Work's going smooth here in Manakambahiny...

Hey everybody!

Modeste got baptized! Coolest thing about this process was Alfred--his friend and our investigator who led us to Modesta--he did the Aaronic Priesthood ordination. Work's going smooth here in Manakambahiny. It's nice to have such a strong ward because everybody new always finds a friend or at least somebody that lives near them. Better than when I was in a far away province when new investigators would criticize the leadership, whispering to us, "Have these guys ever read the Bible?"

 Elder Kruger lost his missionary tag in Malagasy on a random bus. Then, I later saw the guy wearing, but he wouldn't give it back if I didn't pay him back a ridiculous amount of money. About a week later, Elder Kruger and I both ran into him, and right as the guy saw Elder Kruger, he hurriedly pulled off the tag and handed it over. Dang, 'good at being intimidating' will not go on my resume for sure.

Awesome split w/ Elder Jackson, the adala from Utah. I tell a couple stories from the split next week.

Bocce Balls made out of crushed aluminum

Elder Kruger vs. The 1st Counselor

The 1st Counselor's name is Fenosoa Pierre which sounds a bit like Soper! Haha.

Me vs. Someone My Own Size

Dada Lava Continued:

First time we tracted into Dada Lava's house, we heard scuffling, but nobody answered, so we peered around the side and saw someone stuffing themselves into a shed in their backyard. His knees were poking out and his mousy hands fearfully held kept the door closed. The boy assumed we were there to steal his organs. His name is Mamela. But there's a story behind this. While he was in his homeland, way out in the middle of nowhere, he was riding his bike on a lone desert road. On the distance, he sees a truck bounce onto the road, speeding towards him. Having never seen a truck in his life before, he abandoned his bike and dashed into nearby brush. The truck slid up to his bike, and out came a little Malagasy guy with a gigantic Jean Van Damme-like man. Mamela described him as being 2 meters tall, long nosed, ugly, dressed as a poacher and wearing leather, military boots that climb up to his knees. The man immediately discovered where Mamela hid and chased him through the brush. Luckily, Mamela quickly got out of the sharp-nosed man's sight, but Mamela had already heard of these men that would steal the organs of the lone travelers, yet he never thought he'd encounter one. So when we first knocked on the door, that memory flooded back to him, and he thought two little white guys carrying BoM's wanted some organs. We want some organs all right! Converted ones!

Get Him Good, Then Repent

(Talking about repentance with one of our best investigators, Francis--a former professional Malagasy boxer)

Me: "We can't just confess to God and assume the sin is erased. We also need to restore those relationships that we may have damaged. If I kick Bingham in the face, what should I do?" 

Francis: "Give him a punch on the other side and then he'll be nice and dizzy! Then, say sorry."

Malagasy Morsel of the Week - Drafo

All the cows here have humps, and they're called 'zebu'. So, 'drafo' means 'hump'. Yah.

Love you all!

Elder Soper