Well you might be wondering what this subject means... I don't really know it just felt right haha. Well heavens people what a week! First off monday night Justin and vololona who we teach every monday saw I was sick and gave my a bunch of the herbal tea I love... How amazing are they?! Well the next day I used it because I had my first sick day... So much fun. Not. Let's just say I had the "Malagasy Flu" and that the toilet and I were super duper good friends on Tuesday haha.. No double dragon! But... I might have had to throw away a pair of garments hahahah! Man I thought I was going to go crazy being stuck inside all day with my comp but I surprisingly kept busy and didn't die haha and I had a lot of time to think and stuff and it was good. This week like seriously flew by and it was a great week for reals. I've had like the realization that i have been here long, but not really and that it's okay that time goes by slow because this is the slowest time of my mission. And what's another 6 weeks to a next transfer! What's 6 weeks in the eternal scheme of things... Heck what's 2 years. I'm really trying not to find joy in looking at things in retrospect and finding joy in today and not think.. oh i'll be better/happier when this happens. I need to stop doing that! Anywyas yeah i'm doing better I just still have some sniffles, that's all. Well we had a solid week of work to be honest, our numbers didn't really show it but we had a lottle of member help and we found 5 new investigators! One of which is a small family that we're stoked for. wednesday was flipping dope... We had 2 people come up to us out of the blue and ask to be taught! Haha only 1 actually happened but I thought it was cool cause I had been praying for some new people. Now this week was a real Madagascar week just cause like I felt like I did a lot of missionary stuff hahahah. First off we taught some great lessons haha. On Friday we had a soire' or a party where people in the ward come from a certain area and have a little family night kind of thing... We do it every friday. We had a soire de paroasy which is a ward party and man it wasn't like the ones back home at all... We had like 20 people there hahah and it felt like a big family home evening haha. Weekly plannign was solid this week because I felt like we communicated super well and made some good goals... so I felt like a missionary hahaha. On Saturday we went to do service but just ended up playing soccer with dudes in the ward.. Haha just imagine me and 9 malagasy's on a dirt field hahaha the game turned into one of the young men teachign fundamentals to the old guys and then we ran ladders.. geez i felt like it was football conditioning! Haha! Also this week I've realized how much I LOVE a good rice and loka.. or rice with something on top. I've been expanding my horizons and you know... I really do love this malagasy food. THis has been a good week because just there have been a couple of things growing on me... Like my comp haha he's such a silly little Malagasy. Okay now what you all care about my birthday hah... Well on Saturday i prepared by buying cake mix and ice cream.. Haha and that was all i bought myself because i lost my wallet and don't have my own money. Well.. It started like any other sunday... I woke up and prepared for the day... I ate breakfast, listened to a talk and got ready kind of waiting for Rakoto to say something... but he didn't haha. We went to church and my buddy Elyse who's a member who always helps us said happy birthday... He was the first. We were walking home from church and my comp still hadn't said anything and I sadly was a bit peeved... We get to the door and as soon as I open it.. SMACK!!! He smashes two eggs on my head and yells "Happy Birthday Dude!! I didn't forget!!" Haha that silly little Malagasy played me like a guitar! So yes.. Tradition in Madagascar is to smash egg on one's head for their birthday... So yeah egg... All over me and my suit haha it was fine I was just happy. He made lunch while I baked the cake after church. We listened to the malgasy happy birthday song "Tratrin'ny tsingeritaona nahaterahanao" imagine our regualar song but with that... hahah it was awesome. Nobody uses that for saying happy birthday.. they all just say it in french "bon anniversaire" but yeah that's how to say it teny gasy. So yeah we listened to malagasy music while we prepared the food. Then we ate the lunch which was sooo good. He made me his favorite loka for my birthday :) how nice! We ate and listened to WATIB my favorite french rapper haha and then he pulled out a CD that had some weird hip hop! But it had a chris brown song so that was fun. We went out to work... Elyse' who's my favorite member helped us as he does every sunday. You know it really did feel just like any other day.. which was fine but it was a good day! Justin and Vololona wished me happy birthday and Alain said happy birthday and said he finished his papers for vita soratra and can be married next week so that was a great present! We decided we needed to take lots of pictures so we had some fun taking pictures around the area. Haha we tried to take a "hipster picture" but it didn't really work. We came home a bit early.. and we broke the rules and invited Elyse over for a little party... Yes it's not really okay but we did it and i don't regret it. I know he appreciated beingthere and I loved having him there! We got to the apt turned on some malagasy music and chilled ahhaha. I showed Elyse all my pictures from home and explained harry potter world to him... Max... he loves the picture of me and you at the temple. I finished preparing the cake and rakoto made some frites. Haha we played chess, listened to music and ate fries and honestly it was a lot of fun. The best part of the day though was the cake... I brought it out.. they both were like ohh! You did soo good! Haha I wnet to get the ice cream and my comp put a big candle we used to light the house when we didnt have power on the cake... It was so nice. So they sang to me :) i didn't think that would happen. and i couldnt stop smiling as my comp and elyse sang "happy birthday to you roushy!" haha it was so funny and cute and I blew out the candle... I was just so happy that i'm realizing i forgot to wish! But I got my birthday wish. Yeah i'm halfway across the world and I missed home and having a crazy roush party like crazy. BUt. I still got to have a little party and then blow out a candle and eat birthday cake with two people i care about.. and honestly that's all i could have asked for. The cake was great, the ice cream was lacking a bit.. but i was happy. Haha to end the night my comp the new District Leader got stats and then asked "mahafinaritra ny andronao" was your day good? I said yeah! It was! Haha then sister adams called and wished my a happy birhtday, the ZL invited us to play soccer today and i wnet to bed happy. This p day has been great. I got to spend some good time with some buddies from the MTC and play some soccer with all the other elders. My birthday was very very different. BUt I think it was a great mission Madagascar birthday. You gotta love those tender mercies in life and I had a lot this week. I love you guys! THanks for all the birthday wishes! Man sooo much happened at 18 and I never woulda thought at 19 I'd be ON my mission in MADAGASCAR! Next up... 20? Dang hah. I love you all. You people are the best. Mazotoa.
Much love,Elder Roush
Birthday...Malagasy egg over head tradition
19th Birthday
Birthday cake and mint choc chip ice cream!
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