E-mail dated 12/8/08

Fam,

Well it sounds like things are going as usual. I had a pretty normal week as well. But this coming week will definitly be different. I got the news from the Zone Leaders on Saturday night that I'm going to be transferred on Wednesday. I will be staying in Freetown just moving to a different apartment and a different branch. I will greatly miss congo Cross. The new branch is called Hill Station and it actually borders congo cross. I'm sad because I won't see the great members of this branch anymore. I'm also sad that I will miss a baptism of the family I was talking about last week. The person that is replacing me is straight from the MTC. The lucky sucker will be getting 7 baptisms his first weekend in Sierra Leone. And I taught them all with Elder Kpodi. All is well though. I know my new companion very well. His name is Elder Amagayie (Om-a-guy) from Ghana. We will get along just fine. My new area is actually the area that President Squires and the couples live. I will be seeing alot of them.

I had a really neat experience yesterday. After the sunday service the Petersons escorted us to our Primary Presidents house. The purpose of the trip was to give the Primary Presidents mother a wheelchair. This mother was confined to her room and couldn't walk. I don't know how long she had been in there but when we met her, it looked like it had been a couple of years since she had seen the sun. We presented the wheelchair to her and helped her in and wheeled her outside on the front porch. I can not describe the happiness that she felt. Her face lit up instantly and life was brought back into her life. She was singing as the little children were wheeling her around "I'm so happy, I'm so happy". The smallest things can make the biggest difference. That is what missionary work is all about-making differences in the lives of others, one at a time. This wheelchair probably only allowed her to move around the compound that she is living in and we only saw her move 30 ft. But that small difference changed her life. I will never forget the happiness on that old womans face.

I have not recieved any information on Christmas yet. Gas here has dropped from 15000 a gallon to 12500. (from $5 to about $4.15). Which is good because transportation is now 700 leones a ride. (it was 1000). I'm glad to hear that gas is going down all over the world. Whoo!! Everything I eat hear you would think is gross. Believe me. But I really enjoy it. The only thing I'm sick of is having rice and stew in the morning. Any other time rice isn't bad.

Seasons here are rainy and dry. That is what they teach in school. Oh and the windy season, which is starting now. I'm so happy to. The breeze feels good. But every african thinks its cold. I seriously see them wearing beanies and winter coats now. Crazy. I just shake my head and say "you want to go to America?"Kalli has a letter on the way. I sent it a little late.

Elder Degen