We had a pretty good week this week. Nadia was baptized finally and I confirmed her yesterday which was cool. We had 5 investigators come to church and all are continuing to progress and do very well. We got ahold of a Joseph Smith movie in portuguese and we have been using that in our teaching a lot. It is such a good movie and a great missionary tool especially for new converts. It really shows the history of the church well and shows how much the saints went through to establish the church especially Joseph Smith. It really is a great tool to be using to strengthen testimonies. Another thing I like about it is that it shows that in the US it's not an all happy problem free money filled joy land, but that it wasn't so different than it is here which is nice. After the movie people always ask if it really happened and they say they had no idea that kind of stuff even happened in the US. I just don't like people thinking I'm a pansy american who has never done any work or felt any pain in my life I guess ha ha!

Anyways everything here is going great. We just went to renew our phone contract so I got to choose a new phone which was fun. Of course they don't have anything here that is anything like what you guys have there but it was still fun to pick some phones out. We went to the Angolan embassy today to see how the process was going, they told us that their entry visas weren't done yet. This process should only take a few days but its taken 2 weeks and they still aren't done! They are going to leave in like 3 weeks and we haven't started their long term visas yet! And I just got 5 phone calls at the same time! President is in Angola and his flight was cancelled so I got a call from him, also from the travel agency telling me that his flight was canceled, so I had to rebook him again for a later flight. Then a janitor for the church called (also at the same time) telling me that he hadn't been paid and he wasn't too happy about it. We have been having alot of problems with South Africa area office lately though. They haven't given us any money forever and we are running out! They also decided to stop paying the church employees here and they don't like that much so they are coming to us for checks be we also don't have any money. I hope it all works out but right now, its looking pretty grim. Then president called me again to tell me that the flight he was now booked on wasn't on the board and he was worried that it didn't exist. So I called the agency and they said it did exist and not to worry, then she also told me that one ticket that we tried to cancel that was really expensive can't be reimbursed so we may loose a lot of money.... whew today has been ruff. Oh well, I'm learning alot still and I still like the office a lot.

This week has been pretty busy trying to get everything straightened out with the banks and South Africa. We are having a lot of problems right now and I hope that things work out. I'm doing well though, I also think I might be getting a little fat :-( I eat out every day and sit in a car all day. I just can't get a gut ha ha! I will not come home with a gut!!!!!! Well I better get going, Thanks for everything, it's great to hear all of the news about the fam. I hope you have a good week! I'll talk to you later.

Love
Elder Filho

This week went by alright. Just trying to remember all the stuff I have to do. It's really stressful trying to remember everything because I know if I forget something which I probably will, it is going to come back and bite me in the butt! There are just so many little task mingled in with the big ones that it is hard to make everything work out. Thus far it hasn't been too bad and I hope that it stays that way.

Here is a funny story for you, so Elder Spaulding is the second counselor in his branch in Manga 1. The same branch I was just in. Anyways he was sitting in sacrament meeting and all of the sudden, the branch president started reading off the list of people who were getting released from their callings.... guess who was on that list... ha ha yes Elder Spaulding was released! The branch president didn't tell Elder Spaulding, President Packard, or the district president, he just did what he wanted. So Elder Spaulding was pretty shocked. Then the branch president announced who would be the second counselor, and it was an returned missionary who served here and got off his mission about 8 months ago. So the branch president proceeded to kick Elder Spaulding off the stand and ushered the new "counselor" in his spot. HA HA HA The branch president just thinks he can do whatever he wants I guess. Well I'm not really sure what is going to happen but we'll see. I hope they don't just let him get away with it because that is what they are doing so far. Oh well, its Mozambique.

Other than that this week, we had a really good turn out at church yesterday! we had 10 investigators which is almost everyone that we teach! Only one of our investigators didn't come to church which is great! I've never had that happen before. We are teaching really good people and I'm glad. Nadia is doing well and will be baptized this Saturday unless she messes up again but I dont think she will. She passed her interview so I think we are good to go. We have one investigator who is in love with my companion Elder Henry which is pretty funny but really weird at the same time. I give him crap for it all the time and it's pretty fun. It is kinda weird teaching her though. At the end of the lesson she asks really funny questions like "can missionaries date?" and stuff like that. Oh well, I'm just glad it's not me.

Other than that not a whole lot happened this week. Just doing the same old stuff. I'm trying really hard to keep up on stuff but I know there has to be a lot of stuff that I'm forgetting to do. I just hope the Lord won't let me forget about the most important stuff that really needs to get done. I had everything down on a to do list in the computer and then Senior office elder came and erased it on accident...Oh well, he's old. There isn't much else I can do so now I'm just trying to remember everything. Anyways everything is going alright with me here, and I hope it's the same with the whole fam there. Thanks! I love you and I'm grateful to be your son!
Love,
Elder Filho
************P-DAY SAFARI**************

This week went by alright. It was my first week as the senior office elder so things were a little ruff for a while. It is hard trying to do everything while teaching other people how to do it. It isn't going so bad now though... that is unless I forgot something and I'm going to get a phone call from someone telling me I messed up... I hate when that happens!

Well dazzling them with briliance isn't what I would say haha no I'm starting to get the hang of things but its still hard. We are trying to finish the applications for the Elders going to Angola and I think we are almost there. The process for a visa is pretty complicated and expensive to do. We have been trying really hard to get some of their papers going today and luckily we got it, unhappily we lost our p-day. Oh well sometimes you jut have to do stuff.

Other than that this week we have been trying to get Elder Henry settled in the office so we didn't get to do much teaching. However the lessons we did teach were pretty good.

Well I'm kinda short on time so I better go, sorry this is so short this week but hey! I'm sending pics so that should make up for it right? I hope so. Anyways have a good week, I love you and I'm grateful to be your son. Talk to you later!
Love Elder Filho
QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK:
1. How's the new companions? where are they from? Do you have much in common?
They are good, Elder Henry is from Cali. I haven't gotten to know the other one yet cuz he's been walking with someone else because one elder is sick.
2. How many people in your branch? How many missionaries? Do you meet in the chapel in your office building?
I'm not sure, I think we have like 8 or something. Yes it is here in the same building.
3. How much time a week do you get to prostelyte?
Whenever we don't have anything to do we go teach so we teach like 7 lessons a week ish. We are teaching a few people, Nadia still, Crizelda, and a few others.
4. How's the new language you were learning coming?
Alright, I haven't had alot of time so lately not too good ha ha!
Thanks fam!

P-Days

This week went by pretty fast for me. Ya it is a little frustrating about last week's baptism but oh well. We just have to do the best that we can and the rest is up to them to decide for themselves. One thing I really learned here is that we can't force anyone to do what we want no matter how badly we want them to do it. With that being the case there isn't really a point to be worried or make a big fuss about it because you aren't going to change anything. I guess that is one thing I've learned is to work hard but take it easy at the same time because stuff happens that is out of our control all the time and we just have to live with it.

I'm glad that Kaylee and Tyler write me too, and I'm glad that you guys don't have to tell them to do it. It's really nice to have them write me every week. Other missionaries have brothers and sisters and stuff but I don't think hardly any of them hear from them every week like I do. I really am lucky.

This week we had transfer meeting. Elder Udall is now the Assistant as I mentioned last week. Elder Harris will go to Matola, and I will have 2 new companions in the office. Elder Henry and Elder Kronk. Elder Kronk is going to Angola so President told me that I need to train him to be the un official Secretary in Angola. Elder Henry is older on the mission, he only has 2 transfers left. So that means that I will either spend 1 more or 3 more in the office so we'll see if President says anything to me. Also Elder Okazaki was transfered to Nampula one of the newer areas. He will end his mission there and Elder Elizeu (who I lived with for 3 transfers in Beira) will come and be the new assistant and live with us. There were a lot of changes and it was an exciting transfer.

Elder Long is going home here in a few days. I'm really going to miss him, he has been a great friend. The worst part about being sec, is having to watch all the missionaries go home because a lot of them are friends and it's really sad to see them leave. Oh well, we also got some teaching in this week which was good. We are teaching Tamiries who was just baptized and her sister Tanha is intrested as well. So they are sitting together and are both doing pretty well.

Anyways that's about all I have to report this week. I'm working on sending some pictures with Elder Smoot when he goes home so be expecting those. He want's to come to our house and actually meet you guys too, not just at his homecoming. He's a great guy and you guys will really like him. anyways, I will talk to you later. Love you!
Elder Filho

Questions:
1. What do you do on p-day for fun that's different from Beira?
Well not a whole lot of stuff different. If anything Beira is funner. Here we just run people around all day and every once in a while play soccer or something.
2. What restaurants do you go to? Have you developed a taste for any African foods?
They have some pretty good ones including KFC which still isn't close to the same. Nope, I'm still not liking the mashed up spinich or corn meal mixed with water ha ha! I do like rice and beans now a lot more than I did!
***********Brady & Elder Smoot******************

Our baptism didn't happen.... it was her grandma's birthday and she drank so she won't be baptized for a few more months. I hate when that happens!!!!! But it's better to find out before than after.

Anyways with the week, we have been super busy with getting visas for Angola. This is a long complicated process that even involves a stool sample... yes they need a stool sample. It was kinda fun handing out the little cups to the missionaries! Then we had to carry it to the hospital to get the tests all done. I hope we can get this all done before Pres. wants them to leave. I'm just with Elder Harris now. Elder Udall went AP after Fiallo left. Brower is in Matola. Next week I will be with Elder Henry. (No one knows that yet but since I'm in the office and I know the right people I found out he he) I'll let you know how that is in a few weeks.

This week went by pretty well and work in the office went almost without a hitch this week. Until one apartment got its water shut off because the elders threw away the bill. I thought about letting them suffer over the weekend but my conscience got the better of me. Dang I hate when that happens. So we went and stood in line for 3 hours on Friday to get it fixed. Come to find out the land lord hasn't paid his water bill for a long time either so we paid for it and he will get a small rent check this month. We are so good to our land lords here. If somthing needs to be fixed we fix it and take it out of their rent. They don't even have to worry about it. But then they complain at the end of the month because they didn't get the full amount. The thing is is that we can't ask them to do it because it won't get done. Oh well, not a lot we can do about it.

Also we got to do a little more teaching this week which was good. We are teaching 2 guys whose mom has been a member for like 2 years. They haven't sat with the missionaries yet so we taught a first lesson yesterday and it went really well. They seemed to like it and are excited to read and pray. Everything was going well until one of them said the closing prayer. He asked the Lord to bless "these two prophets whom though hast sent to us."... ya we're gonna have to fix that later. Oh well, that's just how Africa is.

Well everything here is going good. The office is going well and I'm glad to be a part of it. I will get my new comp here next week so I'll have to train him on all this stuff. I just hope that I've learned enough about what needs to be done that I can train someone else on it. Anyways I better go, we are going to lunch with Elder Long, its his second to last p-day here so we are going to hang out. I'm gonna miss him. I lived with him for 3 transfers and I loved it! He's such a great kid! anyways I love you! talk to you later!

Love Elder Filho

................Elder Long and Friend "Darrell"...............