(Note: I, Debbie, did not attempt to correct much of the spelling this time...too fun!)
well, hello there family and friends and whatnot! this is elder fox just checking in from 'the woodinville of africa' as they call it. (first i would just like to say that i am tping on a french keyboard so i hope this comes across as somewhat comprehesible. im also trying to type fast)
okay, maybe i lied about the woodinville of africa thing... let me tell you a little bit about the craziness that is madagascar and tana [nickname for the capital, Antananarivo]. this is going to be a complete braindump, so i am going to make no attempt at organizing this because there is too much to say!
so, after many hours of travel our small plane flying from joberg landed in the most ghetto and chill airport i have ever been to, it was sweet. our mission president and the APs [Assistant to the Presidents] zere there to greet us, and as ze walked in we saw a group of missionaries leaving. insane to thuink that they are finished already. we then drove a good hour or more to the missionhome, which was a ways across tana. and that is really when it hit me that i was not in kansas anymore, when i wasnt fearing for my life' as we drove through the craziest streets ever.
this city is huge, zith winding streets going through tall, rundown buildings with people lining the streets everywhere. that seems to be the place to hang out here, on the side of the road (or in the middle of it for that matter) where people are selling all sorts of things, like meat that has probably been hanging there for five weeks. it is impossible to describe fully. there is nothing like it in the world.
as you heard, i am serving in the Ampasanimalo area of tana with a great guy, elder jensen, and serving the Ambohimpo ward. i am in an apartment that is shared with two other companionships, with an apartment below us with 4, the APs included. alot of us i know, it is fun.
the people here are the most incredible people ever. most of them are just ridiculously nice and interesting, even with a vazaha like me who is struggling to learn their language and probably accidentally says rude things all the time hah. the ward we are in has the greatest bishopric, they are on top of things and running amazingly well, which just doesnt happen here in madagascar, but somehow they do it! i had to bear my testimony in church on sunday, which went well even though i was pretty nervous obviously. the people are far too nice, always complimenting and saying im 'mahay' (which means skilled) even though i am far from that. a surpirising amount of people here' speak a little bit of english too, which is pretty funny.
we taught an english class on saturday (we teach for two hours every sat) very fun. i literally just sat in a circle with a group of malagasys and talked to them, in as much english as they could muster and tried to explain things in malagasy otherwise. great people
teaching is going well. my brain basically just explodes every day because of the malagasy. it is very difficult, they have many different accents and talk faster than i have ever heard a language spoken. certainly a work in progress there. sometimes it fzeels like i understand a decent amount and what is going on, but most of the time i am lost. oh well, c'est la vie!
elder jensen is a good companion. obviously he does most everyting because i have no idea what i am ever doing, but i participate in lessons as much as possible. he is very good at malagasy and super nice and supportive.
i havent had any crazy food yet, but im sure i will get there. the food is good thus far, they have some grocery stores that have pretty regular stuff that we eat a decent amount of. always hungry and tired, but that is just something that happens. everything here is wayyy cheap as well
there are always little groups of kids everywhere that yell vazaha! as we walk by and run up and give us fist bumps (called dona here) they are the cutest little people ever. people are always surprised we speak malagasy here, no white people speak it here besides us missionaries i guess. alot of times they try to speak to us in french and then staart giggling when we talk back in malagasy. it is very funny. most of the people here have a great sense of humor (even though they can laugh at the strangest things haha) i love how happy they are even though they live in the poorest situation. they basically have nothing, a house that is a room and a bed in a wooden shack that is stacked on top of another ghetto house connected by the sketchiest ladder in the entire world, but are happy people who are so strong and spiritual. totally amazing.
well, that is jsut a little tidbit on what i have been doing here. working hard every day, walking up the biggest hills and sets of stairs all day long, getting completely destroyed by malagasy, but having a great time; the people and missionaries here are great.
i am glad to hear that all is going well at home! hope all stays well and that it is going well for everyone!
love,
Elder Fox
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