6 months down!

Oi Family and Friends,

This Week has been pretty good for us. We got a good amount of lessons , and our investigators are progressing really nicely. So our Thanksgiving was pretty sweet not gonna lie. Well first we went out to Kilamba, which is this new city that has already been built and there still adding to it. There is everything there, with just 100s of buildings, but no one lives there, no one. There is maybe like 5-6 buildings occupied because right now it's just too expensive for anyone to buy, which I think they are keeping the prices too high until they completely finish. It was just so cool, so quiet, kind of like a video game. It was also cool because we will always be the first ever missionaries to walk in that city, and it will be cool to come back when its a huge bustling city and see the difference. But we taught Edvanho there who is a recent convert, and just helping him get strengthened. 

After for Thanksgiving dinner we went to President's house, which was super good. We ate turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes etc. It was super good, best food we have had here in a long time. It was also a beautiful day. After we watched a mormon message on Mormon Helping Hands with the New York City Hurricane and a slideshow of some pictures of us in Angola. It was a good Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving Dinner at President Thompson's

Matthew, the Ethiopian, has been having some struggles in his life. Its been difficult but we are helping him through with it, and luckily a member in our branch was able to hook him up with a place to stay for a little while. Just keep him in your prayers, he deserves it. Yesterday we also met with Josilde who was about to be baptized in Naimbe but he had to leave before his baptism, but he found the missionaries here in Angola miraculously, and we set a baptismal date with him for the end of the year. 

Crazy that the end of the year is already here. Tell you the truth I'm just ready to get 2013 up and starting. Well for me this is the last week in the transfer so we will find out about transfers next week I'm pretty sure in my next email. 

Sounds like the family had a lot of fun out in Vegas for Thanksgiving and also at Universal Studios. The Christmas decorations look amazing as well, so great job. The shirt from Chicago to Provo looks so sick and I wish I had one haha. Well that's about it for this week. Devon is going into the MTC this Wednesday so I wish him the best of luck as he starts out his adventure for 2 years! And this week I hit my 6 month mark which is crazy, but reminds me I still got alot of time and work ahead of me. Love you all and thanks for all your support!:)


Tchau,

First Video from Keegs

                                            Thanks Elder and Sister Hartman for the video!

Pictures Week #25

 

Elder Brown's first baptism with Paulinho

Elder Toleman, Paulhinho, and Elder Brown

Viana Gang

Jo in the manga tree

Minga and Luisa

Elder Wilson and Elder Brown

Mais ou Menos Week

Oi Family and Friends,

This week was interesting. Well I will first start off with 

Paulinho´s baptism. So we get there and first off the font isn't really filled, because someone forgot. So we had to fill the font with water from the well. Took alot of bucket trips haha. Also the person who was supposed to baptize Paulinho, who was Amandio, he couldn't make it. So I had to do it. Man I was so nervous, especially since I was unprepared since I didn't bring any of my baptismal clothing or change of clothes or anything, as well I didn't know the baptismal prayer in Portuguese yet. But it all worked out, and it was super cool and spiritual and something I will never forget, so that was super cool. 

Right now its been a little tough with the lessons and things with these contacts, because half always fall through and just waste a part of our day but were trying our best. There is this Ethiopian guy who we are teaching in English and he is so super prepared it blows my mind. He has so much faith, and it was just by chance we met him. Our second lesson with us, he called us Angels... Wow that really touched me and how important this work is. He said the closing prayer for that lesson and was tearing up during it. We set a baptismal date on the 15th of December and he will make it, as long as he comes to church, super cool. 

On Friday it was boiling hot, lessons fell through, I slipped and got my foot up to my ankle in mud, haha but it was good day. It has a rained a couple of days here, and it rains hard. Nothing else like it. Also I am going to miss the sunsets here and the skies at those times, they are indescribable, it's so beautiful. 

For Thanksgiving, I don't know what were going to do. Rumor is that all the missionaries are going to Presidents house for Thanksgiving but I guess we will find out. And yeah if I am still in Viana for this next transfer for Christmas were going to Elder Richter´s American friends house to eat and do skype and all that so we will see. 

Seems like BYU sports are going down the tubes, but that's ok, when I get back they will get back to dominance;) Seems like you guys always go to Vegas now haha. And that's really cool that you met that football player at that play. Sounds like the boys had a lot of fun at the campout and was passed out for the rest of the day haha. 

Mission life just keeps on going. It will be interesting to see how long I actually stick it out here in Viana. Did you guys get that small video I sent? Can't wait to get the packages:) Love you guys and miss you all!

Tcahu,

Quick Email

Oi Family and Friends,

This email is gonna be kinda short cuz the internet has been sucking here, so no pictures this week. But I will write fast. This last week was really good, but unfortunately two of our solid investigators are slipping. But we will work even harder to get them back on the right track. 

This last week we had a really cool zone conference with Elder Hartman who is a mental health person for the church. We talked alot about personalities and how they work with the mission, and how we can use our knowledge of our personalities to get better as a missionary. It was super cool, I was a primary color white (which means peaceful) with a secondary blue. 

I also went on divisions with Elder Sande on Friday which was a little difficult because no one wanted to sit with us that day. But we did teach this Ethiopian who speaks English and it sounds like he is really going to sincerely try to see if this is all true. We also on Saturday got threatened by this old guy. We were contacting this guy and this old guy on a cane started yelling at us and at the guy talking to us because we were foreigners. He had a nice big rock in his hands and wanted to throw it at us but we just walked away. And unfortunately Elder Eckman and Elder Wilhelm got robbed on Saturday. It's Elder Wilhelm's second time in 6 months and his second camera stolen which is pretty sad. I feel for him. 

Also Paulinhos baptism is this Saturday so there will be pictures of that next week. Sorry this is scatterbrained. Yesterday was the ward's primary program which was pretty funny to compare to one in the states but it was good. Also we have district conference this next weekend and I'm singing in the choir for one of the sessions haha so we will see how that goes. 

Well thats all I can remember right now. Sounds like Dad and Mom are having a blast traveling, Keller is growing to fast, Kaden is good, and Ridgely is actually missing me;) haha. Christmas is coming fast. For pictures it could be of anything really, just random pictures. Anyways I love you guys and next email will be a lot better than this, sorry, dang angolan internet haha. Love you guys!!!

Tchua,

More pics from Sister Thompson's blog

Priesthood Session of General Conference:

Elder's shoes reflecting their hard work (love this pic)

Priesthood Session of General Conference at the Thompson's

Elder Brown in line for yummy food

Watching Priesthood session of Conference

Zone Conference:

Zone Conference with President Kretly (Elder Brown is far left)

Break for lunch

Taking a stretching break

Thanks Sister Thompson for the pictures! The Thompson's blog is http://missiontoangola.blogspot.com if you want to read about Elder Brown's mission.

Week #23 Pictures

 

Kids wheelbarrowing babies

Elder McAllister and Elder Brown's Halloween Costumes

Elder Brown and his favorite family 

It's November!

Oi! Family and Friends,

This week was a little slow but good as you can get out here in Africa. So on Monday for family night we went to this members house with the President of the branch´s family. Let's just say its kind of a mistake when we try to do anything with them because it turns into a 2 hour testimony meeting. We didn't get home that night until 11 at night, it was exhausting. At least we got fed, but we tried to eat fast to try and get home as soon as possible. Well on our way out, the big German Shepard guard dog bit the President's wife and drew blood, so then we had to wait while she was getting checked on. 

Overall exhausting night, and it turned out that the beans that we had for dinner made people sick if you ate them, luckily I followed the spirit on that one;) and didn't eat any of them haha. Elder Sande and Elder McAllister ate them so they were sick the whole rest of the day the next day. Then Elder Richter got sick from something else, and was out pretty much the whole day for Halloween. So I was the only one who didn't get sick this past week like a boss haha. 

Halloween since we were in the house pretty much all day was nothing special, just another day in the mission, but today President and Sister Thompson gave us all packs of American candy so that was delicious. I scraped up the same knee today during soccer and drew more blood than last week but oh well, it will heal. 

This last week our solid guy Paulinho has had bad things happen to him. His cousin just recently died, his phone got stolen, and he had to break up with his girlfriend. Yet it just rolls off this kid, I am so proud of him, and with all these things coming at him, it means that he is going to be a freakin good missionary and member in the future. 

I love the people here, especially the members in out branch. The Smedos always feed us after church, and Amandio and his wife also feed us. Yesterday we cooked sweet rice with them which tasted kind of like rice krispies treats. I also love this one guy named Mwanza who is trying so hard to have his whole family be members, he really has this true desire within him. 

Also on Sunday after church this guy drove past and we talked with him. Turned out he was baptized in Spain and has been inactive because he didn't know the church was here. The last thing he said was he wanted to go to the temple, and I'm going to try my hardest to have him reach that goal. 

Things with Elder Richter are going really good. He has taught me things that are going to help me in the future. He said he was like me before the mission just kind of shy and such, so we can relate on alot of stuff, and we talk about each others past lives and it's just really great to have him as a companion. I also love Elder McAllister, were like best friends now. He promised he would come to my homecoming when I get back. He is so funny and I love to have him in the house. His only downfall is he loves country music and sings it...annoyingly. But oh well nobody is perfect;)

November seems like its going to go by fast, and this transfer will go by fast too. Soon before you know it I will be skyping with my family on Christmas. Oh yeah also I had mango and papaya for the first time, they were different that's for sure.

Well that's about it. Also for Christmas if it is possible mail a Dr. Pepper, and also printed pics of random stuff from the family so I can put it in my album. Love you all and your support!

Tchau,

Watching General Conference

 

Watching General Conference (photo courtesy of Sis. Thompson)