New Chapel in Ansirabea

Harvesting Rice and...the Plague

Family and Friends,

First story of the week. Me and Elder Shai were on our way home from a lesson and it was quite late and foggy. We were riding our bikes on some back streets that are very hard to follow. He got a head of me and I slowly lost him. It was about 8:30 and there were just a couple of people walking around. I had no idea where to go and about 5 min went by and breaking the rule of being away from your companion and being lost, I was a little nervous, so I said a prayer and had the idea to go the opposite way which didn't seem right, but I did it anyway and I eventually found him yelling my name up a road I've never been on. I wish I had taken a picture of the roads, but they are very sketchy and everyone in Madagascar gets drunk around 7 and it's kind of scary. But I know I felt the holy ghost guiding me to Elder Shai. 

Next the plague is getting worse and they sent 8 more elders to Antsiribe. I've been sleeping on the floor the past week. And they had to move me and elder Shai back to our old house that is falling apart. But with an extra 4 Elders... And we must sleep on the floor still and don't have a fridge and no washer, so we've been handwashing our clothes. Hopefully we are getting a fridge bed and washer soon. But nights after teaching and tracting I'm so tired that sleeping on the floor doesn't even bother me hahaha. (mom note: Konrad’s back has been healthy with all of the sleeping on the floor, he has been careful to do his core work and stretches every day and it has only kept him awake once…or so he says.) They also have to split our area into 3 and we are losing Solo and Monica to another set of Elders... That was the hardest part of the week. We've worked so hard with them and I've grown to love them. I know they will get baptized which makes me so happy I'm just sad we don't get to see them to that amazing point. Maybe I will get to baptize them maybe not but I know the blessings that are coming to their family it makes me so happy. We took solo to the new church to show him around and we met him at his work. His family is very humble and not rich by any means. We taught them about the temple and the blessings that come, and Solo said he would start saving to go to the temple right now. It was such a testimony builder and made me realize how small my problems are and how much faith and trust he already has in the lord. 

Me and Elder Shai have to find all new investigators and are losing 2 families and 1 little boy to the new elders coming in and they were all progressing and made me feel happy and that I was accomplishing the work. We lose all our investigators, but I have faith that the lord is going to take care of them and that this is the lords plan. This work isn't about me or other missionaries but about the gospel and how it will bless families. 

We are fine and safe from the plague, so no one worry hahaha:) I loved general conference and got to watch Saturday and Sunday! Also, Elder Griffin from Heber is in my zone now! He was in Reunion but came over to Madagascar! Also, Megan’s cousin Elder Soper is in our zone now!

Pres Foote gave a great talk in zone conference about using the plague as a blessing and to make the work in Antsiribe go forward! It was awesome.

I love you all so much and have faith and hope in God’s plan:)

Elder Willey

Giving E. Apie a ride during a rainstorm

Drying Rice

Area next to the rice fields

After riding 22 Kilometers with 400 lbs. of rice to get it to the mill

Take off your glasses

E. Willey, Solo, Monica, their children and E. Shai

Solo climbing a tree, he was excited that we helped harvest his rice.

Note from the mom: Elder Willey and Elder Shai have become very close to Solo and Monica and their sweet little family. I know that they have really grown to love them. Konrad gave them medicine when they were sick, and they have spent a lot of time with them. So, I am sure that it has been heart breaking to say “Goodbye” and turn them over to new missionaries. He is starting from scratch, because they have had to give all their investigators to new missionaries that have been added to their area due to the plague. The Bubonic plague is a whole other story. It is worse than Konrad is saying…or maybe he doesn’t know. There is always plague in Madagascar, but this year it is pneumonic, which means it is spread from person to person, not just by fleas and it goes directly to your lungs and is fatal in 24 hours if it is not treated. Gratefully, the WHO has become involved to stop the epidemic and are in Madagascar with over 1 million doses of antibiotic, masks and etc.…They have also closed all schools, churches and public gatherings in the 3 areas that have been most affected: Antananarivo, Tamatave and Fianaranstoa.




I used my multi tool to fix the breaks on my bike when we were hauling rice. We hauled 200 kilos of rice close to 400 pounds 22 kilometers on our bikes it was extremely hard! We were helping our investigator Solo he appreciated a lot. I got sunburned very bad and got bad blisters but Solo and Monica and their family were soo happy it was awesome:) And then pictures after a hard rain riding our bikes through mud my bike doesn't have petals anymore it's slowly falling apart. I had to use my ductape on our seats. I use my multi-tool every day to keep my bike together. I am always looking for pieces of wire or random screws to use hahaha.