Talilio kahy é!
That is how you say hello to people in Fort Dauphin. Isn't that a little different?
I hope that all of your weeks have gone for the better this past week, as for myself I can say that it has been blessing rich and running o'er with my gratitude for the many tender mercies of the lord that I see every day. As I have been reading over these past few emails, I have noticed that I haven't really included very much information about the work here in Taolagnaro. Let me try to fill you all in on the work and progress in this branch.
The work has been going very, very well. Surprisingly well. We have about 5 people on date which is really nice, but probably the biggest thing that I will love to tell you all about is the fact that about 18 of our investigators overall came to church yesterday and have been for the past few months. The average attendance in this branch is around the 80's, which means that about 25% of our attendance at church is the investigators that we are teaching. To me, that is just a treadmark in the work done here in Fort Dauphin. It's amazing. We have found 4 new people this week by tracting into them and I feel so satisfied with the work I do afterwards. Overall, the province culture here is going really well and the people are super friendly.
However, there are a few downsides.
Over the last few months, my area (and all of madagascar) has had a surprising rate of Dahalo gang activity rise. I have been hearing fights and sometimes guns at night and more reports of bad things happening. Needless to say, please know that I am in god's hands and that there is nothing to fear. I am fighting the lords battle. I am not being reckless, but i am being very cautious about this. the mission has asked that me and my companion start heading into our living quarters at around 8 at night instead of 9 due to security purposes. I know that the lord's power can easily stunt the growth of a puny island gang.
Now, for some miracles that has made my testimony of miracles grow!
There is a Sister that we are teaching that has been having some issues with finding an answer to her prayers. She is a super sweet lady with a 1 year old son. When we came over to her house to give her a blessing, we found out that her son was suffering from a bad fever, so we decided to give him a blessing too. When we were about to leave her little one-room house, I felt an unmistakable impression of the holy ghost constrain me to rebuke the child's fever. Esteeming it as one of my own feelings, I brushed off the impression. The feeling swiftly came back a second time, this time with just a little more spiritual punch as a sign that I needed to rebuke the disease. I obeyed. I approached the child and said under my breath (so that I would not draw attention to myself) "In the name of Jesus Christ, I command your fever to leave your body". The child looked at me for a few seconds and he continued to pant and sweat. I felt a little discouraged, but I felt that I had done the right thing. I left her house and returned the next day, only to find that her child was in perfectly good health! I asked his mother, "When did he get better?" and she answered, "as soon as you stepped out of my house" I have had about 2 similar accounts of this same scenario happen to other people that I have helped heal, and they were healed. I have a stronger testimony now that with faith, nothing is impossible, all according to god's will. as the scripture states in Luke 1," Fa aman'Andrianagnahare le tsy misy ze tsy lefe (for with god nothing shall be impossible(antandroy))"
I pray for you all each night and i am hoping that the grass is still greener on the flipp side of the blue marble :)
Love you all,
Elder Johnson
Enjoy some beach pictures, taken this morning on p-day
The food is called Ravitoto, aka you better hope it's cooked right or else you won't be leaving the bathroom for a while that night XD
the currency of madagascar is called Ariary. The bills come in different colors and sizes, and with different types of animals and scenes on the bills. My personal favorite in the 1000 (the purple one)
The small room with a few chairs in the middle is the sacrament room. I play a keyboard that doesn't have the pedal for each meeting
Blue bag (my bag) has my physical protection (knife) and my spiritual protection (Book of mormon and bible in malagasy)
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