Email from October 29, 2012:  

Hey Home,
     Sorry I missed last week it was so busy. Leaving the MTC was harder than I had expected, because I was tired of all the repetitiveness and rowdy guys. But as we all split, from the MTC and from the mission home, I really realized how much I came to like those guys. They can be a pain in the neck, but these Africans grow on you, haha.
     So apparently a few months ago, our new apartment was the worst in the mission. But it just got renovated and it's pretty nice. It's really spacious and we're right on the coast so there is always a lot of breeze vacuuming through the flat. Cold showers, actually refreshing though. My companion's name is Elder Nwoko, from Nigeria, and I'm rooming with two other Nigerians. Elders Nwachukwu and Macaulay! Haha, yes the Macaulay who was my companion in the MTC. We're being trained together. I've been sent to the Elmina #2 area, in the Abura District. We proselyte in a village area called Ntranoa, near a prison. It's a pretty large area, and we have to get a taxi to get here because it's up north from our apartment. The cabbies here are insane haha I swear some of the drivers are 14 years old. And the cars are safe. NOT. Haha if you have a cardboard box and a small engine you've got a cab.
    Our first day here Elder Nwachukwu took us on a tour of Elmina Seaview, which is a huge market area. And it smells. I can't even begin to describe how rancid some areas smell, with all the fish, gutters, grease, and... other things. Haha I couldn't eat that night, my appetite was ruined. But the next day I found out that was Elder Nwachukwu's area, not ours, so I chilled out pretty fast haha. It's so loud there you can't concentrate.
     Our area is quiet, and most people have never seen a white man, haha. All the kids love to yell 'obruni'. Haha you just have to laugh at it and smile and wave. Or bark at them, they run away if you do that. Hahaha. A few kids have come up to me while we are talking to someone and started stroking my arm hair, and feeling my skin. Just like you said, Dad. It's good to be a white man here though, because EVERYONE is willing to hear what you have to say. We have some really promising investigators right now, I'll send more details in a letter. Even thought a lot of people speak very little English, so I have to learn Fante. It's not too hard. We are serving in a brand new branch, our first meeting was their first meeting together. Since the church is so far away, it will be hard to get investigators to attend, so we are working on finding a place to worship up in our area. The branch president is a really awesome guy.
     So my first encounter with a coastal storm was fun. It was toward the end of the day when we were in a small roadside shop and it started pouring.We tried to wait it out for about an hour but just went for it instead. We were in a village, so we had to get to the road for a taxi, when we got one the cabbie wanted 7 cedi for the ride! We had been making it for 50 pesewes (50cents). Hahah yeah right, we got out and started walking. As we walked, getting drenched, I started seeing stars. I figured I was having a headache or I was really trippin out. Then I realized it was fireflies. I freaked out, haha I had never seen any before! So we walked home, listening to the frogs, catching fireflies, and singing hymns. It was awesome.
     Dad I love the speakers I brought, it's so nice to listen to something while we study. Please, SEND MORE MOTAB! :) And maybe some EFY cd's would be cool too.
     So the water here tastes fine because we have a triple filter system. It actually tasted better than the water in idaho. Haha but the guys in my apartment really love the crystal light packets and so do I. So we're gonna need more of those. And more hand sanitizer.
     I've become very aware of my hands here. You have to assume everything you touch is dirty, or you can get some stuff that will mess you up big time. So I am seriously washing my hands all day.
     The church we are using is way down in Elmina Seaview, right next to the castle (Mom remember the pictures from Elder Pace's book?). We're going to the castle today. But the building was built in 1798 by some Dutch governor for his daughter so that's cool. Expect having church there is awful. There is reggae bumping outside, cars honking, people yelling. It's difficult to concentrate.
     So I found out there is not a guitar in every apartment, sad day. But the second day in the mission, after meeting the Assistants to the president the night before, the Assistants called and said they found a guitar for me. Apparently they 'knew a missionary who knew a missionary'. They gave it to me at a mission conference on Saturday. It was a little beat up and dirty, missing some strings, but I fixed her this morning.(Dad, you accidentally didn't give me any nylon string but I'll be okay). I used a screwdriver to pull the pins and clipped the end of the strings with toneail clippers haha. On the back of the guitar, the names "Maggie" and "Jackson" are etched into the wood. So I decided to call her "Miss Maggie Jackson". Haha Elder Nwachukwu wants to learn how to play.
     So things in Africa are... different. Mom don't freak out about this story, it's kinda funny.We were teaching a lady, maybe in her mid 30s, and she has a 2 month old baby. In the middle of the lesson, her baby started crying, so she just whipped out her stuff and started feeding him. Haha it was a little unexpected...HELLO! The lesson turned out well though, and we have  a return appointment, hopefully minus the cleavage.
     Last Monday we went to Kakum National Park, which is why I missed email. The whole zone went and checked out the huge rainforests and rope bridges. It was seriously amazing. The height didn't even bother me, haha I've lived in the mountains all my life rock climbing and stuff. Some guys were really super worried about it. "200 feet are you kidding me??" Hahaha it was a good time.
     Speaking of that mission conference it was awesome! Elder Sitati from the 1st Quorum of the 70 gave an awesome presentation. What stuck out to me is what he said about lowering the missionary age.(Mom and Dad you mentioned this). He said they have seen mission papers coming in double 3 times over. So they have been planning for the growth IN EVERY MISSION IN THE WORLD. Every mission is expected to grow in missionary numbers by 48% at least. This really makes me so happy to be out here, and to be worthy to be out here at this time. It really is a big thing, this change. It means something is happening I see it as the ushering in of these last days.
     I'm become so grateful for my patriarchal blessing out here. One of the Apostles, I think M. Russel Ballard, said, "your patriarchal blessing will get you through the darkest night." I can attest to that. In all the funIi'm having and memories I'm making, this is still the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, no doubt. But the Saviour said, "I never said it would be easy. I said it would be worth it." Seriously. Anytime I feel like giving up, I can read my patriarchal blessing. The promises therein are enormous and eternal. It is personal scripture. If anyone reading this hasn't received their patriarchal blessing, I urge them to work toward getting it. I don't know how I got through anything before i got mine.
      I've already seen myself feel the love the Savior has for these people as we teach. I've come to love them so fast. Like I said, they really grow on you. This place, our apartment, this life already feels like home. I'm having a blast here, with the opportunity to share the gospel, my faith, my life, and my soul. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:8. That sums up how I feel.
     Everyone know there is nowhere else I would rather be in my life right now. May God give speed to thy souls.

Elder Doggett

PS Send me pictures and letters! They're like gold down here! Mom send the senior picture of my old hair.