November 5th

Dear family & friends,

This week we have received some welcome rain. The corn and tomatoes we planted in our yard are growing and we are looking forward to fresh tomatoes and corn in a few months. The air is cleaner after the rains and it cools things down which is nice. Today we have a Zone leaders Council and Sister Cornelius is helping prepare the luncheon. On Saturday Sister Cornelius is giving a talk on The Importance of a Virtuous Women. I found a wonderful talk given by Sister Elaine S. Dalton in the 2008 Conference that has some wonderful thoughts on the importance of being a virtuous women. She quoted  "President Monson has counseled: “You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness—and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so.” 

 ^{Sister Dalton then said, "}What can each of us do to begin our return to virtue? The course and the training program will be unique to each of us. I have derived my personal training program from instructions found in the scriptures: “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly.”  “Cleave unto [your] covenants.”  “Stand … in holy places.”  “Lay aside the things of [the] world.”  “Believe that ye must repent.”  “Always remember him and keep his commandments.”  And “if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, … seek after these things.”  Now more than ever before, it is time to respond to Moroni’s call to “awake, and arise” and to “lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.”  

This talk is worth rereading. We are so grateful to Kathleen Woolsey for sending us the monthly Relief Society Newsletter so we can keep up on what is happening in the ward. She is so thoughtful. 

 We are glad to have the Grays back from South Africa. He was there takig care of a medical proceedure. We started an English class for Malagasies who want to learn English on Saturaday. There is about 25 young people coming to the classes we have on Tuesdays and Friday. Out P.E.F. sisters teach an English class at one of the ministries on Wednesdays. The missionaries also teach classes in their areas. This is one of our service projects here. We send our love and prayers to all of you. May you find peace, joy, and happiness in your lives. Elder & Sister Cornelius

Picture 0722 is our English class we held on Saturday. Picture 0724 is of the young women in our Betongo and lo ward and their leaders. Picture 0718 is Nina our cute neighbor girl who speaks some English and watches us by climbing up a small tree and looks into our apartment. She is so cute when she answers, I'm very well thank you."