Dec 22 letter

This week was a nice week but we did have some tough moments. Nothing that we won't press through. We still have a bunch of really awesome families like usual, I love all of the people here. Especially the kids. We just have the cutest kids here that I love to death. There are a couple of families that we are teaching with kids that are just insanely cute. 

We had another baptism this week of just a kid, he's 16, and a great kid. I love the guy to death. Also there is another kid that is already a member who walks with us like every day who I just think is a really awesome kid as well. 

That's great that you and Mom are all staying busy with your church callings. That is definitely one thing that I've learned here in mozambique and on a mission is that really, you need to magnify your calling and it will give back so much more than what you put in. It really isn't that hard to always be extraordinary in your calling. So that is one change I will definitely make when I go home again. 

Random peice of information: I now really like Paisley ties.

December 15 letter

My comp got a package but I haven't personally received any yet. I definitely will not receive any before Jan 3 because that is when we are having Zone conference and when they bring all the packages up from Maputo. 

Seriously, this transfer I have acquired a new-found love for cooking. This week we made burritos, Mexican pizza, Navajo tacos, buffalo chicken. We have to make all the dough for all of this so it's a lot harder than it seems. Also we made no-bakes, cakes and a bunch of other good stuff. I think I'll take a culinary class in college if I can. Thanks for all those recipes again. They were great! This transfer has been really great. 

Things are going really great in the area. We had some families that we had to drop disappointingly but we are still able to have lots of success so this transfer should be really awesome. It's hard missing out on my first Christmas but Beira is doing a massive baptism that day so that should keep my mind off of things. We went to the Christmas devotional the other day (in Portuguese) for the members. This was Broadcast from the big one in Salt Lake. Also all the missionaries sang for everyone that was there. After that we ran and had a bunch of really awesome lessons with a couple of members that we were working with. 

Our area is great, we have a lot of really awesome kids especially. There are some kids that I just love.  The kids really are just awesome, although I will say that they can certainly be devils at times, like during lessons when they start to whine and stuff. Either way there is a lot of fun in the work.

Answering some questions for Colin

Christmas is nothing like the United States, not because there aren't a ton of Christians but because it is so poor. My comp has been on his mission for a little under a year. That's weird about your mission.  Based on what my friends are saying, all missions are about the same now, always having 6 week transfers and specific stuff like that.  We live in the part of Beira called Munhava. We work in the areas of Ponta-Gea, The Baixa and Praia Nova. I don't think addresses exist anywhere in Mozambique.

Dec 8 letter

The work is going great over here. We are working super hard and getting success and all of that stuff. This week was a little frustrating but no worries, everything is going great. We played soccer again this week and it was really fun. I really don't know what to tell you guys because this week was really average. 

pictures

Elders Dustin and Heald at a baptism last week

Elder Veloso from Mazambique who is in Elder Heald's house in Beira.

December 1 letters

Daniel's first paragraph was a response to the following question: I received the mission newsletter and saw that you had another baptism this week in your new area, which is a really fun start with your new companion.  I had a question, though.  The newsletter said that you and Elder Stubbs had one family and one person baptized.  I thought the couple got baptized?

One of the couple was already a member so that is why that was the way it was. It's just as good as both of them, though, because she was basically completely inactive and now they're doing great. The retention here in Mozambique really is unreal because of the family focus. 

The big meal we had on Thanksgiving was really awesome. We had a really good chicken, potato, and pork meal. We also made some good dessert so it was really nice. 

This week was really awesome. Last week we took a family to a family night at a richer person's house. Extremely poor to fairly wealthy. The kids of the extremely poor family just about had there minds blown by the food and cake and such. It was a really cool experience. 

This transfer is looking to be an insanely crazy transfer. We are having tons of success and we are just running around doing stuff all the time. It is absolutely insane and we are just super busy. It's really hard to fit it all in. We have so many lessons and things that we don't know what to do with them all. It's difficult but a really awesome challenge for us. This week was really awesome. We have many progressing families and lots of other good stuff going on. 

Also, Elder Dustin and I go really crazy on lunch. We make so many really good meals. We don't cut corners. This week we made some good burritos, fried chicken, stir fry, and a bunch of other good stuff with cooked dessert and the whole bit. Also I can make some killer rice so it is just really awesome. The cooking tools that we have available really suck but we make the best out of it. Also, beef is a lot harder to get for cheap up here in the north. Either way I really love our companionship. Things are going great and it is just an awesome time.

Soccer last week was really fun, and I'm excited to play again today.  We're going to that again right now. Thank you so much for all the good information and email. Love you so much.

To Colin: What an awesome week. It was like the best week I've ever had on my mission as well so just all around awesome.