07/20/15- Birthday Dinner and It's All About Love

Salama aby o! I hope all of you are all still doing well. I know from those that emailed me that you are all doing well.

First of all, thank you all for emailing me. I really appreciate it and love getting all of your emails. You guys are so great. Seriously, thank you. But, lots of stuff happened this week, so I'll get right into both answering the questions and telling you all about my week.

First questions from my mom was about our trip to Carnivore last week. I will just say this: that was probably one of the most delicious meat meals I have had in my life (no offense to your homecooking, Mom). It was INCREDIBLE. The lamb that they had was particularly delicious. So,
as far as price goes, it came down to a total of 85,000 ariary for both me and Elder Walker, which is about $27 or so, for all-you-can-eat meat with a dessert included. SOOO good. I have many
pictures and will for sure be sending those over. Also, fun thing, I got to try crocodile and snake meat. Both tasted good, but the snake meat was FULL of bones, so not my favorite. But, all in all, it was very very good, and I'll send out a special thanks to my grandma and grandpa Snell for funding that. That was an awesome birthday present, so thank you so much for that.

Secondly, no Mom, I have not had the chance to play piano yet in this ward I'm currently in. We actually have several people who are better at piano than I am. So, nope, I don't play it. Sorry Mom. ;P

Third question: This is definitely a big one, which is regards to transfer news. As for that goes, Elder Walker is leaving and going to the Ambohimena area in Antsirabe, and I..... will be having a son! In
other words, I am going to be training one of the new missionaries coming in from the MTC in the next few days. I am WAY excited, but also very nervous. And, also, a little disappointed that I won't be training Elder Francom from my home ward, but there's lots of missionaries who are currently being set up to train next transfer (including ry namako be Elder Mack), so he'll have a great time and a great trainer. So, I still don't know who my new companion is, but I will be finding out in the next few days and will inform you all next week!

Fourth question: My mom asked about some of our strongest investigators and how our lessons went with them this past week. I'll be honest with this one: our investigators have somewhat become frozen in place, and are not progressing. Most prominently are our investigators Hery and Isabell, who are very diligent at learning. They are almost always at our lessons, they read the Book of Mormon
together daily, they pray about it, and they have said that they feel/know that it is true. The problem is this: they won't come to church, and they won't accept the concept of switching religions. So, they won't accept a baptismal commitment or date. At our appointment, we all knelt down on their floor, and each in turn prayed to God and asked Him if they should get baptized. We all prayed, and the Spirit was very strong. Elder Walker and I had committed not to talk after the prayers were over however, and wait for them to say something. So after the prayers, we waited. And waited. And waited... And waited some more. They just continued to pray in their minds and hearts afterwards, and the honest truth is this: we ended up kneeling there on their cement floor for 50 minutes or so. Yes, 50 minutes. My knees died. But then, after that was over, they got up and offered us food
(being Malagasy custom for guests), as if nothing had happened. So they brought out the food and then we asked them what the answer had been. Hery--the husband--answered and said that God told him, after he asked specifically about a date to be baptized, that he should continue to learn from the missionaries. That's it. But he also said that he felt very warm inside and he said that his continual receiving of the missionaries into his home was the only answer he got. So, needless to say, I felt a little disappointed. They were feeling the Spirit but didn't recognize it. Isabell--the wife-- told us about her answer. She said that, when she asked God whether she should get baptized, that she felt warm inside as well and that "I need to complete the marriage sacrament in the Catholic Church, and then I can do service for God." That answer threw me off a bit. I realized that we had more teaching to do. Was I frustrated? Yes. Am I still frustrated? Absolutely. But will we keep working with our investigators to try and get them to open their hearts and minds to the answer from God? No doubt about it.

But, on a lighter and slightly interesting note, one of our investigators (who is about seventy years old) told us that his parents are still working in their rice paddies and farm fields in the countryside of Toliara. They're over one hundred years old. Yeah... My jaw hit the floor too. So that's also how one of our other lessons went (kind of, but not really). He is progressing towards baptism though and comes to church every week, which is good.

Anyway, last and final question. My mom asked me what I learn and study during my personal daily study time. My answer to that does not cover a specific topic though. I am currently working my way through three books. I am reading the Book of Mormon, Gospel Principles, and the latest Ensign (or Liahona) which contains the general conference talks, all in Malagasy, to try and improve my ability to speak more accurately as a Malagasy would. But I also see many, many different topics throughout that time. So I'm not just reading to read, or to improve at Malagasy, but I am reading to apply the things I read to myself. For instance, with my reading of Gospel Principles (Ny Fitsipiky ny Filazantsara in Malagasy), I read a lot of the foundational principles of the gospel (big surprise there). My point being, I don't read a whole lot of deep doctrine contained in that book. But, every day I learn something that I can apply to myself, whether it is a new perspective or whatever. But also, throughout all my reading, I have noticed two trends, or topics, that are found in almost every single section of Gospel Principles, the Book of Mormon, and General Conference talks. And those two things are the first two laws of heaven: a love of God and a love of our fellow man. Love is talked about SO often in almost every single book that is considered scriptural or non-scriptural. Literally, if we have true love for God and those other people surrounding us, every single other part of the gospel will fall into place. If we truly love God, will we not go to great lengths to follow His desires for us, namely His commandments, no matter what they entail? If we love others, will we not sacrifice our time, talents, and efforts for them, again no matter what that entails? I recently read that "love is the fulfillment of the law" because of that very fact. If we have true, perfect love--which is charity--then we will fulfill every point, and every facet of the law. We won't steal from those we love. We won't kill or even hurt them. We will serve them will all our heart, might, mind and strength in all places, times, and things.

That, in short, is what I have learned from my studies. Love. I'm nowhere near perfect at it, and won't be for a LONG time. But I'm working at applying the principles I see daily in the things that I
study. I try to be more loving to those around me, even if they don't exactly return the favor. That's the important part. I try. I try to love those around me, and most importantly, love God. When it comes down to it, when I am surrounded by people who hate and despise me just for what I look like, I call upon God and ask for the love that I need. And sometimes it's not a love for those people that I gain, but an increased love for God. And due to my love for Him, I won't do anything to His children that He loves that He wouldn't want me to do, but instead do those things that He WOULD want me to do.

So, that's about all for this week. Transfers, Carnivore, frustrations with investigators: all in a day in the life (or would that be week?). Again, thank you all again for being so diligent at writing me and
strengthening me out here on the mission. I most definitely need it. I truly need you all. And I love you all so much for that. So thank you.

But, this is me signing off until next week! Mahereza sy mazotoa!
Am-pitiavana sy fahazotoana,

Elder Snell

My birthday dinner at the CARNIVORE Restaurant. WAY good food. Me with Elders (from left to right) Snell (obviously) Thompson, Mack, Iata (from Vanuatu), Razazarohavana (from Madagascar), and Walker.

Carnivore pics

Meat and more meat!

Delicious!

The ice cream dessert that I got (it was quite French, so not that good, no offense to any of you Frenchies!).

Cool hotel by Carnivore

My new scripture covers that I had made.

My new suit, which I love. It turned out WAY well.

Great views of Tana

This is me with our investigator Lala and his kids.

A Malagasy soccer game we passed by.

A soccer game with Tana and the Rova hill in the background.

"This is a kid that we met while waiting for an investigator to show up. He lives with his dad and his older brother and sister. His dad works all the time and his mom died. We gave him a cracker and he saved it until his brother showed up and then he shared it with him. He's the best!" (Story from Elder Snell's companion...Elder Walker)

A bunch of adorable kids who swarmed us as we waited for an investigator.

More cute kids!

One of our less actives boiling some milk the old fashioned way.

This is me hanging off the back of a taxi be, because there were too many people in it (don't worry Mom, it wasn't going TOO fast).

Elder Cartmill roasting marshmallows over the fire we made from all of his stuff, as he is going home this Wednesday.

Fun story: We were sitting in a hotely when all of a sudden the Oregon vs. Florida State game comes on the TV.  It was quite funny! You wouldn't expect that in Madagascar!