Birthday!!...Transfer to Luanda...New Companion from Africa...Elder Figuiero!!

Happy Birthday Elder Dunkley Nov. 2nd!!

Week of Nov. 24th

This week was a great week and we worked really hard, we are teaching a lot of people in this area.  My New Companion is Elder Figuiero and he is from Mozambique, Africa. I am trying to learn from him since he is a native speaker and continually improve my Portuguese.

We had some cool things happen this week.  We had our District Conference and it was fantastic. We went to the Priesthood session on Saturday and we learned how to be better leaders and then we had a General session with everyone on Saturday night where President Merrill talked about the family and things we can do better here to keep the families more safe and protected and become more united.  It was a really great day and then we had the General Conference session the next day.  The members from the other Branches that I had served in came and I was able to see some of the members and investigators from some of the other areas.  It was so great! I got to see some people from Viana that I really missed and all of Alberto and Claudice's family from The Congo.  I got some pictures that I will send.  After Conference we all went to the Mission Presidents house to have lunch and we had a nice meal there with Sister Merrill We are teaching some treat people and tomorrow I get to walk with the President and he is going to accompany me for a few lessons which should be a great experience.  Happy Thanksgiving Family!! I love you!!

Back in Luanda

Week of Nov. 17th

Living in Luanda

I am really enjoying this area, even though Terra Nova had a lot of great memories.  We had a lot of lessons this week, it was like good old Cassaquel, for some reason there is always so much work in this area more so than in any other Branch that I have served in.  It's been great!  We also had a new American family move in, they have 3 little kids, between 5 and 10 and they just run around with all of the African kids yelling in english they can't understand each other! The Dad served a mission in Brazil and is fluent in Portuguese and he works in the American Embassy here. I had to translate all of Sacrament meeting for 5 people through a headset and I will be doing that until I go home.  Translating is not an easy thing WOW! T I also got to go to Brother Weggelands and have dinner there, which was so nice, everyone still remembers me from when I was here almost 2 years ago.  I was very excited to see everyone and it was a great reunion. Super awesome.  Everything you guys have sent has been donated to the people at this point.  District Conference is on Saturday and Sunday so that should be great, I am really excited for it.  I wish you all a great week! Love you so much!

They carry everything on their heads

Week of Nov. 10th

Luanda

So Transfers this week!  I will be going back to Cassaquel but in another area.  I will be living in the first house that I lived in when I started my mission.  It was great the pictures of Ryan Johnson coming home from Singapore.  I am using the Portuguese Plan of Salvation they all love it!  It explains it so much better and its a lot easier for them to understand when they have a visual aid and can really see the plan laid out. Thank you so much it works great!  Mason you are huge! Jensen you have grown too!  Ash you are still the same!  Riles you are amazing! Love you bye, sorry its such a short email but I have to pack for the transfer!

Week of Nov. 3rd

With Moises

Hi Family!  I loved the pictures and all the emails and YES I did get the birthday packages last week!  I loved them so much!  Thank you! I was able to have a Birthday Celebration yesterday!  It was really awesome and we made the brownies!

Birthday celebration

Conference was great it was long because we watched all 4 sessions at one time.  It was nice to be able to understand all of it.  For the first time one of the speakers spoke in Portuguese and we didn't have to have a translator and everyone was so into Conference.  It is so much better to hear it straight from the speaker and not have through a translator everyone was really paying attention.  We are still working with Moises although it seems his family has been trying to convince him not to join the church.

We got a call from Jurtrude, Carlos Fonescas wife and she wanted us to come over and help Carlos, he had been drinking for about a week straight and his body collapsed and he was in serious pain.  He was in a sweat and in a ball when we came over and we gave him a blessing and let him rest.  We came back the next day and his skin was peeling but he was doing much better. It's such a sad situation.

I had a great birthday celebration and we went to a Restaurant where they played live music.  It was really fun.  I miss you all so much!  Thank you for the Birthday wishes!

Love Elder Dunkley

P-day Birthday Celebration...now 21!!

Visit to Agostinho Monument...General Conference...The Beach...Moises Commits!!!

At the Agostinho Neto Monument

Oct. 27th

This week with some of our investigators, Moises has confirmed with us that he will accept the 8^th of November for Baptism! Super awesome! So this week he will be getting his interview probably on the Sunday.  We also went to Agostinho Neto monument where the king is buried.

Also we got to watch all the rest of the sessions of  General Conference as a Branch. Pretty much all of them yesterday at church, it was like 6 straight hours of Conference, people started leaving early at the end it was so long but it was so good.  We also had a Zone meeting where we had a lot of meaningful training. I think I am going to be transferred here in 2 weeks so I’m super excited that Moises will be baptized right before I will probably leave. So Mom, my hand is healed and I am healthy!

Oct. 20^th

I think I am getting transferred out of this area soon so I will take pictures of everyone we are teaching.  Betinha is doing great, thank goodness she does not need to get married as that is everyone’s situation here! Carlos is struggling with drinking again and we had to go over there because his wife, he was messing up the house.  Beer is cheaper than water here about 70 cents so it is a huge problem.

So this week Henricks from Lubango, Jorge’s best friend came up to Luanda and called me and so we met up with him and he showed me where his Grandma lives, she is such a sweet nice lady.  She goes to her Pentecostal church every Sunday and it was great to hangout with Henricks, he is a really cool guy.

The work is going well over here, the area and branch is looking a lot better than when I first got here, and everyone here likes to get up and bear their testimonies.  It also gets pretty wild with all of the African Children running around.  I try and grab some at a time and calm them down!

I can’t believe on everything that I have gone through on the mission.  I don’t think I could have done any of it, unless the Lord was guiding me.

I love you all so much, Connor

Oct. 13^th

It is getting a lot hotter over here in Africa…literally very hot so the sunburn from the beach is finally going away now from last week. Realizing my time is short I am definitely not counting the days, just the months. Just kidding, the only thing I am excited for is my own bed and to see all of you guys!

So this week we had a lot of great lessons, one person in particular that we are teaching is Betinha and she is 17.  She is very smart and we have taught her about the Restoration of the Church, the Book of Mormon and we are going to teach her the Plan of Salvation next.  We also set a Baptismal date with our investigator Moises who will be getting baptized on the 8^th.  I just watched the trailer for “Meet the Mormons” My companion pulled it up on the computer next to me. Can’t wait to see it!

Agency is something I have been thinking about a lot recently I never really understood until recently, The Lord will never make anyone do anything.  We are capable of making our own decisions about anything.  I was really thinking about it and its such a wonderful thing.  I am very grateful to have my free agency. 

This morning I was reading in Alma chapter 62.  It was a great chapter when Moroni goes to aid Pahoran and bring back the Kingdom in order and then Teacum is killed after he sneaks into the Lamanites camp and kills their leader.  Such heroic men.  Well this week was wonderful, great lessons and teaching really cool people.  I love the people that we are teaching right now.  Also pray for Carlos, we went by his house last night and apparently he had been drinking again.  We are also teaching a really cool guy named Hamilton, he is 22. We hope we can challenge him to get baptized soon. I love you all so much!!

October 7^th

This weekend was great, we got to watch General Conference and then we went to the beach yesterday, I got really sunburnt, we played football and ran in the sand and had lunch at the beach as well.  Positive Ions and Fresh Ocean Air were so nice to have yesterday.

Football and Lunch at the Beach in Angola with the Elders!

In watching General Conference I noticed that they talked about the Prophet and the Leadership of the Church, and sustaining the Prophet, in deed and in action.  I have been reading a lot about the stripling warriors and also about Moroni in the Book of Mormon.

Conference at the Mission Home

General Conference upshot!

Moises is 28 and single and he is progressing we have gone over everything except lesson 4.  I feel that he could be baptized here soon.  He is wondering if he can be baptized twice since he was baptized in the Catholic Church. Then we go over the Restoration and the Priesthood again. 

It is getting cooler over there as it is getting warmer over here. The Angola mission had a reunion in Utah this past weekend and I saw some pictures, its crazy to see everyone together.  The Elders that I met when I first got here are back home.  I have a new companion from Draper Utah his name is Elder Nash he is really cool and played football.  I am really excited to serve with him in this area.  We taught Carlos and Jurtude about Temples and Eternal Marriage.  We have noticed a great change in the family as the Gospel is being taught in their home. Carlos is trying to keep the Commandments and his wife is listening to the discussions. She hasn’t come to church yet but she makes us food!  I was spiritually fed and nourished during the Conference! Have a wonderful week, I love you all! Elder Dunkley

Missionaries in our Branch

Ebola...being careful...Zone Conference....Service project!!

Paulos

Streets of Angola

Month of September

4^th week

Hi Family! I loved all your emails!  We have 3 new Elders from Mozambique and they are great!  This morning for P-day we played soccer with all of them, our mission is pretty much half native now.  The temperature is pretty cool but it’s getting hotter each day as we are entering into the warm season.  President and Sister Merrill went out to Luena where there are only 5 members but they brought 76 non-members to church, they really spread the Gospel. The church is really new there not quite established but it will grow because the members always invite their friends and neighbors.  Next weekend I will be going to the President’s house to spend the night and watch conference with the whole mission! Then on Monday we are going to the beach it should be a blast!

Luena

There are two sister missionaries from Angola who were sent to Boston! Pretty cool right?!

I am really excited to listen to the General Conference talks this Sunday.  General conference on the mission is a big highlight.

Elder Ferguson left for home and this past week  so we were trying to accomplish as much as we could before he left.  He said goodbye to people, the branch had 2 baptisms and we went over to the Morro Bento chapel and went to the baptisms on Saturday and then ate at a Restaurant with all the Elders.  It was a great day.  We are teaching a guy named Moses and he has been coming to church.  We are hopeful that he will get baptized before the next transfer.  I also got a new companion, Elder Nash, he is a great guy.  I am really excited to serve with him.  I am assuming that I will be in this area for another 6 weeks and then transferred to my last area, so I am hoping that the area gets built up and is strong.  This area has a history for being a tough area, but I am not letting that get in the way.

I Just want to share my testimony with you.  I am very grateful to be a member of the church.  I think what my life would have been like if I were born out of the gospel.  I don’t know where I would be and I know that I would not be content in life, or for a better word, comforted and hopeful.  Knowing what lies ahead gives me strength.  I know that when I gained a testimony that this church is true it was by reading the Book of Mormon.  It is something that I always reflect on when I feel down.  I am very grateful for my family and the life that I have.  I love you all so much

Elder Garn and I

3rd week

I came across a scripture that I really like in Ether 4:12  “And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me, for good cometh of none save it be of me.  I am the same that leadeth men to all good: he that will not believe my words will not believe me- that I am: and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me.  For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life and the truth of the world.” I love that scripture.

I am excited for this week, a new companion and many more things happening.  I love you all so much.  I will probably email you on Tuesday or Monday night since we will be at the beach for P-Day.

New Elders from Mozambique

This week was a fantastic week with Zone Conference.  We received 3 more Elders from Mozambique and now we have 11 Elders from there in total.  The mission is changing for all Americans to about half native speakers!Mason you look huge at your games! Cant wait to get back to watch you!

Soccer with the Missionaries

We had a conference with all of the missionaries in Luanda.  It was a great experience and we had a lot of food.  I still don’t know how to cook that well for myself.  We played soccer this week with the Branch and then with some other Angolans out in front of our Apartment.  It was awesome and we are going to play next week with all the missionaries from the mission.

Zone Conference

The highlight of this week was the Conference.  Also yesterday we had lunch with a member after church, he served his mission in Portugal and he is awesome.  He is Angolan and his wife is Portuguese.

We taught Farias and we talked with him about the Plan of Salvation, the lesson went great and each time that we visit with him he is more comfortable in saying that he is not part of the Catholic Church and is a part of the Mormon church.  It is really awesome, he used to always remind us that he was Catholic, but now he is easing up on that.  He is so cool, his children are members of the church and he understands the Book of Mormon.  He only needs to get married in order to get baptized, things are going great with him! 

A family from Lubango called me and to say Hi, so great to talk with them.  There were one of the best families that we taught there.

2^nd week

We did a helping hands project where we cleaned up part of the streets in Sao Paulo.  It was great although there was a ton of dust and black water.  I never thought I would have seen so much black water!

Helping Hands Project

Cleaning up Sao Paulo

This week we had a lot of contacting hours and talking to people. I have had some of the best missionary experiences contacting people here. In Angola if you talk to a bunch of people you will find that they are from all over Africa.  They are from Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa and the Congo.  One day we spent an hour and literally contacted like 20 Nigerians.  They are super funny, they speak English, but they are sometimes hard to understand.

Ebola has reached Angola now, I am unable to track it but I just hear from people that it arrived in some province called Cabinda.

We have Zone Conference next week and the whole mission is looking forward to it!

1^st week

This week was great I got to see Brother Johnson at church again and it was really cool and we have had a ton of people show up for church, and some that we weren’t expecting.

We set a baptismal date with Carlos but he needs to get married first so the date will hopefully motivate him to start working on his documents and we are hoping that everything goes through.  Also his wife is starting to show more interest in the Gospel, which is really great.  More and more each time we show up she is showing more of a desire to know more.

We also had a discussion with a new lady, Filomena, whose husband passed away and was a member.  Yesterday we taught her about the Plan of Salvation, it was a great lesson. She is very smart and sincere.

I gave a Sister in the Branch, Sister Lizet some mint packet and she loved them so much and she said thank you, thank you! She is such an awesome lady!

Dad, that’s incredible that Brother Kussy visited the ward, I remember him from the first transfer that I had and he talked about The Woodlands and said he had visited and passed by there way cool!

The area is going really well right now, we just have a lot of people we are teaching that cannot get baptized until they are married.

Tell Grandma and Grandpa that I say Hi and that I love them!

Super cool week and lots of work and new things going on.  I miss you all so much and I hope you have a wonderful week! Elder Dunkley

"Maos que ajudam" (Helping hands) project & Brother Johnson!!

Elder Ferguson, (different Carlos), Sister Merrill

Month of August

1st week:So this week I was robbed again, inside a taxi but this time I caught the guy in the act and got 6 Angolans on my side and they searched him and got my wallet back! So that was awesome! Unfortunately I jammed my finger pretty bad playing soccer on P-day as goalie, I have been icing it so it is healing.

I don’t know how much longer my shoes are going to last, the laces are broken and its falling apart- the entire shoe!

So this week was great with Carlos and his family, we had a wonderful lesson with him, he learns so well and retains everything and he is feeling the spirit just as we are.  It has been such an awesome experience teaching him. We also had a family night with the parents of some of the kids that are member and they are interested in the church, which is way awesome. We brought them cookies and sprite and they loved it!

Paulo is doing well and he is still working on getting married but we continue teaching him. Marlisa came to church! She also still needs to get married,  I hope that it will happen before I go home.

Speaking of home, I hope that when that time comes that I will not even want to go home that I will torn between the 2 countries.  I know that talk will come soon, mom where I will be wishing that I was back in Angola. The people here are really what makes the mission.  All of your emails have strengthened me and my testimony has been strengthened and throughout the mission I can feel the Lord’s hands in my life, pushing me to keep on going with a positive attitude and to make a difference in a world full of so much crud.

2nd week:Saturday I was able to attend a baptismal service of a girl that Elder Hannay and I found when I was in Viana about a year ago from today. It was Alberto’s daughter and it was amazing to see his daughter get baptized.  He called me Thursday to find out for sure if I would be there.  I didn’t expect this to come out of this family, it is amazing to see how the Lord works through people and how I was able to be a part of it and be an instrument in His hands.

We started doing Wed. night activities in the Chapel like how we used to in Lubango,  I miss Lubango so much!!! But here in Terra Nova we are starting it and we watched some Mormon messages on the projector in the Chapel and then we played Voce me Ama? (Do you love me) It was really fun and the people here are awesome, if there are people trying to mess with us, Angolans help out.  I think that they are sick of the crime and such.  All of my mission family members,( my trainer, brother and grandfather) that have served in this area have all been robbed so I am hoping it doesn’t happen to me.

3rd week: We have a big service project in Sao Paulo and we are cleaning up a praca- which is where people sell stuff like everywhere, lots of meats in the sun, haha, mom so just picture that!

So Mom, President and Sister Merrill are on the ball with the Ebola virus and have warned us all, so no need to worry there!

My apartment in Terra Nova

I am also trying to avoid the shaved head now and am going for the McCullough shake-down..just kidding.

4th week: This week we had a service project of helping hands, maos que ajudam. It was awesome.  We actually had one of our investigators Carlos Fonseca come and help out.  We cleaned up the Sao Paulo paragem, which is extremely dirty and Elder Yenoapolos got sick, it was so nasty.

This week we also had an investigator Farias come to church and he “adorei” which means he loved it!

I was able to see Brother Johnson Yesterday!! So awesome, it was so cool to see someone from home over here in Angola with me.  He came over to my apartment and everything and we were able to sit next to each other at church.  It was really fun! And I am glad that I got the shoes and all the much needed supplies…thanks!! I wasn’t even expecting this much!

This was definitely the highlight of my week, seeing Brother Johnson, it was amazing! 

We also had a great lesson with Farias and Maria, a couple that we are teaching and they really opened up to us yesterday, it was awesome. They were talking honestly and explaining their situation and really just feeling the spirit. It was such a worthwhile lesson and I really loved it.

Elder Money is back in our Apartment again and this week we were able to go to KFC so it was awesome!  We went after the baptisms on Saturday and had a great time. I love you all so much!  Especially you Jensen! 

Love Elder Connor Dunkley

Highlight of my week: Brother Johnson from my home ward!!