November 4, 2013 - Matola (still)

    I am sure our mission could use those dresses for sure. [A sister in our ward here in Eagar wanted to know if she could donate some wedding dresses and temple dresses to the ‘wedding planners’ in Ryan’s mission] I will write President Kretley about it in my email this week. 

  Well transfers were pretty crazy. Me and Elder Ebmeyer are staying together for a third transfer!! 3 out of the 6 people in our house are leaving and our house is getting a new elder. I am district leader again. It should be a fun transfer but not at all what I was expecting. 

    Elder Lake, my companion in the MTC is going to be branch president in Inhamizua and Inhamizua has 4 missionaries now. They need a lot of help with leadership. Amisse, the guy me and Elder Awbry helped get married is the elders quorum president and is doing super awesome, I hear. But I found out today that Pasqua’s wife passed away. Super super sad. They are only like 35, but what a blessing they were able to get married and live the law of chastity before she passed away. I am going to call him today.

    We finally got a new family to come to church, Ragina and Sadiki, who are pretty cool and we had an awesome lesson last night. We sat with a couple who he had sat with the missionaries like 3 years ago and when we called him decided to let us come by but didn’t tell his wife. They both are without a fixed church, so I felt like I should ask them ‘what are you looking for in church?’ And she thought for a minute and she asks in exactly these words: 'Where did I come from? Why am I here? and Where am I going?'  We were just like blown away! So we ask if she has ever found an answer to any of these questions and she says no. So we pull out the Plan of Salvation pamphlet and have her read the intro and she almost started crying and says ‘These are the exact questions I have!’ So we taught about the Plan of Salvation and we are going back this week. It was super nice to have a lesson like that because sometimes I feel like we have been sitting with tons of new people but not having very many great lessons. But it really helped my faith that God is preparing people to hear our message. Andre and Maria will be baptized this transfer but we want to baptize at least one other family as well. 

    And please don’t remind me about how much time I have left! I hate thinking about it! It makes me super sad sometimes. Missionary work is super hard or frustrating but I don’t know how I am going to leave this place! I don’t even have the slightest idea of what I want to do or where I want to go when I get home. Well I love ya all  - thanks for the photos.

     Elder Bigelow