The Dolphin Slayers gettin' to work in 2014‏

     Manakory aby! (dont ask me about the dolphin slayers, apparently a name missionaries before thought up for the missionaries that work here in Ft D)

 

     Welcome to 2014 ladies and gentlemen! I hope this New Year has started off with a bang for all of you, involving eating lots of cookies and soda and watching lots of good movies such as The District and remembering to brush your teeth so they dont rot and fall out like just about everybody's teeth down here in Ft D.! In honor of a good 2013 gone by, and in hopes for an even awesomer 2014, I will share this word with you, for your pleasure and encouragement--manambadia, which is the command form of to marry, which I just think is funny... actively commanding someone to get married. I'm sure the Elders quorum leaders here use it quite often.

     So, how is Ft D one might ask? As beautiful, calm, peaceful, good smelling, African, paradisical as ever. And on top of that I have yet to be attacked by any of the massive bugs I just know are waiting to get me, so that is a bonus. But our 2013 ended very well on Tuesday, with a good branch party that we attended and had some investigators come to. It is amazing how good all these Malagasys are at dancing, its ridiculous. Even the littlest 5 year old kids got moves that put us Americans to shame. They did, however, serve food and juice at the party... which was delicious, but we soon found out, on Wednesday, that there was definitely something destructive in that juice they gave us. Pump water, to be exact, which totally destroyed me and Elder Mitchell. So yeah, we were pretty sick on Wed, but we were up and at 'em again on Thursday.

     We started having soirees with one branch council and the less active members in their branch as well, just like the ones both me and Elder Mitchell did in Tana. So we had visits with three less active families last week that went very well as far as I can tell (and one may have even involved playing the animal signs game... so it couldn't have been that bad!) When the ward or branch leaders come out personally to spend time and support those who are struggling in the ward great things can come about; these soirees were a very effective tool in Tana.

     Elder Mitchell and I built a fence friday morning for one of the less actives we visited with the branch council. It ended up looking just like any other shabby stick fence here in Madagascar but hey, it was made with love! So maybe that will help it hold together a little bit longer...?

     And then Sunday came along! And I just realized that I have had to speak/do something in church every single sunday since I got here... The first two I introduced myself and bore my testimony in both of the branches, then gave a talk two Sundays ago, and then had a most sudden and unexpected opportunity yesterday. As it ends up Nathan Bates wasn't the only one to bless a baby on January 5th! A less active member who we work with, the one we built the fence for in fact, had a baby recently that they brought to church to be blessed yesterday. They had talked to us about it so I knew it was happening, and therefore just assumed one of their friends or a member of the presidency would do the blessing. So there I was, innocently sitting quietly during the beginning of sacrament meeting after having played the opening hymn when Pres D announces that there is going to be a baby blessing, and that Elder Fox will be the one giving the blessing. ummmmmm WHAT. So there was nothing that could be done besides do the blessing at that point! So I did, even though it may have been in a language I am not very good at. 'Im very thankful and honored for the opportunity to do it though! but it did take me by surprise and definitely woke me up nice and good at that point.

     We weren't able to teach as much as I would have liked during the last week, and there may be some other problems that are leading to that, but working hard at making the most of an opportunity to work in such a great area! There are many investigators we teach that I feel really could contribute to building a solid foundation for the church here, as well as beyond ample people willing to listen.

     Mom and dad, pass along a congrats to Brynne Bohnam! Super awesome, that's fun they got to be married there in Seattle.

      And also, lookin good there Jacob, dual wielding the little ones! Niceeee. love the picture

     Okay, i will answer another question today cause I got some time--
Question: What things do you now consider normal that would totally gross out an American?

     Answer: Basically everything that is gross in America I am now used to. What people choose to wear, where they go to the bathroom, where they decide to breastfeed, food quality control, etc etc basically just don't matter anymore! The most random, weird, and sometimes gross things happen about everyday, and you just kinda roll with it. As they say, when in Madagascar...

     Food for thought:
I just began reading the Doctrine and Covenants after having finished the New Testament, and it reminded me again of my favorite scripture--- D and C 18:10. Souls are great in the sight of God. Every soul is great in His sight. Pretty incredible considering how many people are here on the earth!

Love
Elder Fox