Email from the Mission Home

(Elder & Sister Bailey are a missionary couple serving in the mission home. They have been there since February. They don't speak any French & the mission president doesn't speak any English, so they have their work cut out for them :). They are so wonderful and I appreciate them so very much!! They sent me this email....)

The Legere Family,
Hello from the Ivory Coast! When Elder Legere was here at the Bureau today, he mentioned that he has not been able to send any pictures home. So here are two wonderful pictures for you to add to your selection. (Elder Legere said it was meager!!) We appreciate so much the fine son you have. He is an example of great faith and hope. He has put his trust in the enabling power of the atonement and is serving with all of his might, mind and strength. He is a wonderful part of the Ivory Coast missionary work, we love and appreciate him so much.

Elder Touhouly and your son have been a model companionship for the whole mission. They bring tears to my eyes when I think about their unconditional love for each other and the people they serve. We wish they could stay together forever, but the Lord teaches us and refines us little by little until we become just like Him. And sometimes that takes great, great faith which is what we are here to learn.

Sincerely,
Elder and Sister Bailey

Elder Legere & Elder Touhouly

Email dated July 27th

Hello Everyone! Well this week's been a little crazy.. I haven't been transfered yet, I'm still waiting to even know my new area! its a little stressful but I'm hangin in there :D The assistants dropped by yesterday to congratulate Elder Touhouly and me for our work and everything. We were the top baptizers for the month of July. I asked them if they knew my area yet and they said they did but weren't allowed to tell me. It kind of makes me nervous why they can't but i know it'll only be for the better. My weeks been an eventful week! Elder Touhouly and I have just been trying to have the best time we can for the last week we have together by working even harder and laughing even more. We've eaten at the boutique 4 times and I bought 3 bottles of soda! (its all the soda the market had) So we've been a little spoiled. But we've had a good last week together! The assistants did say that I'll probably be transfered this week, so we'll see. But I'm really excited because today Elder Touhouly and I are going to the zoo! :D! I guess we'll see how that goes! To be honest I'm kind of worried to go. The times we've passed by it I couldn't tell if it was a jungle with an abandoned city in it or what, but I know it'll be fun.
For the week, lets see...Well monday was a great day! Elder Andon and Elder Cloward came here to Port Bouet and we went to the beach. I love the beach because its just so calm and its a place where I can just go and sit and relax. There aren't a lot of places to just relax. Later that night we went to Malcory to do a contacting activity. It went really good! I don't care for Malcory all that much just because you just never feel that safe. The whole secture reminds me of 'I am Legend'.
Wednesday...oh! ha! I about died laughing at lunch! Elder Touhouly and I were arm wrestling for the last soda. But I lost and so he grabbed it and started dancing around saying "Im a weiner! Im a weiner!" because his accent for 'winner' isn't good. haha! And when he opened the soda it exploded. It was just hilarious! We literally were on the ground laughing.
Saturday was my favorite day of the week! In the ward here there are SO many youth! There are a ton of youth whose parents aren't members. So Elder Touhouly and I planned an activity. We know that the gospel is not just for half the family but for the whole family. The temple and all the principles in the gospel are for the family. So we want to strengthen and bring families together. So what we did was we had all the youth and their non member parents come to the chapel. And for an hour the youth bore their testimonies. I can't tell you how strong the Spirit was. It went perfectly and there were many parents who came to us afterwards to set up appointments for the lessons. There is power in the youth. There is a sweet spirit that new converts carry. The activity was simple but it couldn't have been better.
Also Elder Touhouly is going to be asking the president if I can get another name badge made. The last week I've had a lot of people who yell at me and everything because they think I'm French. Also pray that we don't run into anymore drunks. This last week we ran into about 5. And it just never is good. There's something about drunks just being attracted to missionaries.
I love you all! I'm doing great! I CANT WAIT TO GET THE PACKAGE!!! I'm SO excited! I'm hoping it comes today! I love you!!! Have a great day and I'll be thinking about you all!
Your Son
Elder Legere

Letter Dated June 8, 2009

Dear Family;

Well things have been going just great! I just really wanted to send you all a couple of pictures. I hope you like them. The one where I'm in whites was taken at one of our baptisms. I baptized 3 that day, including the man who is standing next to me. His name is Mouho Djeazillrao Sylver(yeah say that a couple times quickly...) But we've just always called him Sylver. And what a power house he is! He is by far one of my favorite investigators/converts. You definitely haven't heard someone pray till you've heard him. He pours his whole heart and soul into them. He truly knows that there is someone listening. He has been such a huge example to me. When we first met him he had a couple problems, but over time we got those worked out and his life changed. At every baptism we have our investigators give their testimonies. This man is probably the strongest man I know but he also has the biggest heart. During his testimony he expressed his love for me and how I "saved his life. Maybe not this life, but his eternal life." I truly love this man. I know he is going to go far in this life.

I want you to know how much I love you all. I pray for you all the time! I'm always thinking of you! -- Elder Legere

(The green little ladder on the left side of the picture above, goes into the baptismal font.)

Pictures!!

We finally got some pictures from Elder Legere! Cameron hasn't been able to send pictures on the antique computers they have in the internet cafe's. He was at the mission office today and the President said it was okay to send them from the computer in the mission office. Thank you President Ayekoue!!

Elder Legere & Elder Turner with some children.

Elder Legere with a family.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Chapel in Port Bouet, Cote d'Ivoire.

Elder Legere & Elder Victorien Touhouly. He is Elder Legere's 2nd companion. Elder Touhouly is from Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

Elder Legere and Elder Ilunga Bukasa. Elder Bukasa is Cameron's 1st companion. He is from the Congo, in Africa.

Elder Legere & Elder Bukasa with a family, in their home.

Elder Legere - washing his clothes. He is in the bathroom in their 'flat'. WOW! Look how clean it is! Elder Legere said, in a letter a while ago, that their 'flat' was luxurious compared to natives' homes. The bathroom has a toilet and a sink, but no shower. They bathe out of a bucket. Most of the time they don't have running water. They flush their toilet by getting water from the ocean with a bucket, pour it in the toilet tank, then flush the toilet. Port Bouet (where he is serving) is right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

June 1st Email

(Sometimes Cameron's emails come in several parts, like they did today. I don't think we got them all because he always signs off in them...but here is what we got.)

To all those I love!
Well what a week! It was a great week! The work is truly picking up more and more every day. Its hard to imagine teaching more people than we do right now but some how we find a way.
I'll first start with my health..its going :D but i am hanging in here! It wasn't till last night till I started to finally feel some relief from my stomach pains. I still have problems but I'm not in pain! I cant tell you how thankful I am and how many prayers I have said in the last 24 hours. And I know its also because of all the prayers you are offering for me. I really appreciate them!
Now to talk about where I'm at. I live in Port Bouet. It is as close to the coast as you can get. Port Bouet is divided into two divisions a east and west. My whole area is the west. Port Bouet is West of an airport. Google Earth Petit Bassam or Vridi Cite. Those are my major sectors. In the Middle of Port Bouet there is a thin strip where the lagoon almost touches the Ocean. My apartment is a min away from that. Its right on the train tracks :D

Now to talk a little about my investigators! I LOVE THEM! They are so solid! We have about 35 people that we are teaching, but only about 20 of them go to church.. We have baptisms every other week. The hardest thing that we deal with is probably law of chastity and marriage. The people just don't see a need to spend 15,000 Francs to be married when they already live together. So we really stress the family and the importance of families in our lessons. It is easy for me to bare witness of the importance of an eternal family because of the home I've been raised in. Another big problem we face is most of our investigators can't read or write. I've never known the importance of how to read and write till you try to teach someone. It
just makes it SO much harder to teach...But we are teaching a couple people to read and we've assigned a couple ward members to help with that. The ward members here are amazing!!! They have so much dedication and love for missionary work! There is a Brother in the ward named Dominique who goes and teaches with us about 4 days a week ALL day. He is past the age of serving a mission but he really wants to so he serves with us.
I also wanted to talk about the children here. They are truly the strippling warriors. I can't tell you how many young children (from the ages of 6-12) who show up to church carrying their little brothers and sisters on their backs. Their parents don't come to church but they do. Their love for their Savior is a pure love. I cant talk about them without crying..when they come up to you and give you hugs you cant help but to feel their sweet spirits.. I wish everyone could just see how precious they are.

An Email from Elder & Sister Bailey

Brother and Sister Legere,

We’re sending a photo of yesterday Zone Conference. We love you dear, dear son.
Elder and Sister Bailey

Happy Mothers Day from the Ivory Coast (Sister Bailey's email)

Sister Legere and Family,
We took these pictures at our Zone Conference on Tuesday. Elder Legere expressed how much he would like to send home some pictures, but as of yet has not been able to find out how to do that. So happy Mother’s day to you from a wonderful, kind and faithful Elder. The first picture is of his new Companion Elder Touhouly, (the one on the far left) who he loves. On Tuesday he said he had had the best day so far on his mission. Thank you for sending such a fine son. He has a steadfast testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and it has sustained him in teaching and serving in the Ivory Coast. Have a wonderful day knowing your son is doing his part in bringing souls to Christ.
Sincerely, Sister Bailey