3 DAYS LEFT!

I don't have a problem at all with that. I don't mind if they're are other people at the airport. I gave a talk where i gave some counsel to the branch and I just loved it so much and balled like a baby again. It was hard for me to leave... I got 5 baptisms before finishing. I finished strong. There are 6 more with baptismal dates for the next couple weeks. here's a couple of pictures. We went to a village on a lake. It's like venice in Africa. Lol! And also the four elder's going home this week and next. Love ya and see you guys in like... Two days... Lol! I have roughly 4100 pictures mom. And I got lots of fun cool stuff. See ya soon!

Elder Halvorsen

Two weeks left

Can you make the release for the 29th and in the morning please??? I
would really like that instead of not being able to do anything all
day long the saturday... I had the phone in my hand, I wasn't shaving.
Lol. I should see a couple more baptisms before I leave. It's in ten
days... Next week and really it still hasn't hit me. I don't believe
that it's so soon... I have a little cold but nothing big. Shoes are
fine. I have no idea what I want for dinner honestly... Had my last
interview and got my papers. Took a picture for you guys. I wouldn't
mind a gym membership... I wanna get back in shape really quick... And
I'll only have three pairs of garments... I need a normal pair of
shoes for home too. I think that's it for requests. Ya I talked to the
guy about the jacket. He was kinda bummed that I wanted a picture of
his jacket and not of him. Lol! So I took a picture of him too.

well for this last week, yesterday the connection got cut again
when I was writing to you guys. I HATE the connection here and SO
happy it's only one more day in these cybers. I've had it with them.

I had my last conference last week and my last interview and my
last sunday is coming up with my last p-day and my last day we get the
allowance thing. "soutien" in french... Just a lot of lasts. But I
don't understand why it hasn't really hit me yet... I think it'll hit
me when I actually see you guys again.. .That'll be the weirdest thing
ever...

Well that really was about it. We have a baptism this week and I'm
going to go see some people I baptized when I was here the last time
and say bye to everyone. I think I'm going to withdraw another hundred
bucks just for the flight home in case anything goes wrong. I'll do
that pretty soon. Okay. I'll see you guys next week! Love you and miss
you!

Elder Halvorsen

Austin has mono... Please let it be gone before I get home... I
mean... Get well bro! : ) The Gubler's and The Herr's are staying in
Togo. The Southams come tomorrow I believe and I don't know about the
medicine... Well find out. President hasn't come over yet. He's really
trying to. I don't know if he'll be able to. I did get the boubou for
him but it's gotta be washed... I haven't washed it since I made it...
Three months ago... Lol! Anyways. And for the Fiero. I REALLY want to
sell that car... Not gonna lie... I love the amount of experience I
got out of it and the things I learned, like how just when everything
starts going right, there's always something that goes wrong, and now
I start to see things in terms of planning and future instead of being
nearsighted. I see what Dad meant that that car would just be a money
pit... He was right... Like usual... Lol!

Anyways. This week was good. We had some good solid lessons with
people that are preparing to be baptized. We're really struggling for
four. I really want to see the four people's baptisms before going.
Also today is the Voodoo day. They were everywhere this morning. Well,
there were a lot anyways. We went to a place called Hodazar. It's
basically a tourist trap but it's fun to go there and look at all the
cool stuff and pick up a couple little trinkets. That's where the mask
on my face is from. And NO I did not buy that. Lol!

I hope you guys like the Big White jacket I found. THat was something
really random. Lol! The guy doesn't even know that that jacket is for
cold weather... But he's wearing it in Africa... Lol! Strange how the
most random things end up in Africa.

Well I'll see you guys soon. Still hasn't hit me... Love ya and miss ya!

Elder Halvorsen

25 days, 9 hours and 42 minutes...and a voodoo temple

Dang that letter was big... Ya I still have the yellow thing. I filmed the dance too. HILARIOUS! Also the gift I bought was a bottle of those peanuts with the candy coating.

I couldn't bear testimony. It was probably the most ridiculous sunday I've ever had in my life actually. Three testimonies in an hour. It was horrible... They were just making everyone laugh and just these SUPER long stories... But that's okay. I'll bear my testimony before I go home. Health is good. DON't know when the president is coming is he even is.

The weather is cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon. And I'm writing this again today because of the RIDICULOUS internet here in Benin. It was cut yesterday AGAIN. But whatever. Yes I'm trunky. Especially when EVERY missionary reminds me of my time left EVERY day. Elder Forman and I are stoked.

Sounds like you guys had a fun new year's. We played hearts and watched a couple fireworks from our roof.

This week wasn't too eventful other than that. We had FOUR Unexpected eating appointments in FOUR hours and they stuffed us the first. We almost threw up. It was awesome. Lol!

Then as you guys see in the picture we went to the voodoo village of Ouidah yesterday and saw the temple of pythons, and the slave route and the fort and it was a blast. We got some great pictures. I'll talk to you guys about that in 25 days. Weird...

Love you guys and miss you guys a ton!

See ya soon!

Elder Halvorsen

ONE MONTH LEFT!!

The internet in the whole country was out yesterday and that's why I'm writing today. That's one thing that I've never liked about Bénin...

I love the picture of Ruby! She does look a little more gray but not by much suprisingly. I'm doing well. We've got a couple good investigators for this week. We've also got a couple eating
appointments for new years. I think this week will go by really fast like this week, but we'll get a lot of work done. I heard about Gbagbo kicking the UN out. I think they actually found a loophole in their contract and extended it to stay in the country for another 6 months and they sent more troops in but maybe that was a rumor... Didn't hear about the nationwide strike though...

I need garments when I get home. I think there are enough clothes laying around the house I can have right? Unless Austin took all the nice ones and left me crap...

So Christmas was really fun. We woke up and played hearts till the couple was ready for us to go over. Then we had a little stocking for every missionary with a tie, cookies, a bouncy ball, a water gun and some pens. We didn't understand the water guns until Sis. Herr jumped out with her GIGANTIC one and starting blasting us in her house... Lol! So that turned in to a huge water fight. After the water fight we ate a great American dinner, with ham and pineapple, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, corn, jell-o.

We did a gift exchange "white elephant" and I got what I bought. Lol! Then we watched "The Princess and the Frog" which was a GREAT movie! I understood the small french they used in the film too! It was weird. And we were all just SHOCKED that they eat sauce Gumbo in America! We thought that only existed here in Africa. It was funny when they said it. EVERYONE just said "WHAT!?!?!" Lol! It was hilarious.

Then we ate fudge, brownies, ice cream, no-bakes, and then we watched "The Princess Bride" and then I talked with mom and dad. The 24th we dressed up as you see in the pictures and danced. It was SO funny! They were laughing so hard! we also sang (in our missionary clothes with matching ties and hats) Silent night and rocking around the christmas tree. We did a dance to that one.

That's about it for this week. Today is my click mark. I now have less than one month left. See ya soon! Happy new year!

Lots of Love,

Elder Halvorsen

FIVE MORE WEEKS!!

Yep it doesn't feel like Christmas at all but that's not really a big
deal. I'm not mad about the package. I figured it wouldn't be a good
idea to send a package this time around. Everything got stolen out of
the package of Elder Cannon... They left the stuff they didn't want
like the socks and the rubiks cubes. Lol

Ayekoue might be coming in a couple of weeks. We'll see how the
situation goes. I'm sure I'll see him AT LEAST one more time before
the end. Health is fine. I got a sore throat but that's it. I'm up to
date on most everything from the Côte D'ivoire Weather is SUPER HOT!
It's trying to kill me right before the end. I don't know how many
members.... Active, maybe 300... not too many... We had a little
activity. The primary did a little christmas thing. We have an
activity the 24th at the branch. Elder Carver and I planned something
pretty funny. I'll send you pictures.

Well this week not too much happened. The Gubler's just flew in to
Benin. We might have the Sultan's here soon too. We've found a couple
good investigators. We're going to see how they start to progress.
We've been doing a lot of door to door cause we just kinda got dropped
into the sector because of the situation... Not bad but it's just for
a little time. REally I think my letters are going to just stay short
for now. We're just having a good time together with four americans,
and doing the work. So I think I'll just wait till I'm home... Here's
a pic! I love you guys! I'll see ya soon!

Elder Halvorsen

Back in Benin...again!! :)

Yep. I'm in Benin again. Lol! And it's the best ever! I don't know why
>> I always wanted to leave Benin... the work is hard but the life is
>> just good. I love it here. I love just my whole mission... It's gonna
>> be really hard for me to leave... Can I just stay here? Lol! Not as a
>> missionary though... I need a break soon... : ) So I'm in an apartment
>> with Elder Carver, My comp, Elder Cannon and ELDER FORMAN! It's been
>> just amazing. I love it SO much. It's seriously the best thing that
>> could ever happen to me right at the end of my mission. Lol! I hope
>> that the pictures get through also. I sent one picture of two crêches
>> that I got for mom. I hope you like them. And a CHRISTMAS picture! I
>> really hope it downloads.
>>
>> Well anyways we got shipped out of the Côte D'Ivoire I think Friday...
>> That was fun to take a plane with Cannon, Cloward, Carver and
>> Fisiihoi. Fisiihoi loves Benin! It's the first time Cannon and
>> Fisiihoi have been out of Côte D'Ivoire and Fisiihoi finishes with me!
>> Lol! Sucks. I really am glad I took advantage of the experiences that
>> have really changed my life in these countries and that I was able to
>> give something in return.
>>
>> Well it's weird to say that I have a brother on a mission now too...
>> it's just so shocking and weird to say... But I love that Blake is out
>> there.
>>
>> I can't believe that christmas is in a few weeks either... And if I
>> take out another hundred bucks, it's for getting myself a christmas
>> present and a couple more souvenirs for people back home. I think
>> there is only two people left on my list of stuff to get...
>>
>> Know that I'm doing great and everything is fine just like I said
>> things would be. I'm loving my mission like I have since the
>> beginning, I'm staying strong and I'm proud of my little bro. : ) Hope
>> the pictures got through and there weren't any problems! If not I'll
>> send them again. I love you all! See ya soon! AAAAHHHHHHH!!! Lol!
>>
>> Elder Halvorsen