11/23/2015

   So we approach the last week of November! I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! I should have good food over here in Madagascar, so my Thanksgiving should be a good day. I also want to say Happy Birthday to my grandfather, who turned 90 on Saturday! Happy Birthday, Gramps!

   So I guess the major news of the week was that we had a convert baptism on Saturday. One of our investigators, R, was baptized. She started learning the gospel with the missionaries who were here before me. The missionaries told her that they would teach her every week she attended church. She kept attending church, so we kept teaching her! Eventually she started inviting friends to learn with us, they are now investigating the church as well. Even this one guy who is somewhat of a celebrity (he  performs here in Tana, but he mainly performs in the other provinces...he has posters and stuff out and

he gave me his CD, which I will definitely listen to after the mission). is learning with us. I was asked  by R to perform the baptism, which is always a great privilege. 

   Yesterday, we didn't have regular church meetings because there was the Southeast Africa Broadcast. Elder Whitney L. Clayton, Carl B. Cook, Dale G. Renlund and Quentin L. Cook gave talks. 
We also found out about transfer news recently. Fortunately, my companion and I are not being transferred now, so we will still be here in Ambohipo for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Unfortunately, some of my friends who are close to being finished with their missions are being transferred away from Antananarivo, so this week, I might see some of them for the last time until I return to America. I cannot believe that I only have 5 more transfers as a missionary.

   This week was a quiet one, in all honesty. Not much to mention other than the fact that the missionary work seems to be improving. We had a lesson with some investigators this past week where everything just seem to work to their understanding of the Plan of Salvation. One of them, who at first, seemed less interested, wants to know more about the Plan of Salvation because he said the teachings from the Book of Mormon described simple truths to him probably more clearly than any other book he had read before. We taught 18 lessons this past week.  We ran into someone the other day who really wanted to learn and so we are probably going to teach him this week. Life is great here!

So, here is the Malagasy Lesson for the week.

Mpamonjy                                        Savior
Mpanavotra                                      Redeemer
Tompo                                              Lord
mpahita                                            seer

mpaminany                                       prophet

mpanambara                                    revelator

mpivavaka                                        religious person

mpanao batisa                                  someone who baptized

mpikamban'ny Fiangonana               member of the Church                      

mpanara-dia an'i Jesoa Kristy           disciple of Jesus Christ

Okay. Have a great week, everyone. Eat some good American food for me.

Elder Pinson