To begin, my photos make me look really tan... Maybe I am? Sometimes the kids call me `Mulato` which means something kinda like `light skinned black person` which is kind of a complement? But I can assure all of you the tan lines are horrible. My `tan` (burn really) is just under my elbow, neckline.... The rest of me is 200% white. Not light, but just white. Also my watch has given me a very solid tan line that I don't really like... Guess I will go to a tanning bed (can't be more risky than walking around in this sun all day) when I eventually go to the US.
Something that I think is really really cool here are the fireflies. I have never seen them before and they literally and metaphorically brighten my nights while walking between lessons. The locals however call them snails... Not sure why, snails don't fly.... Though there are some snails here larger than my fist, and I have a large fist. I´ll take a picture with the next one I find.
The next random thing is that I enjoy asking all our investigators how old I am. This week the high was 40. Not a joking guess, but a solid guess by a full grown man who is 39.... They literally wont believe me when I say 19. Good thing I have a drivers license! ---The average is late 20´s.
Something fun here is that a lot of the Africa Cliches are actually real! Especially some of the churches. We walk in a certain area with lots of churches, at night its filled with chanting, dancing, singing and people `manifesting` demons that are then cast out. Very fun late at night :D
As far as cooking this week we found out that just `going for it` and using baking powder instead of baking soda really doesn't work (though with enough chocolate it still tastes fine). Thankfully we found baking soda (super rare here) and were able to make cookies. My mom´s are still better, but it was a nice, close to, taste from home!
Went on a quick division with Elder Brown this week, but we will have a full day together for `Thanksgiving` Africa Edition that I´m sure will be fun to tell about next week.
Lastly an update on an investigator. Belito/Laura and their 3 kids. Amazing family. They can read (we teach a few that can't), and well (really hard to find sadly). They follow through with everything they promise they will and are always so happy. They are working on getting the last 2 documents to open the marriage process (takes 30 days, then you can get married). Their kids even take the 45 minute walk to church if the parents can't go. We don't want to really pick favorites, but they´d be it if we did ;)
Some questions that were asked:
Can you tell me more about the investigators you are teaching? We would love to pray for them by name. (if we can pronounce them)
---The most killer family we have are Belito and Laura. They have 3 kids that are awesome. They actually read (and can, which isn't always the case), they are working on marriage documents(which is pricey and a long time in the making) and they are excited for us to come. The kids even make the 45ish minute walk to church if the parents cant go -that is crazy. David/Ana I have talked about. They are in a rocky spot of their relationship, but I really hope they can pull it back together and that it all will work out. Lastly, Alberto/Eulalia. They have 3 kids from 19 to 16ish (Age guessing is soooo hard here, the oldest is 19 though). Anyway, Eulalia comes virtually every week and Alberto sometimes comes when he isn't working. The kids all attend the Universal Church (huge in Brazil). If any church is the great and abominable church that´s the whore of all the earth, its that church. They are really bad, and bad for the people. Everyone we get away from them I count as a success story even if they aren't baptized. I´m learning how to ´Bible bash´ from the best in the mission--Elder Burchett my comp. Universal and JW´s like to fight us, but we've never lost a ´fight`. That's discouraged in most missions, but here its pretty much required to get people to realize how wrong their church is. Virtually everyone will let us in because we´re `men of God` but they just want to hear about God and thats it. `Bible bashing` for a few minutes quickly shows them that we have information and beliefs and teaching that their church should have, but clearly doesn't.---Rant over :)
What are the best things about your companion?
---Elder Burchett and I get a long really well actually. He is good at cooking and is super well versed in Bible bashing as shown above. Plus he doesn't care about what others think of him, he is here to just do his part. We just have fun and chat a lot. Plus he speaks Portuguese better than virtually any Mozambican.
Will you continue to make coconut milk rice?
---I think so, but you have to grate the coconut with a relador, which we don't have. We have to borrow a members, so last time we taught a recent convert while grating. I hope to make it again though! We´ll probably just buy a relador because it´d be like 7 bucks.
I know they don't have Thanksgiving in Mozambique, but are you doing anything to celebrate it?
---We considered killing and cooking a wild turkey, but they live off of trash. Instead, Thanksgiving will be a crazy amount of KFC today.... Like 500 Met worth in celebration. Thursday my comp, and Elder Browns comp have a leadership meeting so we both plan on buying Feijoada and a full chicken... It´ll be like 10 US dollars spent for all of that, we feel justified!
The kids love playing with us.
Making homemade cookies.
Chocolate cookies.
I like the roasted peanuts--5 Met a bag.
NIK NAKS, they´re like knock off brand, stale Cheetos. But they cost 4 Met so sometimes I get them to nibble on.
Feijoada--beans and rice that I love. Costs 100 Met a plate, so worth it!
The member who we walk with a lot (and who supplies the best mangoes) got a new kitten. Still don't like cats, but this one was very nice to us.
Lots of little tiny lizards, and big lizards. The little ones are just more photogenic.
This stick stabbed all the way through my shoe and thankfully missed my foot :)
I thought it would be interesting to write down everything that I spent this week! So I did, and took a picture. I spent a ton this week, usually its like half this... I kinda just bought anything for the sake of the list. It´s interesting though.
***Side note: Chappa (Xapa actually spelled) rides cost 7 or 9 Met depending on distance, but we all pay together when we go in groups. `Who´s this for?!` Yells the cobrador (money collector on the chappa) `The three white guys! Who else would I pay for?!` I always yell back in response. #TheWholeChappaDiesLaughingEveryTime
I ruined my first shirt yesterday. A member ripped my pocket off while playing musical chairs. Don't worry, don't worry, I still won and have kept my undefeated status in the Musical Chairs T-3 Ala (ward) sector.
Thanks for all the emails, have a great week!
Elder Howell
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