Tsara Be Madagascar! Super Awesome Madagascar!

Salame,

The title might sound funny but you have to remember that there is no "to be" verb in malagasy. All my life I thought it was the most important verb for any language and then here is malagasy, proving me wrong and showing that maybe no one needs to use to be verbs.

So this week...where to start? First off. Yes I am the only American sister in all of Madagascar. Crazy right? Basically all of the girls are straight out of Africa - I'll explain. There are only 8 sister missionaries in all of Mada. Two (Sr Ramiaramana and Sr Sitraponahy) are from Madagascar, Antsirabe - the country town I travelled to that is 4 hours from Tana. Sr Guilamba is from Mozambique. Sr Kassah is from Ghana. Sr Teuira is from Tahiti. Sr Wenyi grew up in France but her parents are both from Congo. Sr Amoussouga (my companion) is from Guadaloupe. That's an island in the Caribbean. So I'm the only American and fotsy kely (a bit white) sister in Mada. The reason I say white is because to the sisters and people of Madagascar I am pretty white - at best they will call me metisse which means mixed. It's so funny because all my life people have been telling me the opposite - that I'm black - then I go to Africa and I'm white! It's all about perspective. But I am learning SO MUCH about other cultures. I mean like food, life style and hair. I'm learning a lot about hair. There is a lot of braiding that goes on. I have decided to stick to my own real hair.........for now, hahaha. 

Update on Sylvie and Solo: This was a rough week. Sylvie is really really struggling with alcohol. In fact half of the week she was gone from the house because she just got so drunk she left and didn't come back for days. Luckily by the end of the week things got a lot better and calmed down. We were able to talk to Sylvie sober and really discuss how we can help her with her addiction. Solo on the other hand is taking off - he is spiritually flying. He reads the Book of Mormon like crazy and this week HE asked US if he could be baptized!! There are a few obstacles though. The biggest one is that they need to be vita soratra - legally married - which is tough here because it takes money and paperwork. But Solo is super determined and said he wants to get baptized for Christmas as a way to really show Christ during HIS season that Solo wanted to follow Him. Wow. Beautiful. This man is so ready. And the WHOLE family came to church!! Which was a first for Sylvie. I am so happy I get to be a part of their journey into the gospel, even if it is hard and sticky and full of big obstacles - it is such a blessing. 

Alright well I absolutely love my mission. I seriously love Madagascar - even as smelly and crazy and dirty as it is. It's not because we have like thousands of prepared people or a thousand baptism dates - we were dodged 16 times last week - no joke I just counted. But no big deal because I LOVE my mission. So a couple of weeks ago dad sent me the transcript of this father's blessing he gave me before my mission and it was straight up personal revelation. This is what I wrote to President about it:

 

So I already talked to you a bit last week but basically I have had a complete shift in attitude. Long story short my father sent me the transcript of the father's blessing he gave me before I left on my mission and in reading it I had this spiritual confirmation that everything is working out as it is supposed to. I realized - really realized on a personal level not just a doctrinal level - that Heavenly Father really does know the beginning from the end and He has a plan for it all. Even before my mission I was blessed and given advice that applies to now and earlier on my mission. Heavenly Father knows exactly what's going on and where I am now (including trials and difficulties) is where I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to struggle with the language - Heavenly Father knew that - He planned for that but it is all for a wise purpose. I know everything is going to work out and this week proved that. 

It was basically a patriarchal blessing for my mission, it talked about all my difficulties and struggles and also what the Lord was going to ask of me. He even blessed me to feel help from the Lord in speaking Malagasy --- before anyone even knew I was going to be speaking Malagasy. In short it proved to me that the Lord has had a plan since the very beginning and He knows the big picture. And reading my blessing helped me see it too - the big picture. And ever since then, my vision has been cleared and I just feel so much light and clarity and GOODNESS in my life and my mission. I don't think I've ever been this happy. Which is crazy considering how tricky and hard some of these experiences are. But it's true. I don't really want to go home right now - or ever and I understand why everyone talks about being so happy in their missions. There is so much light and happiness that FLOODS your life when you live the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the more sacrifices you make, and the more you align yourself to be exactly obedient the more light and joy you recieve. I know that to be true - because I've seen that in my life!

Love you all! Can't wait to talk on Christmas!

Sis Stewart

Ny Ireo Fitahina Any Andriamanitra - Blessings from God

Salame,

So basically I have about 10 minutes to write to you about this week... Go! 

So health update. I am fine. I did get sick again on Friday which was a major bummer but once again it was a 24 hour thing. And I always tell the mission nurse and she takes good care of us. I'm not going to die out here - though sometimes after throwing up everything in one's body, one may wish that one could disapear. Also the flea bites have significantly decreased - YES! I'm not sure how long it takes packages to get here, but one just came for an Elder who left over 4 months ago - so it is possible that anything you send after December will not get here before I leave.

The transfers! Well passed! Sr Amoussouga is way cool and definitely has got her malagasy down. She is very "mahay" (ma-hi) as they say out here. This week went really well even without Sr Johnson. I remembered where everyone lived. We never took the wrong bus and no one ever cheated us out of too much bus fair money! So major success! In addition we were able to find a couple of new families who are interested in the gospel! 

Let me tell you real quick about this miracle family. The wife and husband are named Sylvie and Solo. We met them porting one day. They live in EXTREMELY humble settings. They live in this very small square house made out of wood. Two sides of the house are small enough that my arm span can cover them - the other two sides are only about a foot and a half longer. They have three cute little girls. We met them about 3 weeks ago. At first we just taught the wife Sylvie but she said her husband would be interested so he came the next time. The third time we came while they were fighting. They often have financial problems and can't always be sure to have enough money to put food on the table. When problems come up Sylvie drinks and that makes Solo so angry he beats her. We walked in right in the middle of one such problem. I felt so helpless, not knowing what exactly they were saying to each other and in general feeling overwhelmed with such a large problem. But we did the only thing we could - we taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ. We talked to them and told them that Sylvie needed to stop drinking and Solo needed to stop hitting Sylvie. This week they testified of the difference they have felt in their house. They say they have felt the Spirit more since we have started teaching them. Solo reads the Book of Mormon to Sylvie and the kids every night (she can't read) and he has come to church the past two Sundays. He reads every day and Sylvie is trying to stop drinking. They have literally felt and seen a difference in their lives ever since they started to listen to the restored gospel and read the Book of Mormon. They believed in God before. They went to church. They prayed every single day. And yet there is something different. Things have changed. That is such a testimony to me and this family is amazing!! Because they are so humble and ready to change. They are easily moldable and change themselves to follow the Lord and His teachings. Are we this easily moldable? Do we read the Book of Mormon everyday? Or are we too busy? Seriously an amazing testimony to me of what it means to be humble and quick to hearken and change for the Lord. I can't wait to tell you the rest of their progression as time goes on!

Long story but that is what fuels this work! I love Madagascar and my mission. Even if it is super hard. But that is how it has to be - the best path is always upward!

Love,

Sr STewar

tia - to love !

Manahoana!

So everyday I love Madagascar a little bit more. I am convinced that it is a gift from God (like all good things or Christlike virtues) like how Elder Russel M. Nelson said our love of the prophet is a gift from God. Same thing for Madagascar. Because it is dirty, messy, soooo smelly, and generally filthy but also I seem to be loving it more each day. That doesn't mean there aren't ups and downs - lots - but at least I am starting to have a true love of the people.

So a bit of news this week. Antsirabe was great. The ride was crazy. There were 18 people PLUS a driver in our 15 passenger van. It was crowded. And a long drive - 4 hours +. But suprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be. The country was beautiful and life out there is so different. The people really get their livelihood straight from the land. And it seemed much poorer than in the city...which is sort of crazy because already the city life is so much lower than our US standards. In Antsirabe, people travel by "pouss-pouss", which is essentially a handcart pulled by a barefoot man. And that is a real mode of transport to get around town. There are also "sikoh-pouss" which is the same thing but pulled by a bike - like the ones in San Fran.

Other news. My health took a major downturn these past two weeks...The fleas have officially settled in and seem to have taken quite a taste for my blood. I counted 18 bites on ONE thigh....and they itch sooo bad. But if you scratch them, they can bleed and scar. At first I thought the bites were from mosquitos but I kept getting them on places that were thoroughly covered by my clothes and I couldn't figure out how the mosquitos were biting through so many layers. Then I showed them to Sr Johnson and she relayed the dreaded news. So I washed everything and that seems to have helped for the moment. The only problem is this country is flea infested so you can pick up one from anywhere. There are times when we go in for a lesson and I just know that whatever chair/bed I'm sitting in is crawling with all sorts of undersirable things.

Also this week...I got exceedingly exceedingly sick. On Friday I woke up and threw up and then had extreme stomach sickness ALL day. I emptied everything out of my body and still my stomach was churning. I didn't leave the bed all day - except to go to the restroom. And I didn't eat. The nurse just told me to keep drinking and there wasn't really much medicine she could give me. She said that some missionaries would get my symptoms but that in 24 hours it cleared up. And it did - the next day I was fine - very weak and shaky feeling but no longer sick. I did weigh myself and lose 4 kilos in that one day. 1 kilo = 2.2 pounds for you in the states. But I'm already gaining the weight back now that I can eat again - don't worry, I don't think I'll have any major weight loss before I come home.

Anyway, Sr Johnson leaves on Wednesday. My new companion will be Sr Amoussouga - she was on La Reunion with me before she got transferred here - right before I became companions with Sr Hurst! So she should be able to help me out and relate to this big transition. This week will definitely hold a lot of changes. I will keep you updated!

Love you all - Tena tiako ianao ireo!

Sr Stewart

kely kely ( a little, a little )

Ok,

Sorry everyone but I actually don't have very much time to write. Sr Johnson and I am supposed to go to a city about four hours away by bus to do exchanges with the other sisters. There are only 9 sisters in the whole Madagascar mission. 6 here in Tananarive, the capital and then 3 in a town named Antsirabe, which is way out in the country so it is supposed to by way beautiful. 

This week was alright. Our area is going through a rough spot. None of our investigators are progressing - mostly because they all refuse to come to church. So we had a lot of cancelled apts this week and are doing a lot of contacting (hey, I'm used to that!) only it's in Gasy....I have different spurts of success with the malagasy. I am convinced that I have been blessed with the inconstant gift of tongues. It feels like when I am in a situation where I HAVE to be able to do something with the language, I make it but other than that on a daily basis I can't understand what is being said. Like this week Sr Johnson got sick with bronchitis and another sister in the apt was also sick. Fortunately we had planned to do exchanges that day anyway so I went out with the non-sick sister, Sr Ramiaramanana - who is gasy. During the day we went to teach one of the recent converts from our area and I was able to teach a whole lesson on the Atonement! That's crazy! But then the next day I couldn't even explain what the Book of Mormon was.... So it's still tough. 

I don't really have time to write much else - I will make sure to write extra long next week. Sorry everyone!

Love,

Sr Stewart

one month down ..

Hey,

So crazy as it seems, I have been in Madagascar a full month by the end of this week. I can't say the time always feels like it's going fast but that still shock even me! Which means I only have about four months of my mission left - how did that happen? Where did the time go? In fact I officially know my release date - it will be the 18th of March. 

This week we finally got to watch conference!! It was fantastic!! I seriously am just so grateful for modern living prophets and apostles and the fact that the Lord still speaks to His children in Their day. You would think that after so many talks on the gospel there wouldn't be anything new to say - yet everytime I come to conference I am so enlightened and edified. It's not that they make up new gospel topics but the way they apply them to our lives and their advice is so spot on and touches me. I can't wait to read and study from the talks given during the next six months. I particularly enjoyed Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf's talk about absolute truth and Elder Jorg Klipgat (??) I can't remember his exact name, but he gave an amazing talk about how to live the gospel. I loved when he said "Become really really good at forgiving. Forgive everyone of everything. Don't hold a bad feeling against a single soul" !! 

This week was the week of meeting because in addition to General Conference we also had a Zone Meeting and a Mission Leadership Meeting! Our Zone leader gave an amazing lesson about integrity. One of the quotes he used said "Integrity is about doing the right thing not because of who's watching but because your character demands it!" He said too that Elder Anderson had once said someone with true integrity would do the right thing even if God blinked or looked away for a moment. It was great. All about being completely truly honest about what you think is right and wrong - because your own character demands it. It made me really think about how I can have more integrity. Also I was very suprised to learn that I am still a Sister Training Leader in Madagascar...I thought that that calling had ended when I left Reunion since I don't know the language, area, mission, or even missionaries over here very well but nope. Sister Johnson has been the only sister training leader over here for quite a while and it can sometimes be tough so I'm a little nervous about this addition to all the new changes that are already going on. Speaking of which...Sister Johnson will be leaving in two weeks when the transfer ends so it is almost guaranteed that I will stay in the area I am in and be in charge of leading it with my new companion. The language is still coming along slowly and yeah, all these things are making me really nervous for the future. It's going to be a big stretch that is for sure. I will be the person with the most knowledge about our area and investigators but I will only have been here for 6 weeks and not speak the language. 

Funny language story for the week. In malagasy, the subject almost always goes at the end of a sentence. Such as "Through the prophet Joseph Smith, restored the gospel and his church, Jesus Christ" or "Can pray to God no matter where, no matter when, we" So occasionally when I am speaking I focus so much on the words I need to put into the sentence that I think I have already mentioned who is doing it. And then I'll get done with this sentence and look over at Sr Johnson and she's sort of waiting for me to finish and I don't get what she's waiting for and she mouthes to me the word "subject" and I'm like "oh....right" So some of my sentences sound like this "Loves us with all His heart and wants us to be happy.............God"

Soeur Stewart

BP 5094

Dingana III

Andrainarivo, Antananarivo 101

Madagascar

Love,

Sr Stewart

btw ... kiana would LOVE christmas cards (:

here comes the rain .

Salame,

So this week brought more adventures in Madagascar. Nothing too new, lots of walking under a really hot sun. Yesterday it did pour again though! 

The language is coming along slowly. Unfortunately after my breakthrough last week there haven't been too many other miracle moments. I still struggle A LOT. I also can't understand almost anything. But I am trying to take it one step at a time and just focus on learning a new skill or conversation topic each day. 

I wish I had more to share but there just weren't many funny stories this week. I did accidentally ask someone how old their car was....I meant to say how many years of school they had done. 

To answer Dad's questions, yes we are inside of Tana - not the suburbs...although I am pretty sure suburbs don't really exist here. Yes we take the bus everyday. Yes they CRAM people into buses here. I have to get a picture. Also people take HUGE sacks of rice or live chickens on the bus so you have that to contend with, in addition to the people. 

My favorite thing about Madagascar in the meaning of names. Everything here has a meaning. Like the place where we live means "lots of onions" and a neighborhood nearby is called "where the cows sleep" Most of the people have names that mean something too. My favorite so far is the name Aina (pronounced Y-eye-na). It means soul. And it's so pretty. So yeah we meet people called "choice" or "precious" and I think it's so cool. This one lady is just called "the twin's mother" hahah 'cause she has a pair of twin girls. Somethings about the Malagasy languag are cool. I love the sound of it and will love it even more when I can speak it.

All my love,

Sr Stewart

one week at a time .

Salame ve?

So here's the thing about a mission, it's like a rollercoaster ride. There are ups and downs. This week had some great ups. This week also had a couple of downs. On the upside...I seriously believe I have been blessed with the gift of tongues. Like I know all missionaries in some ways are blessed but I'm sort of talking about close-to-miraculous! This week after only one week of being in country I was able to teach a whole 30-40 minute lesson - practically all by myself! All the other missionaries say it's super great progress and President Adams called it "miraculous' so I feel so so blessed!! Unfortunately I still cannot understand....anything. Which can make church and church activities a little stressful because people will come up to me and expect me to understand. The latter of which we had this past week. It was sort of like a picnic/recreational activity about an hour outside of Tana, which made it the countryside. It was fun.

I've still been getting used to being here and the country. It's a lot of a transition. I've been getting to know the sisters in the house a little more. Last night, Sr Johnson had me practice making conversation with the two Malagasy sister as a language activity. It was super helpful but sort of funny because I didn't know every other word so I would have to ask her to feed me words - like an actor who had forgotten his lines. Speaking of funny language mistakes...there are two words in Malagasy that sound very similar: vary and very. Unfortunately their meanings are very different, vary means rice and very means lost. So this week I said by accident " There had to be a restoration of the gospel because RICE the church of Jesus Christ" We all got a huge laugh out of that. There are little things like that that happen every week but I laugh along with everyone else because you've got to admit...it's pretty funny. 

On other news, I have been feeling a little sick since I got here, mostly I just have awful stomach cramps that leave me a little immovible but yesterday we called the mission nurse and she gave me some medicine. After it kicked it I felt fine so hopefully I won't have any more problems. 

The people here are so receptive to the gospel, it is incredible. Sometimes a little mindblowing to me. When we start to teach someone, often the whole family will trickle in. And even the little kids will come sit down and try to read the brochures. It's just they have such a thirst for spiritual knowledge and it's not because they are ignorant. The people here know way more about Christ and his gospel and the Bible than the people on La Reunion did. Which just proves that spiritual knowledge is not equal to an education or scientific knowledge. The people here know the Bible so well, they all go to church on Sunday and they dress up in their Sunday best. Seriously, on Sunday you just see everyone in their nice pants and dresses getting into buses carrying their Bibles to go to church. It's so heartwarming. I know I am only going to keep growing my love for these people.

Ok so that was just a mish mash of my thoughts. I will try to record some better stories to tell you all next week! Thank you all for the prayers, I am guaranteed that the amazing language experiences I have had are thanks to the many prayers from you guys all across the world.

Love,

Sr Stewart