Austin's Madagascar Mission: Weird Happenings

Ok so crazy story time. Last P-day, after I got done emailing and stuff and found quite the surprise in my newly bound hymn book. This will require some explaining of the P-day 2 weeks ago. Remember how I talked about the Reunion Elders and Sisters coming over for that MLC? I think I might have mentioned Sister Stewart but if not here we go. Basically, she is legendary over here in Mada for being super attractive even though no has really even seen here. Anyway, she came over here for that MLC on Sunday. Monday morning, I take my books to get bound including my hymnbook. I have not been anywhere near the Reunion Sisters at this point. I drop it off at the book binder and whatever and we go to our regular soiree. It is here, at the soiree that I meet Sister Stewart for the first time (in the pictures shes the one that is not super tall and white but kind of darker but not black if that makes sense). So I meet her and whatever and she's pretty cool but yeah she has the MLC the next day and then leaves the day after that. So fast forward to last Monday. I open my hymnbook and there is a laminated piece of paper in the book. Upon closer inspection I realize that it is Sister Stewart's Patriarchal Blessing. Yeah. It makes no sense. It is a sign from above. Or so I thought. It actually makes a lot of sense now but I still like to think that it was a sign. And after I found that, Elder Rice and I were moving stuff around in our apartment and we found a picture dated 9-15-13. Not that big of a deal right? Except that it was 9-15-14 when we found it. Update for y'all: Friday the 13th has been canceled, it is now Monday the 15th that is the day for weirdness. We took a picture and printed it off so we can put it on the wall next to the other one and start a tradition.

Lesson wise, this week has stunk. Like absolutely. We try to go by Moe's house but he is never home and he hasn't come to church yet so we will probably have to push back his baptismal date. We went by his house on Tuesday I think and his wife let us in. And guess what he was doing? He was passed out in the other room because he was drunk. Pull yourself together man! Hopefully we can get to him a couple times this week and get him fired up and going again to get him baptized and to quit drinking and smoking. Not in that order obviously but you get the idea.

Vololona and her family have been progressing very well. Elder Rice had me commit them to come to church and as soon as I asked, the dad started saying, "Sunday is the only day we have off and it's the only day we can wash clothes and clean and"... on and on and on. Vololona just stopped him and said, "Those are just excuses, we can go." Yeah she's way awesome. But they didn't come to church so super lamesauce is what that is. We went to go teach on Saturday but they weren't home and the neighbors said they would be back on Sunday so no idea where they went.

We had Andry go with us for a little bit one day (He's a stud 19 year old. He's Soa's cousin and they live together. He's in one of the videos I sent home with the locust eating). He took us to some less active members that we had no idea where they lived. We taught this guy who is almost literally falling apart medically. He just had surgery on his mouth to pull out some teeth and stuff cause it hurts him and he has a hard time walking. There was a time where his legs were paralyzed and he couldn't move around at all but he's recovered mostly from that. Now he can't control his bladder and he will just pee himself on occasion. That's one of the reasons he doesn't go to church is because he's afraid he'll pee himself while he's there. If he could even make it there that is. I felt way bad for the guy. We talked to the bishop on Sunday and set up homebounds for them because they have never done it before. Some priests took him the Sacrament on Sunday right after church so that was way good.

We taught Soa last night and it went pretty well. I'm getting better at these spiritual thoughts in Malagasy. Afterwards, she asked us to give her daughter a blessing. It was a way neat experience. I just did the anointing because I literally can't give the blessing because I can't exactly speak this language. We had the words written down though for the anointing so I just read it off a paper haha. But it was a way sweet experience and the spirit was very strong. I'm sure Elder Rice gave a great blessing even though I have no idea what he said.

Tinamora is a way neat lady. She has seriously the cutest little girl I have ever seen. I sent you that video of her saying just that. I feel bad for Tinamora because she isn't married and she can't get baptized because her "husband" won't marry her and she won't leave him because of the 5 kids they have. Maybe she'll find a way to get it done. She made us crepes too which was way awesome.

Being in the office has it's perks. We get to receive transfer news early. And last night we got jsut that. We are getting some other Elders in our apartment and getting some changes to the AP's. Also, Sister Stewart is coming to Mada. I guess this has been a plan for awhile and while she was here she got some books bound and one of them had her patriarchal blessing in it. The binders took it out to bind the book and put it in my book by mistake. So it's not as divine as you think. Except she is coming into my area so take that how you will haha.

A pretty uneventful P-day today except that we had a ping pong tournament at the church with most of the missionaries in Tana. It was way fun even though I suck at ping pong. Let's just say I lost in the first round... of the regular bracket and the losers bracket... haha. We went and picked up our African shirts which are just way sick. We really didn't do much other than that.

I tried to make crepes the other day but PAM doesn't exist out here so I tried to butter the pan down hardcore to make it work. Well long story short it didn't. I ended up making crepe balls that we just put nutella on and ate and it wasn't too bad.

I think that's about it for this week. Keep on keepin on down in Southern Utah and the various other parts of the world that this email is going to. Peace!

Elder Coleman

P.S.

You never go to a college football game once, heck you never talk about going to a football game once but now that I'm on the other side of the world you just think you can go and do whatever you want? Just kidding that sounds way fun. But yeah you'll have to take me when I get back. It's a must so yeah put that in the planner.

That's way cool that Erin came to visit! How is she doing? And Janikah, how's she?

Good job on the missionary work! Way to be planting seeds and what ever!

The picture from the car was some kind of mob that was doing a celebration outside our house for 2 days straight. No sleep was had basically. They blasted music all night. The girls were Vololona's and that's like a permanent makeup. It like bleaches their faces and when they take it off it makes their skin lighter for quite awhile.

I don't like ice cream. I like nutella. Big difference there.

We have a microwave yes and I don't think I'll need it but you can send it if you want. A bottle isn't exactly a bad thing to have. Also, Gummi eggs are must in the Christmas package. A drink mix that goes in water would be great too like gatorade or lemonade or something. And music again, you can put Disney songs on there because President changes in June so I might be able to listen to it when the new one comes in. Any food from America that won't expire in the trip over here is perfect. Money is not a bad idea either. I could always use money to buy cool stuff. Just put it on my card and I can pull it out here. Speaking of which, If you could tell me how much money I have on my card that would be awesome. I pulled out 200,000 A a couple weeks ago and I'm not sure how much that is in American dollars. I think it's like $80 or something but I'm not sure. I don't dare pull out any more personal fund without knowing how much is in there.