Pictures!

E-mail dated 5/16/16

Family and Friends,

Awkwaabo! Thank you to every one for the emails the past few weeks! I apologize for last week, but our cafe was down and so I was just able to send something small. Forgive me! It was awesome to see every one last week though, and I'm glad that every one is doing great! The emails every one sends to me make me so happy.

For my week, it was a crazy one! As you might have guessed from the title of my email, Elder Adams and I did a lot of interviews this week. We did interviews for 4 different companionship's, which took up a lot of our time. Which was okay though, because I love doing baptismal interviews! I'm always amazed at the strength of the converts that the mission is pulling in, and I'm lucky I get to hear many of their testimonies before they're baptized. Many people have incredible stories of their conversion as well. Many see dreams, some have met missionaries in miraculous fashion, and a few have come from the depths of sin to the waters of baptism. It's nothing short of amazing.

Today was also fun, because many people from my zone, and a few others, played basketball today! We were able to play at the YMCA in Monrovia (Yes, I was equally surprised that the YMCA is in Liberia). Every time I play basketball on my mission, I get so tired, so fast! I am not in very good shape... Rice makes you fat, who knew?

Let me answer your questions!

1.  Sorry if I have asked you this before, but do you ride motorcycles or public transportation to get around?  I assume that you can't walk everywhere you need to go.

We used to ride motorcycles almost everywhere, but the Area President came and said that we are no longer allowed! So now I walk to my area and back every day, which isn't too bad. We do take public transportation if we ever have to leave New Georgia, usually a trotro or a taxi.

2.  What mission rule is the hardest to keep?  As a  Zone Leader, do you have to deal with missionaries who break the rules?

Hmmm.... that's a hard question. I would have to say that the curfew for my mission is the one that I struggle with the most! We're supposed to be home by 7:00 P.M. in Liberia because of the lack of street lights, but since I would stay out until 9-9:30 in Ghana, it's been hard for me to adjust! But yes, I do have to deal with missionaries who break the rules. It's not that fun.

3.  Did everyone in your apartment get to Skype with their families last week?  I hope everyone was as fortunate as we were to get to spend a lot of time with families!

Yes, I think every one was able to Skype for at least a little bit! Many of the Africans have to deal with a connection that is bad in both locations (in Liberia and their home) so it doesn't work as well for others! 

4.  What was something spiritual that happened this week that increased your testimony of the Savior?

Wow. I love that question. This week I was studying from the New Testament, and I marveled at the simplicity of the way that Christ could teach. His parables and statements that "did pierce them to the very soul" (3 Nephi 11:3) are perfect examples to me as I strive to teach as He did. Liberians, in order for them to understand, need to be taught in the simplest of language, which allows for only short and concise sentences. As I've been on my mission, this has been both a blessing and a curse. But Liberia has taught me something; the Gospel is simple! Plain, straightforward ad perfect. And I love it. I can only aspire to speak with the same simplicity as our Savior.

Anyways, thank you to every one again for your emails the past few weeks! They have been nothing but comforting and uplifting. Your prayers are being heard, and I appreciate them so much. I love you all and I can't wait to hear from you next week!

Love,

Elder Degen

E-mail dated 5/2/16

Dear Family and Friends,

Akwaabo! I'm sorry that I wasn't able to email everyone last week, but I have time today and the Internet is much better! Thank you for your continuous emails though, they mean a lot. It sounds like everyone is healthy and happy at home, which makes me happy! I can't ask for too much else every Monday.

This week was a fun week with a lot of memorable events! It was busy with proselyting, meetings, exchanges and interviews all filled into a short seven days. Elder Adams and I continued teaching Mitchel and Rita as recent converts, and we have begun the serious preparations for our next baptism on May 21st. We are planning on having 3 people on that day! We're hoping for George, Leroy and Patience. I think I've told you about Leroy before, but I'm sure you'll hear more about all of them as their baptismal date draws closer. I love my investigators!

On Friday was Zone Conference, and it was amazing. It was centered around a training clip by Elder Bednar from the Worldwide Missionary Broadcast in January. He spoke about the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion and how we as missionaries can became better instruments in the hands of the Lord. President Carlson (and I) absolutely love the way Elder Bednar teaches and he urged all of us to learn how to teach like him. Bednar asks many inspired questions in his teaching, listens to the answers, and then directly responds to and teaches from the answers the students give. My favorite quote was "Teaching is much more than talking. It's listening and observing, and then giving a response."

On Saturday we went on exchanges with Elder Carlson (he's a district leader in my zone), and his companion. It was a lot of fun reuniting with him and seeing how much both of us have learned in the past 4-5 months since we have been apart! It was a fun exchange, and I'm preparing for more this week. We're going on splits with the Assistants tomorrow, MLC on Wednesday, Zone Meeting on Thursday, and then Mother's Day(!) on Sunday. I'm in for another busy week!

As for your questions...
 

1.  I know it is different for all of your investigators, but about how long does it take from the time you first meet them to the time they are ready for baptism?  About how many times do you meet with them?

Hmmm... Well investigators are required to attend Sacrament Meeting three times before they can be baptized, so my fastest baptisms have been in about that time period. I have had many others though who can take 1-3 months before they are finally ready. And, of course, there's always every missionary's worst fear; teaching somebody for months and then they get baptize after you get transferred. That has happened so many times! Normally it requires at least 5-7 visits to teach them all the lessons though. 

2.  Do your new investigators receive callings right away?  Do they have a "mentor" or someone who has been a member for awhile show them the ropes, so to speak?

In a perfect world, all of them should have callings soon after their baptisms. But the leadership is very inexperienced here in Liberia, so it doesn't happen very often. Thankfully Jones did receive a calling yesterday, so now he's a seminary teacher in the branch! I was so happy for him. Before nearly every one is baptized though, we make sure that they have a fellow shipper so that they can be "shown the ropes." Normally the branch member that is closest in age or proximity to the convert is who will fellowship them. 

Well I think that's all for today! Thank you again to every one for all of your emails, support and prayers. I can feel them all the way from African. Please, if anybody wants any souvenirs, please think about what they want and tell me on Mother's Day! I can't wait to talk with every one! I love you all.

Love,

Elder Degen

Pictures!

E-mail dated 4/25/16

Family and Friends,

Akwaabo! I'm going to apologize in advance to all those who emailed me today, I won't be able to respond! The internet isn't too great today, so I'll just send out my group email. Sorry! I was able to read all of my inbox though, and it sounds like every one is doing great.

My week was also pretty amazing!! I spent the week showing Elder Adams around my area and also finishing the preparations for Mitchell and Rita. I also did interviews this week for a few people, which is always a great experience! As for my area though, everything is going great. I have really been blessed with my different areas I have been assigned to throughout my mission, because I have loved every single one. Some missionaries are dying to leave their areas, but I've never had that experience and I don't think I will! The Lord has really blessed me.

The crowning event of the week, of course, was the baptism! I sent some pictures earlier today, I hope that every one can see them! It was a rewarding baptism because we were helping to complete some part-member families. For Mitchell, he was stubborn when we first started teaching him, but over the past few weeks, he's really opened up. As for Rita, she used to run inside and hide when we would come to teach her siblings, Jones and Caulena. But her heart was softened too after many prayers! They bore powerful testimonies at the baptismal service. The testimonies are my favorite part of any baptism.

To answer some of your questions!

1.  I probably don't want to know the answer to this question, but did you missionaries actually do the killing, skinning, cleaning and cooking of the cats you sent pictures of or did you find a native to do that for you and you just "tasted" it?

Elder Eguko and I helped kill it, and burn the hair off of it, and then we gave it to a Liberian to clean and gut it! But then we took it home, seasoned the meat ourselves and threw it into the oven. It was so delicious! 

2.  Any information on when you will be calling/Skyping?

I will FOR SURE be able to Skype this time! A member has already offered us her laptop and we will have good internet now. I was planning on Skyping around 6:30 p.m. in my time (12:30 MST), is that okay? If not, then just let me know before next week! I'm so excited!

3.  You may have told me this several months ago, but where is Elder Adams from, how long has he been out and was he a transfer from Ghana like you were?  Sorry if you have already answered this before.

Elder Adams is a Ghanaian from Takoradi (close to my first area)! He is 7 months old on his mission, and he came to Liberia on December 7 after he was trained for 3 months in the Accra West Mission! He is the same MTC group as Elder Carlson and Elder Ibe. 

4.  Is there a food that eat so much of there that when you come home you will never want to eat again?

Hmmm... I don't think so! If anything, serving in Liberia has only increased my appetite for rice! Sure I eat it for lunch and dinner everyday, but it's still great!

5.  Did the baptism take place on Saturday?  Did you get to baptize any of the candidates?

Yes, it took place! I wasn't the baptist, but Elder Eguko was able to baptize Rita and a new missionary, Elder Harman baptized the rest! It was one of the best services I've had of my entire mission. I loved it.

Well, I'm sorry again to all those who I didn't reply to today! I love you all though, and I promise that I will be able to talk more next week! I pray for all of you daily though, and I hope to hear from every one again next Monday. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Degen

Pictures!

E-mail dated 4/18/16

Family and friends,

Akwaabo! Thank you to every one who gave me kind words of encouragement this week in their emails. I was blessed to hear from so many family members. I'm glad that every one is doing well and enjoying work and school! I was grateful to know that my daily prayers are being answered.

My week in Liberia has been an awesome one! Elder Eguko and I have been blessed to be in Bassa Town together for the past 2 transfers, and we had an awesome last week there together. We taught quite a few people are really finished preparing Mitchell and Rita for baptism on the 23rd! Sadly, transfer news came on Friday night and we are being split apart! We are still in the same apartment and the same branch, but Elder Eguko has been called to train a new missionary and I am now full-time companions with Elder Adams! I have been companions with Elder Adams on and off during the past 6 weeks whenever we would go and do zone business, so it won't be that much of a change! I am really going to miss Elder Eguko though. I have grown close to him over the past 13 weeks, and I love that guy. I'm glad he'll only be one room over.

The fun thing about my week, though? I have gotten to kill and eat 2 cats! The Kpoto's (an amazing member-family in my area) set up a cage in their land and caught two large ones that they let us take home and cook. Cat meat is delicious! I hope that everyone will be able to see the pictures that I sent. 

Anyways, to answer your questions!

1.  Do you have any sisters (native) called to serve in Liberia yet?  If not, do you think they will be anytime in the near future?

We currently have 3 sisters serving in the mission, but 3 more will arrive tomorrow! Of the 3, one is from Ghana and the other 2 are from Nigeria. I don't know the nationalities of the ones coming in! I know that by the time I go home, President Carlson said there will be 12 sisters here so that he can actually transfer them around. The current sisters have been in the same area for a very long time because there's no where else to put them!

2.  Are transfers coming up soon?

The new transfer officially begins today and will end on May 31st, so I can sit tight for a while!  

3.  Do you speak any Fante or Twi at all?  (I hope I spelled those right)  Do you think you still remember the languages?

Since ELder Eguko and Elder Adams are both fluent in Twi, I have actually gotten to speak small again! I absolutely love the language, but I'm a bit rusty after not having been in Ghana for close to 7 months... Hopefully Elder Adams will help me regain it.

4.  What did you do when you ran out of water at your apartment last week?  How long were you without it and how is it generally replenished?

Well, I won't go into all the details of what happens when Elders don't have running water, but for the most part we just fetched water at the well across the road. Some people came this week and dug our own well deeper, so everything is fixed now. Normally we have an electric pump push water from our well up to an elevated water tank which then feeds into the house. That's how nearly all houses in west Africa get water!

5.  How is your Branch President doing?  I think about him often!  

He is doing great! He has come to church for the past 3 weeks, and he has really regained his strength back. He is still not quite rehabilitated from the mental aspect, although he has greatly improved. I love that man, and your prayers would still be appreciated!

6.  What is a popular snack food in Liberia?  We seem to like our popcorn and chocolate.  What about Liberians?

Popcorn is universal! Everybody eats popcorn here. You can buy a bag for 10 LD on the streets (about 8 cents), so it's very cheap. Liberians also love biscuits (cookies)! I really enjoy the vanilla wafers that they sell almost every where. Definitely no chocolate though.

Well thank you to every one again for the help and support that you give to me! I love all of you so much and pray for most of you individually. Please continue praying for me and those that I teach! I love you all. 

Love,

Elder Degen