The week here in Matola was unbelievable. The Lord continues to bless the amazing people of Matola. I have so much to say, but so little time!
Let me start of by sharing a fasting experience we had this week. Hxxxxx and Fxxxxx is a couple that has been taught since July. They have an amazing story as me and Elder Lake dropped them, and me and Elder Brandao started teaching them. They have developed unbelievably strong testimonies over the past few months, and their eyes are already on the temple. I honestly love them so much. The only battle has been one of his birth documents from Quelimane so that they can get married. We have sent his information up there before, but The elders there were unable to find his document in the registro up there. These week, Elder Santos and I did a fast that we could get his document this week. Hxxxxx traveled to Gaza to try to get his cedula, and from there we sent the information to Quelimane. I jumped and shouted with joy when we receieved a text from the Elders in quelimane saying they got the document. They can get married and baptized! Hxxxxx and Fxxxxx were very greatful as well, and very excited! We will open the process this week after quelimane mails us the document, and they can be married and baptized in about 25 days. It was one more proof that God is aware of us and the sacrifices that we make!
This experience really help me understand better the Atonement. As representatives of Jesus Christ, we do things that he would do if he were here in Matola. We follow his example. Christ, suffered and sacrificed himself so that others could be happy, and cleansed from sin. We as missionaries also need to make sacrifices so that others can be cleansed from sin. By us fasting, we gave up something so that Hxxxx and Fxxxxx could keep the commandments and be baptized. So this week, I was able to walk in Christ shoes a little bit and understand a little bit better about his atoneing sacrifice. I am grateful the Lord answered our fast.
I have grown an interest and desire of learning more about the atoneing sacrifice of Christ. There is a lot about it that I don't understand. This week, I finshed Jesus the Christ and it left we wanting to study more about his llife and become more like him. But sometimes I get discouraged knowing that I have a long way to go!
The work continues to go on! Txxxx and Axxxx will be getting interviewed this week, and married and baptized next week. We are teaching many other families as well. Sxxxxx and Cxxxxx are progressing really well and well. They are very young! She is only 18, but they are make plans to get married already. He should have enough money by January, so that is what we are looking at. They understand very well the Book of Mormon, and are reading well together! It is amazing to see th difference in the couples that read together and the ones that don't it is so easy to tell. There is an immediate change in attitude when couples read the Book of Mormon together. It is unbelievable.
Our goals right now in Matola is to split from the district of Maputo. We want to split the branches of Matola 1 and Matola 2 to make the Matola 3 branch. We are almost there! Our branch just needs to have a consistent frequency of 150. Sometimes we have 150, but it isn't consistent. Yesterday we had 144. We will need many more miracles to be able to split the district within the next few months.
There was lot of hectic stuff going on because of elections. We had to stay in our house all day on wednesday! it was the worst. But I knocked out a solid 200 pages of Jesus the Christ and read tons of liahonas! So tha part was nice to be able to do that. So I haven't been very detailed about (elections & political issues) other stuff that is going on. It's just that I am not here to do other stuff and hear about other stuff that goes on. I am here to invite others to come unto Christ. But next week will be a response week! Everyone ask questions, and I will answer ALL OF THEM next week. Thanks so much for your patience!
I hope that everyone has a good week!
Love, Elder Williams
I tried sending pictures but this interent cafe is not nice at all. The computers are so slow.
