We've been having some good thunder this last week. You know what I love about Fort Dauphin? Watching the lightning over the ocean and then hearing the thunder bounce around off the mountains and last for way long. And then you've also got the sounds of waves breaking on the beach. It's pretty nice.
The bummer is... it's not going to last. Transfers were this week and Elder Rasmussen is heading out!
But we'll get to that later. I wrote a way long email today, so you'll have to read all the way to the end to find out about that!
First we'll have a rundown of this last week!
Since this last week was my last full week in Fort D, we decided to do what everyone does their last week and just stay at home and sleep.
And yeah, that was pretty much the week...
Nah. Last week is work week! We probably had the best week I've ever had on my whole mission. We caught so many people at home and we got so many of the coolest investigators! One of the big focuses lately has been finding the elect. The people who are already prepared and all set to progress really well. And boy have we found some of them!
We've got G. and C., who have 12 children, 8 boys and 4 girls. Funny story: so G. was a docter before he retired and his boss sent him to a planned parenting seminar or something like that because he figured G. could learn something from that...
So far we've got four of them to accept bap dates (all of the ones that live at home) and we'll have five this week when we catch B., their son who is the most dilligent and has already started institute. They all took notes on our first lesson and will correct each other if someone prays wrong. And they're coming to church!
Then we've got R., who came up to us as we were talking about where to go next after a time fell through and asked us what church we go to. We answered him and he asked if he could go there too because, "I'm looking for a new church." We jumped the fence and dove into his house to teach him about Joseph Smith. He came to church, the next time he taught the Restoration to his family and explained the Book of Mormon and he's being baptized with his family in January!
Then we got V., an older man we found who used to be in the police. He read the first pamphlet that we gave him and at our next time told us all about how the real church that Christ founded was lost, so Christ brought it back again. He's going places.
Then we have C. who teaches school and when we went back to him the time after having given him the Bokin'i Mormona he had read to Chapter 15 and told us all about the way cool story that he read! He's also getting baptized in Jaunuary.
It hasn't all been flowers and sunshine though, there's been some tough parts too. We went tracting and our member help asked me a question, so I turned to him to answer and the door opened and Elder Brown greeted the person, so I flipped around with a greeting and asked how she was doing. She said, "fine." Then my mind went blank... And I just blurted out, "Canwecomeinandshareaspiritualthought?" She said no. And then I felt like the biggest idiot in the world! Elder Brown laughed at me all the way to the next door and I did too. It was just the most awkward thing in the world. Like, hello, uh... can we come into your house and teach you about Jesus? I probably would have said no too.
Then there was a really hard lesson with a less active who hasn't been coming to church because he needs to pay for his school by the end of the month so he's been working really hard, but it looks like he still won't have enough money. So we talked about trusting God and putting him first even though we don't know how ends will meet after that. It was a really hard thing to ask of him, but it's true. Doing God's will bring blessings every time.
Then we went on splits on Thursday and I got to go with Elder Wiscombe. We had a pretty bad day with lots of not very good times, but we got some good done and we managed to have lots of fun. We taught this one family and the spirit was so strong, but whenever it was peaking she would try to change the subject or make a joke and chase away the spirit. I know she was feeling it.
The split was lots of fun though, someone tried to remember Elder Wiscombe's name and called him yogaboy. The Elder Wiscombe was attacked by a small child. He was just walking along in front of me and WHAM!!! A kid flies out of nowhere and nails him on the side. Then he just stood there staring at us. He was also foaming at the mouth... Not sure what that was about.
Then as we were walking to English class Saturday morning we passed by a condom parade trying to spread public awareness for AIDS. Not exactly what I was expecting to see...
Malagasy Morsel for this week would be maharitra hatramin'ny farany. It means to endure to the end. It's way important. It's so discouraging sometimes to work with less active members who used to be on fire and they just became lazy or they don't really care anymore. It breaks my heart. Activity in Christ's church brings so many blessings and it's so sad when people who used to be getting those blessings all the time turn their back on them.
Then since Thanksgiving is this week we will have a bonus Malagasy Morsel that's way easy to use. Misaotra means thank you. And I'll even throw in a pronounciation guide so y'all can use it! Mee-soh-chah.
Then we'll talk about the last part of the week. We had 215 people at church! Elder Brown and I sat on the floor!!! There weren't enought chairs! And 21 of those people were from our area, and 17 were from the other area! It was so cool! I would sit on the floor every week to see that. It was way cool.
Then, on Saturday, at about 5:00 in the evening, we got the transfer call. Elder Rasmussen is leaving Fort Dauphin after only 6 months. That's only a quarter of my mission! Elder Delbar will be replacing me. He's probably in the top 3 studliest missionaries on the planet and he was in the MTC with me. I'm not worried about how my Amparihy will go, it's in good hands between him and Elder Brown.
And I'm going to Tamatave. To an area called Mangarivotra. And my new companion will be...
ELDER GLAZIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm a little bit excited. So, Elder Rasmussen and Elder Glazier will get to work together after all. We're going to go kill it in Tamatave, I'm so psyched! I'm super sad to leave Fort Dauphin, but working with my best friend will be a pretty good perk!
But yeah, that's the transfer news. I hope you all enjoyed my freaking massive email and I wish you all the most sambatra week ever.
Love y'all,
Mandra-pihaontsika indray
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