A Rough Week

Well chaps,

     We are gettin all pumped over here in Mada for their independence day, which is on the 26th of this month (wich also happens to be my one year in country mark, crazyyyy) lots of flags, lots of vendors, and watch large amounts of fireworks. We are not so sure how much actual work we are going to be able to get done that day, cause from what I hear nobody is home or willing to take time away from their festivities. So we will see! Just drop lots of spiritual thoughts using examples about fireworks and sparklers...

     Word-- angidina, which is a dragonfly. I am mainly writing that because I learned it several days ago, forgot what it was, and decided I needed to remind myself what a darn dragonfly is in Malagasy. Now, let us never forgot this word again, lest the fury of the lemur ancestors come upon us and blahblahblah

     The baptism went well on Saturday! A quality time. The ward really loved it I think. There were loads of people who showed up. I was blessed with the opportunity to baptize R, while Elder Rakoto baptized F. Just good, humble, quality people, those two. Love the Book of Mormon, are super shy, but have experienced great conversion. Sometimes it is easy to take a baptism or conversion for granted, but it is very true that it is one of the most amazing miracles to see in someone. A complete change of heart and lifestyle that can be noticed by everyone around, something that is definitely worth spending two years for...or five or six or however many I'm asked to.

     Just saw off one of my good friends, Sr F, from Ft D at the office today. She is flying off to the Congo this Thursday. Sweet. She is the second sister missionary from Ft D to serve a mission, and the third missionary overall. There is one elder who is in South Africa right now. A little different than Utah...

     This week was one that, I think it is fair to say, was the roughest week of my mission teaching wise. its either that or I'm getting super lazy and not working hard enough or something, but the effort and diligence is definitely still there so its gotta be the first. It was just way rough. We have been blessed recently to see results in getting referrals and in contacting/teaching less actives, meaning the program has developed a lot and become quite solid, so we were looking forward to a good week. And then it seemed to just get straight nuclear bombed so hard every day I was beginning to wonder if world war III or something had started already. And such is the life of a missionary! Some weeks you look back and are like 'wow, that was way awesome, I feel like I actually completed my purpose as a missionary, boo yeah!' and then other weeks, like this week, you look back and are like 'ohhh.... wow, I feel a lot like Elder Hein when he got his stiches ripped out by the evil doctor in Ft D, danggg...' taste the bitter to know how to prize the sweet. or, as I should say to Rakoto, taste the Tana to know how to prize the Ft D! hahah

      But still good times over here. I love working with Rakoto. We just keep moving along no matter the difficulties or whatnot.

     As always, had some splits. I went out to the Itaosy area on thusday, which was fun. my first time being over there (I feel like I know all the areas in this zone way well now its weird. I used to think this city was so big and scary and yeah).

Dad:

     Gahhhhhhhhh! your first email got me so excited! and then I went on to read that they really only tied!  they wil get through, I have faith. They will stomp Germany 6 to 2 for sure, not a doubt in my mind.

Jameson (and Dad too):

   Thank you very much for the stories and help and advice, it is a good thing to always keep in perspective, no matter how mahatezitra it might be in the moment!

     Ndao handroso hatrany daholo! Have a great week, enjoy life, tell those you love that you love them, and eat Mexican food cause you are beyond ridiculously blessed to have that sweet, sweet manna from heaven where you live.

Love yall!

Elder Fox

ps. At this point I expect jameson to be mahay enough to translate some of the Malagasy I may randomly throw into the emails for all of you that may wonder what those weird words are haha.