Final Entry to Aug 11 Letter and Pictures

... and continuing from the previous Aug 11 post ...

Seventh - who doesnt love lemurs? There are not that many here as one might think. There are a lot, but they dont just run around willy-nilly. I saw a wild one when we hiked up the mountain in Fort Dauphin. 

Eighth - way cool scenery picture of Madagascar. Most of madagascar is considered "Ambanivohitra" which means the hicks. This is a really cool picture, unknown to me the location. 

The rest of the pictures I will let you peruse on your own time. But interesting things to note it that most things are done by manpower because it is cheaper than doing things with machines. Machines are expensive, so everyone works with their hands. And the live animals on the top of the taxi-brusse, normal, I once saw a live goat, standing up!!

But we have a lot of progress going on here in the work. The branch is getting ready to turn into a ward. 

This last Saturday I had a cool experience. We went to a wedding! So we showed up to the government building that does the wedding. And then we listened to the little ceremony, and then had to sign in these big books to officially become married. It was very good. And then on the way out, everyone who attended has to put a little money (rakitra) into a box for the malgasy government. 

I dont think that I could ever explain how much I love this place and these people. I have started thinking about my future; and I would be very happy if it included Madagascar. There are a few ideas that have come to mind, but I see flaws with all of them. But I would love to help out things here. The most reasonable thought that comes to mind is that I become a doctor in the United States, and then open a malgasy run clinic here, or hospital or something, where I help oversee it and fund it. Benefits is that I would have a positive influence on the country of madagascar. Disadvantages include having to travel sometimes to oversee the clinic here, which means lots of traveling, and also being away from family for periods of time. I still have a lot of time to think, but I would really really like to help these people. I feel like it is something very important to do. Or another thought I had was to open a good medical school here in Madagascar. But we will see. I love the malagasy people and it is really hard to watch them suffer so much. 

The church is really progressing here in Madagascar. It will be very interesting at the end of my mission, to see how much the church has progressed, and then at the end of my life to see it, will be incredible. 

Anyway, I don't have to much else to report. There are a lot things that I am learning here, that I will remember for the rest of my life. The mission is good. The church is true. The work is true.

Elder Weber