April 1, 2013

34 Weeks in Angola, No Air Conditioning or Water


This is the coolest Story this is J. she was baptized by Elder Robby Tarwater in '09
he is Elder Montgomery's cousin, and was on of the first 4 Elder sent to open Angola from Mozambique 
when President Packard was there. J is holding a picture of 
Elder Tarwater at her baptism. This is so cool. 

Elder Montgomery with J. at the Cassequel  Branch Easter Sunday.
OlA MINHA FAMILIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So wow, this week has been an adventure... if I wasn’t ever feeling like
I was in Africa now, I sure have this week! so to start off, the work is
good, I feel like me and Elder Clifford have been working really hard
 and the Lord blessed us as much as he could this week. or as much
as we earned anyways. All of our investigators are doing good, and
I’m excited to see how good they do in these next few weeks.
TRANSFERES were today,,,,,,,..... and da da da daaaaaa
I AM GONNA BE A TRAINER OF A NEEW MISSIONARY
 HERE IN ME AND ELDER CLIFFORDS AREA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so crazy. I’m freaking out.
Elder Clifford will still live in our same house, but Elder Wilhelm is
leaving, to be a zone leader, and Elder Clifford will be with
Elder Dredge and will be the district leader for the Luanda 1 district
. I’m stoked for Clifford. and then I will take over our area, first time
for that, AND I will be training a new missionary when he gets here this
week! I’m completely overwhelmed and don’t feel ready or like I know
the area enough, BUT I know that as I rely on the lord, especially in this
time, he will bless help and guide me. I still don’t have any idea who my
trainee is, but I’ll find out this week. So this next week I will walk with
Elder Arrington from Utah until the new elders get here because he and
I are both training and apparently the new elders are being delayed a little.
idk. but ya. that’s pretty much the big news. I’m overwhelmed and excited
and scared. over all I just wanna be a good trainer and give the new
missionary an excitement about the work and about Angola. ... lots of
extra prayers this week please!!!!

Aside from the craziness of transfers, this week has been hot and dry.
I say hot because we have been without power since last Wednesday.
 it kind of stinks because this week has been super hot and our apartment
is without air conditioning. it’s like sleeping in August in AZ with no ac
in the night when it’s like 11 at night and still 100 degrees out. ya not fun.
 I wake up soaking wet from sweat. It’s the best!!!:) and then aside from
that, we have been without water since last Saturday so we've been
taking showers with 1.5 liter water bottles for a week. I haven’t really been
able to wash my clothes either and I found some mold on one pair of garments
 because they were so hot and sweaty from working hahaah sorry if that grosses
 you all out. but don’t worry I destroyed them the right way.  but ya so this week
has been dry and hot. but we've worked a ton and tried to not let it stop us, and
 have been praying for more families and stuff, and were getting them. Blessings
 from the Lord are truly coming. I’m excited to have the spirit of a new missionary
 and see how his testimony can change the heart of the people were teaching. super
excited for that.

It seems like you all had an amazing Easter and I’m super happy to hear that:)
I was trunky for a few minutes this week thinking about the Easter pageant.
 I love the Easter pageant!
another cool thing that happened this week, we were at a members house
having a family night, and somehow the old missionaries got brought up and
I told them I was cousins with Elder Robby Tarwater, and they all got super
excited, and then a moça named J.  she said he baptized her! she showed me
the picture and then at church on Sunday we took some pics together. I hope
 it works and that you all got them. sure cool story and connection that he was
 here and baptized her and then I’m here now and her whole family is still active
 and awesome. I love knowing that missionaries do really make a difference
because sometimes I feel like we don’t haha but ya that was cool.
Anyways sorry this is short, I'll wrap it up, but I love all of you so much! have
awesome days and know that I love you all! pray for me this week with my
 trainee to be a good dad to him and for our investigators to make changes
in their lives and be baptized. I love you all! have good weeks! kisses to
Graham Beau and Claire, and happy anniversary to Greg and Court, and
Kate, I’m so  sorry I didn’t write it last week but I meant to tell you Happy
b-day! Happy Birthday I hope it was awesome!!!!!!  Can’t believe your
getting so big,. I promise I never forgot and won’t ever forget you! Keep
growing up and being awesome! Love you and love you all!
com amor, sem ar condicionado, e sem agua,
(with love and no air conditioning and no water)
Elder Colin Jay Montgomery

1 comment:

  1. You've been working hard on your advocacy and I salute you for that. Especially after knowing that you have been bathing with just 1.5 liters of water for days. Wow! I'm trying to imagine myself in your shoes, and I think I can also make do with limited water. But to sleep and wake up sweating because I don't have AC is unbearable. It's evident that you don't like that as much as I do, so are you getting one soon? Good luck and more power to you.
    Darryl Iorio

    ReplyDelete