Week 8: Get to the Chappa!

Well, this email is a day and a half later than usual because of a holiday here. We have literally no idea what holiday though. It pretty much meant that more people than usual drank, which is always fun on packed chappas full of people. We took a ton of chappas this week. The first week it seemed fun, its not fun at all anymore... But they get us around. If I die though, it will be in a chappa, or under a chappa that hits me (ha ha ha but really). If there are spelling/grammatical mistakes it's because this computer is set to Portuguese so virtually every word I type is being shown as mispelled by spellcheck...

This week we had Zone Conference. It was interesting to see more of the people from this general area. I got to see the Brazilians we spent a few days with which was funny because I still cant speak to them :)

We did a showing of Meet the Mormons this week. We estimated that 100 people would show up. The ward was supposed to set it up, but they put it all on us... and gave us $6 to make it happen.... So it was just insanity that day. We popped a ton of popcorn in our little kitchen, then walked it over in trash bags. Surprisingly almost 100 people did show up, which was fun. Tons of those different and changing handshakes.

We have a baptism this week! Elder Burchett already had it all in place before I even arrived, but it should be a cool thing to go see. We are teaching several promising families, but the parents aren't married. The process is quite expensive and takes at least a month... Plus very very few people think its important, so its really  hard.  We have lots of people that we are teaching. We could literally teach all day everyday, but we have to really be selective. Virtually everyone will let " a man of God talking about Jesus Christ" into their home. We really filter who we visit. The huge focus is on families.  Marriage is very expensive for them (1000 Met) and the process for the papers takes 30 days. Plus then the man has to pay the womans father for her. Its a real pain that so so so very few go through. In Swaziland they literally buy the woman for 10 cows. On a positive note though, I haven't knocked a door, nor will I. We just yell "Com Lisensa" (no idea how its spelled). It's pretty much "excuse us". Then people come and open the gate. Virtually everyone will sit down for a first lesson, but we spend lots of time trying to narrow down who will seem to actually progress.

Other positive notes, I got my Mozambique equivalent of a "Green Card" this week. I got to go to the US Embassy-- 'Merica soil'-- then to the immigration office. It all went very smoothly. This means I wont get kicked out to Swaziland anytime soon.They also fixed our little water heating device. It caps over the shower head and heats the water... Super freaky. There is a mini breaker box in the shower, and if you touch the shower head (that is maybe 5 feet tall) it shocks you..... But no cold showers.... Then it broke 2 days after we got it.... A different positive note, no idea how I forgot this week 1. We have weird little AC units in each of the apartments here. We are the only African Mission with AC. The past mission president used his own money to buy them for each apartment. It is so nice to get back late at night and turn it on. It also seriously reduces mosquitoes in the rooms.

I also found where the street vendors buy their 15 Met sodas, and cut out the middle man, bought a whole crate for 280 Met. Its the last soda I will buy while in T3 though. Once its gone, its water and coconuts for me. I've decided my soda fund is better spent on sending letters to a missionary in DC :)

Hope everyone is doing well, feel free to email me any questions I don't hit in my weekly emails and I will copy/paste them into my general email.

Elder Howell


Also, it gets dark here at "18:00" (6pm) military time is still really strange to me. But it gets dark, dark. And there are virtually no street lamps. The roads are covered in glass, and such. Tricky walking back home at night.

 Elder Burchett and I walking home.

 Immigration Papers.

 Homemade popcorn in trash bags for "Meet the Mormons" movie. 

 Fried Bean Sandwich and a soda = lunch.

 Cool Brazilian Elder I still can't talk to.

 #Greencard  I'm official.

 Our church building.

 I saw the beach this week.

 Kids always hold our hands to walk around, not sure why. 

 T-shirt guy is a member who comes with us sometimes.

 I bought a crate of soda wholesale...280 Met...Yum.

The following pictures were sent by the mission president's wife from the Zone Conference last Tuesday.

 Elder Stegman, Elder Griffeth, Elder Burchett and Elder Howell.

 Lunch at Zone Conference.

 Myself, Elders Burchett, Brown, Stegman and Griffeth.

 Matola Zone Conference

Is that a new toaster? 

They feed us well at Zone Conference.