A Good and Bad Week...

Well this was quite the week. A little bit of a rough one but that just has to happen sometimes. The rough times are where you grow the most.

So last P-day, we woke up to find no water in our apartment so I didn't get to shower all day until late at night so that was lame. I felt super gross but that's just how life goes here.

Tuesday was a good day. We did a lot of contacting and that turned out pretty good. We had a meeting with our new Branch President Rakotovao and he was way cool. He's one of the first members ever in Madagascar. He translated the session in the temple into Malagasy. Salt Lake called him and paid to fly him there to do that. He's a way cool guy and has lots of experience. I contacted a guy in English so that was cool. We just started talking and he says Hey you can teach me that's fine.So that was cool. We taught Mario about symbols of Christ and it was a way awesome lesson. I love Mario and his family so much they are so cool. He's not like other Malagasies that judge you if you're not good at Malagasy so that's good for me.

Wednesday, Elder Lehr left so we had Elder Mack with us the whole day. It was fun to be in a trio  for a day. We taught these inactive Priesthood holders again that we've been teaching for awhile and it was a way good lesson. We decided to talk about the baptismal covenant like President told us but I felt like we should talk about the 1st vision too. So we started with that and they had no idea what it was. So that's probably why they are inactive. So we taught them about all that stuff and they said they would be coming on Sunday. They've said that every time but maybe it'll be different this time. We taught TInah about the Plan of Salvation and repentance and that went well. He asked a bunch of good questions as usual but he's so lazy. Elder Connault did a bap interview for an investigator of Elder Mack and while he was doing that, we played soccer with some kids outside and it was way fun. They just destroyed me though. I am so bad a soccer. We taught a couple other times after that and they were good too. We picked up Elder Hammer, Elder Mack's new companion. It's way awesome to have Elder Hammer down here now.

Thursday, we went out on to the mountain again but it was Elder Hammer and I this time. So fun. We taught Soa and her son Tsilavina and he is a stud. He's already to Alma 17! And when we asked him what he remembered he told us the whole story of Ammon almost word for word.

Friday, ate with the other Elders and saw Elder Covey. He came down here this transfer and is with Elder Glazier in the other house.We taught Ludovic today and it was super awesome. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation and tried to get him motivated to do anything. First though, we asked him if he believed if the church and the Book of Mormon is true. He said yes. We taught all the requirements for the celestial kingdom and told him that it's the only way he can have and eternal family and be with his wife for eternity. He was quiet for a minute and then asked how does he know if this church is true or not. It was so awesome! It's the most progress we've made with him since I've been here. Hopefully, he'll come to church.

Saturday we taught this student who wanted to learn from us. We showed the Restoration Video and gave him a Book of Mormon to read over Christmas since he was leaving. We taught Patrick's girlfriend and that's an interesting experience. We taught the Alma the Younger story to Etienne's family. We've been trying to teach the members about the stories in the Book of Mormon because most don't know them.

Sunday was good. We taught Tahinia and Alicia from the Brady Bunch about Repentance and they are way smart. We got home and it started to rain super hard and our street turned into a river and Elder Mack and Elder Hammer went out and walked around in it for a minute. We got to bible bash this Adventist guy and that was fun. It was mostly him digging himself into a pit and trying to catch us in something but it didn't work. It was a little disappointing because we taught the most lessons we have taught in a week this week. We would have beaten it but our last time wasn't home. So lame. But the inactive guy we taught this week? He came to church! For the first time in a very long time! So awesome! And Ludovic didn't come... that bum.

But it was a little bit of a rough week after Wednesday when I got a phone call from President Adams. It was very unexpected and not pleasant at all obviously. But my testimony of the Atonement and the Plan of Salvation was strengthened this week;much more than it was before. It was hard at first but I just tried to not think about anything except for these people. These people are amazing and I love that I am here. This people need the knowledge that we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; that the Atonement is real, that the Plan of Salvation is God's plan for us to return to him, and that Christ died for us to help us get there. He alone conquered death and through him we will all live again. I know that families can be together forever and that God knows each and every of us individually and knows all of our trials and hardships. Alma 7:11-13 continues to be a big help to me.

I look forward to the call on Christmas! I'm more excited for that than really anything else right now.

That's all for this week,

Elder Coleman



Memories of Grandpa

I can remember when I was still little and we would sit outside the station and have a competition for who could count the most cars of a certain color. I'm pretty sure I always won but he would always cheat. 

We would go to the laundromat and find ladybugs. That was always my favorite thing to do. 

Or just when I would stay at their house and watch TV with him. I'd always steal his chair and he wouldn't like that at all but it was ok if I took Grandma's. 

Or when I had to fix solitaire on his computer and when he absolutely HAD to have it at the house. 

The most recent memory I have is I would drive to the station when I was a little eearly for work or when I would get done with track practice. I would get a drink and we would just talk about stuff. He would just ask how life was going. 

Oh the best one would have to be the little fat retard girlfriend but I don't think you can put that in your talk hahaha.

I don't know what else haha. He would always just say funny stuff. I can't think of anything off the top of my head right now. Oh he would always cheat at bingo too on Christmas Eve. 

He was a great grandpa that I was very close to. He was always there to listen to me and always took my side because I was the handsomest and smartest grandkid (duh!). He was supportive of everything we did and would always ask how our various activities were going. He would always tell us how proud he was of us. I don't know what else really. I can't think of much else. His laugh has a distinct place in my memory. And he always had that cup of coffee obviously.