March 12, 2012

Last week was great. On Tuesday night we went to a farewell dinner for 6 missionaries who were headed home to Utah and Hawaii. We listened to their wonderful testimonies and heard of their growth and their gratitude for having served here in Madagascar. One of the missionaries,  Elder Touli from Hawaii has become a favorite to us because we have worked with him in the office. He liked to tease Sister Cornelius and was always smiling. We will miss him, but he has promised to come to see us in Utah when he visits his companions. On Wed. we drove to Antsirabe and Ambostra, 245 Kilometers north of Tana to visit apartments and inspect them. We took Elder Steele with us, because it's transfer week, and we brought Elder Robinson back with us. We stayed in a small cottage over looking Ambostra. The drive was beautiful with water pouring out of the mountain sides. Bruce commented on how blessed these people are. They have rich red volcanic soil, plenty of rain, and a mild climate for growing the food they need to survive. It was like going back to the 17th Century. The people live in sandstone, brick adobe houses with no windows, no electricity, or indoor plumbing. They wash their clothes in the river or streams and plow with a one person hand plow. The rice fields are all tarraced with water running down from the top of the mountain or hill, from one rice patty to another. They couldn't use tractors for plowing because of the tarracing. The mountains and valleys reminded us of Utah in the spring time, green and beautiful. On Saturday we attended a Zone Leader conference with Elder Hartman, who serves as the South Africa Mental Health counselor. He wrote a book called The Color Code, he is from Sandy, Utah. He was a fun guy who had the missionaries find out what color they were, and he did some fun activities with them to help them learn leadership skills. In the afternoon the missionaries had to complete several tasks to earn money so they could build a hot air balloon to be launched at the end of the day. Bruce and President Donnelly were the people who paid them for their tasks, such as singing the National Anthem to a group of people, swallowing a raw egg, eating a raw onion, doing 50 push-ups, singing a song to Sister Cornelius, etc. I was the store keeper and after they earned their money they had to buy all their materials from me to make the hot air balloon, to design t-shirts, make invitations, and plan a launching party. I had a lot of fun doing this and would close at inappropriate times. At 6:00 we went outside, the elders had chairs set up with cold drinks and refreshments for the couples. We then heard a funny speech by Elder Cusick, a beautiful song composed and sang by Elder Loose, and a final motivational speech from Elder Hartman. Then the ballon was filled with hot air and with some help from the elders it was launched up into the sky, over the fence and down to some excited children who retrieved it. We then had a barbeque, and visited with the zone leaders. I met and visited with Elder Robert Lee who is related to us and Sister Lee that we served with in the Temple. He's a great kid and he lived down the street from us in Stadium Way while he attended SUU, last year. It was an eventful week. I just wanted to end with this thought I had this morning. Christ suffered for us on the cross and in the garden, he was mocked, ridiculed, and treated like a thief, or worse. What have we done to repay him for his sacrifice? Are we living our lives in a manner that would show him our gratitude for all he did for us? What can we do each day to show him our gratitude? Just something to think about. Love all of you and we send our love and prayers. Elder & Sister Cornelius

March 19 - 23rd

This past week we drove around Antananarivo to visit and inspect Elder's apartments. We had a driver so we didn't get lost. It seemed like everywhere we went there were crowds of people either selling or buying things. There are small shops along the sides of the road selling food, tools, and anything they can find to sell. These people survive by selling what they can and growing what they need. There is about 3 and a half million people living in this area counting the suburbs. We are getting used to the culture and it's not as shocking as it was at first with the trash and poverty. It makes you glad you live where you do in Utah. We always look forward to Mondays when the missionaries come to the office to get mail and a treat. They like to visit and we get to know them better. Bruce and I are really enjoying our time to read the scriptures and have found the Book of Mormon to be more like a story book, where you get involved with the people and their circumstances and have a hard time putting it down. We are currently reading in Mosiah, where King Benjamin is talking to his people and giving them words of counsel. We won't get to listen to conference until two weeks after you do, but are looking forward to hearing from our prophet and apostles. We have grown closer to each other and to the Lord as we are serving. We have been blessed in many ways. This has been a great experience so far. We love and miss all of you. Elder & Sister Cornelius

Here are some pictures

A wagon load of Rice Flax harvested from the Rice Patties, used to make bricks.

A panorama shot of the country on our trip.

Just some different forms of transportation

These mountains look much like Utah

0402 Rice Patties

Muddy river after  a rainstorm

Beautiful Countryside

 The Artisin Hotel that we stayed at in Ambostra

Relaxing

 Sister C. waiting for her ride

Sister C. enjoying her ride.

Us with the elders that are returning home. 

A Madagascar lumber yard. 

 Ambostra from our hotel. 

Us on the poose poose ride in Antsirabe.

March 9, 2012

Yesterday we attended Zone conference here in Antananarivo, with Elder Soares presiding. He is in the first quorum of the Seventy and is the first councilor in the area Presidency in South Africa. He is originally from Brazil and has served as a mission president in Portugal. He talked about four principles of discipleship: repentance, faith, pray continually, and good works. The Savior Jesus Christ came unto the world to do the will of his Father, We are called to do the will of the Father also. He talked about how in D & C 33: 5-6 that the church was called out of the wilderness and we will gather out of the four quarters of the earth in the last day. We are doing that now through out the world as members of his Church. He looked at us, (Elder Cornelius and I), and told us that in behave of the Prophet and first Presidency he wanted to express to us their gratitude and most sincere thanks for our willingness to serve a mission. He also expressed gratitude for our lifetime of preparation, and sacrifice now to give up home and family to serve the Lord. He told us later that our family would be blessed for generations to come because of our example. The spirit testified to us that we have been called by the Lord to serve here for a specific reason and we know already one of those reasons. We are here to  serve the young missionaries and to support them, and help to clear their way. Another one of his messages to us was about attitude. He stated from a book written by Randy Bott that Attitude determines our Altitude. Meaning that if we do not have the right attitude we will not accomplish much in our lives, but with the right attitude we can accomplish many great and wonderful goals.We know that as we apply this principle our lives will be enlarged and enhanced. We felt uplifted and spiritually fed. Today and tomorrow we have Stake Conference with Elder Soares speaking again, so we will get to hear more from him. We are doing well and we know that we have been very blessed. We appreciate your prayers and your support of us. Love Elder & Sister Cornelius

Monday March 5, 2012

Here are some photos that show my trainer with us and the Donnellys. Her name
is Sarika Thomas. She is very sweet and has taught me a ton about the
Church Financial System. I just hope I can retain some of what she has
tried to teach me.

These pictures are of the landscape

The wonderful people we work with.