An "Interesting" Morning

Hey Everyone!
Well we had another exciting day...nothing too out of the normal. Today i woke up at 5 to fill up our barrels and buckets with water before they cut it. At 6 we cleaned the apartment until 8ish and about 8:15 they cut the power. Well because they cut the power, that means were going to have to take a taxi somewhere to find a 'cyber'. Well as i and Elder Attiogbe (another Togolais) just went out behind the appartment and started looking we here gun shots going off and the whole area running towards us. Of course we turn around to head back to the apartment. Just on the way back all you can hear are more and more gun shots. Well so we got back okay and called the President to tell him whats going on like normal. And we stayed in the apartment until now. Obviously we can go down now, cause im in the cyber. President explained how its not that big of a danger for us because it was just a shoot off between the police force and somewhat military. I guess a couple days ago two 'Generals' (they arent quite like the generals in the U.S., but they are higher up in the rank) were at a bar looking for women. They found one and started heading back home but she had to go to the bathroom so she went behind a wall to go (its normal for everyone to just go outside). Well sickly, the two 'generals' had to go too and wanted to go were she was but a police officer told them there is a woman back there, dont go back there until shes done. Drunken, the generals pretty much asked who he is to tell them what to do and smacked the police officer. They started fighting, and the police officer pulled his gun out and killed the two generals. Now the two different forces are fighting it out. But its supposed to be calm and over. I guess we'll see.
Well for our week it went okay. It was just the longest week of my mission... Im just tired. It so hard to have a companion who doesnt know what to do, or teach. My companions name is Brother Kipre. He is an awesome kid who is just trying hard to do everything right. He was called to serve in Congo but he doesnt leave until the 30th of April so hes going to stay with me for a bit. He was supposed to stay just till the end of March but he asked the assistants last week if he could stay till he goes to the MTC. it does make me feel good he is enjoying it.
Well today i pulled 100 dollars out of the back and im going to see what i can do with that. I really do love the Baileys. They are such wonderful people! They deserve a dinner when they get back home. Im going to probably go out with them tomorrow after the mission confrence to get a camera.
Well im sorry but i dont have much time because i have to hurry back to the appartment to change and get back to work before 5 I love you! Heres just a small spiritual thought. I have been studying the parables Christ taught. There is SO much we can learn from them. Today I wanted to talk a little bit about the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30). Its a parable thats simple to understand and to apply to our lives. Here the Lord gives 3 servants talents, or money. The first He gives 5 talents, the second 2, and the last 1. The first two doubled their talents but the last buried his. And when the Lord returned, He accepted the first two and rewarded them (verse 21 & 23). He called them "good and faithful servants" compared to the third who was "wicked and slothful" (vs 26). This parable can be interpreted in a lot of different ways (as to literal talents, how to properly serve the Lord, how to have a good relation between God, etc.) but i just want to talk a little about 'works'. I think its interesting how a lot of people have the same mind set as the 3rd servant. The third servant hid his talent and was lazy. He thought that returning the same talent he recieved would be sufficent, but it wasnt. If we think of it to our day its like an employee who sleeps and does absolutely nothing at work. The manager did not higher this person to keep the business exactly the same as when he left, but to have his business grow. An employee that does nothing, deserves nothing. As with God we will recieve our reward/punishment depending on our works (Psalms 62:12; Alma 9:28; D&C 138:59). But if we have no actions we will have no reward, but oinly punishment. In the JST Hebrews 6:8, I think its clear: "...they who bring not forth good fruit, shall be cast into the fire; for their end is to be burned." All those who do not bring forth good works (including those who do wickedly, or do nothing at all, like the third servant) will be 'burned', or cast out of Gods presence. We arent just to 'keep the commandments' but live them. Its not sufficent if we are simply not doing wrong, we must be doing righteous continually. I have a strong testimony of this principle. Only through someones works can you truely know them (John 10:25; Moroni 7:5; D&C 18:38). It is why we will be judged according to them (1 Nephi 15:32). May we each be "constantly engaged in a good cause", only through righteous works can our faith be made perfect (James 2:22), is my prayer in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ, amen.
Cameron