Genuine Godly Discussions about a Perfect Plan

Hello,

One more week in Ampefiloha. It is a little weird leaving my birth area but I am excited for a new place, and new paths. 

The baptisms this Saturday might be turned into just one, a girl named Tsiory. There are about 8 people that I know will be baptized within two months for sure. I was hoping to be here when they did but things happen,  especially here. 

Those last photos I sent (see last post) of that big family on the couch is one of my favorites. Every one is a member in it except the wife in the stripped shirt and the kids. We visit them every week to teach the wife. She used to be very stubborn and did not want to even talk to the missionaries but now she is the greatest investigator. The family feeds us all the time and yesterday Elder Keyes and I gave her a date to be baptized. She heard I was leaving and was concerned that I would not be here for the baptism but I told her that if I am still in Tana then I will definitely come to her baptism. She is way cool. She asks really deep questions that remind me of me before I came on my mission. I kept telling her I had had the exact same questions before and would tell her my thoughts. She is a really fun investigator of the church to have discussions about eternal things with. 

As the language gets easier and more clear it becomes more fun and genuine to talk about the gospel and have Godly discussions with random people in their homes. I am starting to become more and more passionate about this perfect plan of salvation, which includes the gospel, this world, relationships with other people, joy, science, history, the importance of families, everything.

The mission is good.

Love,

Elder Allen

Internet Has Returned - Lots of Pictures

Hello,
There is finally full internet connection back here in Madagascar. This transfer has been going by so fast it is already almost done. We had 8 people planned with  baptism dates for the end of this transfer but only 3 are going to catch them for sure; Roger, Tsiory, and Franky. I thought we would get 5 for sure but things happen.

There was a family that was very awesome and ready for baptism and they had been coming to church but all we needed to do was help them get legally married first. They were supposed to come to church this Sunday to get help with that from people in our ward but they did not show up. We visited their house after church and only found the wife. About a week before this, we tried to visit them but the husband was not there.  She said she has not seen him for like 2 days we thought that was kind of weird but this is Madagascar so we did not worry. Just this last Sunday we asked her if he ever returned. She told us he didn't because he is in jail right now, but we could see him this Friday at his trial... I had no idea what to say after that. I told here I was really sorry and that we would try and visit them still. He might be in jail for a couple of months, so hopefully the future missionaries go find him again when he gets out. I am trying to get his wife and daughter to still come to church but they are a ittle busy right now so i am not sure what is going to happen to them any more.

Funny Story: The other day i went on a split with Elder Bingham in my area. We tracted into a very nice old guy that was holding a toddler while we taught him. During the whole lesson the little kid would get out of his arms and walk around on the table and go back into his arms. Half way through the lesson the man looks over and starts having a fit. I looked over at Elder Bingham and asked him what is going on. He just answered, the kid just pooped on the table. I look over at the kid and a giant pile of poo is under his legs. It had fallen out of his shorts pant leg. The man says sorry and takes the kid under his arm grabs the entire table cloth and walks out. I started laughing way hard with Bingham. The man returned and we just continued the lesson. It was way funny.

Lately, I have been teaching a lot of Plan of Salvation lessons.  I love to think about the pre-existence.  Our Heavenly Father sent us down to earth so that we may be able to learn and grow in this life.  But like a loving earthly father, he does not leave us alone to figure it out.  He wants us to learn and grow through failure and trials, but honestly he has given us all the help we need to be successful in life and have complete joy.  It all depends on our choices, we choose whether we follow his guidance and use the tools he has given us.  I know this life is for our benefit and happiness.  I am so grateful for all the help from our Heavenly Father like the gospel, scriptures, and prophets and even prayer.  I am eternally grateful for everything I have learned from my parents.  I know I seem homesick at times, but don't worry, it's just because I have the greatest family and friends.  That does not mean that I don't love being here in Madagascar too.  I love it here and all the things I am learning.

Love you guys and miss you lots.
Elder Allen

The picture with the family was a soiree with a family in the ward.  The lady in stripes, we are teaching and she is getting baptized pretty soon.  Her husband is already a member.

fingernail or pick for playing guitar?? :)

bug bite...

Light saber is actually a crayon highlighter that looks like that in photos.

Lemur Park

8 Set for February 25

**No pics this week, the internet and phone service in Mada has been down for 2 weeks. (that is why there was no email last week) We heard from the mission office that a pipe in the Indian Ocean broke and it shut everything down. So, we are lucky to even get an email this week.  He said he has lots of pics and videos to send when they get the internet fixed.  He was finally able to get emails this week too, but he said it is slow. Thanks for all of your love and support.  I can tell he loves and misses you all, especially his skateboarding buddies!
Love, Jenn


Hi, the internet is not going very good here, so I can't say a lot but I was able to read all the emails from every one. I am doing good here. I love to hear about home. It sounds like everyone is doing great. Tell every one I love them and miss them a lot.

My investigators are doing good. I have 8 people with a baptism date for 25 Feb. I am not too sure they will all catch that date because of either repentance issues or not married yet, but I know at least 3 of them will for sure. I hope they can all be ready by the 25th because after that I leave Ampefiloha. I have been teaching them all since my first transfer in the country. But it doesn't matter who does the baptism. I know they will do it sooner or later, whether it is before I leave or not.

But I am still trying to help them get legally married before I leave. Nosy and Silly are 2 of them that are not legally married yet. I love the people here in Ampefiloha, they are finally starting to progress and have good relationships with the church. I will miss them but I am also very ready to go to somewhere different.

Matthew 6:30-31

Love you guys lots. I keep remembering skating, rock climbing, family, friends, and other stuff. It is so crazy that I went from doing all of those things everyday and they affected my life so much but now I am doing something different. That makes it hard sometimes, but I know how important this work is and I will return to those other things one day, hopefully.

I love Mada and all the great things a mission is teaching me and helping so many others. (But I cannot deny that I just really want to skate right now... ) Love you and hope the internet comes back next week because it made sending this really hard and slow.

Love,
Yours Truely,
Elder Allen

No Internet... Gotta Love Mada

Dear Mada Parents--

This is Sister Woolley for President and Sister Foote, writing from my home in Provo.  Apparently, an underwater cable has been damaged in the Indian Ocean which has taken out Telma, the phone and internet provider in Madagascar.  The consequence of this is that your missionaries will not have access to email either to receive or send until the repairs are made which may be as long as 15 days.  President Foote was afraid you would be concerned when you didn't hear from your missionaries this week, and ask me to send an explanation.

I hope I have email addresses for all the Mada parents.  Please spread the word to any I may have missed.

Madagascar is a wonderful place to serve despite some occasional difficulties--we miss it already.

Sister Woolley

When Can I Be Baptized?

Hello,

This new transfer has been great. My new companion is Elder Keyes who is about 3 transfers ahead of me on the mission. He is a funny guy who is from South Africa, talks with an accent, and knows everything about video games.

This Sunday was really awesome. We were sitting in Sacrament with no investigators at church like usual, when Nosy and Silley jump out of no where and sit by us. They are some investigators I have been teaching for a while now They live pretty close to the church in a little city of wood/trash buildings no bigger than a van. They stayed for sacrament but then had to leave. Before they left they asked if we could come and teach them that day and we said yes. That night we made our way across a path made out of banana peels, corn on the cob, and trash while passing mothers that all make the same joke that they will give their naughty kids to the Vasas in order to make them cry. After all of that, we made it to Nosy's house. In the lesson I asked them what they thought about church. The wife had a question about one of the talks that was about Eternal Marriage. I told them about the sealing power of the priesthood and how it can seal things here on earth and also in heaven in Matthew 16.  I brought the lesson back to Joseph Smith and how God restored that authority so we could use that power which had been lost. Which means we still have that power to seal families here on earth and for eternity today. Then they understood that we told them that the same priesthood power is what you need when you get baptized. Then I brought up baptism and explained how it is the door to that path towards eternal marriage, the wife instantly asked,

When can I be baptized?... 

When I heard that, I could not hold back my joy. I asked her, "How about February?"  They both said yes. I am so touched by this little humble family that has so many temporal things they could be worrying about, but instead all they can think about are the Godly things.

I know that if we align our paths with God, then we will start to see a change in our lives. We will have eternal joy, and more blessings than we can handle. D&C 111:11.

Love,
Elder Allen

New Comp Elder Keyes

 Elder Keyes, Rice Paddies.

Climbing out of a loft

Baptism font (Elder Keyes, 

 3 elders on wall are Elder Keyes, Sam, Elder Smith,

 Sam's house saying good-bye to Sister Wooley (nicest lady in the world)