I never know what to title my emails.

I appreciate you being there for me, I am not very good at getting what's in my head out of my head in the form of words or anything. I used to drum, but it just doesn't work for me here. I have tried everything I can think of, all my journal entries are lame and repetitive. However, luckily I am not too worried about it and I just proceed with life in a normal fashion. Well, mission normal.

We are expanding our program more out to the other half of our area, we added a third day out there and are working on filling that up. It's going pretty well, We are working with members and trying to find less actives. Our stake has a 36 percent activity rate. So we are working on that. We are teaching this kid named M right now. He is way cool, super diligent and excited to learn and he has no problems with law of chastity or word of wisdom! So he might be perfect. He stays with a member family so he comes to church every week too. We also got this kid we are teaching with another member family.

Anywho, I am super burned out on life so I think I am gonna go take a nap haha and my comp is waiting for me.

Do you have to pay when I send you something?

Yes, but not much like two thou for little stuff and 12 thou for big stuff, very affordable;

How is your raincoat holding up?

Like a charm, I stay nice and dry.

Any new investigators? Any baptisms coming up?

No baptisms soon, we have a couple scheduled for Feb 27th but one of the people isn't vita soratra so that probably won't go down. The other one is a members kid that is nine so we are in charge of him now. He is way cool, he likes me too so if I am still here I might get to baptize him.

What was the best thing you ate this week?

I had some chicken and fried vegetables the other day so that was pretty good.  Had some pretty good mine sao, like chow mein.

What did you do or are you going to do this p-day. And Dad noticed you

are wearing civilian clothes on your P-day did your president change his mind?
Nothing special really, just getting shopping stuff done.  Elder Seifert is getting a suit made so we bought some fabric for that, I might get one done soon before I get too skinny not what Mom wants to hear! and can't wear it in America. I am gonna try and find some American flag interior fabric for one. It will be pretty fly.

Tell me a story of how Batman and Captain America are getting along?

We get along really well, he makes me teach a lot more and we talk about most things. We have a lot in common like scary amounts. For instance, he thinks he is Flynn Rider and I actually am, and we both listened to music all the time before our mission. So yeah we get along really well.

I have been super tired this last week or so, still eating plenty so no worries there, just tired. About packages, when you think about sending jerky or other meat just send pepper sticks instead. Those were delicious. I am probably gonna be pulling out like 20 bucks this week for food. I am not a very good budgeter.

 That's all I got for today,  Thanks for getting Jasmyne's address for me, do you know Sydnees? I already wrote her a letter and everything, I just don't know where to send it.

I love you mom and dad

Elder Galbreath fahadimy

 

 

 

Nope, I don't believe it!

Christian Manly had his homecoming talk today.  

I refuse to believe that.

 He also said something about being a converted Green Bay Packers fan, but I think that is just part of the mission high thing that he is getting over. 

I think it's an Aaron Rodgers thing. That boy can throw a football. 

Chandler Byington got engaged!  To Lexi Caulder.

You know, my mission feels like it is going fast, but everything back home is moving forward at the same pace. Maybe it's a hemisphere thing. 

And then this afternoon I went to Lucy Petersens farewell. 

Nope, didn't happen. Seriously, who isn't married or going on a mission? 

Cassandra is a Grandma again. 

What the crap! Tell everyone to knock off this whole changing all the time thing. 

Speaking of photos.  I assume and hope you are taking more than what you post.  You should mail your card home so I can print them all out since I sent you with lots of cards you should be ok.   

Not gonna happen. Everyone I have ever talked to that tried to mail cards or cameras or anything like that got it stolen out of the mail. Sorry, you're gonna have to get by on what I send home. I did fill up my first card though. I filled up a 4gb card, I'm working on one of the 8gb cards now. I should be good for a while. I don't post all the pictures I take, I just can't. I am going to try to take more pictures in the future though, I am kind of lame about that sometimes. Often actually. 

I hope G is OK and that your other investigators are progressing as well. 

G is good, she went to the doctor and the doctor said she wasn't getting enough calcium. So she is drinking more milk and eating more yogurt now. She is good, we are still trying to get them vita soratra (legally married) so they can get baptized. But, they come to church every week  and learn from us every thursday without fail. She is the coolest lady I have met. I am still teaching a ton more than I did with Elder McLaughlin, sometimes Elder Seifert has to take over at the end of the day though because my brain gets burned out trying to speak a new language. It is so strenuous. I can barely think of my rad dance moves sometimes. We had a soiree with a bunch of RM's though last Saturday so that was way fun, and the Dad is way cool, the head of the household that hosted the soiree. He speaks pretty good English, and he is a way cool guy in general, kind of reminds me of you when he talks about serious stuff. 

We have so many people learning in Cite right now, we are actually adding another day out there so we can fit everyone in. And the other half of the area is pretty slow lately. So we are working with members, teaching family and friends. Focusing on those father led families! President Adams told us that we are converting those who will baptize the future leaders. That really gives me an idea on who to look for. And of course anyone that really wants to learn we teach.

 I am learning how to dance, pretty fun stuff. Turns out everyone knows like one or two cool things they can teach me and I can compile all their tricks into one awesome mascot head wearing big white man dance. And pay for college with it. Dope. I can moonwalk now, and jerk, and I'm learning how to t-step. I will send you a video when I get it down. Nothing else too cool really, 

So, this was a pretty boring week, except I almost broke my ankle. It hurt so bad I had to get a taxi right then and go home. Luckily it was the end of the night. I am wearing my comps ankle brace every day right now, because it is still swollen way up. I am gonna go see the mission nurse and see if they have another black one I can use so I can give my comp his ankle brace back. I might need you guys to send me another ankle brace, a black one so I can wear it everyday. McDavid I think is the one I am wearing, it's really nice. The one you guys sent me in the MTC broke, the eyelets pulled right out, but I found my white one so I was good for sports. Thanks, sorry for the short notice or whatever else I did wrong, I feel like I did but I have no idea what. 

Alright Dad, I gotta go. I love you so much, and I keep you guys in my prayers all the time. 

Love you,

Elder Galbreath

P.S. Oh, and Taylor wrote me a letter and signed it in Malagasy, pretty much the cutest thing I have ever seen. 

Hi!!

The missionaries did stop by the house. 
Gave them referrals ve ianao? (ianao means you and ve just means it is a question)
They said they realized that for all the talking we do on Sundays they had never stopped by the house.  

I feel that, and it is nice to visit members. 
I showed them some of your pictures of Mada.  Wyatt said I should not bother them with talking about you all the time.  But what can I say you are my excitement right now. 
I show members pictures of you guys too, it's all good. 
I sent them off with some cookies.  

Good lady. This part is for everyone, feed missionaries! They are poor. And they will love you if you feed them.
(Mom)Tell me about your new companion.  I hope he knows how lucky he is to be with you.

I'm sure he does. I told Dad basically everything I know, I'll give you the highlights. He speaks five languages, he thinks Batman is better than Captain America (wrong), is pretty tall but not as tall as me, pretty muscular, very chill guy. I think he is supposed to chill me out.  Also he wears crazy socks all the time. I'm not sure how I feel about that. 

(Dad) tell us a little bit about your new companion.  I didn't realize that they transferred Elders between La Reunion and the mainland.  I thought that if you went there it was for your whole mission.  

I didn't know that either, I think it would be way cool to train in Malagasy one of the french elders from the MTC at the same time as us. They were both really cool. Nuts. He is a couple inches shorter than me, much much more muscular than me (difficult I know) and has the thickest fastest growing beard I have ever seen. It rivals the beard grown in a day by our old across the street neighbors.  Pretty intense. Also, for the first few days in country he was having a rough time remembering Malagasy, so I taught a ton of lessons those four days. Like all of them. And on tuesday and wednesday I had a mini, Mitia, so I taught most if not all of the lessons for those two days. It has been an interesting week for sure. Also Elder Seifert was born in China, and has lived in more countries than he has states. His family is in DC right now.  Pretty intense. The only problem we have had so far is that he is real sure Batman is infinitely better than Captain America. He is wrong, but whatever.
We heard through the blogvine that you guys are getting more money each month.  Does that mean you can still afford eggs now?

I never gave up my egg breakfasts haha cereal does not cut it here but the allotment did go up to 450,000 a month.  Much easier to get by on that for sure. 
How are you doing with the language.  Are you getting more comfortable?

I am getting a lot more comfortable with it, by force even haha I had a mini for two days so I did all conversation in Malagasy and taught most of the lessons, then my comp was still thinking in creole so I taught most of the lessons for the rest of the week too. Much more comfortable, Elder McLaughlin made me talk to taxi drivers and stuff a lot the last week he was here too, he was worried I would get a mini for a long time or a malagasy companion and not be able to speak to them. 
I was surprised to hear you are not the tallest missionary in Mada.  Apparently Walkers new companion in 6'5".  Maybe you will get there before you leave. I guess that wasn't a question.

Walker's new companion is at least 6'5", probably 6'6". He is a bit taller than me haha. He is leaving in about six or seven months I think though. So maybe once he leaves. Maybe not though. I went on splits with him once, in Mahamasina. 
No photo from Austin's mom.  I hope you can download some this week.  Again not a question, boy I am not good at his question part am I. 

Gotcha, lemurs and dying scots and a video for Wyatt. 

Any new investigators?  How are your current ones doing?  

Um, we have a kid we started teaching last Sunday I think named Mahefa. He is way cool, living with, related to and working for an RM member. He is way cool, really tries to understand what we teach, asks questions, is a young man, listens intently, and comes to church. He is almost ideal. Current investigators are great, we have two with baptism dates of Feb 27th that I started teaching with Elder McLaughlin so hopefully I will be here to see them get baptized! If not though that's ok too. I am developing a genuine love for the people here, and it's starting to freak me out. I have no desire to leave my area. At all. I could stay in Itaosy a lot longer than this. 

Any new wild animal attacks?

I got bit by a flea, and I squished a spider, and I caught a gecko that was sneaking around in our house, threw him off the balcony, that sucker flew far. 

Any scripture or story really speak to you this week?

None that I can think of, I have been reading in Jesus the Christ and the Teachings of Joseph Smith. Those are way cool, I suggest them both to people preparing for a mission. Actually just read everything. 

The temperatures were cold!! I attached a picture of the thermometer in my truck as I pulled into the range on Saturday morning.
Wow, that is pretty dang cold. I don't really think I could handle that after this. It gets to sweater weather at about 65 or 70 around here. Pretty hot.
Puppies are cute, that is why people have big dogs that are annoying and not cute!!

I assume you are alluding to Shad, who is still cute Shad disappeared overnight. He sounds like he was a stinker this week though.  Party animal.

Do they wear anything special like grass skirts or anything? (Dirt doesn't count)
If dirt doesn't count then no. 
How's the cockroach situation going down there? Best roaches in the world apparently.
Not in Tana, if you stay clean in the house then you don't have too many issues. Like any at all, and they are easy to kill. No hissing cockroaches yet though, I guess those are hard to come by in civilization. 
What's your favorite thing about the people down there?

Once you know these people, they are super nice. Like way nice, welcoming, always wanting to feed you, they would literally give you the last rice and ravitoto they had if you asked them to. And they are so simple, and humble. I love that. No superiority issues with most of the people.

Alright, I just remembered about church this Sunday, so that's the story you get haha. So, our room in the church that investigator class is in has a broken handle, so there is no handle on one side and a handle that does nothing on the other. The bolt thingy is still in there though. So the door flaps around and bangs on the door frame if no one puts a chair or something in front of it. Well Sunday one of our first time to church investigators gets frustrated with the noise of the door and pushes it shut all the way. So we are stuck in that room on the third floor of the church with no other way out. So for twenty minutes after class people on both sides of the door are trying to get it open. We finally get it open, and everyone gets to class. So priesthood starts, we do some opening announcements, and then split to classes. 

So let’s see, what happened this week. I got a mini, and worked with a Malagasy for two days. Taught English class by myself and basically the rest of our lessons for the rest of the week.  Sunday Elder Seifert was mostly caught up and started helping a lot more. Um, I don't really know much else interesting that happened this week, not much interesting that's for sure. We are teaching a family right now that is way cool, and they are interested but none of them will come to church. The big problem she kept bringing up is that there has never been a Malagasy prophet. Elder McLaughlin and I always told her that it was for whatever reason and that God chose the prophets, not people. But every other church here has leaders here, even the big ones like the Lutheran church. Catholics don't have a second Pope but they don't question that for whatever reason. Elder Seifert just explained to them last time that the church has only been in Mada for less than 25 years, so there was no one here that understood all the workings of the church, and that knew enough about the church to lead it. She seemed to take that one so we will see if she asks again. 

Oh! Just remembered a good story. So Elder Seifert and I had a gap, so we did a little tracting. We ran into this guy who was really excited to talk to us. We soon figured out that that was because he wanted to try and prove us wrong with the same scriptures everyone uses. We casually and respectfully taught him with doctrine and then he got off on the whole "Sabbath is on Saturday" thing. He had Old Testament scriptures and New Testament scriptures and a ton of stuff from his pastor. We seriously explained to him the reasoning behind Sabbath on Sunday a hundred times and he wasn't listening to that either.

Alright mom, I love you! Be good, give everyone a hug for me. 

love you dad! And those puppies are adorable. 

Love Elder Galbreath

                                          Be very very quiet I am looking for lemurs!

                                                Missionaries!

                                           This one did not bite me!

                                                  Our new bags, not purses.

                                            Garrett is feeling very malagasy now! Hee Hee

Hallooooo

First question, what broken picture did you take down? Strange he can’t recall the picture since he is the one who broke it. I like the sticker though. 

When I was teaching primary I went to six hours of church most Sundays too, so the blessings are real! Due to Grants work schedule I will go to an early ward with him then our regular ward. Super cool. YW sounds like fun, I like that scripture a lot. D&C 87:8  I always think of it as since you have to move out of the home and church and temple at least sometimes, you can make everywhere you go a holy place. It's important that you have the spirit with you everywhere you go. It's freaking hard, but it gets easier with time. Even as a missionary, and I feel like we have a little more leeway in the spirit's presence. 

I saw the paint job, it looks nice. We painted his room to make it Wyatts room. I actually am a little happier with it than I thought I would be. Wyatt looks like a demon in the painting picture though. Kid needs a haircut. Of course Dad puts up window trim as soon as I leave, six months later. Alright so maybe I didn't just leave but dang it it sure feels like I did. Seriously, if the next three sets of six months go by as fast as this six did I am legitimately afraid. I know it has gone faster than I thought it would.

I don't know that missionary but I am glad he is ok. One of the Mada missionaries had to have his appendix out. Speaking of missionaries I don't know.... I am getting a new companion this week! His name is Elder Scifer (no idea if that is spelled right). I don't know anything about him except that he has been on a mission for almost a year and a half and has been in Reunion for the last four months or so. Apparently he is really good at Malagasy though so no worries there. Should be interesting. I am going to be with a mini, our DMP, Mitia for Tuesday and Wednesday probably, or until I get my new comp. Should be fun! He is way cool though. So I am pretty happy with him. I don't know if Scifers mom is a MMM (or whatever you kids are calling yourselves these days) or not though. Elder Austins Mom should have a picture of me and a Leaf Tailed Gecko! My camera died and this cyber sucks! So I can't get any pictures up today either. I am starting to get pretty fed up with Madagascar internet. 

Well, the lemurs were awesome. I am going to tell everyone a different part of the story so you can all share with each other. So we had to take a taxi brousse to get there. It's the same thing as a taxi be, but it goes outside of town. We went all the way out in the bush. I saw so much green I forgot what Tana was like. I cannot wait to go to province. It is so cool looking! So me and Elder Mitchell took the fun path down through the fields and basically off road coolness and Elder Austin and McLaughlin took the boring path. So we had some fun, saw some weird plants and whatnot, had a nice walk. Then when we got to the lemur park we started to walk in and then.... I'll tell mom because she asked about the lemur that bit me. Next is my part..

So when we got to the Lemur park yesterday we went in and they made us pay 10000 instead of 600 which is the Malagasy price. So that was a bummer but then all the lemurs showed up and they were super cool. We were feeding them peanuts and bananas and everything and they were eating out of our hands and everything. I think I am going to go again with just my comp sometime so it will be easier to get pictures and everything. Super cool. They are so soft! I was legitimately amazed with how soft they were. I cannot even compare it to anything.  Bit by a lemur, the new highlight of my life. I just held my hand out with no food in it, trying to trick it into licking my hand. That would have been a great picture. However, he looked at my empty hand, hissed and tonga dia (like all of a sudden, or right away) bit me. Sick right? I thought it was a pretty cool story. Note to self don’t try to trick a lemur.

I haven't gotten any packages from you guys yet, and Grandmas still isn't here but I got one from John and Cari and them!  It is way cool! And Taylor thanked me for always writing her back so now I have to write her back. 

Hey Dad! It was awesome to see you again at Christmas, sorry I couldn't email you last week. This country has some pretty ridiculous things in it, like people wanting to close early on holidays. Ridiculous.  

Haha I wouldn't know how cold it is though, I sweat almost twenty four seven now. I don't even use a top cover when I sleep anymore, just me and my mosquito net. It's very hot. Just an idea, inside, at night, it is 80 degrees Fahrenheit in our room. And it is so hot during the day. We get to appointments and it is so hot we are sticking to the chairs, my shirts are constantly wet under my backpack. And we smell like sweat. That does not sound fun.

Every member a missionary! President Hinckley would be proud of you. And the missionaries will love the referrals they get from you. I think the best thing you can do for the work is give them referrals. Friends, family, people from work. Whoever. Member referrals are the best way to get investigators. That and less actives. It might be different in America but most less actives have a small reason for leaving the church and once you find that reason you can get them to come back. Satan has a strong hold on some people. Flaxen cords, flaxen cords. 

I love you so much! Tell Sydnee I got her letter and John and Cari I got their package, it was awesome! So many Nerds...

Love you Mom!

Elder Galbreath

Questions from Wyatt, these are always my favorite.

1: What did you do New Year's Eve?
We just sat in the house and told scary stories until like eleven thirty and then told other stories until Midnight, I drank three liters of soda and slept like a baby. It was sick.
2: How's McLaughlin (that looks right) doing? Getting trunky and dreaming of going back home and just chilling in his kilt and messing around on the bagpipes eating haggis?
He does talk about his kilt a lot, but other than that he isn't too trunky. just chilling out, working hard and taking lots of pictures, saying lots of goodbyes. We had a dinner appointment every night last week and a few lunch appointments too. I saved so much money on food. 

3: How's Elder Galbreath doing?
He is freaking out a little bit that he is getting his second companion soon, and that six months have already come and passed. And he is upset because eggs are expensive so the place he loves stopped making mofo balls. It's legitimately almost the end of the world. 

4: Have you gotten mugged or robbed yet? Or at least a close experience?

You kidding me bro? I am legitimately twice most of these peoples size. No one is gonna come at me. And if they did, I would wreck them.