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