E-mail dated 10/12/09

Hello from the great city of Bo. Man, what were they thinking when they named this city. Maybe it was something like the easiest sound to make. Think about it bo is pretty easy to say. Tell Adam to make his childs first word "Bo". Well, that seems like a little ways down the road. Anywho . . . Bo is a lot smaller than Freetown and Monrovia put still pretty big considering we are out in the middle of the bush. Bo is a tribal village of the tribe "mende". I can actually speak small mende now, but I don't really have the zeal to learn it well. Everyone here speaks this language and I here it all day. "poomwee" means white man in mende. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard that word I would be . . .(use your imagination here). The main means of transportation here is motorcyle. Yep, I ride on the back of a motorcyle two or three times a day. Add that to the list of things I'd never thought I would do on mission.

My branch worships in the church owned chapel here in Bo. The only church owned chapel in Sierra Leone (Liberia has three church owned chapels f.y.i) The same problems still exist here as in any of the other branches I've served in. Our apartment is pretty "bo-bo pain" (krio for poor man) but I'm pretty used to that by now. I'm excited that we have light some of the time and I get to sleep with a fan on half the time. Sadly we are moving into dry season and light here in Bo stops coming in the dry season. which means we are back to generator.

Well, it looks like this weeks email won't be much of a spiritual one. I'm still trying to get used to new faces and having to learn a new branch. Things are coming on small small. The package you sent finally found its way to me. Thanks for the pants and the pictures. Gram thanks for the small envelope. I hope the wedding goes great this week and sorry, but I'm out of things to say. Send me the Ensign just in case please. Let me know how Elder Seawrights talk is. I love that guy.

Elder Degen

Rice is Life