May 29th 2010- Some pictures and a family letter

The Bennetts


The sun through the fog


Sunrise at the mission office


Local meat stand


Malagasy home by the office


Local women washing


Local fruit stand


A Baptism photo

29 May 2010

This past week has been very busy preparing for the arrival of eight new missionaries, three transfers out to another mission and seven others completing their missions and going home. Monday was an activity day - soccer match between the missionaries and the stake youth. Then we had the Bennett's over night for two nights. Elder Bennett a former stake president from Taihiti, was a national soccer star in his youth. When he joined the church he refused to play on Sunday. The soccer commission changed the games from Sunday to Saturday because of the strength of his conviction and their desire to have him play. His story was written up in the Ensign. Thursday the culmination of all the preparation and activity. We had two missionaries stay overnight Wednesday night, provided breakfast for eight missionaries, drove the three transferees to the airport and made sure they were able to check-in without difficulty. Then we had a different set of missionaries Thursday night. Elder Bennett came down with a cold when they were here. Thursday night one of the elders staying with us was sneezing and coughing a lot. When I could finally slow down, my body succumbed and I am now working through my first cold. I should be fine in a day or two.

Detlef participated in the first branch presidency meeting for our branch. Everyone is so new that they need a lot of training, outlining meeting formats as well as clear direction to leaders using suggestions and then discussion. It is coming along. They sat in a circle of chairs speaking a mixture of English, French and Malagasy. I sat about ten feet away writing on my computer. Detlef taught them how to plan ahead for meetings for the next three months based on topics and giving speakers specific scriptures and conference talks as the background for giving talks in Sacrament Meetings. Most members are so new to the gospel that they often act as though they have to be a preacher rather than giving a talk and testimony. They have only had the Book of Mormon since a few years ago. They now also have the Triple. What a blessing. It is so difficult to teach leadership and how the auxiliaries help families learn the gospel when they have no materials in their own language. So they are learning as we set a different example and encourage them.

Being a devoted wife and mother is a great work with eternal significance....even if the days become routine. The miracle of created life, partnering with Heavenly Father in bringing about His eternal plan for His children is a wonder to behold. I feel very humbled as I have grown in my realization of Heavenly Father's incredible trust in us, his daughters, to be faithful to this great work in all kinds of circumstances, to rear and teach these precious children about who they are. So much of what they learn is what we model in our lives. Most of the women here in Madagascar have very little of material means, but they tie their babies close to them as they travel, daily wash their clothes, feed them and love them. Many Malagasy people live in what we would call shacks. They live most of their lives outside and go in at night or when it rains, like the old pioneers. They carry all their cooking and personal water in buckets from public water sources. On Sundays the members come to church in their best clothes. They are clean or learning to be so. Some children come in bare feet because they have no shoes. We in the US have so many worldly comforts even if we have little.

I am conducting Relief Society. Even just using an organized agenda helps them see a pattern and how a leader leads a meeting. I am teaching them to lead music so that they can increase skills and opportunities for service. I find that the young women are quite good in recognizing the rhythm and are able to copying the proper arm movement. In future we will be attending the Ankazube group about once a month if we can. We will need to establish good habits here in the branch so that we can be gone. If we must lead the music and teach classes, we are failing. It is like parenting. The goal is to help them become strong and independent. It is a very small branch in Sabotsy Namehana, about 47 members. Last Sunday there were 71 in attendance, including many investigators from the area immediately around the building. Today there were probably more than 60. Detlef had encouraged the missionaries to tract around the building. They are teaching three families now,

Sister Dalton was here Tuesday to train the Young Women leaders and the priesthood leaders about the YW organization and how to encourage the YW to grow and become strong in the church. She asked them to make budget funds available to that organization for activities and to support the YW's personal progress program. She was surprised that we do not have these materials in Malagasy.

Saturday was cleaning and laundry day. There was quite a pile of sheets and towels. President and Sister Donnelly are away in Mauritius for meetings this weekend so I was able to use the large commercial washer and dryer in their apartment. It is a great help but still took an entire day. Then Saturday afternoon we attended a baptism. There was a family of four and another boy who were baptized from our branch.

We send our love and hope you have a great week.
Mom and Dad