I was also glad to hear that you watched the video! We watched it at Mission Leadership Council, but a majority of the missionaries haven't seen it yet. It is a proof to the rest of the world of the miracles that are happening in this country. It is cool to have such a close up view on these things. I think I take it for granted, but I'm still grateful! They showed that video at the Beira district conference yesterday. Over 1,000 people showed up at the chapel in Beira. That is unbelievable. One more miracle! We will be having district conference down here in Maputo this Sunday, here at the new Matola Chapel. I am going to predict, that the Matola chapel is not going to have enough space for everyone! Which would be crazy considering it is brand new and has tons of space! We'll see what happens. Elder Carl Cook of the seventy (Geoff's mission president) will be presiding in the meeting.
We had a good week in our area and zone this past week! Me and Elder Lake decided that we wanted to have a meeting with a few districts in our zone to pass along some information that we received in Mission Leadership council. Elder Lake passed on the information from the meeting, which includes that we need to start teaching teenagers in the afternoons, and if someone asks to be baptized we baptize them. We have focused so much on families over the last few months, that we are not teaching teenagers and single people who want to be baptized. Including myself!
President said that we have learned how to baptized families, so now we need to spend time with other people as well. But that doesn’t mean that we lose our focus of families! Since we have recieved that council, this past week we almost taught a man for the first time, and baptized him on Saturday. HIs name is Miquinho, he is about 30 years old and lives with his parents still. He has been coming to church for about a year now, but the missionaries have been so focus on families, that they never went to go teach him. We went to his house on Wednesday to see what he knew. He knew all the baptismal questions! We invited him to be baptized, 3 days later. But because of work, it didn't work out. But he will be baptized this Saturday with Feliciano and Joaquina.
At that little zone meeting as well, I gave a training on traditions. I kinda followed the pattern of a training the APs us a few weeks back. Most missionaries think that these African traditions are bad and we need to avoid them completely. But some of these traditions are great, and show love of the family the importance of the family. We invited Heriqueta, our recent convert, to talk about some of these traditions and how we can understand them better as missionaries. If we as missionaries, understand these marriage traditions better, we will be able to relate better to the families we teach. It turned out to be a positive training, and the Elders really liked it.
Our progressing families are doing well! Feliciano and Joaquina will be baptized this week, Manuel and Linda next week with Sara and Joao and Jessica with them. Three more families baptized over the next 2 weeks. We are excited! Luis and Linda will be traveling this week to get documents so that they can get married. They are a couple that is progressing thanks to the open house! We contacted them, walked over there with them, and they loved it. They were at church yesterday with their 2 kids and their neighbor also came!
We had an interesting lesson with Leonel and Celeste this week. We taught the law of chastity. He, is a Melchizedek Preisthood holder that is living with a women. She, needs to get married in order to be baptized. We figured they would accept it without any problems considering the way they have been progressing. Well, they said they won't get married until next year. We explained that Lionel can’t afford to wait until next year to get worthy. Sunday at church, we discreetly set up an interview with him and the branch president as we “just introduced" Lionel to the Branch president in his office. It went well, and the branch president said that Lionel will rethink his wedding date. So we will see what happens.
Sara, Jessica, and Joao didn't show up at church yesterday, so we were a little worried. We went over there after church, and Sara said that they didn't go because she had sold her car during the week. They didn’t want to walk over there. It is only about a thirty minute walk over there. They are currently reading in 1 Nephi, so we realted the two situations. Nephi, didnt complain when he had to walk all the way back to Jeruselem twice. He did not have a car either! Sometimes, the Lord wants us to show our Faith. It was never easy to live the commandments! But we can live them willingly like Nephi, or we can live them willlingly like Nephi. Sara, Jessica, and Joao all felt bad and they said they would repent and not miss church again. Their baptismal date is still the 17th of Agosto.
I am definitely excited to work this last week. I will need to show a lot of patience and we need to work diligently in order for the Lord to bless us. It is the last week of the transfer. Who knows what will happen! But I feel like there are way more people in Matola that I need to meet. I hope I stay here in Matola for awhile, and I expressed that to President. But ultimately, it is the Lords decision. So we will see what happens.
I love you all, and I hope you have a great week! Brittany criticized my English this week, so I hope my grammar and puncuation was a little better. If not, sorry! Happy Anniversary to Britt and Geoff this week! Also Mom and Dad! 25 years together. That is crazy. Thanks for everything you do for me!
