Mosquitos Don't Phase Me

Omar and Gina got married and baptized a week ago, and it was such a beautiful experience. Since their marriage and Baptism they have both matured so much, and love each more than ever before.  We’ve visited them a few times since the baptism and they have expressed how happy they are.  The two continue reading the book of mormon every day without fail.  They are also discovering in the latest conference Liahona the words of our modern prophet.  Omar was interviewed to receive the Aaronic priesthood yesterday and will be getting it next Sunday.  Throughout the week we have been teaching our other investigators with Omar and Gina.    They are both such great missionaries.  In the teaching they are not afraid to share their testimonies and often use scriptures they have come across in their personal study and have memorized.  The last time we went to their house we gave them a blank piece of paper.  We asked Gina to write down the name of a family that she knows that she would like to help get baptized, then we did the same with Omar.  After the paper had three families on it we taped it to the wall of their humble home.  After church yesterday Omar went and spoke with one of these families.  When I had called him that evening he surprised me telling me that he had marked a lesson for me!   He told me to meet him at 5 pm today (Monday)  and that together we would go teach this family.  I can’t tell you how excited I am to have met Omar and Gina!  I know that they are going to really help establish the church here in Mozambique.   On Friday we had a Zone Conference and we talked a lot about the vision and mission statement of our mission; which is,  Establish the Church in Mozambique and Angola through a real growth by becoming extraordinary missionaries.   President Kretly showed that in Maputo we already meet the qualifications of a stake.  In Beira they will as well in a few months.   By 2015 we will have 4 stakes here in Mozambique.  That’s the goal.  One in Maputo, Matola, Beira and Manga.  The church is growing so rapidly here.   President Eyring’s statement is true, “the Lord is in a hurry with Africa.”   The church has been here for about 13 years and by the end of 15 we’ll have 4 stakes.   President Kretly talked about how when he served in brazil and explained that it took about 30 years to get the first stake.  I know the Lord has a plan and the work is going to advance rapidly here in Africa.   After zone conference I said good bye to Elder Gray (his mission is over) and headed off to a few lessons I had marked for that evening.  I didn’t have a companion anymore, but the lessons I was going to go teach were close to the chapel so I didn’t see anything wrong in going alone.  The lessons went well and…I’m just kidding.  Before leaving the chapel I asked one of the new missionaries if he wouldn’t mind walking with me.  His name is Elder Thurston, I’ve been with him since Friday.  He’s a great missionary.  He is cousins with the Thurstons that live in Burley! 

Transfers happened today!  I’ve never been more excited for transfers in my life.  I didn’t know if I was staying or going.  A lot of interesting things happened this transfer.  (I’m staying)  The assistants are going to be moving from Maputo 2 branch to Maputo 1, so they will be living with Me and my companion.  They will probably also take the area that I was working in. (polana Canico)  I’m still zone leader this transfer, but my companion won’t be, because he just got here last Wednesday.  I’m training!!!   All I know about him is he’s from San Diego California.   I’m so grateful for the opportunity that I will have to serve as a trainer and stay here in Maputo 1 and see Omar and Gina continue to progress.    This past transfer was harder for me.  The area didn’t progress as much as I would have liked it to have progressed.  I have a few goals for this transfer:   I want to help the rest of the Missionaries in my zone execute the vision.  We all have it by now, the only thing that’s left is knowing how to make it happen.  Whenever we want to progress four things must happen.  First we have to have a vision of what needs to be done.  Second we need to make goals to accomplish that vision.  Third we must execute the goals, and fourth account for our progress.   I know that accountability is so essential and is an eternal process.   In this process we create the plan twice.  One time “spiritually”  and the other physically.   When God created the earth he did the same.     When a house I built there are two creations as well.  The blueprint and the house itself.    Now that the zone has the vision and is making goals to get their I want to help them know how to execute and account with what they are doing.

Last week for p-day I didn’t have a lot of time because the two elder that were leaving wanted to go to some stuff.  Sorry for not writing much last week, but it was super fun.  We went and played rugby on the beach!

-Elder Greenman

Gina and Omar's Wedding

Omar and Gina

This week was another great week.   THEY DID IT!  Omar and Gina opened up the legal marriage process on Wednesday!  Exactly two weeks after we found Omar.  They were truly prepared by the Lord to receive us.  Prepared in the sense of having all their documents and the money they needed to open the process? no.   But they were prepared with the faith to overcome all sorts of obstacles in their path to get married so they can get baptized.  Oh! ya.... and they kind of got kicked out of their house this week. Gina's mom knew of another house near hers that was up for rent so now they are living close to Gina's parents.  So good news is.....they have a house now and are moved in.  bad news is....they live super far away now.   Now it would take 2 hours walked for them to get to church.  (thank goodness for public transportation)  

Last week I think I mentioned that Gina invited her parents to church and they came.  Well Gina's mom came again with two of her sons.  Gina's dad was working otherwise i'm pretty sure that they would come.   After sacrament meeting we had a meeting with the branch presidency, the Elder's Quorum President, and the relief society president, and Omar and Gina.  The wedding is marked for this friday at 4 in the afternoon.  We announced four so that everyone would show up by 5.   The meeting went well we talked about and planned the ceremony.  We also asked if the members would be willing to help out a little bit and bring drinks and a little something to eat.  The elders quorum is going to bring the drinks, the young men and women will take care of the decorations, and the relief society will make a few traditional foods/refreshments. It will be simple but beautiful. 

-Elder Greenman

When In-Laws are the Problem, Invite them to Church!

This week was another week full of fun and hard work.  It passed by super quickly.   Just a quick update on Omar and Gina....they are incredible!!!!   We are going to go open up the marriage process with them today.  In one week Omar and Gina were able to get all of their marriage documents.    The hardest one was up in Beira.  He was born their so we had to get his birthcertificate from there.  Elder Gray and I called the Zone Leaders up there and they took care of it and sent it down to maputo through the plane mail.   On saturday we went and picked it up, but the place was closed.....luckily someone was still in there and and after talking to them we finaly convinced them to help us out and get the document for us.  Omar and Gina are reading the book of mormon a lot!!!   Yesterday Gina was already in 2Nephi.  Omar was in 1 Nephi 17 and said that after church he was going to read a lot to catch up to Gina.   Their parents still aren't 100% for them getting married, but the cool thing is that Gina invited her parents to come to church.   And they did!  and her mother loved it, as for her Dad  he liked it but still is just really confused.   Gina said that her parents probably came to church just to talk them out of getting married, so elder Gray and I had the branch councilor announce the marriage in sacrament as a branch activity.  Now it's official, especially because we are going to open the marriage process with them today.

In other news....

our DLC went really well.  The other missionaries in our zone are already thinking of new ways to do things and finding what works best for our area.   Elder Gray and I are working more with the members now.  We have marked to sit with the Branch President at his house this week.   yesterday we went to a members house for lunch.  Their names are Isaac and Louisa.   It was so nice to sit with them, get to know their story and how they became converted.  Their children were baptized in 2009, but they didn't want in.  One of their daughters left on a mission to brazil at the end of 2011 and they still didn't want in, but supported their daughter serving a mission.   In november  it finally happened they were both baptized and since then are doing so well.  Isaac is a worthy melchezidek preisthood holder and Louisa teaches in the relief society.    After dinner we talked about missionary work and how important the members are.  We explained that we need their help in finding people to teach.  The members here in Maputo aren't very involved in missionary work.  Elder Gray and I believe that that is the only thing that is holding us back from having the same growth here as their is in Beira.  Since December  50 families have been baptized up in Beira.  The members are super involved and are constantly helping.    Every member is a missionary.   What we are trying to organize is that the members invite a friend over to their house then we come as well to teach them.  

well...times up!    more on getting help from the members next time.

-Elder Greenman

Ya Voy

This week was super great and super spiritual.  Elder Gray and I are getting a really good feel for our area.  What works and what doesn’t.    We’ve started putting together our training that we are going to give in DLC.  (district leader council)     The main thing that we are going to talk about is working with the members.  We want to help our zone get the ball rolling here in Maputo like it is in Beira. Our zone had two families baptized this week, and we know that we have so much more potential to help even more people.    This week we had divisions with the Assistants.  I walked with Elder Cyrier in my area and Elder Gray went with Elder Bateman in his area.    I learned a lot with Elder Cyrier and in the division we found a man named Omar.   We found him when we contacted another man and marked a time to sit with him that afternoon.    The other man’s name was Mauricio.  After lunch we came back to teach Mauricio and Omar was there.  The lesson with Mauricio and his wife Bea, was super powerful.  The next day we planned to come back and teach Mauricio and his wife.  We also marked with Omar to pass by his house the next day as well.  We gave both Mauricio and Omar a Book of Mormon.   The next day, (back with elder Gray again)   I told him about Mauricio and how it was such an awesome family.  Well we went back the next day and they tanked like the economy.  They weren’t interested, hadn’t read and just weren’t prepared.  That same day we taught Omar and Gina.  It was such a great lesson.  Omar had read the chapter that we left and had great questions about it.  Gina is also a very intelligent and proactive lady, which to be honest is a little harder to find in the area where Elder Gray and I work.  We left another Book of Mormon with Gina so they both had one to read and we marked with them to come back on Friday (the next day.)   We came, they had read again,  they had also prayed and had received their answer.   We taught the Plan of Salvation, but we taught it in a way that I had never before taught.  Elder Gray and I made it a lot more simple.    We had a purpose in the way we taught it, that purpose was to help them understand what they as a family need to do now to return with God.    The Plan of salvation is basically teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ  but on an eternal scale. (helping them understand why they need to repent and be baptized.  We didn’t talk about Adam and Eve, the spirit world, or all of the kingdoms of glory.  We just explained that God has a plan of happiness which is his gospel and following it is the only way to have Salvation.   (of course when we teach the plan of salvation for the second time we’ll go into more detail, but after the lesson we asked if they had any questions and they said they didn’t, they understood everything perfectly and that it was super easy to understand what they needed to do. )   By this point we had already taught the Law of Chastity and explained that they need to legalize their marriage.    We left that day inviting them to read starting from the beginning of the Book of Mormon and also invited them to the baptism on Saturday morning.  The next day, they showed up at the baptism and loved it.  The testimonies of the two families that were baptized were simple and SO powerful.  The Spirit was there with such strength.    Also on Sunday they came to church.  After church we taught them there with a member.   Things started to unfold, and Elder Gray and I realized more and more how prepared this family is.  They had read up to 1 Nephi 5.  Gina told us that she had come to church with a question in her soul.   That question was how she was going to do all of this, get married, and baptized.    She told us that in relief society the lesson was on doing the right things, in the right way and in the right time without delay.  She’s super smart and applied it directly to her life saying that they just need to get married and repent to be baptized.   She also began saying that when Omar came back Wednesday night after sitting with us he had told her about us.  He showed her the Book of Mormon.  She said that she took it and scowled saying that it couldn’t be true and that she only needed the bible.   She said that she didn’t want anything to do with us.   Omar told her that we were going to arrive that next day at 10 oclock in the morning.  When 10 came around she left the house to escape us.  The best part is, is that we had marked for 2 o’clock in the afternoon and Omar had told her 10.   When she came back she asked how it went, he just told her that we hadn’t come yet and that we were on our way.  (and we were, in fact we were already  at the bus stop and called him to let him know we were here.  We didn’t know where he lived so he said he would be right there to show us to his house)   When he got off the phone with us he told her to at least clean things up and have their house ready for us and then she could leave.  Well  we got  to their house before she was able to escape, and then we taught the restoration lesson.  All of this we didn’t know until Sunday when they told us about it.  Omar and Gina are the best.  In four days they changed so much.  On Sunday they went' and talked to their family saying they were going to get married.  Just so you know, Gina ran away from home to live with Omar, so you can imagine that her parents dont' want them to get married.   Well when they told their family Gina's parents said that it was impossible, and that it wasn't happening.  Gina said," We'll see, God is on our side"   haha  

Also this week Elder Gray and I have been thinking of better ways to do missionary work.   We’ve changed the way we contact people to simply asking them if they like to read the bible.   Then we ask if we could read it with their family.  If it’s a house contact or if they are close to their house we ask if they have 10 minutes.  They almost always say yes.  At that point we enter their house and leave exactly 10 minutes later.  In those 10 minutes we teach the restoration and invite them to be baptized.  To start we read Amos 8:11-12 that talks about the apostasy.   Then we jump right into the restoration.  We came up with the idea on Saturday and so far it has been super successful.  Missionary work is awesome.  I’m loving it.   I know the Lord is preparing  Omars and Ginas out there for each of us to find and teach.

-Elder Greenman

Tenth Transfer

It happened again, transfers.   This one disapeared  right out of my hands.  Elder Berg and I had a blast together.  The week started out well.  Las monday we went bowling with President Kretly and it was the funnest p-day i've had in a long time. Elder Berg and I were on a team with President and there were two other teams of three.  We played two games and our team got second on the first then the third we tanked like the economy.  We never got first but it was super fun.  

In these short six weeks i've learned a lot with Elder Berg.  I've learned to trust even more in the Lord.   Yesterday we were talking about us being instruments in the Lord's hands.  I started thinking about it and realized that instruments don't complain or don't run away from work.  They are submissive and obedient in exactness to their owner.   As children of our Father in Heaven we were created by him with the potential to become like him.  As instruments we have SO much potential.  If we choose to be instruments in the Lords hands then ALL things are possible according to His will.  1 Nephi 7:12.     I want to be obedient and submissive to my creator.  I know that nothing can be done by me alone, but through me God can work miracles. Each and every one of us has an incredible potential.  We are tools in God's hands to do his will, and his will is that we become like him.   "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve."  for you will become as unto the person you serve.  To serve is the greatest callling.   A servant is someone who fills a need.  The greatest servent of all filled the greatest need.  Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, and because of that we are indebted to him.  There is no way we would be able to repay him justly for what he did for us, we can only serve him. 1 Kings 12:7  

On wednesday a new elder came.  His name is Elder Lara.  He is from Provo utah, he was born in california, moved to mexico when he was four and came back to the u.s. when he was 14.   Because he came before transfers happened he walked with me until today.  He and I had a great time together.  the other companionship in our district are two mozambicans waiting for their visas to england.  one of them recieved it this week and left on thursday so elder berg walked with elder Armando the other waiting for his visa.  Elder Lara and I just spoke spanish with eachother most of the time instead of english or portugues. (of course we spoke portuguese in the lessons)  It was super nice to use my spanish again.  

This past sunday,  Fruits day,  we had two families at church, which is good, but kind of not so good when you have 40 investigators with baptismal dates and only 8 come to church.   Elder Berg and I dropped have of our families yesterday and are set on working harder to have more investigators and church to match our investigators with baptismal dates.    

As far as transfers go....  i'm staying.   Elder berg is leaving, but not far.  He just has to move all of this stuff in the the other room because he will be staying in Maputo 1 and will be training Elder Lara.   My new companion will be Elder Gray.  He's from Utah and has one transfer left in his mission.  I don't know him super well but i'm sure he will be a hard worker.    We are still organizing another collective marriage here.  there are two families that have opened the legal process for marriage. we believe two more will open it up by the deadline of this wednesday.

-elder greenman

Higher Vision Goals

Things just keep getting better and better.  Our zone's progress is going up every week.  Elder Berg are seeing the numbers as a whole are going up,  the only thing we're worried about is that the high numbers are because of a few companionships that are doing super well.  For example, in our three districts there is one companionship in each that is pulling the weight and the others are doing well, but haven't quite caught the vision.   Our district, meaning Elder berg's and mine, is made up of 3 companionships.  Elder Berg and I.  Elder Armand and Mabjaia, and Sister Muhangueno and Sister Smith.    These four other missionaries are all in there first transfer, and Elder Mabjaia is in his third.  They are just learning.   The sisters are doing a very good job.  They had a baptism this week.  The lady that was baptized was someone that Elder Brogan and I taught about 7 months back.  The day before her baptism she backed out and got cold feet, but then 6 months later the sisters came along and she was ready.  Also the sisters are teaching a super great family that has been coming to church for the past two weeks.   Elder Armando and Mabjaia  are struggling in their area and are starting to get discouraged.  They live with us in our house so Elder Berg and I are going to do everything we can to spread the excitement and fire of missionary work.  (and the brownies we'll make i'm sure will help with that)   In the other two district again we see that of the three companionships in each district there is one that is leading while the others are behind.  What Elder Berg and I want to see is that every elder and every companionship is doing their part.  There are two paradigms that I have seen.  One is effective the other is ineffective.  The ineffective is:  There is nothing that I can do that will affect the world.  the effective paradigm is:  I have the ability to influence the world.          If every missionary were to do their part the growth here would be explosive.  The assitants made a chart demonstrating this.   The graph showed that if every companionship baptized one family per transfer then we could have a stake in Maputo and a Stake in Beira within a year.    Some companionships have already learned to baptize more and are baptizing 5 families per transfer.    The chart then continued to show that if every companionship baptized 5 families per transfer then within two years this mission would have the preisthood men needed for 14 stakes.  Everything starts with the individual, if he decides to do his part knowing that it will make a change then the Lord comes in and does the rest.  

This week was super incredible for Elder Berg and I.  We are helping a lot of families progress towards baptism.  Three of our families that we are teaching have testimonies that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that this is the true church.  On Sunday  (Fruits Day)  we had 4 complete investigating families along with two part families at church.  we had a total of 17 investigators at church, twelve  of them came for the first time, and the fast and testimony meeting was spiritual and powerful.    (also super good news is that the Maputo 2 branch where I served before is doing super well.  Yesterday 6 men received the Melchezidek Priesthood.  One of those was Armando Chicuele who Elder Largent and I taught.)

On Saturday night we were all the way out in Polana Caniço, our area, when we saw a van on the side of the road.  We stopped and talked to the young man who was in their alone.  He asked us for help, saying that he had no money and was out of gas, with no one to get a hold of to help him.   The nearest gas station was 2 kilomoters away.  So we told him we'd push his car.  He refused saying that he didn't have any money to pay us or money to buy gas when he got to the station.  (we told him we didn't care and told him to get in the car)   So Elder Berg and I began pushing the car.  We invited others around us to start pushing, and they would ask what they would get out of it.  As we picked up speed and were at a steady jog three young men came along and started helping.   About a minute later they asked if they were going to recieve any coins for the work.  We told them that this was service and if they didn't want to serve then they might as well not waste there energy.  Slowly, one by one they dragged behind, but one stayed and continued to help.  At this point we had gone halfway and were exhuasted.  This completely drunk guy, with a cigarette in his mouth joined us and started belting out that he was a catholic and he was a good man who wanted to serve.  We started pushing with us.  (he was kind of like our cheerleader, a drunk one)   He did not stop talking, he said things like, "I'm a catholic, I don't need money.    I don't need anything in return,   this is service."     As we neared the end he started asking if the owner of the car was going to buy us drinks after, or if he was going to pay us.   We told him no,  and he again assumed his catholic character saying he didn't care, he was there to serve and he'd push the car another 3 kilometers if he needed to, but as we got closer and closer the drunk man asked again and again, if he were getting anything out of it.   The other young boy was still with us in pushing the van.  We finally arrived at the station thanked the boy and he went on his way with a happy heart without going up the the drivers seat to try and get something from the owner of the car.   We told the driver to stay in the car and relax.  We gave the gas man 150 metacais which isn't much but its what we had.  (in mozambique you drive up to the station and the workers put in the gas for you.)  Long story short,  we got a good workout in, and we helped someone.

During the week we taught Jon and Domingas about the power of fasting.  They decided to fast with us to help them get their documents for marriage and soften the hearts of Domingas's parents so that they would accept her getting married without paying 'lobolo'  the dowery.    We started wednesday and ended thursday.  Thursday afternoon we went to their house to break the fast with them.  When we arrived they were all there waiting for us.  Domingas left the room for some reason or other and we took advantage of the oportunity to ask Jon if everything was okay.  He went on to explain that their money had run our last week and that they were rationing their food to last through to the end of the month.  It was so powerful to me to see that they had been suffering and going without food but were still willing to fast and ask the Lord for help.   They looked really tired and weak, but I could still tell that they found peace in following the commandments of God and that the do love their Heavenly Father.  (the next day Elder berg and I brought them Chocolate chip Cookies and Brownies)   On sunday morning we met up with them at 8:30 to walk to church.  They didn't have money for transportation so we offered to meet at their house and walk with them.    We met them at their house with their two little kids, put them on our shoulders and started walking to church.  There is only one chapel in maputo and it serves for both the maputo1 and 2 branches.  The chapel is far away from the maputo 1 branch area.   It took us an hour and half to walk all the way to church with them, but it was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the conversations we had on the way.   I know that life can be hard but we exist that we might have joy.   To have that happiness is a choice of mind, and need not be dependent upon circumstances.  The joy is, and can only be found in Jesus Christ our Lord.  I know that no matter what happens if we choose to put our faith in Christ, He will fill us.   I love you all!

-Elder Greenman