Fianarantsoa week 4

I got sick in Madagascar for the first time this week. I think I ate something not good. On monday and tuesday my stomach just hurt super bad like all day and I thought I was going to throw up. I never did, but it made for a long couple of days riding my bike and walking around all day with a stomach ache. But it's all better now. I think it was just something I ate. So that was really fun. I'm sure there is worse to come so I'm trying to be tough about it! haha 

Another thing that happened this week that was exciting is we found out our area is getting split! It's kind of sad because we will lose half of our investigators, but it's a really good thing! Our area is super huge and really needs to be split! We have an appointment pretty much every hour everyday! There are so many people here that are ready to hear the gospel and we just don't have time to get to them all! So two more missionaries in the area is going to be awesome! But we are going to have to move houses which I'm pretty sad about because I love the elders that we live with right now! They are so cool! Elder Lehr our district leader is super cool and his companion Elder Mack was in the MTC with me and is super legit! so I'm super bummed that we won't be living with them anymore, but this split is really going to help our branch! Elder Garcia and I really want to get a branch misson plan set up and start getting tons of help from the members! Our goal is to have every member get one friend to learn with them or to bring one friend to church! If every member did that it would double the size of our branch! Plus when people already have a friend in the church it's an automatic support system that every investigator and new convert needs!

The conference CD's got here this week so we'll get to watch 2 sessions of conference in Malagasy on sunday and after that we get the CD's from the branch president and get to watch them in English! I'm so excited to get to here the words of the prophets! I love conference! It's been really hard to wait so long to get to watch it! It's given me a whole new appreciation for how easy it is for us to watch conference in America and that we need to be grateful for that! It's way too easy to take advantage of all of the simple convienences we have in America! I hope I never take for granted all of the things we have when I get back to America. 

Other than that nothing too exciting has happened this week. The work is going well and we are teaching lots of people! I'm still loving Madagascar and my love for this place grows everyday! It is incredible!

The word of the week is fanakempiavana (fon-uh-kem-pee-a-von-uh). It means covenant. Covenants are so important. My whole purpose here is to help people come closer to Christ and to make covenants with Him. We've taught a couple of people about the temple this week and it made me think a lot about the covenants I made there and how much I miss being able to go every week and to help other people who have already died to make those same covenants. I love the temple so much! There is no substitute in this life for the joy and peace that you can feel in the temple. It is the house of the Lord and the covenants that you make in the temple (including eternal marriage) will bless you and your family forever! That's one of the greatest blessings we could ever get to be able to be with our families after we die. I can't even imagine being separated from my family forever after death! But because of the temple I know that we don't have to be separated. Knowing that gives me so much joy. This church is so amazing and brings so much happiness and peace! That is why I am here. I want to share the knowledge that I have with everyone and help them feel that same happiness and peace!

 When I was sick I was forced to use a Malagasy vesse (vay-say) which is just a big whole in the ground. They are super nasty but I had no choice. I thought I was going to throw up and this was the only bathroom close.

 This was the sunset the other night. It was so gorgeous! So much cooler in Madagascar! 

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This is a pretty common meal here. It's a big plate of rice with some meat.  They do it with all different kinds of meat. This one is beef. They call it rice and loche (loke). sounds like the word "joke" but with an "L"