Elder CJ Rees

Hey Family, I've heard more about the devastation in Beira.  It's terrible!  I heard over 1000 deaths and still rising...  I'm doing great! We didn't have power last night so none of us slept at all and mosquito's were everywhere!  It was muito mal (very bad), but I'm fine now.  I  haven't showered in a few days... haha, but I'm doing pretty good.  Today was transfers!!  I'm staying in Nacala with Elder Francom!!  Elder Thornton is staying, but Elder Grange got transferred to Maputo, Crazy!  I am way pumped to stay and work with these people!!  Beira has been shut down to the Missionaries.  The whole Beira area.  So Matacuane, where I served, is now shut down.  Hopefully everyone is ok.  Scary story: The Elders in Beira,  7 of them missed the flight and had to stay out in Beira through the Cyclone and flooding.  Then President Senna sent up a rescue team of 10 missionaries to get them out, but they...

So awesome to talk to you and Dad and Kaden this morning! I can't believe the Aggies are headed to March Madness!! Ever since I left, USU have gotten good at everything!! Well about the week, lots of walking and teaching lessons all day.  Last week our Mission President gave us the challenge to have 3 baptisms a week!  Wow!!  We knew we would have to work even harder.   We put in more hours and more teaching, but we didn't have a baptism this week, our one that was scheduled pulled out last second. Hopefully next week she will want to be:)  Great news, we have plans for a marriage this week! The first marriage in Nacala with the Missionaries! The couple is way awesome and really just want to get married and to become members of The Church.  They already have a great testimony of the church. Hopefully this next week we can get them baptized too.  The law of chastity is one of the biggest challenges for the people here.  When we teac...

We traveled to Nampula for a conference this week.  We gathered with hundreds and hundreds of Mozambique Members and some that are interested in the church.  It was amazing to have everyone together.  We brought down with us close to 50 people from Nacala.  Half of them were members, the others were people just investigating.  It was a very bumpy and squishy ride with all the people in the Chapa Van - it lasted 3 hours.  We crammed like 20 people in the van. Riding these vans is high key unsafe!  They are terrible, but that is all they have.  I don't like riding in them, but oh well... I thought my leg was gonna fall off, but it was all good in the end when we finally arrived!   I bought a speaker so I can listen to the voice over recording you sent. Thanks, that is really cool to hear your voice!  Not as good as talking with you, but better than nothing.  Something really cool after our day finished at like 2100 hours. ...

Delmar is being baptized by my Companion, Elder Francom Life is pretty good here. We have been doing lots of lessons this week, so grateful!  We had a baptism this week which was amazing.  We baptized down by the beach again.  It is a younger man in his early 20's named Delmar.  He felt interest just seeing the church and the missionaries.  He is really cool and has a great testimony of the gospel.     I still get tired really easily so thats kinda hard.  We are doing tons of walking still.  This week we had a lesson that was at least 4 miles round trip.  It took forever to get to and it was really late. My shoes are holding up, they will be good.  They are cracking and getting worn, but they have not worn all the way through.  They are still waterproof!  I'm so thankful you got me a nice umbrella, it is way useful, thanks.  Last week I hit my 6 month mark on the mission.  I can't even believe ...