This week was dandy. Always wanted to use that term , not sure why though. It started off great with my b-day and other things. My comp tried all day to buy me things, which was funny. My district barraged into my room and started singing happy birthday right when we were planning. It was awesome. My district is the best!!!
So, on to your questions: Are African families family-focused? Kind of. They are usually more family-focused when it comes to weddings and who gets the loot, but other than that, it's pretty much whoever, with what-ever. There are a few exceptions and those are really cool to see, but at the end of the day it's about normal in a family. Little kids crying because an older sibling stole something from them and the parents looking generally tired because of all the noise. There are a lot of kids here in Africa. If you stop somebody on the road, a whole village of kids shows up to hear what you have to say. It's really cool, but the people being contacted don't like it. They say things like, "Where's your respect?" or my personal favorite, "You guys are all undisciplined!" The way they say it is really funny. Kids are a big thing. They basically run this country. It's kinda cool because you can usually depend on them to do what you need them to do. Young adult baptisms are a big thing out here. Every now and again we will just tell all the young people that want to get baptized to show up at the church on a certain day and they do and they pass the interview and then we have like 6 or 7 baptisms on top of the other people we are baptizing.
As for Skyping for Christmas, they still haven't said much, but if I don't get transferred this transfer and that's a solid 95 percent chance, there are some couple missionaries that live 5 minutes away from our house and they have computers and iPads galore, so I don't think it should be a problem. I just don't know what day, but I will try to keep you informed the best I can. I will probably call on the phone first.
Today we played soccer at a university here in Beira and we played outside. It was amazing. Good evenly-matched teams, good atmosphere and the games were excellent. My feet hurt, but that is a good sign. We were all in pools of sweat afterwards, but the people at the university seemed to enjoy watching all the white guys play for a little bit. It was loads of fun and just what I needed to start off the week. Also, I have started running on the beach near our house (haven't been running in a while because nobody wants to) and my companion sits on a wall while I make laps. The sea breeze with the waves is really nice and the sand makes it a little hard to run, but that's a good thing. That should help me get back into shape. I am severely enjoying Beira and the people here.
This last Sunday we had a spiritually loaded day with lessons that were amazing. Just lesson after lesson. The Spirit was there and testified to these people. It was like music, like when the Mormon Tabernacle choir hits those final notes in "I Believe in Christ." One lesson in particular I don't think I will easily forget. we were teaching this guy named Moses. and we were going to teach him the restoration again because he was already baptized but hadn't returned to the church for a while. we got to the part about Joseph smith and I felt impressed to give him a better explanation of what Joseph smith went through before he received his answer. we read parts out of Joesph smith history and right when Joseph was talking about how he felt about James 1:5 I felt the spirit enter the lesson with great force like Joseph smith said how the words came to him with great force and power. and I learned something there that I had not really picked up on. the spirit testified to Joseph about scripture before he received another witness. just to kinda stop for a second, to gauge how much power the scriptures have think about what that one moment did for a good 14 million of us around the world, that's something else. so anyway back to the story, I felt this power and then when my companion started the first vision I saw this mans face change, or rather his eyes. it was almost like he couldn't look away from my companion and I could tell that the spirit was teaching him a very powerful lesson in the love God has for him. I felt that after he explained the first lesson I could have asked that man to jump off a bridge and he would have. but instead we asked him to pray again and bear his testimony to us. it was the coolest thing I have ever heard in Portuguese, it was like he took a mirror and reflected the spirit right back at us. Such a sweet experience and the other lessons that day were no less edifying. But I told that one because it was particularly interesting to me. I believe in Joseph Smith and what he did. I know he was a prophet of God, but never have I taught a first lesson with power like that and then felt it in return. I know that my Redeemer lives. I know He loves me. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called by God to restore what has been lost. I know that my Savior will come again and I know that we can be ready through the teaching of His prophet and receive all the ordinances and blessings that God intends us to receive. This is my testimony of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is real. I know it is. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Elder Proksch
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