September 16, 2013

Hello family,

Well we made it through another week! The week actually went pretty fast but it was super crazy!!! So we had the baptism on saturday and it went super well but then he didn't show up to sacrament to be confirmed :( He said he got stuck in Beira with chapa problems... But he'll be confirmed next week. Then the craziness though. So we have a big collective marriage coming up this saturday right? Well one family couldn't get the money in time to open the process of marriage :( but they will still be married and baptized in a couple weeks. The other family who is ready well the wife isn't 21 so the dad has to sign for her and they are just making all sorts of hoops to jumpt through. So we tried more than once to get all the documents and they wouldn't give them to us and we got down to the last day and we couldn't open the process which was super depressing. But we just kept praying that we could have a miracle and someway be able to get this done and accomplished and everything. Well with the help of the lord we got the marriage process opened the next day when we were past the deadline and they will be married this saturday!! They are so so excited and whew! WHat a miracle. I will try and send pictures today of everything cause I have a lot to send but we're at a cafe that cant send them so we'll try and go to another one in a little to send the pics. Oh so here's a crazy experience for you all. So last tuesday our water pump stopped working so I just didn't take showers. But then by thursday I was pretty gross since I sweat and ya haha. So I took my first bucket shower! THen the pump got fixed later. Then on saturday our energy went out haha. So now we have no AC, no water, no light nothing. So its been back to more bucket showers and wrinkled clothes. Also nights are extremely hot with no AC. Well the whole day is but I notice it more when I'm trying to sleep at night haha. I'm hoping we get that fixed today! But I can testify that running water and AC is a blessing!!! Oh another thing that sounds weird but i miss alot.... carpet haha. Like I haven't seen carpet in forever now and i miss it so much! So be thankful for carpet. So this is the last week of this transfer. Which just means I could trade comps, I could go to another city, or I could stay exactly the same! No one knows haha. We still have the normal difficulties. The people don't see it as racism here to make fun of us and so I try not to take it bad, but I'll be honest, Its just hard sometimes with people constantly making fun of you for being white as if I don't already stick out enough. But with all that set aside, there are so many people here who are so glad that we are here and so happy to see us everyday and they are the people who make it so worth it! Oh ya! Last week after we emailed we went and played soccer with the africans! It was one of the coolest experiences to play soccer with them all out on a dirt field and ya... I have pictures to send as soon as I can!!! I think I had one of the coolest experiences of my mission so far last night though. We were walking with some members to a lesson and Elder Shachterle was walking with a couple and I was back walking with one and talkin with him. He got back from his mission a year and a half ago but he knew the tolmann kid from burlington! But anyways we were just walking and talking and sharing stuff about our lives and I realized, wow. I am talking with and an african in portuguese and like it was so amazing to see the hand of the lord helping me. There is no way I should be able to just walk and talk with people in this crazy foreign language but I can. All because of the Lord. But ya just a super cool experience. I wish I could describe africa with words or show it with pictures but it just doesn't get all of africa. Its this whole new experience on its own. I love you all so much and I can't wait to once again hear from you next week! I can't tell you how much I love mondays!!!

Love,

Elder Lynn

 

Pictures of soccer! The one of me and the other guy is Joakin. He is the branch mission leader and the gospel principles teacher. He is sending in his mission papers soon! Then the other one is of me and Elder Galland haha. We are like best friends and that night I was being super man! Can't you see the resemblance between me and clark kent? Just to tell you a little about Elder Galland. We get a long so well. I don't know what I would have done this transfer with out him. He really got me through all the hard times and he is just the funniest and happiest guy I know. We hang out when we are at the house and make food together everyday cause we both love food haha. Joakin is one of the most faithful members here. He is going to be such an amazing missionary and I can't wait to see if he gets to stay and serve here in mozambique. I hope I get to serve with him one day!

 

 

 

Here we have the african sunrise, a huge banana spider we had in our house and also a picture of one of my favorite families! The little girl in blue in front absolutely loves the church and loves us haha. She is so dang cute :) After church yesterday she came and held my hand and we walked together for like fifteen minutes as we went to my house and then she decided she had to go home haha so she left after. But she can't wait until she can be baptized. And every chance she gets she finds us and shakes our hands haha. The mom is the tallest one of them but she is still short haha. The dad was still in the church. And one of those girls isn't actually in the family, but they love taking pictures here so she jumped in the picture hahaha.

 

 

Here we have a picture of me and my comp with Henriquez and then a picture of everyone who was baptized that day! 21 were baptized that day! It was super super cool. The other picture is one we took this morning when we went out and took some fun pictures at fields and what not! Just for information, this week with the collective marriage there are going to be so many people getting married it will be awesome! If I am still here next transfer I am guessing we'll have about four families ready to be married as long as they can get the money.