February 29

February 29, 2016


A few interesting things happened this week. First off, Thursday we went to a funeral, kind of different; it was for the son of a member in the branch. I didn't understand a lot-- not the same kind of thing we do in the US-- but nothing crazy.

Before

After

Saturday was really fun. I killed a dokatra (a bird that is a cross between a chicken and a duck) and we ate it for dinner (a member cooked it for us and showed me how to kill it). It was way fun and a way cool experience. I have some pictures!



Yesterday was stake conference and it was really cool!! A member of the quorum of seventy from Zimbawe spoke, and so did President and Sister Foote. Sister Foote gave her talk in Malagasy!!! It was pretty good, but her accent was pretty American. Everyone said they could understand her which was way cool. I really like Pres. and Sis. Foote. They are super cool.  Sis. Foote has an Instagram account that she puts pics of the missionaries on.

That's pretty much all that happened this week. I got soaked last night, but that happens at least once a week. Our week has been slow. We only taught 8 lessons. Yesterday we spent the whole day walking. We had 7 appointments set up and none of them were home, but I'm still doing fine. I really like our area and our branch is way awesome!!!!

Love you guys.

Word of the week is maty which means to die or dead.

Over the past few weeks we have heard of about 10 deaths-- no one we know but a lot of people we have talked to knew someone who just died.

I love you!!!



Just a few more pictures that Corey sent this week!

Wesley knew this guy!

February 22

February 22, 2016

So this has been a pretty good week. Started  off a little rough but got a lot better!!

So on Thursday I went on a split with Elder Ulrich, he is a way cool dude and a great missionary. He is the oldest of 9 kids with another one on the way. We had a way fun day together. The first thing we did was help push a taxi that had run out of gas, it was pretty fun and way tiring!! He is only a transfer ahead of me and it was pretty fun being with someone who isn't a ton better than me with the language, though he is still a lot better than me. Our last lesson was with a family we have been working with and we talked about the plan of salvation, we also tried to answer some other random questions they had. One of the questions they asked was why doesn't our church have lockolosy (spelling of that could be wrong). We had no idea what that word meant, but from how they tried to explain it we thought that it meant confession. So we talked about how we confess our sins to God in prayer it seemed to make sense to them. When we got home that night though we asked Elder Ulrich's companion who is Malagasy what it meant and he told us it meant bells. We just started cracking up!!!! We totally messed that up!! It was fun.

Friday we went out to ambanivohatra(countryside) again! Way fun!! I love getting out of the city. I am not a city boy. On our way back we were getting on a taxi and this guy asked us if we were in the Sabotsy Namenah ward, it kind of caught us off guard. Turns out he was a less active Melchizedek priesthood holder. We got his number and he told us he was gonna be at church on Sunday even though we hadn't said anything about church. We didn't really expect him to come but he did and it was great!!! What makes it even cooler is the fact that one of his legs is extremely crippled and he has one crutch he uses, so I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to come especially since he lives pretty far away. But he did come! and it was amazing. He is a latter day pioneer!!

Also, Friday night we stopped by our branch presidents house and he asked us to give talks on Sunday.  It was way scary. I was pretty terrified. I had Saturday morning to write and begin translating it and then finished translating it Sunday morning. I was super nervous up until I actually got up and started talking, miraculously my nerves pretty much left me and I was the calmest I've ever been giving a talk. My leg didn't even shake like it usually does. The craziest thing of all though,  my comp said that I talked for 15 minutes. Longest talk of my life so far.

Backing up a bit to Saturday, we taught English. We have been inviting people since we got here but Saturday was the first time anyone actually showed up. It was a whole family with 3 kids, we had talked to the mom while getting a water at a gas station and invited her. She came with her whole family and it was way fun!!! Usually only young adults come to English but it was way fun teaching a family. At the very end she asked us why we came here, why we gave up two years of our life, why we put our studies on hold and such. We were so happy she asked that question. We really hope at some point we can start teaching them about the gospel.

I came on a mission to help others obtain the same happiness and knowledge that my family has, that Christ's gospel has been restored and that we can live with our families forever, My message blesses families and helps them come closer to Christ!!

I love you!! Remember who you are and what you stand for!!

word of the week is fifaliana which menas joy or. you could also you fahasambarana which is happiness

Love,


Elder Corey Smithson

February 15

February 15, 2016

On a mission, for your first two transfers you are in training and typically when you are done being trained you get a new comp. So Monsen and I were totally expecting him to leave and me to get someone new. On Saturday though we got a call from President Foote and he told us we were staying together for another transfer. So yeah nothing new.

Last night we got caught in a rain storm and there was a big van that got stuck.  We tried to help them for like an hour and got completely soaked, it was fun. When it rains here it really rains, the roads/paths here become rivers.

We taught a family yesterday about families and the temple and it was really neat. I showed them a picture of the South Africa temple and of BrookeLynne, Eric, Avery, and Dakota. They first came into contact with the church 3 years ago, but he has been struggling and there hasn't been missionaries here consistently. Hopefully we can help them progress!!

On Wednesday we got to go out to the country side and visit a member. We are planning on going out there again this week. It was way beautiful, I have some pictures, but they don't do it justice.

I got a bunch more letters last week. I'm now only missing letter 10 from mom I think and I got a couple from Katie. 

This is for mom,  (FYI: Cyndi/Corey's Mom has been sick)

You woulds say "mirary fahasalama" to someone who is sick, it means to wish healthiness, it's like saying I hope you get better! 

I hope I didn't miss anything from the letters I forgot to review them this morning so I don't remember everything.

Word of the week is mandrakizay which means forever.

love you!

Elder Corey Smithson

February 8

February 8, 2016

Wow, sounds like Katie is going to have a fun summer! [We told him Katie might be going to EFY in Navoo.] I’m looking forward to those months here because I miss the cold, the only plus is that it isn't as humid here in Tana as it is in Tamatave.

So not much happened this week. Just another week in the life. I did get to feed pigs which was pretty cool, I never realized just how huge they are!!  They weigh a whole lot more than me. (side note, I weigh a lot more than most Malagasies, it was funny while I was in South Africa someone told me I was a pretty skinny boy and literally a few days later when I came back to Mada I was told I was a pretty big boy. To Malagasies I'm fat, and even most of the missionaries here are skinnier than me too).



Other than that not too much has happened. We currently don't have any progressing investigators which has been a bit tough, but hopefully things turn around this week,
I did break or lose 5 pens this week which has been fun. I just keep fiddling with them a lot and they are not exactly the best quality. It reminded me of all the remote control covers I've broken.
I love you!

Sary means picture in Malagasy.

I hope you have a great week!

February 1

February 1, 2016

So I'm doing fine, feeling great, way glad to be back in Madagascar!! I love it here, I understand why Wesley misses here so much. 

So I'm back with Elder Monsen he had been working with the office elders for the past few weeks, but now we are back working together. 

We opened up a new area called Sabotsy Namehena. It's a branch on the northern side of Tana. It hasn't been its own area for almost a year, there have been elders working there every Friday though. 

Since our building wasn't built by the church they have these make shift fonts. We built it inside because they were worried someone would steal it, you have fill it up overnight cause it takes awhile. It turns out there was a leak in it and it kept flooding the room. but it all worked out fine. There was no carpet so we just sort of pushed all the water outside. It was quite the experience

We actually had a baptism on Saturday, but this week has been spent trying to find people to teach and we honestly haven't had a ton of luck, but the branch here is way cool!! We have an awesome BP and DMB(branch mission leader).  They help us out a lot and they also each feed us once a week which is way nice because Malagasy food is way good!!! I'm still waiting for something gross, so far I've loved everything. Something really nice about Tana is that there is mofapota which are these way good little loafs of bread. They don't have them in Tamatave, but I eat them everyday for breakfast here. I love you! Please pray for missionary work! 

that fruit is greanadlle and makes the best juice ever

Word of the week is sakafo which means food.

Well that's my week. I need some pictures of the family I lost mine.  I got the rest of the letter you sent at thanksgiving and a couple more from Aunt Tana and Mom. I am missing letters 9 and 10 from mom . I have through 8 and number 11. Next week I might get to go to a lemur park!! I also have a lot of random pictures from the last few weeks that I will hopefully be able to send today.

Some of those random pictures from past weeks

 The temple in South Africa!

This is one of Wesley's mission companions that Corey ran into!  
Elder Andriamanganoro 

If someone reaches Corey's chin they are really tall!

Corey playing Frisbee with some kids.