A touch of the Philippines - 11/9/15

Ha! So we got a new companion...Elder Calimpong. Way cool, quiet guy from the Philippines. We are going to be together for the rest of the week before transfers. Super excited!

Guess what!!!?? So Riry, Natahsha, Ghina and SUSAN Came to church!!!! I am flipping out right now!! Haha it was SO COOL! Yeye Yeye.

Besides that it's been a great week, but very full of emotions. Excitement, fear, happiness, and everything in between. It doesn't seem real at all that I could be home in a week....BUT! Maybe I will do one of them fomba fomba things and say some things that I have come to learn from the mission.

1. I truly do know that people can change. We don't have to be the same person from the day beforehand, but we can become a completely new creature in Christ. The atonement has become more and more of a real force in my life. And I am so grateful for it.

2. Families are everything. Everything pales in comparison to what the family unit offers and the blessings that exist within.

3. The sacrament holds more power than I ever could have imagined. The renewal of convenants every week allows the windows of heaven to pour down upon us. We start to look more on the grand scheme of things and are more able to see through God's eyes as we continually accept the things that we have done and move on through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

4. There are things in culture that are wonderful and beautiful that help us to come unto Christ more fully.....but then there are some that take us away from him....These things must be removed out of our lives. It is literally impossible to come unto the kingdom of God if we hold on to those things. Christ has said "He that doth not give all that he hath can not be accepted to be called my disciple". Clear. Simple. If we are not Willing to give ALL that we have and especially our will. Then we will not be able to come in to the presence of God, and furthermore we will not want to.

5. I truly love these people and am so malahelo that I will be leaving them. They can be way annoying sometimes, but at the same time I never would have expected that I would love them like this. Truly through service we learn to love others. That is what Christ always taught!

I am out of time but I love you all and can't wait to see you.

Mandrapihaona! Veloma Ry tanana!

Am(pitiavana

Elder Lehr

O my diggy giddy aunt! - 11/2/15

Conference was super great Saturday and Sunday. I learned a whole lot, and was super grateful for it.

I can't even relay my feelings about the next coming weeks. So weird and surreal. Haha I seriously just need to get international calling when I get home so that I can speak with my family here all the time :)

We had some great splits this week and I got to go with Elder Kelsh in 67 which was super fun. Talk a couple of times and got to talk to some people from Sambava who are tsy mihety who are SUPER COOL!

Things are going well here in Mahamasina.

Elder Morse is awesome just as usual and I love being with him. It's been a beautiful companionship, and SO MUCH FUN! :)

Nothing much really to say this week..... Except that things are well and I am still grateful to be here.

Am-pitavana Elder lehr

The spirt of prophecy - 10/26/15

So...Elder Halstrom is SO COOL! haha

The whole day I was literally dead. Besides the fact that my body is just failing on me and I have had the mission doctor say "Elder Lehr I am sorry but there is just nothing more that we can do for you here. You just need to go home and see a doctor in America and hopefully he can help ya....."......Haha I am dying :) hehe But seriously the whole day I just had no energy and was trying to work but all of our times fell through, and I felt like poop, and things just were not going well. 1st thing that happened, we met a less active who basically never learned from the missionaries and doesn'know that this church is true, BUT He wants to know the truth. That is at least exciting. So we had a powerful lesson where he felt the spirit and wants to really know if the Book of Mormon is true. COOL! Then we walked on over to the church so that we could be there for the meeting... and we had 3 investigator families show up!!! YEA! We had Eli come, and Fredo and Miram, and then we had our recent converts Roger and Elizabeth and Joclyn, and our DMP was sitting with us and it was SO AWESOME! They had all prepared questions beforehand and were waiting to be taught by the spirit.

SO The meeting began and we had Sister and Elder Vanrigan from the area presidency speak and it was awesome and then we had Sister and Elder Halstrom speak. Many of the members talked about how when he was speaking they just knew that he had been called of God. Even though he wasn't Elder Bednar...The spirit spoke to them in such a POWERFULWay that this man had been called and set apart to fulfill this office. As he spoke the spirit taught them and answered questions that they had. My soul was so full of joy. Literally I was complete and full of the spirit. I didn't need anything else at that point because I was with families that I care about and also I got to see them grow spiritually and to have to them confirmed that there are living prophets, apostles and seventy. SO POWERFUL! 

Basicially this week was good. And this next week is going to be even better because it is going to be general conference!! WAHOO! Yeye yeye :)

Today we went to a kind of resort with our investigators Riry, Natasha, and Ghina, and played some pool, ping pong, and some connety be. WAY FUN and awesome because we got to get some ambala air.

I think I have gone a little too long in my email, but I love you all and hope you have a great week. Things are great here and I love my companion. He is way awesome :)p

Love Elder Lehr

What the families already think i am dying???? - 10/19/15

So....all the families have just been crying this week and just telling me how sad they are of when I leave. And I am just like "What the garglemesh!??? I am not even dying yet!" Lety e! Already telling me that I need to attend their weddings and funerals and need to return and do a vacation. And now that my younger brother is home from his mission...it doesn't help with all of the mahatrunkiness! Haha

Tsy maninona! Things are still going great. We had a lot of times and families fall through this week, BUT!! our attendance is just growing growing growing AND We had Tolotra and his family come to church and stay for all 3 meetings!!! YESSS!!!  So COOL! yeye yeye

Fredo and Miriam are just balling it up like it's no ones business, and bringing their kids and other family to church. Man...just so many balling families. :)

We have been having our recent converts wanting to come with us and teach people which is super fun! They are going ham, and want to share this gospel and learn it so bad. We had Roger come with us yesterday and he shared a powerful testimony to holy benwa and his family and I was just like "STUD!!" Yeye :) Then we went and taught Arnough and Julie and he again just encouraged them to visit each other because he loves getting visits, and they agreed.

SO! Highlights of the week: We are getting our recent converts visiting each other, and getting members as well to visit them more. 2. Attendance going WAY UP! 3. Ward going ham on getting less actives back, and 4. I got to go on a split with my son, AND ELDER WISCOMBE! Haha it was SO MUCH FUN! We taught a guy who is deaf, and talked in Malagasy sign language, and then we taught a couple more times and got to see my son (Elder Mack) and Elder Wiscombe teach. Also Elder Rasolofonirina came with us from 2-the end, and we had SO MUCH FUN! Haha I got to see their family and have a soire with them....and it just made me realize that Madagascar is always going to have a special place in my life. I am just so sad that it is far away. Going to have to drop Dough for calling people back here. :)

Not so highlights. we got dogged a lot this week and it was kind of mahakivy but that is ok :) We just pressed on, and are looking at the good of the week. 

This new week we are having zone conference, and then are having Elder Hallstrom from the Presidency of the 70 teach us in the Manakambahiny stake. Elder Bednar will be at the North stake, and he asked that all missionaries and members go to their assigned areas to hear the message. Kind of sad, but it's ok :)

Things are great. Trying not to be too trunky from the pics of Christian being home, but hey :) That's life.

Am-pitiavana

Elder Lehr

New transfer, new changes - 10/12/15

Well! Its final, I get to stay in Mahamasina! SO EXCITED! 

It would stink really bad if I had to leave all of these incredible families, but! It's all fine now because I know that I am going to stay :)

With every transfer its basically like the new year. You make new (Transfer) resolutions and make new goals. I am super excited for the opportunity to make new goals and to try to be better this transfer then last. I love this work.

Yesterday we had Fredo come to church, but Miriam had to work. I was super sad, but it's ok. We are teaching them how to do a family home evening today and it's going to be a blast! Fredo hasn't smoked for almost 3 weeks! It's been really incredible to see his progression, and love for the gospel. They are just going ham , and I love how every Sunday our DMP goes with them and walks them home. During this time, Fredo expressed to Victor how the desire to smoke has completely left him and he truly feels like a changed person. SO COOL!

So exciting thing happening this week is Wednesday. I get to go on a split with my SON (Elder Mack)! Haha I am super excited! I guess my trainer is going to be with us the entire day and then we are going to see his family that night and I get to meet all of his family! Haha Yeye yeye! Then hopefully Elder Wiscombe and Elder Brown will be in the apartment so that I can see them one last time before their missions are done. 

Besides that we have been working with our recent converts John and Roger.We are still working with John...Hopefully he will go on his mission. I'm not saying that a person is any less if they don't go, but at the same time it just helps SO MUCH! You change and change from a boy into...well still a boy, but much more of a man...if that makes sense. It's just so cool! You learn things that would literally take a life time to learn in 2 years. 

OH! Our new house is going to be me, Elder Morse, Elder Kissi, and then Elder Wootan. It's going to be a balling house! I am super sad that Elder Hammer is moving to Tamatave...but that's life. He will have a great time there.

.....Other then that....tsy haiko......

Love ya all! Thanks for your prayers!

Am-pitiavana

Elder Lehr