Transfer Week!

Dear family,

How are we doing this week? I hope that we are all happy, healthy, and doing well!  Well things are going pretty well on this side of the earth.  It is like dangerously hot... dangerous for my skin that is... This week was good, lots of work, and lots of fun activities!  First, let me start by setting the stage for transfers.  There are many areas that you can serve in here in Madagascar.  There is the big city, TANA, which has like 20 areas in it, ANTSIRABE, which has like 7 areas, then there is TAMATAVE which is by the ocean!  OK, so then there are three areas that every missionary here dreams of going.  Known as the "Big 3" These areas are all near the ocean, they are somewhat clean, and its just like amazing.  The first is Fort Dauphin.  My companion is from there... the church is literally on the beach and the place is just unbelievably beautiful.  The next is Mahajanga.  This is the only place in the mission where you can still baptize in the ocean, and its the place in Mada where all of the baobab trees are!  The last is called Toamasina.  This place is like a desert, but also right near the ocean!  So, like I said we had transfers this week... I am not going anywhere.  I am still training for the next six weeks! Yaayyyyyyyy!!! Hahahah, but we are getting 15 new elders so it should be fun!  This week was great.  We taught like 21 times and had a really good week.  On Saturday we had this huge branch activity where we went to this wierd place in the woods and played games, ate rice, and played a soccer game against like a legit madagascar team.  Our branch did pretty well only losing 2 to 1.  So I want to share with you one of the best feelings on my mission thus far.  And if you can believe it, it has to do with sports.  After the soccer game, we had a little testimony session which was really nice and then we did some question and answer type games.  My comp got up and said, (in malagasy of course) "for a piece of candy, who can tell me who the best soccer player today was...?"  There was a small pause, and then all at once everyone started to literally chant my name.  "HERRIN HERRIN HERRIN HERRIN" Like, yaa that was the best!! We also danced and sang at the activity.  Yesterday we had a fun zone activity and all of the elders from tana came.  we played soccer basketball volleyball tennis and of course found rice to eat. Other than that, I am just doing well, trying to learn this language, and trying to endure!  OH, I am receiving new roomates!  For the first time in my mission I will have more than one roomate!  Its and elder who I know (lil wierd) and he is going to be training a new missionary!  I am way stoked!  I continue to count my blessings, like my health, attitude, and family.  I dont know what I would do without you.  I love you so much.  I love being a missionary!

All my Love

Elder Herrin