Saturday, December 20, 2014

Week 23

Another successful week! We baptized and confirmed 5 people. We finally got Felix e Marina married and baptized with their 2 daughters. Elder Ipsen and I found them my first week up here in Chingassura. Super nice. We also baptized Catiza who is the sister of a super strong memeber in our branch. I got to baptize the 2 daughter Nela e Zelinha. I guess the little kids just love me. I dont know why, though, I am super imaptient with them haha. I can only take being a human jungle gym for so long until I shake the little africans off my arms.

This week went by really fast so its kind of a blur and I am trying to remember things I wanted to write you about. Lets see... oh its been insanely hot and humid this week, but we had the craziest thunderstorm Saturday night. It started raining at like 730pm and withing 30 seconds I was completely soaked and so were my shoes, my bag, everything. Withing 5 minutes the roads started flooding, and we decided to head home because we werent going to get any work done in that storm. It took us about 10-15 minutes to get back to the house, but we were only about a 3 minute walk from the house. It took so long because almost instantly the road turned into a river. By the time we got to the house we were walking in knee high water... EVERYWHERE. It was os OSUM! The best part was the power was out too haha. Also saw the brightest flash of lighting ever with the loudest thunder crack that set off like 4 car alarms. I was just giggling like a kid I thought it was so cool!

The area is still going good. Since we have had 9 baptisms in the past 2 weeks were are losing a lot of investigators so we are kind of starting over finding new families to teach. The good news is we still have 2 solid families that are already progressing really well. Joao e Zinha are just trying to get all the marriage documents together for their wedding and baptism on the 27 of this month. They are working super hard and are a really great family. My golden family is Jeranimo e Suzette. They are so freakin sweet. They are already super strong and love coming to church. It helps that he is loaded and has cars so they can drive to church. And its nice that they are our neighbors so we can walk 10 seconds to our lesson. They have accepted everything super well and just have good hearts. They are working for marriage and baptism on Jan 10.

Yesterday we had a Xmas devotional for all the member here in Beira, well actually yesterday it was for Beira and next week itll be in our chapel here in Manga. It was nice. They played the First Presidency devo from last year and then all the missionaries sang like 5 songs. I kind of just mouthed the words since I cant sing haha. X mas definitely has a different feel here. Honestly, it doenst really have a feel. Its just another day since no one really has the means to make it a special day. Thats why we really just try to focus on the message of Xmas here instead of the holiday itself. I guess it helps me not get so homesick during the holidays. But I am super excited for my Christmas Eve present of skyping you all! So my time slot is Christmas Eve and 7pm here so 11 am there, I think. Skype is pretty reliable, but if worst comes to worst they have a land line I can use to at least talk on the phone! We will have 45 minutes- an hour so not too much time but itll be osum. President Kretly is coming up to Beira for Zone Conference the first week of Jan so thats when I will get my package. A little delayed Xmas:)

So that was my week. The transfer is almost over and I am almost at my 6 month mark! Crazy. Well I love you all and love hearing from you. Happy Holidays from Africa. Hey cool Im in Africa! Alma 37:44-46.

Much Love,

Elder Hruby





Pictures of a marriage and baptism of a family Elder Hruby and Elder Ipsen have been teaching!












A video of the insane Mozambican rainstorms 

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Week 22: Beira

Dear Everyone,

Another one down. This week went by fast and I expect this whole month to do the same since we have so much extra stuff going on. We got 4 investigators baptized this last week, Rudolf and Dercia (who are siblings), Lucia (whose 2 olders siblings were baptized last year), and Moda. I got to personally baptize Rudolf. It is a really good feeling being in the water and baptizing someone you found, and taught from the beginning. It was a good week. Always nice to see the "fruits" of your labors ya know? This upcoming week should be even better with 5 more baptisms, inculding our fmaily Felix e Marina and their 2 daughter Nela and Zelinha! Elder Ipsen and I are really enjoying ourselves right now.

For how good this week was I dont have much to tell. We have sat with drunk people before and they are always a bit entertaining but we usually just invite them to church and leave pretty quickly so we don't waste our time, but this week we sat with this drunk guy who was too funny not too talk with. We sat with him for 15 minutes and the whole time he just kept trying to hold my hand and kept getting in a staring contest with me say "I can read your eyes, dont lie to me." Pretty good laugh. Also there is the new lady we found in our area who I guess just really doesnt like the missionaries. I figured that out after she walked by a laid a nice solid smack on my arm. I just laughed it off cause in all honesty its pretty funny, but she did have some force behind the hit. 2 days later we saw her in the market and I looked and Ipsen and said "oh joy, here comes another one" sure enough as we passed here she laid a nasty slap on my shoulder. It hurt, but the thing that made me mad was she only swung on me, she just walked right by Elder Ipsen. I dont know why her disdain is only for me, but she is getting stronger and the hits are getting closer to my face, so maybe next week I will have an even better story for you!

The area is going really good right now. The Lord definitely has His hand in our work. Super grateful for that. Like I said we had 4 baptisms this past week, 5 more to come this week, and 6 more by then end of December! So lucky! We sat with a new family this week Jeranimo and Suzette. They have 3 boys; Michelle 15, Shelton 4, and Jeranimo 2. We had two super solid, spiritual lessons with them, which is actually kind of rare because we always have so many noises and distractions and have to teach so simply that for me at least its hard to feel a strong spirit, but it was present with them. They came to church and loved it. Suzette even bore her testimony during Sacrament Meeting. We passed by last night and Michelle was telling us how much he liked church and then asked if Elder Ipsen and I are going to come over and celebrate X-mas with them at there house! It was super sweet.

This week I read a lot in the book "Jesus the Christ." I don't know exactly what to share from that, but I learned a lot. I think it is a book that you just have to read yourself because it makes a lot more sense and means more, but I will say that it was nice. I am super thankful for our Savior and all that He did for us. It is impossible to comprehend exactly what He did, but good thing we dont have to. All we have to do is recognize that He did, and follow Him. Life is so much easier with the Savior on our side. I cant imagine trying to go through the trials life throws at us without having someone like Him to carry me through them.

Thanks for the love, prayers, and emails. You all are the best. I love you. Until next week!

Much Love,
Elder Hruby


Elder Hruby and Elder Ipsen with a family they baptized




This is Elder Hruby and some other Elders with Rudolf. Elder Hruby got to baptize Rudolf :)




Elder Hruby and Elder Ipsen with a family they are teaching

An inappropriately large caterpillar 
A picture of the "19 year-old boy version of Thanksgiving dinner when you are living in Africa"

Thanksgiving dinner


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Week 21: Beira

Your emails this week were OSUM! You guys had me laughing in front of the entire internet cafe haha. Thanksgiving in Mexico sounded like  quite the week. Im a bit jealous, but it would be hard to top the Thanksgiving we had here. We went crazy and took 2 hours for lunch instead of the usual 1! Haha but seriously it was actually nice. The 6 of us at the house made a bunch of fried chicken, pre-packaged mashed potatoes, pudding pie, and home-made pizza. It was actually a super tasty meal, but super unhealthy. Also we made a pact at the beginning of the meal that all the food was going to be finished before we went back to work unless we threw up. You know the typical 19/20 year old boy thing to do. Well apparently I am the only one in the house that is good for my word because I am the only one that went hard enough to throw up haha. Everyone was complaining that they were too full to help finish all the food so I put the team on my back. Ended up throwing it up but I have never seen the Elders in the house laugh so hard as when I was throwing up haha. So I guess it was worth it... none of us will forget this Thanksgiving now.
 
Other than that the week was pretty normal. The only other notable thing I can really think of is I got in a dance battle with a drunk guy the other day. Everyone we pass in the road is basically drunk so usually I dont pay them any mind, but this guy was just too good not to join in. I cant even describe to you how redicuouls this dude looked doing his little African dance, but I just hopped in and started being outrageous too. Ya I know probably not the best representation of a missionary in the moment, but we are all human right? If it justifies it, I got a standing ovation and you know they will never forget went the aozungo (white boy) dance battled the drunk guy!
 
The area is going. There is always more work to be done and never enough time in the day/week. Sad news, our best family, Armando e Graca, arent going to get married and baptized this week. They had some super wierd family issues pop up with his ex-wife and what not, I still dont understand the situation very well, but they have to wait until July to get married. That means we stopped teaching them because we can use our time with them if they arent progressing. It sucked a lot doing that because I legit love them. They are such a great couple. They promised to keep reading, praying, and coming to church every week , which they did this week, but then again every family says that. I hope they prove us wrong ya know? Joao e Zinha are doing great. They are in the middle of all the marriage documents right now and look good for a wedding on the 20 and baptism on Christmas Day! 
This Saturday we should have 5 baptism. No families, just 4 youth, and one 23 year old woman. It will be nice to see some of our investigators finally baptized. This month is looking good. After this week the baptism should just keep coming with at least 2 scheduled for each of the next 3 weeks! The Lord is working Miracles.
 
I am reading in Alma as part of my personally study lately. It is super fun to read about Ammon, Alma, Mosiah, and all the other missionaries that went and preached the Gospel. They had some pretty sweet experiences and reading about those as a current missionary is nice. I really like Alma 30. Alma goes off on Korihor. What stuck out to me was verses 8/9. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. It is our choice who we are going to follow and if we want to receive the blessings of the Lord or not. Also he talks about how serving God is a
privilege, it is a privilege to get to believe in Him. It really is
because through that He just continually blesses us and lets us enjoy serving Him.
 
Thanks for the great emails this week! I love you all and am getting super stoked to skype on Christmas!!!!!!! Until next week.
 
 Much Love,
 Elder Hruby

Elder Hruby with a new convert at his baptism :) 


Elder Hruby has been doing some major walking...his shoes are all worn out!