Hey mom!
 
OH yeah, Transfer news is tonight, if I go anywhere you will know next
monday. Maybe I will, maybe I won't I have no idea what is going to
happen. The last few transfers were really boring and nothing happened
to my entire zone! Tana south zone just stayed exactly the same... So
hopefully they do something this week... I just want to see something
interesting happen.
 
Okay so now for the fun stuff....
 
First we had some baptisms this week. One kid that was 18 and will
probably receive the preisthood in a year, and two girls, who are
children of a mazoto family, they just aren't married yet (that is a
ginourmous problem here... because it's so hard for people to get
married.) So we have a whole bunch of people ready to get baptized,
there are just problems with what they call a Vita Soratra (pronounced
'Vee-tuh 'Sor-uh-ch) So that was good. Baptisms always feel nice
because you work so hard for such a long time then finally you can see
what you have done. It takes forever to find teach and baptize someone
so it just feels great when you see people get baptized.
 
So other things... I can probably put the pictures in a different
email for you. just wait a bit woman.
 
So now I will start on spiritual things then move on to whatever I feel like.
 
First, This past thursday I was on splits in my area with Elder
McIntire our zone leader. He had to do some interviews for us so we
could baptize the few people we had for our baptisms 2 days ago. So
while we were on splits We did our normal thing, the first 2 people
weren't there so that was kind of a let down. I went to check on the
third person after we did a few things, and he wasn't there, so I went
to see if investigators who live nearby was home, and they were. So we
taught them the first lesson again since they didn't remember anything
from the last time and that was cool, then we left and we had one of
them show us where she lives so we can get her and her husband when
they aren't in the house we teach at. So after that we went to see if
Daniel our 3rd appointment in the day was home. He was so that was
good, but he was drunk.. which wasn't the best thing ever. I didn't
notice until after we had started out lesson since he wasn't crazy
drunk to the point he can't stand, but just a little more than buzzed.
So I asked him is he drank that day to which he responded yes. I asked
him why and he started telling me about how hard his job is since he
dug a 12 meter deep hole, and it takes so much out of hime and he is
really tired. On top of that his wife died a few years ago and so did
his son. I just started relating to him telling him how I know how it
all feels, since I have seen a few people die and I have worked so
hard all I did when I came home was slept (you can attest to that). He
just kept telling me that it's too hard and he needs the alcohol and
drugs to make him forget the pain of all that and how he needs touse
it to remedy his sorrow. So I started into story time. I told him
about the Joseph Smith story when he was thrown in jail and asked God
why had he forsaken him, and God's answer came to him (all in D&C 121)
and how he can relate that to his life. He just needs tohave faith God
will come. I also told him that if he doesn't have faith and just
keeps drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana then he will not be able
to receive God's help because he is not relying on God for help but
his own strength, and just trying to remove what he feels with sins.
At the end I asked him if he would stop drinking and smokeing so he
could receive God's help, but he insitsted he needed to. I just told
him if he doesn't stop, God can't help him, and that he needs to try
hard and he will receive help to all his problems, he just has to have
faith. In the End he did accept to stop. I don't know how it has been
since then since I haven't been able to stop by his house, but we will
see this week if he has stopped. I sure hope he has.
 
Okay, another cool story. So for some reason a deaf guy decided to
show up to our ward, when he normally goes to anjanahary. So we had no
Idea what to do, we don't speak signlanguage. So he had us sit next to
him and translate... yeah not the best idea if we don't know
signlanguage, but that didn't stop Jules, he had to have us translate
since we are missionaries (He just really really loves missionaries)
So during sacrament, we started learning some signlanguage, and
teaching in it. He taught us the sacrament prayer, how to say a few
things, and kinda gave us a talk on Adam and Eve, which I am still not
sure how in the world I understood what he was saying with his
hands... Go figure. But During Sacrament meeting songs I would "sing"
along with him and I learned a whole bunch of malagasy sign language.
I am pretty sure no one in the world would ever understand what I was
saying... even most people in madagascar wouldn't know... as I will
demonstrate in my funny story of the week. But that was our experience
in sign language. learning and teaching at the same time, trying to
get him to understand what in the world was going on.
 
So here is my final story, but it's more of a comical one.
 
First you need a backgroud because I am not sure if you remember
really well how people run taksibes. So there is a driver of the
taksibe (remember the video I showed you) then there is a guy called
the caller, who obviously calls things, but he calls out where they
are heading. Just like in America if they called out the mall then
certain neighborhoods that they are going to or passing by. So he does
that and collects the money when they are moving.
 
So yesterday I was sitting next to the back of the taksibe, right next
to the door in back, and the taksibe caller just collects my money and
gives me change, and then after we stop he starts calling the places
and whatever, then some kids start begging me for money. When they
knocked on the window, I acted way overly excited and just started
waving at them and smiling like crazy and they just started laughing
really really hard. (hold on I am getting to what is the funny part)
So then the door is open and they ask for it from the back, then I
start talking to them in signlanguage. They had no idea what was
happening and the other malagasies on the bus thought I was really
really good at signlanguage and just noted that among themselves by
saying "mahay teny tanana izy." So then we take off and at the next
taksibe stop I have nothing to do, and I reallyreally get bored on 30
minute long taksibe rides because there is nothing for me to do. So
The caller gets out and starts shouting off areas to which they are
going. He started yelling annoyingly, "Ankazomanga antanimena
akadifotsy rasalama" As soon as he stops, in the most annoying voice I
can do, I start mimicking him. I yelled out the same locations, and
the Malagasies on the bus by my started laughing. They were getting a
kick out of it. As soon as the caller stopped yelling the places, I
turn around and incospicuously start yelling out the areas again, to
which the nearby malagasy turns to me and says, "ataovy mafy" or say
it louder. So when they caller takes another break, I start yelling
out the areas pretty loud, and even the driver on the bus started
laughing at my act... It was really funny! When the caller got on he
started saying to me,"Hey how about I sit down there and you do this
for me?" I just asked back to him, "Will I get paid?" He told me yes,
then I said I would. Then he started asking me if I had a girlfriend,
a malagasy one specifically. I told him I did, but she was from
Mexico, but she does look like a malagasy a little bit. I then had to
proceed into a geography lesson because he thought Mexico was
somewhere near Ecuardor. How fun! That was my taksibe experience. When
I got off and the taksibe drove away, I waved to them and the entire
bus waved back at me.
 
So that is my weekly update. Pretty long so that should keep you all
entertained for awhile....
 
Love,
Elder Nash

This is a story from Adam's companion's blog just wanted to share it!
Me and Elder Nash did try to express our affinity for performing by serenading to some random dude on the highway. The way it started was by the man asking us where we were going. We said that we were heading to Andravohangy Amboniny - he asked if we were going to take a taxi, we said yes. He shook his head knowingly, as if having some sort of a private joke in his head. I then said jokingly in English, "Well are you gonna loan us your magic-carpet or something?" Going on right with the beat, Elder Nash started into "A Whole New World" from Aladdin. Without questioning what was going on, I joined him for the next line, "shining, simmering, splendid." Then we broke into the whole song, going together till Jasmin's part came up, and then I went on a solo while Nash did an interpretive dance routine and chimed in with the corresponding back-up for Aladdin's part. The man had no idea what we were saying, but he seemed to enjoy it anyway. Eat your heart out "Book of Mormon: The Musical".

I forgot about telling you the Aladdin story, but oh well, I have a few other ones that..  are funny but not quite inspirational, then, amin'ny farany I can tell you an inspirational one. (I'm going to actually throw in malagasy so you can see how I talk to other people that speak english here)
So our cool stuff never actually started till Friday, well, cool in the way that I can actually tell a story from it... then I will share a spiritual one from sunday and Thursday.
So We talked to someone on a path to contact them and we started speaking to them in malagasy mazava ho azy (Obviously), and they tried responding in french, so we told them in malagasy that we don't speak french. So instead of talking to us in malagasy, he starts to use his hand to talk to us like we wouldn't understand him at all, so everytime he did a hand motion we would say the word in malagasy till he actually talked to us like we were Humans. It's weird how you can speak malagasy and people still think you have no idea what they are saying, while others talk to you in malagasy and expect you to know it.
So the next one is about Mr. Mamo or the Drunk man who yelled at us. When we were talking to some people and setting up a time to return and talk to them we heard out of no where,"HEY! Mpangalan-jaza ianareo!" That wasn't good, because he said we stole children... Who knows where that came from, but we had to go quickly, because we saw a fat drunk guy running towards the stairs to come at us. So we -took off towards an epicerie to avoid the confrontation, but he was coming fast, and came up to us andstarted yelling at us and how we need to get out of his country and to leave madagascar and their poverty alone. HE said that we don't know how it is there, and to take our God and leave, and let them stay their with their own God and religion, and to stay out of their business. We already killed saddam and Binladen, we just need to leave them at peace and get out. At the end he said F off, then turned to go away and tripped and fell (before this he had been walking and moving perfectly as if he hadn't touched alcohol) and everyone laughed at him (by this  time a crowd of 70 people had gathered too) and he got up and jumped over to us and said abruptly in our faces, "That wasn't your God! I have been drinking since yesterday! F off!" and then he ran back to his house, and I thought way to go God! It was really funny, then the Bebe shopkeeper asked us if we were scared and we said no, but then we continued our day as normal.
Later that day when we went to Happy King, a richer person restaraunt, we just were leaving after ordering and I was heading outside to sit next to Elder Cryer, and I passed by some people speaking in english (there are some americans that visit madagascar, but not many) and they asked each other, "what were we talking about?" so I just said, " I don't know" and walked off. They laughed alot, and thought I was creepy, but oh well, I thought it was pretty funny.
So next is about Sunday. Well guess what! In church I taught Gospel principles, in malagasy! How exciting! There wasn't anyone in the class to help me because Elder Cryer was giving a blessing to someone and I really had to teach it since no one else could, because no one knew what was going on. The Malagasies said I did a good job!

SO anyways, spiritual stuff.
First sunday then thursday.
Sunday we had to get up early so we could pick up an investigator to go to church. So after getting up and running around (literally taking a 1 minute shower) we ran out of the house and got to his house only 10 minutes late, only to have his neighbor tell us that he was way up north.Depressing... so we started the 30 minute walk to church from there. We really felt Kivy (discouraged/depressed, a wierd mixture of those two words) so we just talked about how that guy was a jerk (since he was literally a 2 hour car ride journey away) So we had no idea what we should do. So we get to church, say hi, sit down, and when sacrament meeting starts we have 13 investigators at church, a normal number. But slowly we start seeing more and more people come in, andthe investigators camein slowly but steadily, and by the end of sacrament meeting there was 25 investigators at sacrament meeting! It was a really cool experience because we were so sad but we knew something was going to happen, just not exactly what. So because we did our best to bring people to sacrament and church, more people came, which really was awesome after a not so hot week. That was a really cool experience.
The Next one was this last thursday. I had a lesson with someone I hadn't taught much before cause it was on ward missionary splits. So, we taught the daughter of one of our recent converts, since she hadn't learned a lot before her mom's baptism. So I had no idea what to teach her, and Elder Cryer just said to me to do what the spirit tells me to do. So when I get there with a member from the ward, I just had no idea what to do, but hey, I started the lesson anyways, and as normal I asked if they had any questions about their reading, so of course it's no (and this entire time I have the ward member who doesn't shut up and acts like white people don't know malagasy very well so he likes to restate what I say, or word for word....  nice huh?) so no one does and I go into the lesson, I just open up the Book of Mormon and I start looking for a scripture and I find the one in Alma about faith. So that was my lesson. I just started teaching about faith and how we have to excercise faith to know all things. I went through my conversion story and how I had used it so much before. During the lesson when I wasn't looking at her, whenever I looked back I noticed she was looking at me, focusing on everyword I say, which isn't normal for her since she is so quiet and shy. She was intently forcusing on everything I was saying, and I could feel the spirit really strongly. I spoke about faith, and how we have to show God That we are ready to receive an answer before we can receive a testimony or receive what he has for us. During the entire lesson she was listening really intently instead of staring at the ground or the bed. It was probably one of the most powerful lessons I have taught here so far, and I can tell it really changed how she felt because she came to church for the first time yesterday.
That's my spiritual stuff,
Hope you enjoyed the Email, and have fun. I will be waiting for the package (Transfers in 2 weeks)
Love,
Elder Nash

Hey mom!

Guess what I had for Easter Dinner!

Chocolate pancakes! I just threw whatever I could together so I could have food since I hadn't been shopping in 2 weeks.... but oh well at least I am alive, the pancakes were actually really good! I really enjoyed them a lot and the only thing was they stuck to the pan because the first one burned a little... oh well! I think I will be okay.

So yesterday was a holiday for all of Madagascar! They celebrate the day after easter so we got absolutely no missionary work done at all, and we have to use part of our day to email now since everything was closed.... pretty much everything. It was like Christmas in America. No one worked with the exception of an epicerie here and there. But, I survived.

Yeah the candy made me homesick but I was so freaking happy when I got it I was ready to cry! I loved it so much! It sucks that it costs so much to do anything with me here... send packages, call on the phone, everything. I wish it weren't so much...

So I did do a lot of exciting things this week, sort of! we had a really weird experience earlier this week and so I guess I should just start typing the stories than random jibberish.

First, a kid from the cameroon is now in the mission and lives in my house! I speak in french to him since he doesn't know english at all, so that is pretty cool!

More things..

We saw and had to bless a kid with small pox. That was weird! He literally looked like his head was going to explode. the best anyone could describe it was a lot of blisters with open wounds on his head, and his forhead, well it looked like he was an alien from startrek because he had a lot of puss and blisters inside of his forhead. It was really really gross.The reason we ran into him was we were walking down an alley and some people told us their kid's head was sick (that's how you say something is wrong or hurting). So since we couldn't see from the light from the lightening or from the cell phone's barely visible orange light, we took him to an open area. When we did that we saw the aformentioned sickness... It was really really really really really gross. You have no idea... We were really confused as what it could have been since it wasn't all over the place, just on his head. So being confused missionaries we called Sister Lehnhardt because she might know what to do... and she really could only tell us to wash our hands as soon as possible... which was already our plan since we didn't want to get sick... How exciting.... It was tough telling the malagasies what to do since they could only think of money and the like, even though we kept telling them the kid needed to go to the hospital and shouldn't touch other kids... and about seven seconds later he was holding his sister's hand... which was not a good sign of their understanding.... So that was my encounter with small pox.

Okay so before that, I was actually at a member's house and we ate dinner (we only eat dinner at member's houses like 2 or 3 times a week so it sucks... we usually buy most everything, but that's fine since the people here are really poor.) and we gave the dad a blessing! I got to do it, so it was a really neat experience giving a blessing in a different language. I thought it was pretty cool.

So continuing on with the week, on Friday we did splits so I went out with Elder Lefrant, who is a new missionary here... like 3 weeks into his stay in madagascar. We had a really good time together and we did get a bit done. I made hime teach as much as possible so he could get better. But here are some things that happened...

First we went to our first time, which was cancelled. So we had to go tracting. I really enjoyed it because I joked around with the people a lot. A person's name was vola, or money in english. So I asked her if she was rich because of that... she said no and I said she should be if she is named that! Other people I just joked around with and pretended to misunderstand things and ask people if they had 8 hour long church.


Also later in the day I had to teach a lesson but there was no guy in the house so I couldn't go in.. so I just told one kid standing around, "hey you, you need to learn go in the house!" he ended up staying for most of the lesson but by then a different guy was in there so it was okay.It was really really really funny!

So a couple more things... then just answering people's questions.

When I was with Elder Cryer there was one person who had to clean up before they could learn... so me and Elder Cryer helped... which that involved catching chickens! We chased down the first 6 no problem! after that though... there were the last 2, the tricky ones. We had them cornered and they would half fly down a hill and run and barely escape out the other side. So we had to lunge and almost dive at them. The last one took me jumping in the  way and eldercryer grabbing it by it's wings.It was quite an adventure! Everyone around us was laughing, but we got the job done! that is all that matters

That was our week. Now the little synopsis on my area:

The area is goingalright, a lot better than all the other areas in Tana.We are keeping up on our goal to get 60 baptisms for the year. We have 18 to date, and maybe 3 more depending on what happens this week. I am going to go on splits this Friday and work in Mahamasina, which is the first time I will work out of my area. That should be coo! I haven't been able to do that yet, and I am getting tired of working in the same area... We had a sweet activity and build a referal tree for the members... and hopefully that gets more people interested in doing missionary work! You never know though... we'll have to wait and see.

Tell everyone to keep sending me emails and stuff and I will just respond in a huge ginormous letter. We'll see what happens here... and I'll try to get better at sending bigger emails like this one!

Love,
Elder Nash