Hello America,
We did a ton of contacts this week! Pretty crazy. Just talked to
everyone. But Dondo has a ton of churches! A lot of Catholics and
Jehovah Witnesses. Just trying to find people that are really willing
We did a ton of contacts this week! Pretty crazy. Just talked to
everyone. But Dondo has a ton of churches! A lot of Catholics and
Jehovah Witnesses. Just trying to find people that are really willing
to act on our message. Thursday we had 3 lessons fall through so
we were just doing contact after contact and nobody really seemed too
interested. So I was thinking to myself 'what the heck nobody is
ready for our message' but, seriously, the very next house we call
"Licensa!" which is like "excuse me" because you never knock on doors you just
stand outside their yard and call , but this lady comes out and so we
ask if her husband is there and she invites us in (we never go in
people's houses - everyone just has lawn-chairs and we probably have 99%
of our lessons outside). So her husband comes and we share a brief
part of the restoration and ask for their number, gave them a pamphlet
and they promised to read it and so we told them we would call them
and set up a later day to meet again. She just looked straight at me
and said "We are ready for your message!" So we went back the next day
and the whole family was outside waiting for us and excited to learn
and we taught the restoration! Super cool - usually people will give you
their number but they are super surprised and annoyed if you
actually call them and don't really want to meet. This family didn't
come to church but we are definitely going back tomorrow.Super
excited about them!
So crazy that General Conference is this weekend! I went to the
last one right before I left! Six months - I can't believe it! This week
we made some good goals and so we will see what happens. Hopefully we
can get some of our lessons we have to actually come to church. I am
learning so much here, though. Our contacts are getting way better. We
just go straight into the restoration so people don't think we are
just like any other church. We explain about prophets and priesthood.
So we see a little better who is actually interested, but it's still
hard to tell sometimes. People have such a different way of thinking
about God and gospel things here. Because everyone just starts
churches to get money! Honestly you will walk in the middle of nowhere
and there will be a hut with a paper hanging on the front it
that says something like: "Evangelical Christian Mission Fire Baptist Church of
the 13 Apostles." What? Haha! It's cool to ask the question to people "do
you ever wonder why there are so many different churches? Because we
can help you with that."
My Portuguese is improving - just not super fast. Elder Lopes is
helping me a lot with my language and teaching and when I don't know a
word in Portuguese I have to try to explain it in Portuguese. We are
only going to teach seminary once a day from now on so we have more
proselyting time. This place really needs it and maybe we can find and
teach a guy who can teach seminary for us! I am learning a lot about
the Old Testamant by teaching it, though.
I know that we really do have the priesthood on the earth and
that Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God. Thomas S. Monson is a
prophet today. Our message really is special and really can and will
change lives of those who accept it!
What else happened this week? Primary yesterday was nuts. It
was just me and this lady. So she looks at me and says "Elder, help! I
didn't prepare a lesson." Flip? What do I do? The kids were just going
crazy, so I had them teach me Head Shoulders Knees and Toes in
Portuguese and then I taught everyone in English. It was pretty funny.
We saw a monkey yesterday but it was just a pet and nobody was
there so we couldn't go play with it. But the other elders had an
investigator with a monkey and they would play with it but one time it
stole 5 meticais and tried to eat it!! Meticais are bigger than
quarters and they thought they killed it because it was choking but it
finally coughed it up.
This place is so crazy. It's nuts to see the differences. I know
going back to the US is going to be as big or a bigger culture shock than coming
here! Electricity is crazy here - it goes in and out all the time! And we
don't have water when the power goes out so you always have to keep your
water bottles full. It has been super hot and humid here lately. It's
ridiculous! It's like Phoenix but humid.
That's awesome Kariah and Dustin got sealed! We are helping Lyno, who is one of
our priesthood holders here, to prepare to go to the temple. Super
excited for him and his wife. They have to go to South Africa. We are
so blessed to have temples close in the United States. It is not an
easy thing for people here and not a lot of members have been.
So I have been reading Alma in English and Mosiah in Portuguese
this week. Alma is such an amazing book. I have a book for classes
that helps explain more and has quotes and talks by apostles and
things in it and that helps a ton.
we were just doing contact after contact and nobody really seemed too
interested. So I was thinking to myself 'what the heck nobody is
ready for our message' but, seriously, the very next house we call
"Licensa!" which is like "excuse me" because you never knock on doors you just
stand outside their yard and call , but this lady comes out and so we
ask if her husband is there and she invites us in (we never go in
people's houses - everyone just has lawn-chairs and we probably have 99%
of our lessons outside). So her husband comes and we share a brief
part of the restoration and ask for their number, gave them a pamphlet
and they promised to read it and so we told them we would call them
and set up a later day to meet again. She just looked straight at me
and said "We are ready for your message!" So we went back the next day
and the whole family was outside waiting for us and excited to learn
and we taught the restoration! Super cool - usually people will give you
their number but they are super surprised and annoyed if you
actually call them and don't really want to meet. This family didn't
come to church but we are definitely going back tomorrow.Super
excited about them!
So crazy that General Conference is this weekend! I went to the
last one right before I left! Six months - I can't believe it! This week
we made some good goals and so we will see what happens. Hopefully we
can get some of our lessons we have to actually come to church. I am
learning so much here, though. Our contacts are getting way better. We
just go straight into the restoration so people don't think we are
just like any other church. We explain about prophets and priesthood.
So we see a little better who is actually interested, but it's still
hard to tell sometimes. People have such a different way of thinking
about God and gospel things here. Because everyone just starts
churches to get money! Honestly you will walk in the middle of nowhere
and there will be a hut with a paper hanging on the front it
that says something like: "Evangelical Christian Mission Fire Baptist Church of
the 13 Apostles." What? Haha! It's cool to ask the question to people "do
you ever wonder why there are so many different churches? Because we
can help you with that."
My Portuguese is improving - just not super fast. Elder Lopes is
helping me a lot with my language and teaching and when I don't know a
word in Portuguese I have to try to explain it in Portuguese. We are
only going to teach seminary once a day from now on so we have more
proselyting time. This place really needs it and maybe we can find and
teach a guy who can teach seminary for us! I am learning a lot about
the Old Testamant by teaching it, though.
I know that we really do have the priesthood on the earth and
that Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God. Thomas S. Monson is a
prophet today. Our message really is special and really can and will
change lives of those who accept it!
What else happened this week? Primary yesterday was nuts. It
was just me and this lady. So she looks at me and says "Elder, help! I
didn't prepare a lesson." Flip? What do I do? The kids were just going
crazy, so I had them teach me Head Shoulders Knees and Toes in
Portuguese and then I taught everyone in English. It was pretty funny.
We saw a monkey yesterday but it was just a pet and nobody was
there so we couldn't go play with it. But the other elders had an
investigator with a monkey and they would play with it but one time it
stole 5 meticais and tried to eat it!! Meticais are bigger than
quarters and they thought they killed it because it was choking but it
finally coughed it up.
This place is so crazy. It's nuts to see the differences. I know
going back to the US is going to be as big or a bigger culture shock than coming
here! Electricity is crazy here - it goes in and out all the time! And we
don't have water when the power goes out so you always have to keep your
water bottles full. It has been super hot and humid here lately. It's
ridiculous! It's like Phoenix but humid.
That's awesome Kariah and Dustin got sealed! We are helping Lyno, who is one of
our priesthood holders here, to prepare to go to the temple. Super
excited for him and his wife. They have to go to South Africa. We are
so blessed to have temples close in the United States. It is not an
easy thing for people here and not a lot of members have been.
So I have been reading Alma in English and Mosiah in Portuguese
this week. Alma is such an amazing book. I have a book for classes
that helps explain more and has quotes and talks by apostles and
things in it and that helps a ton.
My favorite scripture to share with people though is 2nd Nephi 26:24-28
"He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.
"Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying; Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.
"Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
"Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.
"Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden."
I found Nutella this week! and ate a hamburger a couple of weeks
ago! Pretty exciting. There are Muslim stores here in Berra that have a
lot of American stuff.
So who else is leaving from Round Valley to go on missions?
Colton's brother Kelton is getting his call probably this week if he
doesn't already have it. I want someone else to come here with me.
Well the computers are super slow but maybe I will try to send more pics.
I got some good ones! Like lions tigers elephants giraffes alligators -
haha - but I really do have some of monkeys and a chameleon so almost
as good!
Thanks for all the letters and prayers.
Ate proximo semana
Elder Bigelow
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