Wild for the White Guys with the Booty Bump

Hey Uncle Lance so it's Birthday time for you once again! Sheesh how is that you are still feeling good and doing good? Sweet I hope all is well with you!

Hahah I like how the people in America with the should be easy connections, only talked home for some small time.  But for us foreign guys, we talked for a long time! (I told him about some of his friends' calls home on Christmas)

I hope all is well.  Sorry I don't have a lot of family stuff today since we just talked a few days ago.

Ty: Sweetness! Where did you get the  Pokemon cards from? Did you buy them or did you guys get them for Christmas, was it like booster pack status or the full decks?

Tay: Normal routine huh? What are the sleeping arrangements? And you wanna know about the normal routine? I do the same exact thing every day for 2 years, but I still find some stories to tell you! :P

Tali:  How do you like playing Pokemon? You better like it a bunch :P Did you like the tea room?

Gracie: So who is this neighbor Stephanie? Were you pretty distraught with the fact that some of the stores had moved around?

Ok so here are some good stuff that's been going down for me this past little while.

Hopefully I haven't told this story yet. But you all know about Sister Esther.  She is a recent convert of like 2 months now. So she was referred to me by her boyfriend, who was already a member of the church. For them they got married!!! Just about a week and a half ago! Weeee!!! And of course, I was one of the first people on the guest list!  

And at Ghanaian weddings there are 3 things that they do. 1 is get wasted....since most of the people at the party were LDS there was no alcohol. But the 2 other things that we do at weddings is collections and dancing.

Collections are the most ridiculous things (he mentioned in his call that he's going to do one of these at his reception!). They had 5 different activities where while the activity was going on people were expected to give the couple money.  I think they do this instead of gifts.  They have activities like the mothers have to dance until we raise 200 GHC, or you need to come and put your Cedis on the sweaty foreheads of the couple while they dance.  It gets a little ridiculous, but they make a ton of money!

Then for the dancing.  Before they have the floor opened for just anyone, they have a few kids dance crews who are all dressed in traditional garb and do a bunch of traditional dances.  I feel so bad for those kids. At the end of their dances they are just dripping sweat and look like they are going to pass out. The dance isn't hard at all, but it goes for like 15 minutes, and its just the same 3 moves over and over! But they do well!

And of course, one of the best traditional dance crews was... The Elders! Yep after a few kids shows went through the activities the director brought us out onto the event floor.... he puts down the mic and asks me if we are going to sing or dance.  Yeah, apparently I am the team captain.  I don't know when that happened, but everyone else seemed to know it, and they all just looked at me.  Of course we had no song to sing, so I chose that we would dance.  Luckily for us our new apartment activity is: whenever light goes off at night we all bring out our speakers and have a big dance party.  So we knew some of our moves and stuff.  They all line up off of me and wait for my signal.   The music starts and we just arrange ourselves and prepare.  Soon as the beat drops, Boom we bust out some massive booty bumpin moves!  We slam down a couple sick variations of traditional and pop Ghanaian dance moves.   The crowd gets up on their feet and starts going wild for the white guys with the booty bump! 

Soon one of the grandmas, who had been really into dancing, gets a little too excited and starts gettin all up in my bidness.  So of course, Elder Legg and Grandma shake it down! Woop woop.

Afterwards everyone made sure to let us know that we all did so well, and they all liked to point out who was the best dancer... I think we all know who that is  :)

Also for Christmas/ Christmas Eve we had some nice parties as missionaries.

For our Christmas Eve party we were all going to get together as 2 missionary apartments and watch Home Alone, eat some ice cream, and have a gift exchange.  So we get together and down our tub of ice cream. It doesn't last us nearly as long as it was supposed to.  We have a nice gift exchange.  My companion had me for Secret Santa, so he gave me a nice jersey with a  cool dragon on it.  I had Elder Tolar from Georgia.  I gave him one of the spare towels from the ones my wonderous mother sent for my apartment mates. (he told us on our phone call that package 2 with all of the main goodies got to him Wed night at 9:30pm, so everything I sent arrived and he got to use it and pass it on) And then I also bought him a really nice Brazier. Hehehe oh my goodness that was so funny. Have you ever gone bra shopping in the market.  The bras were right next to the rotting meat and rice, who woulda thought?? It was weird being a guy buying a bra, but I felt even worse for the dude who was selling them!

But all the guys loved that idea for a gift, and that meant that all 8 of us had to try it on! The guy who looked the best in it was Elder Sharp from Utah. He's been working out so he was able to fill it out a little better than the rest of us. Thankfully I had already thought of our lack of size, so I bought a nice push up bra with extra padding :)

Then it was time for us to watch our movie, so we brought out all the mattresses, and set ourselves up to watch the movie, and as soon as we pressed play the best thing that could possible have happened.....the power went out and didnt come back till morning! yay  It got way too hot to have 8 guys in one room with no power, so my apartment decides to leave so we can all sleep in our own beds.

The next day we started out Christmas day with a nice baptism. 3 people got baptized,including Brother A who I have been teaching literally since I got to Asamankese.  He has been so frustrating, but he finally paid off.  Took him getting over his alcohol addiction woop woop! Soo sick!

Then all day we cooked a big ole pig at the couple missionaries house and we had cookies and ate tortillas and we watched Maleficent.  It was a sick party. Sorry so now I'm out of time.

Mom we posted a bunch of pics on facebook, so if you get on there then you can get all of them from my page I think. They were posted by Eim Jaai.  That's my companions name.

Ok love you all!!!! Happy Merry Christmas Day!

Love Elder Legg

Package 2 Still Not Here

Brief emails from:  12/22/14

Yeah I got the number and I'll call like 3-6pm here, so between 9 and 12 there. (on Christmas)

Sorry we've had light off all day, so the Lathems are allowing us to use their laptops to shoot you a quick one, but I'll send you more tomorrow if you want to reply.

Yep package 2 still not here. But there is a possibility that it will get here Wednesday, so that is what I am hoping for!  Nope got the towels. It was definitely the stockings and hats that are missing. Hopefully we can get it within the next few days so we shall see.  (both of his other, less essential  Christmas packages had already arrived.  The main one was missing as of 12/22)

Tali: So new glasses huh? How is that I bet you are loving it! Did you cheat on the test so that you could get them? :)

Gracie: Woop woop of course you got to score a goal and look cool in front of the whole school! (Gracie got picked for an assembly at school to kick a ball through a couple of cones for a contest.  All of the other kids that were picked missed.  Gracie did not expect to make it, but observed the other's mistakes & closed her eyes and gave a big kick...and was the only one to make it) That's my sister! Have fun in Arizona!

Tyson: I hope you did well in the rest of your finals and I hope you loved everything and you enjoyed the first semester of your senior year.

Taylor:  Sheesh mister nappy pants! Gosh I wish I coulda napped 3 times this week because I'm suuuper tired!

Why do you get to go the the Fiesta Bowl!!!!!! Ugh momm I wanna go!!!!!

Ok I'll talk to you tomorrow! love you love you love you!

2nd Christmas in Ghana (pictures)

Roasting another pig made for a great meal

The rest of the feast

A baptism on Christmas morning

The Christmas treats we sent for Trav to share

Trav and His New Companion (Pictures)

New companion:  Elder Francisquete
He is from the Philippines

He caught back up with Elder Allen in Accra

Ready for some serious football

I Didn't Shower or Shave for 8 Days… It Was Great!

Email from 12/16

Happy happy birthday Tali dear, happy days will come to you all year, if I had a wish then it would be a happy happy birthday to you from me!

Afishiapaa!!! Happy Birthday!

I hope you're enjoying! You are now entering the double digits and I am about to enter the single digits until I return home! (because he has 9 months left) See you soon!

Email from 12/18

I sent off a few quickies Monday. We only got a few minutes because the internet was down and yesterday the power was off, but I get this out now so good luck!

The Trip to Accra was terrible! :P My goodness:  rode in a trotro 3 hours each way, got really bored, and really hungry the whole time!  But also it was wonderful!  I slept all 3 hours of each trotro ride.  We didn't eat plenty, but the small that we did eat was very delicious.  And the best part was we got to finally watch Meet the Mormons!  And it was suuuper good! (A movie out in theaters here about the diverse lives of 6 different families---one is getting a missionary ready to head to South Africa--hit a little too close to home for me)

Oh yeah and with packages, I got number 1 and number 3. But not package number 2 so I'm not sure where that went. I did get the Christmas Card and that was super cute! I enjoyed how it totally looked like a graduation announcement, but for our whole family!

TY:  Man you are always going out for fun activities with your friends! I was always just staying in with friends! Where do you get money for all the shenanigans?

Tay:  It's a good thing you are enjoying Choir! Man I miss it! But it's cool because your totally rockin it up and all the chicks are so all over you!

Gracie:  Sheesh you got to go to the botanical gardens? Lucky! I don't even remember the last time that I got to go there!!!

Tali: I hope your birthday was really nice and you enjoyed everything!  Know that you are getting too old and you need to stop!  If you keep getting older, that means I have to keep getting older.  Which means imma have to get married, and have kids, and move out of the house! I can't do that or then I can't take care of you!

Hey! So good news Christmas is comin soon and I am super excited. We had our district meeting yesterday.  We spent an entire hour getting  the preparations set up and assigned, so this better work or we will have put a whole lot of work into this for nothing.  But we got all the money ready for it, and I don’t think there is a whole lot left to do. The important things for now are we have to find some members who are willing to cook for us!

This week we still haven’t had water. Oops, if you don’t know what I’m talking about that’s totally my bad.  So um we are on to week 3 of having no water. Sometimes we have to go down the street to fetch some out of a dirty little well.   A few times my companion and I have traveled to the other missionary’s apartment to be able to bath.  Hehe last week I didn't shower or shave for 8 days… it was great! I looked like some scary wild man!  There wasn't really hardly any beard, but there was a bunch of dirt all over me and my hair looked really nice!

You're telling me about this wonderful Assistant, but you haven't sent me any pictures, nor have you had her email me or at least get me her email. How old is she by the way? But yeah really I'm in. Set me up! 

It's funny how back home if your 19 and you aren't ready to go out on a mission, you don't.  Here most Africans don't come out until they are like 22.

Love Elder Legg

That is the Way I Choose My Ties & Pens

Ok so basically no time!  I got to the church at 4:30am just so I could email because our preparation day is going to be cut short because we are traveling to Accra this afternoon.

I have no idea, it varies. (I asked how long his letters and packages were taking to get to him) I can get them within 10 days, or I can get them after 2 months.  Being in the bush doesn't help.  Because added to the postage time, is the sitting in the office, and being transported to me time, which usually takes a while.

So you want to know about my ties and pens.  Ok so the pens are the last part of the equation. First, it starts with a look at the events of the day.  If I want to look nice and wear a tailored shirt, or if I just need to look regular and wear a regular shirt.   Then I shirt up.  I then have my ties divided into 2 sections in my closet.   Worn and not worn.  So that way I wear every single tie before I wear one again.   Then with a slim shirt, I pick a nicer tie.  Or with a regular shirt, I pick a regular nice tie.   I have very few ties that are not nice, but now I just have the good and the better.   So after a tie has been picked and added to the body apparel, I go to my bag of pens and pick one that matches in the way I wish.  Sometimes if there isn't really a matching one  I will just pick a color pen that hasn't been used in a while.  But that is the way I choose my ties and pens!   A very meticulous process! (we noticed his different pens in his pictures & we all tried to guess how he picked them, so we had him explain)

Thanks for putting the money in mom it will help a ton I'm sure!

I am gonna go get ready for Accra.  Sorry I don't have time, but I love you all and miss you!

Love Elder Legg

Some Serious Munchin on Some Serious Grindage!

For Thanksgiving we had 15 liters of ice cream, a couple of pineapples, a bunch of po po, a bushel of bananas, a peck of plantain chips, and a morsel of "meat pies."   We mixed it all together in our bowls and just did some serious munchin on some grindage!  It was fun we all got together in the evening and we had a nice eatery!  I really wanted to  have a turkey bowl but we couldn't get a hold of an American football.  It was fun, but we didn't get to have much of an activity. So hopefully our plans for Christmas will go well and then we will have a great party!

Man I really wish I could have gone black Friday shopping!  Man it is so much fun and you get good stuff! Yeah I wasn't wanting the computer now! I was planning on getting it with you next year. I need to pick it out and make sure you get a good one :) but yeah 200$ for a 50" does sound pretty sweet! What is happening to the old tv? That big, old silver one does sound like it would look real nice in my room!

YAYYY baby!!!!  Woop woop, so mom tell me how real does it feel that your son is totally old enough to have a child and you could be a Grandmother? Because I am even older than Erin and she's poppin out kids!  So guess what?  You're next! woop woop!

When is Brittany's baby supposed to come?

Yeah the bush is really good, it's a lot cleaner, it's a lot cooler, but what bugs me about it is you don't have access to a lot of the things that you have access to when you are in the city. If power is out Monday then you don't get to email home. They don't sell a lot of the food stuff you want.

Tay:  What do you mean you don't have a lot to say? Out of the kids you wrote the most!  But you do realize you did a whole bunch of stuff this week. You just treat it like it's normal, but really there was at least one activity everyday that to me would sound cool, whether you cleaned your room or hung out with a friend or watched a movie or ate some food!  To me that is sweet!

Tali: My Thanksgiving was pretty awesome and we had a whole bunch of fun all day teaching people about it! How was your Thanksgiving? Are you excited to be back in school?

Gracie: I'm glad you enjoyed that movie! Umm for thanksgiving I ate a bunch of Ice cream with all kinds of fruit and crumbly stuff mixed in it it was super cool! Did you tell the Reese's that they need to have another kid so that you can have some people to play with?

Ty: So you got a sick suit!  Put it on and send me some pics! Bro you should just start taking pics with whatever you are doing, just random stuff, and then send it to me that'd be cool. Also you can take some pics of your bedrooms and send them to me! Yeah and how/who invited you to go to the BSU game with such great tickets?

So this week... ugh I had a good one and now I cant remember anything!!!! Ok here we go. 

So my companion and I had a lot of fun this Thanksgiving teaching people completely wrong what the holiday is for! My companion can speak English very well.  Most Filipinos speak English and he is from a pretty wealthy family, so he has a good education. We were talking about a mission in the Philippians, and my companion knows the area. He said that in that mission an average place is much better than our best place here in Ghana.

One of our investigators, Sister M, is way not serious.  We have been working with her for a while. She started getting really serious, but then we found out a bunch of her secrets and she stopped being serious!  Secrets like her "husband" is really just a super player, and she isn't married to him, she is just one of his concubines. So she was kinda being a bum on Thursday, so we asked her if she was having a nice holiday. Of course she didn't know what holiday we were talking about.  We let her know about Thanksgiving and she was amazed.  We said it's a world wide holiday and it's really sad that she doesn't celebrate it.  We gave the background of it, on how it came about because the world wanted to show their thanks to God on a special day. So they made the holiday Thanksgiving, and anyone who doesn't celebrate it must not be that thankful to God. She realized it was true and she began to celebrate it right then!  It was fun, and we helped her to really understand what it is about.  But most people here think celebrating holidays is just a weird thing to do and they don't like to do it.

I know I have grown a bunch spiritually and I notice it, but I feel a lot more like I am just exhausted spiritually. When we study the neighbor next door is blasting "gospel" music (which really just invites satan in because it's so terrible) out of his industrial sized speakers. In the evening when I am trying to prepare for sleep, and all night while I'm trying to sleep, the Church across the street has all night prayers where they scream and speak in tongues.....also through their many industrial speakers! While we proselyte we are verbally abused and insulted by every young single adult aged man we find. Most of our lessons the people refuse to listen to us, or are just not mentally able to grasp the concept that God has a body! But it's no big deal if I get a good night's sleep I can handle anything. If I don't get a good night's sleep then it usually ends up with some Ghanaian boy lookin like a total fool in front of all of his friends. And then they all make fun of him instead of me... maybe not always the best response, but I am trying my best!
I have kind of gotten pretty blunt when I give commitments, when I know they are not serious about that commitment. Most of the time when you ask them if they will do something they say, "if God permits."  Man and I just nail them. Oh are you sure, that means if I come back and you don't have an answer to your prayers then you are blaming God? Or if I then follow up, and they say they are still praying to know, and that God hasn't answered them. I let them know that either they haven't prayed at all, or when they pray they don't care what God has to say because he has promised to answer us every time we ask! It gets brutal sometimes, but they always know I'm right, so they kind of feel bad, and it makes it easier for us to drop them if they are not serious.

Would it be possible for you to put some money in my account? Hehe, you know Christmas is coming and I don't have plenty, so I need some for our Christmas outfits, my Christmas hair, and our Christmas party. It's kind of an expensive holiday! Thanks mom I love you you're the best!

Oh well sorry, but out of time today! I hope everything is well and I miss you guys a bunch! Thank you so much! 

Love Elder Legg