December 5,2011

hey family!!!!!! how is everyone this hot December day???? hahaha it makes me laugh to hear of all the adventures in the snow you are all having. im glad to know you are all safe! sounds like you lived a little on the risky side this weekend. (raised eyebrow) haha. im sad to be missing all the singing and Christmas spirit that is already at home. its not quite here yet. it really doesnt feel like Christmas at all.... haha no snow, no decorations, no family. its a little weird im not gunna lie. but im sure itll get better. im sure Emily loved that the tire blew with you and Dallin in the car and not her driving! haha that was lucky for her but not so lucky for you and Dallin. sounds like Madesyn's baby blessing was great though. so im excited to talk to you all in a few weeks. the way it works here is that i give you our phone number and a time to call then thats when you call. you may have to call on Christmas eve... i hope thats aright with everyone. just the way the time change works out. if you call me at like 9 at night on christmas eve its 7 in the morning Christmas day hear. but if you call Christmas morning its like 5 at night here.... hahaha so im not completely sure yet when youll be calling but just plan for either Christmas eve or day. lol i wish i could heard you all sing. i wanna hear Dallin in that quartet! haha thats awesome.

so i get my guitar today hopefully if the guy making it is on schedule. but from what i hear he usually isnt on schedule. so we will see. i have used my mastercard and it does work if you can find a bank that takes mastercard hahaha. luckly there is one not to far from where i live. i need about 70 dollars to pay for the rest of my guitar. so i will use the master card for that but i dont want to spend much personal fund wwhile on my mission because the mission already costs alot of money so im going to try to stick to my alotment from the church. if i do take personal money out i will let you know.

so this week my companion Elder Wilson bought himself a pet turtle and named it rico. he bought it for about 2.50 american. which is 5000 ariarys. i feel very rich when i walk around with 30000 ariarys in my pocket but its only about 15 dollars hahahah. so that was pretty exciting. i dont actually have pictures of the turtle right now but i will send you some next week. i must say not much has happened this week. we teach and we knock on doors haha. not many people are letting us in right now but thats Ambohimanarina for ya. i have been very tired lately but i think that will pass. i just gotta stay more hydrated. i was excited to here about jordans call! he emailed me a short letter telling me where. i hope he is excited. it really doesnt matter where you get sent. we are all doing the same work. spreading the word of god. and he only has to be in the mtc for 3 weeks hahaha. thats a bonus right there. hmmmm lets see we had a couple big rain storms this week. those were exciting. i will try to send you the video i took of it the river that once was our path hahaha. i wrote a few personal letters to people who sent me dear elders so look for those in the mail. i will try to reply to all of them as best i can. i hope my letters are getting to you all in the mail hahaha. its difficult to say if they are or not cause it takes so long to send and recive them. i did get a big envelope from the primary in our ward which was cool. i was planning on replying to that sometime this week. probably tonight actually. and maybe i have some letters for me at the office. i will find out today. i got a nice card from Nannie and Grandpi for Christmas!! thanks for the gift Nannie and Grampi!! it was very much apreciated; and the other elders got a kick out of the fact that they put Elder hippo on the fake check so that was funny.

i am almost done the New Testament and i have really come to appreciate the life of Christ more in my life. i guess it is a very fitting time it being Christmas to finish the New Testement but its amazing how much you come to learn and how much revelation the Lord provides us if we just put in some effort. ive learned more about our life hear on earth and our eternal purpose and this gospel in 4 months than i ever learned in my life before the mission and its because i am only now starting to put an effort into picking up my cross and following in my saviors footsteps. i kick myself for not trying earlier in life. and i look up to Dallin and and so proud that he is puting in the effort before his mission. he will gain so many blessing for it. countless blessings. i love yall so much and think and pray for you every day.

be fitiavana mandrakizay

elder R.H.Bates

Location:Madagascar