Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Service & loving the people of San Tan Valley

Weekly Email and letter in the mail (which I LOVE!)
 
Its has been another awesome week!! Thanks for the package you guys sent, that was a great surprise. I also got a letter from the Lunt family which was super nice of them. (Thanks Lunt family!) I mailed you guys a letter Saturday, mailed another one to give to Albert, and mailed one to the Lunts. I did a lot of writing, haha. This week we did a lot of teaching which was awesome. Our investigators are progressing great, they are just so darn busy its hard to meet with them as much as we would like. Johnathan couldn't make it to church because he was at a family reunion type thing in Mesa, but we hope to have him at a FHE (Family Home Evening- a night with family & a gospel centered lesson & activity) at one of the ward missionaries homes tonight. We got a whole new family this week to teach which is so exciting. They were referred from some English speaking members, we met them at a ward social and gave them a tour of the chapel and we are also having a FHE with their member friends and them. They have a ton of potential, I am super excited for them. They have a two boys who are 11 and 13 who have a ton of school friends at church so they really want to go, which is super. Alfonso is doing good, he just is super busy. He is a cook at Chipotle and because he was out of town last week he is working a double shift, like I used to at Sonic, everyday this week exept for Tuesday so we gotta see him then. I went on exhanges again this week, this time with Elder Olkjer (j is silent) who is from Alaska. I talked about it a lot in my letter but we basically did service all day for three different people, then had some lessons in the evening. It was a super day. We painted a few walls of a house, cleaned up a yard, and assembled a massive desk for two investigators and one less active. One of our investigators is on a vacation in Mexico, hopefully she returns soon, she really progressed last week. It seems if we can meet with people the work flies but people's schedules are so jammed packed. One of the pictures I'll send is of me and Elder Macfarlane and two guys our age who are recent converts of about a month. (he didn't send it, maybe next week) They are part of a huge family and extended family of about 20 who all have slowly joined the church one after another the past few months. We didnt teach them, the sisters did, but they have been going on splits with us a lot and have become great friends. they both really want to go on a mission as well, which is really cool. I heard Elder Evans got his VISA this week, I am so happy for him and wish him the best. (not sure if he has left for Brazil yet) I really hope that I can see him down there. I really have been amazed by how nice the ward members are here, they are such great people. There is an older guy named Brother Meija who loves the missionaries, I have gotten to know him. He always runs up to us and gives us a hug and ask how the work is going whenever he sees us. And there is another older guy who I told Pa reminds me of G'pa Bob a lot, who calls me 'Montanita' whenever he sees me which means 'little mountain' which cracks me up. They are all just great people, I really love them. Well have a super week you guys!!! Rae-Rae thanks soooo much for the drawings and pictures. I have them hanging up everywhere. They are great!!! (he must really like them because he uses his explanation marks VERY sparingly!) Tell the LaRues I said hey. love and miss ya!
 
Com amor, (with love)
Elder Montanha
 
**Letter to follow pictures**
 
                    First vision picture that Rae drew for Nate. He hung it above
a door... that's funny to me. Real funny! :)



    They learned how to cover their study guides with some cool
photos and contact paper. Pretty crafty for Elder Mountain!



                                                    I'm sure he was all smiles to see 2 of his
 MTC buddies at Zone Conference.
 
 
Hey guys, just got your package in the mail last night, that was an awesome surprise! Thanks so much for all that you sent. Rae, you sure must have worked hard making all the pictures and the swan and your little envelope. (she has been doing some origami) I love them! I have all the stuff hanging up in my room. My companion and the other missionaries that live with us really like the Joseph Smith's first vision you drew, it is so good! It is hanging right above the door so everyone sees it. It has been a really good week so far. I went on exchanges again on Wednesday, which was neat. We did a ton of service, 3 different members we helped out. We helped one lady paint 2 rooms in a house that she is flipping, helped one guy, who is going through some extremely tough trials right now, clean up his garage and yard and then we helped a super nice older guy put together a massive desk. It was great to serve and help some people out (and speak some English, haha). There was a baptism last night in our ward. It was a mother  and son that the sisters in our ward have taught. It was a great service. I have never been to a baptism with so many people there. There was more in attendance than there is on a normal sacrament meeting (Sunday service with the entire congregation). It was awesome. We had one of our investigators there, he really enjoyed it, especially the support the ward gave. We really wanted one other investigator there, Johnathan, but he had to work. Johnathan is progressing so fast, it is amazing. He bore his testimony to us earlier in the week that he knows the Book of Mormon is true and that God wants him to be baptized. It was so powerful. The 28th is for sure gonna happen, I'm so excited! Thanks again for the package and the goodies and the letter! Oh, and for the tie! Keep sending ties! I have been getting a lot of new ones lately from other missionaries and we found a ton in one of the closets in our house. I love you guys! Have a great week! Talk to ya Monday! Time is flying by, I can't believe it's already almost week 5! (since leaving the MTC)
 
Love,
Elder Montanha

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