"When ever I get discouraged, sad, thinking about home,
or just needing a boost I look at this and remember this!"
"Changing our water filters" guess which one is the old used one..ewwwww
50 weeks in Angola
OLA
MINHA FAMILIA!!!!!!!!!!
July 22,2013
I love you all so much, and I miss each
and every one of you, but I am so grateful to be where I am: preaching the
restored gospel in the Angola Luanda Mission. I am so lucky!
1 Corinthians 13:11" When I was a child I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put
away childish things." What better time than now for me to finally start living
my plaque scripture. I expect you all who get this email to hold me to my word,
so if I write below par emails, I expect complaints! "Whom the lord loves, He
chastens", so if you all love me, chasten me too!
To begin this week, I honestly
don’t even know where to start. I have
learned so much in the last seven days I cant even imagining being able to
write it all in this email, but I’ll try.
This week was full of blessings.
Temporal, spiritual, miraculous, everything. We had more lessons this week than
we have averaged in the last two transfers, set three baptismal dates, found so
many prepared people and just everything was good. I know what you’re all
thinking, numbers aren’t everything, and I know that too, but this week those
high numbers meant people who were coming closer to Christ, growing their
faith, preparing to make covenants with Heavenly Father, and sharing the good
news of the gospel with all those around them. It was so amazing to see the
blessings and results of humility and hard work. THE LORD LOVES HARD WORK! Just
to give some experiences of this week, and the blessings we received:
Tuesday, we were able to sit with a really cool kid named G. who
lives with another family we are teaching who are preparing to get married and
baptized. G. is 19 and like any other 19 year old, the last thing he wants
to do with spare time is sit with two white guys and talk about the gospel.
UNTIL this week. Last Sunday out of nowhere he decided to try out church and
read the Book of Mormon After seven days he is already almost done with 1 Nephi. He has had a complete turnaround, agreed to sit with us twice this week,
accepted baptism, an started reading the Book of Mormon. He went from a
rebellious teenager to a curious kid wanting to know his Savior better within
literally one week. It is amazing to see the way reading the Book of Mormon and
coming to church and feeling the spirit there can change a person completely. I
have such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. READING IT CHANGES LIVES! PERIOD! Keep reading
it if you already are, and start if you’re not, it’s a commandment!
Wednesday we had the first ever zone meeting in our new mission for our
zone. It was so so good. We
learned how to grow investigators faith when teaching the restoration. MY
favorite part was that we have to invite people to know it’s true. Any person
in the world can throw down a testimony and any missionary can explain the
“facts” of why the restoration is true, but at the end of it all, all we can do
is invite people to show their faith, and do the EXACT thing that Joseph Smith
did,” that is, ask of God.” We watched a new mormon message for youth, you all
have to watch it, it’s called “Origins”. And talks about this exact subject. It
is super strong and I felt the spirit very strong when I watched it. Too often
I try to convince people that the church is true, instead I need to invite them
to do what James directs. He didn’t say " if any of ye lack wisdom let him ask.... his buddy, teacher, boss, parent, or even
his preacher. He said let him ask “OF GOD.” That is so powerful! When we ask God directly he answers.
That scripture literally changed the
world when Joseph Smith read it and applied it, and it will change our lives if
we will do the same. I know that this principle is true and that the lord loves
us all so much that he will listen and answer our prayers. I’m so grateful for
a Heavenly Father who loves to listen to his children and give them blessings
when they ask.
Thursday we set three new baptismal dates! I don’t have time to explain
them all right now, but I’m writing letters home this week and will share the
coolest stories I can in detail!. Wow. Success is fun. And hard work brings
success. Therefore, hard work is fun! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!
The next coolest thing that happened
was that three guys in our branch of Cassequel received their mission calls!
Two are going to the Ghana Accra mission and one to the Portugal mission. It is
so cool to see Angolan young men and women going to teach the good word outside
of Angola. Angola is already affecting the rest of the world. It can only go up
from here!
MY challenge for this
week to all is to watch that mormon message for youth called “Origins”
It’s new and on the
front of LDS.org.
Funny thing that happened this week,
walked into a house and right there live on the TV is a Phoenix Mercury womans
bball game! So random!
Anyways I wanted to
close with a short testimony!
I love this gospel, and I know that it
is true. I know the Savior's atoning sacrifice can be applied in even the most
torn and bleeding lives. I know our Father in Heaven answers prayers and gives
blessings when we ask, I love and am grateful for you all and the love you show
me. I pray for you all each day! Have a good week! I love you all! I hope this
letter is good. Hold me to my word each week to really share my mission with you
all. I love you! I love the Lord, and I love being a missionary!
Com muito amor,
Elder Montgomery
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