What's up Everybody?! It was a great rainy week here and I hope you all had a great week also! Fort Dauphin is the place to be and it just gets better every single week. This week we had some great lessons and found some awesome new families that we are very excited about! One couple who we found, first talked to missionaries in 2005 in Tamatave. When they first moved to Fort D, there weren't missionaries or a branch here and they lost track of the church. They read the Book of Mormon everyday and it was amazing when the wife comes up to us as we had just tracted into her cousin's house. She was holding a really old Book of Mormon and my comp and I were shocked. She said they have been reading everyday and she led us to their house and we shared the first lesson with them. I am very excited about them!! We have many investigators right now that are so awesome and it is very exciting! This week I have thought a lot about the Atonement. Sometimes as we teach people about the Atonement and what Christ did for us it is a very deep and hard thing to understand. It is amazing that one person could be filled with so much love that He would be willing to suffer and die for all of our pains, sicknesses, sadness, loneliness, mistakes, and everything else we could ever feel. As we teach about the Atonement I often share a story I heard a long time ago but don't remember where. It is about a school class of boys. They were very rowdy and disobedient. Finally one teacher told the class they need to come up with ten rules. The students came up with ten rules they thought were fair to follow. The teacher then said if there is a law but no penalty then the law is pointless. What is the penalty for those who break these rules?' The students decided that those who break the rules would get beaten ten times across the back without their coat on. A few days later Big Tom found that his dinner was stolen. The class found out who the thief was and it was a little boy named Jimmy who was very small and very hungry. The teacher said, "Jimmy, you broke the rules you get the punishment; ten stripes across your back." Jimmy pleaded and told the teacher he could beat him but to please let him leave his coat on. The teacher said, "You helped make the rule, take off your coat." Little Jimmy took off his coat and the teacher saw he had no shirt under and just a skinny bony little body. The teacher thought to himself that he couldn't beat this poor little boy, but he had to do something to earn the class' respect. Just then, Big Tom steps up and says, "Teacher, I will take Jimmy's beating." The class and teacher agreed that if someone else accepts one's punishment it is acceptable. Tom took off his coat and the teacher beat him across the back. Little Jimmy jumped up and hugged Big Tom. He said, "I am so sorry Tom! I was so hungry. I will love you til the day I die. Thank you for taking my beating." I love this story and example of the Atonement. We are all little Jimmy at one time or another in our lives. How blessed we are to have a Savior that was willing to take our beating so that we can be forgiven and return again to our Heavenly Father. A day without repentance is a day wasted and I am so thankful for the Atoning Sacrifice of the Savior. I know He suffered and died for us but then rose again. All He asks is that we love Him and follow Him. I know this Gospel is true and as we follow the Savior we will have true and everlasting happiness. I hope you all have a great week! Veloma!
Some pics of our walk we did last P-day right before we went out to work. The path we took is just right behind our house. Like a 15-20 min walk right by the beach. Sorry...not trying to make you guys jealous. Haha.
Some pics from Mbola's house. This is some of Mbola's family. His dad is a Mpiambina Omby and his family makes charcoal. That is what the big hole in the ground with smoke is.
A pic of the path out by Mbola's house.
Elder Hunter was transferred to Tamatave and we took a goodbye pic. This is right outside our favorite restaurant here. It is owned by a French couple and it is so good.
