Hey everyone!
This week was really cool, I still love it here, they people are amazing and in most parts of the city people like us, in other parts they are really racist, it kinda sucks being a minority, but it’s all good. To answer a few of your questions I haven't seen any monkeys yet because I'm in the city. However, I do see spiders that are the size of my face, rats the size of a house cat, and cockroaches the size of a small bus, not really but they are huge. Anyways there is this crazy old lady who just sits on her door step all day in one of the apartment buildings we teach at and every time we pass by she gets all excited and waves and smiles. But the last few days she wasn't there so I thought she died, but good news! She was there last night! Seeing her just makes my day ha ha! There are a lot of crazy people here and they are so funny I love them! The best is after dark when all the drunk people start coming out, drunk Africans are even more friendly than sober ones.
Today we went to a really cool beach where there is a light house and wrecked ship. This country is so beautiful it’s awesome! Then we went to the Grande Hotel. It was build by the Portuguese and use to be really nice but after the Africans took over they just turned it into another apartment building. It was like walking into a ruin but with garbage and dead rats everywhere. We took some really cool pictures at the top. Oh and speaking of pictures I can send them via email but I have to use a different computer so I will send them I just don’t know when.
I found out that this is the 2nd farthest away mission from SLC besides Madigascar so not by much. We gave one investigator a baptism date for the 17th of May so I'm way excited for that. I found out it is pretty safe for you guys to come and pick me up, and I decided that it would be a really cool experience for Tyler and Kaylee if they came too but I'll leave that one up to you but its totally fine by me, I think it would be cool, they will learn alot in the first few hours of being here I know I did. Everything is great here, my language is getting better and better all the time and my comp is great.
That's cool Mitch is going to Zimbabwe but it’s kinda a mess right now I guess. I don’t know if you hear much about it cuz you’re in the US but here it’s all over the place, the president I guess his term is over but he likes being pres so he's not leaving but the guy who won the election isn't likin that idea so I don’t know. There is alot I can get here like razors, shaving cream, toothpaste most of the basic stuff I can get but I'm not sure about him. Tell him to bring a lot of American candy cuz you won’t get any in Africa. Other than that there are a lot of the basic stuff here. I got some mail yesterday actually, 2 dear elders I got the 2nd week in the MTC and a letter from the stake pres. other than that I don’t know how long it takes. Anyways I'm eating pretty much normal, but there are these things called chamooses, they are like meat filled nacho things I don’t know how to explain but they are way good, other than that nothing weird. The computers are in an internet cafe owned by a bunch of Chinese people and the computers are terrible. I got most of my luggage but one bag that should be here soon. I can send pics but I have to use a couple missionaries computer cuz these have viruses but I will soon. Anyways I better go but I'm doing great and the language is coming along great. Hey Kaylee, HAPPY B-DAY!!! I haven't given any blankets out cuz i'm in the city and no one needs them. I better go, thanks for everything! I love you!
Love, Elder Brown
Video from the Spendloves

We each got short e-mails from Brady today. Here are some excerpts:
Hey Mom, I got most of my luggage just one more bag and it should get here today but maybe not till tomorrow we'll see. The candy bars were good just a little smashed. Everything here is good. I found out if you send letters regular postal they get here and packages through DHL. It takes about 2 months. I'll explain more in my big email, sorry this is kinda short. My computer has frozen 4 times so if I don’t hurry it might do it again. Anyways everything is good, thanks for everything! Love Elder Brown

Hey Dad, these computers are being really slow and keep freezing up so I’m going to have to make it short so sorry. That's really cool about the business, and I love hearing about it I don’t think it’s boring at all. How's Duke and everybody doing? I kinda miss working in the warehouse with all those guys. I did get most of my luggage, the last bag is coming up probably tonight but maybe not till tomorrow we'll see so I'm doing great now. Anyways things here are good, we have 2 investigators really close to baptism one is just going to talk to her husband about it and the other we haven’t asked yet. I'm in the hardest area of the whole mission just because we are in the richest part of the country (and yet people still scrounge for food in the streets) but we still get at least 2 baptisms every other weekish depends so it’s going great. Anyways most the other stuff will be in the big email to everyone and I better go before it freezes again but thanks dad for everything I love you. Love Elder Brown

Hey Kaylee! Ya everything down here is good, it’s good to hear you are doing so well. Sorry I have to make this message short I'm almost out of time but I haven’t given anyone candy yet that's the one bag I haven't gotten. Anyways I better go but have fun! Love, Elder Brown

Hey Tyler! Everything is good. That's cool your getting better at hockey it will be fun to play when I get back. Ya I like my companion he's way cool. Yes I still miss video games but I get to watch chaupa drivers fight each other all the time so the violence is taken care of ha ha, but there is music everywhere here so music isn't so bad. Anyways I have alot of emails to write so I better go but have fun love you! Elder Brown

We never got the promised long e-mail, too many computer problems I guess. Here’s some of the music I’m sure he’s hearing.

Oi!
How is everyone? So it was my first week here in Mozambique. My first area is a city called Beira in the Northern half of the country. It is the more jungle like area and it's really an awesome place, I already love it here! The people are amazing and so kind. Everyone will talk to you here. Our main form of transportation is a thing called chaupa's. They are like the jolly rancher vans but they cram 20 plus people in them. It’s an adventure out here you have no idea. It’s funny when there are 2 chaupa's stopped in the same place and the guys who open the doors start fighting over customers, it gradually goes from yelling, to pushing, to punching, to the customer getting in another chaupa.
I just got done playing football with my zone in an old soccer stadium that was run down and over grown with trees and bushes. We played with the giant African birds with the 5 foot wing span flying over us, it was awesome! The Africans didn't have anything better to do so we had a crowd watching us play. The children here are so cool. Whenever we walk by they yell "oh meu amigos meu amigos!" They will come up and show you their secret handshakes and follow you around just holding you hand. They babies are way cool too. They fall down but they don’t cry or anything, they just stand up and keep going.
My companion is named Elder Okazaki he's from Colorado and he played hockey too so we have a lot in common. Our apartment is very nice for the conditions here. Our floors are wooden blocks not sealed in place so they move around a lot, our shower is just a pipe that comes out of the wall, and everyone's windows and doors are caged in rebar. Along with that we all have baseball bats at our bedsides in case anyone tries to break in. There isn't a lot of crime on the streets just people who try to break in. Everyone's has walls around their houses with broken glass on the top... the 3rd world country way for keeping burglers out! The language is going pretty good, I can say what I want to say but I have problems understanding what people say. But day by day I understand more so I'm improving very fast. The accent here is really cool, its kind of like how the Jamaican accent is to English so it sounds really cool. This country is amazing! It’s something you have to experience to believe and words can’t describe it but I will do my best. There is trash everywhere and people are constantly searching through it for something to eat. Chickens run around like dogs do back home, very few paved roads, poverty everywhere, but it is so beautiful! There are trees everywhere and I walk past the beach every day. It’s amazing, it’s a lot like what the movies are like, women carrying stuff on their heads, guys walking around with AK 47's everywhere, huts made out of palm leaves, tin sheets, and car hoods. The people have almost nothing here, and yet I have not seen a happier people in my whole life. Everyone smiles and says good day, children are always laughing when often the only toy they have is a ping pong ball or a small wooden car with soda cans for wheels. I have yet to be in a home that is bigger than my room back home. And yet everyone seems content... it really is amazing. I have only been here for a week and I already consider this my second home. I love it here already.
My camera is in my backpack so I have it with me but these computers have viruses I guess so I can't plug it in but we can use some other computers sometimes I guess I don't know but I will send some. They found my little carry on bag and it's coming on a bus so I will get it in a few weeks and I don't know about the other ones. That's cool about Kaylee's plays tell her congrats for me! I'm good and my comp Elder Okazaki gave me another change of clothes so I'm good. Better go but I will email everyone again next week! Tchao! Elder Brown Video from Elder and Sister Spendlove

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Hey just sending you a quick email saying i made it. The city is amazing! And I just found out I'm starting in Beira so I fly out again in 2 days. It's in the northern part of the mission which is cool because it's more junglie up there and they usually dont start missionaries there but I'm way excited. Oh and I managed to make it without one piece of my luggage!!! Ya I know pretty cool. I dont even have my carry on. They lost the 2 on the way to South Africa and then my carry on weighed too much to carry on the small plane here so I had to check that on and guess what... yup they lost that one too... so I have no clothing just my backpack so hopefully they get here before I leave to Beira. I'll write more latter I gotta go but just wanted you to know I'm safe, I smell terrible but this is the most amazing country in the entire world and I've only driven from the airport to the mission home! I cant wait to get to Beira. Have fun hope all is well. Love Elder Brown
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Brady is flying to Mozambique today. He'll arrive there on Wednesday around 10:30 am their time which is 9 hours ahead of ours. Brady's experience in the MTC has been wonderful, amazing and testimony building. He has been well prepared for what lies ahead. I took Kent to the airport this morning to fly to Kansas City. As we pulled up to the curb, a big blue bus pulled up behind us. The door opened and dozens of wide eyed, smiling, excited missionaries began pouring out. We held our breath and our hearts pounded as we anxiously looked for Brady. He wasn't on that bus. It was amazing to watch these missionaries so excited and ready to go serve the Lord. Many of them were jumping up and down like little boys. The enthusiasm was overwhelming. What an amazing Royal Army!

Brady called from the LA Airport. He feels ready and is excited to go. He really believes he has been blessed with the gift of tongues and thinks people will be able to understand his Portuguese. He's not so sure he'll be able to understand them though. He says he's probably learned as much as he could in the MTC other than memorizing more vocabulary. He's ready to move onto the next step of learning through living in the country. He's excited to be on his way, well vacinated, well taught and spritually strengthened. Remember him in your prayers and we'll post the picture and e-mail we get from the Mission President when Brady arrives.

Ola Familia! How is everything? Things here are good, so much better since I got my flight plans. I can't wait to go!!! It snowed again today and we had nice weather all week till the one day we could go outside. But in 7 days I won't see snow for 2 years and I can't wait!!! Oh, I don't think I mentioned this but I've gained 20 pounds of muscle since I've been here! My arms especially have gotten bigger so that's way nice. I've been trying to do that for months. With no gym in Mozambique it's going to be hard to maintain it but I'm determined!

The new guy going to Mozambique is Elder Peterson from Logan. He's a way cool kid. Anyways, I have to go to a fireside but I love you all and I will be calling you in a few days, I can't wait!!!

Love, Elder Brown