Elder Shaw's Mission to Madagascar

My Missionary Commission

MY MISSIONARY COMMISSION

I am Called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master and he has chosen me to represent him. To stand in his place, to say and do what he himself would say and do if he personally were ministering to the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice, and my acts are his acts; my words are his words, and my doctrine is his doctrine. My commission is to do what he wants done. To say what he wants said. To be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day work.
-Elder Bruce R McConkie

Monkey Missionary & King Julian (4/15/2011)

So while Richard and i were in Utah we went to the mall and ran across a build a bear workshop and thought we'd drop in and see if they had a missionary outfit. After all we were in Utah. So we find one and make a monkey since they don't have bears in Madagascar (at least I haven't read anything) so we make a monkey instead and got him his Missionary Outfit and even a pair of shoes. We decided he would be a mini dylan for the 2 years he was gone. While we were at the Planetarium we also found a lemur, that we called King Julian.

While we were gone Dylan's recliner chair that he always sat in was moved to the back porch and fast became everyone's favorite spot to sit. Now not only is it the kids spot but Mada the Monkey and King Julians

First Email from Dylan (4/14/2011)

Wasup mamako! Don't know why you haven't gotten my letters yet, sent them on monday but you should get them today! Everything is going awesome, P-day is pretty sweet so far, but you only have about 30 minutes on the computer which is sufficent. It is awesome, first off the people that are here are sweet! Pretty much made friends with my whole hallway (about 8 rooms, 2 to 4 people each. ) I can be friendly and say manao ahoana to anybody and they say hello back in their language. It is mahafinatra!! Then the teachers are just tonga lafatra, they know how to answer each question in the best of way, they can answer every question you have for them, they are here for you, and we have a native from madagascar and he is just the best, he is my favorite teacher, his name is Brother Rasolo (Rasooloo.) Then my companion Elder Wilson is awesome as well, we talked last night and just made my experience here even better. Hope you get my letters, Tia anao aho( love you) And I got your last dearelder but gona write back in letter form today, don't worry! sorry if I missed things, 30 minutes goes quick!
Love Elder Shaw

-End mom reading.

To Camryon,
hey man, how you been? How is school treating you? You been waking up right?!! and how was jenny babysitting for the week? Hope everything is going good.

P.S. better practice cause I'm pretty good at boxing ;)

Love Big D

To lilly,

Hey girlie, hope everything is going good, been treating mom right yea?? Tell me about your week, I can write back every thursday cause that is my p-day. Love ya!

Dayna,

I'm about to put on my spongebob sheets!! how have you been? Heard ****** asked you to prom but you waiting for **** aren't you? ;) hows everything been? anything new? (tsy misy vaovao?) and nice story by the way, haven't had the chance to write you back til now cause they be crazy here!!

Rest of family!

Write me letters! Want to hear about it all

Letter from Dylan(4/13/2011)

April 10th 9:38 a.m.
Well the past telo days have been pretty good. Learned how to pray in Malagasy and share our testimonies in it as well. Been meeting a lot of people in my dorm area. Learned some insane stuff. You will have to see my notebook to know! Time to mamaly anoa fanontaniana!! Food is always (foana) good. it is like high school. Big cafeteria, go get your food and BOOM! your set, plus they foana have cereal during every meal. But, the safako (food) is tsara(good)! We have roa(two) nametags! One for the suit and iray hafa(another) for the white shirt. I did find my recommend, it was in my side pocket. I can't find the stamps though! and starting to learn the teny gasy first day! My cold is just momba(about) gone. My toe is still crazy nasty though, so health clinic tomorrow morning. if you would like, the only thing I really need is stamps, and my BROWN blanket if possible. Besides that I'll keep you updated. The spiritual cloud was a lot to take in at first but I embrace it and doing tonga lafatra(perfect). Tell Lilly and Dayna & Camryon & Ty & Richard & Taytum(only if she misses me) & tell you I miss you. I got my first letter from Jacob Reed which was awesome, then yours which was tonga lafatra. Write me back. Tia anao aho!!
Big D.

Dylan's First Letter from the MTC (4/13/2011)

April 6, 2011(i think)

Dear Mother! Manahoana!
The mission president said we could and should write home saying we are, "Eating, breathing, and absolutely sleeping!" But I'm donig much better than that! First day was pretty long let me tell you! Meet our district leaders, did the basic Malagasy words and got a bunch of things! Like Malagasy Book of Mormon, vocab. Book, Preach My Gospel and many other things. My teacher is Brother Rasulo! He has one heavy accent! We talked and introduced, AND GUESS WHAT! Elder Wilson is my companion! Sister Draper's nephew! Imagine that! :) But got all unpacked, getting the hang of it, I'll take pictures of everything! But my alarm clock does not work so will you send me another one please? Misaotra! But everything is going great! Still sick like crazy though! I'll write you back Monday if you write me back in time. Veloma!

Love your son,
Big D!
p.s. Thursday is P-day

note from MOM: about Elder Wilson, he is the nephew of a lady who use to be in our ward. He received his call the same day as Dylan and reported the same day also. i tried to get Dylan to go meet him, but Dylan didn't want to. Too funny that they are now companions. Remember the AC/HEATER war? That is how Dylan got crazy sick. Imagine that?

This is the MTC Calling (4/11/2011)

This was a most unexpected call. Turns out Dylan's ingrown toenail appeared to be getting worse and so he decided to go to the Health Office. They called looking for his insurance saying they were sending him to the Podiatrist to take care of his toe. Not even there a week and already using our insurance. They said that he will be writing a letter to update us on how it went. I didn't even think about getting letters yet. I figured I'd hear from him on Wednesday if I didn't hear sooner. Well Tuesday came and went and no email. Then on Wednesday hung out all day by the computer waiting for an email. Ugh! Nothing came. Then Dayna decided to go get the mail as she was waiting for something, and on the very bottom of the stack of mail was a letter from Dylan! NOT expecting that. By end of night I was very happy to have received a letter from Dylan but no e-mail.

The flight home (4/10/2011)

After we dropped off Dylan we took Chase and went out to eat at Applebee's. Then we put Chase on the plane to go home and we stayed to celebrate our anniversary. There were several times that we drove by Provo and oh how I wanted to just drive by the MTC. I know I couldn't go in and he wasn't going to be outside. But it is just the idea of being close to where he is. I guess I need to cut the apron strings soon. But by the time we left Salt Lake on Sunday I wasn't really missing him anymore and I really didn't cry. I was thinking about the snow and rain and cold weather that Dylan was having. We hadn't seen this much snow and cold weather since....ever...we live in Arizona we don't get rain or snow. Good thing Dylan likes to be at a cool 60 degrees cause he got it!

Reporting to the MTC (4/6/2011)

Well today is the day. The day Dylan has been waiting four months for. I can't believe it is here. It has been a whirlwind over the last eight months and a tornado over the last two weeks getting his ready to go.

So we wake up and had a great breakfast for the first time. The previous hotel did not offer breakfast. This hotel made up for the last one. Dylan double checks his bags. I ironed a few of his shirts as we didn't know when he would get a chance. Dylan made last minute phone calls. Which interestingly enough Dylan left his phone at home instead of bringing it and leaving it with us. We were trying to call the Bishop and his Grandmother in New Hampshire and none of knew the numbers as Dylan had them in his phone and not mine. It was too funny. You don't realize how much you rely on things until they are gone. We then load up the car and check out of the hotel. We again headed to Walmart to get a few different luggage tags and luggage locks, he forgot his hangers and needed some. It was an interesting feeling in the car. Time was slowly slipping away and sooner or later we were going to have to say goodbye. We headed to the MTC and took a drive around it and then headed to the Kiss and Cry area, which was the parking lot across the street from the MTC. We took some fun pictures in front of the Provo Temple, especially the ones where dylan and chase are jumping into each others arms. We started walking down to the crosswalk and talked with the security guy there who told us they took down the MTC plaque because it was causing too much traffic problems with all the family waiting to have their photos taken there. They also put up a security booth with an arm. The man said there were 250 missionaries reporting in 1 1/2 hours time. It is amazing how smoothly things ran. We then got a few more pictures and then headed back to the car as you can't cross the street and report with just your luggage, you actually have to drive in a car. Amazing. So we say our goodbyes by the car. Yes I cried. What mom wouldn't. Although Dylan put a 20 second time limit on me hugging him as apparently he really needed to go to the bathroom and he was nervous and excited to get going. He didn't want to be late for his 1:15 appt time. Interestingly, we ran into Saul Marquez who is a boy that goes to the ward right after us. He is going to France. There were so many people reporting today that are going to Madagascar. Four of them from Arizona alone. Well we get into the car after Richard and Chase said there goodbyes. I was impressed that Chase didn't cry....or at least he hid it really good. So we drove across the street. The security guy asked us if we had a missionary in the car.(I should have said no and see what he said) and I said of course, we are ready to kick him to the curb. The man was really funny. So we proceeded down to post 24. Dylan got out- Richard got his luggage out, Chase was video taping and I, of course, was talking with the host missionary. The guy who took Dylan's luggage and escorted him inside. Then we gave another quick good bye and off he went. He did look back and waved and then walked on. We then drove of towards the exit sign. That was it, like dropping your child of at school. The only reason Dylan looked back was because I called his name. He was so ready to go. I'm glad Chase was there as I would have been bawling like a baby. But it wasn't too bad as I did all my crying on Tuesday at the temple. I was happy for him. Heavenly Father has given us so much and all he asks for is 2 years out of what 70 years worth of living, to help bring people unto Christ, to give them an opportunity to live a different life knowing that you are a child of God and that there is more after this life. Dylan was happy and wanted to go and I am thankful for his desire and for all the people who helped encourage and loved and supported him along this last year. Old friends, new friends, you never know who will make a difference in your life until you let them in.

Mom and Dylan going THE LIST!

Packing up.

Dylan and Mom at the Provo Temple

Dylan and Chase at the Provo Temple

Mom, Dylan, Richard at the Provo Temple.

Boys playing.

Chase trying to catch Dylan. And he does...the 2nd time.

Enlarge the phot and you can see all the families saying goodbye.

Getting ready to drive across the street.

I guess the Missionaries get a place all to themselves.

The field that is for missionary use only.

Taking the walk from the Temple to The car.

Across the street from the MTC

Me? Crying? nooooo.

Chase looking sad to..see its not just me.

Looking a little excited. Butterflies in the stomach.

Here we go.

Getting closer

so many people wanting to get in.

look at that line up.

Coming to the Guard House.

The security guy. I can take him down.

Driving down the walkway.

The Hosts waiting for a greenie.

Dylan and his host who is going to help him to his dorm.

Saying goodbye is the sweetest thing.

He's on his way.

Aww. the look back. One last wave.

And we are one our way.

Target and The Thief (4/4/2011)

Okay so this morning before we headed out we needed to stop at Target and get a few items. While we were there Dylan decided that he wanted to get a gnome to take with him and put him in places and take pictures like on the Travelocity ads. Well the gnomes were too big and so he found a small hand size garden frog. Well while Richard and I were doing our parusing Dylan and Chase were taking pictures with this frog. Well we check out and are heading to the car and I asked Dylan if he paid for the frog and i didn't see him go through the checkout stand. Turns out he didn't as he had put it in his sweatshirt pocket while they were looking for places to take pictures with it. So Dylan and Chase go back in to pay for it and as they walk in the security alarm goes off. Isn't that suppose to go off when you are leaving the store NOT coming back into the store. Needless to say they went back in to pay for the $1 frog and even get a discount for the fact the the toe was broken (which Dylan probably broke while playing with it). But not until they have there picture take just in case they decide to come back to that store. So go back two days when Dylan gave me the hardest time for taking a half eaten roll from the restaraunt and he himself turns out being a thief. Now we got to tease him about it. So in his pictures that he will be taking over the next two years with the frog. See if you can find the frog these pictures.

Salt Lake Temple & The MTC (4/5/2011)

So today we got to the Salt Lake Temple. It was really neat to get to take your child to the temple with you. We ended up being there for 5 hours. Definitely something worth doing before sending your child of on his/her mission. After going to the temple we checked out of the cookie hotel and headed for Provo. On the way down we went passed the Mount Timpanogas temple. Extremely windy there and full of construction. We ended up getting to our hotel about 5 in the evening. The boys went out and played some frisbee. Check out the video of Chase climbing up a fireplace. Later in the evening it started to rain and snow. Richard and I went out for dinner and then drove by the MTC and the Provo Temple. Driving past the MTC was an real eye opener for me that its here and Dylan is going. It's like Christmas doesn't seem real until the day arrives. I can't believe the day is just about here. Dylan will be gone for

2 years

24 months

730 days

17,520 hours

1,051,200 minutes

63,072,000 seconds

We had some great Preach My Gospel discussions. This was also the night that Dylan fessed up about his ingrown toenail and we tried to fix it but he was a baby. We even had him and Chase put their feet in the hot water and put on some peroxide. Good Stuff Man, still didn't fix it. We ended the night with some good old fashioned AC/HEATER competition. I think tonight the Heater won out as by the end of the night both boys had colds.