Week 15 in Tamatave...Hard at Work

Manahoana Daholo!

We had an amazing work week this week! We had 32 lessons! 32! Such an incredible blessing we received from the Lord and we look to keep it rolling! That's really all I got to talk about for our work this week! 
We just go, go, go!

This week I also finished the Book of Mormon again! I love reading it so much and I always find something new every time I read! It's such an incredible book and I high advise everyone to start reading it everyday for at least 10 min! With that being said! I'm now trying to read it in Malagasy! I've already started and let me tell ya it's hard! Haha, oh well! I'll just grind through it! I've also been reading the New Testament and I'm already through Mark! I love the scriptures so much and I can't wait to continue my reading in Malagasy!

On Thursday we had a Zone Meeting and we decided to do the entire thing in Malagasy! I was actually surprised with how much I understood! I can honestly say that I understood almost the entire lesson! My understanding is getting better it's just trying to speak the language! Sometimes it's hard trying to find the right word to say or making a sentence structure that makes sense but I know it will come in time! Anyways, We talked about "Fahamarinanan Toetra" in our Zone Meeting! "Fahamarinana Toetra" means integrity in English and it was an awesome meeting! I really did take a lot from it!

President Adams also came out this week to do interviews! He and I had a great interview and he helped me figure out some questions I had! It was my last interview with him before he goes home and he sure did help me out a lot! I'm sad he's leaving this July but he's done a lot for this mission and his time has been well served!

Well, that's it for the week! Sorry if it seemed boring but that's all that really happened! I love you all so much and I can't wait to write to ya'll again next week! Tiako ianareo!

Love,
Elder Stringfellow

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Elder Stringfellow's Companion talking with someone on the street

Elder Stringfellow tried to get this girl to smile

Elder Stringfellow's Companion

So, far, the biggest Banana Spider that Ryan has seen in Mada

Working on his selfie

More Selfie action

Week 14 in Tamatave...New Companion

Manahoana Daholo!

Another crazy week! My new companion came on Wednesday and he's a pretty cool guy! Let's just say he loves to work and we just go, go ,go! We're always doing something and it's awesome to see how quickly the work progresses!

I don't really have any news about any of our "progressing" investigators, other than they're doing great, but I have one crazy story about two of our "new" investigators! About two weeks ago Elder Nohaingoinaina and I tracted into two brothers in an area called Valpinsons! They let us into a pretty nice house and said that we could share our message! They first thing we said was that the message we share with people is about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! They freaked out, in a good way, and said that they have been looking for a restoration of some type of church! For missionaries to hear that is just.....I don't even know how to describe it other than awesome!

 

We were thinking that these two guys were two golden investigators up until this past week....We visited them and they said that they wanted to show us a religious clip! We let them start the clip and it was all about how some weird white dude that started a church in Washington D.C. back in 1946! It was weird! Plus the whole time the two guys are singing this weird song in broken English while the clip was playing! Just flat out weird! Haha, oh well! We'll work with them and see if they want to accept our message!

Nothing else really did happen this week! We worked way hard and didn't stop for anything! Let's just say I'm feeling the affects from it, haha! I did hit my seven month mark of being a missionary this past week though! I just can't believe it! Time needs to slow down!

Tamatave is still Tamatave! It's always hot unless it's raining cats and dogs, haha! I love it! Anyways, I hope everyone has a great week and I can't wait to talk to ya'll again next week!

Love,

Elder Stringfellow

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Elder Stringfellow's Area from the Roof Top

Elder Stringfellow and Elder Godfrey saying goodbye

Recent Baptism

Just before the Recent Baptism
(Yes they turned the camera off during the ordinance)

 

 

Week 13 in Tamatave...Transfer Week

Hey Everyone!

It was transfer week! Don't worry I'm staying here in Ankirihiry for another transfer but I'm getting a new companion! I will be working with ELDER RAZAFIMANDIMBY! I've already been on couple splits with him when I was in Tana and it should be quiet the adventure! When I worked with him for those two days before he knew absolutely no English! Haha, we'll see where he is now but I can't wait to speak all the time in Malagasy!

The work this week was awesome! We honestly went non stop everyday! We had our baptism on Wednesday with Sergio and everything went well! Wehad only 7 people there (Sergio, His mom, the two missionaries, the two talks, and the Elder's quorum president) but it was still a great program! Yesterday he became a member of the Church and was given the gift of the Holy Ghost! It was an awesome experience and I have pics don't worry!

On Sunday we had 12 investigators come to church! You could say I was a little beyond excited because we usually only average like 4 or 5! I've already talked about that huge family that Elder Turner and I contacted into and 6 of them came to church yesterday! Dina, one of the moms, is almost finished with 1 Nephi and it's only been a week! Last Saturday when we went to teach them they asked if they could have one more Book of Mormon! They already have 2 but they need a third
because everybody wants to start reading! Ahhhh, you have no idea how I excited I am for them! Hopefully everything works out for them and we can get them baptized!

I also spoke some of my best Malagasy this week especially in this one lesson! We were teaching a guy named Andre and he is very smart with the bible! He was trying to Bible Bash us the whole night but we just get coming back with answers that started to get him thinking! My Malagasy was flowing! It seems that when you're trying to prove someone wrong you always start speaking better, haha! Don't worry I did it in a nice way! He got our point!

That's all for the week folks! I can't wait to talk to you again next week and I'll let you know how everything goes with my new comp! I hope everyone has a great week and remember that Elder Stringfellow Loves You!

Love,
Elder Stringfellow

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Sergio and Elder Stringfellow

Elder Stringfellow, Sergio, and his Mom

Rice and Fish

Week 12 in Tamatave...

Manahoana Daholo!

Crazy, crazy week! First off, it has been raining non stop here for like a week and everything is flooded! The other day we were walking in water up past our knees trying to contact! Haha, we got completely soaked (especially our shoes) and I have some way funny pics of it!

WE HAVE A BAPTISM THIS WEEK! Sergio passed his Bap. Interview on Friday and will be getting baptized on Wednesday! He's an 11 yr. old boy whose mom was baptized two years ago but became less active....He's been coming to church by himself for the past two years and someone finally realized that he wasn't baptized! The missionaries found out and we started teaching him and his mom again! We reactivated her and now her son will be getting baptized! Wednesday is going to be an awesome day and Elder Nohaingoinaina and I can't wait!

This week was a really difficult week but I did realize how happy I really am being a missionary! On Saturday we were walking to a time with water clear passed our knees in the middle of rain storm! The water came over the front tire of my bike and my shoes by then were completely filled with water! The water was brown and gross but for some reason I just felt happy! The things I see everyday and the people I talk to just amaze me! There really is no other way to describe it but it's just incredible! Missionary work is hard but at the end of the day it's all worth it! I can honestly say that I love being a servant of God! I love being a Missionary and I wouldn't give it up for anything!

That's about it for the week! I love you all so much and I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Stringfellow

P.S. Elder Nohaingoinaina served in the same Mission as Elder Smith, Dave Smith's son! He showed me pics of Elder Smith and Him so we took pics of us to show to Dave and his Family! Haha, Small World!

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Elder Stringfellow and Elder Nohaingoinaina

 

Elder Stringfellow and how he feels about RAIN

Flooded Area

Brown Water

Tough to ride a bike

Elder Nohaingoinaina

 

Week 11 in Tamatave...

Hey Everyone!

Mandeha mora mora ny asanay! The work this week was so slow! We are kind of rebuilding our program due to people being dropped! Because of that, we are now contacting a lot! It's a lot of fun talking to everyone but at the same time it's also quiet difficult! Haha, mbola mandeha ny asan'ny famonzena!

Really the only news from the investigators is that we will be having a baptism on March 11! His name is Sergio and he's 11 years old! His mom was baptized two years ago but went less active so he was never baptized! It's all good though! We reactivated his mom and having been teaching Sergio the lessons! He's already been coming to church by himself for two years so he already knows the gospel! We just need to get him baptized! We made sure they announced it yesterday in Sacrament Meeting and they did so it looks uphill from here!

That's really about it for the week! Sorry this letter is so short but nothing really happened! However, I really did think a lot about the Atonement this week! It's crazy to think how much the Atonement works in our lives! We use it everyday and it truly is one of the greatest gifts from God and his son, Jesus Christ! It is the only way that we can receive eternal salvation so we must use it everyday of our lives!

Everyday I tell people that our purpose here on Earth is to prepare to meet God! I know that the only way we can do that is through the example of Jesus Christ and his Atonement! That's my little vatsim-panahy this week but I love you all so much and I hope ya'll have a great week!

Love,

Elder Stringfellow

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Tamatave Panorama

At the Cyber...

 

Week 10 in Tamatave...Commitment and Sacrifice

Manahoana Daholo!!!

6 months baby! I can't believe how fast these last 6 months have gone! One fourth of my mission is already over and I'm sort of freaking out a little bit! That came way to fast! Haha, anyways we had an awesome week and I can't wait to share some of the experiences we had this week!

To start off nothing really happened at the beginning of the week....We worked and everything was going great! We were hitting most of our times and we were finding new investigators here and there! It was awesome!

On Thursday we had District Meeting and after that we all meet up for lunch! Elder Bowler, who is one of our Zone Leaders, was not salama tsara....He was very sick and there was no way he could've gone out to work! So we put our heads together and decided that Elder Herin (other zone leader) and Elder Turner would go out and work in Ankirihiry today and that I would stay home with Elder Bowler! You're probably wondering why I had to stay home with Elder Bowler and not his comp.

The split was needed because we needed to do a zone leader split anyways and this just made it simpler! So I stayed home with Elder Bowler and cleaned the entire house! Not going to lie but I got it looking pretty good, haha!

On Saturday we had Zone Conference! Our little zone of 12 elders pilled into the Mangarivatra Church and we were given incredible lessons by President and Sister Adams and the APs! It was awesome! We talked a lot about Commitments and Sacrifice! We must be willing to give up everything for this church! Even if it includes our own lives!

It was incredible!  Other than that nothing really happened this week! We are going on splits with one of the APs on Tuesday so that should be fun and I'll tell you how that goes! I love you all so much and I hope ya'll have a great week!

Love,

Elder Stringfellow

P.S. Word of the week is "Sorona" which means "Sacrifice!"

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Elder Stringfellow and Elder Turner posing for an action shot

 

Their Church in Ankirihiry

 

Inside the Church

The coast of Tamatave

 

Teaching the Masses

Crying Repentance to the sea creatures

 

Week 9 in Tamatave...Teaching a Family of 25

Hey everyone!

I hope everyone had a great week and enjoyed their Valentine's day, haha! We had an awesome week here in Tamatave and I can't wait to talk about what we did! To start off, it rained for almost the entire week! On Tuesday we woke up at 6:30 and it was pouring.....went out to work at noon and it was pouring.....got home at 9:00 and it was still pouring! I had never seen anything like it but it honestly poured all day with no break in the weather! Let's just say we got soaked, haha! Throughout the rest of the week it rained even more! The weather is crazy out here! It's either really hot or it's just dumping rain!

The work this week was amazing! Elder Turner and I tracted into this family of like 25 people and we started teaching them! They are very Catholic but they have liked the two times we have come to visit them! They ask very, very good questions and we love answering them! They ask a lot of questions where I think they're trying to stump us but we always have an answer! That's the amazing thing about this church is we have all the answers that just make sense, haha! Anyways, they are starting to understand our reasoning and they want us to keep coming back! They even said that they want to feed us at some point! Keep your fingers crossed, haha!

Last night Elder Turner and I taught a lesson with Olive who should hopefully be getting baptized on March 14! She was introduced to us by Norbert and we've already taught her and her mom, who isn't progressing, like 7 or 8 times! She comes to church every week and she is progressing very well!

Last night we were going to teach her about the life after our life here on earth! Elder Turner was going over the lesson that we had before about our life here on Earth and he was explaining to her that there are five things that we must do here on earth which include: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, The Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End! We are supposed to talk more about those five things after we talk about the life after this life! For some reason Elder Turner turned it over to me and said "Elder Stringfellow will now talk about why we need to do these five things here on Earth!" All I was going to say is that they are part of God's Plan for us and we use them to prepare for the life after this one! After that we were going to lead into the lesson that we had planned! However, that did not happen!

I asked them the question "What is Faith?" They told me that it was something that you believe in like God! I told them, "Yeah that is very true, but there's a lot more to it!" I then went on to explain that we must work here on Earth to increase our faith! God didn't just send us here to send us here, he had a plan for us! We came here to Earth to learn and have experiences! I then asked them what "Faith in Jesus Christ" was! I received no answer! I told them that "Faith in Christ is accepting him in our lives and wanting to change and become
a new person through him!" Through Christ we receive the desire to repent of our sins! Then I talked about repentance and started an intro. into Baptism and then turned it over to Elder Turner!

Elder Turner started talking about Baptism and why it was different from baptisms in other churches! Olive and her mom went off! They kept on saying that she was already baptized in another church and it didn't matter if she was baptized again! This whole time they were pretty much yelling at Elder Turner and he just sat there and took it! When they were done with their rant he asked this question "Do you remember the Priesthood that we talked about?" They went off again and said that there are a lot of different priesthoods here and Earth and that it didn't matter! He let them finish and then went on and talked
about Christ's baptism! He used a lot of symbolism around the number "one" (Eph. 4: 4-5)! He went on to say that there is One God, One Christ, One Spirit, One Faith, One Baptism, One Priesthood! At this point it was dead silent! He just kept talking and his words were so powerful! His statement was very clear that we follow the example of Christ and that we use his doctrine to teach! It was so cool! He reminded her of her Bap. Date on March 14 and said, "We are not going to force you to be baptized into our church, but we want to help you
increase you faith and Christ and we know that through this fomba fomba masina (ordinance) you can receive eternal life. Will you be baptized?" She very quietly said "yes!"

It's crazy how the spirit works! In fact, we had a member helping us in the lesson and he didn't say one thing! At the end of the lesson when we walked out he turned to Elder Turner and said, "I don't know how you guys answered all those questions! I don't know how I would've answered them!" It just goes to show that the Holy Ghost really is the best teacher! It was probably one of the coolest experiences I've had so far on my mission!

That's about it for the week! Everything is still going great here in lil ole' Tamatave! I hope everyone has a great week and I love you all so much! Tiako ianareo!

Love,
Elder Stringfellow

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Elder Stringfellow at the French Resort

French Ice Cream

The French Resort

More of the Resort

Some lady tried to sell Ryan and his Comp some Octopus

Flooded Tamatave

Ryan and his Companion

More on the Beach