Antananarivo, Madagascar Mission, MTC Week 4

December 4, 2014

Manohoana olona tsara!
I would say that this week has gone by fast, but I wouldn't want to be cliche. I personally don't like it when people say that time has gone by fast. If you think about it time in general just moves fast. In the moment it feels like no time has passed since birth. I feel like the time right now is the only time, it doesn't feel like there was time before today. And tomorrow, today will just be a memory. Truthfully time does go by fast, and after it has passed it feels like it never happened.

Anyways, enough of that train of though, whatever it was. This week I would say has been successful. My knowledge and skill in the Malagasy Language is ever improving daily. I can teach most of the lessons in Malagasy. All i really need to do now to improve my language ability is to study and learn new words and extreme grammar principles.

Not a lot has happened this week, just the usual daily MTC schedule: Wake up, eat, sit in class, eat, sit in class, eat, sit in class, sleep, repeat. I have found a new-found love for four-square during my minuscule gym time. I have gotten fairly decent at the game I would think, sometimes I even almost break a sweat. The MTC choir is nice, although the songs are extremely easy; nothing like the songs I used to sing in my High School choir, but I reckon they can only expect so much from 2 1-hour long practices with a lot of people who have never sang before in their life. Last week we had an extra practice for the Thanksgiving Fireside, so I sadly (thankfully) had to miss my 3-Elder district meeting devotional review. There are only so many words I can conjure up to fill an hour with the Branch President, his wife, and my two Foreign companions. I actually had an experience earlier this week to combine my District Review with another district because the Second Counselor of the Branch Presidency was out of town. It amazed me how less stressful the District Reviews are when there are 12 members of a district all talking and sharing their thoughts, rather than just one lone wolf attempting to entertain a Branch President, his wife, a French speaking Tahitian, and a Bislamic speaking Elder from Vanuatu.

A few days ago I was teaching one of my faux-investigators (teachers) about the Word of Wisdom. We were doing a specific activity where we would prepare for 5 mins and then tach for 5. Most of the things I said were created on the spot. About a third into the lesson I asked him the following question, "Misy ny sigara ve ianao?" And I was attempting to ask him if he had a smoking problem, but instead I said, "Do you have a cigar available?" like I was asking him if I could have a smoke. I realized my mistake and we both laughed a little. The best way to teach about keeping the Word of Wisdom probably doesn't include asking for a cigar in the middle of the lesson.

Well my companions are telling my that our times is up so this is the end. I forgot to mention that I am now a zone leader. In 11 days I will be leaving the MTC for Madagascar!

With love,
Elder Anderson