E-mail dated 3/9/09

How you keeping man?

Yes, welcome ladies and Gentlemen we are here in Liberia with plenty of news. This past week went by so fast. I guess thats what happens when you go to a different country. I left on the smallest airplane in the world (or so it seemed) on Thursday. I counted how many people could fit on the plane and it was a whopping nineteen. I in my large stature and all, couldn't even stand up inside the plane. It reminded me of the small island hopping planes in Hawaii. The flight took about an hour (once we finally got on the plane). All of thursday was spent at the Lungi airport waiting for our flight to leave. Like I said last week, my area is named Congo Town. Being in Freetown for a while I see alot of differences from Monrovia and Freetown. If you were to come you wouldn't see any differences at least in culture. Monrovia is flat!!!!! wooo!! absolutely no hills to climb. No more Krio, but I do have the Liberian English to deal with (put 5 marshmellows in your mouth and start talking fast and you have Liberian English).

So far no problems. Am I safe? Well other than the constant threat of malaria I'd say I'm pretty safe. Actually I'd say I'm the safest person in the world with Heavenly Father looking out for me. There are 16 missionaries in Liberia and all of them are in Monrovia. I will get to go back to Freetown for sure (I have to go back to end my mission) but anything can happen. I think I will be in Liberia for a while though. The only other city that I could possibly serve in is Kenema (which is just outside of Bo, and only two missionaries stay there).

My new companion, Elder Seawright, is awesome. He goes home in six months and has been in Liberia for almost a year. I'm sure the Seawrights Nate knows are my companions parents. The boys that Nate brought from Heber during the Summer know my companion ( or I should say my companion knows them) Small world. Elder Seawright also has cousins in South Jordan so if Jeri knows any Seawrights its them because they are the only Seawrights in Utah. Funny thing is that both of us began our missions in Congo Cross in Freetown, both of us have served with Elder Sadare (my trainer), and now both of us are serving in Congo Town in Monrovia. Elder Sadare is in my apartment and is serving with Elder Gifford, who is the missionary that was in my institute class last year. I kind of feel like a new missionary again because I'm almost starting a new mission. But yet I know almost every missionary in liberia. By the end of the week I will have met every missionary in the mission. Crazy huh?

We never have power!! Thankfully we have a generator for the evening. Water is about the same, on and off. There are two missionary couples in Monrovia. I've only met one, The mauldins from Washington state. Still send packages to the mission PO box. The Squires travel to Monrovia about every three weeks and they will bring it to me. Thanks for everything.

Elder Degen