Momba! (some excerpts from emails to mom and dad)

Well, it is now officially my Pday and I have been here over a week, how crazy is that?? It is definitely true what someone told me, that each day of a mission feels like three days but each week feels like a day. This week has flown by, but each day just does not seem to end. There is a lot to do, so maybe that isn't a bad thing though. But really there still isn't enough time in the day to get everything done.

[In response to Steven comparing Chance's first week to the first steps of a marathon...] And to think I was never one for marathons... thank you very much. The first strides certainly have been taken, one week finished, and first water-station reached (a Pday, as I would like to think of them). Small and simple things, small and simple things. That advice is wonderful, for the times I have tried to think about the 45,000 steps in my future I have begun to feel overwhelmed, and the only way to stave that off is to buckle down, focus on what is at hand, learning one word at a time and speaking one hard-fought sentence at a time, laugh, pray always, and just enjoy this time of my life. It is amazing how much fun and enjoyment one can have even while working as hard as possible for 16-hour days!

 

[In response to this from Steven's email "I thought of you in my reading of the D&C. This is from Section 1: 23-24:
That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of theirlanguage, that they might come to understanding."]...Wow, that scripture is wonderfully applicable. For this task I have before me I truly am the weak and simple, but when I am assigned the task by our all-powerful Heavenly Father I have no fear that I will be able to accomplish what He needs of me. Not because of myself, but because of the strength, support, and understanding that comes from when we rely on our Lord. For that I am so grateful and blessed. I am excited to serve.

So, news from the front:
First thing, this Tuesday we will not be in the MTC anymore, my zone will be moving over to RainTree/Wyview, where we will be living, eating, studying... everything. I think they are going to call it MTC west or something like that, but yeah, I will not be at the MTC anymore. We are going to be the first group over there, so who knows how things are going to end up!

Malagasy is going well, however we have not switched to just speaking it in the MTC. I really do want to, I have been trying to speak it more and more everyday, because that is the best way to learn quickly... at this point my companion and I have nampianatra dimy lesona amin'ny teny malagasy. (have taught five lessons in Malagasy, poorly written). Things are progressing, but it is hard. One step at a time! We, or at least Christiansen and I, have started exclaiming the word 'momba' (moom-ba) whenever we are excited or something cool happens. It actually means 'about' or 'surrounding', but it just sounds so great we can't stop saying it. You should definitely try it.
   

Amin'ny fitiavana (with love)

Elder Fox