December 31, 2012 - Inhamizua

December 31, 2012  

      Well Have fun up in Utah!  This week was super hot and it's only going to get hotter. Carl B. Cook of the Seventy is coming here Saturday and we will have a big zone conference. Tonight we are just staying home and doing weekly planning. Other good news: my comp knows how to make shakes that taste just like butterfingers! And I still have Captain Crunch left. It's going to be a good week.

       Some bad news: I have to find a suit jacket to wear before Saturday because mine is in Maputo but it's possible.  Oh so you want to hear a sad story? The other week in Shopright we are walking down the isle and all of the sudden this song in English comes on right, so I start singing and was all happy until I realized it was Backsteet Boys and then I was ashamed and embarrassed!   This week I heard a country song! I really think it's the only one I have heard since  have been here.     

         Missionary work is going well. We have a lot of new families and we have a lot of stuff to do in the branch trying to get everything organized. I'm walking in Manga 3 for divisions this week. So who else is getting their calls from RV?

           It was way nice talking to everyone on Christmas and thanks for the horchata - it's way nice with oatmeal.

                                                     Elder Bigelow

December 24, 2012 - Inhamizua

Hey ,

        Things are going good. I'm super excited to get to call tomorrow and it will probably be around 6 in the evening my time. I'm not sure exactly how far into the future I am for you guys but it should be good I hope. [9:00am Arizona/Utah time]

       This week was pretty crazy and we had a lot to do. Elder Hoffman was sick Wednesday so we couldn't go out and work but other than that it was nice. He is going home in 3 weeks! Super crazy! These next 3 weeks we are just going to work work work. We have a lot of things we need to do with the branch as well with 2013 right around the corner.

        Saturday we had the Inhamizua Branch Christmas party. I will have to tell you guys all about it tomorrow. Weirdest funniest ward Christmas party ever! it was way fun. Nothing ever works out as planned here and improvising is always needed.

       I feel like my Portuguese is getting even better because I talk to elder Nascimento and Vestia in our house a lot who are native speakers and they help me a ton and I try to help them with English.

       This morning I saw and talked to Maria, the lady Elder Ostler and I baptized my last week In Manga 1. Whenever you have a hard time on the mission it helps a lot to think about the people you have helped and the difference the gospel has made in their lives! It made we way happy. And an investigator Elder Ostler and I starting teaching in Manga 1, Faustinho, is getting baptized Saturday and I should be able to go and watch.  

         Our area is starting to pick up but we just have a lot of brand new investigators right now. Manga has the group marriage in January but our investigators were either not ready or didn't want to do it so we aren't going to have any marriages but we found 2 or three nice couples the last 2 weeks so I'm excited. We are just going to try to help them get married. I think we have yet to meet and actually be able to sit with a married couple in Inhamizua.

          Thanks a ton for the package and presents! Can you try to have Anne and Wes and Grandma at the house when I call? If not it's not a huge deal but I only have 40 minutes between everyone so I want to make as few calls as possible.

         It's cool being on the mission during Christmas because it's a lot easier to remember the true meaning and focus!

                                               Love you guys,

                                                                   Elder Bigelow

December 17, 2012 - Inhamizua

December 17, 2012

MY 20th BIRTHDAY! 

Hey,
               Well I think we might have to swim home! It is raining super hard here in Beira. It was pretty fun getting here though.
               I was going to skype but it was only for 30 min. on Sunday and it would be at like 5 in the morning for you guys so I think I will just call on Christmas instead. I will try to call you guys and Ransom at least but I don't know how much time I will get. Thanks for your numbers and I will just let you know Monday which time I will call at for sure.
              Church was good yesterday. It didn't rain so we had a lot more people. A lot of our investigators didn't come but we found and taught a new family this week that actually came and seemed way interested. The Manga and Beira zones are going to start doing group marriages every month. One month in Beira and the next in Manga. January is our turn and we are trying to find people who want to do it from our area but so far no luck. There are certain requirements and they have to get all their documents ready by a certain date but we are going to invite this new family this week to get married on the 25th of January, baptized the 26th and confirmed the 27^th! So hopefully it works out. My companion is in the branch presidency and so we have been doing a lot of work with them this week.

We are going to have a big Christmas party Saturday so today we have a ton of shopping to do. Time is going by super fast! it's almost 2013 but the world is supposed to end the 22nd? Colton said people are freakin out in Argentina because a lot of people really believe it down there.
             I saw a big lizard this week that was orange with a blue head! It was at one of our investigators house. He wasn't even scared of it.  I asked him what it was and he just said “salamander” but I think he might need glasses. Super weird - people aren't scared of those things but are deathly scared of Chameleons. 
      Last night we didn't have energy (power) till like 3 o’clock in the morning. It's super funny when energy goes out here because when it comes back on you can hear everyone cheering. This week should be pretty interesting and full of contacts trying to find new families.
        Thanks for the package and all the emails! Hope everyone has a great week!
                                                                   Elder Bigelow

December 10, 2012 - Inhamizua

    Well This week went pretty well. A lot of stuff happened. I got kicked out of my old house on Tuesday morning and took a taxi to my next house which is really close to the Manga chapel. My old house is way nicer but I have had awesome luck with houses so I can't complain. We went out to Inhamizua and started working Tuesday afternoon. It's about a 30 minute chapa ride each way so we usually leave earlier and get back a little earlier so that we don't miss the last chapa to get back that leaves at about 20. Tuesday night we had no power all night and it was super hot. We are getting into the rainy season and it's pretty crazy.  
        So President and Sister Kretley came up Friday and we had a huge Christmas party with us and the Beira Zones. We had an awesome training that helped me a ton, ate a ton of good food, had like a talent show thing and I got your package!  Yesterday I got to have an interview with president which was way nice. 
      Inhamizua has been a branch for a long time and has a ton of inactives. We are trying to really find some new families to teach and baptize. That one guy Elder Largent and I talked to back in October never really went anywhere. Yesterday it rained a ton!! We had to where rain boots to church. Manga was practically all underwater but when it rains usually a lot of people don't show up to church. We started Sacrament meeting with 5 people and that may or may not have been including me and Elder Hoffman. But by the end we had about 25. Usually the attendance is about 70ish I think. Our branch meeting is only two hours long, which is weird, but I'm excited to be working with Elder Hoffman out there. He is a way cool guy. I spoke in church yesterday - the 1st time since Luaha when I had a Macua translator. I got asked Saturday night and I talked about the Plan of Salvation and focused on the Atonement. I just felt like I was teaching a lesson. My comp ended up speaking too because our speakers didn't come.
    By the way, I only opened a few presents from your package - like Buffalo sauce!! way nice and the photo album because I knew what they were  - I didn't want to have to buy sauce this week. 
     Elder Ostler is still walking in our old area and a branch missionary, Isaias, walks with him every day. He is the Manga branch mission leader and a way cool kid - I have a lot of respect for him. Mozambique has the coolest jovems (youth) ever. This place is really going to take off when they are older because their generation is not so rooted in a bunch of false traditions and a lot are going to serve missions and come back and help the church here a lot. I really think I will be here when the first stake gets organized! Super excited.
       I don't know if you guys know the Kretley's blog and I don't know what it is but you should try to find it it's way nice. The Beirra Zone last transfer had an idea for group weddings and baptisms and each dupla helped a couple get ready and they had 8 couples all get married on a Friday, baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday!! Coolest idea ever and they are going to start doing these every month or every other month here.
                  Scripture of the week - my new favorite - John 16:33
           Elder Bigelow

December 3, 2012 - Manga

Dec. 3, 2012

Dear Family,

           Well another 1-transfer area. I'm way sad. I thought for sure there was no way I was leaving and I'm going to the one area I never would have guessed to go and thought for sure nobody was even moving there. But I prayed to be happy with whatever happened at transfers and  I'm just going to make the best out of it.  I need to start taking pics with everyone in my 1st transfer in an area because I don't have very many pics with people again but I will try to get some before I leave - probably tomorrow. I'm going to Inhamizua which is in between Manga and Dondo but my house is in Manga still. I will switch houses but they are not too far apart. There are only two missionaries out there and one is Branch President.. We have to take chapas out there everyday! I'm going to kill my new comp, Elder Hoffman, (don’t worry - it just means that this is his last transfer before he goes home.)  That means next transfer another comp. I have never been with a comp. for more than one transfer. Elder Ostler, my comp right now will not even get a companion. There is not enough missionaries and I don't think I was expected to move until like just barely. I think he is just walking with ward missionaries in our area.

This week our baptism went great. Maria has a way strong testimony and a lot of friends in the church. I will send pictures.

         Well it's going to be a way crazy week but I'm excited. President is coming for zone conference Friday and today all the missionaries are going to the beach to bask before everyone gets transferred. I already have as many areas as a lot of people have their whole mission now and I'm only in my 5th transfer! I have come to expect the unexpected and just go with whatever happens. I have to learn my next area quick because I should show it next transfer.  I will tell you all about Inhamizua next week but I have already walked in that area before and seen their chapel and stuff.  It was a while ago when I was still in Nampula and we were down here for that conference - I think I already wrote home about it. Thanks for all your letters.

                                      Love you guys,

                                                         Elder Bigelow