E-mail dated 4/27/09

My boy,

So you got the pictures that Sister Wire sent you. Yes that was at zone conference in Paynesville (not my chapel, my chapel is a home remodeled to meet our needs). After the zone conference sister wire asked us if we had a message we wanted to send to our families. Elder Sesay taught us how to dance from his tribal traditions. All I said was "Elder Sesay taught me how to dance". I know we look silly (thats such a funny word to use). The food looks normal becasue it is normal. What you think we want to eat rice for zone conferences when we could have a choice? Sister Wire cooked us Macaroni and Meatloaf. Quite tasty if you ask me. Is the water safe to drink? All the water I drink is filtered or I buy the manufactured water bags on the street. I think i've become immune to the water now so its probably ok for me.

Yes we were able to watch conference. Although it was just one session and it was on a television at the front of our meeting house (meaning it was very hard to see in the midst of over 100 members attending). Thankfully our recent convert, Kokulo, owns a video store and he hooked up a speaker so everyone was able to hear. I watched the Saturday morning session, but I was only able to pay attention for the first hour. The second hour an investigator family showed up and I ended up watching the two year old so the mother and grandmother could watch. Do people understand how the church runs in Salt Lake? That would be a resounding NO. Only the missionaries that served in Ghana or Nigeria know what the church is supposed to be like (and even then, the church is still young there). Conference is hard for the people to understand because they use big words and they all have an American accent. Oh, well. I hope it helped someone other than the missionaries. Yes our church meetings are three hours (except for this last week, which was only two because of conference).

The Wires are from Kanab. My companion is from Ghana. He entered the MTC the same day as me.

President Squires gave some great instruction during zone conference about covenants. He talked specifically about temple covenants and how we can gain power and protection from them. The main difference about our church and other churches is that we are a Covenant Making People. All covenants are possible through the Priesthood that has been restored throught the prophet Joseph Smith. He also mentioned that in Gospel Covenants God sets the terms. We can make personal covenants, but the terms are still gods. The reason we make personal covenants is to bring us to a higher level of obedience to gospel covenants. He used alot of Elder Christoffersons talk from conference. Great discussion.

We are teaching a man named Mator Prompaye. This man has been taught by the missionaries since january. And wow, has he come a long way. This man has truly changed his ways and come closer to Christ. During the middle of teaching him (which would have been right before I came to the area) he beat his wife. Now, he has repented and restituted and the family is back together. Mator has become a better father and husband. Elder Seawright and myself helped him and his wife get back together. We offered service and helped him clean his house and we helped him write a love note to his wife. Now he brings his two daughters to church everyweek. I really hope the Lord can soften the heart of the wife so we can start teaching her. Mators baptism will be at the end of the month. I love all the people that I'm working with right now. I have about 5 other stories just like that one above.

About the phone call home. You tell me what time you would like me to call and I'll do it. President Squires said 40 minutes this time so be prepared.

Elder Degen