MADAGASCAR

Well,

I could write hours and hours worth of e-mail but instead we have less than half of our normal time so I'll just have to explain everything and send pictures later. Basically Madagascar is great! It is super super different from La Reunion because it is so 100% third world country. Basically just picture Mexico and all the ideas of dirt roads, busy buses, and street side vendors and you've got a really acurate picture! I am loving the experience and starting to wonder if I can request spending the last part of my mission here. 

Sr Gardiner and I have discovered that almost no one speaks french though it is their official business language. But that means I am trying to pick up Malagasy phrases as fast as I can. I already got the basics of please, thank you, excuse me, how much, and I don't speak malagasy. Now I'm trying to learn all the rest. We are in the capital - Antananarivo and staying with four other sisters, including my old MTC companion Sister Teuira! 

We are doing splits with the two companionships. Sr Johnson is from America, actually Boise Idaho and she has been out for about 14 or so months. She also speaks french from taking it in highschool and BYU so that is super cool! Her companion is Sr Vanarisoa who is from Madagascar and understands french but only speaks Malagasy. They are both super nice. Then the other companionship is Sr Teuira from Tahiti who speaks French and Malagasy and Sr Guilamba who is from Mozambique and speaks English and Malagasy (and Portugues) and mostly understands French. You can imagine conversing around the dinner table is a little tricky. All the sisters can speak Malagasy to each other but then we Reunion missionaries don't understand. If we speak French mostly everyone can understand but then they have to reply in English or Malagasy. Tricky, tricky. But it's all part of the fun! We have already taught a couple of lessons over the course of Sunday and Monday. The living conditions are soo different but the people are so warm. Speaking of warm....it's actually FREEZING here!! They are just finishing their winter and heading into spring but it is super super cold. Sr Gardiner and I have been freezing our hinies off! I have worn my tights and a sweater everyday and can still be cold! I even broke out the mittens! At night we are sleeping with almost four blankets! It's definitely not Provo cold but after being on a tropical island for a year, my body has NO sort of immunity to the cold. I think it is in the high 40s or 50 here so it feels glacial.

I don't really know what else to write with the few minutes that are left so I will just have to send pictures because they say a thousand words. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Stewart