Elder CJ Rees

This is Crimaldo.  We took him to the airport to serve in Freetown. The night before he was clean shaven and the Stake President invited us to be there for his setting apart! Again another crazy week!  I don't even know how to explain it in words.  We have done lots of divisions with the missionaries in our zone.  So really fun week and some really powerful lessons.  I had the opportunity to go and do divisions with all of our DLs in our zone and got to see how they work and Wow, was I impressed! Just  the different ways how people teach made me really see how peoples talents and the Spirit work through them.  The craziest thing of the week.. a storm! the worst I've been in in my life!  Friday we traveled to Dondu.  We went to a take away (hamburger place).  It was kinda scary.  We got soaked, fell down from the wind and some lawn chairs came flying at us.  We saw the car and it looked like the wind was going...

It has been so crazy this week!  Sometimes doing the work of the Lord means doing a lot of run around!  The secretaries came and we have been looking for homes for all the new missionaries that are coming in a few weeks.  There will be 22 new missionaries in the Beira Mission area and we have to get everything prepared!  The secretaries are doing a bunch too.  We have found 2 more places and we are setting up mosquito nets, refrigerators, and Sister Senna wants medical supplies in there too.  The next transfer there will be another 34 missionaries.  I think they will be split between both of the missions. The missionaries will be coming straight to Beira.  They are not stopping in Maputo.  There is no mission home or nice place for them to come to yet. I will be picking them up from the airport and President Senna wants it to be as nice as possible so we are getting a big feast and trying to have it look and feel good for the new missionari...

Let me start out by saying we had the weirdest thing happen with our new car!  I was just starting to drive and turned and all the sudden the car would not go!  I couldn't understand why?  My comp got out of the car and looked around and gave me a funny look.  Somehow both tires were facing inward.  He explained it like they were sad and crying.  Well, a car does not drive well when the tires face in so we had to get help from our guy that helps with the vehicles.  We waited all day.  He said that a piece broke from all the rough roads we drive on.  One little piece and the tires turned in.  It was a miracle that we were not driving fast when this happened or he said the car would have rolled for sure. Tuesday - Monday night President called and said another rain storm was coming so we better make sure the missionaries will be ok.  So we drove around Tuesday to check their homes and warn the missionaries and make sure they ha...

I know I say this every week, but this week was Crazy!!   It has been raining for 24 hours!  It is not letting up.  Last night we got a call from President Senna that we have to stay in.  We can't go out because of all the water.  I am drenched just going in out from the car to the building.  There is so much water that it has started to flood our church and peoples homes.  It is like cyclone rain, but not all the wind. All week has just been a run around.  I received a call last p-day after we spoke that I had to get packed up because we had a flight for Maputo in the middle of the night and we had to pick up the district leaders in our area too.  We spent a few days in Maputo at leadership conference.  There I met up with Elder Sosa.  He is great!  He is from Brazil, but he came to Utah for 8 months as an exchange student, so he speaks fluent English too.  He said he did not know any English when he moved to Ut...

We have transfers today!  Elder Silva is being transferred to be a zone leader and open a new area!  No break for his last transfer.  I am staying in the Manga Zone and getting a new comp - Elder Sosa.  He has been the AP in Maputo.  He is a hard working Elder so we will get lots done! I have had such great companions. They have taught me so much.  I'm not sure how I would be as a missionary without them. We have been driving missionaries to the airport yesterday and this morning and I have more drop offs and pick ups tonight.  Elder Silva just received a call Saturday night that he had to fly out Sunday. He was sad he did not get to say goodbye to the people.  Thursday we have leadership conference with Pres Senna in Maputo.  I think I'll go to KFC and have a warm shower for my birthday!!  I'm most excited for the warm shower. Pres split the mission now.  So I am now in the Beira Mission boundaries.  In 6 months the ne...

It's been a good week.  We have done lots of splits and work in the area. i just wanted to ask about what is happening with the USA and Iran... lots of people are talking about it and I just want to know.  Everyone is saying the Americans are terrible and stuff....it has been kinda weird how people react to me, but I'm not nervous.   This last week I downloaded lots and lots of talks from all diffrent people to listen to. Ok, here in Mozambique guards have the worst job.  They make like 3 dollars every 24 hours of work!  We are grateful for them though.  I am sure they keep alot of people away from our stuff.   Transfers are this week.  I'm pretty sure Elder Silva is gonna leave and I'll stay so we will see.  We have been together for a long time - 3 transfers.  It has been a great run.  I've learned so much from him! Well we had tons and tons of visits. I was doing all the divisions in other areas -...

What a week!! First of all we had Christmas and it was awesome to talk with my family and then we mostly just worked in the area the rest of the day.  We had 6 baptisms this week.  It was incredible!  There is lots of work in the area and we are getting ready for 2020.  There are lots of changes that are coming.    I would just like to end 2019 with my testimony:  I'm so thankful for this time of year that we all have to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  I hope we are still thinking about his wonderful life during this winter season.  It is remarkable to me to read the stories of His life in Matthew and all the miracles and the light he really did bring to the world in just His short 33 years of His life. I know and testify of the truthfulness of this gospel!  It truly can change your life.  I've witnessed it here with the people.  I can also testify about the Book of Mormon  - "the most correc...