Monday, June 16, 2014

12 Week Program Gone Wrong...

Dear Family,

So I dont know exactly how things worked back in the middle ages when my father served a mission... Hahahah, But now, when missionaries first get into the mission field, they must go through a 12 week program.  This is a program that a trainer goes through with his trainee to teach him how to teach and slowly integrate him into the teaching!  Usually, I repeat, USUALLY you have a trainer for the whole 12 weeks and then you move to the second companion... That is not the case with me.  I lost my first one (He is doing worse by the way, continue to keep him in your prayers) and was put into a trio... I continued with the training program, Kinda, but it was hard because there was three of us and it just didnt really go well.  The newest news here is that I have yet another new companion, and he is a Malagasy so he speaks very very little english... It doesnt get any better than this right?  We are also headed back to the area where I started that doesnt have hot water and we have to re-do our program there, but I am way excited to go back, its like home to me!  Not really, but you know what I mean!! Anyway this week was waaayy funn!! After I emailed last week guess what I got to do! yaa, I got to show Malagasys how Americans play basketball!  I felt like Dante Machado playing a JV team, except I could still go coast to coast with a few in and outs and make jaws drop!  It was not a real court of course, but it was closest thing we are gonna get here!  And, we actually played like a team... they had "similar" shirts on and there was about 12 of them... we had 5 and that was it!  My Tahitian comp is way good at ball too so of course, we DID NOT lose!  Dont get me wrong, the malagasys were way better than I thought they were gonna be, they were fast and they ran the court all game long cause they had the players!  But, no match for me... I mean us!! Hahahahah  I have gotten way out of shape though becuase the next day was the hardest day to stand up!  Wait Dad, should I stretch? Is that a good thing to do? Hahhah, then the next couple of days we worked hard and biked all over the area!  I didnt have any dogs chasing me, but I still had lots of challenges riding up and down mountains, no one said I was going to be mountain biking in madagascar?  This weekend we had zone conferenece and we had the other elders come up from Fianarantsoa!! Two of the biggest guys on the mission are working there and they are comps!  One is Tahitian and he is way funny, the other is american but is like 6'5" and a solid 265!! He is also hilarious, and he has the same preferred walk on to BYU like me, as a linemen!  The night they got here, we ordered 14 pizzas to eat for 8 of us!  We ate them all because that day we fasted for elder palmer, he really isnt doing well.  Then we stayed up until 12, dont tell pres. adams... and we watched the best two years and just talked!  Elder Morley (the big american) has a girlfriend who is on "so you think you can dance" she is one of the last 10 girls!  Saturday was zone conference and it was way good! I found out so many things!  We talked about revelations and the holy ghost, two important things on a mission and then Pres. Adams talked about the Abrahamic covenant... Ya I didnt even know what that was... so it was really cool to see that that is the reason I am on a mission!  Then we talked about how to study in our scriptures and although I have been doing a lot better of that and taking notes, there is still so much more I could do to better my studies because I SUCK at the scriptures... I should have payed more attention in seminary dangit!  Dad, why didnt you telll me to pay attention... After that we went to get some food for Elder Hauata's birthday dinner (he is the tahitian) We bought 7 kilos of meat and 12 liters of soda!  We also made like 4 kilos of rice and we ate that all!! It was way good! Tahitans know how to cook!  Sunday we went to church and after sacrament we had to take the elders back to the bus stop to head back to Fianarantsoa cause it is a six hour drive back!  We got 9 lessons on Sunday cause we went on splits and just taught like mad missionaries!  Also, this week I noticed just how bad I was at Malagasy... before it didnt bug me that I was bad cause I didnt know I was bad, but now I know how bad I am and it really bugged me!  I am determined to get better and I know that I have this new malagast comp to help!  God does love me!  Things are going well, I am not getting bit quite as much by the bugs and only have one LARGE zit on my chin... I love it so much... I really have enjoyed working here in Andro with elder Peters and cartmill, they were really cool and I love getting to know other missionaries!  Thank you for all of the love and support!  Happy Fathers day dad... Sorry that Phil didnt do very well, he will pull through in a tourney that doesnt really matter, dont worry! Hahaha.  I love being a missionary

All my Love

Elder Herrin

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