A diesel engine reference for my
brain, I feel like I am running on gelled fuel right now. I am just toasted
today, not sure why.
I
don't really have standard missionary work stories this week, not too much
interesting there.
However,
I got humbled in Malagasy this weekend. I got a call on Friday night that Elder
and Sister Todd were invited to a young women activity to do some training the
next day and asked if one of us could be there to translate for them. So we
called around and set up splits for Elder Kumar to go out to Andranomanelatra
and I stayed in town to translate. Sister Todd did the training, about the
young women values. There is no word for value in Malagasy, in case you were
wondering. So they just say the colors and they know what it is. So Friday
night I called around and figured out the young women values in malagasy, did a
little background research on them so I could try to be prepared on what I
would have to translate. Being a dude with no sisters I never cared about the
yw values in America, but they are really good. I am glad you are helping the
young women learn that stuff, it is really important and those things reach a
lot farther than they seem. You could straight build a solid life on those
seven things. But anyway, I translated the lesson, that was an hour of back and
forth to fry my brain. Mostly talked about faith and the value activity
experience things. I don't remember what they were called in english. Traikefa.
Then that afternoon there was a leadership training meeting for the district
and I translated malagasy to english for the Todds in the opening session, and
then again for Sister Todd in the smaller meetings after that. But I tag teamed
with a malagasy that speaks really good english in that one, so it wasn't too
bad. Then I went out at night and taught a few lessons. So it was nice to only
have to think in one language there. SO I was pretty fried from that, then the
next day I was in Andranomanelatra for church and the Todds were there too. SO I
translated for them during sacrament meeting, and priesthood meeting, and the
Branch Council meeting. Lots of back and forth english to malagasy and then
Malagasy to english. Elder Todd is a very intelligent man, and he really knows
what he is talking about. He uses intelligent man words, and those are hard to
translate into malagasy. So that was humbling, I had to do a lot of really fast
rephrasing in my head. I was so fried at the end of that meeting. I'm still
like hung over from that.
I
like the lesson about temple sacrifice, but I think you sacrifice more than you
realize to go to the temple. Yeah it's an hour drive away and you already own
all the stuff you need, but think about the worthiness aspect. Yeah it's in
line with the rest of the commandments, but it is not easy. 10 percent of all
your income is a lot of money. I'm glad that you guys make that sacrifice and
are worthy to go to the temple. I guess what I mean here is just because you
don't have to sell everything and save for years to make a week trip to the
temple doesn't mean that you don't sacrifice.
Spiritual
examples. I don't really know, you guys did a pretty good job. Yeah you weren't
perfect, but noone is so I can't really hold that one against you haha and you
guys always taught me that faith is the foundation. No faith means no building,
just build on what you have and keep going. So I think you did a good job
there. I am not really sure, I guess I just looked at the leaders in church,
the lessons and stuff like that, took what I wanted out of it and left the rest
behind. Maybe that's why I was such a dummy in high school, but I think I am
going to turn out all right.
As
for what am I going to do to set a good example, I don't really know for sure.
I think sometimes the best examples are the people that just do the right thing
and don't throw it in your face. I always thought grandpa was a better role
model than brother so and so who called you out for drinking carbonated soda
and listening to your music too loud. I always just thought that guy was a
square and it made me not listen. But people like Grandpa Galbreath who just
always do the right thing and don't butt in unless they need to or are asked to
are inspiring. I think the difference might be what Christ talked about in
Matthew 7, doing your alms before men versus doing them for God. He says
"and your father, who seeth in secret, will answer you." That might
be the wrong reference but the point is in there somewhere. So I guess bottom
line is choose the right and don't tell everyone and their punk kids that you
did it. Fly your flag, but don't rub it in anyones face. Nobody likes getting
flags rubbed in their face.
Elder
Galbreath
So, business talk. There is a
suit maker here in Antsirabe that, according to the missionaries, is the best
on the island. I am probably going to get a suit made, just a standard business
suit for church and stuff. However, because I am flashy like that I want to get
something a little cooler made. Here is my thought. Cowboy style duster jacket
suit. Knee length jacket. It's hard to find it without watching the movie for
myself, but I thnk something like Sam Elliot's suit in Tombstone, or Wyatt
Earp's from the same movie. I kind of remember Doc Holiday having a cool suit
in the casino at one point, but I don't know. Idea number 2, Jim West suit. The
short jacket, one button suit look. I sadly don't have the time to look up a
bunch of pictures of these styles, so I am going to hope you catch the idea,
and ask you to look at that in any down time you might have if you wouldn't
mind I would appreciate it.
