Monday, December 31, 2018
Monday, December 24, 2018
Natal
Wow... Natal.... or as known here in Mozambique, the family day..... hahah they need a lot of help.
But not a lot of time. Just a quick run down. We had a huge activity here in Maputo with all the missionaries. We got together one day and we played games and did some secret Santa and we ate a bunch of turkey and the other day we went to an orphanage and we helped out there with service and doing a lunch and talent show. I found out that I am getting transferred to Nacala. It's an area that president is opening this transfer as the church finally permitted that this area become a group. So hopefully I will be able to help the church grow in this part of Mozambique. Sounds like I will be training and I am super excited.
My best friend out here Elder Flitton went home and that was probably the hardest thing that has happened out here. I love Christ and I hope that we can all have a little more understanding about Christmas than just Family Day. It really is a day focused on Christ.
Love you all and I'm super sad to be leaving Elder Draney, but when the lord calls I follow.
-Love Elder Thornton
Activity with all the mission for Christmas
At the Orphanage
Talent Show at orphanage
Baptism of Edmilson
Nando, Ancha, Jonny and Edmilson
Recent convert and Jonny
Elder Flitton, Elder Godfrey, Elder Carlson, Pres. & Sister Senna & Elder Holmes
Jonny and Elder Parker Draney
Jonny, Elder Hansen and Elder Draney
Maisa after she sang for the Stake Christmas Party
Monday, December 17, 2018
Chores and Errands
So.... honestly this email will be super short as a majority of our time this week was spent in a car. We drove a lot!
So, President and his wife and the Assistants and Secretary's went up north to open a new area called Nacala. Alright no problem, but.... the only people left here in Maputo with a car and the ability to do all the mission chores..... yeah it was us. So we ended up taking care of two groups that went to the temple, we received tons of people in the airport for a Christmas activity that will happen here in Maputo with all of the missionaries. We bought food and cleaned houses to prepare for these groups, went to bed at 1:30 most nights and woke up at 5:30.... it was a joy. hahaha We also had some missionaries come in that had to go to the hospital..... actually a pretty hard week.
We also participated in the baptism of the Sisters in Sommerchield because their District leader was also in Nacala so.... we also did interviews and helped out with the baptism. Buuuut during all of this we only spent about two or three hours in our own area. so..... not much to say. But we are still teaching Alberto and still planning on his baptism on the 29th!
Just wanted to share a quote I came across. It says, If you are ever questioning when is the time to serve, the answer is when you are called. Man that hit me so hard and I stopped complaining so much. I was called to serve. And that's what I am doing. I signed up for this so what right do I have to complain. I was called. So i will serve how and when is needed. I love the gospel and the peace it brings. Merry Christmas next week. Hahahah Christmas, No one knows what its all about here, they call it family day.... but that's why we are here. Great teaching opportunities. Love yall!!
Elder Thornton
So, President and his wife and the Assistants and Secretary's went up north to open a new area called Nacala. Alright no problem, but.... the only people left here in Maputo with a car and the ability to do all the mission chores..... yeah it was us. So we ended up taking care of two groups that went to the temple, we received tons of people in the airport for a Christmas activity that will happen here in Maputo with all of the missionaries. We bought food and cleaned houses to prepare for these groups, went to bed at 1:30 most nights and woke up at 5:30.... it was a joy. hahaha We also had some missionaries come in that had to go to the hospital..... actually a pretty hard week.
We also participated in the baptism of the Sisters in Sommerchield because their District leader was also in Nacala so.... we also did interviews and helped out with the baptism. Buuuut during all of this we only spent about two or three hours in our own area. so..... not much to say. But we are still teaching Alberto and still planning on his baptism on the 29th!
Just wanted to share a quote I came across. It says, If you are ever questioning when is the time to serve, the answer is when you are called. Man that hit me so hard and I stopped complaining so much. I was called to serve. And that's what I am doing. I signed up for this so what right do I have to complain. I was called. So i will serve how and when is needed. I love the gospel and the peace it brings. Merry Christmas next week. Hahahah Christmas, No one knows what its all about here, they call it family day.... but that's why we are here. Great teaching opportunities. Love yall!!
Elder Thornton
A couple of groups that came through Maputo to go to the temple in South Africa.
One from Tete and the other from Nampula
Monday, December 10, 2018
Ana got Baptized!!!
So another crazy week and more people coming closer to Christ. So I would imagine that practically no one remembers Ana, buuuut I was teaching her with Elder Van Orden about 2 months ago. We had plans to baptize her in November but weren't able to because of some rules about baptizing minors here in Mozambique. Anyways, the day came, I had the honor to do the interview and all and finally the baptism happened this week. It was a fun moments as I had the chance to see some of the members from Chamanculo that I had taught a lot of lessons with. Anyways, Ana asked me to baptize her so we had the opportunity to run over to Chamanculo and perform the baptism.
[On Saturday after the baptism, we went to the round-about in Magoanine we set up a couple of banners and we sang hymns while we passed out the pamphlets with Light the World with some members.
Then we went to Zimpeto to do the same thing, but when we got there, there was a huge storm that went through with lightning and it started to rain and the members did not show up, so we just gave up on singing hymns and we ended up just handing out pamphlets...we handed out like 200 pamphlets in 10 minutes. We went to the terminal where all of the buses were leaving and coming, so we just handed out pamphlets to all the people from the buses and all the people just walking around in the rain. Which was really fun.
After that, it got over around 7 p.m., and then we started driving back. We had to drop off the mission chapa at the office and pick up our car. But we got caught in traffic for 3 hours and it was awful traffic. You don't understand...it's like Mozambican traffic!!! There were people in all directions. It was supposed to be a 2 lane road with dirt on the side for where people could walk....but we got stuck in this traffic that had 6 lanes with big vehicles like garbage trucks and buses that were in the sidewalk or dirt area....it's not like 3 going in one direction and 3 in the other direction...it's a mess. We should have taken pictures....we were there for 3 hours;) There was a miracle that happened...we got stuck in the traffic so we started to read the Book of Mormon and we moved 10 ft. and then we stopped again:) We got home super late and then we got woken up super early by the AP's asking us to drop off the keys to them;)]
This week we had a cool story with a man we are teaching named Shelton, hahaha. He disappeared from off the face of the earth and it was really sad because the way he understands the Gospel is incredible. Anyways this week, before church.... randomly he found our house.... hahah because we are next door neighbors..... and he knocks on our door and says "so when are we going to church?" hahahahahahahahah man I love Mozambique. Anyways, we are preparing him to be baptized on the 29th of December.
Other people, we have a kid named Alberto, who's got 17 years and he is so solid. He comes to church about 40 minutes early every week and loves the Book of Mormon. The coolest part is how he has changed. When we met him, he was honestly a little ditzy, he didn't have a lot of confidence in responding about anything that had to do with God. He didn't go to church before and religion wasn't really important to him. Buuuut we started teaching and everything changed when he started reading the Book of Mormon. Till the point that we taught him about the Word of Wisdom and as we were speaking he started explaining to us doctrinaly how the Word of Wisdom makes complete sense. He is incredible. Also, we will be baptizing him on the 29th of this month.
[Today we stopped off at the house of Abel Fatima, one of the coolest families of all time. Elder Draney was there for his cousins wedding and their baptism. We baptized his grandson last week. So this week after we had printed off a bunch of their pictures from the wedding and baptism, we gave the pictures to them. They were super grateful and we sang hymns with them.
Last week we stopped off at Abel's house around 7 p.m. He told us he had a family he wanted us to meet. We said, okay, thinking it would be really close because he can't walk very well. We walked about like 3 miles to get to their home. They were a great family but they live really far away. They live right behind this huge garbage pile...The one that killed about 17 people last year...unfortunately they did not show up at church yesterday.]
Besides that the work is actually going pretty slow;) We have two siblings that were supposed to be baptized this week, but are having a hard time with work and getting to church, so we will have to see how that goes but we are praying that they can develop enough faith to come to church and also participate in this baptism on the 29th! Hahaha it would be a pretty awesome baptism day!
Anyways I would just like to testify of the power of the Book of Mormon. By following the teachings found therein we will come closer to God than through the teachings of any other book.(more or less what Joseph Smith said) I know that this is true because I've done it. I love the Book of Mormon and testify of its truthfulness.
Love Ya'll!
-Elder Thornton
[On Saturday after the baptism, we went to the round-about in Magoanine we set up a couple of banners and we sang hymns while we passed out the pamphlets with Light the World with some members.
Then we went to Zimpeto to do the same thing, but when we got there, there was a huge storm that went through with lightning and it started to rain and the members did not show up, so we just gave up on singing hymns and we ended up just handing out pamphlets...we handed out like 200 pamphlets in 10 minutes. We went to the terminal where all of the buses were leaving and coming, so we just handed out pamphlets to all the people from the buses and all the people just walking around in the rain. Which was really fun.
After that, it got over around 7 p.m., and then we started driving back. We had to drop off the mission chapa at the office and pick up our car. But we got caught in traffic for 3 hours and it was awful traffic. You don't understand...it's like Mozambican traffic!!! There were people in all directions. It was supposed to be a 2 lane road with dirt on the side for where people could walk....but we got stuck in this traffic that had 6 lanes with big vehicles like garbage trucks and buses that were in the sidewalk or dirt area....it's not like 3 going in one direction and 3 in the other direction...it's a mess. We should have taken pictures....we were there for 3 hours;) There was a miracle that happened...we got stuck in the traffic so we started to read the Book of Mormon and we moved 10 ft. and then we stopped again:) We got home super late and then we got woken up super early by the AP's asking us to drop off the keys to them;)]
This week we had a cool story with a man we are teaching named Shelton, hahaha. He disappeared from off the face of the earth and it was really sad because the way he understands the Gospel is incredible. Anyways this week, before church.... randomly he found our house.... hahah because we are next door neighbors..... and he knocks on our door and says "so when are we going to church?" hahahahahahahahah man I love Mozambique. Anyways, we are preparing him to be baptized on the 29th of December.
Other people, we have a kid named Alberto, who's got 17 years and he is so solid. He comes to church about 40 minutes early every week and loves the Book of Mormon. The coolest part is how he has changed. When we met him, he was honestly a little ditzy, he didn't have a lot of confidence in responding about anything that had to do with God. He didn't go to church before and religion wasn't really important to him. Buuuut we started teaching and everything changed when he started reading the Book of Mormon. Till the point that we taught him about the Word of Wisdom and as we were speaking he started explaining to us doctrinaly how the Word of Wisdom makes complete sense. He is incredible. Also, we will be baptizing him on the 29th of this month.
[Today we stopped off at the house of Abel Fatima, one of the coolest families of all time. Elder Draney was there for his cousins wedding and their baptism. We baptized his grandson last week. So this week after we had printed off a bunch of their pictures from the wedding and baptism, we gave the pictures to them. They were super grateful and we sang hymns with them.
Last week we stopped off at Abel's house around 7 p.m. He told us he had a family he wanted us to meet. We said, okay, thinking it would be really close because he can't walk very well. We walked about like 3 miles to get to their home. They were a great family but they live really far away. They live right behind this huge garbage pile...The one that killed about 17 people last year...unfortunately they did not show up at church yesterday.]
Besides that the work is actually going pretty slow;) We have two siblings that were supposed to be baptized this week, but are having a hard time with work and getting to church, so we will have to see how that goes but we are praying that they can develop enough faith to come to church and also participate in this baptism on the 29th! Hahaha it would be a pretty awesome baptism day!
Anyways I would just like to testify of the power of the Book of Mormon. By following the teachings found therein we will come closer to God than through the teachings of any other book.(more or less what Joseph Smith said) I know that this is true because I've done it. I love the Book of Mormon and testify of its truthfulness.
Love Ya'll!
-Elder Thornton
Elder Castro, Elder Draney, Elder Van Orden, friend, Ana, friend, Jonny, Elder Nogueira
Light the World campaign
Edler Hammer, Elder Christensen, Elder Carlson, Elder Lorenzo, Elder de Jesus, Elder Chirinza, Elder Joao Front Row - Elder Draney, Elder Bertagnini, Elder Thornton
Monday, December 3, 2018
EDMILSON
I don't have a ton of time this week but just thought i could give ya'll a quick update on what went down this week! First off, I spent a lot of time in the..... HOSPITAL!!! hahaha but not for me. An elder got sick and because we live close, President asked us to take care of him. Also, we ran some other errands this week and ran out of credit on our phone which made the work super hard but hey that's how the cookie crumbles.
But.... this week we had an amazing baptism. Edmilson, the grandson of a recent convert named Abel was baptized. I had the chance to participate in the ordinance and wow everything went so well. He was so excited to be baptized and this family is incredible. They really don't have much but they worked hard for almost a year to be able to marry and get baptized and now the whole family is super strong in the church and they are inviting tons of friends and family to meet the missionaries. Its really been a huge blessing to get to know this family and all. But that was about it for this week.
I love the Book of Mormon and I have a strong testimony that it really is the most correct book that we have. Love ya'll and don't eat apples on Thanksgiving. Its a trap.
-Elder Thornton
But.... this week we had an amazing baptism. Edmilson, the grandson of a recent convert named Abel was baptized. I had the chance to participate in the ordinance and wow everything went so well. He was so excited to be baptized and this family is incredible. They really don't have much but they worked hard for almost a year to be able to marry and get baptized and now the whole family is super strong in the church and they are inviting tons of friends and family to meet the missionaries. Its really been a huge blessing to get to know this family and all. But that was about it for this week.
I love the Book of Mormon and I have a strong testimony that it really is the most correct book that we have. Love ya'll and don't eat apples on Thanksgiving. Its a trap.
-Elder Thornton
Elder Draney, Edmilson and Jonny
Edmilson's family
Beautiful Sunsets
Monday, November 26, 2018
Thanksg.....blaaogiaogij
Ohhhh what a week. We had Zone conference which was super good. We learned about how to better prepare people for baptism and what we can do to make the meetings a special experience. They talked a lot about our planning. How we need to learn to plan better so we can really invite the spirit. Elder Swenson was visiting our mission so he was at the conference. He is the doctor for Africa!!
Also featured this week: Thanksgiving. Hahahaha what a day. So I ate an apple in the morning. And then because the Assistants and President went to Beira for Conference, we became the intern Assistants and Secretary's, so we did a ton of little chores in the morning driving the new missionaries around (about 20 got here this week) and cleaning up after the conference. But as we were doing all this I was driving and feeling a very severe pain in my middle stomach (not that I have more than one but I felt that this was the most accurate way to make sure no one thinks I was having appendicitis) and I just about passed out. SOooooo we went home and I curled up in a ball and went to the bathroom periodically releasing all the fluids from my body until later that day I puked and... up came the apple!!! So that was Thanksgiving.
The next day I was super weak and we didn't get to leave the house much but now I'm all good and there were no serious problems with my health. I still like apples so there was no harm done.
Then yesterday I went on my last division with Elder Flitton. Man I love him. He has made such a big difference in my mission and I am so excited for the friendship we will have after the mission. It's possible that he goes home this transfer because of schooling and such so it was a bitter sweet day.
But I learned a lot about the importance of using the Scriptures and helping the people here understand and love the scriptures. I love ya'll and Merry Thanksgiving
-Love Elder Thornton
Also featured this week: Thanksgiving. Hahahaha what a day. So I ate an apple in the morning. And then because the Assistants and President went to Beira for Conference, we became the intern Assistants and Secretary's, so we did a ton of little chores in the morning driving the new missionaries around (about 20 got here this week) and cleaning up after the conference. But as we were doing all this I was driving and feeling a very severe pain in my middle stomach (not that I have more than one but I felt that this was the most accurate way to make sure no one thinks I was having appendicitis) and I just about passed out. SOooooo we went home and I curled up in a ball and went to the bathroom periodically releasing all the fluids from my body until later that day I puked and... up came the apple!!! So that was Thanksgiving.
The next day I was super weak and we didn't get to leave the house much but now I'm all good and there were no serious problems with my health. I still like apples so there was no harm done.
Then yesterday I went on my last division with Elder Flitton. Man I love him. He has made such a big difference in my mission and I am so excited for the friendship we will have after the mission. It's possible that he goes home this transfer because of schooling and such so it was a bitter sweet day.
But I learned a lot about the importance of using the Scriptures and helping the people here understand and love the scriptures. I love ya'll and Merry Thanksgiving
-Love Elder Thornton
Monday, November 19, 2018
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