My address is: Next to Odogonor School, and we have a blue gate

Ok, yeah so far I do have the Christmas package for all of us, so don't worry about that one . I just have to decide now how I am going to set them up.  Like should I have everyone decorate their own stockings, or just put their names on them and put them out that night as a surprise?

Yeah the pills are helping. I haven't been eating as much, but I m still hungry a lot.  Also my runny tummy isn't as often.  My stomach is definitely not regular, but even the guys who have been here for almost 2 years still don't have regular stomachs, so that is just how things are.

Hey I got Money!!!!  I finally found an ATM that worked!  It only took me almost all morning.  It is in a place called Kasoa, which I think is over in Eastern region.   Either way, it is at least an hour chrochro ride, so I doubt I will get to go very often. 350 Cedi could last a ways if I only had to buy food.  But I have a lot of purchases that I needed to make like for laundry, and I owe one of my ladies 66 Cedi for a bag of rice. 25 kg of rice should last me for a little while now. 5kg only lasts me a week, if I stretch it,  so 25 kg should last maybe 4 weeks if i am lucky.   But yeah money can go pretty dang fast.  

When poor people hear that we only get 180 Cedi a month, they are mortified and wonder how we aren't dying.  Our recent convert says he was getting 250 Cedi while doing a service thingy, and he said it was horrible and no where near enough!  

For Christmas, I got Kanu some mineral and some Fanice.  So we will be having a party.  We cant actually fit the tub of fanice in our freezer, so I had to pour it into pots and Tupperware to make it fit.  Yeah, and we get a new fridge soon, since ours isn't really working.   It doesn't get anything cold or chilled.  It just makes it... less warm than outside, haha! 

I have not tried to use any merchants, because like none of them have card scanners here.  And I don't trust the ones that do!  I know a gym that takes cards, and I also know that the guy who owns the gym steals peoples card info and gets stuff shipped to the US, and then to Accra.  So I don't try merchants.

Yeah and it's funny that you think they might have phone books here!  People and stores just have their phone numbers written on walls.  And I have literally only seen 10 homes, or anything, that have a street address.  And if they do, those people are crazy rich, so not likely anywhere here.  Literally our address is Abrantia.  If we have to be more specific:  we are next to Odogonor School and we have a blue gate.  There aren't good stuff like that.   Sorry!  Haha!

 I don't know how often you think we get mail.   So they maybe get it once a week, if we are lucky.  We then can only get it from them when someone either goes to temple site, or luckily sees them some other place.   Your mail kinda stock piles a little before you actually get any, but I should get some on Wednesday when I go for transfers.

(He has been asking me to ask everyone to send pictures, so I asked him what kind he wants)

Ummmm..... just pictures of people, places, and things.  Pictures of home, pictures of family, all sorts of pictures!  And I am glad you got some of the pictures I emailed.  It takes a lot of work to send them, so I can only send a few at a time. Maybe I can get a few more next week.

It has just been a constant really hot all the time here, with a variance only of dust and illness haha I love it!

Of course i remember my part! I was saying it in my head a couple of times just last week! It's one of my favorite things that I have memorized! (Trav memorized and performed this when he was 4 for a Christmas play.  What will I give him small as I am, if I were a shepherd I'd give him a lamb, if I were a wise man, I'd do my part.  What will I give Him?  I'll give him my heart.)

Did you realize that if you come to pick me here, and we stay for like a week, then I will have been in Africa for 3 birthdays! I will have left on my mission at 18 and come home 21! How cool is that!??

To Tay: Dude there seems to be a lot of perks to me being gone! All of a sudden you go to the movies a bunch and do all sorts of cool stuff sheesh! Somebody better be making it up to me when I get home!  Good luck with Guitar! I was just thinking about how good you must be getting. There is a guy in my apartment who is learning the guitar too, and I keep singing One Direction every time he starts to play, because I am thinking of you!

To Gracie: Now you can juggle!? why is this the first time I am hearing about this!? and did your eye pop out? was it super gross? man I would not lie my eye to pop out that would make me sick!  I hope you are ok. yeah I was thinking about taking a palm leaf and using that for a Christmas tree because there isn't really anything around here that I could do. So Either a banana leaf or a palm leaf you get to decide for me :)

To Tali: guess what! guess what! guess what!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!! already a big 9 year old how does that feel?! are you so excited? are you feeling old? do you need a cane to walk now because your getting too old? :) i  wish I could get a nice birthday dinner! that would be cool! you gotsta tell me how the delicious chinese food is! I hope you liked your presents and had a super fun time!!!! have a fun time at circus circus and Arizona ok.

To Ty:  Dude Christmas is crazy! I love getting the packages though because everyone else gets excited and jealous, and I just get happy and then go to my room and wipe a few tears. dude tell me all about the concert. oh by the way you are doing beast in FX... shhh dont ask me how I know that (front left from your view) Finals are easy as long as you did good during the semester. So did you do good? I bet you did and you didn't even have to study!  dude the new hobbit is already out! sheesh! Dude Knight 1 sounds way cooler than Sir Harry anyways, so don't worry about it!   You're are going to be a total boss!

Gosh it is so nice to know that the people at home care, and they wish to be a part of the experience!

This week we had our Christmas conference where 3 zones got together.  We had food and a talent show and sang some hymns and had some people address us. It was pretty nice, but everyone that is old on mission was saying that last year's was much better,  so I don't know.  I just told President Hill that it was the best missionary Christmas Conference I had ever been to ;) I hope he doesn't look too hard into my wording.  But it was good, I got like 10 french fries and a"slice of pizza".......like the size of a brownie!  And I don't think there was actually cheese or anything on it, soo I don't know what to really call it.

Next we had Zone Training meeting. I personally decided it was a terrible time to have it, because it was just a week before transfers,  Some people will leave the zone and new ones will come in.  Oh well, it was really informative, and I am glad we had it so that it could help me be a better missionary!

This week, because of Christmas conference, ZTM, Christmas, transfers, and my companion, this week was pretty chilaxed! 

One of our investigators was referred to us by our cafe guy, so we teach him in the cafe.   Each time and our cafe guy usually gives us free time now, so I haven't had to pay to browse for a while actually, which is really cool!

They have started a new thing. They call the missionaries that are being transferred the Saturday before they will leave. This is much better than the Tuesday before you leave, since everyone leaves on Wednesday!   But now Elder Kanu knows that he is leaving.  He is going to a place called Ensawme, which is the city in the bush.  It's where you can get both, and it isn't too bad of a transition.   He is going to be with the elder that I wanted, Elder Hoskins.   But Elder Hoskin's trainer is coming here now to be my new companion. Sheesh on Wednesday I will be completely finished with my training!   I think I am doing pretty well so far. I talked to a guy from my MTC today, Elder Bass, and he says he is still struggling with teaching and stuff, but I feel like I am doing fine!

Alright, well a short, and pretty easy week.  Man it is sweet here!

I love you!

Love, Elder Legg

The Super Missionary!

Things I haven't explained:

Kenkey is kind of like Banku, but you buy it wrapped in a leaf.  Even most Ghanaians don't like it, but if you're poor you buy it I guess. I haven't tried it, but I want to.
Yep, a whole fish in the fufu.

Ok, so there is a man in Nigeria who says he Jesus Christ reincarnated.  So he called 12 people in his church and told them that they are the 12 apostles reincarnated.  One of them, just so happens to be the pastor to the church next to ours, whom I contacted and brought through our open house. :)   He has been calling a couple different missionaries and inviting them to be baptized.  Elder Robertson said he would give me 200 Cedi, and he knows a guy that he could get me a pet monkey if I would go and get baptized. We say as missionaries all the time, that if you aren't baptized by proper authority then it is just like showering.  So I was really tempted, since he definitely doesn't have the priesthood.

I almost got in a fight with a a tailor for  ruining 3 of my companions trousers, and then he tried to get 70 Cedi for it!

2 chrochro (bus) drivers got in a fight for no reason.  But Ghanaians are terrible fighters, so it was way lame, until one picked up a monster rock and tried to smash the other guy.

When an old lady threatened me:  the lady was coming up behind me, and I was walking on the side of the road, so she slowed down and followed me for a ways.  I waved her past, since there was a break in the cars.  And she pulled over and cut me off.  And then she started yelling at me saying I was rude and I was a guest.   So then I finished her in Twi, and told her I lived here.  She just got mad, and drove off eventually.

Yeah its cool to have my own "guys":  water guy, computer guy, music guy, hair guy, I even got a soy sauce lady!  Totally working this place!


Yeah the hamatan is starting, so things are getting dry and hot and pretty soon we will be having dust in excess enough to block out the sun!   Everyone says its cold at home, and I wish it was cold here!  And now I miss my snow pants!

My district:

We went to the temple site with Brother Julius who was our super awesome investigator, until yesterday when he got BAPTIZED!!!!!   Yeah I have been having a party with that guy! 

We aren't earning any money here, so we don't pay tithing.  But every fast Sunday I pay 10 Cedi in fast offerings.  It's more than I need to, but I need some extra blessings!

Guess what!  We have mice living with us too!   We have had some mice in our apartment for a few days.  One tried to attack me in my room yesterday!    I kicked it with my bare foot when it jumped at me, and I almost threw up!   It took all the strength that Elder Thornhill, Elder Kanu, and I could muster, but we 3 missionaries went all kung fu with brooms.  After at least 20 minutes of screaming and trying to broom it to death we finally broke its back... and possibly my broom.   Yeah I had one of the new ones. Shhhh!  But we were finally able to vanquish its evil!  
Our Kitchen:

Ok so this week, I got sick again on Tuesday.  I slept from 3pm until 9am, which is what 17-18 hours straight? Yeah I spent a long time in bed and didn't eat or drink for those 2 days just slept, read, and prayed.  Actually Elder Kanu got sick at the same time, so I had to give him a blessing, which was cool and he healed up pretty fast! And I hurt my wrist really bad I don't know how, but it's hurt for about a week and a half and now. I have a really sore lumpy bruised thing at the base of my thumb on my palm.  It's not nice and everything is painful, especially bikes!

Oh well, working hard and getting sick, so is the life of..... The Super Missionary!

Yeah that's what I am calling myself now ;)

Love Elder Legg

Early Christmas Miracle.......Kanu Cares!

This week has been awesome!  So Elder Kanu opened up to me and decided to completely trust me and now we are way closer!  We have been partying this week and having tons of fun! So I guess things are pretty good with him and it makes me happy! So things are much nicer now. 

Man I cant believe we are all going out into the world now, things are totally getting crazy fast. I don't want to get left behind, but at least I am starting on to my own life, so I can grow up and take care of people!

Yeah our Thanksgiving wasn't really anything special here.  Other than we almost burned our house down when we tried to pop popcorn.  There was so much smoke and we couldn't breathe!   Can you believe that popcorn isn't supposed to cook for 15 minutes!   Who knew??  Stupid Elder Thornhill ;)  We didn't end up with the rabbit, apparently they sell them for like 50 Cedi.    I can just go kill myself a grass cutter for free, and it'd easily be the same size!  A grass cutter is kind of like a mix between a rat and a beaver.  At least that's what it reminds me of.  We didn't get a rabbit, but they made us some banku which was pretty good.

I have some sweet investigators that aren't very serious about the gospel.  But they feed us all the time, because they like to see the oh broney eat Ghanaian food.   Yeah, but too bad I live here, and the joke's on them!

Also I polish my shoes everyday as of late.  They always look sooo sweet after, so I love doing it!

2 foods I eat all the time, if i can, is Donuts which aren't really donuts.  But they are good with sugar.   And burkina which is basically a parfait you drink.  Without berries or fruit or anything, just yogurt and half soggy granola.  It's pretty awesome!

So I feel like I have terrible eating habits, because since I have gotten here I have eaten 2, 5kg bags of rice and 3 boxes of 40 packs of Endomie. Yeah then the last few days I haven't felt well so I haven't had more than one meal a day and not nearly as much as usual.  Oh well the work shall continue!

Also In Twi there is no word for good.  So during introductions here, all anyone ever says is "I'm fine."  And I hate it.  So whenever someone says etisen (how are you) most people say ayye (I am fine).  Instead when someone asks me etisen and I say boko (cool).  Haha that's  sweet right?

 Yeah people here are very dark because the sun is very very hot here! T he Nigerians are not even close to as dark. My companion is pretty dark now, and he even has a tan line from his watch that he wears everyday! 

Dude that isn't even a buzz cut though!  That was with a 4 guard on the trimmers! I am going to grow it out now, or a while and then get the sides shorter and keep the top long so it will look sweet!  Yeah it was dang short though.  It was shorter than I have ever had it before, I think.   Keep the CTR ring there. I don't want to try to keep track of it or anything while I am here, and it will get dirty and gross. My hands get disgusting every day.  Every like 30 minutes I can rub my hands together and have a ton of nastiness fall off. Thanks for taking care of the ornament Ty, I was worried about that.  And I might have just had to wipe my eyes here in the cafe. (Tyson put up Trav's special Precious Moments Baby's 1st Christmas ornament at the top/center of our tree, and wants Trav to do the same for him when he is gone)

Dude! I cleaned my room today too! I even moved some stuff around a little bit, which means I pushed my bed into the corner and shifted my laundry hamper.

It has been a few weeks without a baptism, but this Saturday we will baptize our investigator Julius.  He is like 23 and awesome!  He just absorbs everything we teach him.

Today I almost died during football, because Elder Uwadi kicked me in the throat when I headed a ball. It hurt so bad and I couldn't breath, but oh well I survived!   Football was good and I can see my improvement. I haven't been able to practice much, because of people crashing our complex, but oh well they are nice and they cook for us sometimes!

Ok I am not sure what all I have or haven't said, so I will recap a list of stuff that's happened and anything I haven't explained, tell me.

baptisms

transfers

fufu, banku, kenkay

meeting a reincarnated apostle of Jesus Christ

learning Jesus Christ has come again and lives in Nigeria

being offered 200 cedi and a pet monkey to be baptised in another church

smelling terrible all of the time

always running out of laundry

finishing people who condemned the church

almost having to beat up a tailor 

watching 2 dudes almost kill each other for no reason

being threatened by an old lady in her car

getting an xbass

getting my own "guys":  water guy, computer guy, music guy, hair guy,

I have gotten a few of the packages so far And I love getting them!  I got the money in the pills. I think the taped packages were not messed with. I got Lance's package which was so awesome of him!  Gosh that was so sweet!  I am putting up his decorations today!

By the way mom, Ghana is one of the most peaceful countries around.  Honestly there is a higher chance of me mugging someone, than someone mugging me!

I am in Africa spending 2 years away from my family, so that other families can be together forever. I know I am doing the right thing, and I know I have a special purpose for being here.  There is a joy in this gospel that shows its truth in itself. 

I love you guys