Monday, January 26, 2015

Sorry

Yaaaa so had a bunch of things to do on Pday so I will write on next monday!! i love you all... the gospel is true!

elder herrin

Monday, January 19, 2015

You Would Not Believe...

Dear Family,

What a wonderful week I had this week.  I just want to first call Brock out and say that I was totally jealous of all the wonderful parties... (Martinellis, Chick-fil-A, member meals) that you were able to partake in.  I shared your pics and stories with the 3 other missionaries down here and we all came to the conclusion... "Must be hard as an American missionary" Hahahah!  I miss you a ton though man.  I also wish I was home with you guys for the super bowl and the wonderful sports that just happen to be taking place right now!  Man I miss watchin that stuff with mom and dad.  I hope you are enjoying all of that and just imagining how happy Cole would be if he could be watching it with you.  So... you would not believe the week I had, or the things that happened!

So this week was awesome.  In a different way than usual.  We started off the week really well.  Last Monday we had a Soiree!! Yes, that is where we got fed!  Soooo cool!  But the way cool part was the game we played.  The game was called ... well there is no name.  The game goes like this... One person stands in the middle of a room.  He is blindfolded and spun around till he does not know where he is, direction wise.  While he is being spun, the other players move around on the couch so they are not sitting where they were when the (it person) was still seeing.  Then the (it person) walks around with a big spoon... trying to hit someone.  When someone is hit, the (it person) says "make the sound of a..." and the person that was hit had to make the sound of the animal that was asked of him.  If the (it person) guesses who made that sound, he wins.  It was so so funny.  Let me get to the real fun this week.  So about Wednesday, there started to be this huge cloud.  It looked as if a huge paper covered the sky and took away the nice blue sky with sun.  It rained a little on Thursday, but nothing too bad.  We were drenched by the end of the day, but it wasnt anything too out of the ordinary.  Then came Friday.  It was EXTREMELY horrible weather.  Like rain, wind, flying things... so we called the AP's.  It may have been because we wanted to go home and not be caught in this weather, but we had good intentions.  The news we got back, was that it was a class one hurricane, so we were still good to work.  REALLY?? So, I got that goin for me.  Then, later that day while we were just walkin to a time, a man stopped us.  I had taught this man a couple of times before.  His name is Axel, and he just isnt all there.  So, he walked up to us and asked us why we were "manaratsying" his church.  Which means why were we making his church bad.  I was confused, but like literally 2 seconds after he said that his father was an American.  Ok, first I know thats just not true, and second, like I am trying to make the connection as to why his father being an american has anything to do with the apocolypsy church.  Then, he made a little more sense and said that because his father was american, he started the church of jesus christ of latter day saints.  He was like, "yaa, my dad started your church" So I was like ohh, your dad is Joseph Smith... He didnt use the wording "started" but "mitondra" so it makes sense to talk about Joseph Smith.  Ok.. so my comp and I by this time are like just realizing he is just crazy.  Thats when things went from one level to the next. He explained to us that he could transform into a dragon.  Yes, you did read that correctly.  Now, when he said this, I was about in tears from laughter, but I tried to compose myself and just act like a missionary.  My comp did a great job and said.. well go for it.  He just asked him to transform for us right then and there.  I was so laughing and just then, he said he could transform into a tiger, eagle, a sea animal... ohh man.  Then he went into how and why he transformed... I will explain that another time.  Ohh, the things you get to see in Mada.  Then I come to my last crazy story.  So in Mada, we are always asked by anyone and everyone to give money.  ALWAYS!  One day this week, there was a crazy grandma who asked for money, and I explained to her that we were not allowed to give money, but I had a piece of bread that I could give her.  Before I could finish my sentence, the bread was gone.  I thought that I was done with this grandma.  Then came Saturday night.  We were talking to an investigator about changing a time, when all of a sudden my bottom gets slapped.  I kind of thought it was a kid, but when I turned around to see, it was gma... AHHH!  She was doing her best to be seductual.  Like moving her hips and kissing the one bill that she had in her hand.  I was just flabergasted that gma actually had the cojones to slap my butt.  I turned around to finish my convo when I got slapped again... oh heck no gma.  I told my comp we were leaving and he turned around and shook gmas hand.  Mistake.  As she shook his hand, she pulled him in and made an attempt at a little kiss.  Matrix hit Elder Yeagley and dodged gma.  When we tried to leave, but as I side stepped, so did she.  So I ran. Take the advice of momma Herrin.  RUN!  Other than that, the work is going great.  We are going to have at least on baptism on the 31st so we are really excited. I miss you guys so much!

All my love

Elder Herrin








Monday, January 5, 2015

Happy New Year

Dear Family,

I can only imagine the week that you all have had. I hope it was fun and full of laughter.  I know that laughter just makes everything a whole lot better!  I sure did miss family though.  With Christmas just passing and now New Years, the traditions of Martinellis at the Browns, card games, the ball drop, all run through your head as you are walking around in the dead beat of summer spreading the great word of God.  My week was just wonderful, let me tell you all about it!

So our week started off kind of lame.  Last week we were supposed to have this really cool P-day where we went and saw this huge waterful and maybe or maybe not walk through it... We got to the gate and they were trying to make us pay extra because they said we were touristst... Uhhh then he realized we spoke his language.  So he called his boss who is a white French man.  He spoke little english and actually quite rude stated: "If you dont have a residence card with you, you can either pay or leave"  He sped away on his motorcycle after that. I thanked the Malagasy man and we left.  Really disappointing, but we just dont have that much money to go and spend.  So we just walked home all sad.  The week of work was better than last week.  There was just as many drunks... but for some reason we were able to teach more times than we were last week!  Soo, we had some real funny happenings go on this week.  As we all know, it was New Years.  The fomba here in Madagascar is whenever there is a celebration Malagasies do this thing called bisous.  That is this little kissy thing from cheeck to cheeck.  You go one side to the other and back to the first side, each time your cheecks touch.  Yaa we had a couple of old men, and some women come up to us this new year and expect this little bisous.  Should I have done it, probably not, but did I want to ruin the fomba and be a disgrace, no.  So I did it, and boy it was awkward cause of the sweat beads that ran down my cheeck.  You know, I am positive that there were more funny things that happened this week, its just hard to remember.  But so there was this one thing that still hasnt happened yet.  So, last Tuesday, we got a call from the mission office that said they sent down the mail that we 4 elders have recieved on a bus.  That meant that like packages from family, letters from girlfriends, and hopefully lots of candy was headed our way! We got way excited and headed over to the bus stop where the bus was supposed to be.  Not here yet.  The next day we found out that the bus was in an accident.  Now, this probably doesnt make sense to you, but the bus was supposed to get here Tuesday, which meant that the bus left Sunday.  Its like a two day drive through the worst roads ever.  AND, 50% of the time, the bus's get hit up by a gang and people lose all they have.  But its the only way for us to get mail.  So we found out that there was an accident and we waited and waited... STILL has not shown up.  UGGGHHHH!  I guess there are more important things, but who knows what is in those packages?? Today we tried to get our mind off of that by cleaning.  We got up and did a deep cleaning of the house and I feel really relieved!  Anyway, cant complain that I am working here in paradise!  I love it here and the people I have come to know!  I continue to feel the spirit here and feel myself growing in the language, spiritually, and ... physically :(  I love you all so much!

All my Love

Elder Herrin