Elder Hein's Madagascar Mission : March 2014

Monday, March 17, 2014

Howdy - Spring Break - not jealous!

Howdy!

Heard it was Spring Break back home and I cant say I'm jealous....I feel like I am on vacation here everyday in Fort Dauphin. Oh yeah, I will probably be here on vacation for 6 months...who is jealous now?? Haha

I feel like I am learning a new language here!! It is because I am. There are two crazy dialects down here that are way different thhan what I am used to. Antanosy and Antandroy. And then there is Southern talk, which is a bunch of new words too. Three new languages. Pretty awesome stuff. Most people understand Merina(official) but there are some people that dont, so Ive really been working hard with Elder Fox who is a linguistic genius.

My hand: I am getting better and better everyday. They will be pulling out the stitches on Wednesday and I will be interested to see my killer scar start to form. I have been taken care of down here quite well. The mission nurse, President Adams(who is a doctor), and a doctor in South Africa have been keeping tabs on me. Thank you for all the prayers. Fox, Rice, and Rakotonjanahary all make fun of me, which is nice haha. They are a big help as well.

So a little bit about the two other elders here in Fort D. Me and Fox work in the Tanambao area and Rice and Rakoto work in the Ampahiry area.

Elder Rice is from Boise, ID. Played a bunch of sports growing up but Rugby is his love. He got into country six weeks before me so we are both sorta just getting the language down. He's a boss.

Elder Rakotonjanahary is from Antsirabe, Madagascar. He is one of the chillest guys I have ever met. He doesnt speak the best english so it is great practice for my Malagasy. He finishes his mission in August, which is coming up pretty fast. He's a boss as well.

The people here in Fort D are incredible. So nice and so open to hearing about the Gospel. It is a very chill lifestyle here. I will get more pictures of the city next week. It is like Jamaica collided with Africa. Hope that helps haha.

We get to teach English every week here and people actually show up!! No one would in Ambositra. We get like 40 people to our class for a couple hours. It is fun to see what questions people have. Mainly just music lyrics hahaha.

Well moving here to Fort D has made Mada so much bigger to me. Im so far away from my last area but Ive come to the same conclusion...God loves all His children the same no matter where they are. Whether in the middle of the Mada mountains, or where the land meets the Indian Ocean. We cant fathom that love, but I see it each and every day. Im learning way more from the people in Mada than I can possibly ever teach them.

God bless,

Elder Hein

PS Happy March Madness. GO BYU

The four of us: Elder Hein (TX), Elder Rakotonjanahary (Mada), Elder Fox (WA), Elder Rice (ID)

View from our apartment

The beach this morning

Walking with the Elders

Beach this morning!

Our apartment is on the 2nd floor.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Crazy Week - Injury!

CRAZY CRAZY WEEK

Well we start on Tuesday. Took a 7 hour busride up to Tana. That place is just a massive concrete jungle. It is seriously insane. So many people, so much dirt, so many houses, and so many members!!! While I pulled into the bus station, there was a Malagasy wearing a Plano Football shirt....10000 miles away and people still know Plano is better than West. PLAAAAANNNNOOOOOOO

Stayed the night in Tana then woke up bright and early to get to the airport. Yes we flew!! The office elders took me, Rice, and Rakotonjanahary to the airport for our flight. The plane ride was awesome. Touched down in Toliara shortly then off to Fort D!!!!

The plane flew over some glorious mountains as we landed in Fort Dauphin. The smell of the ocean was beautiful. This place is incredible. Hard to describe. Just a little beach town with the coolest people ever. They live such laid back lives and are a super faithful people. So about our house....We see the ocean from our window. I also fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing on the beach. Its okay, you dont have to tell me youre jealous:)

Elder Fox my new comp is a legendary missionary. From Seattle, Wa., he started his mission in May of 2013 so we are pretty close age wise. We both go to BYU and both have a love for soccer. Dont have a pic of us yet....really busy today and couldnt get one yet haha. Next xeek for sure.

We teach people in little beach shacks made out of wood and tree leaves. There is no cooler place to work in the world. The streets are pretty dang nice!!! Rio Tinto has a massive mine here and part of the contract is to clean up the place here!!

Well...I split my wrist wide open Friday night. Walking home with a jar of spaghetti sauce and couldnt see the path. Biffed it, fell and glass split my wrist WIDE open. Im talking you could see my bone. I immediately put my fingers in the cut while Fox ran to go get stuff. I put my finger in the cut and it was wider than my finger...Malagasies all huddled around and started screaming. I wanted to pull a Saving Private Ryan and yell "MOMMA" haha. Got to thehospital...if you can call it that, and they put 9 stiches in my left wrist. Most ghetto stiches ever haha. Im doing okay now. Just a slow healing process. Im typing with one hand right now !!Please pray for my recovery!! Thanks.

Funny part was, there was a combo of spaghetti sauce and blood everywhere...which was which??? HAHAHA.

This morning we climbed Peak Saint Louis. Incredible hike. No path, just bush whacking through a jungle. Kinda hard with one arm, but we made it!!

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!

I will have better stuff next week. Reallly crunched for time today.

Love yall. God bless

Elder Hein

Monday, March 3, 2014

FORT DAUPHIN!!!

What a final week here in my birthplace of Ambositra!!

Pretty solid week work-wise. We got some more baptisms planned for the coming weeks and it is kinda sad that I can't be a part of them. But; the work of The Lord goes on no matter what missionary is there.

All week I knew I was going to get transferred so I said goodbye to pretty much everyone. I realized how much I loved this area and have come to love the people in it. Last night, we had a farewell with the family of Richard and Odette. I became very close with them in a very short short period of time. I have seen them "become new creatures in Christ" 2 Cor 5:17. When I got here, they had a bad problem with chewing tobacco. They were not members and they were still learning from us. In my four months here, I have seen them drop the habit, get baptized, seen Richard baptize his daughter, to finally this past Sunday, Richard blessed the sacrament. I feel like I needed this family more than they needed me. I have seen amazing things happen in the hands of The Lord.

Transfer News comes in Sunday nights and I was super anxious. Couldnt stop thinking about it. I thought for sure I would make my way to Antananarivo. Well President Adams dropped by our house early Saturday morning. He was on his way further South and decided to drop by. He spoiled the Sunday night news a little early and told us where I was going, and who Elder Dickson's new companion would be. Drum roll please....

FORT DAUPHIN

I could not be more excited to go down to the beach!! Ever since I got in country, I have dreamed about going to Fort Dauphin and I cant believe I'm going!! So excited. I have seen pictures and it looks like paradise. We can see the beach from our house....yeah it is awesome. There are also lemurs, crocodiles, dolphins!!! I am so pumped.

Also, right now there are only two missionaries there but it is growing to 4 missionaries this transfer. The work is incredible down there. That is all Ive ever heard and I cant wait to be apart of it.

My new comp is Elder Fox. He has a blog: elderchancefox.blogspot.com

I leave Ambositra tomorrow and drive up to Tana. Then I will fly down to Fort Dauphin on Wednesday.

Very sad to leave this place, but excited for the journey ahead.

God bless,

Elder Hein

PS Go look up Fort Dauphin right now. Trust me.

You will be jealous.