saturday night. This guy is powerful. Future leader for sure! He read through the whole thing and said he understood it, so i asked a question to really see if he read and wow! He went on and on about the apostasy and how he doesnt go to any church because he is just not convinced any of them are true, so that is why he wanted to meet with us! (AKA golden contact). Basically we had an epic 2 hour long lesson going into details about the restoration. I felt the Spirit so strong especially when we had him read Joseph's experience in his own words. He told us after the lesson that he is beginning to be convinced and that he "feels" that what we are teaching him is true. Of course we explained that he needed to read the BOM and prayer and he said he would for sure. He also wanted the church website do to more research about our beliefs, which just doesnt happen much here. If this guy is the only person i ever taught and hopefully baptize on mission, it would definitely be so satisfying. I love being a missionary and helping people understand why there is confusion in this world and that their God doesnt want it to be so. Its sweet when they understand that and keep their commitments, strengthening their faith. This church is definitely true and is really so simple to understand. It just makes so much sense. I know the only way anyone can Know if the message is true is through the Holy Ghost touching their minds and/or hearts, which is how my testimony is still growing. I love the sweet, peaceful feeling that It brings. I know that even if it feels like the world is coming down or you are frustrated that you cant overcome something, our Father in heaven can help all of those dark feelings leave us. It is when we surround ourselves with His word's and through our prayers of faith. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I had a whole lot of fun proselyting yesterday. First, I attended a baptism for the sister missionaries where one man was able to baptize his wife and children. That is what this is all about. Such a great experience to be able to hear their testimonies. It has definitely strengthened me. After that we were on our way to the apartment to eat lunch and saw this old man we always greet across the street from us and he was "weeding." That means he is a beast, using "Cutlers" (machettes) to cut his grass. There was half of it left! We couldnt help ourselves, he was just too old to be doing such hard work. The cutlers destroyed our hands but it felt freaking sweet when we finished. Had a few people contact us on the roadside. They loved seeing a white man weeding the way they do in Ghana. It was pretty funny. The best part was to see this old man's smile from ear to ear. He didnt speak one word of english so the little Twi we spoke just made him crazy happy. Just as we finished we saw the dark clouds and the clear blue sky clash in the middle....a huge wind, rain storm was coming! It was the hardest i think i have ever seen it rain. It lasted like 20-30 minutes which was sweet. Call me crazy but of course i played in the rain. White shirt, who cares right? Im in ghana and this rain is epic!

I love you guys so much. Everyone keeps bugging me that im turning 14 months on thursday. Its mostly because there arent that many missionaries in this mission that are past that mark. Kinda crazy seeing fresh missionaries looking up to me when i feel like im still one of them haha. Its a wierd feeling. A good one though.

I want some protein powder, cheap kind if you can. If not, ill just come home really skinny haha. Its up to you. Dont worry about big boxes for christmas please. Trust me, save the money. Use it to help someone else's christmas this year alright? Deal? Thanks.

Well that is all for this week.

Love Elder Lehr

Kumasi...........again :)

2010-09-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

Finally i am able to get on a computer that works! Sorry!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DAD MOM AND TINE TOMORROW!! :D No I'm not THAT much of a loser brother and son.

I'm doing great! Yes I'm back in Kumasi and both me and my companion are brand new in the area. We are in Bantama, where the ward just split so that's sweet! At least it wont be like Asokwa!! :D My companion is elder Marsan from Liberia! He is freakin right!! I love this guy! We will enjoy this transfer and hopefully the next few transfers! This is the place in Kumasi i was always wishing id serve. I'm in the zone leaders apartment. There are 6 sisters in my district...3 brand new ones. They are sweet! It seems like everyone in Kumasi is just sweet.

The package i got was the year mark one with sweet food and pictures! And the leaf and a-corn from Carthage and Nauvoo. It was sweet to see new pictures of my family!!! Sorry your pictures are coming, i promise!! :D

This week Ive really gained a testimony about how president does transfers. He really does follow the Spirit and does it right! I am always put with someone or in an area for certain reasons. The last two transfers in Praso was basically for these 2 ladies we found contacting who always wanted to come to church. They have had problems their whole lives, lots of personal stuff i wont mention. We helped them through it and now 2 months after their baptism they went to the temple to do baptisms and fell in love with the temple. One of them, Bridget, always goes to Accra to buy things for selling at market and is now getting a Temple recommend so she can stop by the temple every other week. I couldn't believe it when she told us that that is what she wanted to do. I felt amazing. Shes been my favorite convert since Bounti and Harrison in Asokwa! I loved when she told us about her temple experience. And now our new mission goal is to help recent converts do missionary work and also help prepare these recent converts to do their ancestors names in the temple! I'm so stoked for this goal, this is what its all about!! :D We are helping to change lives and strengthen these recent converts testimonies about missionary work and the temple! I love it.

Happy birthday dad and mom and tine!! I didn't forget! I promise!! It wasn't my fault, we were even in Cape Coast last week, internet was down. So hope your bdays were sweet!! Do anything special!! Tine you are turning 17 tomorrow?! What?? My little sister is a senior and 17 and dating often?! When did all of this happen....haha. Enjoy it now, real life will come haha.

I wish i could be there with Landon!! It reminds me of how HIGH our family was all around the time of my call and stuff...remember that cloud 9 we were on with everything?! It was such a sweet feeling, the hard work of being ready and worthy of a mission all paid off! I love that kid!

What pictures did you see on e. Speechly's blog?? I love that guy!! Probably one of my best friends on mission, he was in Assin Foso on the Cape Coast--Kumasi road. He is sweet!! Pictures will come!! PROMISE!! Oh and elder Evans goes home at the end of this six weeks, he went to school at Mojave so near marks house, not too bad. I'm sending the stuff down to him this week Friday so it will get to him. Hope you enjoy it!! :D Oh and today we found the fastest internet cafe in Ghana!! ITS LIKE HOME!!! So hopefully in the next few weeks ill be able to take some time loading pictures, its just an expensive cafe! :(

I am loving life...mission is sweet, just pluggin along. Gotta contact all this week...the guys in our area last transfer, one was going home and the other DID WORK in this one area and they are pretty much baptized so we need new people. Oh and that same elder kinda built a house for this member whose house burned down last year.... He is kinda legit. Its freakin sweet!! Cant believe he had a whole house built in like 4-5 months. He's done well. He was upset to leave this area haha. Its a sweet area...the members speak really good English and the ward actually functions on its own really well. I love it!

I know that our Father in heaven always knows what he is doing....even if we might question it, its right! The second we just accept it and go along for the ride with a good attitude, the better off we will be. I love this gospel. Its changed my life and I've seen it change so many while I've been here. Its all about the Book of Mormon. Its just so straight forward and the Spirit just blasts you if you take the time to read and study it! :D So i was really disappointed this week only because our temple trip was canceled by the area office. I was working my butt off to make this temple trip sweet!! But i guess i just need to keep this up til i go with the mission president next august. I love you guys.

Talk to ya next week!

Love Cody

NO EMAIL FROM ELDER LEHR THIS WEEK.....TRANSFER WEEK :(

2010-09-23T23:48:00.001-07:00

Sweeeet Weeeek!

2010-09-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

THE FAM!

This week has been sweeeet to say the least. We have 10 people that we gave a baptism date to....6 for this Saturday and 4 or more for next months! I love being in this area, it feels good to see someone accept the gospel openly and repent quickly when they learn what is right. I cant describe the feeling. Its just SWEET! Its a lot better this week then last week when it comes to the comp. Its a lot more enjoyable in the apartment now haha.

Today, p-day, has been SWEET!!! We came to Assin Foso around 1 and played volleyball against Assin Foso branch 1. They actually beat us 4 straight games...it surprised me to see athletes haha. They were pretty good and we were uhh...ya haha. Then we went back to their apartment and ate a HUGE rice and chicken and stew!! It was delish!! Tonight we are staying the night in their apartment for the mission tour tomorrow!! Elder Sitati from the area presidency will be teaching us! Cant wait for that, always good to have a a good boost! This week will fly by for sure! Baptism interviews on Thursday and possibly Friday....baptism Saturday, then Sunday....weeks over and Monday will be transfer news....NEW AREA WO HO!! (New area is here!) We'll see what happens haha.

Elder Evans is going home next transfer so ill send some stuff with him if he has room, especially some CDs!!!! Pictures and videos and jazz....YA Be excited!!

This last week we have begun incorporating the new training from the first presidency that has come. Its sweet and definitely inspired. We focus a lot more on having our investigators thinking more about making a covenant of baptism....even from the first or second lesson we will talk about helping them make a covenant with God in the waters of baptism. Most people it will work for, others we just wont bring it up til we are further a long. Its good...we get to see who is serious and who isn't and move on from there. I love it.

Ive been working a lot this week on making my prayers more meaningful. Its not easy to do every single prayer during the day. It takes effort to really think about the things i want to discuss with my Father in Heaven and then be heartfelt as I speak to Him. I love the Spirit it has brought into my daily work! :D I know prayer is real.

I love you guys. Have a good week! :D

Love, Cody

I love days like this

2010-09-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

What a sweet feeling it was to read the family emails this week. Ive been yearning for them a little more this week then in the past. Its been a tough week. My comp is a Nazi and its driving me crazy, no worries though, I'm being patient as i can be with only a few sarcastic comments thrown in that he probably will never understand since sarcasm doesn't exist here haha. We are definitely working hard, we gave another 4 people baptism dates and there will be maybe 4 more this week to all be baptized the 18th. One man sticks out in my mind,Bro Tanko. He is my favorite branch member's father and has had a lot of word of wisdom problems for the last year but is now getting over them and is ready to be baptized. The sweet thing about it is that his son, Kasim, is not in town and doesn't know about it yet!! When he gets back he'll learn that his dad is being baptized! Cant wait to see his face, he's been praying for his family to accept the church. Just after his father becomes a member it will be a lot easier to teach the wife. I love missionary work. This has gotta be the sweetest thing, to see people change all because you helped them feel the Spirit in a lesson or helped teach them to read the Book of Mormon or pray. I love it. This is what keeps me going.

This week I've spent a lot of time with elder Kouakou since elder Bentum was going to Cape Coast for some training thing that is specifically from the brethren and it is for every mission. Its sweet! I cant wait to start focusing more on these things they have for us.

Yeah, everyone is being exactly obedient now that we got hammered!! Its a lot easier to do when everyone else is also making an effort. It'll be sweet to see how well our mission does because of all this obedience, since we are already working miracles. Elder Chime (zone leader) said that our zone had 40 baptisms last week and that didn't count our district at all and our baptism will be a good one in two
weeks....we are just being blessed with success. Sorry for all those missions having hard times, keep up the door knocking cuz the baptisms are ranking in in Africa. In a few weeks a new area opens up! It'll be sweet! Our mission is looking to be split within the next year or two, crazy.

Grandma you crack me up! Waiving your hands at my family to sit by you since you got there NOT LATE and saved seats....hahaha. Pres Richards on the stand smiling....i can see it now!

I got the package with that elders garments! Thank you so much!! He will be so happy for those! :D

I agree with you mom, I want to be like Job buuuut....the trials i have now our enough!! haha. Watch out for what you say! Or even think! The Lord knows...

LANDON IS GOING TO ARGENTINA!!! FREAK MAN!! THATS SWEET LANDON!!! 4 best friends....3 Spanish speaking....they better teach me!! Matthew told me he could have me fluent in like 6 months haha. Man, i miss these guys!

BYU is too legit for the mountain west this year huh? I hope they get smashed....it'll be replayed all night long on sportscenter....every 30 minutes BYU loses again. Im stoked the braves are in first!! Finally....after a long 5-6 years. Go bobby cox!

You sure you guys need pictures of me?? You did just fine without them this last year hahaha. I'm joking mom, calm down, don't hit the computer. They will come in the near future! haha.

Well i love you guys so much. Keep working hard....it will all pay off! Trials will never cease, its just a matter of strengthening ourselves to get through them, holding on to what we have already learned. Yesterday was one of the sweetest lessons I've ever had. We went to a less-active part-member family and taught the member who is the mother of the family, Sis Diana. We opened up to Alma 7 and talked
about the Atonement and how Christ has suffered all of our pains, afflictions, sicknesses, etc. and the reason He had to go through all of those things was so the He could know how to succor us. I bore my testimony to her telling her how i felt because of that sacrifice He made for me and how I owe my whole life to the Savior because of it. The Atonement changes my whole look on life, it helps me work harder,
be more patient and loving especially to my sweet (add sarcasm here)companion. The Spirit was definitely in that lesson and helped each of us feel the ways we needed to change. She promised us she would be at church this week, and i silently promised my Father in Heaven that i would be more patient to my companion and try to help him in the areas he needs it, etc. I love days like this. :D

Have a good week!

Elder Cody Lehr

a mission humbled

2010-08-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

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

ONE YEAR DOWN, ONE TO GO!

2010-08-24T18:57:00.001-07:00

Familia!

Holy smokes 1 year has been done away with?? Cant believe how time flies, but at the same time it seems like its taken a while for it to come. Weird feeling haha. We didn't really celebrate too much, but it was sweet. Some of our investigators made some food for us, cassava and a sweet stew that i used to hate in the mtc but now love. Its funny how much the Lord has blessed me with loving the food now. Prayer is real. Then we bought some sweet steaks from off the street and bought some Don Simon, no not the alcoholic kind, the fruit juice which is delicious, just expensive! So that is how we enjoyed it, kinda boring. My companion and i came at the same time so we both enjoyed the night together haha.

There was a lot going on in the branch this week which is a big change! Ever since we talked to the branch president about activities he has really kicked it into effect immediately, sweet! There is now keyboard learning Tuesdays and Thursdays, FHE for single adults on Mondays, Wednesday is midweek (just a class for all of the members to learn something from gospel principles), and there was an ALL AFRICAN service project on Saturday! We all jumped into a big truck and took off to a place called Twifo Hemang and cleaned up a hospital and "weeded" the grass and cleaned off their mosquito net screens for windows. It was a sweet activity. A good amount of members came and we all wore our Mormon helping hands shirts. Afterwards we went back to the chapel and cleaned the chapel and enjoyed a sweet fanyogo (a bag with frozen strawberry yogurt in it. These fanyogos get me through!!) Most things here in Ghana are in plastic bags that we chew off a corner and eat or drink right out of the bag, like water and juice and a bunch of stuff. The best part about that service project was to see how many recent converts, less-actives and even investigators there!! The best news of the week came Sunday when they announced the temple trip and I found out that the recent converts that we just baptized last month (that sweet family, Amoamah's). The husband, wife and two children are going to the temple, plus two of their son's friends who we just baptized 3 weeks ago. Not a better feeling as a missionary then to know that the people you helped come to the gospel are now going to the temple, even if it is for baptisms! Next year they will be able to do their endowments and sealing!!! I'm so stoked for that! If i have no other success on mission then that is ok!!

Today we are in Cape coast and got to play football with both cape zones and even swedru came so 4 zones of elders. We got 2nd in the "world cup" because i missed my penalty kick, heart breaker, not playing for so long really does things to ya, i think dad would know. haha. It was fun to talk with all the other elders though. Everyone keeps talking about this new area opening up in our mission! Its the capital city of the region just above Kumasi, i forget the name but the city is called sunyane! They are putting 6 elders there and missionaries are excited to see who will go to that place haha. This week has been a little different then the past, mostly because we baptized almost all of our investigators and now we actually have to do some finding, but no problem because many members promised us referrals this week and there were a few who brought them to church, imagine that, members doing missionary work? ITS SWEET FOR US WHEN THAT HAPPENS!! :D

Well not too much going on this week besides a training thing that all missions are starting to do. That ll be interesting, being trained by the mission president himself. I'm excited to learn!!

I have learned so many things while i have been here, but one thing that Ive been taught comes from the scripture in Mosiah 2:41 i think. President always talks about this scripture and reminds us of the pride cycle and how it just goes round and round and round and NEVER UP!! But in this scripture, king Benjamin describes how when the Lord blesses them and they prosper instead of turning to pride they show their gratitude, repent and move on to a new level of obedience. Ive definitely see that in my life this past one year. I feel like Ive been blessed so much to conquer a few weaknesses that were just irritating me. I know that as we focus on one thing at a time that the Lord will help us through it. Of course it is not for free. It takes work and i mean HARD work to do things the Lord's way, but its worth it. I have come to love the Book of Mormon more than ever. It really is the word of God and teaches us those precious truths that were taken out of the Bible, for example: agency and the Atonement. The Book of Mormon is clear that without agency the Atonement wouldn't mean anything and without the Atonement, neither would our agency. (2 Nephi 2). I used to be irritated when i knew i had to study the scriptures or even pray, but Ive seen a huge difference now that Ive changed my attitude about it. I love the time we have each morning to study and always feel like its never enough! It has enhanced the work I am involved in and now the Spirit is able to help me recall things that Ive learned, unlike before. I'm so grateful for this gospel and for the strength that the prophet Joseph Smith had! I cant wait to meet him haha. STUD! I know the church is true and that as I live by its teachings i will be bless now and eternity. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love you guys, have a good week!

Cody!

Elder Carton goin home.....

2010-08-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

So excited for Tine to have gone to EFY....and bearing her testimony first in Sacrament, you go Tine!!!

Too many family vacations without me...sad story. I hope illinois is sweet! CARTHAGE AND NAUVOO!?? Im so jealous of that. They are sweet. I love it there. Those places are so nice, especially nauvoo. Its a sweet town. Sorry, i say sweet too much. Everyone here says it sooo thats why.

Im doing good. Hangin in there. Got to go on a lot of splits/interviews with elder carton, remember his mom? Hes from washington state near spokane. He gave me a hug today and said ok i wont see ya in a long while....i didnt catch on to that, then i realized again that he is going home next week. Holy crap was that an overwhelming feeling and its not even me going home!! I still have a year!! WHAT?! Im gunna be nervous haha. But this last week we had a chance to go to the praso river again, elder carton's suggestion, he wanted sweet pictures before he goes home. We jumped rocks across the huge river and took pictures, almost fell in in our priesthood (missionary dress). I asked him if he sent pictures home lately and he said he hasnt sent pictures home since the first couple months of his mission. He said him and his family agreed not to to see the big changes everyone would have. Is that a horrible idea for me to do? Are you mad at me for asking? Hahaha please dont be, just wondering what youd say? haha. Ill just send the pictures.

Glad everything is going well at home. Keep up the RS work, of course we are all being blessed for that. We completed the mission goal with the baptism yesterday. We baptized two children from the husband and wife family from last transfer and had one other guy who worked at the Forever Young school that Brigham Johnson is the owner of. It was sweet. The obrunees who were visiting the school came. One obrunee wanted a picture with the missionaries....felt wierd to talk to white girls, they actually have personality and to be honest, wore me out with talking so fast and so much, ummmm will that be how its like when i come home?? hahaha.

I love you guys. Have a sweet week! Karli, i hope you go .800 throughout the tournament!! Tine, Enjoy the pizza, and everyone enjoy the church sites if you get to go! Take all of it in!! Talk to ya next week probably! Transfer monday this monday coming up! Excitement (not in a complaining way but i sure hope something changes).

Love elder lehr! (cody!)

letter from 7/26/10...

2010-08-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the email, internet isnt working well and im frustrated with it so this will be the only email today, sorry guys. Yes the debit card is working, the Barclays bank ATM was the problem so i just went to a different bank and it worked. Thanks! Sorry about the whole problem. So how is the ipod coming? or is it? I just got a butt load of packages, two from grandma Lehr and one from mom with some sweet letters from everyone except dad...whats up with that fool? haha jk. And a package from julie. There was a nice thank you card for the letter i wrote her.

This week has been sweet, now 7 people have baptism dates. 4 this saturday and then probably another 6 or so on the 14th of august. Should be sweet. We will complete the goal on saturday!! And there is a new area in the mission opening up soon called Sunyane. Its north west of kumasi and sounds like the church is going to BOOM there! The leaders of the city said they want to hear more about the church, of course president did WORK on them about our doctrines. Id love to be among the first to go there!! haha if not, oh well. I like it where i am. Just needing someone to talk to as i work is all....love my quiet comps.

I love you guys and tell the uncles i loved their letters....except for Dons letter... hahaha. Counting down the days for me and talking about food and rootbeer and AC everywhere, nice guy haha. Well i love you guys so much!! Have a nice week!

Love, Cody

Visit to the DEEP bush

2010-07-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

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

Banku, yum! My favorite!

2010-07-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

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

Goal completed!!!

2010-07-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

World Cup...bye bye US :(

2010-06-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

So much to say... well first off yes we lost and YES everyone was going crazy all night long!! Dancing and partying, loud music and screaming haha. It was pretty sweet to see how united a country can be over just one sport, never had that before haha. Everyone was giving me and Elder Holmes crap because we are the only white Americans in the whole village. Man it was hard to be patient. lol.

We did have our baptism on Friday!! It was pretty sweet! Everyone showed up so we had 9 in all. We invited President and Sister Sabey and apparently their son returned from Argentina on his mission and came to Ghana straight away so they were all at the baptism. It was cool for the branch to have his support. Sister Sabey was so happy to have her son home, couldn't help but think about how happy my mommy will be haha. So the goal is finished!!! There are like 8 missionaries who still have to finish by this Sunday, the last Sunday left!! All of them are in the same zone, kinda scary but have faith! We even were able to contact our families few older children during a match and they are interested so the next goal wont really be much of a problem no matter what companion I get. Transfer news is today! That came fast! 6 weeks already... I wish they all were this fast. I like it when things go fast! So i bet my companion leaves since he has been here 14 months. He would leave Wednesday if it happened. There will probably be a lot of changes this transfer in the mission, lots of missionaries coming in. It will be sweet. President has worked on a few new apartments and areas for the church to be in so there will be some opening up of new areas which will be sweet!

Today was a sweet P-day!! We went to Kakum which is one of the only rain forests left in west africa. There is a huge canopy rope bridge walk. Its like 150 feet or so. Not too bad, our Ghanaian companions were freakin out though haha. They hate heights, but so do I, I just don't show it like they do. I was swinging the bridge and really messing with them. Took lots of pictures! After that we waited to get a tro to a nice resort hotel called Hans Cottage. We were almost there when i realized i left my bag on a bench on the side of the road when we waited for a car. No big deal, just an ipod and flash drive and pictures that i need to send you and some letters for you....so we rushed back freaking out about the whole thing. Found that the bag was never touched....there were some criminal looking guys who sell things to tourists at Kakum and apparently they never saw it because it would of been gone for sure! Tender mercy!! Ok, then we went all the way back to Hans Cottage and walked around a huge pond full of crocodiles, SWEET!!! 40 plus crocs in the pond! Then we got to touch one, lots of pictures again!! Ate some burgers! Then we are finishing the day printing baptism pictures and emailing then heading home to wait for transfer news! What a full week!!

Yesterday I really felt like i was going to puke because i ate wayyy too much fufu. The member made more then usual and everyone was already somehow full. I just kept swallowing little pieces til it was gone, my companion was surprised because its usually him who saves the day by finishing it up haha. I was going to pop! Walking the long way home hurt haha. I love fufu now.

I love you guys!! Have a good week! I'll let you know if anything happens to anyone in the apartment for transfers! Transfer week is never really productive especially when people are moving out and in. Gotta go!

Love Elder Lehr

Loving the Bush

2010-06-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Family,

How are you? mom, Stop crying yet? Bahaha I'm sorry to laugh....just funny how we both have the same feelings sometimes. Some days its just not easy to be so far away. Two years is a long time but the year is coming so i guess that came quick. Of course I'm your favorite son, I'm your only son even though Tine is a tough girl and Bug plays sports like a guy. HAHA Don't tell them that. Ohh World Cup...Just hoping the US beats Algeria then we can advance and maybe play Ghana for the first game, haha that would be interesting and fun. Everyone here goes crazy when somebody scores, especially African teams and of course Brasil... They are just too good.

My companion will probably be transferred this transfer, president has kind of hinted that he has been here long enough and needs a change. Just hope i don't train a new missionary here. There are 3 elders leaving next week and 12 coming so lots of expansion in some areas and a lot of people training and all that junk. It'll be interesting.

Sorry for Manny....hes dang good so who cares about Boston fans. Haha. Dodgers still good this year or what??

My Branch President here is as young as Bishop Prince and he is a stud too! He served his mission here and served in Asokwa way back when and was a zone leader there haha. Hes a sweet guy and knows what he is doing. This branch has only been here for maybe 5 years and is a branch of from another branch down the road. This area is growing pretty fast compared to other places. We are finishing the family goal this week Friday with a baptism of 6 including a sweet family. The husband and wife have two other kids we are going to start teaching and we contacted them during a world cup game so they both qualify for the next mission goal that has already started. I'm not worried about the missionary work next transfer, just worried about the new companion I'll probably be getting. Never know...

That's freakin sweet about Nate Waggoner's mission call! Philippines will be sweet!!!! That place is growing! He'll probably speak Tigalo... That's what the member who was in Asokwa who was from the Philippines spoke. They are a sweet people! Landon?? No mission call? We wont see each other for at least 3 years now haha....sucky.

Yes the soups are the same as in Kumasi...i just like how they cook them here....much better. I'm a machine now when it comes to eating fufu....i wasn't til this transfer because the soups weren't that good. I love abenkwine...which is palm nut soup. Its these orange colored nuts that grow on huge palm trees that they grind up. It makes your whole face orange and your hand orange. Its sweet. Its my favorite soup!!

We are hopefully going to Cacum next Monday just us four... its the rope bridge place you've probably seen pictures of. We'll see if we can go.

Well i love you!

Elder Lehr

"OWO"---The Black Mamba

2010-06-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Family!

The last few days have been really exciting yet difficult. This mission goal is not an easy one, but it seems like everyone is keeping it haha. Even in the far out reaches of Twifo Praso there is plenty of temptation, yes even members asking us to come in and watch and yes even Ghana's match on Sunday. You just don't understand how much they love it here. People ran up and down the streets with Ghana flags screaming when they won...I just keep saying, it was against Serbia, so what. Could Ghana tie England? Doubt it. Haha. We'll see. Anyways, a lot has happened this last two weeks. An Elder in Assin Foso got hit by a car while riding his bike, concussion and a night at the wonderful Ghana hospital (bush hospital). Hes fine now and said after it happened that he WILL ride bikes again hahaha. Hes mad at me for writing this to you right now haha.

Last Saturday we went to a members farm and cut down trees in their "farm" jungle. We crawled through trees and bushes to even get to the farm haha. It was sweet.We were IN the jungle chopping down trees! I have a huge fear of snakes and they had to reassure me that you don't see snakes in Ghana very often so i felt better, but then after we were finished and tired, we rested all sitting down kinda in a circle and one of the members started screaming the word "OWO!!" really loud and everyone except me and the other American got up screaming and running away. I WAS TERRIFIED AND DIDNT KNOW WHY!! I didn't know "OWO" means snake in Twi. Haha. IT WAS A BLACK MAMBA!!No it wasn't Kobe Bryant in Ghana it was a real Black mamba! Elder Ayim took a machete and killed the crap out of it...100% kill rate without anti-venom and there is NONE in Ghana sooo i guess it was a scary experience. We laughed at it though. I love farming here! Its sweet!

Today we are in cape coast and played soccer on the beach, WHAT A NICE CHANGE TO P-DAY! Elder Harris is right when he said it felt like we were on an island in Kumasi. Ive now seen all the missionaries in the mission in just this transfer which is fun. After the beach we got dressed and the other cape coast zone said we could go to the castle and get a free tour because there is a recent convert who is in charge of it and said we could come. So we went there today! It was pretty sweet, got some pictures. The stories weren't happy ones of course. All the slaves that came from Africa came from one of 3 castles and the cape coast one had the most come out of it. It was fun to see Elder Adjeifio and Elder Akoki! They are companions and zone leaders together!! So funny to see them together, two funny guys together as zone leaders. They both say the same thing about leadership positions haha. Not a fun job unless its your "dream" like some elders. Kinda funny.

Sorry about the softball tourny! You win some you lose some. Beat out by a little girl? Sorry....bahaha. What a downer to the confidence/cocky level. Haha humbling experience im sure. Love ya!

My companion is sweet! I hope we stay together longer but im sure he wont be here much longer since hes been here 14 months. THE SAME BED FOR 14 MONTHS! I couldn't do that. 9 was plenty for me. We have 2 elders leaving and 12 coming so it looks like some areas are going to be opened up! Maybe even in our area since there is 3 branches to us 4 missionaries. Its cool though, i really enjoy this area. Its just far from Assin Foso and far from Cape Coast. Horrible roads getting to either place and we travel to those places at least once a week on average for something. This week we have interviews so we are traveling to Assin Foso for that because that is where the District Center is and most of the missionaries in our zone including Elder Harris are close to there. They can email there but because we don't always go there that's why its every other week. The road is just not worth traveling to email. As much as i love hearing from you its just not an easy thing to do and to put my companion through for my benefit and yours so sorry.

No, i haven't gotten your letters but i might get them Wednesday if they are in. We'll see! I hope so!

Anyways, the power has turned off twice and Ive been scared for losing this email because the first time i lost everything and had to re-write the email again, kinda frustrating. I'm loving life and enjoying the area and companion. Wont last long since transfers is coming. I love you guys and miss you!

Love Elder Lehr

PS There is probably more i could write you but since the power has turned off twice Ive lost my train of thought, sorry. GO US!!! DESTROY SLOVENIA AND ALGERIA SO WE CAN BE THE NUMBER ONE SEED!!!!

Zone Conference--last week--posted late

2010-06-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time to write today, we tried our cafe in Twifo Praso and it didn't work so we are in Cape Coast today since today is zone conference, so we have a short time to write some stuff. I love the new area and my new companion and apartment. His name is elder Ayim and he is in Elder Adjeifio's group. He is almost 26...ya thats his age. Awesome guy and a studly missionary. He has been in this area for almost 14 months and loves it as i do! Its a great experience this last week!

We have a new goal that is starting early even though this last goal hasn't finished yet. It is not not watch a single match of the World Cup and we have to baptize a person that we contacted during the hours of when a world cup match is playing. We have a month to find those people and then til September to have them baptized. Oh and by the way....i still haven't finished this last goal, there are 4 of us in the zone and 3 of the 4 came from Kumasi this last transfer, if that tells you anything about Kumasi. haha. My area is bush but its not so bad. The apartment is probably the nicest building in the little town/village. Almost all of our lessons are in Twi, Elder Ayim translates everything. Kind of annoying but its fine, i love it. The members here are amazing...much better leadership and help from members. I guess there hasn't been a white elder in this are for more than a year and now there is me and Elder Holmes from Kumasi. Its kinda funny to see how the primary children react to us. Some scream and cry and the others love us! Way funny. I love it here and am glad for the change. I guess Elder Harris is in the most bush part of the mission. They go at 6:30am and farm til noon 3 times a week. He said today that he loves his area, but he hasn't been to the farm yet.

Assin Foso is the zones name and yes its almost halfway to Kumasi from Cape Coast, but Twifo Praso is another hour west of Assin Foso....Its far. We drive through jungle dirt roads to get there. I really love it. The people are so great! We teach so many lessons without even trying. My companion really works hard and i love it. He is a stud. Even when both of us are exhausted and about to sleep, he'll say, Companion lets go! At first it sucks but after walking it goes away and we really get a lot of work done. There are 3 branches out here in this area so we take a huge area of Twifo Praso branch and the other elder take the other two branches and a small area of Twifo Praso. They don't really go to the other areas to proselyte in, but just teach the investigators that came to church on Sunday.

Even though I'm in a MUCH smaller town/village area, i love it. Its so sweet here... You would be surprised at what i call normal haha. Everything here is just normal to me now, weird feeling. Ladies pulling down there shirts to breast feed in the middle of lessons, no problem. TroTros driving crazy fast, people speaking only Twi, and seeing only on two story building which is our apartment (we only have the top story haha) is all normal to me here. Hahaha. Im much better at pounding and eating fufu and will definitely have to get better since we do plenty of both.

Well i love you and i think we can email next week since we are going to Takoradi next Monday for futbol against their zone. Its a full field and should be sweet! Oh and i forgot to mention it but my companion has a wooden bench press with huge rocks on the sides of a big metal bar so ill be lifting the next weeks maybe months. Should be sweet. Actually get strong again hopefully. Its getting ridiculous haha.

Love you guys!!

PS: I saw the beach today! Bet you can say that!! :D :D ITS SOO NICE!

No email this week :(

2010-05-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Cody was transferred last Wed. to a village called Assin Praso. He will not be able to email each week, every other week is all. I believe he is now located half way between Kumasi (where he was for the past 9 months) and Cape Coast. This is his very first transfer in the 9 months he's been in Ghana.

Out 9 months & 1st transfer........going to the bush

2010-05-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ya sorry, it was just nice for once to read emails and not write something back. Felt like i talked to you guys about everything that was going on already haha. Sorry if you guys were bummed. There's just not a lot to say this week either. It was a fun and productive week. Went to Edmund's house on Thursday...taught him for two hours on the plan of salvation haha...went well til he said he wanted to tell us why he couldn't be baptized. :( Apparently he never did the marriage ceremony...cant get baptized her in Kumasi without that. Cape coast you can because of the different traditions. haha. Anyways, so that sucked but it will happen just a matter of time now. Kinda sittin here waiting for transfer news, kinda exciting, always is even though I've never had anything happen to me haha. Its funny to hear the other missionaries talk about transfers and their wishes. I don't really have any wishes, the work is still the work haha. I'm still here, not at home, doing missionary work for another 15 months haha. Transfers don't phase me, even though a change in scenery would be cool, beach maybe.... :)

We played soccer this morning which was nice, then it rained this afternoon again , i love that. Our district has been hanging out the whole day at our apartment and they'll come over again after we finish up here at the cafe. Everyone is doing well, Elder Clement's little sister who is barely graduating is getting married sometime. Some return missionary from UT that he doesn't know and has no clue how they even met because he doesn't go to BYU-I. He was kinda freaked about his little sister. On mothers day she told him that they went to Idaho Falls to pick out rings. He just sat there quiet after saying that to us haha, poor guy.

Well i love you guys a lot and it was great hearing from you! Ive been taking some more pictures so sometime ill send a cd of them all or something. Have a great week!

Love, Elder LEhr

Soooo i just got called....I am going to Chiefo Praso (Assin Foso)...which is like the most bush part of the mission. THE VILLAGE!! It'll be sweet, mixed emotions. Just so you know....that whole zone that
I'm going to can only email once every two weeks so don't be shocked if i don't write back next Monday. Not sure when they email or where they go to email, probably way down to the mission home. Either way...I'm going to the jungle, it should be sweet! This is going to be REAL Africa! Haha I'm stoked.

Talk to you guys later!

Love you!

Less than a week til Mother's Day :)

2010-05-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hey my family,

Wow i miss you guys, this week flew especially cuz p-day was on Tuesday and now its Monday so fast. That was nice. We are baptizing the man Edmund for the goal but his wife is in Accra. Don't really have ANY other prospects. Wish we did, but it looks like the Lord has a plan for us to be able to perform a miracle for him. ITS SCARY AND SOMEHOW FAITH SHAKING, but the Lord can always help us accomplish the thing that he has commanded us so its all good.

Conference was pretty great! Still haven't seen Sunday afternoon, but i saw all the rest because the Kiffer's have conference and we watched priesthood and another one and then two sessions on Sunday at church. IT WAS SWEET! Wow do they really hit hard on families....I'm kinda worried about what must be coming if they ALL spoke about families.

Dad, I think about wrestling you a lot haha... I'm definitely out of your weight class when i can barely do 3 pull ups....i tried today, about cried at how weak i am. What a girl. Ghana is still Ghana...haha. Still in the same area and no i don't get to be in the "bush" all that much. Ive walked through a few areas that are SWEET to go through...no houses just jungle paths...kinda scary at night, don't tell mom haha. I'm not even close to 9 months! Don't count the chickens!! I hate thinking about how much time...when i always think about it, it just feels so much slower then what it really is. I cant wait to call you guys....it'll be freakin sweet!

Teaching people the first 4-5 months is difficult but it gets better. That's about how long it was for me when i noticed how comfortable i was in AFRICA! It was a weird feeling. Mission is a whole different kind of tough....physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.... that's what is so great about it....when could i ever get this kind of on the job training towards becoming like my Father in Heaven?!!? The only time i could think of is the Second Coming, but besides that, this is it!!! Haha. Its tough and its definitely a well kept church secret. lol.

Can't wait to call you all on Mother's Day....hope this week goes by fast.

I love you all,
Elder Lehr

A Day Late.........& probably a dollar short :)

2010-04-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

MY SWEET FAMILY!!!

I miss you guys like crazy haha. Mothers day will be great!! What time is church 11am? Ill try to call when you guys get out of church, if not then ill do it before. Its a 7 hour difference so we'll see. Just be prepared, it all depends on the other elders in the apartment. Well this week was freakin great! Mostly because of what happened Sunday...So Edmund (the old man who's wife is still in accra:( ) Came to church again and now is hopefully getting baptized on the 16th!! Im stoked for that...except that his wife isnt here in Kumasi yet. Anyways....later that night we had an appointment set up with Harrison (the college nurse guy who has a party life style, like 23) and asked President before hand if he'd go with us to interview him for baptism since he has had some problems. IT WAS SWEET!!! To be honest it was a little nerve racking being with president and teaching small with him. Idk i shouldn't of been nervous but i still was haha. It went soooo well!! Harrison has a few small things to do and just needs to make a commitment to follow the Law of Chastity which he said he'd do....hopefully he is baptized the same day with Edmund! Peter is another investigator who is ready for baptism and needs to come to church so that he can be baptized....maybe 3 future leaders all baptized in a few weeks! Its exciting news for Asokwa! THEY NEED PRIESTHOOD! haha.

Next week Sunday we get to go to UST chapel and watch 2 sessions, probably one from Saturday and one from Sunday...The Elders in that ward are going to ask to stay and watch the rest of the CD's. So we'll see! Im so stoked for that!! I cant believe im having two general conferences in the same ward for the last 8-9 months. Its kinda crazy that I've been here in one area that long but I'm loving it! So hopefully no transfers again!:D Never know with president (or should i say,The Lord) though! The following Sunday is Stake conference and more importantly, MOTHERS DAY PHONE CALL! :D

This week has been really awesome....the lessons are flowing and Elder Clements and I really feel like we have been blessed this whole week. We can see it in how well the lessons have gone and how well the investigators have responded. The Lord is really helping us and we can feel Him there! I just love that. Our ward is becoming more helpful and productive, especially since they changed leadership and a young returned missionary is now the Elders Quorum Prez. Its sweet...he went with us on Sunday for a little while and with the other elders on Saturday along with our ward mission leader (first time for him since I've been here). It seems to be going well... they have officially started home teaching finally...5 months later after telling us they would haha. I love the ward and the members though!! :D

Well that's all that has really happened this week except the usual teaching and district meetings. We had interviews yesterday and it didn't seem like anyone is going for our district, but you never know. I did get the package and loved it!! We used the chopper that day making garlic bread! Chopped up some garlic and fried it in butter...thanks to Sister Kiffer, she told us to try it!! Makes spaghetti so much better and its legit garlic bread! Or maybe my tastes are changing haha.

I love you guys!!

Elder Lehr

Same area......8 months later

2010-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

Family!

I'm now 20...cant believe it. haha. Anyways...the work is going great. gotta love it when investigators show up to church haha. Harrison came and that old man Edmund who is going to bring his wife when she comes back to town. George and his nephew came, HE TOLD US HE WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED! He knows its true, he just hasn't had the chance to come to church much, which has to change if he wants baptism. Cant just baptize anyone, like elders used to here, hence the 300 less-actives. The work is going well, it was kinda cool to have zone conference on my b-day. We went to the only good restaurant in town and had pizza and burgers and ate a few ice cream bars....big spender haha. It was fun. The week flew by yet again. Its crazy how 8 months snuck up on me, this Wednesday. 1/3 .... cant believe that either, a lot more to learn.

Nothing really big happened this week to mention, but i guess i could talk about that picture of elder Clements and I with the chicken that has no head. Well...Elder Clements was talking about how he is sick of rice or noodles and wanted something good and then he thought of buying a live chicken and killing it. He knows how so why stop him? Hahaha....i thought he'd be the one doing it and then when it came to cutting it off, he turned and looked at me asking me if id kill it and he'd hold it hahaha. My heart was beating, not a big deal but I've never killed an animal before. Kinda funny. You'll have to see the video haha.

I really wish i could have conference to watch or read...it sounded good. I caught a small bit of the priesthood session, but not very much of it. We should get to watch some of it with the stake a week or two after mother's day, I'm excited for that.

Sorry it's such a short email this week, not too much has happened. That's what happens when you're in the same area for 9 months at the end of this transfer. haha. I love Asokwa though. The work is progressing much faster then it was a year or two ago, says some of the members. Asokwa was the best ward in Kumasi, then everyone moved away when the wards split sooo it's left with not many members.

Anyways, I love you guys so much and cant wait to call you on mother's day!! :D It's coming!

Love, Elder Lehr

Happy Birthday Elder Lehr

2010-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

I FREAKIN MISS MY FAMILY! CANT I JUST FLY OVER TO HAVE A BIRTHDAY DINNER AND COME BACK??

Anyways, Life in Ghana is always interesting. Always. Elder Harris was rushed to the hospital, he was in a whole lot of pain, coming from his right kidney. Everyone thought it was like kidney stones or something. Still not sure exactly cuz the doctors here are always full and you have to get there extremely early to get a spot with the doctor for that day. Sound like whats going to happen in the states?? Hope not, if so....lets go to Mexico! Ive always wanted to learn Spanish haha. Anyways he's ok now and passed something on Saturday, but still has to meet with a urologist on Wednesday if he gets there early enough. I think it's hilarious while you guys are all freaking out cuz its African hospitals and needles and all that....its safe here don't worry haha. I found out today from the Kiffers that Ghana is not considered a 3rd world country! That surprised me a little bit, but hey...there is definitely areas that are more like 12th world if you asked me haha. Anyways, just thought id let you know about him. The UST apartment which is in my district got two different elders. One is from Uganda and the other is elder Clements MT and he is from Samoa. Both way cool guys, we'll enjoy another 6 weeks.

There is a couple in UST ward that are missionaries for some of the branches out past Kumasi area and their son is one of the best players for Ghana's national team! Anyways...his name is Kojo Asamoah and he is coming home next month so we definitely want to meet him. That will be sweet.

Cant believe that i will be 20 this week....still not real to me. Neither is serving a mission in Africa, at least most days it's not normal. I have just determined that i will be here in Asokwa ward for the whole two years....with that in mind it's not so bad to think about 9 months in Asokwa ward after this transfer. Kinda crazy but i like it so its not a big deal.

The family we are working with lately came to church this week, well at least the husband did. Still haven't met the wife because she is still in Accra. She should be home soon as in a couple weeks. He tells us they will come to church together and she wont have any problems joining him. :D :D :D I loved hearing that. We'll see how that goes and work on him and others til this goal is finished. These goals are difficult but definitely amazing experiences of trusting in the Lord and the goal that HE has set. Be obedient, work hard as if it all depends on me and my companion, then pray as if everything depends on Him who sent me. It sounds simple, but it has taken a lot of practice and im still in training with it haha. I have learned so much on my mission and seem to have changed a lot. I loved the priesthood talks by Uchtdorf and Eyring. Those were like the only ones we could download audio for but they are amazing!! Cant wait til next month to see some of them live. Patience patience patience.

Well this week is going to fly by...District meeting tomorrow then institute on Wednesday that we are trying to get investigators to, (its a trial each week haha.) and then zone conference on Thursday...every six weeks! I sure do love zone conference. Mail possibilities, meals both physically and spiritually which motivates all of us to work hard and do what is right all the way up to the next one where that motivation comes again. We continue that every six weeks and before you know it....I'm turning 20 and 8 months on mission....still feel green....still act green. Which is good because some guys lose that MTC fire fast. I know i did, but its been really good for me because now i have to keep myself motivated and the only way to do that is just go out and work! :D This work is divine! haha.

Well i love you guys so much. Glad you enjoyed the ranch house...definitely miss the prime rib. :D Have a great week and remember that a certain Missionary (not a teen-ager)in Africa thinks about you always and loves you so much!

Love, Elder Lehr

Transfers came.....and went

2010-04-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

Family,

Easter!!! Happy EASTER! Wow, wasn't it just Christmas?? Time is flying and i cant seem to catch up! Am i really going to learn and become what i need to before i go home haha. Long ways away. I am loving life right now haha. Elder Clements is sweet and we are setting up one somewhat big (at least for our area) baptism hopefully for May 16. There is Harrison, Samuel, Peter, George (possibly his NEW wife, GOAL) and another man who came to church this last Sunday and will be bringing his wife when she returns from Accra. It seems like everyone travels all the time to Accra. It gets annoying when members and investigators either have callings or reading assignments and don't do it because they "traveled to Accra." Not much i can do about so the complaining is finished.

Ok now for the exciting news! Elder Clements and i got into 2, i repeat 2 car accidents this week!!!! Hahaha, both were hilarious and not serious by a long shot. The first was with the Kiffers, he was going to turn left and a water truck behind us didn't want to slow down so he tried passing us on the LEFT side, the side we were turning! And BOOM! haha. Everyone was definitely ok and no police was needed which is a good thing cuz they just take money from everyone since they can do that, they have the badge and uniform haha. (side note, people steal police uniforms just to get money from people cuz they cant find a job, kinda sad and a little dishonest i think). Anyways, the second one happened today as we were driving back from a stake activity for young adults (we took Harrison and Samuel) and our taxi driver was about to enter a roundabout and was staring at these freakin sweet puppies (there isn't any good looking dogs in Ghana, so its a surprise to seem any at all) and then BAM Rear-ends the guy in front of us. I was laughing at the guy haha....no damage was done so everyone got back into the car and left. Don't worry mom, I'm healthy and perfectly safe!

TRANSFER NEWS CAME TODAY! I don't know why i put that in big letters, nothing happened to our apartment, we are all staying, which i am definitely happy for because i get to be with elder Clements and stay for the goal and for the phone call and for the fruits of our labors hopefully may 16! So that is definitely good. Our district has changed though, Elder Jeppeson is training, not sure who yet. Elder Holmes is moving to the zone leaders apartment with elder Kwapong (Elder Clements and Ekaette's MT group) and soo some new faces are coming into that apartment. It should be a good 6 weeks and im stoked for it! Cant believe at the end of it ill be 9 months, that's kinda crazy, still not far at all and i still feel green! Which is good cuz satisfaction is when my progression stops.

The church is really strong here in Ghana, even though its small. They are always looking for the missionaries to do a whole lot of things we normally wouldn't be doing if we served at home. I can say we do a whole lot of the home teaching and reactivating and missionary work and fellowship. They even want us to baptize their children when they turn 8, i said heck no to that one and put that one straight!!! Their family needs to see the worthy priesthood holder perform an ordinance for his children!! That's no negotiable. haha. Couldn't believe it when they asked me, even the bishop said to come to us about it. I was shocked. Also, gotta change the fact that they want missionaries to bless the Sacrament...They have plenty of priesthood holders, they just need to get their butts in gear and come on time to do their duty. Working on that as well. We teach a lot about how important that sacrament really is and how its the main reason we go to church and that they need to be on time. We use the example of how us missionaries are invited for a nice Fu-Fu meal at their house and they take all day to pound it and prepare it and we either don't come or reject it when we get there and we ask them how they would feel if that happened. Of course they said horrible and we relate it to our Savior's sacrifice for us and how we are rejecting it when we don't come on time. It may sound harsh but that's kinda how the culture is here, they either need to hear it harshly or else they just wont ever change. So that's what we have been working with lately. Overwhelming sometimes but its the work we are here to do! Even if most of it is supposed to be the wards responsibility, we are teaching them small small.

I hope Easter was awesome, sounds like it was, especially since you guys got to watch conference. sigh. Oh well, it'll come. I love you guys so much and think of you all the time. I am working hard and enjoying my mission %100! I love this feeling and i love the work! Helping people understand the truth and seeing their lives change is kind of a big deal for our Father in Heaven to trust us young men to do. wow. I love seeing things in my own life change, i don't notice it at all day by day but when it comes to months or even when i first came, there is a big difference which is how its supposed to be. My testimony is stronger than ever and my desire to do good and be good is always increasing even when its difficult! I love you guys and will hear from you in a month and a half's time!! :D

Love, Elder Lehr

Amazing week

2010-03-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Family,

This week was filled with plenty of amazing experiences! First off....It is the BEST feeling to walk in on your investigator and he is reading the Book of Mormon of his bed! Wow...Elder Clements and I were stoked! It made our week! The best part is that it doesnt end there. He came to church and is prepared for Baptism! I hope i dont get transferred before that! Well the next day, (Wednesday) we went to an investigator who was referred by a member and we've been working with him but havent seen him in a while cuz he works a lot. Well HE QUOTED FROM ALMA TWICE IN OUR LESSON WITH HIM. The First was alma 32 about faith likened unto a seed and the second one was alma 34 about what we should pray for! WOW!!! I loved it, once again it is the best feeling when investigators actually read the Book of Mormon! It doesnt end here... He then took us to a friend of his who we taught twice last week and he is progressing which is great! That same Wednesday we went after institute with a member who brought us to a family to start teaching! THE MAN DOESNT LIKE OBAMA! It was kinda funny the things he was saying and how intelligent he sounded, just 2 things you usually dont find here in Ghana, let alone Africa. E Clements and i were busting up laughing. He seems really interested and would definitely stay in the church if converted. We go there this Wednesday sooo we'll see! Asokwa has changed!!! We have had 6 referrals this week from members and the work is moving! GREAT! Right when changes are coming next Monday-Wednesday. Sigh.

On Friday Elder Clements and I uhh...... Ill wait til next week to write about it hahaha. Lets jsut say you wont believe what we did and what Elder Clements got me to do :)

I love you guys and sorry its so short!

I love you guys!

Love Elder Lehr

GOOD AFTERNOON!!

2010-03-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon/ Morning FAMILY!

Sounds like another crazy week for everyone especially with Tine's JFDI and Karlis softball. Always exciting things at our house haha. I am definitely using projection and enthusiasm, but mostly pronunciation because they speak English here kind of like they are from the UK, so maybe ill have a sweet accent when i come home, hopefully i don't sound like a retard too much. This week went so fast and was jam packed. It was a mission tour week which means a member of the area presidency comes to speak to all the missionaries and check out the mission. So President Dixon came to Kumasi on Thursday. He is incredible. He has been a general authority for 18 years on 4 different continents including china and India and Pakistan! Served in Buenos Aires! and a mission president in Mexico. He lost his right arm to cancer just before serving a mission when he was "young." Its crazy! He had to learn how to do everything with his left arm and he called it a blessing! And said that in the resurrection he isn't going to know what to do with a right arm! haha. Funny guy. It was a powerful meeting, he talked a lot about DnC 50 where it talks about teaching by the Spirit and the people being taught are learning by the Spirit and everyone is edified! One thing i really remembered was when he said that when you know that everyone in the lesson is feeling the spirit don't be afraid to commit the person or people to make covenants! I had that same experience the next day!! Elder Clements and i were teaching some college aged guys and everyone was feeling it so strong so we committed them to baptism after they've prayed to know that these things are true. They said yes! Haha, imagine that. It was a good testimony builder for me! :) Great experience. Those same guys came to church yesterday so that was what made our week!

I'm so excited about KEL!! Go Elder Winder! That's awesome! He'll love it.

And about Tine's leadership training! I WANT VIDEO OF HER GRADUATION! :D

This morning our zone went to the cultural center here in Kumasi which was interesting. They showed us a lot of cool things like how they make the Kentay cloth and pottery and woodcarvings. There is this disabled guy who has a shop and he paints incredible paintings of Africa theme and he does it all by using a paintbrush....IN HIS MOUTH! Pretty cool, cant really bargain his prices so we didn't buy anything from him haha. Sweet paintings though! It was cool to actually DO something for P-day instead of stay in the apt. all day long. Next week we are supposed to play football or volley-pong, which is ironically volleyball and ping-pong mixed. Its pretty sweet.

The Lord works in mysterious ways....but they wouldn't seem so mysterious if we were closer to our Father in Heaven. If I've learned anything so far its that the Lord is so willing to provide and even to work miracles in our lives and in the lives of others. But i haven't always been the one to think that they could happen to me or in front of my eyes. Wow have I been wrong?! If I would just be submissive to His will and ask for blessings upon those we are teaching or searching for, He would provide. Its amazing how easy that is right? Haha. I love this work. I love my family. You guys are always on my mind. I miss you so much. This is what I'm supposed to be doing though, so might as well be the best that i can be while I'm here. :)

Hope you have a good week :D

Love Elder Lehr

LIGHTING OF THE ROACHES

2010-03-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

My beloved family!

I miss you guys like crazy and am always thinking about what you guys are up to and how crazy life back at home still is. There is never time to relax at the Lehr home. I miss that. Anyways, Mission life is going haha. This last week was really frustrating probably just because yesterday at church there was 26 people there when the Sacrament mtg started. It was pathetic and sad. I miss my home ward :(. Besides that stuff, we have been teaching a few guys that are mechanics and always bugged us mostly cuz we are white but we decided to teach them at least once and after the whole "America" thing people always go through with us, we taught a good lesson and they responded pretty well so we are going back again. You just never know who the Lord has prepared.

Elder Clements and I decided that even though we've had a frustrating week (He's still been sick til Thursday), we were not going to let that get to us. So we stuck tape to our fingers and stuck a whole bunch of cockroaches that are in our kitchen and flung them into a metal cup and started lighting the contents inside the cup on fire! Typical boys, i thought missions were supposed to help us grow up and mature, oh well. That doesn't include washing our sheets in a bucket and using our feet (clean feet) to stomp all over the wash. We didn't expect it but we ended up mopping the floor too with all the soapy water which was needed. I guess it's true what people have said about missionaries, we just go crazy in the apartment and do the stupidest things, but hey if it makes time go by faster when a companion is sick then so be it! I don't have much else to say this week, except President Dixon is coming to Kumasi on Thursday and so we'll have a zone conference with him and that should be exciting and uplifting! We have been so lucky to hear from general authorities every couple of months it seems like. :)

Well i love you guys so much and i cant wait for my bday, wait, nothing really exciting when it comes to b-days. If I'm still here then the Kiffers said they'll make a cake, if not then they'll still make it. I just wont be here to eat it. haha kinda like E. Adjeifio when he got transferred near his bday. You asked what else I want in my birthday package---I'd like some mashed potatoes and my patriarchal blessing and airheads and skittles and SNACK FOOD!!! Wheat thins or cheese its!!!! Put in anything that you'd want to have if you were stranded in a 3rd world country with nothing to MUNCH ON!! :D

You guys are awesome!! And if you ever get frustrated or just have a hard day, turn to the scriptures, it's full of stories about members of Christ's church having hard days. Elder Holland told us that if we had a hard day then SO WHAT!! Welcome to the church! :D Encouraging words...i know. Grin and bare it!

Love you all! Write me please! :D I sent out like 35 letters a few months ago....got 4 back. ouch!

Love,
Elder Lehr

Mosquitos GO AWAY!

2010-03-08T07:32:00.001-08:00

Family,

This week was pretty good. We had zone conference on Friday which went well. I love how president just knows how to motivate and inspire us to be better and to work even harder. He announced the next goal we will have as a mission and its really a tough one. We have to baptize a husband and a wife into the church so that in a year they can go to the temple together. Its going to be tough and we'll need the Lord in this goal more than we've ever needed His help. We have 4 months to complete this goal! It seems like everyone in our apartment has been sick within the last 2-3 weeks! Mosquitoes are killing everyone, even ward members are saying that the mosquitoes are worse now then it has been in a while. The Americans are struggling haha. It wouldn't be a mission in Africa without getting malaria at least once so Elder Clements welcome to the mission! He's been sick the last few days. It's all good, he's a tough guy.

Our apartment is pretty cool.The newest missionary is Elder Ekaette. Elder Ekaette is a stud! Elder Mckay trained him so it makes sense that he is a stud too. I love the guy. We both proselyted together yesterday cuz both of our companions were sick and it went really well. He knows the scriptures so well! He is from Nigeria. His father is a pioneer of the church there and his older brother is a Stake President. Our apartment is playing Phase 10 tonight with the Kiffers, should be fun. I love our apartment!!!!! Elder Harris, Elder Ekaette, Elder Clements and me.....

Missionary work is divine. I love this work so much. Day in and day out I am searching for the humble hearts that the Lord is preparing to receive His gospel. While doing this work along side a companion and the Lord, we have the best opportunity to prepare for our future lives. Elder Holland taught us that Gordon B Hinckley started to create Preach My Gospel because He said there is a problem with the way we are doing this if missionaries can serve for two years and then come home and be inactive. Elder Holland said that Pres H. hates getting emotional and after saying this to the 12 Apostles He sat there and wept. Elder Holland went on to say that Preach My Gospel was born to convert the missionaries! It was sad to hear that but the way He spoke and the way he asked us to silently promise Him that we will ALWAYS be faithful. I definitely made that promise. I loved that experience of meeting with Him and the feelings and strength that he brought.

I know that God lives and loves us all individually. Because of His love He sent His only begotten Son to Atone for our sins. Through Jesus Christ we have prophets, Priesthood and therefore a church for all of God's Children to follow and learn from to be able to Become like Him and to follow Him. I know that Joseph Smith saw what he says he did and that because of his undeniable faith, the true Gospel of Jesus Christ was able to be Restored again to God's Children on the earth again. I love teaching about the Restoration. I always have that same feeling that i had when i first felt that the church was true. Its amazing. Its a warm, peaceful feeling. The Holy Ghost is such a blessing to us. Because God wont take away our agency, but He wants to teach us and help us to learn and grow, He has sent the Holy Ghost to dwell within us to teach us those sacred, personal and special things that our Father in Heaven wants us to know right then. I know all of these things not because anyone told me or convinced me, but because i searched these things out individually and asked in faith and i was answered in the feelings and thoughts i have had. This path is the only true path to live with our Father in Heaven and our Families again. I know these things to be true and hope by writing this that someone somewhere may try this gospel out and see if it is really from God. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I love you guys and hope you are doing well. Enjoy the rain while you've got it.

Love, Elder Lehr

Mission Conference with Elder Holland & Pres Snow

2010-03-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

Family,

How is everyone? Sorry for Karli and theconcussion...knowledge knot? I guess youll keep your eye on the ballnext time...hahaha. Sorry for being ruthless, just how our family is.Youll get over it bug haha. Anyways! Sorry about the Elders in Chile!Sounds like everyone is ok now though! Best time to do missionary workwhen the whole country is humbled! I love teaching humble people whoask sincere questions and are really interested! The lessons are alwaysguided by the Spirit and the people progress...amazing how that works.I jsut wish theyd all be humble, but then i always think of how i wouldbe if i was them and id probably be stubborn and run and hide frommissionaries. I think thats a huge reason i was born into the churchhaha.

This last week was incredible....The mission conferencewas amazing and it was so great to see all the missionaries i haventseen in forever since im in kumasi (its own seperate mission). I loveit here dont get me wrong. Elder Holland was incredible. I cant believehow personal the setting was and how he spoke to us for an hour and 20mins and it felt like 15. I wanted more! I could listen to him all daylong. President Snow and Him are hilarious. They talked a lot aboutbeing from southern utah and hog tying elders that didnt want to stayout on their mission (and he said stick a boot in their throat, icouldnt stop laughing at that). He told us a lot about how themissionary program was changed when President Hinckley said there issomething wrong with the way we are doing the missionary program ifmissionaries can serve 2 years and fall in-active when they get home.Thats how preach my gospel started.

This last week we taughtGeorge...the powerful guy who had a friend in the US who is a membertelling him to join the church. We are planning on commiting him tobaptism this week so pray for him and us. Peter is also a memberreferral who we've been wrking with and he met with bishop this lastweek and bishop said he is a really serious investigator who knows thechurch is true. So we'll probably commit him this week too. We arekinda waiting for the new mission goal to be announced this friday atzone conference so that we dont finish the goal before it even started!Haha. Elder Holland really loved how unified our mission was in makinggoals as a team instead of competing against each other for baptisms andlessons taught...He didnt stop praising president Sabey. It was thefirst time ive seen President Sabey nervous! wow he was nervous haha! Iprobably would be too!

Bounti (the recent covnert ourage)...remember how i said he recieved the priesthood last week? wellwe put him to work and he went with us teaching on saturday. We went toan investigator who was going to church faithfully around the timebounti started coming to chruch 4 months ago. Bounti and him (harrison)were becoming friends and then harrison just started now showing up orignoring our calls and stuff. He's been busy and is really challengedby the roomates he has, typical party college dorm where he lives. Wewatched the Restoration DVD and it was so powerful when all 3 of usbore testimony. He came to church...I JSUT LOVE THAT! The Lord preparespeople to hear the message and accept it when they are ready for it.We'll keep at him and see how things go. :D

I love you guys somuch and cant believe March is already here! My birthday is coming andthen after that i call home?!?! What the heck? 2 years is becoming sucha short time when i look at how fast the past 6 months has gone. Itsridiculous! I love missionary work and will always be a missionary evenwhen i come home. This work is His work and we have to do it His wayand in His time! The sooner we learn that the better off we are! I cantbelieve how the Lord has helped me to have a love for everyone and tobe able to see the good in everyone (through the Savior's eyes). Thisgospel is so true and i will give my life for it, whether with my bloodor by the sweat of my brow in this Ghana heat! I wouldnt want to beanywhere else. This is an incredible experience and i thank my Fatherin Heaven everyday for this opportunity. I love you so much and missyou!

Love Elder Lehr

PS:Progression and experience have one Eternal round.... (Hymn 284, If you could Hie to Kolob). Figure that hymn out... haha.

Field Trip....Cape Coast Tomorrow

2010-02-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

Family,

This week kinda sucked. It went so slow and its mostlycuz i was in the apartment sick again. From Wednesday til Sunday i waspretty much in bed except for Sacrament meeting. Elder Harris got alittle of it too. The Kiffers and Sis Sabey kinda went crazy trying tohelp me get better mostly cuz they want us all healthy to go to CapeCoast tomorrow for the mission conference! ELDER HOLLAND! :D Soooyaa...what a way to celebrate 6 months in Africa. Still went and hadsome pizza at stadium...of course it gave us all "runny tummy." I stillkinda laugh when they call it that here. Besides that things have beengood. We finally confirmed that boy nicholas this last Sunday becausehe came late last Sunday and they have no clue that since he's not aconvert baptism that the confirmation can be done at any time.... Ghanais still learning and growing .

Everyone is so excited to go to Cape Coast tomorrow....havent seen most of those guys since the MTC.

I'msorry im being so short this week...there isnt much to say. Im still inthe same area of Asokwa which is nice now because we've gotten to knowthe members, so its making the work much easier. Transfer news wontcome until after the conference probably when we are on the bus goinghome at like 6-10 ish. President wants us to be focused on theconference and not on who's going where. I love the mission and willnever regret my choice of going. I'll be the first to say how difficultit is, but i've learned somethnig valuable from some good parents ofmine :D And that is that no matter what, i can control my attitude. Nomatter what happens here in ghana i just laugh it off. It makes thingsso much easier. Just forget how hard it is or how much you aresuffering from sickness or no electricity or flowing water or ants orlas cucarachas... Be grateful to be where you are and to have what youhave. A lady in our ward came to us crying telling us her husband hasntbeen home for a month and they dont have any food for 6 kids. The sonand daughter work over over time (theres no laws regulating slavelabor) and they are barely getting by. This was the mom of the boynicholas that just got baptized. How grateful she is for the gospel andhow much it has blessed her life even though she is living in poverty!(even in africa i havent seen this kind of poverty). I think all of usare gunna pay a little bit more generous of a fast offering and ask thebishop to help the family out (theres no home teaching so nobody knowswho is suffering and whos not). She was in tears as we brought her somepictures of her sons baptism...I never thought something so small wouldchange a mother's life. She was the less-active who is coming toEVERYTHING even mid-week meetings... I've never been more happy then tosee this on my mission. As sick as i am or whatever be thecase...Mission is amazing! Thank you so much for helping me get outhere!

I love you guys so much and cant believe February is almost over...still waiting for Christmas to come.

Love Elder Lehr

Valentine's Day Talk

2010-02-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

My dearest family.

This week was pretty great! A lot hashappened and hopefully i can remember most of it haha. Elder Hollandcomes next Tuesday and that is the same day as transfers. Hopefully wewill know the transfer news before Monday of next week so i can emailabout it. Either way i don't think im going anywhere...still not sureabout E. Akoki or even his companion. Any of us could go, but i doubtit. The ward is really trusting us because we have built goodrelationships with them and showing them how missionary work issupposed to be done (side by side with members). We seem to have awhole lot more member present lessons and lots more referrals eversince that Elias goal which made us get into members homes and servethem. President really knows what he is doing haha. This Sunday will be6 months...can you even believe it? I cant....its amazing. That hymnkeeps going through my head..."Wake up and DO something more, thendream of your mansion on high....doing good is a pleasure..." Hahaha,that song is motivating. It's what E. Akoki plays almost everyday becuzhe cant even believe its almost 9 months for him. Asokwa ward used tosuck...not even joking. Elder Akoki and Adjeifio really turned thataround and now we are all benefiting from it. The members never usedto trust missionaries and now they asked us to give talks!!! 20 minseach!! and they told us Wednesday night this last week! Hahaha...beprepared 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 amember of this church you have to leave all old traditions behind ifthey are contrary to commandments or the church. It was good. It wasValentines day so i spoke about love... hahaha. The Love of God. andthe 2 great commandments in Matthew 22. It was alright lol. Nothingschanged...still write my talks last minute, either night before or inthe morning. BUT I dont have LDS.com to help me out haha. Sunday was apretty crazy day... we are going to start preparing some members to goto the temple. Their trip is in march so we are trying to get at least 4new people to go who haven't been. I'm pretty pumped about it lol. It llbe 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 monthago and they still hadn't gotten around to doing it so i talked tobishop and he said "oh ya! Bring him in now." So he received thepriesthood yesterday. It was awesome...i really want him to go to thetemple for baptisms this trip. That'd be sweet!

I cant wait togo to Cape Coast and possibly see the beach, see all the other Eldersin the mission, most of whom i have never seen before since kumasi is amission 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 togo and at what times to stay away from traffic. I never thought thisday would come haha. Its going to be so weird coming home and seeing somany white people haha. Ive been changed, I am now the one yellingObrunee at the white people we pass by or something. Hahaha everyone inthe tro-tro usually gets a huge laugh out of that. Its funny when wepass a small group of kids playing football and i call for theball...they all marvel that a white man can play football hahaha. ElderClements is probably annoyed with me stopping and playing for a min orso but hey, its a commandment from my bishop hahaha. The people alwayssmile and love when they see an obrunee playing with them or speakingtheir language. Its definitely a missionary tool haha.

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

Well, i love you guys so muchand cant believe February just started and in two weeks is over...that'scrazy. March is almost here haha. Mission is flying by and i hope itall goes this fast. Fast is good. It means work is getting done. I lovemissionary work, its so rewarding both to others and to me. I can seemy relationship with my Father in Heaven growing so much. I really dotrust Him and rely on Him almost completely, I'm working on that haha. Ihave 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 cancome to the full truth without reading it. Its the center of missionarywork (besides service of course). I love seeing people embrace the Bookof Mormon and realize how much it talks about Christ and seeing theirwords and actions and life-style change. Its incredible. I love doingthe Lord's work, what a blessing! Thank you mom and dad and teachersand leaders for helping me to gain a testimony and to have a desire toserve the Lord in this capacity. I am so grateful for that. I love youmom and dad. You guys are an amazing team and someday i want mymarriage to be like that. Tine and Bug... keep fighting through high school because adult life isn't any easier hahaha. I love you guys somuch!

Love, Elder Lehr

Two Weeks til Cape Coast,,,will I see the coast?

2010-02-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

Family,

This week has flown by!!! Wow...seems like the last 3weeks have gone crazy fast. So the goal is officially finished for us!YA!! Elder Clements baptized Nicholas yesterday and it was awesome. I'mso excited to finally have that pressure of the goal off of us haha.The end of the goal is the 28th of this month. Besides the baptismthere isn't anything all that special...same ole missionary stuff everyweek. One week closer to Elder Holland and transfers will most likelybe on that day. I don't think I'm going anywhere again but you never knowwith president and the Lord. My guess is that E. Akoki will leave sinceits like 9 months in one area. I'll be 6 months here in twoweeks...doesn't even seem like its been that long, wow I need to startworking a thousand times harder if its going to go this fast. Lookingforward it seems like forever but looking back its way too fast. I lovethe work and feel like I'm really close with the members and myapartment. Elder Akoki is teaching me a lot haha....hes not even mycompanion but he is always relating things to parables and scripturesand its helping me to learn the Bible and to be able to quotescriptures at appropriate times. Its funny.

I have learned somuch since I've been here...one thing is about the "Parable of theStoney ground." Its something that the Elders here in Asokwa apartmenthave created. The Ghanaian people are the best at it. Its all aboutpatience and karma lol. Remember how easy it was to make me mad orupset and id pop off the first thing that came to mind...well I've beenworking on it everyday and catching myself and I've gotten a lot betterat controlling my thoughts and feelings. Its definitely not easy and imnowhere near perfect but im working on it lol. Its a Christ-likeattribute that is freakin hard to perfect, hmm ya that was a stupidcomment, all of them are hard to perfect haha.

Sense ipublicly chastised my Bishop I'm going to take the time now to publiclyapologize and thank him for writing me (5 1/2 months after i left).Hahaha love ya Bishop.

2 weeks until Elder Holland...I'm stillexcited. The mission conference will be awesome too...never know, I might just be staying in Cape Coast since that is transfer day. Eitherway it'll be great and maybe I'll get to see the beach if im lucky. Ithought it was a Cape "Coast" Mission not a big city dry land. I wantit to be done with the dry season...it's hotter then normal this week.Sister Kiffer said it was around 110 with humidity the last few weeks.YA!! Try proselyting all day in that!!! Its a good thing we have airconditioning and clean running water in the apartment...wait...we dont!Hahaha...Life in africa is always interesting and if its not one thingits the other but hey...at least I'll know how to live off of nothing andsurvive life after mission when I'm a student and especially the firstlong while of marriage til things get more comfortable...won't happenfor a while so might as well get used to it and love it now! :D

Iam so glad that we have the truth...how lost we would be without it.Its going to be amazing and well worth all that we do to live with ourFather in Heaven and Jesus Christ and with each other! I cant evenimagine how much we'll love and enjoy that. I will definitely lay downmy life for my Heavenly Father, even if that means giving up the thingsof the world, that look so appealing. My view of life and the world haschanged so much in a short time...its all about becoming like ourFather in Heaven, whatever that takes!! Its really hard to accomplishit, near impossible. But we have the Atonement of Jesus Christ thatgives us light and hope, comfort and peace. Its eternal. Its all up tous now, whether we will go down that path with the Iron Rod or not.

Ilove you guys so much and cant believe that in 18 months I'll see youagain. I've gotten get going haha, the work is endless especially inthis country. So many people everyday who don't have what I have and I'vegot to help them one by one. This work is incredible. Its divine and Ilove being a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its turning meinto a better person and I'll I'm doing is serving and teaching people.Everything else including my family is being taken care of.

Love Elder Lehr

PS: Thank you family and friends for the letters and emails, I'll be writing you soon.

yes mom i got that flat rate envelope this last week! THANKS!! Envelopes are great and thereis no duty but i really want that slice n dice thing hahaha. AND JAREDTO FREAKIN WRITE ME!!! OR ANY UNCLE FOR THAT MATTER! IVE WRITTEN THEMALL A FEW TIMES. Atleast rachel wrote back to the letter in an emaillol....MY UNCLES SHOULD KNOW HOW IT IS TO GET MAIL! FREAKIN GUYS.hahaha.

Elder Holland is coming to Cape Coast

2010-02-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

Family,

Ghana is still here....even though the whole country wasdepressed for losing the Final game of the African cup of nations to Egypt. I thought it was funny. We told a few of the less-actives thatwe have been working with they lost because they didnt come to churchhahaha. We have a good relationship with them so its not as harsh as itseems haha. This week has flown by sooo fast!! We are baptizingNicholas for the goal this Sunday and we found out that ANOTHER one ofour less-active referrals wants to be baptized...maybe this Sunday toobut if not then the following Sundays and other elders that arestruggling with the goal will baptize him so we can accomplish the goalby the end of this month! I cant believe its already February! ElderClements and I are trying to do a lot more home teaching instead offinding investigators because that is what this ward is lacking andneed huge help.

This last week we all found out some prettyHUGE information that will make you all soooo dang jealous hahaha. Ilove being a missionary. Who else is called Elders in our church? Youmight be thinking Apostles??? WELL YOURE RIGHT!!!! Our mission ishaving a mission conference February 23 in Cape Coast with ELDER HOLLAND!!!!!!Elder Snow and Elder Holland will speak to just our mission well at atime!! First they will go to Ivory Coast....maybe Elder Legere has saidsomething? Then they'll come to our mission!! I'M SO STOKED!!! First ofall....APOSTLE....second....ELDER HOLLAND (my favorite if I'm allowed tohave favorites) Third....MISSION CONFERENCE in CAPE COAST! Ive neverbeen there. AND I get to see all the other Elders in our mission! Itwill be so sick!!

Its funny how you said Bishop justchallenged you to read the Book of Mormon cuz thats what Elder Clementsand i started doing to recent converts... we challenged them 2 pages aday and the good part is that we are doing it with them! :D So far itsworking but we'll see how well they keep promises and step up tochallenges. Ive had a weird feeling lately like someone in ourapartment is going to be transferred...its like our apartment is tooclose to each other haha. I swear there is no other apartment that is asgood as friends as we are haha. Its definitely a good thing.

I am so excited for the mission conference! ELDER HOLLAND!! THATS RIGHT! I have to rub it in while i can! :D

Thisweek went kinda fast....no crazy people bothering us. OH! There is aguy named George that stopped his car as we were walking. He called usand told us he has a friend in the US who told him he should learnabout this church so he decided to stop us and now we are teaching him.Hes really smart and asks really good questions. He came to churchyesterday so we're working with him :D That's how contacting is in thiscountry.... :D The Lord really knows me too well, this is why i wassent here.

Anyways, I love you guys so much and cant wait to getyour letters. I dont have much to say cuz nothing has really changedexcept E. Clements and i are getting to be dang good cooks or maybe itsjust that we are starving and have to eat it so everything tastes good.Either way, it tastes good to us! :D I love you and miss you guys somuch, dont worry the day will come soon. Ill try to take pictures withor of Elder Holland if i can! :D :D :D SUCKERS! :D

Love, Elder Lehr! I gained weight!! Ya right... :D

Ashante Region

2010-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

MI FAMILIA, (oh...wrong country and mission, dang it)

My weekwas awesome and it came and went really fast. I guess thats whathappens when we stay busy and on top of things. Tuesday was zoneconference which was great. President is always really good atmotivating us and making us feel more confident in what we are doing.He told a few stories and one was about him on his mission in Englandwhere they went contacting and he was 3 months out just called to train(sound familiar?). He said they ran into a minister of a church and hewanted to disturb some missionaries from the LDS church so he calledthem into his house to have a "lesson." As they taught the firstdiscussion he showed them plenty of scriptures that disproved theirlesson and asked the missionaries...well what about that? And theysaid...well we don"t know about that but what we do know is Joseph Smithis a true prophet and if you asked God you could know too. The guywould say ok...and then they'd continue the lesson and he'd stop themwith more scriptures. They answered the same way...we dont know aboutthat but what we do know is.... And it took 2 hours to barely make itthrough the first lesson. They were walking out and he asked them, wellare you coming back? President Sabey was shocked and answered...well doyou want us to come back? And he said ya that would be good so theybooked an appointment and the next time the same thing happened. Aftersome time it came to a fast sunday where the recent convert (the sameminister who bothered them with scriptures) bore his testimony sayinghow he got sick and tired of the missionaries not having answers toquestions but they would always say.."Well we don't know, but what we DOknow is that JS is a true prophet and you can know that too if youwould ask him." And they guy said he finally did what they asked him todo and that was to ask God. So he did and was converted. Well to makea long story short, President related it to us new missionaries (morethen half of the two zones in Kumasi). He told us that even though wedon't know very much, we know enough. It was a powerful zone conferenceand all of us felt way more confident about our efforts especially withintelligent pastors that talk to us (there are plenty of them here).

Wellfo the rest of the week we worked hard and taught a lot of less activesand recent converts and some members that we could probably stillclassify as recent converts since they still don't really know how to bemembers. It was awesome to see them all at church and they even broughttheir referrals with them which was awesome! Peter is a member referralthat should be baptized with Nicholas (the little boy from thepart-member family) in a few weeks to complete the mission goal! YA! It is an awesome feeling to come to the close of a mission goal,especially cuz they aren't easy! Elder Clements is doing great!

Tell Bishop its been 5 and a half monthswithout hearing from him and he's asking me for letters to the ward??haha, he can take it so let him have it for me. I even emailed him. Ohwell, ill write one anyways lol.

Today was prettycool...So ghana is split up into regions and the biggest region is the Ashante region, the TWI speakers. We are in the heart of the region in Kumasi and so today for our zone activity we went to the Ashante's mainpalace called the Menshya palace (pronounced men-sha). Its where the Ashante King lives and conducts his business haha. We got a tourthrough the museum that told us all about the history of the Ashantepeople and their traditions. They didn't allow pictures inside but asyou know....I'm such an honest missionary and I snuck a few shots. Illsend them to you soon. It was a good change for once by going somewhereinstead of just washing and cleaning and cafe on a p-day. You guys arelucky it rained...its still dry season and we haven't had rain in a fewmonths. Its very dusty and everyone seems to be getting a cold orsomething. I'm going strong again and its much better to go to work thensit and be miserable. I'm now at an internet cafe at the huge stadium,its much faster and better quality. There is a game going on outsideand we didn't have to pay because we are missionaries lol. Its sweet.you can hear all of the people yelling and screaming. Yesterday wascrazy!! It was the African cup quarter finals and Ghana was playing soeverything in this country comes to a stop til they are done. If theywin you hear screaming and pots and pans and whistles and if they losethen people don't want to talk and they wont eat or drinkanything...they sure are passionate about their football. Its awesomesince i love the sport too. Members always invite us over to watch thegames...I don't think they know too much about the rules haha. Its agood thing that members care about us though cuz this ward used to beanti-missionaries since there were some bad things that happened inthis ward including Elders and some members. So its going good now :D

Isure am loving missionary work and doing just fine. Everyone thinksthat Elder Akoki and I both could be leaving Asokwa or even Kumasi...who knows? I don't think so but you never know with President and theLord. All things will be made known in due time. hahaha remember thatphrase?

Well i love you all so much and hope you are writingme letters cuz i wrote all of you letters! I love you and miss you somuch but its ok cuz its for both my progression, yours and the peoplewe both are serving. I am grateful for you guys and your love andsupport. I know the Lord is blessing us both so much. Keep up the workeven though its not easy, its worth every single bit of it.

Love Elder Lehr

PS:I heard some African Elders made a BAT STEW and ate it... Sis. Sabeyrolled her eyes and put her hand in her face hahaha. It was funny andgross lol. I'm glad I'm not in that apartment.

"That man is crazy"

2010-01-18T14:36:00.000-08:00

FAMILY!

This week was pretty crazy. Monday was transfer news andnot one person in our zone came or went. Its mostly because of themission goal coming to an end at the end of this transfer (February28th). Elder Clements and I should be finished with it and baptizingthat referral in the next few weeks. Im excited and so is the referral!He's a 9 year old boy in a part member family and the mom told us shewants him baptized now that they are becoming active in church again.Its amazing how the Lord works to bless these people and to help themprogress. Its a huge help to that family to have this boy baptized. Itwill be exciting for the whole family and they will become activeagain. :D

Saturday was pretty crazy... the one thing thatsticks out is that a random guy who seemed crazy came walking up as wewere teaching that 9 year old boy nicholas. He sat right down next tous and started rambling about crazy things. One thing i remember isthat he touch mine and elder clements hands, said a prayer and thenafter told us that we now have the power to defeat mesquitoes and dontneed to use our nets hahaha. The man knew a lot about joseph smith andthe church. He quoted from DnC and Moroni and elder clements and i didlittle talking until we finally decided it was time to leave and hestarted walking with us. So we went quickly to the main road and hoppedin a car as he was telling us, "I bless you great angels of the Lord."Once the door of the tro tro closed i said it pretty loud but i said,"That man is crazy." I had to say it... The whole tro tro hears rumorsabout our church as it is so i had to clarify to all of them that wehad no affiliation with him hahaha. Everyone in the car was busting outlaughing when i said it. It was an experience... Elder Clements and Iseem to be having bad luck with crazy people just finding us hahaha.

Yesterdaywe had a powerful lesson with a guy named peter. He is very humble andhas a neighbor who referred him to us. The members name is richard andhe is powerful! After we were done teaching he invited peter to keepingstudying and praying diligently, to come to church early and regularly,and to be baptized!! :D Member present lessons are the best way to go!Elder Clements and i had a good laugh as we walked back home afterthat. We were shocked since the member didnt go on a mission, has beena member for barely 5 years and doesnt own a copy of preach my gospel.Its like he know what preach my gospel was all about without evenopening a copy up. We sure loved it. Later last night we had 2 morereferrals to go see. Remember sister Yaa who just baptized in November?Well she took us to two more referalls. One lady was named matilda andsaid she loved how our church went when she came a few weeks ago andshe asked what she needed to do to be baptized, so we are working onthat lol. We then went to sister Yaa's best friends house, Serwa. Serwatook all the lessons with Yaa but didnt get baptized because herhusband is "stubborn." We were able to get inside their home and justvisit and laugh with them. He asked a lot of questions about the churchand we answered them, pretty simple ones. Then he asked where aboutsthe church was and yada yada yada. Then he said that he and his wifewill come to church. Whether he is serious or not, it made Serwa andsis. Yaa very happy!! And they thanked us so much. All they could talkabout was to be married in the temple....wow! So soon and they talkabout the blessings of the temple! :D It was a great night! We camehome and ate good!! We cooked a big thing of rice mixed with a tomatostew we made earlier in the week (you cant just go and buy ragu!!) andfried up some plantains (which look like bananas and when they arefried, they taste really sweet!). We enjoyed our sunday!!

Thisnext week will fly by so much faster then last week! We have zoneconference tomorrow (the 2 Kumasi zones, Bantama and Dichemso, Im inDichemso). I love zone conferences, they are always so uplifting! Andwe get fed!! :D Thats always a missionaries favorite part. One of theElders jokingly told president that if we didnt get fed, we wouldntcome to zone conference hahaha. Presidents awesome, of course he hadsome kind of response to defeat the Elder, It is his profession, alawyer. Haha. Then on Thursday we'll have district meeting then onfriday we'll have splits with the zone leaders.

Well I love you guys so much and hopeyou are enjoying the cold weather! Last night we all got woken up tophone calls telling us that their was a ghana radio station tellingeveryone about an earthquake that was predicted. There has rarely beenan earthquake in west africa so everyone was freaking out, calling thebishop and us to ask what they should do hahaha. We told some of them,"well lets hope you dont die cuz you didnt come to church today." ElderAkoki has no mercy for people who lie and tell us they will come tochurch hahaha. Its ok, we are good friends with those people so itwasnt too offensive, just funny.

I want you guys to know howhappy i am to be serving the Lord full-time. I am learning so muchabout myself, the gospel and a very different people here in ghana. Itis getting easier to have patience and show love especially to those inmy apartment. Whether we are compadable or not, its getting easier tojust relax and let things go. I wish i could of been like this in myown family, it would of made things so much easier and happier. A fewdays will be my 5 month and before this transfer ends, itll be 6months...crazy how fast things go when i am doing the Lords work.

Love, Elder Lehr

PS: Happy Birthday Bug! I didnt forget...i wrote a letter haha. I hope you enjoyed your 14th birthday. (add sarcasm here).

THIS IS AN EMAIL FROM ELDER AKOKI (he is in Elder Lehr's apartment...he's in the picture at the very top of the blog):

Hello,
This is Elder Akoki. I was planning to send you this message to thank you but, I failed. I am very sorry, you have to understand its not my fault, it is just in us. (El Lehr might explain)
I am very grateful for your gift, I was so happy to receive, once again THANKS!
A LOT. I really enjoyed the candys. I was talking with one missionnary and He asked me how is it to be only with White Missionnaries and I told him that I am now a sweet missionnary, It was a way to tell Him that I eat so much sweet food. Evrything is SWEET in the Appart. Lets talk about you son. When He came he seemed very troublesome to me, I didnt know him very well. But up to now He has changed a lot, right now He is learning the doctrine of THE STONY GROUND (He will explain to you) HE is a cool guy, you should not worry, Iam taking care of him. I make sure evryday that He wakes up at 6.am, He takes his bath, He takes his Breakfast and his doxy and go out and feed the SHEEPS; in one word He is in good hands. And also He told me that He is really getting to understand the Book of Mormon, it is POWERFUL. He is POWERFUL. Thanks a lot and May God bless you and your Family. Bye

Just the flu...........not Malaria

2010-01-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

Hey family!

Not much happened this week since i was in bed allweek with the flu. Malaria meds did nothing (which i figured wouldhappen since i didnt think it was malaria). But i am ok and ready forthis next week haha. My head is fine and my ear is peeling scabs offhaha. Its all good... still not sure why i passed out, its not likeblood bothers me. It must of been a combination of things. This weekwent really fast since i slept most of the time being sick and all. Itwas boring and even more boring for E. Clements i bet. E. Akoki wasalso sick all week so E Harris and Clements went out to teach a littlebit haha. E akoki thought it was funny to see two greenies go out andteach and not get lost lol. Im sorry it wasnt a very eventful week. :(

Todaywe find out transfer news which my bet is that nobody leaves since EClements just got here and the goal is about to end next transfer...still not sure about E. Akoki and Harris, either one could leave. E.Akoki has been here 7 1/2 months, its his first area just like the restof us lol. So who knows, we'll know tonight and the changes will bemade on wednesday. It happens too quick, it feels like last transferwas yesterday which is good. only 15 more transfers to go haha. Itseems like but the mission goes way too fast, work work work and itgoes faster! Its crazy how time feels while being here haha. Its liketime has stopped at home and will resume right where i left it when iget back, its a wierd feeling. I wrote a whole bunch of letters thisweek since i had sometime, but who knows when someone will be going tocape coast, maybe for transfers but if not you wont get these lettersfor a month haha. This week Elder Clements and i have decided to makedinner for the kiffers since they do so much for us, i think theylllove it since we've gotten better at cooking. My new favorite thing isplantain... they look like bananas but they are freaking good. We cookthem in oil and salt and its amazing.... im always looking for placesthat have it now.

We have been working hard on the goal sincewe only have one more transfer to finish it. We have 4-5 less-activeswe are working with and teaching 3-4 referrals. We found a part- memberfamily that we can finish the goal with, they already told us we canbaptize their son (since their dad is always in accra and never knowswhen he'll be back and im sure he doesnt have the priesthood anyways).Its wierd here and people give their sons or daughters to themissionaries instead of their dads to baptize and just little stufflike that in the church. It sure is different here. I am loving my areaand the people here. The members are really trusting us and helping usso much. I guess there used to be problems in our ward withmissionaries and so it is taking a longer time for the members to trustus. Missionaries who have been here said they have never been to thebishoprics houses and visited their families but now we are going thereatleast once a week cuz they invite us over to carry water up thestairs and pound fufu and have fun FHE's with them. They love us andare starting to focus their weekly teaching to the ward on missionarywork and helping us. The ward is really progressing and they arefinally starting to initiate home and visit teaching assignments, whichthey should of had long ago haha. President told us that PresidentMonson told the mission presidents to keep missionaries in their areaslonger so that they can get used to the area and not have to start overevery couple months. So now he moves people on average, about every 6months unless its for a leadership position or something comes up.

Welli am still getting Christmas letters from family and the ward!! Thankyou everyone, i love mail!!! I will do my best to write you back! :D

ElderClements is learning so quickly and loving the mission field,especially all the choices of food (add sarcasm here). But no he reallyis progressing and getting better at not being shy. He likes to talkabout taylor swift and some girls back at home so that is good :D !Atleast he likes talking about something! :D I like our apartment andhope nothing changes! So i read something in the brand new gospelprinciple manuals for this year. In the first chapter about HeavenlyFather it teaches us that even God himself has faith. How can a beingwho knows all have faith in something? And what does He have faith in?There must be a deeper definition of faith, im learning about it andmaybe ill write a letter or something about what i think haha. There isalso a part in that book about how satan can immitate the gifts of thespirit, read about moses and the serpents in exodus. Satan's power ismore real then i ever thought it could be!

Well i love you guysso much and am going to continue to sprint regardless of what my dadtells me (he thinks im not sprinting, he thinks he knows me so wellhahaha, love ya dad).

Keep up the good work, good luck withfinals and the next semester of school and seminary christine andkarli!! And mom, stop freaking out, im better and doing well :D

Love your son and brother,

Cody.... Elder Lehr

Knowledge Knot

2010-01-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Family!!!

How are you? Happy new year!! I hope you had a good holiday season! Mine was...interesting. Apparently there isnt a law against making so much loud noise at night haha. All of the churchs here had loud music or people "speaking in tongues" on microphones all night!! We couldnt sleep til way late. It was crazy outside, so we stayed in haha. Besides that everything has been just normal! You know that random less-active and his referral he brought to church last week? Well we taught him twice and they both came to church this week! He is way too smart for us! He was quoting scriptures from the bible and Coran and he would quote from the coran in ARAB, or whatever language it was written. It was crazy and intimidating haha. He is definitely progressing and we will meet him a few times this week too! We are so excited for his progress and pray and thank Heavenly Father for everything He has done for us and that He will continue to bless us and this potential less-active and referall for the goal! Besides them, we had 3 other less-actives at church that each brought a referall (some are more serious then others). We were so excited this sunday especially since elders akoki and harris baptised their referall! It was awesome

So this week we had really low numbers because nobody was around, they had all traveled or were busy for the holidays (Christmas Season lasts a lot longer over here). Ghanains sure do love to travel all over the world. Seriously, they are in every country! I love the people... i cant say that enough. They are so chill and love to talk and relax. They really fear and love God so much and when they hear about the gospel they really are converted! (most of them).

I cant believe that in a few weeks it will be 5 months. It has flown by for the most part. I love it even though its the hardest thing i have ever done. The Lord really is preparing me and putting me through the refiners fire. I am becoming the husband, father and future leader of the church that He wants me to be. Elder Jefferey R. Holland asked a group of missionaries what the real reason we come on a mission. They all gave good answers about doing the Lord's work and all of that. But he said, "No thats not it. The Lord can do all of that. But what He cant do is force us to prepare to become the leaders of the church, including husband and father." Wow... I never thought of it like that. Numbers really dont matter as long as we are working hard and following the rules that are there to protect us. I am so grateful to be here on a mission and for the opportunity i have (unlike any other) to become who my Father in Heaven wants me to. I love you guys so much, keep up the good work!

Oh and i almost forgot. Today... was crazy lol. We had a zone activity at the stake center (Dichemso). So we went with the Kiffers and it was the Kiffers activity. So we started to do the activities they had planned which was kinda like an olympics type thing. We did 3-legged races and egg races (carrying the egg with a spoon, in the mouth and hand) and stuff like javolin with a pbc pipe and discus (not sure how to spell it). Well.... first what happened was when it got to javelin... Elder Kiffer and Elder Mason (zone leader) were out in the field where we were throwing towards and Elder Ikor threw it without really paying attention to them. Well the pipe flew through the air so fast and just so happened to nail Elder Kiffer (old man Kiffer) square in the forehead. His head was gushing blood! IT WAS CRAZY!! So we all rushed for the first aid kit and to help him and everythnig was ok. But when they were putting the bandage on, for whatever reason i wasnt feeling too well (i wasnt feeling good yesterday and this morning either). So i took a chair on the sidelines and sat there with my head inbetween my legs. Next thing i know Elder Wright was holding me up and everyone was around me and i could see them but it was blurry. I HAD PASSED OUT! I landed square on the concrete head first and had cuts on my head, ear, hands and knees. IT WAS NUTS! Ive never felt like that before. The Kiffers called the Sabeys and they kinda freaked out and now have me on anti-malaria meds (its most likely not malaria but they arent going to take chances). But after i came to a sense of mind they sat me back in the chair and fanned me and gave me water (i hate attention, especially medical attention). I am just fine now except the cut on my ear and the knowledge knot on my forehead hahaha. It was kinda funny even mom is probably freakin out reading this bahahaha. Im ok mom, trust me!

Well thats my funny story for the month! lol. I love you guys and hope you had a great week! Im starting to write more letters so give me ideas of what to say to you! Questions?!?! And all of you people who read this every week and think, "oh well i know whats going on with cody, i dont need to write him." YOURE WRONG! YOU NEED TO WRITE ME haha. I love you guys so much! Chruch is true!

Love, Elder Lehr

PS: No really mom, im just fine!

One Christmas down.....one to go!

2009-12-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

Family!

Christmas was awesome because i got to talk to you! I was suprised at how much christine and karli have grown up in these 4 months, really scary. This Christmas was obviously unlike any others, but it was still great because we were able to share a really nice meal with a needy family (needy is an understatement...we're in africa remember?). It was so great to see all the parents and little kids of that compound smile as we brought in drinks and good food (french toast, plantain and stew...delicious) The kids really loved it since it was full of sugar haha. I also brought some disney movies that i found in town and they hooked up the tv outside for all the little kids to watch, they sure loved shrek! We are all so blessed to live in the US, we take it for granted. I remember hearing that a lot and not really listening whenever that was said but now i know the reality of living in a 3rd world country and im still way blessed to have 110 ghana cedis a month to live off of. Christmas Eve there was a stake young adult talent show that the missionaries sang a Twi song in, everyone had their laugh. Then they called a few of the white Elders one by one to come answer some questions in Twi and everyone had a good laugh because the Elders that they happened to call could speak Twi pretty well. Everyone was crackin up. They really love it when we speak their language, it doesnt happen very often lol. Also, for Christmas eve a big group of Elders went to Bonjour... AKA "On The Run." We each bought our own large pizza and enjoyed!! Never knew crappy pizzas would be so dang delicious only after 4 months! So thats about it for Christmas besides the usual...people always asking us for money because both of us are white.

As for the missionary work, we have been focusing on the goal since we had to start over because Elder Clements came, not a problem. We have been working with a few less-actives trying to get them to come to church and get referrals from them. We had 2 of them show up yesterday and one of them brought his nephew and said, "Elder Lehr, this is my nephew and he is stubborn when it comes to learning about the church, but i know you guys can handle him for me." He didnt even know that he was helping us with the goal and just in time too! What a miracle since we have been praying for referrals and hoping for the less-actives to come to church. So we'll see how that goes! We have dropped a lot of our investigators because they havent been keeping their commitments, which is good cuz we need to focus on the goal (Reactivating a less-active by getting them to come to church 3 out of 4 weeks in a month and then baptizing a referral from the less-active. The main goal is having "fruit that remains.") We have until the end of February which sounds crazy if you are in any other part of the world but for Ghana it happens all the time. President Sabey doesnt like numbers, but Elder Woodhouse (one of our APs) started calculating how many baptisms our mission had for the year and he found that we are super close to the 1,000 mark, it all depends on what happened yesterday. 1000 for a year!!! President Sabey really knows what he is doing. He knows how to motivate us to go out and do the same thing they have been doing for months and to be excited about it. He's inspired. Well I am still getting Christmas mail from everyone so thanks a lot!!! I love the letters and especially the seminary letters and card from both Karli & Kaydens seminary and also Sis Troth's senior class! Man they are both awesome! Thank you so much for all the love!

I wish mother's day was closer... haha but its all good. At least this week will fly by too because we have district meeting tuesday (E. Clements and I are instructing) and we have interviews with President on wednesday, which i am not going to take for granted anymore... I am prepared this time with questions and thoughts that I want to discuss with him haha. Maybe its because I am actually praying over the scriptures i am studying trying to find more insight instead of just reading to read. I challenge you to try it. Try to ponder over the scriptures during your day... its really difficult if youve never done it haha. I am definitely learning and growing in the gospel. I am so grateful to have you guys at home supporting me! Its really not going to be that much longer til we are together so I am making the best of the opportunities i have now!

Yes, Elder Harris got to talk to his family, it was just our electricity box that switches off when we have 20 credits left, which lasts a day or two. So we flipped it back on and had no problems! And Be nice to those elders at home! Give them a break! haha...dont start comparing their mission to mine haha. Just love them and help them with referrals... at least the members here give referrals so that might be the big difference in the missionary work in LV...no referrals from ACTIVE Members! While in Ghana we are getting referrals from LESS-ACTIVE members AND active members! Just putting things into perspective for ya.... love ya! Hahaha :D

Well i love you all so much and will write some letters this week to ship on home. I am glad to be started the 2010 year! It means when its over i only have 8 months left! I'll be sad and happy to leave... its not going to be easy.

Love Elder Lehr

4 Days til "The Phone Call"

2009-12-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

Family!

Ghana is alive when it comes to christmas..... NOT! Theres no lights or trees or music ringing everywhere, its just like any other holiday it seems. There was a few extra people at church because its the week of christmas and you always tend to find those lost members coming out for christmas time haha. Well i have been great! i loved the letters and it sounds like more is coming its just gunna be late cuz im 10,000 miles away from home. I CANT WAIT FOR THE PHONE CALL!!! :D I will call sometime in the morning your time which will be around 4pm my time...so like 8am ish. So from 8am-10am i will call. Im not sure exactly because we will be at a members house making food for them for Christmas :D. Best Christmas ever! We get to help out a family who doesnt have very much and cook them some food! I love being a missionary! Well how is AZ? You guys back yet or still there through the week?
This last week went quick since we had our christmas zone conference! President had a cool presentation about the nativity and then sister sabey busted out christmas cookies! A whole plate for each of us! YA! I loved it. We each got a mission tie and some other stuff. Elder Clement's first zone conference and he gets spoiled... not sure if he'll enjoy the next few ones haha. Elder Clements is still alive so does that mean the training is going well? He's not sick and we are teaching people so i think its going well haha. He doesnt talk very much, i try hard to get things out of him but its just a couple words. Which is pretty funny cuz he writes millions of letters....i always think to myself, "What could he be writing all the time since he never talks?" Haha. Im doing my best to bring things out of him, he's probably annoyed, its all good. It still hasnt cooled down here in ghana.....still a blazing 100+ degrees mid-day not including humidity. Yaaaa.... talk about HOT! Sweating more then ever before. So my dream of another white Christmas probably wont happen for a couple of years. I can still hope though.

This week has been kinda tough teaching and visiting people because everyone seems to have traveled or have been busy with final exams or just something! I think this week might not be better haha. Baptizing is sweet and everything but it does take away from our list of investigators to teach every week so that means we've gotta find more and I wasnt really ever good at contacting and Elder Clements is on his 3rd full week out sooo, it could be interesting. Its a good thing talking to people here is easier then in the US or probably europe where people dont have time for you or even care what you have to say. It'll all work out.

Well ill keep it short this week since i get to talk to you! :D I love you all and hope you are having fun in AZ without me to keep you awake driving or irritating the sisters on the road and all of that good stuff :D

LOVE YOU!!

Elder Lehr

Obrunee Obrunee (2 white elders)

2009-12-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

Family!

Merry Christmas, almost, dang! How is Vegas?? Sounds like everything is starting to get crazy just like the normal holiday season is. Today was awesome!! I got mail from cape coast since nobody has been up to kumasi in 4 weeks!!! There was lots of letters and a few packages! Thanks grandma! Elder Clements is doing great! He is starting to slow down his english slowly, but surely. Man he really was prepared when it comes to teaching and baring testimony, hes good at it. Im pretty sure i wasnt asking personal questions to investigators about "how they felt" when we were teaching. Its such a good question especially when you know they are feeling the Holy Ghost! Just ask them how they feel and then bare testimony that its the Holy Ghost telling them that its true, works everytime :D

CHRISTMAS is coming! Everyone is excited for our Christmas Zone conference this friday, the stake christmas show this saturday, then the week of christmas!! YAA! Lots of friendly members want us to come by for some good foods :D Im excited! I dont know what people were talking about when they said they got sick when members fed them, its good food and cooked well (i have to add this part in here just for MOM :D ). We learned how to make a stew, which is just like a tomato sauce with some meat and vegtables in it, they dont have Ragu bottles we can just buy so we make it ourselves haha. Its fun to laugh and cook with eachother since we all have almost no idea what we are doing! We did break down and buy syrup for our french toast! YAA! Slowly our menu is increasing haha.

Its awesome to hear that Elder Fonbuena is going! Im excited for him!! Tell his mom he will be an incredible missionary! Hows elder Kissner and Trotter? And COOP? Havent been able to hear much about them. Thank you Kissners for the postcard!! It sure is a funny one and made me smile so thanks!

My week has been great! We were able to teach 20 or so lessons and are working on less-actives since Asokwa has PLENTY! Its been kinda hard to get in touch with the leaders of the ward but we are doing our best :D Its funny how each day becomes more and more comfortable to be here in africa. I am starting to catch myself humming their music and am learning the twi faster now that i know how they pronounce their vowels (Much different!!). Its still funny to me when i speak to some lady in twi and she just busts up laughing cuz its a huge suprise for any white person to know twi lol. It seems to be a good ice breaker for contacting people too. This last week i have noticed that more people talk to us and irritate us since its two white guys instead of having an african with us haha. Its a big difference in how people treat us and ask us about the US and always beg us for money... I'll probably be a little more heartless when it comes to bums at home since these africans have it MUCH worse. Talk about poverty... Christmas time will be sad for me to see, especially since people barely have money for food and its only the small small children who get presents and stuff. Its definitely something americans should witness once in their lives, it will change them. But hey, i live here and its my home for another 20 months! Im enjoying the people,music, culture and food of the ghanain people! Its a way different kind of life haha.

Its so awesome to see the recent converts come to church and have friends and their testimonies are still burning strong!!! I love that feeling! They are slowly starting to get friends and visit with them and visit less with us. I love it! Missionary work is divine!

It sounds like Elder Mckay is also training! He sent me a letter and talked about us two representing vegas! It felt good to get a letter from him so im gunna write him back and send him some shirts and maybe some ties or something for his new companion who came out with nothing. does he need ties? I can send some cuz they are really cheap here, ill send some anyways. You would be suprised at the faith and desire some of these african elders have. A lot of them dont have anything when they come and they have no family support, but its a huge blessing to have american elders here to help them in anyway possible! Its such a sweet feeling and this service doesnt ever seem like a burden because it comes from the heart!! :D I love this work!!

now that i have an american companion who understands we are gunna spend a little longer at the internet cafe. wow... thats awesome about dad getting asked to bare his testimony in Stake Conference!! Tell him i bare my testimony to 1000 people probably every couple months haha. It was probably really good for him. :D

The duty for the packages was like a total of 53 Cedis... dont worry they dont take it all out at the same time, its gradual. I used my bank card again today so you might get a call to confirm it. I took out 50 Cedis...its probably like 35 or so dollars.

This last week there was a guy we contacted and he sat us down and started to tell us about the "spirit" he saw come through his wall and it had horns and it asked him what he desired... ummm TIA!!! This Is AFRICA!! There are other stories like this that ill write in letters about but it would definitely suprise you at the things we hear from the Apostate people here haha. They really do love God and desire to know the truth but most of them just are set in their ways about the church they attend... most of the time its because its their families' church and theyve been going there since birth, those people we just move on and look for better contacts haha.

Family, i love you so much and know you will have so much fun this holiday season!! I love hearing from you and cant wait to call you!!! Be prepared! haha. Missionary work is sooo hard yet its the MOST rewarding of any work! I love it so much and can see how the Lord is refining me for the task that he gives me. I can see how I am being prepared for upcoming assignments, but training is definitely the hardest and most important calling i can recieve on mission. President really stresses the trust and confidence that he has in his trainers which scares me because i dont have the qualities he says i do haha. Im really working on developing into the missionary that Pres. says i can become. I love you guys and know you are doing a great work with your school,work, callings etc. KEEP IT UP! ASK THE LORD FOR HELP AND BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR PRAYERS! He really is there to help us! Keep the Christmas spirit! And i want pictures of CHRISTMAS at our house!! :D
Love Elder Lehr!

Greenie from Idaho

2009-12-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

Family,

How is everyone? We are starting to sing Christmas hymns!! Im getting more and more excited for this season of holidays. Ok so my new companion is Elder Clements. He is from Rexburg, Idaho and lived on a farm. He seems like a pretty cool guy and we'll be just fine in Asokwa ward. Its a way different experience trying to teach someone who just came to Ghana when it feels like ive learned so much and been here for forever. Taking what ive learned and teaching it is the hard part. It will be a learning experience for both of us since he isnt used to ANYTHING including a huge city like Kumasi. Its a totally different life for him, im kinda used to it by now haha.

This last Sunday Elder Harris confirmed brother obuakye (the guy who calls me clinton and john the baptist). Both E. Harris and I were asked to bless the Sacrament this week too since not many people were early for church. It was a great experience for the both of us. Elder Clements was asked to bare his testimony and just like all of the other white elders when they first get here, he was speaking english soooo fast that im not sure if many people except Elder Harris and I understood him, oh and the Kiffers. It was great and you could really feel that he is ready to learn and grow and WORK! Thats one thing about mission... if you arent working then theres no point in being here and we might as well have some fun while we're at it.

We went to TOWN TOWN today... It was the craziest place Ive ever seen, Elder Clements didnt know what to do or say or how to even react, it was pretty funny to see haha. The place is just filled with people everywhere!! We went there with a few elders to get some Christmas gifts for home! :D Not telling you. Its been good to have an american companion who likes to eat bread and noodles and fried rice instead of fishy junk. The fish here just isnt the same at all and i didnt like fish much before i left so you can imagine. We make and eat a lot of our meals together as a companionship... It sounds kinda homo but its the Ghanain way for everyone to eat out of a huge bowl. We have gotten many many offers from ward members that they will "take care of the missionaries for Christmas." So im excited and told E. Clements he was lucky that president put him in this ward haha.

The one thing that has got to change is that E. Clements is way too shy. I'll have to help him fix that (president said i would be a good person to help him with that). Training is not easy at all but it makes me be on my knees praying a lot more! :D Im so excited to be training even though its really tough and everything. When we teach he is just fine and knows when and how to start teaching or even bare testimony, that part is fine. Its the everyday talk that he seems to not know how to respond, itll take time but he'll know how to be a people person by the time the two of us are split. haha. Hes a really nice guy and loves to work and study so we will get a long just fine.

This week was Elder Adjeifios birthday so sis. Kiffer made us all cake yesterday and we ate it, then called him and sang happy birthday and told him we were eating cake for him hahaha. It was pretty funny!
Im so excited for the next zone conference! I heard we get pizzas and all kinds of presents from Pres and Sis. Sabey!! The only problem is that instead of zone conference being this upcoming week it got moved to next week so it can be somewhat closer to Christmas, which is fine its just that we dont get mail or even our subsistance money until they come! So now all 4 missionaries in our apartment STARTED our missions in Asokwa and havent been anywhere else. E. Akoki has been out 2 transfers more than me, so 6 months! Ive been out 4 months and E. Harris 2 months and E. Clements almost a month haha. Its funny how all of us are fairly young on missions compared to most other apartments.

Well i hope all is going well. I hope you have been studying the conference talks... they are amazing. The only reason we even have them in our apartment is because E. Clements brought the Ensign from home, we were all jealous haha. I got really excited to read the priesthood session since we havent been able to hear it or even read it yet. All I could think about was you dad and the relationship that we can build and make even stronger between the two of us when I get back. I love you guys and am writing you all Christmas letters and sending you all a little something :D Hope you like it even though its small and inexspensive.

Love Elder Lehr,

PS: Give more to others this year than ever before, even if its just a warm smile or a friendly visit. Trust me, it will make a difference in that person's life.

Chicken on Turkey Day :)

2009-11-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

Family,

How was Thanksgiving? Well mine was pretty much awesome compared to other elders. The Kiffers made everything and invited our district (8 Elders) over for Thanksgiving dinner! They had chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, gravy and some other stuff! The best was the apple pie!! We were really spoiled just because we are in the same district as the Kiffers! It really was nice except for the fact that all I could think about was you guys! I really got homesick that day, but the food made things better haha. We then washed the dishes because it was the least we could do then we watched a church movie about the salt lake temple. I loved it even though I was missing you guys so much! :D

Yesterday we had confirmations for the baptisms we had last week. It went really good. I loved Sacrament meeting because it was the primary program. You can imagine how different it was for me to see and hear these little African kids singing primary songs. I thought it was amazing how every single little child knew their part in the program and had it all memorized. Even really little kids had their part memorized and nobody needed help haha. There was just something special about little African children singing songs about their Savior Jesus Christ. It really touched me, especially the song that dad always sings, “we are a happy family.” I was really missing you guys right then and it’s not going to be easy for these holidays. Ok so on a happier and less crying note, 3 brand new investigators walked into church yesterday and they were all future leaders which means they have money and know English. They didn’t know each other at all and they all showed up on their own with nobody with them. 2 of them asked me during the investigators class how they can become members, so we will teach them this week! Exciting! I know what you might be thinking, “This cant be possible! People just don’t show up to church on their own and ask how they can be members.” Well here in Ghana, it happens all the time! It really is the best place in the world to serve and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the opportunity I have to serve here. Miracles happen every single day in this mission!

So this week is the last week of my 2nd transfer! We find out tonight if Elder Adjeifio will be leaving for if maybe I will leave. I hope we both stay! We are doing well here and working good together, but its up to the Lord. If ElderAdjeifio does there is a chance i could be training!!! FREAKIN CRAZY! President Sabey is unlike any other mission president. After 2 or 3 transfers he has missionaries train.... its very scary and ill know tonight! So ill let you know next week what happened with transfers. I am loving this area called Asokwa and dont want to leave!

MISS YOU! :D I need stamps! Dont send packages unless its my birthday or christmas... its just too expensive and id much rather get pitcures and letters.... true joy that lasts.... food goes away too fast haha. i loved it though, dont get me wrong! But i loved the pictures and letters more haha.
I am buying some phone credit card to call you guys in 3 weeks!! Im so excited for that! Well i love you guys so much and it seems like all is going well at home which is good. Study hard for your mid-terms!! I wish i would of. Haha.
Love,
Elder Lehr

Christmas already

2009-11-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

Family,

I got the Christmas packages you sent! :D I was sooo happy to get it! And to be honest I opened it early, sorry haha. A month early for Christmas. It was sweet even though im not eating anything from it til around Christmas time! Im pretty much upset at the empty buffalo wild wings containers. You guys are soooo funny. The pictures were my most favorite part! The duty was kinda expensive because of the beef jerky so I think for next time I can deal without haha. It is delicious though! I can really tell how much you guys love me and support me by all of the time and energy that was put into the packages! The little notes on all of the things made it fun and my apartment sure does love you all! So thank you so much!

I finished the Book of mormon this week! I started on the flight over and finally finished. I don’t read during my designated study time but during my free time. :D It really does bring you closer to Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father by reading it. I learned so much from this time that I read it. It has helped me so much especially in the missionary work.

This week was awesome! We had interviews with President Sabey on Friday, which is always good. He really does know how to make missionaries happy and help them to progress. I have seen a huge difference in some of the Elders since the MTC. Im kinda scared at some of the questions he asked me. It gave me the impression that Elder Adjeifio might not be around for this next transfer. Crap! Just when I get a little comfortable, things change. I hope its just me feeling this way and that he doesn’t leave me. Ive gained a good friendship with him and it sure makes life so much easier.

OH! Did I mention the baptism we had yesterday? It was great! Bounti, Bro. Obuachy and Sis. Yaa were so happy even though they were nervous for the baptism. It went really good and the members welcomed them which was great! The members are really gaining a strong trust in us missionaries which makes things so much better. Missionaries really do need the members in almost every aspect of the work so its good that they like us. The baptism was right after church because they want members to be present and not many people can come on week days or on Saturday. After the baptism a member told me she has a friend she’d like to take us to go see, so we headed over and met her friend. It made me happy to see that the members trust us enough to take us to their friends. I’ll have to get you guys pictures of the baptism, probably next week I could have them. :D

The weather really has changed lately. They call it the Hamaton (pronounced Ha-ma-tawn) season. It is really “dry,” dusty and foggy everyday.It’s like a huge fire from California is burning only miles away. You cant see more than a few miles in each direction. I love this weather because it’s much cooler and it is sooo much dryer than a few weeks ago. Its still not a dry heat but its not like we are sweating bullets as much. I seriously haven’t stopped sweating since I got off the plane, except for the last few days with the weather…it’s a blessing in us white guys lives. :D It should last through January-February and was supposed to start in December but it started early this year. I hope it doesn’t end early.

Family, I hope each of you know how much I love you and cant wait to call you this Christmas! I think about you all the time and some days are harder than others when it comes to missing home. The more I focus on the work the better it is and the more happy and blessed I am. You guys only miss one person, but I have to miss all of you and it’s not easy at all. I know that if I stay focused I will be blessed and the work will get better. How grateful I am to have a family that loves and supports me and more importantly, loves the Lord. How blessed I am to be serving in the Ghana Cape Coast mission. The people here are unlike any other. Their hearts are truly softened and they are ready and willing to receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it’s the only gospel that comes directly from Jesus Christ. I know that my Redeemer lives and loves me. Prayer and repentance really can change the lives of people if they do it sincerely. The gospel is the only thing that can bring true and unlimited joy! Follow the prophets and we can all live together forever. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen.

I love you guys so much. Keep up the good work and enjoy this holiday season! Eat lots of pie and turkey sandwiches. Take lots of naps and drink lots of hot chocolate. Enjoy all the little things that you don’t always notice because trust me… I’m really missing the little things about home, my family, and the holidays. LOVE YOU!
Love Elder Lehr

Elder Clinton

2009-11-16T09:56:00.001-08:00

Family,

E Te Sen? (How are you? In Twi). Aye (Im fine or good). This week has been pretty successful. We have atleast 3 people that we have been preparing for baptism for this Sunday November 22!! Im so excited for it! I don’t know who is doing the baptizing and I don’t care. What matters is that these people have changed their lives, repented, and are making their first covenant with Heavenly Father through the ordinance of Baptism. Their names are Brother Obuachy, Sister Yaa (grace), and Bountie. Brother Obuachy is an old man who has gone through a lot in his life. He used to be a manager for an oil company but he lost his job, his wife left him and she took all of his money with her. He’s very intelligent and loves to get up at 4am to watch CNN. He says that I look like Bill Clinton, so he calls me Elder Clinton…hmm…I didn’t laugh much at that joke. Sister Yaa is in her late 20s and single. She works at a chemist (this is how they call a pharmacy). She understands English but cant or doesn’t speak much of it, only Twi. She had an amazing dream about Joseph Smith showing her where the church was and he told her that it’s the only true church. She didn’t know it was Joseph smith until she saw his picture. Pretty amazing things happen in West Africa when it comes to dreams. She showed up to church on her own and now 2 months later she is getting baptized! Bountie is a 19 year old who just graduated highschool. He is looking for a job so he can pay for his schooling. He had a friend tell him in highschool about a book that can bring true happiness. He told him he’d find it in this church so he showed up to church on his own. When Elder Adjeifio saw him he was way nervous and shaky because of all the crazy things he heard about the church like devilish powers and stuff. He told him to go sit down in the Sunday school class and find out for himself what the church is all about. He now loves the church and the Book of Mormon. I’ll get pictures of everyone when I can.

I have been doing good as you can see :D I got that first envelope and some letters from karli and tine. I love letters and packages! Elder Adjeifio liked how you put his name on the letter with the package... Now he knows i have to share lol. Thats awesome to hear about Brady!! Im so excited for his family... he will learn and grow more than they will ever know! I know i certainly have!

Thats so funny about jacob and michael with the waffles!! Hahaha... those guys crack me up. They'll be a tag team as they grow up!

Enjoy a turkey or 3 for me! I loved the letters and package you guys sent. Oh and im in town about to try the Debit card so ill tell you next week if it works, it probably will. I dont need money very often, only for needs, but it probably wont be til later in the mission. Im using the washboards for the collars on my shirts haha. it works pretty good and the others in the apartment are using it too. Its sweet. Lots of powder drinks...i love these things. I can get butter and sugar and all sorts of things you wouldnt think so dont send that stuff. Sunflower seeds, peanut butter, salsa, cheese dip (the frito brand dip).... easy cheese. Little stuff like this! :D If not its ok, ill live as a Ghanain. I loved the reading materials so send more in all the packages!! :D

I’ve really learned in the short time I’ve been here that the number of baptisms doesn’t matter It’s all about how many people I help to repent and be actively involved in church. Less-actives are just as important as finding new people to teach. I love the Lord’s work. The Lord really does give missionaries so much help. I want to bear my testimony that I know this church is the only true church in the world because it really came from God and Jesus Christ. God loves each and every one of us and that is why we have been blessed with life, families, prophets, scriptures and continual revelation. Jesus Christ directs His gospel through the prophets and apostles. This life should be focused on an Eternal perspective, meaning we should only work for our needs and the rest should be given to those around us who are struggling. We should be anxiously engaged in helping people to grow spiritually. Teach a man to fish and he’ll have food, but teach a man to pray and he shall have Eternal Life. The mission is preparing me for serving the Lord for the rest of my life. I want to stand blameless at the judgement seat and have my Heavenly Father tell me, “Welcome home.” I have seen people who have near to nothing, yet they still pay tithing, pay for taxis to go to visit other members, and give their all when it comes to helping people to stay active and they are happy about it. I’ve never seen a more faithful and truly happy people than here in Ghana. They don’t take their lives, blessings or the Gospel for granted. They cherish every single blessing and they are content with the small amount of physical blessings they have received. I know we can all give a little more of ourselves. This is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I love you all and hope you are coming to an understanding that this life is not about yourself because I know I am. Charity is the pure love of Christ and to have this attribute you must be striving to live like Jesus and asking Heavenly Father to help you become more loving and giving. I know I’m the last person you thought would say this, but I HAVE BEEN WAY TOO SELFISH to call myself a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ. It’s not going to be easy and it hasn’t, but I am going to change. Line upon line. Precept upon precept. Til the perfect day.

Love Elder Lehr

PS: Thanks for the letters and the first envelope with the tinker bell and flower stickers on it! Elder Harris got some powder mashed potato mix in his package and so that gravy will be perfect!! LOVE YOU ALL!

Gone is the washing machine;(

2009-11-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

Family,
Is it Thanksgiving this week or next week? Either way its coming up so Happy Thanksgiving! You guys better eat a lot for me! I think the couple missionaries, the Kiffers, are going to try and find a turkey. They said we would all eat a goat if they couldn’t find one haha. Goat isn’t that bad haha. I got your dear elder letters mom and also your Halloween letter which was nice! Thank you Christine for your letter and the pictures too, it looks like you had so much fun! You look too old to be a junior, scary. It was a nice surprise to get letters haha, not so used to that :D. So where are you guys having Thanksgiving? Our house? Who’s coming over? Don’t miss me too much while you are watching the Cowboys lose and stuffing your faces! Just think of me when you see those starving kids in Africa on those commercials. Enjoy and appreciate Thanksgiving this year! Not many families in the world are able to get together like ours. Cherish those moments. I know I have.

This week flew by even though it wasn’t all that busy. Elder Adjeifio has been suffering with 2 ingrown toenails, one on each big toe! Ya… he’s got it bad! Poor guy. The doctor for West Africa missions, Dr. Elder Stubbs, told him to soak them 3 times a day and shove cotton up in the nail to eventually lift the nail out of the toe! Ouch! Elder Harris is a little more brave then me so he is the one who puts the cotton up his toenail haha. We haven’t done much proslyting this week because of it but we were still able to teach the people who are preparing for baptism which was nice. The week we didn’t go out much I was still called Obrunee atleast 53 times that I counted. Ridiculous. Sometimes it’s funny but mostly its just annoying haha.

Tuesday was district meeting and it was my companionship’s turn to instruct. I instructed on charity and unselfish service. Elder Adjeifio instructed on unity within companionships. It went really good. While I was instructing, the biggest wasp ever flew in and started flying around me. Everyone in my district was laughing except me. The thing was freaking scary huge!

Remember the Phillipino investigator I mentioned a while ago? Brother Jay? Well we went to visit him and apparently his friend, who is a member, downloaded all of conference! So our lesson was watching the second session on Sunday which starts out with Elder Holland’s talk! It was awesome! Holy smokes. It was straight forward and directed at everyone in the church including the very elect. Powerful talk.

Since I was kind stuck in the apartment all week, I got a lot of reading and studying done. I started and finished Mosiah and Alma this week. I don’t think I’ve ever read this much in my life. And yes I actually understood what was going on haha. Moroni is still my favorite stud in the Book of Mormon.

I told you last week that the washing machine was taken away, the AP’s came and got it for Elder White. So, we had to wash by hand this week, which isn’t hard it’s just more time consuming. My clothes came out pretty clean, surprisingly. You’d be proud of me mom haha.

I can’t wait for this next Liahona, Ensign to come out! If you could, please send me a copy. I don’t care when it gets here as long as it eventually does. I miss you guys so much you don’t even know. Make these upcoming holidays the best ones ever, but remember that I want pictures and stories! :D I love you all! Keep spreading the gospel! Don’t be afraid to bare witness of TRUTH! (October Ensign, Pres. Monson, Fountain of Truth). Im excited for those packages!! And no i havent tried my debit card yet but if i get time today i will, if not it will be next monday for sure. Would it be ok if whenever i needed money you just call B of A and told them im still in africa? I wont need it very much at all but just an idea. Mom is a facebook user now?? What the heck? Haha... i thought you were an anti-facebook person? So much changes in 3 months haha. And I dont know why you had to tell me 300 times that I should know im loved and stuff, haha i already knew that! Always will! Taking third is probably worse then a sister kisser dad & Karli, just thought i'd say it. Go big or go home....a sister kisser. Haha better step it up! Next tournament? That's awesome that you got to do sealings this week! Im so jealous, i love sealings after going through the temple a month or so ago. Well i love you all so much and cant wait for that phone call!! :D :D Start thinking of things to ask me, or not, we could just find out what to talk about when the time comes. Im sure i wont be able to stop talking sooo nvm dont think of things to talk about haha.

Love Elder Lehr

Journal Entries

2009-11-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

Family that I love and miss so much,

It has been yet another week in the mission field. I have to say that this week has been the most uplifting and spiritually strengthening week I have ever had in my entire life. I’m not sure how else to explain except by copying day by day out of my journal. Ill show only pieces of what I wrote because it’s so long.

October 27, 2009

Today was awesome when it comes to missionary work! We have started working on the mission goal, which is to reactivate someone by getting them to come to church 3 out of 4 times in a month, then baptizing a referral from that less-active member. So today we were headed over to a less-active member’s house named Alex. He has come to church twice so far and we need him to come at least once more for the goal. Another awesome thing about Alex is that both times he came to church he brought a different friend with him. So as we got to his house we knocked on the door and both of his friends answered the door and said Alex wasn’t around. So we were kinda disappointed, but asked the two friends, Richmond and Clifford if we could share a small message with them. They agreed and I had already had a good feeling about this. We started lesson 1 and answered questions they had about the Restoration. They were sincerely agreeing with everything we taught them, about Christ’s church and the Apostasy and even the Restoration through Joseph Smith. The Spirit in the lesson was powerful and my companion and I were shocked when they both said they want to be members of the church!! How blessed we were as a companionship to have the goal fall right into our laps because we worked hard during the Elias Goal or preparatory goal. We haven’t completed the goal yet, but this was definitely a huge blessing that we gave thanks to our Heavenly Father for!

October 28, 2009

We went to visit Clifford and Richmond at 11am today and found that Richmond was out, so we taught Clifford. He had plenty of good questions so we answered those first, then moved on by teaching him about the Book of Mormon and how it came about. My companion, Elder Adjeifio had told me before getting there that it’s my turn to start the lesson. So I began teaching him where the Book of Mormon came from, what it contained and why it is important. After my part was over, Elder Adjeifio started teaching him how to pray and how he can find out if it is true. It was another great lesson where the Spirit was definitely present. He said he could already feel that what we were teaching him was true, but that he would pray anyways. The rest of the day went really well, including the missionary fireside that we were in charge of and had been planning for the past couple of weeks for. The fireside was to motivate members to bring their friends and family to the missionaries and even to teach the members a few things about introducing the church to their friends and family. It was a success because our 2 companionships got 10 or so referrals a piece and it was an uplifting meeting. (I was asked to bare my testimony near the end of the meeting J). It all went well and we have been continually blessed in our efforts this week.

October 29, 2009

Today was one of the best days of missionary work! We went to teach Clifford and Richmond again and found that all of them were there, including Alex. Clifford and Richmond had a lot of questions and so we answered them one by one and then moved on with our lesson which was mostly for Richmond since he missed the lesson yesterday. It went well and Alex participated with his testimony which made the lesson even more powerful. After the lesson we had lunch and headed to Daban (sounds like Duh-bine). There we taught Obuachy who will be baptized in a few weeks (since General conference is this Sunday and stake conference is the next Sunday). While teaching him about the Gift of the Holy Ghost, it started to rain like I have never seen before! It was pouring harder then ever! So we waited for the rain to stop after our lesson and it never did. It was getting late so we took some plastic bags to put our scriptures in and headed down the road to a member’s house, sis. Elizabeth. That’s where Elder Akoki and Elder Harris were teaching someone. We walked through the pouring rain which was totally awesome and actually refreshing since it was cold. We got to Elizabeth’s house and found them there waiting for the rain to stop, which it didn’t. We waited a small time with them and sis. Elizabeth pulls out a plate of rice and stew and says,“Heavenly Father won’t kill you for eating this.” She was referring to the rule President had made about FM’s (free meals). The rule was that we had to teach a non-member first then eat with them. BUT! That rule ended with the Elias goal on the 25th of October (unless president tells us it’s a rule this Saturday in Zone Conference WHICH HE DID). So we didn’t break the rule, but it was hilarious how sis Elizabeth told us that Heavenly Father wouldn’t kill us for eating her food. So we ate and decided it was getting too late to wait for the rain to stop so we walked the few miles back to the main road to get a tro-tro. It was still pouring so hard and we loved every second of feeling one bit of cold. (atleast me and Elder Harris did!).

October 31, 2009

Today was Zone conference, which was exciting and very powerful. Among the great instructions, Pres. Sabey’s final instruction on the “deep doctrine” was my absolute favorite. He started with this quote, “The doctrine of oneness is the doctrine of Exaltation.” We have been taught so many times in so many ways about being unified whether it is unity in companionships, Eternal companions, families or even as church members (zion). We talked about what it meant for the Father and the Son to be One. They are infinitely more One then they are separate. President then talked a lot about how our mission prepares us for Eternal Marriage. He said, “I care more about what kind of husbands you will be, than what kind of missionaries you are.” Why would a mission president tell us this? It’s got to be extremely important if he tells us that and also if he talks about marriage more then any other mission president in the world! He then talked about how difficult the first few years of marriage is because of how different we will be from our spouse. Pres. Then showed us an example of how giving 50/50 in your marriage is setting up to fail. We both will have different perspectives of what meeting “halfway” is and so it won’t match up. We have to give our all, 100/100. Instead of give a little, take a little; It’s giving my all and not expect any return and be thankful if I do. President then gave us a pretty deep statement, “Celestial Marriage is both the End and the Means.” We have to have Eternal Marriage to make it to the celestial Kingdom and Eternal Marriage is what forms us into the kinds of people we need to be to get there. After he finished talking about marriage, he focused on the Atonement. He was a lawyer back home and he explained what it’s like to be the advocate for a defendant who has to be brought in chains. He related the situation to us with Christ as our Advocate before the Father. He then read a scripture of what the Savior will say in our defense. DnC 45:3-5: “Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him--- Saying: Father, behold the sufferings of and death of him who did no sin in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; wherefore, Father, spare these my bretheren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.” In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ became One with us so that we could become One with Him. His arms are stretched forth towards us. Are we showing our love to Him by “feeding His sheep?” We should be preparing to live the law of consecration because we have been told that someday we will, why not start as much as possible now? “He that saveth his life shall lose it, but he that loses his life shall save it.” I am grateful for the Spirit that was present in the Zone conference. It has really helped me change a lot of my points of view in life.

November 1, 2009

Today was the viewing of General Conference at the stake center. We only got to watch 2 sessions, Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. No, I did not get to see Elder Holland’s talk on the Book of Mormon, but I do have the printed version. I had our investigator named Bounti sitting next to me during the conference. He asked plenty of good questions about what was going on and how the church is organized. I could tell he enjoyed (as did the rest of us) Tad R. Callister’s talk. Bounti said he agreed with everything that was taught by Elder Callister and when he was done speaking, Bounti said, “wow, he is a powerful man. I could really feel it.” Bounti really has been prepared for baptism so I committed him to be baptized while we were having a break between sessions. He said, “when is the next baptism taking place?” I was shocked and told him the day then he said, “Ok, ill get baptized then!” I was being really bold with him and felt that that is how I needed to be. I enjoyed conference a lot and am going to apply the things I’ve learned, especially about gaining an unconditional love for people. That will include service to every person I notice that has a need. I will definitely need the guidance and help of the Holy Ghost and it will take time to fully apply this principle in my life, but I am totally willing to learn and grow. Submission is something I am learning so much about.

All of these experiences happened in only one week! Is that even believable? I didn’t even have time to mention a “many mighty miracle” (as sis Sabey would call it) that happened on Friday with a random contact. He is a really wealthy man but the most humble man I’ve met. He accepted the whole Restoration and loved “our teachings” (as he called them). Being submissive to the Lord’s will truly brings blessings, especially blessings that form me into a better person, missionary, son, brother, future husband and future father. I am blessed more then usual when I serve others and give my all to His work. I can’t wait for you guys to see how much I have grown and changed. It’s only been 2 months and my life has flipped upside down (in a good way of course). All I have to do is be humble and submit myself to His will and do my best and the rest is done for me. Ghana really is a specially place to serve the Lord.

I hope you all know how much I love you. I think about you every time I pull out my scriptures because there is a picture taped in the back. I pray for all of you everyday that you will continue to serve faithfully, gain even stronger testimonies of our Savior Jesus Christ and keep the “big picture” in mind. Remember how important it is to leave the herd of 99 for that 1 lost lamb. When you are apart of bringing somebody back into the herd, you can really feel the love the Savior has for that person.

This week I took a lot of time to make sure this email home taught you all a little something about the faith here in Ghana. I hope you now know how much I am learning and progressing. I can’t wait to call you at Christmas!! Only a month and a few weeks away now!
Love,
Elder Lehr

PS: 94 weeks left for me to serve full time, I had better get busy! Each time you think of me I want you to ask yourself this question: Did I make a difference in someone’s life today? If not, you better start getting busy too!

Ahhh....The Outhouse!!

2009-10-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Wow this week has flown by once again. So many things to talk about. I didnt get transfered but Elder White in our apt. did. His companion Elder Akoki is now training a new greeny who is a white guy yaa!! His name is Elder Harris from Burbank, CA. He's an awesome guy and is exciting and relieved about Ghana. He had some of the same thoughts about Africa that i did and hes realized that in our area its not so bad.

The work really is sweet. Yesterday at church my companionship had 4 of our investigators at church and i sat by two of them throughout all of church. Their names are Harrison and Bounti... Bounti is my age and Harrison is a nurse, they are both really young but they are progressing. Bounti keeps asking what he needs to do to be baptized (so we are teaching him the rest of the discussions, while making sure he really is ready) and Harrison has really been touched by the gospel. We have taught him all the way up to the point where we challenge him for baptism and yesterday after church he told us very sincerely, "thank you for bringing me such good news" (referring to the gospel of course).

We still havent been able to hear anything or see any of conference :(. We get to watch two sessions on sunday at the stake center with the whole stake there. Im excited for that! The missionary couple who lives by us, The kiffers, printed off what they said was one of the best talks of conference, the Elder Holland safety for the soul talk!! It was sooo powerful just to read, if only I could of heard it! I hope i get that talk in the sessions this weekend.

Well, im sorry I am just not as impressive as Elder Lytle, sounds like he is doing just great! Its harder then you think to just pull out a bunch of paragraphs about my week when im rushed. The letters i sent are better because I can take my time.

Ghanain culture is crazy. They love to sing and dance all the time. I have sent a CD with letters on wednesday so i hope you get that. It has videos of a few things including a Family Home Evening at the "timothy's" home. They are great family! I wish we could invite all other families in the ward over to the Timothy's so that they can be shown how a REAL family home evening is supposed to be conducted. You will know what i mean when you see the videos haha. Elder Harris told me yesterday that he noticed that I dont speak like an American anymore haha... He says i speak slow and like a British guy. (I have to speak slow english cuz nobody understands english when i speak "fast"). It really is a good feeling to have a new greeny in the apartment. It really opened my eyes as to how much ive learned in just a transfer.

I wish i could of been there to eat all the chocolate chips mom!! Or even eat some of that roast you cooked... oh how i miss mom cooked meals. I have been relying off of egg sandwiches and they are getting old. Sooo this last week I kinda got a little sick... nothing to worry about though. I had "runny tummy" which is what the Africans call it. My companion and I were just getting to a members house where we teach some investigators (Daniel and Esther, not related, I teach in english to daniel and Adjeifio teaches in Twi to Esther) and all of a sudden I remembered what a missionary in the Accra mission told me in the MTC, "Every single American Craps his pants atleast once on their mission and if they say they didnt, they are lying!" Hahaha, thankfully for me I didnt have that problem, BUT I still had to go sooo bad and my companion was making fun of me for walking wierd. So we got to the members house and he told her I had runny tummy and had to go now! She laughed and said that her toilet has been leaking so I cant use that, so she pointed towards the back of where these chicken coops were and there was an old outhouse there.... she didnt have paper or even toilet paper for that matter so I used my Hanky that i use to wipe off sweat.... it was quite an experience and I didnt get THOSE pictures on the CD I sent home so itll have to be next time!! :D Youll never believe what this outhouse looked like hahaha.

I am really enjoying the africans in my apartment... They have such a different kind of humor here it was hard to get used to but not its hilarious! They like to use parables, especially parables from the Bible. (They really KNOW their Bible) It's funny to just listen to them argue and laugh cuz they sound so funny, but now that Elder harris told me I kinda sound like them maybe the joke is on me now haha.

We have a new zone leader, Elder Mason. He was Elder Carton's companion in the office, an office elder. Since we now have a new couple in the office the office Elders were no longer needed. Haven't been able to talk with him much but i will at p-day today when we meet the two Kumasi zones at Bantama ward's chapel to play games and enjoy for a couple hours. They have now changed yet another rule, we HAVE TO leave the church at 12:30pm and cant stay to play games past then, not sure what the problem was but being submissive is a Christ-like attribute so im not going to say anything, just follow the rule.

I am enjoying the lemonade and Kool-aide packets that i brough from home. i didnt use them in the MTC and am now enjoying :D.

I would love to have gatorade but thats probably asking too much haha. Mom, i know you want me to tell you when im suffering or dont have enough of something but i just cant disclose that information, I plead the 5th. Haha. Im just kidding... There really isnt any problems, im taken care of pretty well and youve seen my apartment, its not a bad place haha. I guess im just lucky to be in the city of Kumasi, it's really a nice place, despite some of the 3rd world areas we go teach in.

Ties here are 3 Cedis!! Which is less then $3! I have gotten a few new ties but havent found too many Kentay ties (you know what i mean, the kentay cloth, the cool tie I got before i came).

It rained 3 days in a row which hasnt happened since ive been here! It rains at night and it poured so hard! I loved it because it cools off the apartment! It's so hot in the sun and this is "winter." I guess sometime in January the Hamaton (not sure if this is spelled right) starts and it is freezing cold at night and hotter then heck during the day. The best part i found out is that it lasts a whole month in Kumasi and only a week or so in Cape Coast sooo yaaa its gunna suck to walk around in.

Yesterdays Sacrament meeting was the best one I've had since ive been here! Probably because ALL of the speakers spoke in english and I could understand! It was pretty nice for a change. They called Elder Harris up to bare his testimony, which is what Bishop likes to do to all the new guys that come to our ward. Im not sure everybody udnerstood him cuz he still speaks like an American and speaks really fast. Well, I understood him atleast and it was a solid testimony, he really is pumped and ready to get to work haha.

I also sent in my envelope home a letter for the ward so i hope you get it, probably this week sometime. It's kinda expensive to send letters home when its not pouch haha. But there is also some printed pictures in there so enjoy! :D

Well i love you so much and hope all os going well (sounds like it is). Keep up the good work!

Love, Elder Lehr

Helaman 3:35 (scripture of the month)

Transfers this week

2009-10-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

Thats so awesome to hear about matt, blake and jared!! Cant believe he got to come home early for his brother! Thats great! Well we finally get to watch a little conference this sunday which im sooo excited for!!

How did karlis tournament go?

I am getting pictures printed today and sending a big letter home with some pictures :D Hopefully the memory card thing will work.

lol Jared ward keeping things from his family isnt a suprise.... but dont be suprised if you find a whole lot of NEW things about my mission for when i get back! haha. Oh and i get called Obrunee every single day...some of the people even call me Okokonee sometimes, which means "red man." Not because of my hair but because im just have a red complexion hahaha. yaaa not so funny anymore, it was cute the first few times now it drives me crazy to hear it so i ignore it.

Ghana beat brazil to win the U20 World Cup!! Tell that to sis. dos santos! haaaa. How can i write her? you didnt really give me a way to get a hold of her, looks like ill write her next week.

This last week we got to have a suprise zone conference where Elder Carden from the 2nd quorum of the Seventy came! Hes the Area President of the West Africa area. Hes from Mesa, Arizona area...wheres that? Hahaha. He really is powerful! The second portion of zone conference he stood up and pretty much asked all the Elders... "what would you like to know?" It really shocked me that he really asked that kind of question. Some elders asked some good questions and it turned out to be one of the most powerful meetings ive had on mission which is hard to come by. :D

This week is transfers and we honestly have no idea if anyone is gonig anywhere or not, but atleast one of us in the apartment is probably leaving. Everyone is telling me that you just cant predict what president is gonig to do. Some guys stay in an area for one transfer and others are there for 10 months!!! So i just never know! haha. I love my area and hope i dont have to move.

Well this week has flown by and so will this next week. As long as i work hard and make everyday enjoyable it just goes by fast oh and its a good thing to not think of how many months you have left, that always helps haha :D

I love the mission and am doing my best. The Lord really is making up the big difference :D

Love you all and have a good week.
Elder Lehr

shortest email yet.....:(

2009-10-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

Family!

I have been waiting for p-day to write you guys! So much has happened. First lets talk about homecoming!! I cant believe my sister is grown up so dang fast! WHAT HAPPENED? Well it sounds like it was a lot of fun and that the whole family got involved hahaha, sounds like my family, always getting involved. Im just glad that this time it wasnt me, jokes on you now Tine!! Hahaha.

Moving on... Missionary work is the sweetest work ever. We are working hard on this new goal, We have completed the 5 services projects (more like 8), we have visited 15 members homes that we didnt know where they lived before and i am learning all the members names (the goal is %80 of the average number of people at sacrament) I am probably at like %60 or so. Still have a couple weeks to finish that! The work is much better when we have gained relationships with the members. Member referrals means more "fruit that will remain." We teach less lessons a week but ALL of the lessons are to people that are progressing towards baptism. We help them understand commitments and how they are making promises to the Lord and not us. We had 10 of our investigators at church and there were only 67 people in sacrament. The members make things so much more productive and easier on us because they can answer little questions that we as missionaries arent always around to answer. We have 4 Elders in one ward and its still not enough to handle all the work!!! Crazy!

Well this letter is really short this week and im sorry that its short, next week will be better! gotta go!

Love you all and remember "its the Lord's work" Not ours. Pray for His will and help!

Elder Lehr

First Baptism date 10/04/09

2009-10-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Cant believe it has already been another week...22 and 1/4 months left. Im not counting down but some other elders sure are. I AM SO BUMMED!! We didnt get to watch ANY conference and thats because none of the members have tv's and if they do its just the few channels that come through local cable. And even the stake centers dont have satellites. We were told that in about a month or so we would get both the Liahona and a chance for all missionaries to watch it in the stake center but thats a month away!!! ahh. Im jealous.

Well this week has been just awesome... WE GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE! Which is not supposed to happen because it's not in our mission but President Sabey took advantage of the new Area President. :D We had to leave at 3am wednesday morning to get there on time. We went through the session and then we went in to do a sealing session (my first time!!). Holy COW!! It really opened my eyes about the importance of being married and sealed to your children in the temple. wow. looong time til that happens haha.

Sounds like you guys are staying as busy as ever. I cant believe how much i am missing in my families lives!! I leave for a month and a half and BOOM! I think and pray for you guys everyday and it seems to be working so ill continue of course (id continue if it wasnt working especially!) I heard about Elder Mckay last week... poor guy... Malaria is serious business...ive seen an elder go from totally excited about a zone conference to all of a sudden pale white and feeling like death. I take my medicine and sleep with the net like my life depends on it (and it does).

My week has gone by so fast, thats what happens when you stay busy and teach a lot of very effective lessons! We committed a guy for baptism... I dont know his first name cuz nobody has even used his first name but we all call him bro. Obuachy. (a lot of ghanains have this name around here haha). He is an older man who has been through a whole lot in his life and says his mind is finally stable :D. Its so great to see people change after we teach them and bring the Spirit to them! Its so hard to choose which investigators to talk about so ill jsut pick my favorite one (if we are allowed to have favorites :D) . His name is Bro. Jay. He is a phillipino! Hahaha... kinda random. He is avery very smart guy, an engineer here to work on an overpass and some other roads. His friend is a member and was actually a member his bishopric not too long ago, so he brought his friend to church and now we teach him. After teaching him for a few weeks, we committed him to baptism and he said he just needed a little more time but he broke down and bore his testimony that he knew the Book of Mormon was true...you have no idea how much this can make missionaries happy!!

Im trying to find time to write the ward! I will write soon though and just send it home.PACKAGE??!! Sounds good to me! :DHmm what to put in it... skittles are good, hmm this is hard to decide... I want a little caesars pizza really bad!! Holy crap do I miss dairy products... Somebody should make a dairy farm here and become a millionaire!! It is all powdered milk which just isnt the same, all watery. I recommend just sending packages in those US postage envelopes that seal all the way around the package (is this making sense). I say this because they dont open those packages and check what is inside :D Anways...what to put in there. Blank CD's for pictures!! (or was there some in my luggage?) Cant remember, let me go look and ill get back to you on the package haha.

Africa is sweet!! Its crazy and i love it here... the people in my apartment really make things awesome... There are sooo many differences from the American Elders and Ghanain Elders. We just dont think the same way about many things. It has been tough to get used to but im doing a lot of changing and its really helping my companionship... I got THE BEST African Elder in the mission. He really is incredible and teaches me how to teach and I really am getting good at teaching and asking questions... Getting the people to really think and to come up with the answer before i just tell them the answers to things. It works really well and im glad to be able to spend this time with this kind of a missionary! We are working hard and get to see the fruits of our labors...we had a baptism this last Sunday! It was from the other elders in our apartment. They have another one next week in another ward (because its a french family and the guy in our apartment, Elder akoki teaches them in french). Then we have our baptism the following week with bro. obuachy! We are helping people understand the importance of commitments and they are starting to follow the commitments we give them much better. We see this plan going into effect and its working with the people here in Africa.

The food is starting to taste better but some meals it is sooo very hard! We can only have Free Meals (FMs) if we teach an investigator and the member is there and then the member feeds us and we all eat together. (This is a part of the goal that was given in our last zone conference).

President is coming to Kumasi this friday! We have interviews on Saturday and im way excited!! Ive only had a small 3 min interview at the mtc with him and he is so inspired!! I love how kind and loving and how powerful he is!

Then next monday we are playing a full field game of soccer with pres as the referee! Tuesday we have an "emergency" zone conference. Its just that Elder Cardon is coming (The new area president). He is going around the entire mission to get a feel for what may be needed and stuff. So that he has a better idea of how the mission works and how the missionaries and people are. Im excited for him to come, he spoke to us in the mtc and is VERY powerful...wow. Hes a general authority!! So hes gotta be powerful haha.

Well i love you guys so much!! Keep doing what is right and dont worry about me! Im working sooo hard and following the rules just for you mom! Haha no really i am. You have to or you either get sick or dont have the Spirit with you and both would waste the Lord's time.

Elder Lehr!

PS... EAT A PIZZA FOR ME! :D (yes a whole pizza, one per person)

Surviving the Tro Tro's 9/28/09

2009-10-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

I cant believe it is monday already. Africa has been going crazy because there is a U20 (under 20 years of age, for you people who are slow) Tournament with teams from all over the world representing their country. It is being held in Egypt but all that matters is that it is in Africa. The whole continent is alive and its not even the world cup yet! Ghana was playing two days ago and you could totally tell when they scored... literally the whole city screams and cheers when they score, all the cars honk their horns like crazy (the taxis do this anyways). All the investigators and members with tvs invite us in to watch a game (we have to limit ourselves haha).

The missionary work has been really progressing. I havent been mentioning any of our investigators names because there are just so many. We teach 20 lessons a week without even trying and the goal for our mission is 30! HOLY COW I KNOW! My eyes were huge when I read this goal haha. We have about 5-6 people who are committed to baptism and need a date set, so we are working on that. Missionary work for the most part seems so easy, but I know its because we are doing what is right and humbling ourselves in every aspect. My companion is incredible. He is really helping me along and showing me how to teach the people of Ghana. (Its %100 different then any kind of teaching in the States) These people are soooo faithful! They really do KNOW their Bibles...It was a little scary and intimidating at first when investigators whipped out all these Bible scriptures I didnt know existed. But its all good because my companion knows the bible like the back of his hand. AND it all comes down to following the scripture in James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom..." If they really do pray and keep the commitments we give them then they progress and all is good! Its sad to see only 60-70 at church every week when there are a lot more members than that! We have been working hard with this Elias Goal that ive told you about.... its the goal where we interact a lot with members, especially inactive or less active members. We have visited 11 members houses that we previously didnt know where they lived this week. It is really tough here because there is no addresses or sense of direction. When we get directions it sounds something like this... "Go do this road and its the 3rd right at the roundabout then go down past the chickens and its on your right." No its not really like that but you get the point.

The easiest lesson to teach is the Restoration.... we help them understand that when Christ was on the Earth one of the things he did was establish His church. The foundation of the church was Prophets and Apostles with Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone. Once Christ and the other Prophets and Apostles were killed, the foundation was taken away and the church fell. And when it fell, the people were left with only pieces of truth that they used to create their own churches according to man. yada yada yada then the Restoration! It is a powerful lesson to talk about Joseph Smith actually seeing God and Jesus Christ. Just from teaching it we have gotten people afterwards telling us they "felt that it is true"... or feel peace or love while we are teaching them. You wont understand the joy that I have until you have experienced this missionary work for yourself. I have never been happier!!

So one thing that i havent told you guys about is our transportation! We use taxis and these buses that are filled with people called Tro-Tro's. They are all ghetto buses and that extra seats welded in to maximize the space! They are really cheap but really crazy! Pray i dont die in one! haha. We travel just about everywhere in either a taxi or tro tro. My first experience in a tro tro went like this.... I got in a bus with tons of people (of course im the only white guy so everyone is looking at me like what the heck is this rich white guy doing in a tro tro). We sat in the only empty seats which were in the back....after driving a little ways the driver hits a huge bump going pretty fast and the back door of the tro tro flies open and our seat isnt exactly welded on very good!! Our whole row started falling back until we grabbed the seat in front of us and pulled our row back into the van. We started shouting at the driver to stop! Hahaha...my companion and I just laughed and he said.. "Well this is a great first experience in a tro tro!" Hahaha...nothing to worry about mom! Its all good! :D

:D Well ive got to go to meet up with the rest of our zone to play some futbol!! They really do love that sport here :D I love you all and am happy to get your emails and letters! I am doing my best to write you back and sorry if it is only a short response! The Lord's work is definitely taking over much of my time, as it should be.

Love, Elder Lehr

Can't Handle Rejection............09/21/09

2009-09-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
That's awesome to hear about the tourney! The boat thing...serves you guys right! haha. The mission is awesome, people are really receptive in this area...we have 5 or so people that we are teaching twice a week who are committed to baptism they just need dates and a little push. I think I have figured out why I have been sent here........I COULDN'T HANDLE REJECTION!!! The people here are incredible. Just an example....we had an extra hour to go contacting (means that we are meeting random people and giving them our introduction and stuff and trying to get a day we can go teach them). So we happen to be on splits with the Zone leaders so it's me and Elder Adjeifio and Elder Lewis from AZ (Zone leader). We decide to pick a nice looking house and go up and see if there is anyone home and it happens to me MY turn to introduce us. I was a little scared but I manned up. The lady we me (Alice) was in her mid 20's and was kinda happy to see us. She invited us in and we taught the first lesson and she started crying after our testimonies were bore. She said she will come to church and read the pamphlet we gave her. There is something you need to know about Ghanians...They feed their guest no matter what! So her mom pulls out food and tells us we are invited! It's crazy...we just met them, they listened to the lesson, fed us, and left us with commitments...sounds like some easy missionary work...NOT!! Ghanians have a problem with keeping commitments. They will tell you what you want to hear just to make you happy. so we have to try and tell if the person we are teaching is serious or just pullin our leg. haha. Most people we teach are serious though, they keep commitments.

My companion is pretty awesome...he is teaching me so much and we are good friends already...the other elders can see that we are bonding really well and it seems as if they are jealous of how much fun and work we are getting done. 2 other roommates are pretty funny guys. Elder Akoki is from Ivory Coast and oh man do they know EVERYTHING!! They think they do...it's frustrating because he loves to bring up things about America (yes including Obama) and sometimes I just want to go off on him and tell him he know nothing about America. The people here have this twisted thought that America is paved in gold and that every Obrunee (white man) is rich.

I have been eating fried egg sandwiches, PB&J (yes I found some!!! nobody else has it but my area :D, rice balls with grandnut soup (Ghanian dish that kinda tastes like peanut butter, looks sick nasty), and tuna fish sandwiches. The rest is just stuff off the street that gooks good and I have no clue what it is (yes mom I make sure it's cooked and healthy looking).

The plumbing kinda sucks but hey, TIA ( this is Africa)/ There is only cold water and there isn't much water pressure so we fill buckets and stand in the bath tub pouring cups of cold water over us haha. It's interesting but it's a good way to wake up in the morning at 6:00 am!! NOT 6:30! Mission rule. We had Zone Conference this last week which went good and we found out a whole lot of information. We had a mission fast yesterday to show gratitude for the Lord helping the missionaries here to complete the last 3 goals which were crazy difficult. We get to go to the temple in 2 wks. which almost never happens!! We have been given a new goal...It's to bring inactive members back to church to become active again and to get a referral from the inactive and baptize that person. Pres. Sabey has been following a common goal...It's in John 15:16!! I think that's right, I forgot. It talks about "Fruits that remain." After giving us that goal he said there is going to be a smaller goal to come before that one which is a preparatory goal. it includes 1) Know the names of 80% of active ward members. 2) Visit 15 members homes that you haven't been to. 3) Do 5 service projects for the members. 4) Do all of this without receiving a FM (free meal). We will have til Oct 25 to complete these things. Nobody was happy with the FM thing.. and to be honest it's not because us elders want free meals. It's because the people in Ghana have customs that they MUST fee you whenever you visit. Members have already gotten soooo upset with us because they think we don't want their food or that we don't like it or something. It's really offending them. We had a member last night who started crying when the Kiffers (an elderly couple who live next to our apartment, also on a mission) told her that we couldn't eat her food. I'm not so sure about that part of the goal....We are supposed to be building relationships with members by serving them and no them serving us but it's doing the opposite...I sure hope Pres. Sabey knows what he is doing cuz it seems as if it's not going to help.

No too many bugs, but the mosquitoes are crazy!! i pay attention and do what I'm supposed to and so fa it seems to be effective. 4 guys in my MT group (the group who was in the MTC with me) have malaria including Elder McKay! Poor guy! I think he's lost like 10 lbs. and is just suffering. Malaria really does hit you like a bag of bricks, it settles in after a few weeks and then BOOM! You are in your bed or on the toilet for the next couple of days! Crazy!

That would be cool to get a package from you guys....it'll work but don't send anything electronic or the tax is insane. Send just food and a little thing of stamps (I have a good amount left). Lemonade packets are always good :D Oh and with my email address and password go to www.blogger.com and sign in with the info I gave you.

I will pray for you guys, especially Shortney, poor thing. I'm so glad I got emails from grandma and Mark n Rachel! It was good to hear from them :D Send letters and whatever else all to the mission home....You should have that address somewhere...It's like PMG(street number) Cape Coast, Ghana. It's a very short address. Love you!

2nd Week in the Field--09/14/09

2009-09-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ok so myldsmail is really irritating and not working so next time when you send me an email, send it to both elderlehr@myldsmail.com and to mlb2k5player@hotmail.com just in case. I read Tine and Karli's emails but it wouldn't open your or dads or the addresses sooooo idk what to do.

The work is awesome...we teach a lot of people and this next week will only get busier!! There are a few people that are already committed to baptism which is awesome and exciting. We are teaching a lot of investigators and now finally our church building is done being refurbished and people will go to church more cuz it's not so dang far away.

Trotro's are crazy! They are vans that are taxis and they are waaay ghetto and are always stuffed with people but it's the cheapest transportation so we use them. I'll get a picture of one or something. Most important thing is getting to write you guys an email. Sounds like everything is going pretty well from what the girls have been saying. I just got your email to open on myldsmail but still not dad's. Sooooo ya we have a can opener...it's not as 3rd world in my area haha. I will write whoever, that's not a problem, it's getting the addresses from that email that is the problem.

Jesse McKay was probably able to go to a cafe, my companion wanted me to and if Elder McKay didn't have a companion who thought it was ok to go to a cafe then he probably hasn't gone til today (pday). I have not idea where he went. I just know the 9 people including me that got sent to Kumasi and he wasn't one of them, I think he's in Cape Coast.

Soooo yaa, you like the pictures? I lost 5 lbs. in the MTC while everybody else gained weight...who knows? haha. This area is so awesome and I'll most likely be in this ward probably 3 transfers in a row and the first 2 transfers will probably be the same companion and then the 3rd one I'll probably be training someone...there's another huge group coming in Oct. and another huge group in December so they'll probably need me to train, maybe maybe not. We'll see...that would be even more humbling!!! haha.

I am getting way better at teaching especially with the spirit, it's coming along. I can teach and bare testimony without getting so nervous!!! It's a great feeling to be able to be bold!

I said today is pday and right after we are done here at the cafe the 2 and only 2 zones in Kumasi get together at this huge park and play soccer, basketball, tennis, vball, and ping pong...sounds awesome!! There's like 40 missionaries that make up the 2 zones. Zone Conference is this Friday!! Sounds like a huge spiritual feast!! The goals Pres. Sabey has given these Elders are CRAZY!! But everyone has been able to complete all 3 of them! There are some crazy stories that go along with the goals. We will be getting our next goal at Zone Conference. I also have video of my companion speaking English and twi...I want you to see how dang difficult it is to understand people here AND MY COMPANION IS AN EASY ONE TO UNDERSTAND! If you can believe that.......

Well, I love you guys so much and still can't get dad's email open. Since it's not working well we can come back later today and finish emails. I LOVE YOU ALL AND HOPE EVERYTHING CONTINUES TO GO WELL!! READ THE BOOK OF MORMON!!! LOVE EACH OTHER!!!

Elder Lehr
09/14/09

FINALLY heard from Cody :)

2009-09-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sept 11, 2009

FAMILY! I have finally gotten out of the prison known as the MTC!
My new companion is Elder Adjeifio! He is from Accra. He's a solid missionary! I am gunna try to send you some pictures if I can. Have you gotten any of my letters? I have sent 2 and the 3rd one is written just hasn't been sent yet. I always send a letter to the girls. I need family and friends' addresses to send them anything, so whether it's email of address-either one fine. Please send that, I would like to write more family and stuff. Africa is crazy, but so amazing. Their "english" is crazy and broken. I am holding up great! I had to switch computers because the other one had a keyboard that you had to pound the space bar for it to work, irritating. It's very different here but it's amazing. I will soon send pictures, you'll love it. The work has already been great and I've only been here for a day and a half now.

I got here Wed night and went straight to a members house to eat. It was comforting when I saw that it was rice and chicken instead of banku. Banku is like fufu but waaaay worse. I'll get used to it though. You would be so amazed if you came here, the people are the MOST FRIENDLY out of anyone in the world. You can talk to just about anyone about the church and they'd listen. Ghana has really been prepared for the church. My companion is an answer to my prayer...and I'm an answer to his prayers (so he says). The guys in the apartment are me, Elder Adjeifio (my comp), Elder Akiko from Ivory Coast, and Elder White from Vernal, Utah. I love these guys already, they are all way way cool. I was kinda scared to get some weird elders or something but they are awesome, they are so glad that I'm a cool guy haha. We are already way good friends, I love these guys. They teach me a lot, especially about the area and missionary work. The MTC is almost worthless in my eyes, ya you study a lot and learn a lot but you learn soooo much faster and more when you are out in the field.

There is a LOT of good food and I'm slowly getting used to Ghanian food. I'm loving it haha, the mission is sweet, busy and hard, but sweet. I can already see (especially in the MTC) the Lord usuing me as an instrument. Lots of guys needed emcouragement and some love cuz they were waaaay homesick or whatever. I'm not saying I'm not a little homesick but it was just a little easier for me cuz I wasn't focusing on my family I was focusing on what I'm supposed to be doing and how I could better myself.

I'm so excited to finally get to hear from you!! Both yours and Kristen's dear elder letters went through!! I got Kristen's in the MTC and yours when the office elders came on our last day. It definitely made me smile and gave me encouragement to keep going :D

OHHH I totally forgot to tell you where I am haha...........I got sent to Kumasi!! Which is more north compared to Cape Coast. It is the 2nd biggest city in Ghana, Accra being first! It's a happenin place! They speak a lot if Twi here which I'm slowly slowly learning. It sounds sooo wierd haha. The city here is ridiculous, sooo many people, 2 million I think, The curch is growing sooo fast, faster than they can build buildings. Pres. and Sis. Sabey are incredible. You have nothing to worry about, I am well taken care of here! Pres. Sabey is a stud, he's the man!

I can't talk much more but I want to say how much I love you guys and miss you guys, it's sad to think that you are spending so much time together and I hate myself for not taking advantage of that sooner. This work will change me a whole lot and if I never baptize one person I will be so happy just with the fact that I have learned and grown so much. There is nothing like serving the Lord everyday and becoming like Him. I can definitely see how I will miss it so mcuch 2 years from now. I want you to know that I am working as hard as I possibly can and following the mission rules. I'm grateful for your prayers, I could feel them helping me! Can't wait to get some pictures to you guys of everybody.

Everything is supposed to be sent to the mission home, so if you have that address use that. Don't send me anything that is electronic through the normal postal service, the duty (tax) on it when it gets here will come out of my monthly money and it's expensive. Food is fine though. I don't really need much so don't waste your money, wait til Christmas and my birthday haha. I'm sure you'll email me before Monday but that is p-day and I can email then too. Today I'm setting up my ldsmail account so I'm sending a lettle something to let you know. My email address is: elderlehr@myldsmail.net Use that please.

Elder McKay is cool, saw him in MTC.....not sure where he is now.
I love you all!! Keep up the food work! Work hard in school and siminary, it will pay off! The mission is the best work I could ever be doing! I'm so glad all of you pushed and helped me along the way to make it to this point. Thanks so much! LOVE YOU!

Elder Lehr
Ghana Cape Coast Mission
Kumasi, Ghana