http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEQASQoAnqE  (good story about a school in the area Eli is going)  "The Hope Project This is Liberia"

Hi Everyone

So this week was crazy. Not too much to talk about with teaching because thats all I do haha the baptism was great. He loves the church and we also have two more that will be such great priesthood holders. 

The crazy news came yesterday though... So transfer news was yesterday and it was a little crazy. I am leaving my area to finish the second half of a missionaries training in Gardnersville, anddddd im also district leader haha crazy stuff. Im still in shock since im still in my third tranfer! I leave on the 10th of june to be leader to 5 other missionaries and 2 of them are older than me on mission. one is 7 months haha The best part about it is that I get to interview all their candidates for baptism!! That will be so sweet. 

So my area is deeper in the bush and im isolated from everyone... they said the couples might visit once in 6 months so its pretty far out i guess. Another cool thing is that there is a gym there!! and my church building apparently  doesnt have walls haha so yeah still nervous but it will be great.

 I love you guys and miss you. Im not sure if ill be able to get a package for a while now haha

Love you all!

Elder Dahlin

Hey Dad and Mom!

wow... Looks like a ton has been done to Howie haha thats so awesome!
Thank you for all the Happy Birthday wishes!! This week was pretty
crazy... well starting from talking on the phone it made the week
start out great. I was happy to hear everyones voices and I miss
everyone so much. So sunday was great then monday was awesome because
we went into town! So the carvings are amazing... I saw monster pieces
of Ivory and big carvings all out of ebony. Mann it was crazy. Next
time I go im buying a crocodile skin wallet. So that was my birthday
celebration, I ate a hamburger and bought myself a leather weighted
jump rope haha So yeah that was monday, Tuesday after proselyting we
came home but the landlord put the wrong lock on the gate haha and he
doesnt come home some nights so I tried picking the lock... ive never
done a pad lock before and so I worked on it for like an hour and a
half and gave up. We knew that we had two out of 3 of the locks on the
inside so we wanted to jump the razor wire to try and open the gate.
The zone leaders are great missionaries but maybe a little... well
yeah anyway.. They told us not to jump the fence because "someone"
said not to. Soooo I had Elder Zaugg and Elder Widdison help lift me
on to the fence haha I got in and got the gate open. But we got in at
like 9:45 so there wasnt much time to do anything. Great story. and
the rest of the week was normal. President is here so that will be fun
to see him one last time tomorrow! Ohh I got grandmas package :) thank
you grandma!!! im spoiled!!

Crazy week and I wish I could talk on the phone again :/ but its nice
hearing you all. Nice hearing normal English!! speaking of that I
baptized a French mann saturday :) not so easy to teach him haha I
love you guys and am glad everything is going well. I hope the project
gets finished soon so you dont have to worry about it anymore!

Love,
Elder Dahlin

On 5/

Elder's bedroom + kitchen in their compound

Eli thinks he's fat ...

On 5/13/13, Elias Dahlin

Hey Dad!!!!

It was so great to hear everyones voices yesterday :) I do miss

everyone and im so glad everyone is doing well. Yeah 22 baptisms is

still not a big amount for this mission for some people. I should end

my mission with at least 150 baptisms haha crazy stuff. The world is

really being prepared to hear the restored gospel. So another small

detail that I dont think ive mentioned before is how you shake

someones hand! every single handshake you first, shake their hand then

grab their middle finger with yours and snap. or you pound it and then

bring your hand to your heart haha

So I feel like im living the life right now.... Im in a room with AC

and im going to eat a chicken hamburger!! without bones!!!! haha yeah

in town I feel like this is a completely different mission.

Electricity is cool. Alright I love you and miss you guys! It was

great to be able to talk. Happy Birthday Mom and happy Mothers day!

This week I am no longer a teenager! ohh yeah...

Ps. This last week I told some drunk guys that if they stopped

drinking completely for 3 weeks their lives would change and become
better, afterwards my companion laughed because it was a crazy thing
to say to them... One of them from that time I told him that has not
drank at all and has a baptismal date. Crazy thinks happen if you try
to listen to the spirit.

Alright so for me this week went by a lot better than last week. My
companion reminds me of Harley haha Its been nice to have two
Americans in my apartment because we have wanted to make American food
and its really nice to talk about American stuff sometimes. Like how
it would be crazy to feel carpet and have Milk and all that good
stuff.

 So today im getting a haircut and it will be my SECOND one on
mission haha Ohh and last week I got a few letters! I got the one you
sent to the MTC! Hannahs letter was great. I cant imagine not having
people to teach... 

We always have at least 20 with baptismal dates and
theres not enough time to teach everyone! One of our recent converts
has been helping me gather her friends together and we just teach
groups of people. VOA is such a strong area and Banjor is lame..
nobody keeps commitments so I dropped all of them and we have spent
this week just finding people. 

We went through a swamp and forest to
this new community and we started teaching there haha So what do you
think about me getting my hymn book covered in Panther? Hmm so that
family I sent you a picture of is doing great. The husband asked some
amazing questions and looks forward to our visits. Theyre a family I
will stay in contact with for sure. 

Well I miss you guys and am glad I
have been so busy this week, otherwise I just think about home
(California, Montana, Texas). My companion is district leader but hes
not as active as Elder Nebende so ive kind of just been in charge of
district food and getting gas for our gen and all that good stuff. So
yeah just busy busy. 

Love
Elder Dahlin

From Elder Nabende

am very happy that you know that will miss.... i have started missing
him so much  its re\rather unfortunate that the same week, i was
transferred to a new area. it seems very short time that we have
stayed together and he is plenty good friend. i will send you my pics
so that you tell me who exactly i resemble!!! may be probably Elder
Dahlin has sent you some........

thank you for having such a wonderful son.......as i come to find out
that am part of that family through replication, how is the family
doing now?
will see you later next week
thanks a lot!!!!
Elder Nabende.