letter 9/6/2011

Hey,
How are you doing? How is the family? Things are going good here. Just got back from Mahajanga and we are doing our email today since we probably wont be able to again until sometime next week or so. It was really nice to be able to get emails from everybody. I sure do love emails. Esspecially from dad. Haha they always make me laugh. So how is Nana doing? Is she going to be able to go into the temple soon. I cannot wait for her to be able to go. How is your scripture study going? Are you almost done with the Book of Mormon? I hope that you are close. It was way cool to be able to go back to Mahajanga. I was really happy to be able to see all of the members up there again.
I was actually really touched by some of their love for me. One of the members name is ***. He was one that I taught and baptised while I was there. When we went and visited him, he actually started to cry. I didnt know what to do. It was the last thing that I expected. I never really realized how much the gospel means to people. I was so touch to see that. I guess I always took those things for granted and never really thought about them. I shared a scripture with him that I really love in DandC 128 vs 22. And told him that even though the missionaries are always changing and leaving the love will always stay behind with us. I told him that he has made so many new friends and we must go forward with our cause so that we will be able to see them again in the next life. If we slack off and dont fullfil our works here in this life then we might not be able to be with them in God's Kingdom. I was really touched by the love that I felt from him.
So the missionaries are doing good in Mahajanga. ***** esspecially. We were able to go on splits with them up there. Haha I must say that you are becoming quite famous in all of the missionaries moms letters. Elder **** and Elder *******both said they new you and that you were best friends with their moms. Haha oh my. Well I am just glad that you are able to love the mission just as much as me, and that is the way it should be. But yes they are both doing good. I was able to go on splits with Elder ****** and teach with him. I should them around to all of the members there that they can teach and some less active members. Right now we are really focusing on working with the members. When the members help teach then the work just goes a whole lot better. It is our big goal right now in order to try and help get a temple into the land.
We also had the opportunity to take the Elders to a Ankarifasika, which is a rainforest that also has one of the rock forests as well called the Tsingy. It was really fun. I really enjoyed it, and I think that the Elders did as well. Elder ***** was also able to have one of his first baptisms in country in which he did in the ocean. He did a wonderful job and you could see the joy on his face when he was finished. it was really cool to be able to see. It is so wierd to see how many new missionaries there are. I am starting to notice that I am one of the oldest missionaries here. That is really wierd. I am not sure how much I like that. There is only one group ahead of my group right now. Gulp.
Things are going good though. Tell everyone that I am doing good and that I said hi. Now that we are back in Tana we are going to get back to getting things ready for when the Apostle comes. That is going to be so cool. I am really excited for that.
I will send you more pictures of Mahajanga when I get alittle more time. I was also able to eat sea turtle again while I was up there. Oh man it is soooooo good. I think that it is my favorite food.
Love,
Elder madsen