doing some landscaping , what you cant see is that he has on hot pink crocs lol
Lunch with Elders and ??
Elder Merkley and Montgomery together for 2 transfers in Benfica
Elder Montgomery, Andre from Angola getting ready to leave on his mission to Portugal,
Elder Hyde and Brown.
Week 70 OLA MINHA FAMILIA!!!!! Dec 16 2013
First off, shout out to Susan Figgins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love and miss you my mom #2 and I hope your birthday was awesome!!!!! Sorry for the late wishes.
So this week was a good one. Me and Elder Banta are rocking it already and I am loving the chance to work with a new companion. I always thought I didn’t like change and felt I was a creature of habit in my life until the mission, but I have figured out that I love adapting to changes and trying new things and changing up the routine. It’s fun!
So Monday we got transfer notices, and found out that Elder Merkley was leaving, so Tuesday was pretty much going around our whole area and elder Merkley was saying goodbye to all the people we taught and stuff, so that was fun. Then Wednesday morning elder Merkley packed his stuff and left for Vianna, and elder Banta came to Benfica. He unpacked for about an hour, then we ate lunch and went straight to work. The whole week was pretty good, and we got to walk alllllot. But had some really good lessons, set one more baptismal date, and found some new people. Elder Banta so we have already gotten into a really good teaching groove, and I’m excited to work with him!!!
We are focusing a lot in strengthening our recent convert and less active members, because our area will never grow and multiply and replenish if it doesn't have member support, so that is something we are working on really hard, but we do have some good baptismal dates set and have a healthy teaching pool.
I finished the book or mormon this week again in my person reading and was strengthened by the powerful promises that Moroni gives us as we come unto Christ to be perfected in him. I am trying constantly to come unto him, and earn a forgiveness of my sins as I help those brothers and sisters here in Angola learn how they too can do the same. I have a lot of baggage on my conscience and have a hard time forgiving myself for my past mistakes, and how I could have been a better missionary if I would have done this or that, or if I would have studied the language harder and stuff, but I know that through the Lords help I can be forgiven, and as Alma puts , I can be made an instrument in the Lords hands to bring others to the gospel and eventually show them the way to salvation.
It is definitely a daily struggle. I heard a quote that when an elder is set apart as a missionary he enters into a personal full time war with satan, and satan is constantly trying to tempt him, bring him down, an make in ineffective a s a missionary. ITS TRUE! ahha I have felt that since the very first day. But as that missionary does his best and stays on the Lord’s side, bringing souls unto Christ, he has the protection that Paul describes as the armor of god. It’s a good metaphor, but at the same time its 10000000% percent true. I think of that picture Greg and I had on our wall as kids of two missionaries getting ready in the morning in their apartment about to leave and one is doing his tie in the mirror, but in the reflection in the mirror is of a soldier putting on his helmet and holding his sword and shield. I feel like that every single day, that this is truly a battle of good versus evil, and that I am on the lords side bringing souls unto him. Like it says in the missionary handbook, HOW GREAT IS YOUR ((my) CALLING!
I’m fighting every day, someday are great battles’ I have been doing something lately that I love. Alcohol is a huge huge huge part of life here. I’m not just talking about a beer on the weekends or a wine with dinner, but men and women and teenagers who are from the time they wake-up to the time they pass out drinking beer whiskey and anything’s alcoholic they can get their hands on, just to make it through the day or to get out of the life that is so hard here. So my goal and its been working, is to make at least one person a day think twice about why and what they are drinking , what that drink does to them and in turn to their families, and to their kids the person they might hit in their car. Everything, and then I convince them to dump the drink out on the ground. I know they can go buy another one the second I weak away, but at least for one second, even if just to make me go away, they thought about their kids and wife and family and those who they have in their lives, and they valued those people more than a bottle or a plastic whiskey packet. Hey I know I’m not doing much in a city of 8 million people, but I’m staying where I am and lifting where I stand as a representative of Jesus Christ called to the country of Angola to do what I can to bring souls to their redeemer.
So that’s my mindset lately. do everything I can and give everything I got for these next four months, because I will one day look back and regret or rejoice in the work I did or didn’t do here in these two short years. I have a lot of regrets, but I wanna rejoice more! work work work, there is no substitute.
Anyway, elder Montgomery is good, healthy, and stoked for the days and months and weeks to come.
Skype, I’d like everyone there who can come. It’s the last one after all. Family, friends, whoever. It’s up to yall. just so everyone knows, President Merrill was specific in his instructions that we follow the handbook, that say 40 MINUTE LIMIT ON SKYPE. So I’m gonna be exactly obedient get all your questions and stuff written down and let’s not waste time we don’t have:) I’ll let you know what time though next Monday. Probably around 10 or nine in the morning there would be best right_ I think that time works here too, I’ll let you know. So keep in mind though 40 minute limit! Sorry, rules R rules.
No box package yet, but I did get the envelopes like I said. I’m stoked to see all your smiling faces!!!!! I love you all and hope this week goes by fast. I know it will for me. Every week flies by. Especially when you’re having fun. If you’re NOT having fun in missionary work, you’re doing something wrong!
I love you all, best Christmas wishes and loves and kisses. I’ll talk to ya next week to confirm the times and everything. loves!!!!
com amor, Elder Montgomery
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