January 27, 2014 - Beira

January 27, 2014

    So since last week, a lot has happened! And sorry I didn't really even get to write last week either, but transfers were not really supposed to be until today haha. So Sunday after calling the zone leaders about our stats they told me I was leaving Maputo to be zone leader. So the next morning we go to look at transfers on the computer and I found out I was coming up to Beira but I thought I would leave like Tuesday night. Turns out my plane ticket was for Tuesday morning at 6:30 in the morning and so I had to go sleep in the office and the office elders were coming to get me that afternoon. So I spent the rest of the day packing and getting my suitcase down to 20 kilos. I didn't even get to say goodbye to anybody but I have called a lot them this week. It was pretty crazy leaving after 5 transfers.

    And I actually started my mission farther up North in Nampula which is where that little village of Luaha is so I will never get to go back up there.  But President Kretly baptized 3 families up there last transfer!

    So Tuesday I walked in a triple with Elder Peckham, my new companion, and Elder Martinez who is actually from Mesa and knows Lacy and Patrick! I guess Patrick was his teacher’s quorum adviser! Martinez was just waiting to go down to Matola - we pretty much just switched spots. We served two years together but never met until this week.

   Wednesday two Elders came to stay in our house who were going home, so we walked in another triple and had a busy day. Thursday we did divisions with one of the district leaders and I stayed in our area and showed it to him after just two days but it was a lot of fun. It has been pouring here in Beira all week! Our area is pretty flooded but we use irrigation boots and they make you feel invincible - you can literally walk through anything. 

    This week President Kretly and Elder Hamilton of the Seventy came up to Beira for district conference (or stake conference) for everybody in the Beira area. So I got to see a lot of people from Manga 1, Dondo, and Inhamizua!! it was really nice. I took a picture with 2Mac the rapper from Inhamizua. He got the Melchizedek priesthood on Sunday! Actually Sister Snelson took the and I asked her to send it to you as well. 

   Me and Elder Peckham were super busy this weekend getting everything set up for this district conference and during the whole meeting we just had to sit up on the stand and run errands for president. Tons of stuff went wrong with the energy and internet so we were super busy trying to keep everything working. They prepared a presentation on the computer that they actually didn't get to use because of all the problems so a lot of the conference was just improv. I felt pretty bad but it was still an awesome conference and he talked a lot about how members are actually the full time missionaries because here in a little bit the missionaries leave they go home but members always stay this is their home not ours. On Sunday the generator actually exploded during the conference! it was pretty crazy. We saw it from where we were sitting and it was super loud. I guess it just couldn't take going on and off so much.

   We have some really awesome investigators and a really nice area. We live just two minutes from the beach and we walk past it everyday. This week we actually had this super drunk guy follow us into our investigator’s house. He followed us and we went in and he came in but they acted like they knew him so I thought it was like a brother or something and then we asked them if they knew him and they started freaking out they thought he was a member we had brought to the lesson! It was pretty crazy. I am pumped to be here in Beira I love it here and I am excited to end here.

Tomorrow we are having a zone conference with the Kretlys and the Hamiltons and I am really excited. They actually came over to our house today and I got a picture with him. (he said he will send it tomorrow.) He was supposed to teach a lesson with us today but he decided not to, I think it's because of all the rain. But things are going great -staying super busy -and It is going to be  a great week!

   Love ya guys. Tell everybody hi for me, and tell David to be carefull haha! That is like the 3rd time since I have been here he has cut himself!

   I was actually thinking lately that majoring in humanitarian aid would be super cool. Isn't that what Uncle Jim did for the church?

       Elder Bigelow

At the airport when he arrived in Beira. From left: A member who was at the airport, Ryan, Elder Peckham (his new companion) two elders (don't know their names) and last, Elder Snelson (senior missionary couple serving in that area. Sister Snelson is taking the picture)