So missionary life is basically crazy all the time, especially when transfers go the way they have been going for me for about... the last year of my mission. Needless to say, there was a transfer! and it did not disappoint in being very interesting. Elder Christiansen and I, I am sad to say, did not quite make the cut. I guess we were just sleeping too much and swimming too often to be kept together, so of course they had to go and break our hearts by sending him to another area in Tana, just up in the other zone. We will be seeing each other frequently though so its no big deal. It was super awesome to get to work with him for at least a transfer here in country. Way fun.
And so who is gonna be coming to good ole Tana with Elder Fox? My man Rakoto!!!! (who, in case you don't remember, was with me in Ft D) aww yeah!! therefore I will have worked with two people twice on my mission, Christiansen and now Rakoto, who was part of that trio we had going on. I am wayyyy excited because he is such a sweet missionary, and also I have always wanted to have a Malagasy companion that does not speak English. And he does not speak too much English. So I guess they did their best trying to make up for taking Christiansen away from me.
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| Rice, Rakoto, Fox in Ft. D. |
Word-- Maty, which means dead.(or vilasy, in Antandroy) And that word has a lot of importance this week because guess who goes home Wednesday??? Elder Jensen! holy cow it is so crazy to think he is already leaving, time flies far too fast. Just yesterday when we were serving together he was just a little over one year and now he is going. I'm beyond scared by how fast time goes. He had a final soccer match today with us and the Malagasies.
This was a good week, although yet again it felt like there was tons of stuff that interfered with our program. There really was a lot but even with all that we saw some great things.
For example, on Tues I went on a split in what we very appropriately call 'the ghetto'. The funny thing is, all of Tana is pretty ghetto.
Even better than that is the progress we have seen in one area. We don't teach a humongous amount and our investigators are pretty few, but it is the progress we have been pushing for-- working with the ward and reactivation. basically all we do in our free time is look for less actives and look for where members live to try to meet with them. And it bears fruits. We have had 5 reactivations just these last three weeks, and have been able to pick up some quality referrals from members, a lot of which is filling part member families. It is a billion times more effective than tracting. But I'm not going to lie, it is ridiculously insanely hard finding houses here, even with an address and knowledge of the area.
Working with the bishop is going better than ever. He meets with us weekly, works with us to improve the reactivation, and even went around with us Sunday morning to find less active members' houses. That in and of itself is a funny/awesome story because we ended up having success in finding and meeting with them, which led to us being late for church..... like wayyy late, both the missionaries and the bishop hahah and it was worth it, absolutely worth it. I feel we would have never been able to meet with this one less active and have a good talk with him had it been any other way. It's weird saying that but true. Christiansn and I were both extremely impressed with our bishop. He has shown to us that he has truly been called of God to fulfill that calling. And he is willing to work with us, probably because of all our efforts to show to him that we want/need to work with him.
Tried to have a big, zone wide movie showing thing for members and investigators and such on Saturday. Wow. I would liken it to the stock market crash of 1916 (whatever year that was), except worst. Worst activity ever. Nonetheless I think you could say that we learned several things from it! and that we will never, ever, do anything like it again. Man, you'd think Malagasies would like to watch movies about Jesus...
This is a story from our area. I wrote this for our mission newsletter; just a cool little something:
Mahamasina area is one of many stairs, and
now many streetboards. But more importantly, we have this one super
duper adorable couple-- F and H are their names-- who should have been baptized back
in the days of Moses they are so well prepared. And why are they not baptized
yet you might ask?
Because, like every other Malagasy couple, they assumed giving a cow to their
brides dad was enough
to constitute a wedding. It’s not. So anyway, they have been learning a pretty
long time, been
extremely diligent, understand teaching well, and deeply desire to come closer
to God, but have had
huge difficulties getting the wifes kopia (legal birth certificate) from
who-knows-where in jungle land. After many attempts and efforts they still
saw no fruits. Members, diligent, good members, have even been saying that they
will never be married and will just have to wait that one out till the
spirit world.
Several weeks ago H asked that we joined
them in a fast for her kopia to be made again, (as it had probably
been eaten by lemurs..haha). And, being missionaries who love this awesome
couple, we did. And then, come the following fast Sunday, we all fasted
again. And for a while, even after two prayer-filled fasts, it seemed like
those members were going to be right after all..no kopia.
And then, just last Friday, we saw the
results of months of effort arrive by taxiborosy-- a newly made kopia for
H. They can be married. Looks like there is no waiting for the life after for
them to be baptized.
We attribute such a miracle to their
amazing diligence and faith, and to the trust they put in their God who,
as always, came through for them. The fasting and prayer tipped the scales, and
it always will.
Dani:
HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY!!!! May the lemur ancestors forever favor you. love you!
But that's all folks, I'm looking foward to a great time with Rakoto the Happy Mexican hahah. Keep it up, be diligent, lift where you stand, pray always because God honestly answers prayers.
Love
Elder Fox
PS Look up the Hartman color test and tell me what color you think i am (and figure out yoursleves too). this is something that was done here in the mission and while ago to look at personalities and how to work togther.
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