Dealing with the Bubonic Plague...

Dear Family and Friends,

Great picture of Elder Lesch getting his birthday wish from President Foote after just being smashed with eggs and flour.  (Elder Stromberg is still my companion until I get my new trainee. Elder Lesch is one our district leaders.)

"Teach me!"

Funny "caught red-handed" moment with one of our great recent converts named Joseph. To start the lesson, I asked who would pray, and Joseph quickly pointed to his 7 year-old son. Shaking his head, the son declined. As Malagasy parents usually do, Joseph chastised him saying, "You are in my house, and you do as I say." The son suddenly turned towards him and barked, "I can't pray because you don't teach me how! I tell you to read the BoM, but only Mom and I do! Teach me how to pray, and I'll teach how to read the BoM!" Joseph went completely pale. I thought it was funny, but now that I look back at it, it was a bit awkward, haha!

Bubonic Plague

There's been an outbreak here in Madagascar in a beach province called Tamatave. It still hasn't traveled here to the main city, but we're taking precautions anyways. Bubonic plague is transferred by fleas, especially fleas from rats--Ratatouille = no no. Our houses are spotless; we drenched everything with bugspray; we don't touch any animals; I think we're good. Fortunately, the bubonic plague is a very curable and preventable disease. Yet, it's horrible history and already audibly gross name add to the worry.

So, the transfer news came in!   It's been pretty ridiculous since every elder (about 10) has been pulled out of Tamatave like I mentioned. Now, they're these vagabond missionaries just acting like skintags and annoying, vestigial appendages jumping from area to area. 

President Foote brought all the zone leaders in for a special transfer planning meeting. We all decided together what to do with these extra stragglers: where to split areas, where to make trios and how to make them feel like they're are still useful. Sadly, there's a lot of investigators waiting to be baptized up in Tamatave, and there's little hope the missionaries will return within the next few transfers. Crazy. 

Splits

Went on 3 splits this week, which is taxing because it takes about an hour and a half to drive to an area on the edge of our zone. As a result, we wake up at 4:30 in the morning and start our journey in order to get both companionships back home at the right time (8:00 AM) for studies. Blugh.

The first split was with the seasoned cook, Elder Jakins, who has lost over 50 pounds on his mission. He used to work at Subzero as a manager, and he gave me a sales pitch to why Subzero ice cream is the best ice cream and I, missing the taste of true ice cream, was totally sold and converted. We also calculated how many ice creams--the main reason, he attributed, to him becoming fat--he may have eaten in his life. Three a week, 52 weeks, 2 and half years=almost 400! Anyways, I loved my split with Elder Jakins because we talked all this great food besides rice. Plus, he woke up early, did our dishes and swept the floor!

Love you all!

Elder Soper

Splitting the Area...

Dear Family and Friends,

It's official that Elder Stromberg and I will be splitting the area, both training and trying to effectively zone lead at the same time. In the past weeks, we were silent about the split because we were both terrified. Eventually, we both spoke up about how we want the area to be split, but neither of us could be satisfied. After what seemed like a "final" decision, either him or I would reveal that they didn't like the split. Each area is full of wonderful investigators, and neither of us could give some of them up. It was like ripping off fresh bandaids, putting them back on, ripping it off again and then getting punched in the groin. To solve the dilemma, we ended up trading investigators like cards, each one on the verge of tears as team stars like Vincent and Hanitra was transferred to Elder Stromberg and Sarobidy was given to Elder Soper.

Finally, we're both satisfied, and the split is even. Now, I have three more months on my mission, and I intend to make the most of it!

Elder Lesch

Fell in a poopy gutter...

Delicious spicy chutney

Gospel Principles Model

Everybody in the Relief Society was convinced I was in the Gospel Principles book after they had a lesson based on Chapter 14: Priesthood Organization. The title picture shows three priests, one kneeling in the middle doing to the sacrament prayer. Apparently, the Relief Society was in a civil war, some swearing that I was the priest on the far left while the other said it looked nothing like me. They went so far as to take me and Elder Stromberg from our Elders Quorum and call us into the Relief Society room in order to compare me and the picture just to prove it was me haha. Too bad it wasn't me. I hated seeing how disappointed Sr. Fanja was, a little, toothless lady that was the leader of the group claiming I was a Gospel Principle model.

Stake Conference

All of the surrounding wards and their missionaries attended our church building for the stake conference. I'm so glad it was held at our church building. We had 22 investigators! If all goes right, we should have 4 baptisms in the next two weeks. And eventually, many more in the next 3 months.

A highlight from the stake conference was this one RM's invitation he gave during his talk. He asked everybody to close their eyes (most everybody did), think about a loved one that is not a member and make a plan of how to bring the missionaries over to teach them. The way he led up to the invitation was wonderful, sharing a touching story about his dad finally accepting the gospel that left most everybody in tears. Afterwards, we had 4 people promptly run up to us eagerly promising they would have someone for us to teach the very next Sunday. Awesome!

Love you all!

--

Elder Soper

Madagascar Antananarivo Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Elder Stromberg is a great missionary...

Dear Fambly,

Great week again! My companion, Elder Stromberg, is a great missionary. He never wants to waste time. Even when he obviously should stay inside to rest because he's super sick, he insists he can work. He's been one of my favorite companions, and most likely, I'll be in the same house with him until the end of my mission, seeing as we are going to split our area and both train. I'm so glad this is how my mission will end because we bring the best out of each other--more diligence, more jokes and better teaching. Great guy.

$1.66 steak we cooked

Walking to a time with Haja

Photo shoot w/ our recent convert Joseph

Cesaire and his bananas

Awesome soiree with President Jacquot.

Primary activity - Royalty Theme

Teaching a crawfish

Ankadindratombo (pretty spot in our area--little strip of land with a railroad on it in between two rivers)

Kid with a burning broom

Hanging a ladder by a rope to paint the wall 

But are they real Ray Bans?

Here's two funny stories:

Blaise

Always drunk, always respectful. He goes around stopping people on the street with a "Uhh.. Hello sir! Can I stop you for a minute?" If you happen to get stopped by Blaise, he will have a polite conversation with you about your day, your kids, your work, and then he'll end with, "Is there anything I can do to help you?" No thanks, Blaise. Help yourself first, haha! I've honestly never seen him not drunk. To add to his great personality, Blaise also considers himself a Mormon! It started once he came to church months ago when my past companion, Elder Bingham--not realizing he was drunk--randomly invited him on the path. Way too enthusiastically, Blaise sprinted over and expressed how ready was to finally change. As church started, Blaise was amazed at everything: the "fine workmanship of the ceiling and pews", how "quiet" it was and the power and spirit he felt during the bishop's talk--he literally nodded a full 90 degrees after every sentence. After church, he revealed, with wide drunk eyes, that he wanted to be baptized! We countered, "Come to church again, and we'll see!" He didn't come the next week...

Then! Yesterday evening, Blaise suprised us as we rounded a corner. He first said sorry a few times for scaring us, and then said, "I came to church again! It was wonderful!" We didn't see him at all during sacrament meeting, so we replied, "No you didn't, Blaise." Sincerely offended, he cried, "I did! I really did! Trust me. I stayed all three hours." Laughing, we left a disappointed Blaise to drink the night away.

Later that night, while putting in stats, the elders in the other ward that meets in our building told us that a guy named Blaise showed up to their sacrament meeting, stayed all three hours and exclaimed he wanted to be baptized to the priesthood quorum, haha! Elder Stromberg and I laughed so hard. Though drunk 24/7, I guess he's a progressing investigator.

Sinus Infection

I've been a fortunate soul on my mission. I haven't been sick nearly as much on my mission if compared to other Madagascar missionaries. I've honestly become like a mom to a couple of my companions, providing fungal ointments and moleskine when and where needed. When it comes to Elder Stromberg, he's been ravaged by fleas, bedbugs, athlete's foot, gas pains and currently a mad sinus infection. The ironic thing is I warned him a couple nights ago to not blow his nose too hard as to cause inflammation. After not heeding my prophetic counsel, he woke up the next morning not being able to shake his head without wincing in pain, haha! I felt way bad, but I couldn't help but feel empathetic to how Tommy feels when he warns all of us, and we don't listen.

Malagasy Morsel of the Week - Genagenaka

Thrilling

Love you all!

Elder Soper

Even better week!

Dear Family and Friends,

Even better week! Not what we were expecting, we had 20 investigators come to church! We should be having about 8 baptisms coming up this month. The one tough thing is getting the couples married here in Madagascar with all the weird corrupted, Eagle Scout flashback-inducing, slow-as-molasses bureaucratics that make it almost impossible to get married within a couple months.

The worst part is when someone wants to get married, they need their birth certificate, which if they were born in a different province can't simply be sent over email, but has to be taken, in person, by either the actual person or someone in their family. This is honestly impossible if they were born in deep countryside with no electricity and forms of communication. 

The next few photos are from Jimmy's and Anja's wedding! These are some of my favorite members ever. I've been here in Manakambahiny for so long that I got to see Jimmy baptized, all his dope tattoos and all; I got to see him receive the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood; and best of all, I got to see him meet Anja at our English class. It was so surreal to watch as they started talking more, sitting together and wearing matching clothes. Now, they're married lawfully and have made a plan to go to the temple in a few months!! It has been so wonderful! 

   

Cesaire's house

  The fruit of the Baobab. Opened up with an axe, it tastes like sawdust mixed with Sour Patch Kids.

Running

Because my time on my mission is running up. We made a goal to run from lesson to lesson if they are nearby each other. It's actually way fun! Because of the terrain of Madagascar (even in the city), it feels like we're in this mini-Assassin's Creed universe, or we're performing lame, 3 inch high hops from rock to rock.

Malagasy Morsel of the Week - Church Vocab

Bishopric - Episikopa

Relief Society - Fikambanana Ifanampiana

Young Single Adults - Tanora Toka-tena

Young Men - Zatovolahy

• Priest - Mpisorona
• Teacher - Mpampianatra
• Deacon - Diakona

Young Women - Zatovovavy

• Laurels - Rafitsara
• Miamaids - Farimbona
• Beehives - Ton-tantely

Primary - Kilonga

Love you all!

Elder Soper