Good Week - August 15, 2011

  This last week was transfers. Everyone in Tamatave got a new companion... except Elder Evans and I. But Elder Wilson got transfered to Tana, so Elder Roney got Elder El'bakri as a new companion. He fits in well with this house, I have only met two of the four new missionaries that came up here last Thursday, but I'll probably see them today cuz its P-day.

This week has kind of been jumbled. We don't know when we want to baptize people because they either haven't finished the lessons, not following the word of wisdom, personally not ready, or they just barely tell us about a "special friend" they have been living with the week before their baptism. It has been a mess, but we are figuring it out. We have five couples that are ready for baptism but need to get married first. It is really hard because two of them, the husbunds are really hesitant, even though they have been living together for multiple years and have at least one kid, if not more. We have to get certain papers and if they were born in different cities or just far away, it makes it difficult just how the mail system is and just how Malagasys are...But we are working hard to get it done!
 
  Not much happened this week, just teaching, finding new families, doing missionary work. I love how easy the missionary work is here according to the finding. But the teaching all day in the heat, dealing with stubborn people, tons of people not married, bikes breaking down all the time, it sometimes gets to your head. But I think of the positives, of all the wonderful people that are way diligent, how friendly members are with their referrals and meal appointments, and how I'm in Madagascar for heaven's sake! It is so much better to think of the positives. If you find yourself in a rut of picking out the bad stuff in the day, stop and change your mind-set. And at the end of the day thank Heavenly Father for the many blessings he gives you, even down to the opportunity to see the good things in the day.

I have started to read through the Book of Mormon starting Tuesday, and this morning I was at Jacob 3:1. I suggest you read it and then never be ashamed for being LDS. I'm sure it gave Joseph Smith comfort in times of hardship.

[I told him that we had to figure out a work around to download his pictures last time because we couldn't see them.]  I can send the pictures the old way if you want. The difference is the first time I was using a card reader the  internet place gave me and this last time I just used the cord from the camera to computer. Just tell me if you want me to do it the old way.

I get letters and "dear elders" every time they either send something up with other essentials or every transfer with the missionaries that are moving. So at the very longest, every month. But I did get some letters in the middle of the month for some random reason I forgot. Sorry for not writing back Melissa, the post office here is really out of the way, maybe when I go to Tana it'll be closer. Update on the package goods, don't need ziplock bags, peanut M&Ms would be tasty. And if you really want to you can send the tin can thing cuz I have a can opener in the house, but you can also send those flat rate boxes or whatever you use to send and put pictures of Jesus on them. It helps them not get broken into... just sayin.

 The pictures are as follows:

Me standing on the beach, looking out into the ocean.

  There is a setting on my camera that opens the lens for a long time. So when there was a full moon, I decided to spell myname by moving the camera around to spell my name :)

  Well I love you all and I'll try to give you guys a good story for next week. Be an example to everyone.

Love,
Elder Walker