"I love this Angolan People so much"

Elder Garcia and Montgomery 3-30-2014

Elder Garcia , Marqueza, Montgomery

Elder Rodriguez and Montgomery

85 Weeks in Angola (87 weeks is our lucky number)         March 31, 2014

OLA MINHA FAMILIA!!!!!! 

I hope each and everyone of you is having a wonderful Monday and that the lord is blessing you all in the ways you need! 

This week was another one full of changes, Wednesday morning President called and asked elder Garcia if he was ready for a new adventure, he was assigned to train a new missionary from our branch that is waiting for his visa to go to the Dominican Republic, so he left Wednesday to the Luanda 2 branch, and now me and Elder Marqueza are here alone in our area. I was really sad to see elder Garcia leave, but excited to stay with elder Marqueza, it’s been super fun to work with him  he’s way funny and we have fun and work hard at the same time. We have 2 baptisms planned for this next Saturday on the twelfth, and so were just getting ready for that, baptisms always are stressful! but as things are winding down and everyone here knows that I’m leaving it is getting harder and harder to focus, but I am still working hard and doing my best. I learn so much about myself each and everyday as I grow closer to the Savior and help my investigators do that same. I love this Angolan people so much. It is so strange to love a people who have different customs and traditions and a different language, but it just goes to show how the lord loves each and everyone of us equally, race, country, language, and social standing aside we are all Heavenly Fathers children, and Christ through his atonement paid for each and everyone of us. I love being a missionary, and am so sad to have such little time left, but so excited so finish it off with a bang. I love you all and thank you for your love and prayers. Have a good week.! 

com amor,

Elder Montgomery

Busy Wonderful Week

3-23-14 Elder Yeanoplos, Garcia, Marquenza, Montgomery, and Stewart

this picture was taken by Br. Johnson, he works for Chevron and is living in Angola

attending the Branch in Terra Nova. He has been a Santa to the Elders. 

3-23-14 Elder Garcia, Montgomery, and Marquenza - Identical triplets dont ya know.  

Elder Garcia, Maninho, and friends, Elder Marqueza, and Montgomery

3-23-14 Maninho (little brother) at His baptism, he asked Elder Montgomery 

to baptize him, what a great honor to baptize a great future leader in Angola.

"I cant believe I ate the whole box of chocolates"

Da Boyz , are they so handsome and Miss Cutie 

Elder Garcia, Maninho, Elder Montgomery, and Da Boyz

Maninho's Baptism Great Day.3-22-14

Welcome Home Elder Tilley and Wilhelm you have certainly left your heart prints on Angola,

thank you for your service and the strength you have given to your Elder Brothers.

84 weeks Angola 3 weeks to go                                                         March 24, 2014

ola minha familia!!!

This week was another wonderful one down in the books. 

Tuesday we had a wonderful zone conference with both Luanda zones combined, and that was really fun, so weird to see Elders Wilhelm an Tilley leave, that means I’m next! yikes. but it was really cool I was assigned to translate during the conference to the two Angolan sister who President invited who will be serving in Moçambique, they don’t speak english so I had to translate the whole 4 hour conference to them, that was tiring for sure. but really cool. sometimes I forget how real the gift of tongues is, and how the lord can really do miracles!

The rest of the week really went way way fast because of the one day off we had for the zone conference, and also we had a baptism on Saturday, of  Maninho, ( which means little brother). He’s 14 and a champion, he chose me to baptize him, so I was privileged to do that. super cool every time.

 This week was really cool, especially getting settled into our triple companionship. Elder Marqueza is a small guys, but he’s hilarious and has a grande spirit. He connects with people so fast and easy, it’s really a advantage about being a "native" but it’s awesome, he’s gonna be an awesome missionary. Elder Garcia is such a good example to him too, it is like he’s already been here  year. 

Basically this week was very, very fast, but very fulfilling!

Wow i only have a minute left I’m sorry, but I love you all so much! Have an amazing week, and look for missionary opportunities!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL

com muito amor,

Elder Montgomery

The Beginning of the End ~ 83 down 4 to go

83 weeks in Angola                                                                                                         March 17^th, 2014

OLA MINHA FAMILIA!

Wow, this week was full of surprises and lots of spiritual experiences. 

Our first surprise happened Tuesday night after an all day leadership meeting, President called me on the phone and asked if I was ready for a new adventure. Of course I said yes, and he said that Wednesday morning we would be receiving a brand new elder straight from the brazil mtc, Elder Marqueza, from Nampula, Moçambique, and he said that I would be double training him and Elder Garcia  for this transfer , then Elder Garcia would finish Elder Marqueza’s training when I leave. So I am now in a tripla with Elder Garcia and Elder Marqueza!!! It’s been añ amazing week, and I am loving it so far. Elder Marqueza is about 5 foot 1 and 100 pounds, but he is a spiritual giant!!!! we have had some very very spiritually strong lessons this week, and I am sorry that I have no time to talk all about the week , (slow computer ) or pictures (virus corrupted memory card), but I do have a testimony that the size of the man isn’t important, but what’s inside of him. We are preparing a lot of people for baptism this week and will have one baptism on Saturday. We are very very excited.

My time is about up and I apologize for the short letter, but it was all I could manage with the slow computer. I love you all and I love being a missionary. This week I was truly able to lose myself in the work, and I have never been happier on my mission than I am right now. I love it. 

Have a good week, and know I love you all!

com muito amor,

Elder Montogmery

Beginning of the End -1~ 5 to go

82 Weeks in Angola ~            5 weeks this Elder is coming home                             March 10, 2014

ola minha familia!!!!

so this week was awesome!  Elder Garcia and I have continued to do hard work in our area and be completely blessed, and we are having miracles and blessings for it! 

There was no baptisms this week, but we do have two next week! one is a 14 year old kid who is the brother of  a member, he has been taught forever but just never got fully prepared, but we have helped him see the importance of baptism and the gift of the holy ghost and he has come alive spiritually this week it’s been cool to see his understanding and comprehension and sensitivity to the spirit grow right before our yes.. He has a very good understanding of the atonement, something I didn't get when I was 14 that’s for sure. 

The other guy were gonna baptize is a single dad who’s 38. He is he mot converted person I think I’ve ever seen before baptism. He is willing to follow every commandment with exactness, and he has had so many cool blessing s for it. His baptisms will be on the 22, and then we should have about 5 or 6 baptisms on the 12th, right before i leave. I’m stoked!!!! 

We had transfers last week and we got a new elder in our house, Elder Yeanoplos, from Tuscon. It’s always good to have another zona here. 

I’m digging  hard for memories and things to write about but nothings coming.it’s getting harder and harder to keep focused. when were in the field working I don’t think about home, but lately when we get home I am just exhausted and it is all I can do to plan and eat and read a little before I just have to conk out a go to sleep. If I stay up all I think about is home ahah so I try to just go to sleep as fast as I can. 

That’s so crazy that the chain is already so short!!!! This has flown by, but I’m excited to still have one more transfer to do work here. Elder Garcia and I are determined to make this the best transfer this area has ever seen. So far so good! We had ten new investigators this and last week, so we’re finding the truly prepared people who can build up the church here. 

So our week is way busy this week, we have goals for two baptisms next week and more than five on the twelfth, so we have a lot of work to do. 

I couldn’t send picture this week because my card got messed up somehow, but I’ll figure it out next week! 

I love you all and hope you have good weeks. 

com muito amor,

Elder Montgomery

The Beginning of the End

(Borrowed from Sister Merrill's blog  2/28/2014)

back row. ?,?, Elder Clifford, Hyde, ? Garcia, Cafferty, Brown, Montgomery, Garn, Nash, Rigby, Petersen, Stewart.

back row seating 4- Dredge, Pimental, Castelton. Sefita

seated middle row- ?, Yeanoplos, Hansen (leaving the March 5th) Hollingsworth, Hannay, Ferguson, Merkley, McCune, ?,

Front - Sister and Br Abdo, Elder Carl Cook , Sister and President Merrill

Elder Carl Cook is serving in the First Quorum of the Seventy and in the Area Presidency 

and Elder Montgomery

Baptism of Luis, Elder Montgomery Luis, his wife,

 daughter and Elder Garcia 3-1-2014

Elder Montgomery and Luis 3-1-2014

Saying good bye to Elder Hyde (transferred to Huambo), 

till they meet again in the USA .

81 Weeks in Angola                                                                                        March 3, 2014

The Beginning of the End

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

This week was awesome. And it seems all you at home had just as awesome of a week with the temple dedication and all. As for me, we got wet! baptisms!!!! Elder Garcia and I had the first of our many baptisms for the transfer. If that confuses you all, I’m just saying that this transfer will be the absolute best of my mission. I’m not letting anything distract me from my and Elder Garcia’s goal, to have at least six baptisms. We have one, right now, with twelve baptismal dates set, and five more planned to set this week. Why wouldn't we? We are on the lord’s side! Why wouldn’t we win? That’s our mindset. 

So our baptism this week was Luis. The guy who found the missionaries while he was looking for toothpaste. I baptized him and Elder Garcia confirmed him. it was an awesome experience. He is the leader of his family so were going to focus on teaching his wife and daughter now. We’re excited!

I don't really have much to write, the week was good. Lots of new people, I think we had ten new investigators, and they are awesome.  Elder Garcia and I are really, really focusing on faith and the spirit. If we have faith that people will accept our message, then the spirit will testify our words, to their hearts and they will be more likely to accept it. It’s all about spiritual preparation.

I got the package mom with the peanut butter toothpaste and deodorant. Thanks so much!!!!

Sorry that my letter is really short, but I hope you all feel the spirit thinking about what I wrote. I know that this is the lords work I’m doing, and that only with his help can we all do it, but were gonna win, we’re on the lords side . We will win! Why wouldn't we????

I love you all and thank you for your love and prayers. Have a good week!

com amor, Elder Montgomery

Wonderful, Hot, Week

Internet Cafe 5'x5' Elder Montgomery, Stewart, Garcia, Hannay

80 Weeks in Angola                                                                                                                 Feb. 24, 2014

Ola minha familia!!!!!! 

This week was wonderful and awesome and amazing and all the other good things you can imagine. Besides hot. This was the hottest week of my mission by far!!!! 

So me and Elder Garcia are doing work. We have 8 or 9 baptismal dates, and one of them is this Saturday!!! His name is Luis. He is a married father of two and just a champ. He is the one who found the elders while he went looking for toothpaste. he is awesome 

Me and elder Garcia are loving our area. We’re having a lot of success and literally turning it into a new area. We have a goal of 6 baptisms before I leave and are way above that in our planning stages so far. It’s gonna be awesome. 

I have been able to focus on the work and studying so much this week it is amazing. When I put aside distractions like the heat, hard living conditions and all that, I have really gained some awesome study habits and I’m loving the learning.

Sorry this letter is way short, but my time is almost up because my computer is broken and scrolls up and down on its own, so I can’t even read your emails, or know if I’m typing right . I love Angola, so much. I mean that seriously not sarcastically. This country is truly my home, and I am so excited that I still have time left here to work with elder Garcia. This next transfer is gonna be the best of my mission. I love being a missionary. Hope this letter finds you all happy healthy and serving the lord. 

Quote from a prophet this week, I think David O. McKay "The Kingdom of God or Nothing. " that’s my motto, I give the people here the opportunity to have the kingdom of god, or I’m doing nothing. That’s the way I felt when I read it. Love you all! Have a good week. 

com amor,   Elder Montgomery

**Hey mom this is from Sister Merrill, and whoever wants to send packages( like for my birthday )  if you could just forward it to them. But I don’t need anything so tell anyone who would send stuff save the money and give me the cash when I get home! haha joking of course. 

February 23, 2014

Dear Parents, Relatives, friends, ward members and anyone else!! 

We have a bit of a problem here with the receiving of mail and of packages. I am asking for your help in this area. We have two methods of receiving letters and packages from home. First let me begin by explaining the problem and then I hope I can offer some solutions pertaining to each method. 

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS FOR LETTERS AND SMALL PACKAGES

We recently had an incident with a new postal worker who demanded a receipt for the contents of a small package. Inside the package the sender had emptied a bag of candy. The Elders were accused of trying to hide the contents with the candy. They were accused of lying and being thieves. 

May I suggest that if you have anything of value, please include the receipt. Also please leave any candy in the bag. This will prevent any distrust. 

Please remember that any small package does have a cost to retrieve it. Sometimes a small fee of $1 to $3. Only two missionaries have the responsibility and authorization to retrieve any small package. They sometimes are tight for money when it comes time to pay for each package. Please put a small not in your package reminding your Elder to pay back the fee for his package. A dollar isn’t much until it is multiplied by 40 and every week!!!!!

PROBLEMS AND PROCESS IN RECEIVING LARGER PACKAGES

--When a package is sent that weighs more than 2 pounds it goes to a central Post Office.

--Only a few people are authorized to receive any packages that are there because they are addressed to the church (as they should be). 

--This office is in a downtown area that is congested and difficult to get to. The wait to receive the packages has been up to 6 hours—without counting the 2-3 hour trip to get to the Post Office. 

--Each package is opened and inspected for contents in our presence. Then a duty or custom fee is imposed. We recently received one package that cost more than $50 to retrieve. The missionary that receives the package must pay the fees back to the mission out of his personal funds. We are also charged a fee for the length of time they sit at the Post Office before retrieval. The retrieval fees can be quite ridiculous. Unfortunately, it is sometimes impossible to find someone who has an 8 hour day to retrieve a package. 

SOME SOLUTIONS THAT WE WOULD SUGGEST

--Any package weighing less than 2 lbs must be mailed as a letter NOT AS A PACKAGE. Example: My daughter sent some things that we needed. The US Post Office convinced her to send it in a flat rate box. The box did not weigh more than 2 lbs. However, because it was in a box, it was considered a package and the USPO labeled it as such. It cost her $27 to mail it and was going to cost me $25 to retrieve it!!!!!!!!! Solution –The problem was not the flat rate box. The problem was that the USPO labeled it as a package. If you use a flat rate box, please send it “registered” and there will be no problems. It will come to the regular mail system.

--We have had the best success with the regular padded envelopes. These come with no problem and you can send several. Please follow the suggestions above for small packages.

--If for some reason you need to send a package weighing more than 2 lbs, please label it as follows. 

Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos S.U.D.

Caixa Postal 18404

Luanda, Angola Telefone 926617677

Please do not put the Elder’s name in the address box. 

Include the telephone #. If we add the telephone # they will call us as soon as the package arrives and this will save us some extra fees. You may put the name in the return address and also inside the package if you wish. Every package must be opened in our presence so there is no fear of things being taken out.

OTHER OPTIONS

We receive DHL and Fed Ex at our home and at the office. I do not know their restrictions or the cost. 

OUR DEEPEST LOVE FOR YOUR SONS

May we remind you that we love your sons dearly and we would do anything we can to help them have a good experience on their mission. We love them and worry about them as we do our own children. We pray for their safety and success daily. 

As a mother I know how it feels to want to send your loved ones a token of love from home. We are not asking that you quit sending packages and gifts to your sons. We are only asking you to follow these instructions. Please be sure that your “receiver” is aware that he must pay for the imposed fees on a timely basis. 

We are in a third world country with all the challenges of mail delivery. We love the Angolan people and their efforts to do better. It is our hope that we follow the laws of this land and appreciate their efforts. 

Thank you for your help in this matter. Please remind others who may want to send a package of love. Sometimes the Elders are just as happy with emails from friends and ward members. 

Thank you again for all your love and support, 

President and Sister Merrill

Tender Mercies

Recent Convert and her darling girls, 

Elder Montgomery and Elder Clifford taught in Cassequel

this is at the Mission conference held 2-16-2014

Elder Garcia and Montgomery p-day at the boardwalk

 in Luanda area Mutamba the city center. 2-17-2014

79 weeks in Angola                Feb 17, 2014 

OLA MINHA FAMILIA!

I love you all and hope your weeks were marvelous! COURTNEY!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON THE 21ST!!! love you sis!

This week was a stressful one for sure! Elder Garcia and I are struggling to keep our investigators progressing, but at the same time we have seen some very tender mercies form the lord. I think the highlight form my week was Saturday. We had come from Wednesday through Friday with only one lesson each day, and stress levels were hitting through the roof. Saturday morning studies consisted of a lot more prayer than study, and I really was looking for the lord’s hand to help us out of the slump. All of our baptismal dates had disappeared and left us hangin all week, so things were looking pretty dim. i was brought to some self reflecting about my personal worthiness, what have I don’t this months and week and lately to make it so the lord could influence my investigators. I read a talk by elder Bednar about what it truly is to be a preach my gospel missionary, and he said one way we know we are worthy is when we can feel the spirit working in and through us. I thought it had probly been a while, so I did some hard praying and pleading the lord could show me where I stood with him. 

During our lesson Saturday afternoon with a 16 year old guy named Josemar, who previously had been off the map for two weeks, I think I got my answer. We asked him how his book of mormon reading had been, and he said he had read a lot. We asked him how he felt about it and to my surprise he said  " as strange as it is, I think it’s true. The spirit hit me super strong, probably the strongest I’ve ever felt in a lesson in my whole mission, and told me to read with him Mosiah 18: 8 through 109 when Alma asks the people to be baptized. He understood the scripture perfectly and got it that if he had his answer,  he needed to act, so the holy ghost could help him in his life. It was the strongest feeling I’ve felt of the spirit in a long time, and we set a baptismal date with him for April. I knew in that moment that I was truly a servant of the lord, doing his work, and that for at least that small moment, he was pleased with me. I love the Savior with all my heart, and know that is his work, and that only through the spirit can we accomplish his missions for us. I love this work! and I love being a missionary. 

Sorry this email is short, just know me an elder Garcia are workin our tails off, and are having a blast. He is an awesome elder. I’m loving our time together. 

I’m super excited for the Gilbert temple and hope it’s as beautiful as you all have told me. I can’t wait till there’s a temple in Angola. I’ll be coming back for that. 

Have awesome weeks, hope the lord blesses you as he has me. 

com amor,

Elder Montgomery