8/17/15 - Hump Day this Thursday, August 20

Hey y'all!

Sorry that I wasn't able to send an update last week but I'm here now with a letter that'll hopefully brighten y'alls week! :) Haha!  First of all, I hit huuuummp day this week...  Yikes!  Haha!  I never thought this day would ever come!  One year from now I'll be home.  So weird to think about that.  If someone finds the pause button please send it on the next plane to Madagascar :p  Well here's y'alls email!

Monday:  We went and did some shopping.  We played our usual basketball and owned face.  We got some fabric for suits and got them made!  Model pics coming soon. :p  Me and Thompson are having a photoshoot tonight.  Haha!  Well, we taught Nadia and Valery today.  Valery is a non member and we just recently reactivated Nadia.  Valery was doing way good with the word of wisdom until his dad died and now he won't even be home for his appointment because he is drinking.  We're hoping things will change for him.

Tuesday:  We taught Sambatra and Ernesto today.  They are both still getting pumped for their baptism on the 29th!  Their interviews are this upcoming Saturday and we are STOKED!  They both want to go on missions.  When we told Ernesto that he can't flirt on his mission or watch TV he told us, "WHAT? I ain't goin!"  Haha!  He was just kiddin :p  He really wants to go so hopefully in a year they'll be getting ready to go!  We had a cool contact today.  We were not doing so well with tracting.  People were just unaccepting and it sucked a little.  Then we were walking to an appointment and a guy stopped us on the street and asked us if we could talk.  He pulled us to the side and asked, "So what is this I hear about eternal marriage?"  Wow!  We told him, "I would love to tell you!"  Haha!  He told us he can't learn at his house because people around him hate mormons so we're waiting for a call from him for a plan.  We told him we have members that live close to him and that we can teach him at their houses.

Wednesday:  We taught Fafa who is Roger's daughter.  Roger was the less active.  He tried making a bunch of excuses not to come to church but he's been to the temple.  His wife just passed away this past week and it was way sad.  We taught Fafa about the plan of salvation and she loved it.  We were very happy yesterday to see Roger come to church without us having to ask him.

Thursday:  We had a ward activity and it was a great turnout!  People had a great time and the investigators were able to mingle with the members!  It was so worth it!  There were some fun activities that all ages loved.  Ernesto brought his little brother who hasn't learned from missionaries yet and after the activity he came up to me and asked if he could learn!  YES!

Friday:  Joseph Richard is doing way well.  He still hasn't come back to church but he wasn't drunk so we were happy to see progress.  We had a good talk with him about enduring to the end.

Saturday:  The missionaries schooled some malagasies in soccer.  It was way fun!  I thought about buying me some cleats after that.  Things are so cheap here.  It's ridiculous.  I can get some decent cleats for less than 10 dollars.  It seems way expensive when you see it in ari ari (Malagasy dollars) but you can always barter the price which is way fun!  Then we had a soiree with Bishop Olivier!  He is way cool and soo good at English!  He showed me a lot of pics of his mission and told us some very cool experiences he had!

Sunday: Church was holy :)

Well I'll stop there!  I hope y'all have a great week!  Happy hump day to me on August 20!  God is good!  Hallelujah!

Bisous!
Elder Mack

All of these pictures are ones that the mission president's wife, Sister Foote, posted on her Instagram page.  She labeled this picture, "More P-day fun at the mission home."  The goofiest one in the picture is mine.

Sister Foote said, "Filoha Foote coaching."  Filoha means president.  I could tell from his back view that #5 was my missionary right away!  His companion Elder Thompson is the farthest left, then there's Elder Liao and Elder Glazier to the right of Elder Thompson I believe.

Sister Foote said, "The dream team.  Zone activity."  See Elder Mack with his tonue out and his shaka sign?