All is good!

Alright.. what happened this week. I can never really remember. One of my favorite families up and moved to Ambohipo, in Tana. I was way bummed, but they moved right next to the church there, and it's Mitchell's area, so I gave him their number. They're doomed for baptism soon.

Um, so the next transfer is actually next Sunday. Transfers are every 6 weeks now, or at least that's the goal. President Adams is doing a lot to get us on track & organized like a real mission ha. It's all a work in progress. But I hope I stay, I think I'll stay another 6 weeks at least. I wouldn't mind staying here for another 5 months or so though ha. This is my favorite area for sure. Working in a branch is so dope.

The new kids don't get here for another 6 weeks, or at least I think. We honestly get no news being outside of the capitol. No one tells us anything. But I think it's just people leaving this transfer and people getting mini's.

My legs are good now, but I did get a few more blood tests this week. The answers were in French, so obviously I didn't understand them, but we sent them to Tana, someone there will understand, but I'm fine now.

The clothes that they were all wearing are mainly just for the dances they were doing to represent the different provinces, but you do see people dressed like that, it's not too uncommon. Pretty African.

Yeah, we were all way sad when Pikar's dad got killed. They had a rough time obviously, but the branch all went over and visited them and they're still diligent as ever. They're getting baptized this Saturday, I'll take pictures.

We got to watch the broadcast this past week. It was good, lots of changes. I'm not gonna lie, the part where Pres Holland was talking to the people over satelite was way awkward, but it was a good meeting ha.

Have a good week, love you.

Taylor

Enjoy yourselves some pics...

classic gasy house

I broke a plate

Mangahazo with coconut, way good

Pikar, Augustino and Augustinne

Me and Augustino, Fredo and Pikar

Chopping dirt with Augustino

Augustino

Drahona and Fab

Drahona watching teletubbies

I love this place!!

Anyway, good week. My legs really are feeling a lot better now. This whole past week I only felt a little bit of pain, it's getting better. I think it's all blown over. 

I got the new insoles put in

Time has been going so fast since I got to Tamatave. I love being outside of the capitol, we never hear like anything that's going on, so we just live with the few of us in our house. Usually the mission is kind of slow at the time, and fast in hindsight, but the past two months has been fast all around. It seems like we go out and the day is over way fast. I love it. I hope I can stay here for a while.

So we didn't have power for 3 1/2 days straight this week. That was way nice. I had to throw out a bunch of food. Freezing showers. 

Drahona showering

We tried watching the broadcast, but the power was out, go figures, ha, so we moved it to this coming week. We'll hope it works this time.

So this week the district did a huge Relief Society dance thing to represent all the tribes here in Mada. We didn't stay for the whole thing, but we saw some sick dances. I got some pictures with the people in our branch.

 

After the RS party thing

And.. we have a baptism here in two weeks. It's a family that's been learning for like a year, and was working on getting married. Then a few weeks ago there was a huge accident and the dad got killed in a hit and run. Way sad. They're a way diligent family, and they haven't missed church once since they started learning. One of them is already baptized, and in two weeks we're baptizing his Mom and sister. It's way sad, but they're planning to go to the temple.

We did a huge load of contacting earlier this week. Our entire schedule has changed in the past few weeks. So except for a few diligent families, we don't teach anyone from before really. Trying to get things going more here. People are still figuring things out here, but our branch has really come together the past few months. 

That's all the news for now. I'm aware my letters are getting short and boring.. but life really doesn't change too much. We'll just have a picture/story day when I get home k? That'll be more fun for everyone.

Love, Taylor

I got some pictures up again. Look at em.

2000 Ar, It's heaven

mofo tantely. deep fried honey

nothing to do on p-day

Pushing for a Mada temple!

I'm doing better this week, thank goodness. I've been having horrible nightmares the past few weeks of having to get transferred to the MTC to finish my mission, ha, it's funny, but I was scared out of my mind. The branch still has my back, too. I get asked every day if I'm feeling better yet.

Anyway, so I guess we actually will get to watch that broadcast for missionary work. We watch it this weekend, so we can finally hear about everything that everyone was talking about. Not many changes will be made to our mission anytime soon, except for the fact that the new missionaries from here on out won't get backpacks, and.. we can't wear funny ties anymore. That literally cut my stash in half. Sad day.

Also, we are REALLY pushing to get this country a temple. We have a long way to go, and right now we are focusing on making Toamasina a stake. So us 12 here in Toamasina get to study the red handbook 2 like crazy from now on. Our branch president is a cool guy, he takes whatever advice we have, so every week at our meetings we get to tell him all this stuff we need to start doing/stop doing. I really hope this country gets a temple soon. It'll be a few years out at least, but it's cool to be part of the group helping them go from branches to wards out here.

I got the package. Thank you so much. I am going straight to look for a muffin tin when we are done emailing. I'm eating a carmel apple sucker right now from the package. Ha.

Um. I'm sorry but I really don't have much news from this week. Basically every lesson we taught this week was explaining tithing so we can get this place a temple. Drahona and I are having a way good time. Short email, sorry, look at pictures. love you!

Taylor

Some more pics for ya:

Another exciting baptism...

Surprise everyone, results came back. I guess I have some kind of rheumatoid arthritis. So that's weird, I thought only old people deal with that? I figure it's kind of my luck though. I have been doing better this last week though. Like.. I was able to walk on my own. So that's good ha. I am taking medicine 3 times a day, but my feet are still pretty bad. We go out and work every day, but sometimes we call it a little early because my feet are killing me. We're just gonna watch it for a few more weeks I guess, see if it goes away or not with the medicine. It all makes a good story though I guess. People on the street like verbally noticing that I walk like an old man when I walk down stairs or off curbs ha.

Anyway, so when I first got to Mada, I visited this girl, Nadia, a recent convert, and her sister's family like every week. Turns out that she lives here in Ambolomadinika. We visit her family again now. It's weird being able to understand her this time around ha, I hadn't seen her in like 8 months.

Um.. so the baptism this Saturday almost turned out like the last one. Classic case of thinking we're doing a combined baptism with the other missionaries, so they make the bap program, then they fall through the morning of. I'm not sure why they don't make sure ahead of time.. but anyway. We had to call people and scramble to make a program again. But at least we had power and water this time. It was just Henrie who got baptized this week. We didn't have to do a crazy amount of teaching with him though, he lives with his grandma, who is already a member, so it was just a few lessons of reviewing and all that jazz, then we baptized him. But hopefully in the next few weeks we can get some investigator families close to baptism.

Us with Henrie

So trondro maina (dry fish) is a pretty popular topping here. I've only had it once, but Drohana made it yesterday for lunch and dinner. I sent pictures. I thought Dad would like them. The fish are so small that you just eat them plain. Not bad, but there was no coming back from that breath. My breath was wretched, I brushed my teeth like 4 times. I love having the Gasy's here in the house. We have tons of fun.

Patsa, tiny way salty fish we had for lunch, and dinner last night

Fitahiana, my favorite dirty, cheap hotely here

Bad angle, but these bananas are the size of my thumb. Sweetest bananas ever, way good.

Um.. not much news from this week. I was kind of taking it slow. We'll see how it goes this week. 

My foot is fine now, as far as the fleas. It seems that everyone gets them every now and then. Just from being on the beach. But after I cut it out, it was fine.Talk to you next week!

Taylor


P.S.    Enjoy a few random pics...

Chilling before church

Walking home with Rodylys and Edino

They use beer caps as washers, everywhere