Elder Hyrum Snell~ Called to Serve in Madagascar: 10/19/15- Much Work Ahead in Fianarantsoa!

Manakory aby o! Salama tsara fa misaotra e! Eko ina ro ina, fa tsa misy na ina na ina aty amin'ahy! Hey all, it was good as always to hear from all of you, and to know that you are all still doing well back at home. Keep it up! Anyway, it has been quite an eventful week, with the move to a new and completely different area and all. So I will be sure to tell you all how things have gone this week.

Anyway, to start off, with regards to my trip down to Fianarantsoa. All in all, things went pretty well. I was stuffed into a big Mercedes Sprinter with about thirty people or so, so that was fun. I was also completely alone and by myself, which was very very weird. But it turned out all right. Also, I remembered to take some of the travel sickness pills, and so I did not get carsick at all. I was even able to read and sleep a little bit on the way down, so that was way nice. The only crazy things that happened really was the driver. There was a point in the ride when he was pretty much racing another Sprinter, both full to the brim with people. So just imagine two large vans racing down Ogden canyon at about forty to fifty miles an hour, both crammed with people. And that lasted about an hour or so. So yes, I was scared, but no, I did not scream or anything of the like. But that is about it for the ride down.

Next off, this new area and city is very similar to Ambositra, other than the fact of it being much larger and spread out. We actually ride bikes in this area, which has been both fun and painful, due to the large quantity of hills in this city, as it is right in the middle of the mountains. Don't worry, I will be sure to send pictures. Also, as far as stores and the like go, there aren't really anything here like that. No Shoprite, no Score, nothing. Just epiceries and a few slightly larger stores, but nothing really other than that.

Our living quarters here in Fianarantsoa are VERY nice. It is a brand new house that the missionaries moved into just two transfers ago. I can't really describe it, so I will just send pictures next week for all of you to see.

Now last of all, as far as the work here in Fianarantsoa goes, things are going pretty well. We actually teach more investigators than I thought we would be teaching, so that is nice. But we are definitely focusing on reactivating less actives and strengthening the current members. Our main goal currently is to get the two branches that we work in to become self sufficient and self sustaining, because right now they depend WAY too much on the missionaries. Honestly, if there were no missionaries in our main branch, it would fall apart. So for instance, this last week, we taught over fifteen less active lessons, as well as some other active members who still are in need of some help. These branches are definitely in need of some help. For instance, in our Gospel Doctrine class that I sat in on yesterday, the class was supposed to be on families, but it quickly turned into another topic that was not suited for a church meeting. The members here don't really know doctrine at all. For example, I asked a less active member yesterday who our Father in Heaven is, and he said Jesus. Then when I said no, he told me that he has no idea who his Father in Heaven is. It is very discouraging to see the lack of knowledge here. Also, there are no leaders. No one is really willing (or able, for that matter) to stand up and make changes in the branch. For the past few years, the missionaries have literally done everything for these branches, and the branches have become dependent upon them, which is not okay. So our job here right now is to teach, train, and get the branches to the point where they don't need the missionaries anymore to run effectively. So we are currently trying to find ways to accomplish that goal. Any suggestions from all of you would be much appreciated. But I know that God calls us to certain places for a reason, and He has a work for me to do here in Fianarantsoa, so I just need to do my best to do His will over the next few months, and I know that there will be fruits of my labors, whether I see them or not.

Thanks again for all the support and concern, for your prayers and thoughts, as they truly strengthen me out here on my mission. I love you all, and hope that you all have a great week!

Ampitiavana,
Elder Snell

Elder Ahlstrom and a member help walking through a rice paddy.

Picture of our Area Book, or rather, our four area books which are now all ours, as there used to be four missionary areas in this city, and now we are the only ones working here.

This is a giant statue of Mary Christ's mother which overlooks our house.

Elder Mack

Elder Monsen

Saying goodbye to these missionaries before I left Tana.

Pictures from our Mahamasina split

More pictures from our split dinner party with Mahamasina Elders Lehr and Morse.

A picture with our member Elyse and his family, who are way awesome.

The American mall in Ivandry in Tana which absolutely blew my mind! I had to take a picture. Don't judge me. I'm used to small town countryside stuff here.