So this Friday I'll be out for a year! That is just crazy. It is cool to see the changes that have happened in just a year's time. I'm so grateful for the blessings that I have received during that time. 

Not much to report this week. I also have to hurry because me and Fryer are making pizza. Monday, we got a new investigator family. We first contacted the mom and daughter while walking. We shared a little bit of our message and gave them the first pamphlet to read. We went over to their house and turns out, they read the whole thing. They said that they don't reject our church, they are just not going to change... doesn't make sense to me some of the things Malagasys say. Well me and Fryer started teaching them anyway and by the time we were about to leave, the father walked in and was so surprised to see two white guys wearing the exact same clothes. He was so aminated and wanted to learn more, so what did we do, we started over and taught him. It was good because the rest of the family was helping us teach. We answered a few of the important questions they had and he was really interested to learn more. Let's hope they will change faiths. I think the mother said that they weren't going to change because she didn't want to go against her husband. Which is good if we get him convinced that this is the true church. They are such a fun family, we are going to teach them again this week. 

 



Short ceremony, lots of food and dancing



On Saturday we went on splits with two members. I went with Fryer's old mini [missionary] and Fryer went with a recent convert. Turns out the recent convert is already a pro at teaching. He wasn't shy at all. He's 19 and might go on a mission if he has enough money to buy clothes and stuff. Later that day we went to a Malagasy wedding.  There was a ton of people there! On one side is the wife's family and on the other the groom's side of the family. Once the couple is sitting at the front table, the grandpas from both sides talk money. They talk about who is going to pay for what and other stuff that I'm not sure about. I guess it is kinda like an unwritten contract., just having everyone as a witness. After that the groom takes water and rubs it on all the older men's chests on the bride's side of the family. We asked a couple people what that meant and even they didn't know. haha! Then they do the actual ceremony and "marry" them. Once all that is over the party begins. They break out all the soda and start the music. It was pretty fun to see more Malagasy culture. 

Sunday, was just a little stressful. Our group leader left town to visit some cousins and said that he might (which here means probably not) be at church. We weren't too worried because we had two other Melchizedek priesthood holders to lead church. So we called them and turns out that they are both gone too! So on Saturday we called our group leader back and told him that there were no leaders here so he drove back and made it in time for church. We could have led it but it just would have been a little sketchy. It was fast and testimony meeting this week so we all had the privilege to hear people's testimony. This one investigator started to walk up, and we were a little worried beause he got up last time and was just a little too "passionate". So Fryer told him the proper way to bear your testimony when he was at his house. But turns out that it didn't really sink in. Again he was just a little too "passionate" about his conversion to the gospel. Then in Sunday School we learned about Tithing and Fast offerings. Which can be a touchy subject when people here don't earn a lot. Especially when they only fish and don't get money just the food they eat. But we got through it and it was a good time at church.

So that is the update of the week. Remember to pray and study the conference messages. 

Love,

Elder Walker

Questions:

1. Did you get to listen to conference? If not, when do you and will it be in English? No tana will get it in a couple weeks and then we will get it a little after that.

2. If I send a recording can you save our voice recordings to your digital recorder? I'll try next week, I didn't bring it with me.

3. What do you and Elder Fryer do for p-day? Usually sit around in the house,  cook something. Its just too hot outside.

4. What are your plans for the rest of today? Make pizza

5. How are you doing with getting investigators? very well, it's just getting them to come to church.

6. How is your little group doing? Growing? RIght now we are just solidifying the recent converts and members. But we should have a baptism 14th of April.

Malagasy soccer ball -made up of plastic bags and string.