December 19

Its actually feeling like Christmas!! Unlike last year. Yesterday we sung the Malagasy version of 'Far, Far, Away on Judea's Plain'. That has become one of my favorite Christmas songs. We also stopped by a less active whose wife isn't a member and they were putting up Christmas decorations! 

The announcement of Christ's birth has been on my mind a lot lately. I love sharing Luke 2 and 3 Nephi 1:13 with people. Those are probably some of the happiest verses in all of the scriptures.

So this morning the missionaries  had a Christmas party! It was fun. We had a big pancake breakfast and then a few spiritual thoughts about Christmas. Sister Foote took a lot of pictures and videos. you probably can see them on her Instagram. (Katie show the ones with me in it to Mom for me.)

We also had a small gift exchange. I think I topped all gag gifts ever!! I brought a live chicken! It was pretty good, everyone loved it. It ended up getting stolen 3 times. The last Elder to get it was an Elder from Vano ato (an island nation in the south pacific). I'm pretty sure his plan is to kill it and eat it for Christmas. I also ripped my pants while playing a game, but Sis Tanner( she and her husband were in the MTC with me and are humanitarian missionaries here) fixed it up for me right there. That was really nice.

Saturday we went to a vita soratra and it was really neat. Its the wedding according to the law, similar to how the French do it.

Yesterday we got caught in the rain and our area got flooded, we had to wade through some really gross water. When I got home I just got straight in the shower clothes and all. My shoes are still drying out.

So word of the week is midongy which means to pout. I love you!!