Week 61 -- Transferred to Matola as District Leader

Hi family!

Ok so first things first...Transfers! I was transferred to the branch of Matola 1, which means I'm just moving to the branch next door basically haha. I have been called to serve as the district leader of Matola 1. My district has 8 missionaries, and we'll all live in the same house! After I'm done with internet, I will go home to pack my stuff and will leave later this afternoon. The Matola 1 house is about a 20-30 minute taxi ride away, so I'm not going far at all. My companion, Elder Conde, on the other hand is being transferred to Nampula, located north of the country. That means that my area in T3 will get new missionaries. They will have to get to know the area and our investigators for themselves, since neither I nor Elder Conde is staying here. I pray that they all continue with the teaching and get baptized in the near future.  I am really excited to get to work in Matola and serve my district.

I'm glad you guys had a good week and thank you for your great email this week, I really enjoyed it. I always feel the spirit when I read your emails. We had an awesome week. We had a lot of success in teaching new families and in working with the members to help us in our lessons. Remember those three young men that we baptized? Well, they are doing really well. They have already received the Aaronic priesthood and are administering the sacrament on Sundays and are walking with us to our teaching appointments during the week. All of them have the desire to serve missions too. Our investigators are doing well. We were going to have the marriage and baptism of Antonio and Anita on Saturday, but there was a small document problem at the civil register, so it will be moved to this coming weekend.  The members here will be helping them get ready and I know everything will run smoothly on the big and special day of their wedding and baptism. I will ask the missionaries here to take pics for me.

We thought that even if I couldn't be there, at least Elder Conde would be. But now we know that neither one of us will be there. It's kind of unfortunate, but we really can't be disappointed. It's the will of the Lord. He knows what is best for this area and for its people, and obviously the 2 missionaries that will come to this area will be the ones to take care of the investigators and members here. 

I was feeling certain that I would be transferred out, so during the week I kind of said goodbye to all the investigators and members and took many pictures with them. I will try to upload those as soon as possible, either this week or next.  unfortunately,  Elder Conde didn't say farewell to anyone, thinking that for sure he would stay. It was definitely a shock when we found out this morning that both of us are leaving, haha. 

Church yesterday was really good too. A returned missionary from the T3 branch arrived home this week and spoke in sacrament meeting. He served in Brazil. The branch is doing well and continues to grow. I know I will continue to hear about many great miracles that will continue to happen here in T3.  I will always have a special place in my heart for the area, I stayed here for a long time and met and taught so many wonderful people I will forever remember them as well as the extraordinary missionaries and good friends I served with here.

Well, That's all for now until next week.
love,

Josh