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

November 26, 2012 - Manga

Hey Everybody,

Nice - that's way cool Holden is going to the Philipines! Is he speaking English or Tagalic? My companion’s brother just got home from serving there this week.

This week was pretty interesting. We went on 2 divisions which were nice and found some new families to teach that actually came to church. This Saturday we are baptizing a girl, 27, named Maria who is way cool. She has a strong testimony and I'm excited for her. Transfers are in a week and my comp will probably leave and I'll show my area to a new companion. The power has been on and off for the past couple of days and it's super hot here! It's super weird having summer in December. AC is my best friend - we love chillin together! Last night we didn't have energy all night. A crazy storm came through and it rained super hard and a ton of lightning and wind. Our roof was leaking like crazy and our front room got a ton of water in it! So we had to stay up and try to get all the water out but we got it all and it should be good now. Sometimes having no carpet is blessing. Thanksgiving we did divisions and so we didn't really have time for a big lunch and we were going to make Thanksgiving pancakes that night but we had no power.        This next moth is going to be crazy - I'm way excited. Zone conference with president on the 8th and then Christmas and New Years!  I can't believe how fast time goes when you are serving a mission! It's pretty crazy. 

What else happened? I found a cool coin from Malawi and we found an awesome couple married in the register that we are meeting with tomorrow. Me and Elder Barros were in his area teaching this guy the restoration on Wednesday and we explain the restoration and during the whole thing it seems like a normal lesson. Then when we were almost done we asked him if he understood this one part and all of a sudden he starts going into detail about stuff we didn't even mention! So we look at each other and look at him and Barros says “ You’re a member aren't you?”  He was and he has the Melchezidek Priesthood but has been inactive for years. So we talked to him about what happened and Barros is trying to help him! The guy had photos of our mission secretary, Tualufu, when he served and a bunch of people I knew in Dondo and some members here when they served. It was crazy! Yeah, I learned a lot this week from walking with other missionaries and it was way fun.

We took a train into Beira or the main part today. It was pretty cool and actually cheaper than a chapa. But  thanks for all the letters - everything is going great!

                                                                                         Elder Bigelow

November 19, 2012 - Manga

This Week in Africa:

            We had a big district conference (like Stake Conference) with all of Beira this weekend. It was good and Sunday we had like a video broadcast for the whole South Africa area where Elder Christopherson and President Monson talked. It was way nice but we only had one investigator at church because it takes 2 chapas just to get there from Manga.

          Things are going good. We are looking for a ton of new people and had to drop a few this week because they weren't reading or coming to church. We went on 2 divisions this week. For one division I showed my area to Elder Gomes from Cape Verde and for one I walked in another area. We have 2 more divisions this week. It was way nice to see all the other missionaries at the conference and we even saw some of the members from Dondo. As far as crazy stories we had a drunk guy totally wreck a lesson yesterday and Tuesday we were walking with a ward missionary doing contacts and this someone came up from behind us and started hanging on us in the middle, right? and I thought it was Isaias the ward missionary so I was like ‘what the heck’ and turn to say something and it was a super drunk old lady! So we move and she just kept following us around so we ended up having to run away from her and she chased us for a little ways.

     Maria should be baptized December first which is exciting. She has a strong testimony. And Francisco should be able to get married this month or the beginning of next month.

        I'm getting a haircut today and I'm super scared. You are a lot better at cutting hair than the people here, Mom. I think it was yesterday we took a chapa and the guy who takes all your money and opens and closes the door (they have a name here but it's in Portuguese) but anyway he was only like 13 and it was way funny - he was trying to get everyone to pay but nobody took him serious. But he was way good at his job and just the way he said stuff was funny. He was already pro.

       I have no idea what we are going to do for thanksgiving but last night we had a ton of cake and stuff because it was one of the elders birthday. And we had pineapple Fanta which is way good in a bottle. 1st time I have seen it in a bottle but I don't even think that it exists in the States. Have you guys heard where Holden is going yet? That would be crazy if he ended up coming here! I will talk to you guys more next week.

                                Elder Bigelow

November 12, 2012 - Manga

Dear Family,

          This week was disappointing.  We had some good lessons with people and found some cool new families, but nobody new came to church. We left early to pick people up and still nobody came. It's so hard to get people to make church a priority.  Any little thing comes up and they won't come. We are really looking for better ways to help people come. I know once they come they will feel the difference and feel the spirit. Our church is one of the only ones here that doesn't dance, play rock music or cast out bad spirits.

        I'm learning on the mission though to not get discouraged or worry about things out of our control. You just have to worry about yourself and what you can do while looking for the joy in journey.

          We have 1 progressing family who are way awesome and Maria, a girl who is about 27, we are going to baptize on the 1st. And a really cool guy named Francisco who is super close to getting married. I'm way excited for them. Yesterday in church we watched the priesthood session of conference which was way nice.

         I'm going to go home and be a pitcher because I'm getting way good at hitting down mangas with other mangas because I'm learning from the best manga throwers in the world. I probably ate like 20 mangas this week. The transfer is already half over which is crazy! I'm going to have so many crazy contacting stories by the end of my mission. I need to start writing them down everyday in my journal.

         We have a way nice branch and I love the members. They are helping a ton and all of them are super excited about missionary work - it's awesome. This month we should have a couple of marriages. And in December, too, but we will see what happens. We spend a ton of time trying to help people see the importance of marriage and help them and I think I'm going to actually see some happen in the next couple of transfers.

         I heard Holden turned in his papers! You guys will have to let me know where he is going - that's awesome. And pretty soon it will be David and Hayden's turn.  Keep me updated on Round Valley mission calls and tell David to get the heck better!  I can't believe Conrad is already 5 way crazy and Rans and Katie will have another boy when I get home! They should name him Tualufo. Just kiddin but it's funny to hear all the crazy names here. Either they are way common like Joao or super crazy. We met a couple who named their little boy Pinkie yesterday! Or some people just have some random English word for a name. 

            Tender mercies are everywhere even though sometimes they may be hard to find but you just have to be looking. I'm so grateful for this Gospel and for the Plan Heavenly Father has created for us!

                                                    Elder Bigelow

November 5, 2012 - Manga

This week we brought a white guy to church. It was one of those old guys who's parents are from Greece.  I don't think he liked church very much. He reminded a lot of Grampa though, it was funny. At church I actually just got to go and sit through the lessons - I didn't have to go to primary or anything.  We had quite a few investigators at church but we don't have very many progressing. We are trying to get 4 couples married this month. We told them if they get married we will make the cakes for the party.

      Last night for P-day Eve we made mango pancakes with pineapple syrup! It was nice! There are so many mangos here and fruit I have never even heard of.  Last week we went to a family night with a bunch of members and it way fun. So we played a game where you take a Fanta bottle and you stack matches on the top and you go around the circle taking turns and the goal is to get rid of all your matches but if you make any fall you have to keep them. This week there seemed to be a ton of drunk people. I think Wednesday might have been a holiday because people were drinking like it was New Years.

       Contacts aren't very fun but we always meet new people and have some funny stories. We had some pretty funny lessons too.

       Mom, things I need in my package are floss picks and what I asked you last week are the only things I can think of. We were actually listening to Michael McLean on my comps iPod this week and I told him you know him!  I’m glad you and Anne and Emily had fun at that conference. [Time Out for Women]

       Manga is good.  I'm still super lost in my area but I have time to learn it. It's crazy to think back home everyone has a car and just go places whenever they want like exactly to the place! It's weird to think I had a car. Whenever we see houses with cars we contact them. Getting chapas from Manga to Beira is always crazy because there are about 100 people always trying to get on 1 chapa.

     Things are going good and I'm learning a lot. I can't believe it's already November! But the days fly by here. I think today we are going to go eat at an Indian restaurant! They make good food. It seems like every single big nice house here is owned by Muslims. It's disappointing when you are contacting. Well sorry this e mail is kinda random and short but I still have to write President so thanks for the emails.

 

                                                            Elder Bigelow