Hey Papa Waters,
It's good to hear from you! I bet you have had a crazy week, I remember how much you and mom have to work before going out to utah. That's good to hear that you had a nice long days work with bishop responsibilities. Thanks, for being a great example and always working hard at your church responsibilities, as well as with your other work, and family responsibilities.
So who's Brother ______, I haven't met him before I don't think, or have I? And enjoy the weather change. It's really hot here always and it's off and on raining. I like it though. The lightnings really cool here. But the power goes out a lot here because of it. But that's ok, because I didn't think I'd be having power the whole time I was here anyways. I'll work on getting the Christmas call information for you guys. And yeah, my last companion was pretty short, and I am just a little bit tall too. He's actually over average height for a malagasy I think. But my new companions American and 6"2, so we're a little bit closer in height haha. And I'll try to send more pics soon, if you put em all up on facebook from my mission and from the day before if they aren't already up. Deal? ;) And I did actually get to see lemurs already, last Monday. I'll try to send some pictures next week. And Dadanaivo is now on 2nd Nephi 25. He said that he doesn't leave the house in the morning or go to bed at night without reading the Book Of Mormon. He's supposed to get baptized on Dec. 10th. And hopefully his boys will follow soon.
But that's all I have for this week.
I love you lots for eternity,
Elder Waters
God be with you till we meet again
Message for facebook:
Be happy now, duhduhduhduhduhduh!(The fish song)
Put a smile on your face, always! Then you won't have as many wrinkles when you're older! ;)
Malagasy: Mahità fifaliana, duhduhduhduhduhduhduh!(Ny hira trondro)
Mametraha ny tsikitsiky tsara amin'ny tarehinao, foana! Mba tsy ho hazonao ny kentrona betsaka rehefa antitra ianao! ;)
Sunday, November 27, 2011
November 21, 2011
Hey Momma Waters,
Tsisy vaovao(Nothings new) you say that even when there's a lot vaovao. Vaovao aminareo(what's new with you all, even though you just told me)? haha It sounds like you've had a very long but good week, just like me. This copied and pasted email to my mission president should explain some of it:
"I have had a great, very interesting, and growing last few weeks. Challenges and triumphs, I've had em all, but I've seen that either way my life is going, the way to continue to have those triumphs and the way to overcome the challenges is by hard work, continuing to rely on the Lord in all things, and whatever comes my way, I must love it and take it as a chance to grow. I'm not neccessarily asking for you to send me to the hardest area with the hardest companion in the mission haha, but I know if that's what happens then there's a reason for it and if I endure it well then I'll grow from it and learn how to help others in the future.
It was very interesting when I got the transfer news that I would be losing Elder Rakotoniaina and receiving a mini. Because according to my thoughts and everyone elses in the house, we thought that I would have been with a mini-malagasy, who had only been a member since September 24, for a whole month before the next transfer. So I had the choice to either complain about how I'm not prepared for this, how I'm not mahay(skilled) enough yet, how that's way too much responsibility for me, or I could think the way that I had been teaching all my investigators the previous week to think. When challenges come into our lives, don't fear, don't stay at home and cry when you should go to church, but to endure them well, by leaning on Christ, through scripture study, and praying for the Lord's guidance, and then not only if we do these things, we'll come out "ok", we'll actually come out stronger than before. More prepared to help others when they receive the same kind of trials. I chose after a little bit of thought and prayer to choose the latter. To endure this trial well. I believed that if I leaned on Christ, and strived to work my hardest with the mini then everything would be ok, and that I'd actually come out stronger in the language and in my testimony of trials. In the meantime, I would strive my hardest to prepare this recent convert, who's 18 years old, for his mission.
I realized a few days later, that that was a good thing to take that attitude instead of the other because I would've looked really dumb 1st off, and 2nd, I was able to grow my testimony about trials and helping others, and 3rd, we were still able to teach some amazing people some great lessons before I found out that I'd be receiving my new companion. Because of that experience and many others, I know that all things that come into our lives will strengthen us, if, we take them on with the right attitude and endure them well.
That was my letter to my mission president, but it applies to the things that you all need to know about what's new in my life. My last companion got transferred to Tana and I was set up to be with a mini missionary until next transfer news.
So, information about investigators and the branch here: We had 32 investigators at church this Sunday(it was weird but good, that we had a lot of different investigators than normal there), there were 220 people at church this last Sunday, a big jump from a 120 or so that were there the first Sunday I was here in Fianarantsoa. They're going to split the branch on Dec. 3rd-5th, I'm excited to see how that goes. Then they'll probably make the Fianarantsoa district of 4 a zone soon, with 8 or so, which is very exciting. Especially if I get to stay here for that because that means I'll be in the best area in the mission for about 3 more months. Dadanaivo is now on 2nd Nephi 25 in the Book Of Mormon and he says that he doesn't leave his home in the morning or go to sleep each night before reading the Book Of Mormon. His baptisimal date is now set for Dec.10th and his boys and their families should be soon to follow. I did finally see lemurs, last Monday. It was sooooo coooool, and there were so many. It was all out in the nature too, not just at a zoo. I got a few good pictures, and we plan to return soon again so that we can get some even better pictures and see some more cool things there. That's about all that I can think of that's new in the area here.
So answers to your questions and responses to things that you talked about:
That's cool that you and granny got to go to the art painting class together. I love granny, and I want to get her a Christmas present of art painting supplies but it wouldn't be too smart to buy the malagasy version here and ship them over there, so for Christmas could you all some painting supplies for granny and then in two years, I'll pay you back haha? :)
And that's sad to hear about ________. He was a great guy. It is good to have the knowldedge we do have about what happens after this life. I'll be praying for his family and ____, and for __________ as well. Malagasy's don't celebrate Thanksgiving but missionaries still do, kind of. Last year, they had the whole day off to cook and eat great food and celebrate thanksgiving. But this year, we have to pay for all the food ourselves and we don't get a day off for it. That doesn't bother me too much. I'm not really too worried about celebrating big parties when I have a greater purpose here. We'll still have good food that day, just not the whole day off. And I'm glad you got off the computer before your face fell into the keyboard, I don't want that for you ha. ;) Also, I've been thinking a lot lately about how I would like to be able to pay for half of my mission because I've realized from talks from apostles before and from thinking about it myself, that paying for my own mission would bring blessings to my life and to my mission. We can talk more about that next week though. But just to let you know, that is a really big desire that I have.
And for the things that I would like in the package, sorry if there's a lot:
1 Hardback English Book Of Mormon,
American pens,
pizza,
2 Church movies, The Testament, and one of your choice, besides Legacy, we already have that haha,
more pictures of everyone,
if possible, a letter from each person in the family, and from ____, if not possible handwritten, a printed email is no problem :),
a good book,
gum,
cd's,
2 pairs of shoestrings,
a flashlight or the tiny circular batteries for the flashlight I already have from the ______,
and 2 things of Dallas Roberts green tree hairstuff, it's in a green container, and I got it at the haircut place that _____ friend, works at thats right next to tucanos.
And I think that's all! I understand if I don't get all of that stuff, but that's all the stuff that I need and want! :) Oh, and also, a usb port, 8Gb if possible. It's 42000 Ar here which is 21dollars(4 days money for us), so if it's cheaper here, I'll just get it here and just sacrifice for it. But if you could in the next email, tell me if you got one for me in the package or if I should just get one here, that would be great!
I love you very very much and for eternity mom,
Elder Waters
God be with you till we meet again
Tsisy vaovao(Nothings new) you say that even when there's a lot vaovao. Vaovao aminareo(what's new with you all, even though you just told me)? haha It sounds like you've had a very long but good week, just like me. This copied and pasted email to my mission president should explain some of it:
"I have had a great, very interesting, and growing last few weeks. Challenges and triumphs, I've had em all, but I've seen that either way my life is going, the way to continue to have those triumphs and the way to overcome the challenges is by hard work, continuing to rely on the Lord in all things, and whatever comes my way, I must love it and take it as a chance to grow. I'm not neccessarily asking for you to send me to the hardest area with the hardest companion in the mission haha, but I know if that's what happens then there's a reason for it and if I endure it well then I'll grow from it and learn how to help others in the future.
It was very interesting when I got the transfer news that I would be losing Elder Rakotoniaina and receiving a mini. Because according to my thoughts and everyone elses in the house, we thought that I would have been with a mini-malagasy, who had only been a member since September 24, for a whole month before the next transfer. So I had the choice to either complain about how I'm not prepared for this, how I'm not mahay(skilled) enough yet, how that's way too much responsibility for me, or I could think the way that I had been teaching all my investigators the previous week to think. When challenges come into our lives, don't fear, don't stay at home and cry when you should go to church, but to endure them well, by leaning on Christ, through scripture study, and praying for the Lord's guidance, and then not only if we do these things, we'll come out "ok", we'll actually come out stronger than before. More prepared to help others when they receive the same kind of trials. I chose after a little bit of thought and prayer to choose the latter. To endure this trial well. I believed that if I leaned on Christ, and strived to work my hardest with the mini then everything would be ok, and that I'd actually come out stronger in the language and in my testimony of trials. In the meantime, I would strive my hardest to prepare this recent convert, who's 18 years old, for his mission.
I realized a few days later, that that was a good thing to take that attitude instead of the other because I would've looked really dumb 1st off, and 2nd, I was able to grow my testimony about trials and helping others, and 3rd, we were still able to teach some amazing people some great lessons before I found out that I'd be receiving my new companion. Because of that experience and many others, I know that all things that come into our lives will strengthen us, if, we take them on with the right attitude and endure them well.
That was my letter to my mission president, but it applies to the things that you all need to know about what's new in my life. My last companion got transferred to Tana and I was set up to be with a mini missionary until next transfer news.
So, information about investigators and the branch here: We had 32 investigators at church this Sunday(it was weird but good, that we had a lot of different investigators than normal there), there were 220 people at church this last Sunday, a big jump from a 120 or so that were there the first Sunday I was here in Fianarantsoa. They're going to split the branch on Dec. 3rd-5th, I'm excited to see how that goes. Then they'll probably make the Fianarantsoa district of 4 a zone soon, with 8 or so, which is very exciting. Especially if I get to stay here for that because that means I'll be in the best area in the mission for about 3 more months. Dadanaivo is now on 2nd Nephi 25 in the Book Of Mormon and he says that he doesn't leave his home in the morning or go to sleep each night before reading the Book Of Mormon. His baptisimal date is now set for Dec.10th and his boys and their families should be soon to follow. I did finally see lemurs, last Monday. It was sooooo coooool, and there were so many. It was all out in the nature too, not just at a zoo. I got a few good pictures, and we plan to return soon again so that we can get some even better pictures and see some more cool things there. That's about all that I can think of that's new in the area here.
So answers to your questions and responses to things that you talked about:
That's cool that you and granny got to go to the art painting class together. I love granny, and I want to get her a Christmas present of art painting supplies but it wouldn't be too smart to buy the malagasy version here and ship them over there, so for Christmas could you all some painting supplies for granny and then in two years, I'll pay you back haha? :)
And that's sad to hear about ________. He was a great guy. It is good to have the knowldedge we do have about what happens after this life. I'll be praying for his family and ____, and for __________ as well. Malagasy's don't celebrate Thanksgiving but missionaries still do, kind of. Last year, they had the whole day off to cook and eat great food and celebrate thanksgiving. But this year, we have to pay for all the food ourselves and we don't get a day off for it. That doesn't bother me too much. I'm not really too worried about celebrating big parties when I have a greater purpose here. We'll still have good food that day, just not the whole day off. And I'm glad you got off the computer before your face fell into the keyboard, I don't want that for you ha. ;) Also, I've been thinking a lot lately about how I would like to be able to pay for half of my mission because I've realized from talks from apostles before and from thinking about it myself, that paying for my own mission would bring blessings to my life and to my mission. We can talk more about that next week though. But just to let you know, that is a really big desire that I have.
And for the things that I would like in the package, sorry if there's a lot:
1 Hardback English Book Of Mormon,
American pens,
pizza,
2 Church movies, The Testament, and one of your choice, besides Legacy, we already have that haha,
more pictures of everyone,
if possible, a letter from each person in the family, and from ____, if not possible handwritten, a printed email is no problem :),
a good book,
gum,
cd's,
2 pairs of shoestrings,
a flashlight or the tiny circular batteries for the flashlight I already have from the ______,
and 2 things of Dallas Roberts green tree hairstuff, it's in a green container, and I got it at the haircut place that _____ friend, works at thats right next to tucanos.
And I think that's all! I understand if I don't get all of that stuff, but that's all the stuff that I need and want! :) Oh, and also, a usb port, 8Gb if possible. It's 42000 Ar here which is 21dollars(4 days money for us), so if it's cheaper here, I'll just get it here and just sacrifice for it. But if you could in the next email, tell me if you got one for me in the package or if I should just get one here, that would be great!
I love you very very much and for eternity mom,
Elder Waters
God be with you till we meet again
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
November 14, 2011
Hey Dad! I am doing great, and I'm glad that it sounds like you are too! Hey, tell the Bullocks hi for me please. I was just thinking of em and how I didn't get to see them before I left, so I'll just have to make up to em and go home teach them with you when I get back! :) Deal? How's being a Bishop still going for you? Does the ward feel your love that you have for em? I know it's hard work, and that you're getting old haha, but always strive to let them feel the Waters' love for others!
I've seen here that there are missionaries that are great missionaries, they know it all; they know the Gospel, the language, the rules, and they know how to teach all the lessons. But I've seen that there's also got to be more than the knowledge, the mind part of the work. There must be the heart and soul put into the work too. You have to love the people, even when they're the mean ones. Then even if you don't know the language well, or don't know the lessons as well, you show that you know the Gospel through your actions, and they will feel your love. Through you, they'll feel Christ's love, which will change lives, and help them desire to have that in their lives always! I've seen that the purpose of church(before the mission and after) is not just to get all the girls to like you and to be the coolest one there, it's about coming to an environment that allows you to grow spiritually and helping others not just the popular/cute ones develop friendships with me and others. That means taking time out of your conversations with your friends and goofing around in the halls, and reaching out to the others. The lost sheep or the ones that our trying to grow and helping them feel and learn about Christlike love-Charity. I wish I would have done that more sometimes, along with sharing the Gospel and my testimony with all my other nonmember friends more. I can't change the past, but I can change what I do right now!
I love my mission Dad! This week was great! I learned so much from my investigators! And we're having great success! We had 36 investigators at church on Sunday, even with 5 of our previous investigators getting baptized the day before.
I love my area, my comp, my family, my mission, my Heavenly Father, my Jesus Christ, and my love and other things that have grown during the mission. Love, love, love, love, love everything that comes into your life and everyone, including getting old. There are things to learn and blessings that will come from everything that happens in our life, if we endure well! And I'll try hard to do the same!
Love you dad for eternity,
Love you dad for eternity,
Elder Waters
God be with you till we meet again
God be with you till we meet again
November 14, 2011
Hey mom!!
Congrats on getting the first few days of family week done and on them going so well! Things are great here. The weather was good this week, no rain, just hot weather. I don't have much time, so I will send the list of the things that I need in my package next week, because there are still some things that I'm trying to decide on haha!
Dadanaivo is now in 2nd Nephi 5 and loving and wanting to finish the whole Book Of Mormon soon. The boys are doing great too! All of my investigators are great! The wards doing great...we had 181 people at church yesterday and 36 were our investigators. It was a great day! I'm loving my mission, loving growing, and loving learning how to love more haha!
I have recognized that gratefulness is very important over the last week too. It does brings blessings, and happiness! Thanks for sharing that experience with me about the mormon.org night. I still remember that night too! Thanks for all of the guidance and love that you've shared with me throughout my life, I still feel it here! And I still want to share it with you!
I love you mom for forever,
Elder Waters
God be with you till we meet again
Message for Facebook:
Love everyone, if you don't already, work on it. If you realize you can't do it on your own, than you're learning. Christlike love is a gift from God, you must pray for it, and put forth your own work also to receive the gift. When we do this, we will see why Jesus' 2nd greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Ataovy fitiavana ho'an'ny olon'drehetra, raha tsy bola ataonareo izany, ataovy asa ao amin'izany. Raha hitanao izay tsy azonao atao ao amin'ny teninao, avy eo, mianatra ianao. Fitiavan'i Kristy dia ny fanomezana avy amin'Andriamanitra, tsy maintsy mivavaka ho'an'izany,sy hanao ny asanao mba ho raisina io fanomezana io, Rehefa hataointsika izany, ho hitantsika ny antony nandidian'i Jesoa' didy tsara indrindra faha roa dia ataovy fitiavana ho'an'ny namana ny fomba izay tianao ny teninao.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
November, 7, 2011
Hey fianakaviako!
Vaovao!(what's new; you say that even if someone has just told you whats new; it's pretty funny)
Things are great here in Fianarantsoa, Madagascar! The rain/summer season has started. That's why you saw those pictures that it looked like I was wearing shorts and a short sleeve white shirt. Those were just my pants rolled up because it was raining so bad and we had to run up some muddy hills to hills and lots of puddles to get back to the house. That was Tantely, the Branch President's son, in the picture with me. He was with me that day because my companion was sick. We had fun though. He would speak little tidbits of English, which I didn't neccesarily need because I can actually understand Malagasy mostly now, but he said one phrase which I had to correct him on, "Oh my G""". He didn't know what it meant, but he said it over and over again because he said that his English teacher at school told the class that that's a fomba fiteny(a common saying) in America. But I had to tell him that there are a lot of things that American's say a lot that aren't good haha. And he stopped after that ha. So yeah, the weather here: I came to Fianarantsoa during the end of the winter time, and here in Fianarantsoa it's a little bit colder than most other cities in Mada because it's in the mountains. On the coast it's always hot, but now we're in the summer season because seasons are opposite here. And here in mada during the summer it rains, and it rains a lot, and because they don't really have good gutter systems here, the water builds up and up and up and because fianarantsoa is really mountainy, its a lot of dirt and not really paved roads, so when it rains, we slip and slide everywhere in mud. It's pretty fun. But the other problem with how bad it rains here and is that it rains so bad and there's lot of lightning, so the power goes out constantly. It's ok though, because that's what I expected I was gonna be experiencing here anyways haha. But now because of that, my flashlights dead, and it's not the one that I can just put new double AA bateries in, because I lost that one in the MTC, it's a really good flashlight that I got from the ----- before I left, but it takes those tiny circular batteries which I have seen no where here, so I guess that's one of things that I need in my package is either a new flashlight or those batteries(I'll get the name of them and give them to you in my next email along with the rest of the things I need). So that's the weather here in mada now, rainy and hot, but I still love it!
So updates on investigators: we had 34 investigators at church on Sunday. We should be having lots of baptisms when we get vita soratra(marriages) problems and word of wisdom problems taken care of. Vita Soratra is such a problem here because it's expensive(the people are poor), it's difficult to get kopia(a paper from where you were born that is required before you can get married)i.e. the trip to get the kopia in fandranbava, and they take a lot of time. And then there are people who have still been waiting to get divorced for years so they can remarried to their new spouse, and even after paying lots and lots of money to get lawyers to get it taken care of, it's still not done(the government isn't perfect here, but I'm not gonna talk about that). Our investigators are doing well though working through there word of wisdom problems. And about the dad and brothers: yesterday was the first day the dad was able to come to church, his boys had come before 3 or 4 times, but yesterday the dad was able come with them and they stayed for all 3 hours. It was very exciting. I sat with one of them during sunday school and explained things to him. It was the 2 month anniversary of the first day we taught them yesterday. And the thing about it having already been 2 months, a long time in fianarantsoa standards before they get baptized, is that that is different than most other investigators we have here, but they are also more understanding than most others about how serious we are because there is a common saying here that says "there are many gates that you can enter in, and still make it to that one God and one Kingdom of his." They think, it doesn't matter how I did baptism, just as long as I did it, and it doesn't matter where I go to church, there's only one God, we'll all make it back if we just go to church and get baptized. But, this family is different, they realize that they have to study for themselves and really commit themselves to this church before they do baptism. Last night, after we had taught the brothers, it was really late and it's malala fomba(tradition) to walk with your guests back for a good amount of time until they say that's enough, but we asked them just to take us by their fathers house real quick just to say hello, and that it was nice to see him at church, and so they took us over to his house. And when we walked in, the brothers didn't knock, they just walked in(I say that because it's important to the story), but as we walked in we saw The Book of Mormon in front of him and opened up to 1st Nephi 3 and the reason I said the fact before about walking in without knocking first, is because that means that he definitely didn't just plant the BOM there to make it look like he had been reading haha, but the even greater thing about that is that we hadn't even given him any homework before from the BOM, but he was already on chapter 3 by reading just on his own will. It was a great day yesterday with that and many others. But that's my update for them, they're progressing again, and for Fianarantsoa.
And answers and responses to the other things you asked and talked about: We'll get the conference addresses in English soon in the Liahona, that's the magazine they use here. I'm excited for the notes from church, I remember when I used to feel those things out for other missionaries and now I'm gonna be getting one...weird thought but good haha. I did get the package with all of that in there. Thanks so much for all of the that. The bicycle braclets for my pants have come in handy, the new problem though is that my shoelaces got ripped off in the chain last time, but I had a new set of shoelaces that I brought with me, but now if you could send some new shoelaces in the next package that would be good to ha. I haven't gotten to use the flea bombs yet, but the flea problems a lot better for some reason now, I only find a couple a day now, but I do plan on using it soon. And the candy is scrumptious, I got a pretty nice stomachache a couple times from splurging too much on the candy though haha! This week I'll make a list of things that I would like for my next package and I'll send it to you in my next email. :)
Thanks for your testimony on prayer. I've definitely had my testimony of prayer strengthened lately. My prayers have become a lot more sincere. The mission strengthens a lot of things, and I know there are many more reasons that God has for asking every young, worthy young man to serve a mission, other than sharing the Gospel. I know I have grown so much on my mission already! I really have been pleased with my decision to serve a mission and thankful for your encouragement, and the encouragement of others that have helped me decide to go on this mission. I know this is exactly where I am supposed to be at this time and I'm thankful for the preparation that I did do before my mission, and saddened for the preparations that I didn't but could've done to prepare more for my mission, but I know that no matter what, even if we may not be as prepared as others, if we are worthy and decide to go on our mission, our Heavenly Father will qualify us and help progress more than we ever could if we stayed home. I bet this mission will be the single most shaping experience in my life, for the better ha. I love you all and I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love you all for eternity,
Elder Waters
God be with you till we meet again
My message for facebook: Trials are good for us, if we will but look to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, to heaven, in prayer, to help us through them, in the end, we will see the reason we received that trial and we will see that we have grown for the better. I know this to be true, and say so in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Malagasy: Tsara ho'antsika ny fisedrana, raha ho hitantsika amin'ny Rainay an'i Danitra sy Jesoa Kristy, amin'danitra, amin'fivavahana, mba hanampy antsika amin'izy ireo, rehefa vita ny fisedrana, ho hitantsika ny antony izay no hazontsika io fisedrana io sy ho hitantsika izay nitomboantsika ho an'ny tsara kokoa. Fantatro izany dia marina, sy nataoko amin'ny anaran'i Jesoa Kristy, Amena.
October 31, 2011
Hey family!!
What an interesting, growing, long, hot week it has been in Madagascar for me! It was great! I learned lots of great things and feel like my testimony grows each week as it is pushed to grow in order to help those we teach each week. We have some great investigators, and we had some great lessons this last week.
It all started this week on our trip home, back to fianarantsoa, from tana(antananarivo) when we stopped in ahmbositra to switch buses, but we ended up waiting there for about 2 hours as they tried to fill the bus up. And as we waited there, with headaches, soreness, sweatiness, and carsickness a man came up to us and just started asking all kinds of questions about the church, like, "Are you Christian? How many missionaries do you have in madagascar(I couldn't even remember how to say numbers right, because I had such a bad headache ha)? Where are your church headquarters? Can I interview each of you on my phone(he was a doctor, so he actually had a super nice phone with a nice camera) so I can go back and look at your answers later tonight again and again? Then he interviewed each of us and asked us questions about the church, and how it came about,
and we bore testimonies and then gave him a pamphlet of the restoration to read and pray about if he really wanted to know more. And we gave him our phone number and the phone number of the elders in ahmbositra. Then he walked off and sat down(in our view) and starting reading the pamphlet. One of the elders in the district took a picture of it. I'll try and send it soon.
But I have 000000 more time after doing all of these pictures.
I love you all for eternity,
Elder Waters
God be with you till we meet again
October 24, 2011
Hello family and friends and family,
this weekend was...............AMAZING!!!
It all started with our trip here to antananarivo. We left the house at 6:30 in the morning and left the bus station at 7:30. We drove and drove and drove and drove and finally stopped after about 5 hours at a place called Ambositra for lunch. Ambositra is known for having really really amazing wood carvers, so I bought you some voandalina(souveneirs) for about 2000 Ar, which is $1 haha, but that's also 1/5 of my allotment per day ha! And then I almost bought a big bottle of Givenche cologne for like 8000 Ar which is $4 haha but the bus rushed us back on before I could get it, maybe on the way back. And then we got back on the road, and drove for about another 5 hours while taking lots of smoke breaks for the drivers and then the taxibus broke down because these drivers were a couple of 20 year olds who would drive really fast, which I'm fine with, but then they would run straight over all the potholes, which on the one highway in all of madagascar is a lot of, unlike other drivers who are experienced. And so because of that, our bus broke down two different times and we were stuck in the middle of nowhere haha! It was pretty interesting, but then finally we made it to antananarivo at about 8 o'clock at night after about a 13 hour drive in thank goodness, a comfy taxibus, we made it ha! It was a very interesting trip, but it was definitely worth it after the amazing weekend we had.
Then the next day, my district and others had to get to the mission headquarters early to help clean up the place before the mission conference started. We had to be there at 10 and the conference started at 2, but the plan was, because the house of the missionaries that we had stayed in the night before was an hour and half away by bus and walking, and because we'd be working we thought we'd get sweaty and stuff so we decided that we'd just take our suits and change their after we finished cleaning. But, once we got off the last bus after the hour and half trip the mission headquarters, I realized that I had forgotten my suit at the house haha! But thank goodness, there were still some of the other missionaries at the house. I was soo scared at first though haha!
And then, the conference began. The first thing we did was took a picture as a mission with Elder Nelson and with the other leaders that came, and then we went inside the chapel and each of us got to shake their hands. It was so cool! And then the conference began, and all of the leaders taught some amazing lessons that I'll have to share with you later because there is not much more time today because we did a proselyting activity as an entire mission this morning and now we have to go to a family home evening with our mission president. But Elder Nelson had just a question and amazing answer talk with us and the other leaders were amazing also! I felt the spirit so much in there. And I have a great mission president and mission mom! They're great!
Then the next morning we had stake conference with all the leaders again. And that was amazing too! We sat in the 2nd to the very front row right next to the choir and I'm so happy we did! The choir was amazing! They definitely brought the Spirit and Elder Nelson definitely acknowledged how amazing they were many times. I have a feeling when they do have a temple open house here, he's definitely gonna want to come so he can hear from them again and feel of all the spirits of the malagasy's! It was an amazing meeting! And I have a story from that that I'll have to tell to you about that happened in that meeting later too!
And then today was great too! But I have to head to FHE now, but I love you all very very much!
Love for eternity,
Elder Waters
Oh and answers to your questions:
I did receive the package, but I haven't opened it just yet. I'll have to try to tell you phase 2 and 3 to the story next week. I did finally wash my socks haha! I do remember Elder Squires. He's a previous mission president which is serving a mission again. Tell Brock I love him too. I love you all! And I can definitely already testify to all the boys back home that the mission is definitely the most amazing thing they'll ever do in their lives and it is definitely worth the sacrifices! I know that to be true already, I can't wait to see how much more my testimony of that grows for the rest of my life too though!
God be with you till we meet again
this weekend was...............AMAZING!!!
It all started with our trip here to antananarivo. We left the house at 6:30 in the morning and left the bus station at 7:30. We drove and drove and drove and drove and finally stopped after about 5 hours at a place called Ambositra for lunch. Ambositra is known for having really really amazing wood carvers, so I bought you some voandalina(souveneirs) for about 2000 Ar, which is $1 haha, but that's also 1/5 of my allotment per day ha! And then I almost bought a big bottle of Givenche cologne for like 8000 Ar which is $4 haha but the bus rushed us back on before I could get it, maybe on the way back. And then we got back on the road, and drove for about another 5 hours while taking lots of smoke breaks for the drivers and then the taxibus broke down because these drivers were a couple of 20 year olds who would drive really fast, which I'm fine with, but then they would run straight over all the potholes, which on the one highway in all of madagascar is a lot of, unlike other drivers who are experienced. And so because of that, our bus broke down two different times and we were stuck in the middle of nowhere haha! It was pretty interesting, but then finally we made it to antananarivo at about 8 o'clock at night after about a 13 hour drive in thank goodness, a comfy taxibus, we made it ha! It was a very interesting trip, but it was definitely worth it after the amazing weekend we had.
Then the next day, my district and others had to get to the mission headquarters early to help clean up the place before the mission conference started. We had to be there at 10 and the conference started at 2, but the plan was, because the house of the missionaries that we had stayed in the night before was an hour and half away by bus and walking, and because we'd be working we thought we'd get sweaty and stuff so we decided that we'd just take our suits and change their after we finished cleaning. But, once we got off the last bus after the hour and half trip the mission headquarters, I realized that I had forgotten my suit at the house haha! But thank goodness, there were still some of the other missionaries at the house. I was soo scared at first though haha!
And then, the conference began. The first thing we did was took a picture as a mission with Elder Nelson and with the other leaders that came, and then we went inside the chapel and each of us got to shake their hands. It was so cool! And then the conference began, and all of the leaders taught some amazing lessons that I'll have to share with you later because there is not much more time today because we did a proselyting activity as an entire mission this morning and now we have to go to a family home evening with our mission president. But Elder Nelson had just a question and amazing answer talk with us and the other leaders were amazing also! I felt the spirit so much in there. And I have a great mission president and mission mom! They're great!
Then the next morning we had stake conference with all the leaders again. And that was amazing too! We sat in the 2nd to the very front row right next to the choir and I'm so happy we did! The choir was amazing! They definitely brought the Spirit and Elder Nelson definitely acknowledged how amazing they were many times. I have a feeling when they do have a temple open house here, he's definitely gonna want to come so he can hear from them again and feel of all the spirits of the malagasy's! It was an amazing meeting! And I have a story from that that I'll have to tell to you about that happened in that meeting later too!
And then today was great too! But I have to head to FHE now, but I love you all very very much!
Love for eternity,
Elder Waters
Oh and answers to your questions:
I did receive the package, but I haven't opened it just yet. I'll have to try to tell you phase 2 and 3 to the story next week. I did finally wash my socks haha! I do remember Elder Squires. He's a previous mission president which is serving a mission again. Tell Brock I love him too. I love you all! And I can definitely already testify to all the boys back home that the mission is definitely the most amazing thing they'll ever do in their lives and it is definitely worth the sacrifices! I know that to be true already, I can't wait to see how much more my testimony of that grows for the rest of my life too though!
God be with you till we meet again
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