ELDER JAXSON BOWEN : WEEK 31-April 4, 2016 Priesthood blessings-great tracting-Elder Wooten

Another Great Week!

So this weeks lessons were mainly on the Book of Mormon! We gave out a bunch this week and taught a lot about this book. It started on Tuesday with our people who loved Joseph Smith. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and gave them one and they said, "oh yea, we are ready to read this. We will read it." woooooow ok hold your horses people. I didn't even ask them to read but they were ready to get that book. Way sweet! Then we continued on to a family we have been teaching. They have been really diligent in coming to church and in the lessons. Mainly because this lady was very sick and she received a priesthood blessing from the missionaries. She got better and from there said that this has to be true. Well yup!.... it is so they have been really good with the lessons. We taught them about the Holy Ghost this week and the gift of the Holy Ghost. They had great questions about it and they continue to attend church.

So then jump to Wednesday. I went on splits with Elder Mack because we needed baptismal interviews. So fun thing about Malagasy kids is that they are either ok with white people or they are deathly afraid.Ssoooo when I was with Elder Mack quite a few kids cried. But, mainly because their parents take them to us and tell them that they are naughty and they have to come with us. So that was the highlight of Wednesday! haha! But, we had great lessons in Elder Mack's area about prophets, loved working with him.

On Thursday we had district meeting and lucky for me I was called as district leader right before so I got to be in charge of it, haha! Surprise to me, but we had a good day of tracting that day.

So then jump to Friday! We had another great lesson with our super cool family about enduring to the end. Love that lesson as it ties in the whole gospel. There are five principles in the gospel but they aren't a checklist. It's not do this one thing and check it off, that's where enduring to the end comes in. Always progressing in the gospel and in our knowlege of it, that is enduring to the end! Then that night we had an activity with the branch, like a fireside. Good talks and messages were shared followed by a game. Although it didn't really turn out to be a game, but a dance off with the Malagasies haha!

Then Saturday rolled around where we had some good ol english class. Elder Wootan and I took the Mahay guys and we just talked about stuff. Stuff in America and stuff here. But the greatet thing about Saturday was that we had two baptisms! And it was great! Elder Wootan baptised one and we had a member baptise the other since it was his sister and then I went out and witnessed it!!! Ocean water here is nice and warm... haha but it was a great baptism!

So then on Sunday we had a great time at church and then the lessons after were a little weird. We taught one lady who is Muslim because she saw a video of Jesus and saw that the ladies covered their hair. Since the Muslims did that she liked that church and joined it. So we are still trying to find out where she stands in her beliefs and faith. Then at the end of the day we went and gave a blessing to a very very old lady. She was a friend of a member and I guess she had just recently gotten very sick. We went and gave her a priesthood blessing and then talked with her family for a bit. They seem interested to learn so we are exited about that. Referrals are seriously the greatest.

Well thats about it this week. Still having a great time out here and absolutely loving it. Language gets better and better as Elder Wootan helps me haha. He is way good! well I hope everyone had a great time watching conference! Hopefully we will get to watch it this upcoming week!

Elder Bowen