Back to 'Tana - Ivandry!‏

Hello fam and dearest friends,

hows it going? not much to say this week! im in a new area and im back in the capitol of Antananarivo. youd be amazed how fast and fluid i can say that now. ill have to wow you later. but my area is called Ivandry. and its reminding of America everyday. weve got the tallest building in Mada right by our house. (over thirty stories) its called the Orange Tower (not Orange but orange is the name of the cell company here) i have no idea how malagasies contructed that but it looks safe. i really wanna go up it haha theres also the ivandry mallwhich is literally an american mall and i have been in it once and i dont ever wanna go back. wow. 

my new comp is awesome. his name is Elder Cooley and he is from Pleasant Grove Utah. hes a stud. we were pretty good friends before (hes only a transfer after me) but now we are definitely bestfriends. we are already super close. its awesome. hes a little like chase but not but is haha no fannypack though. Besides that there is really not much to say.  Just living and loving out here! Oh i didnt get the chance to see Rich darn it. I flew in late Thursday night and by that time he had already left with his trainer out to tamatave which is on the east coast of mada. hes with Elder Koplin! my friend back in the mtc. i also lived with him for 3 months or so. Good for them! 

Anyways i love you all! have a great week! be safe. stay sweet.

am-pitiavana,

Eldera Sorôdera

Grant and the good people of Madagascar!!

Lasa avy @ Paradisa‏

Tena malahelo ny foko nefa fantako fa misy ny fahafahana mifankatia olon-kafa sady hanao zavatra be dia be ho an'ny mpikambana, naman'ny fiangonana, ary ny misônera hafa.

Well you got google translate good luck! unless you happen to speak malagasy. mazatoa!

So this week was full of pics and memories and work. I am having mixed emotions. I am leaving Mahajanga this week but i love it so much, but i need to leave. im ready, but not. different reasons pulling me to stay and others telling me to leave. (one of those being the fact that the mission president is in charge of transfers and i dont wanna disobey him...haha) but hey there are a lotta things new. not really but this is what i got!

We took a ton of pics this week (all to come). First off, a couple of the apostles have passed away. Boyd K. Packer and L. Tom Perry. okay so thats pretty old, but not one person had emailed me and told me. so thanks guys. i dont know whose gonna tell me when im in Mahajanga, Madagascar. luckily someone mentioned to my comp about a week after each of em haha anyways, continuing on. So we had a few soareè's this week and that was way fun. I love these members and thankfully they love me! (i think) We had some baptisms this past Saturday (thankfully i was salama tsara this past week except one day we went home early cause i ate some bad sikay...mivalina...lol) anyways it was a great Saturday! Stael and Flavien were baptized and i had the glorious opportunity to do those. Its an amazing experience, a baptism is, especially in the ocean. I love these guys. i love these people!

As far as transfers go, i will be leaving sometime this week. apparently there has been some problem with the airlines here (classic) so i might get to go take a 13 hour taksibrosy ride! its alright! itll be an experience no one else can say theyve had haha ill take a lotta pics hopefully. I will be returning to Antananarivo. in a place called Ivandry. I will be working with Elder Cooley, from Utah. he is just a transfer after me, and me and him are real good friends so i am excited! he is a way cool guy. 

Richie! so it looks like i might see him. But! theres is a chance i might not...In tana there are the most missionaries (over 40) BUT 6 of the 8 trainners are not in tana, but in other cities. what are the chances...so hopefully ill at least get a pic with him before he heads out somewhere else or maybe he'll be in tana! he'll know his area and companion on thursday. three of the group that came into country with me are trainning so maybe itll be one of them! also it looks like Rich...Elder Bassett will meet the new president before me that lucky duck! the new president is awesome! hes so full of energy and love! ive only talked to him on the phone once for like 2 minutes haha but ill probably meet with him this friday. probably get into tana thursday. we'll see! everything is up in the air...dang madgascar. #TWP #noorginization.

anyways, i love you all and i hope you enjoy my pics! i tried to take some good ones! ready to see some of my members and investigators? i hope you can feel the love we share in the church.  i love you. stay sweet. send an email my way.

veloma ary from Mahajanga,

am-pitiavana,

Eldera Sorôdera

Mpihatsaravelatsihy sy Fieboeboana‏

Quick shoutout to my little brotha Caleb who had a birthday a couple weeks ago (i wished him personally dont worry) and also to Katy Gillespie...even though thats not her name anymore...someone tell her for me (its the 8th) and then lastly to my favorite sister in laws mother, Joni! and to my best friend and brother Scott Fairwell! the 9th is a big day!

Here are we. Pasted another week. Good is life. Work is the life. How doing today are you all? Whats new? Great was our week.

Oh man its hard to talk malagasy in english, kinda backwards isnt it? oh well thats malagasy! thats my language! imagine that but take out all the "to be" verb forms (is, are) and that malagasy. its great! i love it.

So the two words up top are like my favorite words cause they are hard to pronounce and they are problems that we all have. the first one is:

Mpihatsaravelatsihy - hypocrite. why so long? i think cause it carries so much meaning. haha jk. but its way cool. you sound way good at malagasy when you use it. as long as you pronounce it right and not studder haha

the second word:

Fieboeboana - Pride. most everyones struggle. these two words are interconnected and related on all terms within, around, and about eachother. 

I dont have much inspiration as to how to conquer these but i just give you the words of a simple scripture that is my motto in all things...Jacob, the brother of Nephi, son of Lehi, from the Book of Mormon counsels in chapter 5 verse 12 "O be wise; what can I say more?"

Ill talk about Joseph Smith next week i promise! i felt like i needed to share about those two, for you and especially me to watch out for being a hypocrite and prideful.

Anyways i got a ton of pics! yall ready? i love the mission! 

love your favorite!

am-pitiavana,

Eldera Sorôdera