Faly miaramiresaka aminareo ity androany mahafanaratra ity! Tena tiako be ianareo draby! (There aren't very good translations for what I said, so I'll just keep it a secret. [insert evil laugh here])
Anyway, it was really good to hear from you all. I actually got some paper letters this past week, which was a very nice surprise. I got some from what seemed to be my home ward's Relief Society members (unexpected, but very kind and appreciated nonetheless), the Povey family, the Nielson family, and one of my friends. All were very appreciated, so
thank you to all of you who have sent me letters. They really help, and I appreciate the support they bring.
Anyway, I'll start off with answering questions, as usual. First off, some of our investigators whose names you can put in the temple are still Jean Pierre and Aldo, Faratina, Bruno and Patricia, Bruno and Claudine (different Bruno), Franco, Banetsy, Eddie, Filemona, and Fabrise. These are currently our best investigators who are the most diligent and best at keeping their commitments. They're all great, and I love them. I hope they feel the spirit of this message and choose to accept it into their hearts. Secondly, no, my Christmas packages had not been opened, and I have not opened the presents yet. Don't worry Mom, I do have some self-control. ;) As to the third question, we did our best to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner. One of the Elders in our house (Elder Turner from Alpine, Utah) made some apple crisp which was amazing. I tried to make some homemade pizza, but the dough accidentally got cooked when it should've been rising. So that was a little disappointing, but there's always second chances. And for the fourth question, right now I am most grateful for the people I know in this life, whether they be friends, family, investigators, or whatever. I am grateful for the absolutely incredible people I have been blessed with in this life. I couldn't have asked for better people to spend time with in this life. And now, the last question, the thing I love most about Madagascar is the hospitality of the people. Most people, no matter what, will be kind to you and try to help you if they can. They're so kind when it comes to letting people into their lives. Just simple things like everyone saying hello to each other. It's something I've grown to love here.
So, as for stories of the week, there hasn't been much to say, especially compared to last week's chaos. By the way, with relation to that, even though the bubonic plague has broken out, don't worry, as our malaria pills are effective against the bacteria which causes the plague. Just thought I should mention that. So, for this week, there's only one real story, and that happened this last Wednesday, but began on Tuesday of last week. When Elder Christiansen and I were at Shoprite looking for some permethrin or pesticide for the bedbugs (yes, that is when we later bought the WWII neurotoxin) we actually met two Americans there. They work on this boat for an organization called Mercy Ships, and it's pretty much a floating hospital/operating room which goes around to third world countries and provides health care to those who are in need of it. It's a really incredible operation that they have going on there. Anyway, the Americans wanted to meet up and get some lunch sometime, so this last Wednesday we went out and met up with them at a nearby restaurant for some lunch. We got to talk to them a lot, and found out a lot more about what the Mercy Ships actually do and whatnot. It was very cool to hear about some of the things they do and the help they give. Also, it was nice to talk to another white person besides the other missionaries. But yeah, that was a really cool experience, and they want to get together again. I hope we can talk more about our missions and our church in the future, especially to possibly clear up any misconceptions they might have about our church. There are so many crazy stories and rumors flying around about our church it's ridiculous, so I'm glad for an opportunity to possibly help out with putting them to rest. Any opportunity to share the gospel is a wonderful one, and I hope we can share it with these two people. God loves all His children, and He wants all of them to have the fullness of His gospel. It is crazy the ways I have seen the truth of that here in Madagascar. When it says that the gospel will go to all the corners of the earth, it really means Madagascar. They say that outer space is the last frontier. But nope, the world has gone there already. But there are people in Madagascar who don't know the outside world even exists. For instance, Elder Andrianaivo had a friend from his hometown in Manadona (a small town close to Antsirabe, which is a bit south of Antananarivo) who didn't know there was a world other than Madagascar, and refused to believe so until he saw outsiders for the first time. And that is a person who is not even from ambonivolo be (WAY in the countryside) that had that belief. It has been a testimony builder to me to see these people, so far removed from society, that are still loved by God no less than you, me, or any of us. He knows and loves ALL of us. There is no disclaimer or little * sign next to that statement, with attached fine print that says only a few people are actually included. God does not discriminate between race, size, appearance, gender, or any other vondrona olona (group of people, etc.). He loves EVERYONE. He knows EVERYONE. That includes President Obama, Hitler, a Malagasy who doesn't believe in an outer world, and everyone in between. I have come to know more deeper than ever before, and I hope that my testimony stands for something to all of you about this fact that I have come to know.
And so I'd just like to close in thanksgiving for those things that I have previously stated. I am so grateful for the love of God. He is always there, watching over us, helping us when we fall. Sometimes we may feel like He's not there, but He is. Think about a father, teaching a child to walk. If he held your hand the entire time, would you ever learn? If he never let you fall, would you ever learn how to get back up? And so I am grateful for the love that God has for us, and the fact that
He loves us enough to let us fall. It hurts, and it's hard, but He always helps us get back on our feet, and if we try our best, we will go farther each time we get back up. I don't have a challenge for this week, but only a hope, and that is that we will all acknowledge God's love for us, and the love that He has for those around us. I know He's there, and if you but only look for Him, you'll find Him there, waiting with outstretched arms. And if we reach out to Him, He will reach out to us. President Uchtdorf said that, "As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit." God's love touches us as we touch the lives of His, which is to say, everyone. I hope we can do this in gratitude to our Heavenly Father this next week, and help others feel God's love for them.
Amin'fitiavana foana (always with love),
Elder Hyrum Snell
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| The Mercy Ship I was talking about. |
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| A funny picture on the beach with the Elders. |
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| This is a pretty cool picture that I took on the beach of a typical Malagasy boat. |
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| This is a little baby using a knife that's as big as he is. You've gotta love the bunch of beer bottles in the background. Another thing to add to the list of things that happen only in Madagascar. :) |
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| This is an adorable little girl who is the daughter of our branch secretary. |
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| This is her with her brother. |
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| This is me with this adorable little kid who always comes to our ward, but we have no idea who his parents are. But he's probably our most diligent member. |
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| This is what happens to white people in Madagascar... Just kidding. Mostly. :) |
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| This is a label on a USAID tarp that I saw (nice to see that they put the line "from the American people" in big letters so they can read...oh, wait, they can't read English. Duh.) |
