November 23, 2015

I hope you are all doing well and that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving - festive and fun. Even though it doesn't feel anything like Christmas season here, it's still fun to be able to get ready to celebrate. Actually we've been having some pretty crazy weather here. This week it was hail the size of golf balls! AND SO MUCH RAIN. Other than that it has been very nice. For Thanksgiving, I thought that instead of trying to outdo all of you, I'll just eat lychees because it's one thing I know I will be missing a year from now. I don't like the holidays because you can't help but feel a little homesick. At the same time I cannot believe that it's almost Christmas. The time I've been in Fianarantsoa has gone so fast. I need to stop blinking or it's going to be over.

We had transfers this last week, but we're all staying the same in Fianarantsoa. When you're this far away from everything it doesn't really feel like there are other missionaries and a mission home out there. You just feel like everything is very, very far away. This is a little city, completely inaccessible to the outside world except for one dirt road that runs from the capital and an airport that has such a short runway that it's practically useless. It's funny to think this is the third largest city in the country. Ha ha.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to list a couple of things that I am especially thankful for. Although this list is far from complete or even representative of all that I'm thankful for, it's what comes to mind right now.

I am Thankful for...

• Being able to devote all my time and efforts to my God and to my Savior without any distraction and with total focus on helping them complete their mission
• I have an amazing family, a mother and father who love each other and love me, and they support me always without being asked and in total love and compassion
• I have annoying siblings, yeah, I'm thankful for that, ha ha!:p
• I have grandparents who love and support me unconditionally, and who worry about me and care, and who I am important to
• I have wonderful friends who have supported me throughout my mission, who have prayed for me, and even though we are often times from different backgrounds and faiths, they have always been there for me, especially Taylor
• I am able to work here in Fianarantsoa and the Lord trusts me to minister and do the greatest work on earth and in eternity
• I am thankful that I can change and progress and that I'm able to learn and grow and improve myself
• I'm thankful that I'm not perfect and that I can know that I'm not perfect and that I can work to be better
• I'm thankful for all of those on the mission who support me and allow me to work, who sacrifice and put forth effort to make this opportunity available for me
• Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the single greatest thing that has ever been done for me, and ultimately the thing I am most grateful for, the thing that allows all the other things to be possible, I am eternally grateful for the sacrifice of my Savior Jesus Christ, that he in his perfection died to rescue an imperfect soul like me, because of his pure love he saw in me what I cannot see in myself, and that he now walks with me each step, he suffered for everything that has and will ever happen to me, now he supports me each step in my times of trial and victory.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Elder Ahlstrom