Work Brings Results! It's a fact!

47 Weeks in Angola 

Elder Dunkley, Doroval and Elder Montgomery

Joao , Paula, and Elder Montgomery

 they have a son serving in Cape Verde Mission

and a daughter that has been baptized

 they are now preparing to go to the Temple.

Elder Dunkley Serafim and Elder Montgomery

Newly Baptized Members in Luanda

President and Sister Merrill just arrived in ANGOLA,LUANDA , June 29,2013 Baptism of 15 !

front row l-r Montgomery,Tilley, McCune, Whitaker, Money, Dunkley, Chandler, Banta

med.l-r McAllister,behind Wilson, Brown,Sister Merrill,President Merrill, Pimental, Garn,Stewart

back l-r Wilhelm, Mariquel, Hyde, Tingey, Chatwin, Hannay, Fontaine, Merkley,  Hobbs, these are the Elders serving in the City areas of  Luanda.

THE NEW~ "ANGOLA,LUANDA MISSION" !!!!

its official

45 weeks in Angola                                                                                                      July 1,2013

wow, so this week has for sure been a whirlwind of emotions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

First off it started Tuesday me and Elder Dunkley started over in our area. We dropped allll of our non progressing investigators and figured and prayed that if we went looking hard, the Lord would work with us and give us people, or at least put them in our path so we could find them and teach them! So we started with 8 investigators, three of whom were going to be baptized this week, so we had to get working fast ahah. We started out knocking doors. Something I never dreamed I would do here in Luanda, because there’s so many more people here, and that’s allllll we did in New Jersey and I dreaded it ahah  but we needed to find people! So we started out Tuesday morning knocking doors and people just OPENED!!!!!!!!!! One after one people were accepting and letting us in to their houses, and to share the message with them, and to leave copies of the BOM and to read and everything,. It was   we had some other lessons and just kept knocking doors and ended the week off with a good 12 SOLID prepared investigators. SO COOL! We now have a good strong teaching pool, and the members are behind us and willing to help. 

So work wise this week was FULL for sure, then, Wednesday night was very very sad because Elders Arrington Harper, Eckman, Richter, and Perry were all going home! We all went to the airport to say good bye and it was very bitter sweet to see them go. They all were very amazing missionaries, and my examples and leaders, so it was weird to see them leave. I felt kind of like a weight was on our shoulders for those of us who are staying. On top of that I’m district leader now, and it’s not a huge deal but it adds to the stress for sure ahah I was in charge of the 15 baptisms we had this week and for the baptismal program! so I was pretty stress about that too, but anyways, seeing them go really opened my eyes, When I got here, they all only had less than a year left,,, exactly where I am now,,,, so that was super scary because I felt like my mission was going WAY too fast. I realized I gotta make use of the short time I have left because it’s gonna fly super quick. it already is! 

So that ended off Wednesday, and in the picture email I already talked about the baptisms, so read that to find out more:)

The weekend ran good, and last night we in Cassequel had the opportunity to go to the Weggeland’s house (some American members), and watch the Worldwide leadership broadcast. SO  SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved it how the church is putting such a huge push on the missionary work in the members to hasten this work! It truly is the work of the Lord and needs to be hastened! I really enjoyed the talk’s and though it was super interesting that they give missionaries ipads and stuff like that and that they’ll be able to use the internet too. WOW! changes in the last year or whaT!!! crazy changes for sure. My favorite part was how they used all the video clips and stuff. Really cool. 

other than that the only news was that PRESIDENT AND SISTER MERRILL IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

THE ANGOLA LUANDA MISSION IS OFFICIALY ESTABLISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE are so excited !!!!! they got here right before the baptism. It was so cool that they could see that. Elder Merkley and I were the first to see them and the first thing

President said was "well were here, without baggage but were here! Hope you Elders don’t mind me wearing the same suit for a few days!" ahah I ALREADY love them so so much. I am so completely excited to have our own mission and President. 

This week was good though. just lots of finding new people, and  lots  more work to do!

but SO  to answer questions and respond, sadly for now, Elder Dunkley and I still have to live alone, because they don’t want our house to be vacant. It’s kind of a bummer but we’ll see if we can get it changed this week ahah

MOM that’s crazy what you typed at the top of your email, 47 weeks in Angola out of 65 weeks in the mission THAT SCARES ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! really though, I feel like this time is flying so fast I haven’t been able so far to do everything that I want to do! ahah so I’ve been reflecting a lot these last few weeks on how to get the best out of the last nine month of my mission, first off, I’m DONE telling people how much time I have left haha if anyone asks I’m just gonna say "about a year". the other elders going home tis last week made it a little more real for me. This mission is flying so I’m gonna try to make more out of every single day for sure.  

My leg is fine, it looked a lot worse in the pictures hah it was really just a cut. 

I got my shoes fixed, and now I’m just gonna keep one pair for church, and one pair and my boots for tracting, I totally forgot about my boots so I definitely won’t need to buy new shoes. I can’t really think of anything I need. I bought Elder Eckman’s ipod from him before he left so I have a ton more music now, so I really don’t need any more music, so if you haven’t already done the thumb drive you can leave it undone if you have thought go ahead and send it in the next package, but other that that and exercise bands I really don’t need anything. 

Dad, I have been feeling horrible the last few weeks because I’ve been writing crummy letters, and I promised myself before I even got your email this morning to write better family letters ahah so ill be writing better from here on out I promise. I just always write to everyone last and run out of time. but I’ll be better I promise!

    So anyways, I just wanna bear a short testimony that this is the Lord’s work!!!!!!!!!!! ITS NOT JUST A COINCIDENCE when you knock on someone’s door who pretty much only asks, "can I have a little time to prepare for baptism!!??" ahahahah I love when people are prepared by the Lord to hear this message, and that number of prepared people is just growing and growing, that is truly why we have to HASTEN THE WORK OF THE LORD, even until its preached to THE ENDS of the earth. and believe me, it is. I love the Angolan people,I love you all, and I love being a missionary! Shot OUT To Elders in the field, DONT TAKE ONE SINGLE DAY FOR GRANTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that I have at times and I hate that, so I’m gonna live it up and work my hardest every day. I love you all and pray for you all individually every day. I know our Father hears and answers all our prayers, and loves us all dearly, and I only pray we can love each other enough to share this HAPPY message of the gospel. I love you all! have amazing weeks and know that the

Lord is with you!! I love you!

com muiot amor Your elder

Elder Colin Jay Montgomery

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! YOU SHOULD TOO!!!!!!!!