What a crazy week I have had with continued crazy experiences!!!! So last monday, after I emailed, I had a meeting with my mission president. All of the elders were really nervous and they were lasting like 20 minutes each and I got in there and was out within like 3 minutes...No joke. He said you doin ok, I said ya. He said is the language hard, I said ya. He said you keep a good attitude and the Lord will bless you... I said ok, thanks! That was that! Then we went to the grocery store in Antsirabe because we dont have one in Ambositra and we looked for a part to fix our water heater but no such luck with that... We spent about an hour just talking after that because it was our P-day. I then had the opportunity to go on a split with elder Smithson... He is the elder who leaves in one week and has been maditra beee on his mission (naughty) So we left, my first time on a bike, and we taught two women in a box about apostles and their role in the restoration. Then we had a suare, or FHE, with a family! This family was so cool, and elder smithson is that missionary that makes things funny or fun so it was a great combination! The family has one daughter on a mission and a son preparing for one, so he gave the lesson! Really good about families. Then elder smithson started playing games! Its really hard to describe over email so just know that it was a lot of fun, then I had my first "are you serious moment" of the week... She brought out the food. How ironic that I just said that the food is what I like the best... It was rice, with raw, uncooked, bloody, bones still in it with the eyes and everything, fish.... yaa it was rough. I looked at smithson and all he said was "just dont throw up until we get out!!" I threw a whole lot of rice on my plate, and a few pieces of fish and just gagged my way through it, quickly! I dont think I was gagging as bad as when I had to pick up Huckleberry's poop, but I was gagging. Elder smithson decided to attack it a different slower way. He was making sure he was taking out all of the bones before he swallowed, and I wasnt. He was chewing slowly trying not to let it touch the inside of his mouth, and I wasnt. I finished, and she said mbola misy, which is like theres more, and I looked at smithson like NOOOOOO and he replied for me and said I was full! Also, this whole time, the whole family is watching us eat, they were waiting until we were done to eat... most awkward thing ever!! They were all laughing because they knew after the first bite that we didnt like it and the mom felt bad. We stopped on the way home and got a pizza because I needed a different taste in my mouth! It was ridiculous! Tuesday morning we left Antsirabe to go home and it was another long stuffy bus ride home! We taught a couple of times that day and found out that we were going to have a couple more investigators! Right now the investigators are flooding through the gates! On Wednesday, we got up and went and met with the branch President and talked about a plan that elder palmer and I had come up with to get things going with the members here in Ambositra! He obliged and said that there was a lot of work to do!! Yes there was... On wednesdays we teach english, and it was my first time getting to teach. How am I supposed to teach english if I cant even speak malagasy... elder palmer thinks im super man or something?? Anyway, elder palmer just had to say something after I said something because it was hard. After english, we taught the new investigator, a pastor and his family. It turned out just to be the wife, but we taught her and it went well. On Thursday, we went to work. Another "are you serious" moment. So what we were doing was building a road. They would dig a little ditch, actually two of them, one on each side of the path and then put huge rocks or cobble stone down and would like do tetras with the stones to make a path! I got a huge, I mean huge, blister after like 5 minutes because my hands havent done anything like that in a long time. There were women who carried their baby on their hip with one of the cobble stones on their head all for 2000 a day... thats crazy! That day, we went to lunch at Elaines, the African family, because it was her husbands birthday! DELICIOUS food! It was that salad that I described earlier, and just so much goodness. So they had this huge champagne bottle and they started to pour it and said ok you guys want some! We were just like no thankyou, but it turns out that its just like Martinellis only way better!! They were astonished that we thought it was alcohol and that they drank, how were we supposed to know?? I had another "are you serious" moment that day. We went to an investigators home for the first time and he met us at a place where we knew so we could follow him to his house! It was like a mile or two up the mountain!!! I was almost dead when we finally got there!! Like literally across a couple rice patties and way up a mountain!! Really cool guy who we hope follows through, he didnt come to church though, I dont blame him because it is like 6 miles away!! Friday was another great day of teaching! We taught like 6 times and one was to a different investigator, as we were teaching her the first lesson I was really struggling to say what I was trying to say and after the lesson she came right out and said that I wasnt good at getting my point across! Yaa that was a slap in the face a little, but I just apologized and said oh well, im still learning! She is a great investigator!! Saturday... we go to Anjoma every Saturday... but this Saturday was different. We had to get up at 5 am and be to the busses at 6. So we did that, but our bus didnt leave until 7:30... we sat in the bus for an hour and a half and I didnt eat breakfast, MISTAKE!! We had a 6 kilometer hike to a families home. I got some way cool pictures because I felt like I was on the Tejon ranch! This family was really cool too! The lesson went really well and then she said they had lunch for us!! So I was like yes, just as long as its not fish!! I spoke to soon... She brought out rice and fish, but the fish was cooked at least! It still had the eyes and bones and everything, I still only took very little fish. They also tried to be very nice and give us some milk... mmm milk from the cow, elder palmer had to take some fat out of his... we then hiked another 3 kilometers to a bus stop where we waited two hours for a bus to stop and pick us up and take us home. We got home and just fell asleep! It was such a long day, but we had one teaching app to go and then we had two pizzas delivered to our house! Yaa there is a place here that does that!! Its like 10000 for a pizza though... Sunday was amazing! We went and picked up this family to come with us and then we had like 14 investigators at church in total and 70 at church!! It was so cool! After church, our branch missionaries pulled us into a room and basically said that they needed to get thier act together to help us so they were going to visit someone everyday starting that day! ummm answer to our prayers, I think yes! Then we had branch counsel and they did the exact same thing, they are going to start doing thier home teaching like they are supposed to and visit the less actives! Oh that was so cool, we watched a little bit of the work of salvation, I would suggest watching that if you have time, amazing!! We grabbed a quick lunch at pres Honores home like every week and then another "are you serious" moment happened! We had two app scheduled at 2:30 and they were both the 1st lesson like the get to know and our purpose and everything. So elder palmer had this oh so magnificent idea to go on splits... So I was with Andry, one of the branch missionaries... and I got to do the first lesson by myself... how did it go you ask, oh it was horrible. All I did was testify how the gospel could help her, I dont even remember her name, but I do know what time we are going to teach her next week... oh boy that was not fun! Then we had our usual app. on sunday and those went really well! I taught another lesson about King Benjamin and how he is teaching his people about service and what will happen to them if they do things right and what will happen if they dont repent, that was a better lesson. Then today, we decided to go hiking to this waterfall and cross! It was literally up the side of a mountain like way to sketchy! But it was so beautiful when we finally got to the top!! I took a video and am seeing if I have enough time to send it home, I will get it next week if I dont do it this week! Anyway, thats all my week has been... Nothing much for the life of a missionary in Madagscar! I hope all is well back home and that you know that I love you! Thanks for all of the love and support!
Monday, May 19, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Soo...This weekend, Jesus Came...
Dear family and Friends,
So, I don't know if you caught my little header, but for conference on Sunday, Jesus came...Not really, but let me tell you about it. So after we skyped we went to bed and then got up and ready for conference, we all had to wear suits which was really rare!! There was like almost 1000 people at conference (only 14 from my branch...) and it was like so loud and so hectic!! Anyway, the branch pres. got up and spake and I of course don't understand anything and then a bunch of other people got up to speak like pres. Adams, and the new area 70 and sister Adams. After, we went home had a small lunch and then we went on splits. I went with both zone leaders... (lucky me) I actually really enjoyed it because I didn't really have to say anything because they are so good at the language. While we were teaching they told me about Jesus... So our Branch President LITERALLY thinks that he is Jesus. I kid you not. He wasn't supposed to give a talk at conference but he did and he said and I quote "I am the alpha and omega" and then he said some other creepy stuff and he ended his talk with "in MY name, amen" ummmmm...... so yaa Pres. Adams is having this emergency meeting with all of the missionaries down here and he is probably going to have President Noel step down because this has been happening for a while I guess... Anyway, just thought I would tell you this story! I loved skyping you all and it was soo good to see you!! I send all of my love to you!
All my Love
Elder Herrin
So, I don't know if you caught my little header, but for conference on Sunday, Jesus came...Not really, but let me tell you about it. So after we skyped we went to bed and then got up and ready for conference, we all had to wear suits which was really rare!! There was like almost 1000 people at conference (only 14 from my branch...) and it was like so loud and so hectic!! Anyway, the branch pres. got up and spake and I of course don't understand anything and then a bunch of other people got up to speak like pres. Adams, and the new area 70 and sister Adams. After, we went home had a small lunch and then we went on splits. I went with both zone leaders... (lucky me) I actually really enjoyed it because I didn't really have to say anything because they are so good at the language. While we were teaching they told me about Jesus... So our Branch President LITERALLY thinks that he is Jesus. I kid you not. He wasn't supposed to give a talk at conference but he did and he said and I quote "I am the alpha and omega" and then he said some other creepy stuff and he ended his talk with "in MY name, amen" ummmmm...... so yaa Pres. Adams is having this emergency meeting with all of the missionaries down here and he is probably going to have President Noel step down because this has been happening for a while I guess... Anyway, just thought I would tell you this story! I loved skyping you all and it was soo good to see you!! I send all of my love to you!
All my Love
Elder Herrin
Monday, May 5, 2014
Finding Ways To Be Grateful
Dear Family,
So after I emailed you last week, I had the hardest day on my mission yet... So after we emailed we ate at this amazing restaurant and then did some grocery shopping because in Ambositra we dont have one...then the fun started. We went to the bus stop to get a ride back to Ambositra. We got shoved in a taxi be (that's what they are called) that had literally 25 people in it. I was crammed next to my comp sitting on a piece of metal. People were smoking, a little boy threw up at least 10 times (no exaggeration there) we stopped three or four times for the people to pee... worst bus ride of my life. Then we had a 30 minute walk back to the house from the bus stop. We were carrying all of our clothes, groceries, scriptures... etc. We got home, had to quickly make brownies for the FHE which we were late for... while my comp started making the brownies the power went out and we heard a pop in the fridge...oh boy. There was a bottle of pineapple juice that exploded everywhere and stunk horribly. I started to clean out the entire fridge with water and Clorox cleaner stuff, my comp fixed the electricity and made the brownies... when I finished the fridge, I still wasn't satisfied, so I mopped the kitchen floor, it had to be done. So now that we were all sweaty dirty and frustrated we went to our FHE, watched a movie in Gasy so I didn't understand a lick. I have never been more grateful for the flashlight I received from Bishop, greatest life saver in Mada because its goes pitch black by like 6... so we walked home, I showered, shaved, (If you're ever having a bad day just remember that I still cut myself shaving every time so it cant be worse than that) and was ready for bed pronto. What a daayyy!! The next day a lot of our app fell through... we usually teach six or seven times a day and like three were gone. We were at one investigators home and we had made them brownies as well. Let me tell you about the brownies here. So some time ago, some genius missionary found a way to make brownies from scratch because that is how you have to do it here and called them mofa condradraka. Which translates to bread cockroach, cockroach bread. All of the people freak out when we tell them what it is called and what is in it and then they taste it because, well I don't know why because if I knew that thats what was in it, I would not eat it. But three of the four family members ate it, but the father, Louis, would not. His piece sat there and he just stared at it for a good five minutes in disgust. I was laughing hysterically at this point because of the look on his face. Elder Palmer finally told him that there wasnt condradraka in it so he ate it and loved it! I am also grateful for umbrellas because of how much it rains here, never thought I would be more grateful for an umbrella...The next day was crazy, we accidentally scheduled two "suares" on the same night which meant two families were making us rice... The first family made really good rice with awesome loch. I had two plates because Anika, the mother, made me eat two...The next family made the traditional rice with beans loch, I also had two plates... I have never been more full in my life, I am grateful for toilets. Yes, toilets. The next day was delightful. We met with an investigator who is so ready to be baptized. Its fun to teach people like Steve... that's his name. Elder Palmer and I decided to make a dinner for us that night instead of eating at a hotely. We cut up potatoes, by hand, and skinned them by hand. Do you know how hard that is! Then we cut up carrots, and onions and put like some sauce in a pan. It took days to cook, but it was pretty good. The next day was just not my day. We went up to Anjoma, which is like an hour away but is technically our area so we try to get up there like once a week. This place looks like a ranch. Just no people lots of weeds and dirt everywhere and it takes a good 45 minutes to walk anywhere. The church is literally a barn... crazy stuff. Anyway it wasn't my day because we got back and had dinner, and I spilled my coke all over myself. Then as I was walking down some stairs later that night, I slipped and slid down the whole wood flight and cut my hands. The stairs here are like not made for a six foot tall size 12 shoe kid. Ughh what a day that was. Through it all, I am grateful to be here. No other place in the world would I be able to experience this type of stuff. I am grateful for the members here, even though they don't help us... and I am grateful for my companion. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon, what a great book that is! I am grateful for AMERICA! hahah oh man, let me tell you about one last thing. So when I first got here I told you that the shower wasn't hot... well I spoke to soon because at least it wasn't freezing. This week the water has been FREEZING cold, to the point that it hurts to shower. But I have to be grateful that I can shower because the people here cant... I love it here. I love sharing the gospel and I love that I can help people. I love being a missionary.
All my love
Elder Herrin
So after I emailed you last week, I had the hardest day on my mission yet... So after we emailed we ate at this amazing restaurant and then did some grocery shopping because in Ambositra we dont have one...then the fun started. We went to the bus stop to get a ride back to Ambositra. We got shoved in a taxi be (that's what they are called) that had literally 25 people in it. I was crammed next to my comp sitting on a piece of metal. People were smoking, a little boy threw up at least 10 times (no exaggeration there) we stopped three or four times for the people to pee... worst bus ride of my life. Then we had a 30 minute walk back to the house from the bus stop. We were carrying all of our clothes, groceries, scriptures... etc. We got home, had to quickly make brownies for the FHE which we were late for... while my comp started making the brownies the power went out and we heard a pop in the fridge...oh boy. There was a bottle of pineapple juice that exploded everywhere and stunk horribly. I started to clean out the entire fridge with water and Clorox cleaner stuff, my comp fixed the electricity and made the brownies... when I finished the fridge, I still wasn't satisfied, so I mopped the kitchen floor, it had to be done. So now that we were all sweaty dirty and frustrated we went to our FHE, watched a movie in Gasy so I didn't understand a lick. I have never been more grateful for the flashlight I received from Bishop, greatest life saver in Mada because its goes pitch black by like 6... so we walked home, I showered, shaved, (If you're ever having a bad day just remember that I still cut myself shaving every time so it cant be worse than that) and was ready for bed pronto. What a daayyy!! The next day a lot of our app fell through... we usually teach six or seven times a day and like three were gone. We were at one investigators home and we had made them brownies as well. Let me tell you about the brownies here. So some time ago, some genius missionary found a way to make brownies from scratch because that is how you have to do it here and called them mofa condradraka. Which translates to bread cockroach, cockroach bread. All of the people freak out when we tell them what it is called and what is in it and then they taste it because, well I don't know why because if I knew that thats what was in it, I would not eat it. But three of the four family members ate it, but the father, Louis, would not. His piece sat there and he just stared at it for a good five minutes in disgust. I was laughing hysterically at this point because of the look on his face. Elder Palmer finally told him that there wasnt condradraka in it so he ate it and loved it! I am also grateful for umbrellas because of how much it rains here, never thought I would be more grateful for an umbrella...The next day was crazy, we accidentally scheduled two "suares" on the same night which meant two families were making us rice... The first family made really good rice with awesome loch. I had two plates because Anika, the mother, made me eat two...The next family made the traditional rice with beans loch, I also had two plates... I have never been more full in my life, I am grateful for toilets. Yes, toilets. The next day was delightful. We met with an investigator who is so ready to be baptized. Its fun to teach people like Steve... that's his name. Elder Palmer and I decided to make a dinner for us that night instead of eating at a hotely. We cut up potatoes, by hand, and skinned them by hand. Do you know how hard that is! Then we cut up carrots, and onions and put like some sauce in a pan. It took days to cook, but it was pretty good. The next day was just not my day. We went up to Anjoma, which is like an hour away but is technically our area so we try to get up there like once a week. This place looks like a ranch. Just no people lots of weeds and dirt everywhere and it takes a good 45 minutes to walk anywhere. The church is literally a barn... crazy stuff. Anyway it wasn't my day because we got back and had dinner, and I spilled my coke all over myself. Then as I was walking down some stairs later that night, I slipped and slid down the whole wood flight and cut my hands. The stairs here are like not made for a six foot tall size 12 shoe kid. Ughh what a day that was. Through it all, I am grateful to be here. No other place in the world would I be able to experience this type of stuff. I am grateful for the members here, even though they don't help us... and I am grateful for my companion. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon, what a great book that is! I am grateful for AMERICA! hahah oh man, let me tell you about one last thing. So when I first got here I told you that the shower wasn't hot... well I spoke to soon because at least it wasn't freezing. This week the water has been FREEZING cold, to the point that it hurts to shower. But I have to be grateful that I can shower because the people here cant... I love it here. I love sharing the gospel and I love that I can help people. I love being a missionary.
All my love
Elder Herrin
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