Baptisms!!!! Paulo, Helga, and Darciela were all baptized this last week and boy what a great experience it has been to be apart of their long journey to baptism. Paulo and Helga have waited almost 3 years for this experiences, while Darciela has only been involved with the church for about a month and a half. It was still amazing for all three of them. But of course the day of the baptism it was all going and looked like everything would start at 10 like it was planned. We arrived at 8:45, font was filled, clothes were ready.. it was all a go.. then it was 9:30... no one but my companion and i... 9:45 still us... 9:55 still only us.. finally at 10 we have some teenagers from another branch show up because they had nothing else to do.. 10:10 all of a sudden everyone shows up at the same time. Branch president, branch members, friends, family, almost everyone expect for the 3 that were going to be baptized.. and so we waited again.. 10:15 we call, nothing.. 10:25 still nothing.. then finally 10:40 they come rolling and the first thing paulo says is.. "you guys know how traffic is here in Luanda" so with a little laugh we quickly get them changed and ready for the baptism, and get them baptized. I swear this whole timing thing in Angola is going to kill me.. i don't know why or how it started but it needs to change.. i cant handle it anymore.. but i still love the people so i guess its alright.
I received my transfers almost 3 weeks ago, but they were officially released yesterday... so i can now say that my new companion is............... ELDER MITCHELL!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahaha when we both found out we were suppose to keep it a secret and we tried so hard, we were at the office at the same time one day and you would think we were 2 high school girls that both got asked to prom by their dream boy the same day, by the way we were celebrating and talking about it. However we managed to keep it a secret pretty well. It is very sad for Elder smith, because he is leaving just as we are about to have a lot more success in our area, and elder Mitchell is coming in to take all fruits from our labors which is pretty cool. Its been a long 4 transfers almost 6 months in this area.. my first 2 transfers i wanted to die.. but like i said in my last email with hard work and obedience you will eventually see some great fruits for your labors which elder mitchell and i will see a lot of these next 2 transfers. Plus we are splitting our area because we are receiving 2 new missionaries (which will make for 28 in the mission) Elder Slade is coming to live with us and he is training a newbie from Portugal, so we are all very excited. And i am VERY excited to be back to my original Benfica A area and get to focus on all the work we have here. So needless to say these next 2 transfers are going to be a blast and a half.
Other then that not a whole lot is going on.. just the usual work being done. The members are awesome and the branch is slowly growing with married families popping out of the blue wanting to learn more. The Benfica Branch has grown a lot since i've been here and its been super cool to see all the changes. Especially with recent convert families live Valdemiro and Vanusa who shared some powerful testimonies this last sunday, and who are both incredibly strong. You would think that they have been members a long time by the way they friendship investigators, help the church and watch over their home... its such a beautiful sight..
Lovage,
Elder Webber
PHOTOS;
Helga, me, elder smith, Paulo, Branch president from Terra Nova, and Darciela
chillin on the street
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