Finally a Letter!!! November 21, 2011

     All is well on the West Africa front,

     So I received a package today that was supper sweet, got a few

cans of easy cheese and a camera finally!  So I will start sending

pictures again.

     I was a bit under the weather a few weeks ago, but I took the

medication they gave me and I feel much better, as of now I'm checking

in at 150 pounds, with a growing boys appetite.

      A lot of things have happened the last few weeks, I finished my

college applications for the BYU (all 3) and am praying that I get accepted.

Also we are having a lot of success in our area, there are a few guys

that we baptized theses last few weeks (ages 18-19) all of them are as

of now preparing for mission. It was so amazing how we met these

young men, what happened is we just stared teaching one of them, we

invited him to make some commitments keep the commandments, and he was

keeping the commitments and the commandments, and because of that he

started to change.  His friends noticed the change, we invited them to

keep the commandments and make commitments, and they did, and they

also started to change.  When they started changing there friends and

family's also wanted to change.  Because of that one person changing,

5 people have been baptized 1 has a baptismal date for Dec 3, and

yesterday we started teaching 2 more.    all of this has happened

because of one person and there desire to change.  Its so amazing and

so simple, but that's how God works "By small and simple means great

things are brought to pass."  The people in that community are starting

to call the church " da poddi church"  which means "The Friends

church"

4- are mission age young men

3- are young woman 2 of which are mission age, or at least old enough

to wait for a missionary... ( like that ever happens... haha I'm not

bitter)

1- is married with a child

The Gospel is so true...

    I also have a short story to tell.   so In Liberia I used to wash

all of my clothes on my own by hand, well since I got to Sierra Leone

I just wash my garments and pay some one else to wash the rest of my

Cloth.  All was well for the first few months...  what usually

Happened, we would give the person our cloths and the next day he

would bring them back. This particular day that didn't happen.  Three days went by and Elder Stewart and I had no clothing...   We would pass by the guys house, No one was home... At the End of 3 days the person we gave our clothing to returned to our apartment with our clothing. The first thing he told us was to check if any thing was missing...

   Turns out what happened is, the first day he picked up the cloths, they

were at his house in the Landry bag.  His brother came to visit, when

his brother saw the bag of nice clothing he took it and ran to the

neighboring city of Boe… That is only about 150 MILES AWAY!  So they

guy who wash's the clothing told his aunt, (who was getting ready to

make a trip to and back from Boe) to steal them back. When she got

to Boe all the cloths were strung out on the line, (apparently the

brother wanted to wash his new clothing...) she didn't know which

cloths were his and what cloths were ours, but she did know that we

were white shirts and dress slacks every day. So she grabbed all the

white shirts and slacks she saw, finished her business in Boe and

returned to Grafton,

    Once the clothing was back in our possession we inventoried our

clothing, we had all of our priesthood clothing, but or casual

clothing was no were to be found... We dint lose to much just some

Football jersey's (soccer).   They took my favorite jersey it was an

AC Milan jersey. All is well we were not mad, but the guy has yet

come to collect our clothing for wash again, so I have returned to

washing by hand... ugh... haha or at least till I can find some one

different to wash.

   I hope every at home is doing well, Love Elder Taylor

Picture worth a 1000 words

Elder Taylor on the top with his Indian Jones hat on:).. 

All West Africa Clean-up day.  The yellow shirts say, (with hand prints on the back) "Mormon Helping Hands".  This photo from mission Blog.  http://www.sierraleonefreetownmission.blogspot.com/

November 7, 2011

Back from left to right is Elder Taylor, Elder Wood, Elder Essego, and Elder Tawiah. Front row left to right, Elder Pabie Elder Stewart.

10/18/2011

10/17/2011

Elder Taylor has been super busy.  He is doing well and working hard.  Hopefully he will send us some news next week.

Temple in STAR VALLEY

This week was a pretty good week,

And technology is amazing!!

Were I am we don't have the opportunity to watch conference on time,

we get it about a month later in the Church magazine, and when they

send the films to the mission.    but....    with in 5 Min of The

announcement of a temple in star Valley I knew.

I will never forget the spot where I was standing when I received the news!

My companion and I were just returning from exploring and finding a

members home,   It is sufficient to say we were off the beaten

trail... ha ha.   we were in a place called "Grass Fields", its a

meadow at the base of a mountain so we were crossing some Creeks and

jumping some streams to get back to the road side,   we were about

about a mile from the closest road, (You have to remember I'm in

Africa, so this grass isn't the 2 in green stuff in front of our

house, this is West Africa Rain Forest grass, granted I'm a short

person, but the grass is taller then me.   ha ha

 As we were making our way back, I received a two text messages one

from the office Elders and the other from the Mission Presidents

wife...  both stating they just announced a temple in SV!!!!!!

   I truly felt complete Joy.      I just looked at my companion and said

           " I am in the middle of the Jungle,  in AFRICA, and I just

Heard they Are building a temple to worship God, in STAR VALLEY!!

The only thing that could make this moment an greater is, if you were

an attractive girl..."

            I don't think he understood my humor,  (Different Cultures

I guess... ha ha. )

But all things aside, I am so happy right now,

I pray and hope they are not done building it by the time I come home,

because I want to help build it,  even if it is only helping sweep up

the work site.  I really want to help.

I hope every one is well, tell every one Hi,

Love Elder Taylor

P.S.  I guess its a good thing that every girl Ive dated is already

married... because I can now get married in the Star Vally Temple.

Blessings for serving a full time mission! ha ha

New Area

So my new area is amazing, and my companion is from the Middle East,

his name is

Funny story,   when the transfer news came Sunday night, I was told I

was going to Rokel with an Elder Geiba ,  I was told Rokel in part of

Congo cross, A branch in the heart of the city, and I would be in the

wealthy end of the city, a place with super markets and English….  I

was also told I would be living in the mission office compound…  On

Friday night, the end of Day one of my journey to free town I found

out it wasn’t the correct information.  I am in Rokel but my companion

is not Elder Geiba, and Rokel is not in the heart of the city.

   Rokel is as Far East as you can go, and is a brand new area,    It

opened up for 6 weeks but then closed, it was closed for 6 weeks, and

they just opened it up again;   Only 3 missionaries have been in this

area, I being one of them.    my companions name is Elder Tawiah

Our area is the biggest in free town, it is huge!!  And Bush,  Haha If

you know me you can imagine how happy I was when I found out I was not

going to the city, but am opening an area that is new to the church,

we don’t have a branch or even a unit in our area we are pioneering

the area and everything.

I am so happy!  Who needs a super market, haha

  The only downer is the travel, we have to travel far into our area,

to go to part of our area we take 2 cars, and 2 bikes, and that is not

even to edge of the area,  one way,

 The apartment we are in is nice thou, different unit worships there,

and 6 elders are there, but very nice and clean, no water though, but

we do have generator from 7 to 10:25 each night.

As soon as I saw the area and met my companion I received my witness

from the lord, that he has big plans for this little piece of Africa.

And the best part…. Mountains we are surrounded by mountains, amazing

green mountains,   It reminded me much of home in a good way, Liberia is

very flat, I forgot what it is like to be surrounded by mountains

Love Elder Taylor