August 31 letter

Our next transfer is next Monday. I will probably not get transfered. I have only been here for two transfers and Elder McAllister has been here for 4 transfers so I will probably stay. I would be super bummed if I left but I'm not too worried. I doubt we get any more missionaries but I guess it's a small possibility because our mission is getting the biggest group that has ever come in this transfer so I don't know.

We were able to open the marriage process for a family this week which means that things are set for this Saturday which should be really nice. We are going to have a really awesome day this Saturday. Lots of baptisms and a good marriage too. I'll be sure to send some pictures as well.

The branch here is growing tons. This week we got the highest all time attendance of Chimoio so maybe soon we'll be able to split and get the church really going here in Chimoio. We are really working hard with the leadership to get things organized so things are definitely looking up here in the Chimoio branch and area.

We taught about marriage a few times this week and several families accepted the challenge to get married so the work is really rolling. It's super amazing the blessing the lord has given our area and the amazing families that we have the privilege of helping. I am in a competition with one of our investigators in reading the book of Mormon. If I win they owe us lunch if he wins I will teach them how to make key lime pie. I was at Alma chapter 1 and he just finished 1 Nephi so whoever finishes the next book first wins. I don't know where he's at right now but I'm in the 20s.

One night we went to do visits with one family and all the families wanted to visit the others with us so we ended up going into the last lesson with three full families with us which was pretty funny. They are all friends and neighbors haha. It was super funny just watching them converse. They are going to really strengthen each other in the church which will be super nice.

Celse continues to be awesome. There is an army of kids that are all his neighbors and friends that go to church now. He just can't help but invite everyone. His mom came to church and told the women in relief society that she was there because her son told her he would never go to the Catholic church so she figured she'd go with him. He loves to read the scriptures and help others and stuff. It's truly amazing.

This week we go to Beira for a zone conference with a seventy so that should be pretty good. 

August 24 letters

To Mom:

This week was also incredibly awesome again. We had tons of success with a bunch of investigators at church. The Branch and our number of investigators is definitely growing big time. Sounds like you are having a great time over there in America, enjoying all of the 21st century conveniences and 1st world country comforts. We are just warrioring it out over here. This week we actually didn't have any water for 6 straight days. It was pretty rough. There wasn't even enough water to take bucket showers.

It's crazy how many things are happening in my absence. Marriages, homecomings, sicknesses and so much more. The world will be a different place when I get back. Certainly, taking in the life of a normal person will be like trying to drink water from a fire hose. With all the new things to do and old hobbies and whatnot it's going to be something crazy. I actually only have 10 months left on the mission now so it's definitely moving along quickly. That of course doesn't mean that I can take my foot of the gas, rather, it needs to be a sprint to the finish. 

We have a bunch of new families that are just loving the church and we are progressing very fast. We brought another one of our investigator families over for a visit to one of them and they got along great. The way I can describe their conversation as listening to a bunch of talkative old people, It was pretty funny.

This week we actually directed a funeral. Some people went to the house of a member (she is just a daughter of the house) to support her because her aunt died. The Girl who died (she was murdered) didn't have a church so the funeral duties were left to the church of our members parents. Their church didn't show up because they suck so they asked us if we would direct. Our first counselor directed and I gave the graveside speech. It was quite the experience. When they brought the casket out at the funeral home all of the women family member fell on the ground weeping as is mozambiquan tradition. It was definitely interesting. They put like suitcases on the grave and bury them with tons of plates and stuff to use after I guess. 

To Dad:

We never really teach anyone that doesn't believe in Jesus Christ. The followers of any church here are either so strong because they are immigrants or something or they just don't know what they are talking about. For example, the majority of all muslims believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. People just go to church because they have some inner desire to go to church. Most Mozambiquans actually believe that every church is true and that you just have to find the right church for you. I would say that that is a much bigger battle that to convince them that they should go to our church as opposed to theirs.

The thing is is that no mozambiquans really have any religious background knowledge wise. They have just gone their whole lives and the info goes in one ear and out the other. They don't know anything and take anything we say as the truth so the battle is create real testimonies and help them understand the doctrine. 

August 17 letter

So this week was super awesome. The most success that I've ever had on my mission finding wise was probably this week. We found so many really awesome families through member referrals. The members really pulled through this week. We have probably 4 more families now that I'm considering as super solid probable baptisms. It was definitely a very blessed week. We had tons of people at church, both members and investigators which was awesome. The work is going amazingly here right now.

This week was really good. One thing that I've noticed on my mission is the increased interest in reading the scriptures. This week I've just been reading them so much. I'm absolutely flying through the Book of Mormon right now. During the moments when we aren't doing I just grab the BOM and get reading and it's really been helping my entire mission with the spirit. The additional tool of the spirit in every moment that I get with the basic practices of prayer and the scriptures is wonderful. 

August 10 letters

To Mom:

So this week we were able to get a lot of document work done with our families that we are working with and it looks like we will be able to get 3 families baptized either late this transfer or early next transfer. It's been a lot of work but it's really been worth it and we're really excited to be making the final moves in the progression of these families. 

Several of our recent converts had interviews for the priesthood this week which was really nice and hopefully that means that adults won't have to bless and pass the sacrament every week. Getting the youth to do it will be a big step in the progression of the branch. 

The mission should get an aditional 22 missionaries this next transfer which will greatly increase our numbers meaning that we will possibly get a new companionship here in Chimoio which would be really nice and really help the branch a lot. 

We bought a small grill type thing this week (one of the ones you saw in that picture last week). and a grill thing to go on top. Chimoio has the best beef in mozambique so we bought hamburger and made our own hamburgers this week which were way good and this week we're going to do some steaks which are actually pretty cheep and should be pretty good.

To Dad (answering some questions):

Celso is 12 and he is still going super well. I think that our zone is called the quellimane zone but it's just all of the outside areas so we usually just call it the outside area zone.  Before we were only allowed to listen to hymns and now we can listen to any music that will invite the spirit so hip hop no but some of the music that I had will be good so I wanted to grab a few songs. That rule was changed by the new mission president which we are all really excited about. 

August 3 letter

So this week we had a ton of lessons in preparation for our baptism this past Saturday and the big group that will be baptized here in a few weeks. The work is really going great and accelerating here in Chimoio and we are truly being blessed with tons of success. The baptism ran great and was really spiritual. One of the kids that we baptized is super funny, his name is Celso. He is sooooo happy to be baptized hahah. Ever since we told him that he could be baptized he has just been so happy. He calls us all the time witch for him really expensive phone credit just to tell us how happy he is. He wants to say both prayers in every lesson just because, he tells us, he's happy. We told him we'd give him a scripture highlighter for his new scriptures that he received with baptism and he called us this morning asking for it. We told him to come over to our house and he just basically yelled into the phone I'm coming I'm coming! and ran the whole way hahahah. He's a really good kid. The other 2 that we baptized are really awesome too. I'll send some pictures. 

Another family that we have, Micheque and Minda are making terrific progress on documents and spiritually. It's really awesome and they are progressing really well. The area really is going fabulously not only because of the high numbers but because of the high quality of the investigators that the lord has blessed us with.

Baptism

The stove is what 99.9 percent of people cook on here or a wood fire if they're really poor.

Everyone carries stuff on their heads

The house of a member