Ye'loo!!

Howdy Family and Friends!

Its been a great few days, Im happy to report so many great things.

Let me start out with monday. Elder Lamont and I visited the old ruins of a place called "Hotel Africa" which once was a major grand hotel where celebrities and important people would come to stay if they visited Liberia. We got a private tour of it by some boys that lived nearby when it was functioning. Now all that is left is the Cement skeleton. Its pretty sick to tour around the place. we had to watch our step to make sure we didnt fall through a hidden hole once we got up on the upper floors. Also was pretty fun to peer over the railings edge up from the top. It was an absolutely stunning view from the 6th floor, we could look out and see forever! I felt like i was on top of an overpass in Houston! too dope.

The hotel is right on the beach, so the view into the ocean is also stunning. I felt pretty cool, getting to be in a vacation area. The beach full of palm trees was obviously once a complete resort. It was sweet. We just had to be a bit weary of snakes and creeping things in the tall grasses and rubble. I thought it was definitely a bit eerie, but none the less, very entertaining. I've got some cool photos when i return home!

Also, we had a service project on Friday with our zone which was also on the beach. This place once was a private getaway resort, once had 15 small luxurious huts right off the beach. Also, we could see the remains of a big outdoor kitchen and bar. The place used to be Hoppinn!! but then apparently, during the war, someone bombed a bridge thus creating a dam for a river and then the flooded river destroyed the place. ANYWAYS, we spent a few hours as a zone filling, sewing and laying sand bags to create a wall to protect their new house from future flooding. It was great work. How much i enjoyed using a shovel and getting covered in dirt! ah, it felt so good to do some yard work again. I must admit, i miss it a bit. We successfully created a 3 foot wall, double stacked, which ran about 30 feet along the side of the house. too easy!!

The best part of that service project was resisting the temptation to go swimming afterwards in the cool refreshing Altantic Ocean, just a few yards away. After the job was done, was washed our arms and legs that were covered in sand in the waves...but it was so tempting to just... take a little plunge... ah, it was like being at Destin but not being able to get it. It was HORRIBLE! ah, and we were all sunburnt too. Especially on our necks where our white shirts usually cover and our legs/ arms where our shirts and pants protect us. Oh well. we were obedient and refrained from swimming on one of the nicest beaches I've ever seen.

 We also had a service project within our district of 4 missionaries where we helped prepare to lay the foundation for a families house. We dug 3ft trenches where someday walls will stand. It was great work and we sure helped the part member family. Hopefully this week we will get the chance to go and help actually build the foundation!

Lets see, I had my very first African Mango this week as well. Oh boy, it was so sweet! Our apartment is in an area they call Mango Town, thus it is filled with mango trees all over. The season for mangos is coming in within the next week or two. right now, trees are just chuck full of un-ripe mangos hanging from eye level, taunting me every time we walk by a tree. Oh the pains of  a Liberian Missionary! haha. What can i say, once you've had one, you'd know what im talking about. Anyways, I enjoyed that mango so much i thought it was worth mentioning in my weekly email. Musta been good eh?

I got started on replying to the trillion letters I received last week. I can only read them and reply to them on Monday, else Ill get trunky and un-focused. I've found I need to reserve the evening hours  for reading and studying. Just letting you know, I've got stamps and envelopes headed that way!

Mom, you asked some ?'s last week. Do I ever feel clean? well. to answer that question... yes I do most of the time. Im almost always sweaty or wearing clothes I've been sweating in for days, but it doesnt bother me. Thus, I dont usually feel dirty so i suppose that means I feel clean yeah? Although, whenever I have gone to the mission office and sat in an air conditioned room for a few minutes, i start to feel not only ridiculously cold, but also a bit grimy... so i suppose the heat is good and helps me not to notice if im dirty. I do take a shower (in a bucket) every day though!

to clarify, we still only have power from 7:00 PM to 10:30 pm every night. Thats for lights so we can study and use our time effectively in the evenings after curfew.

I used to cut my hair with clippers, but recently i've been getting lazy and I'll take a risk and have a Liberian barber cut it. They have no clue usually how to cut white people hair to be honest, but I've found one brotha that is comfortable with it, so ive been going to him. His booth is right outside this little email café!

Liberians are concerned about ebola, but no one really takes it seriously because there were only 2 confirmed cases I believe so people are pretty relaxed. I havent heard any news on it for some few weeks now, so im prettty sure the scare has passed.

conference is so so wonderful, im listening to priesthood session right now. thank you so much! ... p-day is usually just for washing clothes and apartment and emailing and then times up. if we schedule ourselves right, we can fit in an activity like last week, but thats only if we are super quick and no problems with transportation, emailing etc.... alright, times up. Love you mom and family! thanks for being so supportive and loving.

Thats about it for this week! hope everyone enjoyed the wonderful Easter season. It was wonderful here, full of wonderful teaching moments that im sad i didnt get to share. till next week!

-Elder Fairwell