"Remer"/Happy New Year's!

Happy New Years Everybody!

It was a pretty typical week, we went to a wedding and that was a lot of fun, the only photo I took was of my buddy Daniel, I usually talk with the little kids in Ewe because they don't speak french yet 90% of the time. But when I talked to him he just looked confused and then in English told me he didn't understand. Which confused me. He then explained his family was from Nigeria. Anyway adorable kid that I played with all of Saturday. The rest of this email isn't really important so you can just stop here, or scroll to the photos. So since I'll be missing all of the movies this year I thought I would just pitch my movie idea to you guys.

I know that Creed II came out a while back and that got me thinking. If Adonis Creed can have an off shoot boxing movie in the Rocky Film Universe; why can't I? So the film would obviously be titled Remer. The story would go a little like this: A young missionary living in Togo starts boxing with his Tahitian companion as a workout every morning and realizes his apt ability in the ring. He slowly starts fighting in underground fights in West Africa going by the name "Maladroit". Climbing his way to the top by beating men, voodoo priests and lions he is scouted out by Sylvester Stalone. After beating his own battle with cancer, Stalone is looking for the next big challenge of his career he decides to make "Maladroit" the next heavy-weight champion of the world. After some cool training montages with lions, savannas, Book of Mormons, and Baptisms; Stalone convinces Elder "Maladroit" Remer to take a shot at the reigning champion "Le Diable". He trains everyday by reading scriptures for 2 hours after he works out, spends most of the day walking under the African sun in 95+ degree heat, speaks to the natives often.. in French. The fight lasts for two years.

Basically I'm just saying my mission would make a dope movie. So if anyone knows the guys who made "The Saratov Approach", "Freetown" or those movies just slide em this idea.
Hope you guys all have a great New Year's and a great week.

Elder Remer

1994 Popular Culture

Merry Christmas everybody! This week had a slow start for us here in Togo. The legislative elections here on Thursday propagated violent protests that resulted in a couple casualties. We were not allowed to leave our apartment until Saturday; which sounds like it should be a fun Christmas Break but it was mostly just boring being in the same tiny apartment for those couple of days.

On a slightly happier note I found myself to be Tim Allen in the 1994 Classic "The Santa Clause". While I did not accidentally kill Santa Clause and put on his coat legally binding him to become Santa I might as well have. We work with the local church leaders here regularly during the week and we were tasked with buying a Papa Noel costume for the branch primary party. Gladly, I bought the costume and brought it to church on Sunday like they had asked. While handing it to the lady in charge she looked at me confused, with befuddlement in her eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"I got the suit like you guys asked"
"Yes, I see that but you know you have to uh.."
"Oh sorry, did you guys ask us to get something else?"
"No Elder Remer, look all of the kids know that Papa Noel is a white man.. so"
And just like that I was found to be legally obligated to wear the Santa Costume for the Branch party; because I was the only white guy. It was really fun to hand out all the gifts and EVERYONE wanted to take a picture with a real white Santa. To conclude with another 1994 popular culture reference, The Notorious B.I.G. said in his song (Big Poppa) "I love it when you call me Big Poppa" and I feel like I can relate to that as I loved it when they called me Big Poppa Noel.

On a slightly more serious note, let's not forget why we celebrate Christmas- the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."(Matthew 1:21) He came and paid for our sins. Because of him we now have the opportunity to gain eternal life. And that was the ultimate gift.
I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas this week!

Elder Remer

Tailored

Sometimes you just find people that are tailored to live the gospel. One of the last people that Niutupuivaha and I taught just happened to be a tailor that was tailored to living a Christ like life. His name is Daniel and #1 He's a fantastic tailor #2 He has a paralyzed arm from an accident he was in #3 That's why #1 is super cool. Taking him to church was by far the easiest teaching experience we've had so far. Anyway he got baptized yesterday so just wanted to share that.

The other attached photo is of me, Niutupuivaha, Schofield and all of the people we've gotten close to while living in Adidogome. Sad to leave but Agoe seems nice too, they actually have a paved road nearby so that's a considerable step up. It's been interesting to be in a apartment with 3 guys who only speak french.

Anyway hope you guys all have a great week!
Elder Remer

Christmas, Calls and Carnivals

So this week we had our Christmas party for the missionaries who are currently in Togo. A bunch of missionaries did musical numbers, I felt it would be better for everyone if they did not have to hear me so I abstained from the choir. We ate food together and that was basically it.

We got our transfer calls on Saturday. I will be leaving Adidogome, as they are shutting down the sector. I will be going to Agoe and working with a Tahittian named LeGall. In my appartment there will be another Tahitian and Ivorian. They all only speak french so expect more typos as my english will not be used at all. Niutupuivaha will be going back to Benin and will be a Zone Leader.

So La Froire was nothing like I expected, it honestly felt like a carnival. There were a ton of food stands with overpriced food, people selling cheap plastic things for way more than they're worth, and a ton of people. It was pretty fun.

Hope you guys have a great week.

Elder Remer

Oh WELL

So the first picture is of Nuitupuivaha and I taking showers using the drainage pipe during a rainstorm. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do when the power is out due to the protests concerning the president here.

Second and third pictures are of a well at a members house that we decided to do pull ups over while we were there for dinner just to entertain everyone.

Sending this one a little early today because this afternoon we are going with the older mission couple here (Canadian), (Also they don't speak any English which just blows my mind that they could grow up their entire lives in Canada and only know french just a side note tho) okay but we are going with them to a traveling market that is in Togo this week called "Le Froid" which just means the cold so whoever named that sure has a sense of humor.

Hope you guys have a great week!
Elder Remer

Thanksgiving & Stuff

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. A lot of things to be grateful for. I am super thankful that my day to do a split with our zone leaders (just a change in companions for a day) was on Thanksgiving. Because it was I got to go into the "city" and we found a place that sold Italian food so we got some way overpriced calzones for our Thanksgiving dinner and that was amazing.

The other picture is our view from the roof. Right now it's the hot and dry season in Togo and our apartment is like every other building here and is just a giant concrete block oven. So usually when we get back for the day we climb up on top with some chairs and try to cool down. Anyway hope you guys have a great week!

Elder Remer

Spike Ball Champs

Not a whole lot to write about this week. We had the opportunity to play spike ball this week with a bunch of missionaries. It was our first time playing but Niutupuivaha and I used our strong companionship skills (almost 5 months together) to whoop the other Elders. Don't have a whole lot of time this week because the power has been going out due to some riots but I'll try to write more next week! (Picture from left to right Hemon (France/Tahitti), Attipo (Congo) Niutupuivaha (Hawaii), Me)
Elder Remer

You know it's a good day when...

You know it's a good day when people that have lived in Africa their entire lives look at you like you're crazy when you show up to their houses and they say "What are you doing? It is much too hot to be doing anything." Had that a lot this week, it has been some record breaking hot days here and pretty much everyone has been staying inside because of it, but I like to think that outside is just like a nice big sweat lodge.

Not a ton of exciting news, still just teach, walk, and eat. An older member that we sometimes study with surprised me when he came out in a Rock Canyon Soccer Jersey (Pictured), I did not know that they had a fan base all the way here in Togo, so major props to those Highland Ranch soccer moms getting their kids jerseys all the way down here.

Other picture is of me trying to carry a bucket full of water on my head. Everyone here does that because no one has running water. A TON harder than it looks, like it's heavy but because they fill it to the brim it pretty much makes it impossible to balance, anyway here is a picture of me laughing at myself because of how much water I lost.

Hope that you guys all have an awesome week!
Elder Remer

Happy Halloween (Even though..)

I hope that you guys all had a good Halloween. I had a good one even though I am pretty sure no one remembered here, but I am pretty sure that was a good day?

So Niutupuivaha and I have been teaching a girl for a while and we thought everything was going awesome she was coming to church and had a baptismal date.. until Niu got sick last week and we had to cancel one of our meetings with her. She wrote him a letter (and translated it from french to English just to show him that she would do fine in the USA) confessing her love and she has been trying to see him this entire week and since that's kind of a big No No I am the one who has had to talk to her and that has been super weird. I thought everything was good until she sent us a text at 3 am Sunday morning (we share a phone) just saying that she was thinking about him and was still worried about him. So I think we are going to let the other two Americans here teach her. Anyway it is weird because it's not that weird here pretty much every girl wants a white guy so that they can live in the States or France and every adult tries to set you up with their daughters for that same reason.
In the picture are two other missionaries that we see a lot that are really cool. Manzan who is Ivorian, and Attipo who is Congolese.

Anyways hope you guys all have a good week.

Best Diet Plan Ever! (And Transfer Calls)

So some things that I have realized while walking around Togo:

1. Every guy here is shredded

2. There are no gyms here

3. No one really works out

But this week I figured it out! Just existing here I am pretty sure makes you get ripped. Now this sounds pretty weird but I swear its just how it works. As proof I have included a picture of my belt and I have marked each month where my new belt loop is. Already had to punch new holes into the belt. So when I get back just look for the guy with an 8 pack, it'll be me. 

This week we also got our transfer calls. Or actually really we didn't because everything is staying the same in our place. Same comp same area. 

Anyway Hope you guys all have a great week!

Elder Remer

Cool People Here

First off just wanted to update everyone on our old lady friend here, she needed 3 operations and she did one earlier in the week the second one today and hopefully will receive the last one sometime this week. Thanks to everyone for keeping her in your prayers. I'd write her name out but to be completely honest I have no idea how to write it or say it so we usually just go with "Mama"

First Picture: Me and Julian
Julian lives here with a member; he has down-syndrome but still works hard everyday by cleaning and doing a lot of manual labor and just always smiles and runs up to us and gives us fist bumps when he sees us.

Second Picture: Us with Israel
Israel is a seventeen year old here who is pretty funny. He has been a member for a long time and is going on a mission pretty soon after a year or two in University. Just a funny kid who always is trying to rap in french or showing of his dance moves.

Third Picture: Me with Eric's Nephew
I actually don't know his name or him really but his uncle and soon to be aunt are the couple that feeds us and helps us out a lot with translating for people who don't speak french here. They feed us a lot and are just an awesome young couple.

Anyway hope you guys have a good week.

Jeremy

Awesome Old Lady part 2

So we were devastated to find out that this week the Grandmama that we visit and were going to baptize on Sunday got hit in a hit and run and is now in the hospital in near critical condition and is not able to afford the $3000 worth of surgery she needs. Super hard to be there with her and not be able to help her. She tried telling the doctors that she was fine and tried to get out of bed because she is a trooper but physically was not able to. Sometimes life just sucks like that. We are hoping for the best but it is looking pretty grim because the members here had a hard time raising money for a soccer ball for the church much less $3000 for surgery for a lady that is nearing the end of her life. A lot of our time this week we will be with her so I'll be sure to update everyone next week on the situation. Hope you guys have a good week and can keep her in your prayers.
Elder Remer

Awesome Old Ladies

So this week we had a lot of fun helping an older lady that we teach that speaks no French. She is I swear almost 90 years old and still walks 3 miles everyday to get water, fills a huge bucket, puts it on her head and walks 3 miles back and then goes to work cooking, cleaning, carving, husking, anything she can so that her grandkids can go to school and learn French. She really is just awesome and makes sure to come to church every week and even though we can't really talk to her she makes a tom of jokes and laughs a lot just pointing and using facial expressions. Me and the missionary I am with really adore her so we have been trying to help her with her work and I have no idea how she does it. We sat shearing grass into thicker stronger bundles so she could sell them as brooms for a hundred francs (like 17 cents) each one takes like an hour to make and she was just crouching on a tiny rock and she was doing way more way faster than we could. The African grandmas out here are all crazy strong! Anyway hope you guys have a great week!
Elder Remer

Texas Fort Worth Mission connection

So in the attached picture is me, Schofield, Niutupuivaha, and Basset. My uncle and their Dads all served in the same mission in 1989 in Texas. So my uncle knows Basset because they came into the mission at the same time, knows Niutupuivaha because they served in the same area (not comps) for one transfer, and Basset and Schofield served with each other (as comps). So it's kinda crazy that we are all here and that we see each other regularly (3/4 in the same apartment) here in Togo. Anyway I thought that was kinda bizarre.

The crazy drunk guy we met last week was actually already a member of our church! He was baptized in England as a jeweler and has since came back. But because we are teaching his family he offered to drive us to church on Sunday and that was amazing, to not have to walk AND to have AC.

Little short on time so that is all I am gonna say for this week but I hope you guys all have a good week!

I FOUND IT

So for those of you who do not know I drove a 2003 Saturn Vue back in the states and had that car for about 2 years. Alright well we were out walking and I found it, it was my car. Just goes to show that it really was built for everything from Colorado winters to the harsh terrain in Togo. Anyway just made me happy to see my car here because here it is a extremely nice car.
We got our new Roommate Ti'A on Wednesday and it has been fun, it is pretty unheard of to have 4 Americans in one apartment but it has been good.
Last night a drunk guy bought us all food at his restaurant because he ran into us and thought I looked like "The Prophet Joseph Smith!" Anyway we are teaching his entire family later this week so we'll see how that goes. Also my pictures are going to be a little better from now on because Makewendu (Congo) left his camera for me because he kept making fun of my "vrai faux Gopro"
Hope you guys all have a good week!
Elder Remer

Some Good News!

Some Good news; I lost a lot of weight this week! Bad news; this week I had all of the symptoms of Malaria for about 2.5 days but I took the medication for it pretty soon after they manifested and with that it should last for 3 days so everyone is telling me that I had it but I am in denial and feel 100 % better now! Besides that we had a conference this week with all the other missionaries in Togo so it was fun to see everyone.

Makwendu our Congolese Roommate left on Saturday for home so it is just the three of us until Wednesday until another new guy comes to replace him. Anyway hope you guys have a good week.

Jeremy


Also in answer to questions:

What is your hardest day as a missionary?
To be honest p-days are probably the hardest day here because the walk to get here to email takes about 3 hours and doing laundry by hand is super hard and time consuming so I have found myself getting up at 4 am just so I can finish on time before we leave to come here and then go back so that we can teach later that night. 

What are the most delicious and/or most challenging things you ate this week?
I found a box of cereal in a stand while we were walking and it is just plain unsweetend corn flakes but they taste fantastic, little weird to eat cereal with cold water instead of milk. Honestly the food here is always the same with members it is either pat or fou fou and I am used to them kind of by now

In what situations do you understand more and when do you have no idea what people are saying?
I am actually feeling confident in my understanding but the time its hardest is actually during church because they speak Ewe instead of french so I just kind of sit there and smile.

Checkmate!

So a pretty average week this week, we consistently were walking for about 5-6 hours a day so I have gotten a lot tanner but now my feet are covered in blisters.

I brought a little magnetic travel chess board with me for the really rainy days or for when we have nothing to do at night, hadn't really played at all until on Sunday night we were out and about and we saw guys playing that apparently play every night together and have for the past 5 or 6 years and do it for a little money for fun. My apartment knowing that I kind of knew how to play volunteered me to play against them.. and I guess ability to play chess is a gift from God because I smacked that man in the game. Now we are going to start playing with them more because they don't believe that I can beat them again. Didn't take any pictures this week, Sorry but definitely will next week! Hope you guys all have a good week.

Shoes and Kids

So I don't know if anyone really remembers but back in 2016 I did a huge shoe collection drive to send to developing countries in need of shoes? This week some people here needed shoes so we went to a market and I kid you not they had the exact bags that they were shipped in exactly how they were packaged. Kind of crazy like I'm not one hundred percent sure but I could have seen shoes that I sent here two years ago while people were crowding me trying to sell them. Did not see that one coming.

Okay but the two kids pictured we talk to almost everyday for a while (Larissa and Ronaldo). They are super funny and have helped me learn so much. They talk very good french especially for little kids and are trying to teach me enough Ewe (the native language for most people) that I can hold conversations. Overall a pretty good week here, it rained like crazy one day and the streets just got flooded like we had to stay inside and pretty much when it rains here everyone takes the day off and looks at you like you are crazy if you are trying to do anything outside.

There is actually a saying here in the mission that loosely translated is like "If you are always tired- you are never tired, if you are always hungry you are never hungry.. So be hungry and tired always!" It's tough physically here but we all have talked about how emotionally and spiritually uplifting here it is. Speaking about that we had a couple baptisms this week and I got to get into the font so that was pretty cool!

Hope you guys have a good week!

So we bought a goat...

So this week we bought a goat. There are limited things here for missionaries to entertain themselves but that's what we did this week. His name was Brian and he was adorable. Today for our Pday we decided to eat him. Good meat is hard to find but goat actually does not taste half bad. I'll make sure to attach pictures for the brave of heart. He tasted amazing and it was a lot of fun because almost all the Americans came over and we had a huge barbecue this morning. So there was a huge Muslim holiday celebrating when Abraham sacrificed a goat instead of his son so a lot of Muslims here sacrificed goats and left their bodies in the streets and it was very surprising to see dead goats everywhere, but we got a great deal on ours because of the holiday so it all worked out.

My trainer is a cool guy he is poly american and speaks English, Samoan, Tongan and French. We get along really well. We have had so many great missionary moments that I think I have forgotten to write any down, we are teaching 8-10 lessons a day and it gets kind of exhausting but it is amazing to see the people progress in the gospel, almost half of the branch this week were investigators coming to church for the first time that me and my comp invited to that was really cool to see.

I have been teaching all the kids here rock paper scissors and now every time they see me they try to play and it is very funny because they get so angry when they lose.

My french is getting better every day and we talk to people here for about ten hours a day and I am starting to learn some native dialects, just small things so that when I barter for food I can get better prices because they always increase prices for white boys but I have found that if you can get them to laugh by speaking their tribal dialects they will give us the true price.

Hope you guys all have a great week.
Elder Remer

Chef Remer

So this week I figured out why all of the Americans here are over spending their allotted amount each month, they don't know how to cook so they eat out pretty much every meal. So this week I bought a small oven for about thirty american dollars and now my apartment is eating better food for way cheaper and I am now Chef Remer in the apartment.

On our way to buy the oven we stopped at the beach, the only way you can buy normal goods is to go to a huge port and pray that you can find it in huge street markets. The beaches look super nice and I was wondering why no one was there when we were and the the closer we got I realized that the entire beach smells like a porta potty so it made more sense.

This week I have played a lot of soccer with the kids here because in each street there is a pickup game going on and they want us to play with them, the kids sometimes just grab our legs and don't let go and they don't speak french so it's kinda difficult to walk but it's all good in the African Hood.

Hope you guys all had a good week!

Into the Jungle

Spent most of the week traveling around West Africa, flew from Ghana To Cote D'Ivoire spent a day there and then flew to Benin From there. On Wednesday they split us up and half of us went to the neighboring country Togo including myself.

I knew that our apartment was hot when I got there but it is pretty much the surface of the Sun, 90 degrees and super humid... in the morning. The roads here are INSANE they are all sketch and dirt and there are actually no traffic laws here so everywhere you go is scary.

Went to a friends house for dinner on Sunday and we had Fu fu. If anyone ever offers you fufu politely decline. It is basically raw dough that you can not chew but dip into a community bowl of soup for flavor. Every time I had some the gag reflex kicked in and I almost threw up.

Not a lot of gyms here so me and my companion decided to make one with concrete weights and it works surprisingly well. (attached pictures this time.. let me know if it works)

Hope you guys all have a good week.