The Bronx of Luanda!!!

August 12, 2013

Hello Familia!

This week was crazy! Transfers, new people, new area ,new branch, it’s nuts!

But, it’s really good. The city is sweet. We don’t really work in the

city, our dupla (companionship) works just on the edge and outside of it. lots of

barrios. (low-end neighborhoods) but it’s still cool. The people are

more humble than in Benfica. Which is good. We are teaching some sweet

people right now and we have lots of work to do. There are always

people we can have lessons with. Which is good. It’s taking a little

getting used to. In Benfica, things are a lot slower pace. But here it’s

a million miles an hour!

So Elder Montgomery is great. It’s fun to have a comp from the same

city. We have a lot in common and we have a lot to talk about. haha I

think Elder Montgomery is loving talking because he hasn’t talked in

like 3 transfers because his last comp liked to talk. We live

alone which is kind of a bummer but it’s nice at the same time. The other

elders just live a street over so we go over to their house to do

meals together and stuff. Our house is.... probably the worst one

in Luanda in terms of how nice it is. But it has the essentials and so

I’m not complaining one bit! (although at the moment we don’t have

energy... and because it’s an apartment, we don’t have a generator. ) And we

don’t have a water heater, but that’s fine, I just boil water and take

bucket showers. Tudo bem!

The branch is way cool because it’s probably the biggest in Angola and

so it functions! It has people sufficient to have almost all the

callings assigned and yes, things are more organized and I’m grateful

for that. A lot of the members already know me because they have met

me before and my name is Tingey (Uncle Earl). So that’s fun. We eat at

a member’s house about 3 times a week. So that’s really nice. It’s funny

because some of the prominent members that already know me were

talking to me yesterday and telling me their confidential plans about

how they’re going to do things for the church here in Angola. Let’s just

say.... There is a lot of money being thrown around. It’s really cool

to see these members do that. They have the means and they are

basically just giving it to the Lord.

Being in the city was really weird at first. I didn’t know any part of

it and I felt super uncomfortable the first couple of days, but

Heavenly Father has heard my prayers and given me lots of comfort. I

love that he takes care of me out here.

Wow! School has already started! That’s weird! You are all so grown up!

But I’m going to learn a lot this transfer. Elder Montgomery is an

amazing teacher who has so much love for the investigators. I’m excited

to learn. We’ve been focusing a lot on the Book of Mormon this week in

our teaching. It’s so essential people! READ THE BOOK OF MORMON EVERY

DAY!! Seriously. It’s the only thing that can keep you safe. It helps

you remember. (Remember is probably Elder Brown’s favorite word) it

helps you remember what it’s like to feel the spirit, it helps you

remember the commandments, and it helps you remember your covenants

and your purpose here in life. These things are a must!  You will be

lost in life without it!

I had an interview with President this week and after it, he took me and

Elder Montgomery to lunch. hahahaahahaha So we’re in this

restaurant, and there is a TV playing music videos. Oh boy... haha but

so funny. It was so awkward and because of this it was so funny. The

channel was playing songs like "smack that" "I kissed a girl ___ _ ___ __"  and " dont you wish your girlfriend was hot like me"

bhahahahahahahahahahahaha! I was like dying, it was soo awkward! Oh the world is

sooo corrupt!  Music vids are of the devil!    Except

country....well most of country. President is awesome though. Love

that guy.  Well, I think that’s pretty much the wrap! Love you!

Elder Tingey

ps. Mom, I got your package thank you! Love you!