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