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.
