The mission has really changed my point of view on things, that's for sure!!

 "Boris - A 13 year old kid who I absolutely love!!!!!!!! He is such an awesome kid. I bought him Avatar the movie before I left haha. He is awesome."

 Dear Family,

     Here I am in Togo!! And things are going really well :) Everything so far has been going really smoothly! Except for the fact that I didn't get to leave the apartment for 3 days straight because the taxi drivers and moto drivers were protesting against the government and we would have gotten killed if we left!!! But I did get to leave the apartment yesterday and the day before to meet our investigators and some recent converts! All the commotion and rebellion wasn't anything serious so I wouldn't worry about it! But I heard that it had got pretty crazy! One of the apartments got tear gassed... And when we were doing transfers, we had to be all stealth and weave in and out of roads. We stayed at some other missionaries apartment till it settled down, but we made it there safe! Anyways, so far the transfer has been really good! The new American, Elder Montrose, is good. I do miss Elder Shumway and Caycho, but I'm sure that he'll come around with time! You gotta give him a break; he was living alone with three Africans. He's cool though. It is me, Elder Montrose, and Owusu, a Ghanaian, then the Congolese. So the tables have kind of turned on him a little bit because it's always the other way around! My new companion is Elder Ilunga. He looks like he is older... No joke! But he has seemed to be a pretty nice guy so far! You never know though till you get into the companionship a little bit. But so far it has been really good! Before I got there this transfer, Elder *** said that their apartment was the most disobedient one in the whole mission... So we've already changed that. I've also figured out that they haven't had one investigator to church within the last month... We already changed that too though as well! I think that the work here in our area will really start to get going! Because like, I’m such a good missionary… JOKE!!! I've just got a feeling! The change had been super good so far, no complaints! 

     So I haven't really been able to see any of the "real" Togo yet, because of how the rebellion has been. I’ve heard that the people here are super nice, even nicer than the people in Benin, and that they are more accepting to the Gospel. But with all that has been going on, I haven't really seen that. We walked into a parcel of someone’s house and a guy started yelling at us in Mina, the language here; and yelling at some girl that was there, who was supposedly our investigator. He started speaking French to us and was saying "I don't want the Jehovah’s Witnesses here in my house! I hate them! I am Catholic".... Blah blah blah. It was more pathetic for him than anything else! He wouldn't even settle down long enough for us to tell him that we weren't Jehovah’s Witnesses.  He just kept spouting off! So we just said "bon apatite" and left him on his way... It was pretty funny, and kinda scary... But it was good! All good. We plan on going over there again another day when he is not so riled up and try and talk to him! As I’ve been walking the streets of Togo, there have only been a couple things that I have noticed that are big differences. 1- The buildings are all one color. I can't really put a name to it but kinda "poopy" color haha. The roads here are a lot worse. They get flooded a lot easier and are just overall not as nice as the ones in Benin. Most of the time here it is really loose sand and it is like trudging through a sandy beach for miles! I'm sure I’ll be getting some pretty jacked calves! WHOO!! Speaking of my body... I am on my last belt loop, and it is no longer tight on my waist... So that lady at MR. MAC didn't know what she was talking about about the "3hole rule" or whatever is wrong! No she was nice. I just have need to buy another belt now haha. Anyways… sorry for the tangent. 

     The ward here is a LOT bigger than the one was in Benin!  It was weird to see all the men in white shirts and ties, having families that have been sealed in the temple, and just the support from the ward is amazing! It church has been here a lot longer than Gbegamey has though. I'm not completely sure exactly how long though. I will figure that out! But yeah I can't wait to get to know the branch and there members! The apartment is pretty nice... It's no Gbegamey, but it's for sure livable! I of course cleaned like CRAZY when I got here! You wouldn't have even walked in if you saw it! It looks amazing now and organized of course! It is just all around smaller and not as nice, but doable. Starting a new sector kind of reminded me of the first of my mission, and it was kinda weird. Just the fact that you don't know where anything is, don't know any people, exactly like starting over. But it is really good!!

 (This is my favorite part of this whole letter!) -Michelle

      One thing that I have been focusing on with everyone I talk to is to have a lot of enthusiasm in all that I do. There have been times when I’ve had to fake it, but once I start faking it I forget what I was upset about and it's all better! I really can't explain how much a good point of view can literally change everything. Making light of a heavy moment I guess you could say. There are just so many opportunities it seems like to complain and make problems. But I’ve kinda figured that if there are so many opportunities to whine, there are just as many opportunities or occasions to be optimistic, and look at things from a different point of view. Like when you are so sick and tired of walking through sand and dirt, and having it caked to your sweaty face. Then you look across the street and see a man that has no legs, sitting on a cardboard box scooting his way down the street wearing nothing but underwear. Or moaning when the power goes out and you don't have a fan to sleep with, but then you see the people lying on the side of the road in the blazing sun trying to take a nap before they go out and try to make a couple francs. The mission has really just changed my point of view on things that's for sure!!  I am so grateful for that! We truly are so blessed to live where we do, and have the physical bodies and functioning minds that we are blessed with. I don't think that I will ever come to realize how blessed I actually am in my life!!

     Well I best be going now... It was good to write :) I love hearing from you and everything that is going on! I am super mad and jealous that I missed the Bountiful Burnout!! I loved that! It looked like a blast as always! And the All Poly Camp too! My goodness... 2 years since my all poly camp! Insane. Time really does fly. Okay I love you all and pray for you always! I know and feel all of your love and prayers all the way out here in Africa! Have a good week :)


                                            Love, Elder Landon Dean Layton

"Me and a girl who refused to let me leave Benin... She wanted a picture with me and that baby so she could tell people that it was ours!! Crazy am I right??" 

"This is Mama Marie and her family. Her husband was in Ghana, but I got really teary eyed when I said goodbye to them."

Me working with mama Sylvie

Mama Sylvie, Godfrey and David. She cried when I left... She is an AMAZING member. 

 Questions:

1- Was it hard to say bye to the Benin people?

     - Ah super hard!! I almost cried once. One person said that he was not going to come to church anymore! But after talking to him he was all good :)

2- Have you seen any of the other American elders yet?
     - Yeah I met Elder Haycock and Cline and Shear and Perkins. They were pretty cool! I haven't talked to them very much though.