Mada...most awesome place ever!!

So yeah, elections are over. The results will still be a while, then they'll probably do another round when they narrow down the candidates. Everything stayed pretty chill, except for some people with guns getting a little rowdy.

The baptisms went good. I'm conviced that a baptism will NEVER go according to plan. But it worked itself out eventually. 

The other kids that got baptized were just kids of a member who needed to be taught, he did the baptism and confirmation, we just did the lessons with them.

Transfer news came last night. Marsh is AP now, I'm way stoked for him. Our house all stays the same though, Tamatave is hardly getting touched by the transfer. But I'm pretty sure that I'll be going to a new area the beginning of December.

Those pictures, though, are SO sick. Keep those coming, especially when the snow comes in.

I uploaded a bunch of pictures. Watch the video of Stefania singing (it's on the Mission Videos link on the right of the blog). That video perfectly explains why Malagasy kids are a million times cuter than any American baby.

Thanks for writing, love you guys! Have a ballin halloween

Taylor

Enjoy some awesome pics...

drinking roce water

Eppich asleep in church

fabrino always jacks my pen

me and jensen after eating some spicy stuff

Melodie, she's way scared of us

Pitro, the dog that always begs for food

Stefania and Veronique

This chick is horrified of me for some reason

The random goodness of Mada...again!!

We watched conference finally this week. We got the sessions in English too, thank goodness. It was so hot in our little office the whole time though, I was dying. Oh well, haha.

Way sweaty watching Conference, haha

Anyway, because of conference, we are pushing back the baptism until next saturday. But it's a good thing because we had a couple get married and they and their kid passed the bap interview. They've been coming to church for 4 years, and finally got the marriage worked out. I'm so stoked for them. So we'll have 5 baptisms this weekend, way dope.

The family who is getting married invited us to their wedding. It was friday morning. Way different than a civil marriage back home. Way low key. Quick in and out sort of thing, then we all went to their house for rice. Weddings are normally big, expensive deals, but a lot of people who are just doing it to get baptized keep them small and inexpensive. They didn't have money for a photographer so I just snapped a ton of pictures and printed them for the family.

Mami and Lawrence's wedding

Sandra

Yeah, elections are on friday, but all the malagasies say that it's not the day of elections that's crazy, it's when the results come out, so it'll still be a few weeks probably.

This transfer has been so fast. There's already another one this week. I'm sure I'll stay, but I have a feeling that next transfer I'll be headed out to a new area. The December transfer will be 7 months in Tamatave.

In last weeks pic, I was having Morley roll out my legs because I got kicked stinking hard playing soccer, and my leg had a knot the size of a golfball. The bikes don't really do much to cause me pain.

Anyway, short letter again. I'm fully aware I've been dying out on writing good letters. Things don't change too much. But check out pictures.

Love you, Taylor

Enjoy some more pics...

That ampalibe is bigger than that baby

I Love This Place!!

That awkward moment when I can't remember anything we did this week..

Propaganda is still going strong. It's nothing like elections back home. It's more like a junior high student council election. But on the plus side, I have been given a lot of swag I have a few shirts now, some posters, and a flag. The Shupe's (the health couple) are coming to Tamatave this week to make sure our 72 hour kits are good to go I guess. We'll see if we actually need to use them or not in a few weeks.

As far as teaching, it's all going good. Some of the families we teach are way close to getting married so they can get baptized. That's pretty much the whole Mada mission experience. Working on marriages. 

We have a few baptisms next saturday. No families, just kids of members who were over 8 years old. But other than that, I've got like the best schedule I've ever had my whole mission. Almost every appointment we have is with full families. Pretty hard to find, so we've been blessed there.

Yeah, I met Roger back in Tana. It's actually pretty normal here. There are so few members, that everyone on the island knows each other. People from all over, it's way fun. I can talk about members I worked with in Tana and they have friends or family here. It's like that all over the mission.

I know I don't talk too much about the spiritual side of the mission. I'd rather just be able to tell the real things in person, email wouldn't do it. I have been able to see and be a part of some amazing things. I've seen the priesthood bring miracles, sometimes in front of a huge group of people. I've also seen some really sad situations. 

My feelings about life in America have definitely been changed living in Madagascar. It's not our fault, but as Americans, we really are blind to how the world really is. As much as we think we are aware of what is going on in the world, there's no way to know unless we actually live in it. Just seeing it from a tour bus doesn't do it either. You have to see the people, talk with them, eat with them. I love the people here so much. I stink at writing about all the things that happen, but you guys will hear things when I get home.

The time really is going by way fast. People here always tell me how long I have left. People here have a way good relationship with missionaries, we're all like good friends. Do you guys ever have the missionaries over back home? I'm curious to see how that goes back home. It's much more casual here I feel, but I'm kind of biased obviously.

making burritos

burning in the sun after teaching english

eating soup

Whoa, I didn't even register that your guys' birthdays are this week. Happy birthday, freak that came out of no where. I swear I just sent you guys the birthday email back in Analamahitsy.

I only have a few pictures this week, sorry. I stunk at using the camera cuz we were on the bikes so much.

rolling out knots

Love you guys, have a good week.

Taylor

Random happenings in Mada

I didn't even remember that General Conference was this past week until yesterday. I'm pretty excited to see it here in a few weeks. Anything that kind of changes up the schedule every now and then is worth looking forward too. Pretty nuts that I've already been here in Toamasina for about 5 months, it's gone way fast. I'm down to stay here for another 5, but we'll see.

Rainy season is starting to come back, I kind of feel like it just ended, but it's coming back. We had 3 straight days of rain. Soaked within a few minutes, even with all the rain gear. It can't be stopped. The best part was that Elder Mumford left his jacket in Tana, haha. It wasn't too funny for him, but I laughed because the same thing happened to me last year.

Elections are coming up on the 25th. It's about time. I got someone to give me a propaganda t-shirt to take home. We'll see what happens, it's supposed to be crazy, but we'll see.

Yeah, I know Roger in Tana. I've met him a million times, that's cool his family has a story in the ensign, for sure send me a copy of that. Atta boy representing Mada.

When did Britt head out East? That's news to me.

As far as Christmas, don't worry about decorations or anything. You know I'm always good with food. Just little treats. Skittles, starbursts, jelly beans, chocolate jazz. They never get old. Just purely candy will keep me happy.

But hey, I ran into some RM's that served here this past week. They came back to visit friends and see more of the sights here. I REALLY want to come back here sometime after the mission. I'd take the dirtiest, cheapest tickets I could get. Plus the places they are staying are only like 5 bucks a night, or I have had a ton of people tell me I can crash with them whenever I want.

Love you Mom, have a good week at Orem High, tell Rep I say whats up. Tell him I still expect to see him at Turtlenog next year.

Check out the pics & video I sent to ya. 

Love ya!

at silla's 9th birthday thing. we didn't really celebrate, we just ate some mangahazo and had some popsicles

faneva and meva

meva lost some teeth

piggy back on elder morley

posiposy bumper sticker things are funny

godrogodro and hot milk

horrible runny nose, i stuffed tissue up my nose so i could stop sniffing every 2 seconds