Yo family

 Yo, I'm going through a Sylvestor Stallone thing right now. Don't worry about it. My shrink told me something I think I mistranslated. No worries.

So, I had my first Malagasy wedding this week. It was a return missionary who mommed my trainer. So I guess it was my grandma? I don't know really. He speaks really good english too, he is an albino. Way cool guy. Anyway, so we went to the civil wedding that was supposed to start at 11 and got going at 12:30. So that was fun. But the civil wedding was pretty boring really. But after that we went to the church in Ampifeloha. If you have seen anything about the church in Mada you have seen that church. It's huge and orange and actually looks like an LDS chapel. They had a couple talks about marriage and then a big reception thing. They fed us pretty well, had some dancing (I didn't participate) and then we peaced out to go teach the gospel. The food was pretty good though. Mango juice, carrots, beets, some eggs, green beans, lots of rice and a chicken leg. The chicken leg was really meaty but it was like just boiled, so almost no flavor at all. Then it was cold too so that was no good. It sat kind of funny in my stomach but I downed a liter of coke before bed so it was all good. That is my go to solution if I eat anything sketchy, a liter of coke for a buck and just let that sit in your stomach all night. Plus if you take back five bottles you get a free coke. Gotta love glass bottle returns.

I don't know if I have told you this already or not but our ward mission leader is going to London on his mission! Super cool, his mom is way good at english too, so he has a good teacher. He goes into the Jo-berg MTC the week after Elder McLaughlin leaves Mada. So that is cool for him. Also another guy from our ward is going to Jo-berg this week for his mission. He is pretty cool too.

Most spiritual experience I have had in country so far was on Sunday. A kid named Fitahiana got ordained a deacon by his Dad and two brothers. I almost cried the spirit was so strong and I didn't even know what they were saying. It reminded me of when Wyatt wanted me to ordain him a priest. Super cool, that is probably one of my favorite memories from home. So yeah, super cool.

I don't know if I told you about Renèe already or not, but I think I have. He still hasn't had a drink, still is coming to church and staying for all three hours every week. We gave him a book of mormon last week and through some slick private eye work we found out he is actually reading from it every night! The pages are starting to get fluffy at the beginning of the book. So cool! I don't know what we did to deserve him but I hope he stays diligent. I love some of the people here so much.

Last sick story and then I gotta go. Victor is the "husband" (not legally married) of Georgette. Georgette is my favorite Mada woman ever.  Anyway, they have been learning from the missionaries for 9 years and Georgette comes to church every week and Victor has not come a single time. We want to drop them but Georgette is super diligent. This last thursday we were teaching and we had a really good lesson and I gave Victor an ultimatum. I told him that by being lazy he was keeping Georgette out of heaven, so he either needed to get married or decide if it was worth her salvation. He stood up and said "missionaries, I'll make you a deal. If I don't come to church this Sunday don't come back." So we went to church on Sunday hoping he would show up. He did! And during investigator class he stood up at one point and said "I want to bear testimony of the Holy Ghost. When I told the missionaries if I didn't come not to come back I heard the Holy Ghost say to me 'You're going to church'" Wow! Coolest thing ever! I loved it, and hopefully he will stay diligent and I can finish up 9 years of missionary work on this one couple in February. I am so excited for them.

 

I love you all, and when you go outside and see snow or shiver think of me sweating my butt off in the rain here in Mada.

Yo Adrian, I finished the letter!

Love,

Elder Galbreath

                                             Must be a good game!

                                          Cattledrive thru town.  They look scary thin.

                                           Elder Austin added a nativity set to the decorations

 

Are you eating enough during the day?

I am sure trying, I grab a lot of street food on the run, bread or composè (just shredded veggies on a sandwich) so I do pretty well. I just am going all the time, and mission work is mentally draining. Not only learning so much but worrying about the people! Every time someone doesn't come to church, or dogs us on a time I just start worrying. It wasn't bad enough when I only worried about immediate family.

I like your nickname for Wyatt although I don't know if I can find anything with a zebu on it.

No worries, I got you covered. That is everywhere here. Literally.

Do you have any questions for me??

Not really. You will be happy to know though that everyone I have shown your picture asks if you are my sister. I had to leave that one in for Grant’s sake.

In YW we talked about goal setting, long and short term. Plan, evaluate, act and report. Plan what your goal is and when you want to accomplish it. Evaluate how you are going to do it. Act on your goal. In other word just do it! Then report to someone to be accountable. Whether it’s a leader, family member or just your Heavenly Father.

They tell us as missionaries that "when performance is measured, it improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement increases dramatically." Just a good quote if you didn't have it for next time you teach that same lesson haha

What do you enjoy inside the mofo balls that you get? Meat? Vegetables?

Mofo. There's nothing in mofo balls, but there are some other things that are really good. They have these things that are little chunks of meat, two of them about the size of half a digit on your pinky finger, with a little chunk of fat between them. They are so good! And for 100 ariary too, so very cheap. We taught this lady a couple times who is way cool and really likes us but won't make time for church so we couldn't teach her anymore. She is still super cool though, and makes some way good food! She always gives me free stuff too when I get something from her. I'll buy like five of those things and she will grab five and then get like three more on there for free. So cool! And there is this thing here called maka soka, which is kind of like a mofo ball but not fluffy and a little greasier, and I eat like four or five of those with breakfast every morning. I have a big egg sandwhich, like a foot and a half long hoagie almost, with milk and eggs and seasoning salt and sweet chili sauce on the bread (so choice!) and the maka soka with peanut butter on it. So good, and so filling. I love it.

I like how you are learning about tight budgets. That will take you a long ways in life.

Yeah no kidding. I figured out that weekly budgets are the way to go with a monthly income. I have x amount per week and I set aside two thou for breakfast each day and use the rest throughout the week. If I have left over I save it for the end of the month or a rainy day if a soare cancels or something. I plan on being pretty dang poor for a while after my mission so I am getting used to being a "tsy manana" or a don't have.

You are probably tired of hearing this, but, you are a great son and I am "well-pleased" with all that you are doing.

Thanks Dad. I am pleased with you too. You're pretty cool. And your moustache is bushier in every picture I see of you, so that's nice. There is an elder here whose little brother is growing out his hair until he gets home. But his hair is way long and your moustache reminded me of that.

                                                                    Happy cracker

 

Love you!

Elder Galbreath