Subject: OLA MINHA FAMILIA!!!!                                                                            July 16,2012

Oh you know, just another week here in Jersey!!

 

I'm actually doing really good despite the fact that I'm not in Africa! mom i sent you an email that sounded like it was from a president Thompson who is replacing president Walton.  so that's cool. don't email him yet thought i think that is just for missionaries. at least until i get to Africa.

anyways. I'm doing good here! i really am! this has been a hard week NOT filled with lessons and NOT filled with alot of teaching because it is soosososososo hard to find people. since my companion and i are driving we have the whole mission as our area. literally. because we are the only Portuguese Driving missionaries the other two missionaries in our apartment who are Portuguese have the area where we live as their proselyting area and my companion and i have the rest of the mission. so we just have to try and find Portuguese and Brazilian people here where ever we can. which can make it very difficult. so this week we didn't find many people and we weren't able to teach many lessons. But in some strange way ( through the lord) my Portuguese has improved even more this week still. and Ive lost a couple pounds that i put on in the mtc so that's good!!! really this week has been mostly uneventful.

Turns out, WE DIDN'T get to go to the consulate. they cancelled it last minute Monday night:( and then i didn't get to teach franciani either we haven't been able to contact her. so that was tough. BUT yesterday we we were knocking doors, and one door no one answered so we wen to the next, abut as we rand the other doorbell the previous door opened and a lady came out, so all by myself i walked over and introduced myself and asked her if she had ever talked to missionaries and then i told her about our church and how god has called prophets in these days and how through the doctrine god has given us through prophets she could be with her family forever, she had two little boys behind her. IT was So awesome!!! she was busy but invited us back to talk to her whole family i did that all alone (because my companion was at the other door) and it was in Portuguese. It was the coolest thing since I've been here. then on Sunday i gave a talk in our Portuguese branch. i talked about how when we receive a testimony throughout the holy ghost and we really know it in our hearts we can NEVER deny it because we know that it is true, and if we do deny it we are lying to the holy ghost and our father in heaven and ourselves. It was the most scary talk ive ever given. i was sweating bullets and stuttering mys. you'll never believe how many people were in the congregation!!!!!!!!!!!!.......... 17... including me haahahahah  that's how small and humble our little Ironbound Branch is here in Newark. Theres little more than 50 total and so many work on Sundays or are inactive that we only had 17 at church including the missionaries haha it was pretty small. Then later during Sunday school that Sunday school teachers name is brother Kent. his wife is Brazilian so he comes to the Portuguese ward for her, but he doesn't speak a lick of Portuguese! so guess who got to translate the Sunday school lesson for him?? ya it was scary but i did it for about 15 minutes while my comp taught a part to the the three kids in primary.

 so really my week wasn't very exciting.

here is some funny things that happened though:

- J-dubbs door contacted us! they taught s a lesson about their version of the plan of salvation and tried to convert us hahah it was hilarious. we turned it around on them and tried to give them a plan of salvation pamphlet and they got all offended and denied it. hahha it was hilarious.

- more doors slammed in the face,

-one guy made me role down the window and i thought he would be cool then he jsut screamed WHERES JOSEPH SMITH!!!!!!!!!!! righ tat my face hahahahahaha i started laughting and said "well im sorry sir he was martyred at Carthage Jail with his Brother hyrum in 1844, but if you'd like we can teach you more about his life and the restored gospel. by the time i finished he had already walked away and i think he flipped me off. it was really comical. i don't get discouraged when people are rude like that, instead, i just laugh and think, i cant wait for them to look back after they one day get converted and remember all the mean things they said to missionaries haha

- gave the talk in church and was scared our of my mind in front of 16 people's haha

- started speaking in Portuguese to people at their door and get about 1 minute into it when they look at me and go "KID stop, i don't speak whatever the ...... your speaking. i speak english. " )door slams) this happens multiple times a day hah

-on the other hand, i did have a really cool spiritual experience today. in Alma 29 i think I'm not sure exactly what verse, it talks about being raised up and being brought forth to the right hand of god. As i thought about that my missionary eyes were opened up. It was talking about the people of the anti nepi lehis, and how they weren't scared of death while the lamanite brothren were because they were unsure of the afterlife. I read that thought and found something WAYYYY  more deep and significant. this scripture is talking purely about exaltation and teaching about exaltation!!! Being Raised up? that is obviously a type of becoming better. becoming better than the mortal state that we are in. sitting at the right had of god? isn't that where the only begotten son, Our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ sits?? so what its sayi8ng in this scripture is that after this life we can be raised up to be a god and sit with Heavenly Father on his right hand? HOW COOL IS THAT!!!! i cant wait to see what comes in the eternities. The plan of salvation is an amazing thing. Im so grateful to know that our family can be together for time and ALL eternity. i love that greatest gift fro our father in heaven.

 

I KNOW more than I know anything in this life that this gospel is true. i know that the book of mormon is a true book and the word of god. " NO wicked man could right it, and no righteous man would write it, except by the command of god" i love that saying /quote but i forgot who gave it. BUT IT IS TRUE! more than i know anything i now that. and because of that, Joseph Smith was a true Prophet, Thomas S Monson is a true prophet today, Jesus IS the Christ, Our Heavenly Father does love us, and the plan of salvation is real. I love this gospel and i love preaching it.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

i cant wait to see how much i keep growing in these next two years and i cant wait to see how many people i can hopefully help find their Heavenly Father.

i love you all sososos much and am so grateful for the prayers in my behalf. i DO feel them each and every day. thank you. i pray for you all individually each day as well. know that!

 

So how’s Newark?

good haha i hope i explained.
Do you eat with members?

mostly at our apartment or with the ward mission leader. hes a 30 year old single guy who loves missionary work an d helps a ton
What do you eat?

lots of rice beans and Brasilian versions of carne asade and roast. SO GOOD. oh and all we drink is guarana. not the healthiest but you know, I'm going to Africa

How are your shoes feeling?

perfectly fine. they are good and I'm confident they'll hold up two years

Where do you go for groceries? 

walmart
 Is it pretty humid?

its humid but honestly even like 80% humidity with 90 degrees in NOT THAT BAD. people are whiners hhaah az dry heat when its 115 with NO humidity is way worse. 

Do you have washer/ dryer in you apt?

nope. we go to the laundry mat every pday

Do the elders ever get to go to the temple?

once a year i think. they go to the Manhattan temple.

How is the understanding of the language coming along and teaching going?

already explained i hope. but its good:)
Have you been back to teach Franciani ? 

no. this was a big disappointment to me:(

  I will write you a letter this week, I could send ya goodies and I will if you want some??

i got your letter mom thank you, and anyone can send mail:) but packages we wouldn't get til next couple weeks or district meetings so food wouldn't keep to well. but i promise I'm eating plenty hahah thanks tho

 

well family  love you all so much. i hope you know that!!! never ever forget it!!! thank you for everything and i hope i answered everyones questions.

Meg this is for you

Highs: losing a few pounds

getting moms letter

my alone door contact

speaking better

going to south Newark for a day and not seeing a SINGLE other white person for the whole day. it made me NEED Africa hahahaha

lows: not very many lessons

hard to find people

not going to Africa obviously

missing my family

other than that its been pretty average! i love you all so much!!! till next week! pray for visas!!!!!!!

until then, I'm still just Colin, col, collie boy or whatever, but I'm becoming a better version of me! love all!

Elder Colin Jay Montgomery

THUG LYFE!!!!!!!

OLA MINHA FAMILIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thats the very first clue! I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING pORTUGUESE FOR THE LAST WEEK!!!:):):)

 

holy cow so much has happened i dont even have any idea where to stat. so ikll just go through the days.

Monday

obviously got to talk to all of you and loved that more than anythng. When we landed i got picked up and taken to the mission home where they were havng family night for all the Senior couples. It was realy cool to hear all their testimonies and have a REAL homecooked meal from sister Jeppson President Jeppsons Wife. They are from Utah and are AMAZING> then about 930 that night after i emailed you they told us to get our stuff andwe were shipping out to our areas. I got sent tooo............ NEWARK!!!! The area im in is called Ironbound. Because it is in the inner city between two railroad tracks. It is about 90% brazillian its crazy! im in a dupla (companionship) my companion is named Elder Pires. Hes born in Brasil but grew up in Chicago and Miami. He speaks Fluent Portuguese. The other companionship in our partment is Elders Galvez from guatemala city, who speaks fluent spanish englih and Port. and elder Carlos da Silva from Sao Paulo Brasil. His english is pretty goood. BAsically what im saying is there are four portuguese elders and all speak fluent portuguese. except me haahhah  its been a amazing learning experience. So i got settled in that monday night then went to bed cause it was late.

Tuesday we woke up and it was work time! Holy cow. i still cant believe its only been a week. Anyways we studies till 11 then went out proselyting. We did alot of trying to find former investigators in a town/area called Kearny. That was really cool. I got my VERY FIRST DOOR SLAMM!!!:):):) it was this 10000 year old portuguese guy with one eye and all he yelled was "ANDA!!!" (WALK!) hahaah it was crazy. And its really funny because noone here can say my name. the list so far of trys is haliarious.

Motn jgweipufghiud

Mont groceries

mont geometry

montgeography

mont oh goe merrie

mont o gomerriesec

munchigomerry

elder........ (staring at my nametag)

Montgabry

montgabriel

montgomorrah

montgosmerrick

allllllll with heavy portuguese accents. It makes for a fun day!!! hsahah

 

Anyways so tuesday we tracked all day with no success. So we taught one lesson to a member and his son. It was a blur of words i never heard in my life. i felt like elder calhoun off the best two years "elder what language was that?" "that was portuguese" " well then im in reall trouble cuz that aint the language they taught me at the mtc!" hahah it was exactly like that. i just mirrored elder pires. When he looked up a scripture. i fdid too. when he looked sad so did i. when he laughed, you can bet elder montgomorrah was cracking up too. mostly at himself because he had NO clue what was being said ahahahhaahha i love it. after wards we ate at a members house. It was called a churrasco (shoe haas co) and it was all brazillian food. super good. BESIDES THE YUCCA! i thought it was potatoe so i took a huge portion and i could barely finish it. its like a mix of textures of celery an d baked potoatoe but as long as you chew it never breaks down, and it has ZERO flavor. it was so hard ot swallow but i did it!!! ahaah

so that was alll tuesday.

Wednesday was the fourth of july. we had kinda a day of. We studied normal and then had zone meeting where the whole zone had a little lesson and stuff. that was cool. after we had another churrasco haahhaah i got here at just the right week really, its been the joke thi whole week that all we do in morristown is churrasco churrasco churrasco (as a verb this time). i joke with the elder that thats all they do here hahaha

anywasy so we had the churrasco and played basketballl and ping pong and that was fun,. after we went back and showered then went out and worked. teaching one lesson to members again. that was all. then we got prermission from president jeppson the the whole mission could watch the fireworks so we got to go to houboken (riverside city on the hudson river right across from NYC>) that was super cool. and i gave out passalong cards like a boss.

THURSDYA!!!! this was my favorite day by far. We have a car, but thursday in the walking day for the whole mission where everyone doesnt use cars. We wwent to a little town cale harrison and were knocking doors and had ZERO success. Then these tow guys pull up and started to get out of a work van and go in their house and we approached them and asked if we could share a message about Jesus Christ. they said sure and invited us in:):):) VERY RARE when all was said and done, we ended up going inside and teaching one of the guys and his wife the ENTIRE first lesson about the restoration of the gospel and the First Vision. I got to tell the story about joseph smith . AS i told the story abd bore my personal testimonythat i KNOW it is true i kept constant contact with the womans eyes.  i looked at Franciani (her name) and said Eu sei que JOseph Smith Foi um profeta verdaderio e que ele veu Deus e Jesus Cristo . (i know thta Joseph SMith is a true prophet and that he saw God and JEsus Christ.)

I knew she was feeling th spirit so strognly. it was amazing. we commited her to reasd the beginning of the book of mormon and pray about it and she said she would. I WAS SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we called back on satudy and she had read too! we have an appointment with her on tuesday. So pumped.

friday saturday and sunday were REALLY uneventful. we taugh a few lessons and proseyted a ton. I get along so good with elder pires. Hes hilarious and a good teacher and helps me a ton.

Today is pday and we get to email and im writeing a few letters i really hope i have time to write them but im not sure. il try to email everyone. here is my address. BUT I dont know how long ill be here. BUt send mail anyways! ill get it somehow. dont send packages or anything ii dont need anything i promise:) but if you want letters are fine. i love oyu all so much

Teaching and Learning

OLA MINHA FAMILIA!!!!!!!!!!!

como voces estao??? eu amo voces muito! eu estou muto bem no CTM aqui!!! EU AMO sindo UM MISSIONARIO!!!!!!!!!!

 

How are you al doing?? i love you all alot! im so good here at the mtc. I LOVE BBEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!

 

 Mom, first things first ahhahahhha i love you for speaking "portuguese" to me in your emails. i really am thankful for your attempts!:):) i swear! but since here at the mtc the is a bit ofa chasm between spanish and the more refined language of portuguese , i will give you a few tips haha

Good Morning = Bom dia (pronounced bOng)

good afternooon= boa tarde (the de in tarde makes a Gee sound.)

boa noite= goodnight.

eu amo voce is I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

'

EU AMO VOCES!!!!!!!! (you all!!!) hahah anyways. i swear that is purely out of love i wanna save you from spanish.:)

 

 

IM DOING GREAT here at the mtc. really i am. even though the visas are a pain, and i REALLY REALYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY need to go to africa asap, its all in the Lords time and ive gotten some blessings from staying longer: getting to see hunt tomorrow. IM SO FREAKIN EXCITED!!! and gettign to here the prophet or apostles tonight, and also maybe getting to see zack next week!. im so excited. and on top of all that, i have improved my portuguese very much inthe last two weeks or so,. so that good!!! <---- as you can see my english has gone down the drain tho ahahahh

anyways. this week has been good. were teqaching a ton of lessons and learning how to really help the "investigators" feel the spirit. its awesome.

as for the visas, the call daily from salt lake to the angolan consolate and they said the system is still down but as soon as its back up we will be able to get them shipped here ASAP and welll be on our way to africa. but their definitely not gonna reassign us and so were jsut playing the waiting game. they wont re assign us because our visas ARE approved, they jsut havent sent them. so we know wer ARE going ot africa ahah jsut dont know when! Eu estou bem ainda...... WHOA!!!!!!!!!! i just started typing in portuguese and not even realizing it!!!!!!!!! THAT WAS WERID! i meant to say im good still jsut hanging in here. i appreciate all the love sent my way and i know that you are all praying for me. i am for you all as well.

 

there are letters to the whole family in the mail as of monday morning. i hope you all know how much i love you!!!!!!!!

MOM! thank you so much for the pray of the children lyrics! is there any any any way someone could find like piano sheet music and maiil it to me? i think ill still be here haah i wanna sing that in church. if thats ok and anyone could find it ide love that!

 

UGH i have to go. i love you all so much! pray for visas! and then ill be able to email and call again later in the week if i get them! i lvoe tyou all! kiss the grandbabies for me! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS CHURH IS TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!! i know with my whole heart. and with my whole heart i love you all!!!

-elder colin Jay MOntgomery