Transfer to Luanda...Goodbye beautiful Lubango!

My friend Moses in Lubango!

It was awesome to hear from all of you on Skype!! Sorry the connection wasn't that great, that's what you get with an African Mission, but at least I was able to hear all of you! 4 hours of Skype and about  20 minutes of connection! I looked forward to it the entire day and it was so wonderful.  We didn't end up leaving the member's home until 1 in the morning until all the Elders skyped. The Internet was so bad and I am very tired right now. I got a few good looks at all of you when the connection was up and you all look so great! Mason and Jensen's voices sound so different! Crazy! You are growing so fast!  And Prom, Riley you looked so beautiful! Wow the Iron man, I hope I can do that some day!
So this last week we have had great success, we have been working with Jorge again and he has been walking and teaching with us again and he is awesome.  He is really good with people he is really and so the lessons run very smooth. President Marques has gone by his house two times this past week to talk with him and help him out and give him advice. It was really awesome when I heard about that! Jorge has a phone now and so its been very easy to get  a hold of him and set appointments with him. 
We had a great mutual activity this week, we played Charades and it was so fun! We did movies and some of them, only me and Elder Garn knew. It was a lot of fun, so also this past Sunday we got to watch conference for the first time! It was great! I loved hearing it! We were a little bit behind everyone but it took so long for the DVD's to get over here in Africa.  It was wonderful the chapel had energy and everything correu muito bem, entao que mais. Well we had the assistants come down this week and i walked with Elder Clifford, he is going home in two weeks. He was very sick and so was Elder Garn, so many of us were sick. I took medicine, but I'm still left with a sore throat, but it's passing. 
I really enjoy divisions (splits) they are like adventures for me. I love planning a day full of just finding people to teach on divisions. I always meet really cool people and have great experiences. We taught some new people and explored new areas that I had never been in before. That's one thing I love about this mission is that the neighborhoods here are like giant mazes! You enter in and you don't know where you will end up.  It's really fun and you see knew stuff all of the time. We came out of an ally way in the neighborhood and came across a huge water hole in the middle of nowhere with like 30 people pulling up water and washing clothes and making lunch. They all looked at us like what are you doing here!  This week was wonderful! I'm loving Lubango. I don't know how much more time I have down here but I hope for more. If not then its back up to Luanda where the chaos reigns!  But I'll get used to it again.

On top or Serra De Leba with Belmiro and Gabriel

Week of May 12th:
So I just got transferred here to Luanda! It's very hot and there is a lot different than Lubango. I have been transferred to one of the toughest and roughest ares of Luanda, Terra Nova... I don't how to describe how I feel about it. I'll be getting another native companion. Elder Marquez. He is also from Mozambique. He is very tiny guy, about half of my height and very skinny. Hopefully we won't run into any trouble. This is the same area that Elder Chandler was stabbed in and also Elder Kelsey. Just around the house, because it's in a tough location. We will see how it goes. I was sad to leave Lubango. I wanted to stay longer, but I already was there for almost 6 months there so my time was up. I'm still a little sick and not feeling too well. Remember when you guys asked me on the skype what I wanted to do when I go home? The first thing is go to chick-Fil- A and then immediately to the Doctor. And then the Dentist. They don't have any of those services over here, that I would go to.
There are some changes up in Luanda. Areas have been moved around and there are new Elders. I've finally met them, it's been a good change. We also had a member of the Seventy Elder Renlund come and talk with us.  I am excited about one thing in Terra Nova,  Serrafin, the first person I baptized is in my area. So I will get to go and see him!
Luanda is not anything like Lubango. There is so much more noise... Lubango is very pretty and a more relaxed environment  which is what I like. Today we played soccer for P-day. I scored some good goals, and some lucky shots. Things are going well we are walking with other Elders from Luanda also and visiting people. We still have not gone to Terra Nova. I go there tomorrow and start working. Wish me luck. We call it the outer darkness of Luanda. It's pretty ghetto....I don't know how much I will be walking around with my camera here in Luanda. We will see.. well I love you tons. It was so great to talk with you guys last Sunday. I miss you so much. Chau!!  Love Elder Dunkley

Last Day in Lubango

 I wish you all the best week and i love you all! chau!!!

Fernanda's Baptism....Highs and Lows of the Mission....

Scenes of Lubango

I loved all the emails it was awesome! I miss you guys so much. Mason you are getting huge, keep staying fit because I am going to take you when I get home!  I speaking of home I can’t wait for a high pressured hot water shower. This morning Elder Garn and I went into the city to buy a new pump, we have not had water for the past 3 days and we finally got it fixed this morning.  Thank goodness, there are absolutely no luxuries here! I can’t wait to experience all this when I get home. I can’t wait to skype on Sunday I will call at 19:00 which is 12:00 your time so hurry home from church!  So Dad yes, Lubango is a very small town feel but we are surrounded by mountains and natural wonders. I love it! Things are going great with Elder Domingos we are working hard, finding new people and it has been going well. I had my first really sick day on the mission on Monday night, right after P-day. I had dinner, an egg sandwich.... bad decision. I got hit in the middle of the night around 3:48 in the night and I instantly started throwing up, it was the worst I spent the next 2 hours in there throwing up. And a few more times until 6 a.m. Soon after the other Elders started to get up and I asked Elder Chatwin what he drank when he had this and he said and he said powerade, pura sport and Coca Cola, so they went and got me some. I would drink something and then puke it up right after, until I was dry heaving. I hate that, it’s the worst.  Sister Merrill told me to stay inside. I called Luisa and Leonor to cancel and they freaked out and thought it was Poly Disemo and wanted to take me to the Hospital to get a blood test, but I did not want to move, I was dead. I had a horrible head ache and was still throwing up. That’s the part on the mission that is hard, you have no one to take care of you! So my first real sick day was the most miserable day.

Something wonderful that happened:

This week Fernanda was baptized and it went great. She is a funny lady and will strengthen the branch. She is a type of person that accomplishes. Mom. haha. So we are excited for her to be a member. Elder Domingos and I are finding cool new people and trying to work together in how we want to teach. It’s going great.  Tonight I am making pancakes with the Luisas family. I’m excited to see if she likes it. She and Elder Domingos eu gosto das coisas doces.. ta bem…we will see. I don’t know if she is going to like them.

 There was a tragic accident that happened on Saturday.  Paula didn’t come to church nor her daughter Tagi and so on Sunday afternoon, she called crying asking if we could come over and so we did and  in the bairro (neighborhood). We saw a ton of people for a funeral. We got to Paula’s and she was crying and so was Tagi and they explained that on Saturday Tagi and her two friends were invited by these two guys to go to Tunda vala at the river and they went with them and they were drinking alcohol. They went to the river and none of them knew how to swim and Tagi’s best friend got caught under a rock and drowned. It was incredibly sad.  I didn’t know what to say and she was asking and pleading for advice. I did my best by offering a prayer and giving her some advice. We told her we would pass by every single day to make sure that she was alright. Tagi was devastated and couldn’t even talk.  There are a lot of accidents like this here and it is very sad, the whole neighborhood mourns, but there is always hope.  On another note, my Visa is in the process of being renewed so I have a copy, so any more Police encounters I should be good.

Streets of Lubango: Playing with the kids

This week was a very interesting one. I held my first District Meeting and training it went well and I looking forward to giving more(:

New Week, on Tuesday the other Elders left to do training in Huambo, leaving Elder Domingos and I in the house for a few days.  With a new companion, new work tactics are always applied and we are doing a lot more door to door contacting as of right now and finding a lot more people to teach. We had a lot of success and found 8 new investigators this week.  The other Elders got back from Huambo on Thursday and they were exhausted, beat from the trip. Their bus broke down several times and it was very hot.  On Friday we had a meeting with President Marques and the counselors of each auxiliary and we talked about what could improve in the branch.  I asked if Jorge had home teachers,  Brother rock said that he did not yet because he did not have a phone, so the next day on Saturday morning we had planned another soccer game against the same team that we played last time  and they were determined for a rematch to win. That morning we had Leonel, Wilson, Pedro, Eddy, Claudencio and a homeless guy that wanted to play.  At first they were beating us 5 to 2 and then we came back 4 to 5 and then I scored with an assist from Claudencio a cross shot right into the goal for the tie and then we just whooped them 9 to 6 for the final score. I got very sun burnt and a little beat up. But hey.. when you are playing in the jungle you can expect that! It was awesome. That was like the highlight of my Saturday, then what followed, not so much, so that afternoon I had remembered that President Marques had said there is no way to contact Jorge so I decided to buy him a phone so that he would be able to talk with us and he could keep in contact with the branch.    We walked to Jorge’s home. we could not find him there so we went looking down by Henrique’s house, who is his good friend in the church.  He had slipped up with alcohol and did not want us to see him, my heart sank it really hit me hard.   I then went into Henriques and I gave him the phone and told him to give it to Jorge when he is sober and ready.  I felt like he was my own... and that he was struggling and it affected me and ruined the rest of my Saturday, it was a rough day. I didn’t know what to do, as I could be leaving here in less than two weeks. I need him to stay strong. He is an example to me.   I know that he will just be fine he is going to make it, he just slipped up and life is hard here in Africa.  Now that he has a phone he can call us if he needs us.

After that we continued our visits and went to Jauquin’s house and had a wonderful conversation about the church. Well, that was the week… some highs and some lows. I’m just glad we beat that team again! They all need to come to our church now!  I love you all so much. I wish you the best week! With wonderful moments!  Love Elder Dunkley 

More of Beautiful Namibe Vale

Falling off Tunda Vala....taught them how to make Smores!!

Namibe Vale

So Peaceful....

Namibe Vale

I loved reading all of your wonderful emails! Mom that is awesome you are going to start doing a project with the orphanage in Luanda, the lady said we could come whenever we want, but then I was transferred down here to Lubango. Maybe I will see all of the dresses that you guys will make before I come home! I’m so excited to get the package! I wish I could give Brother Johnson um abraco but I’m still down here.

Brazilians next door!!!! whattttttttttttttttttt!!! I cannot wait to talk with them! That will be so awesome! Seriously that just made me so excited! and also the plan of salvation lesson plan you made. Wow the kids and families we are teaching are going to love that, I’m so excited and Ash I cannot wait to get the calendar. Well sounds like you and Dad had a fun trip at Enchanted Rock this year.  I will be going with you guys next year! I miss camping. I showed our branch here how to make s'more.  We found marshmallows at a South African store and they loved them! It was their first time ever trying them!  Elder money and I made pancakes for some Angolans and they said they did not like it haha. Disseram me que e muito doce meu haha. They thought it was too sweet, but they always say nooo we will like it and then we cook it and they don’t want to put any syrup on it, just a flap jack!  Well, I’m loving Lubango and my companion Elder Domingos from Mozambique.  He is enjoying it a lot here and so does everyone coming from Luanda.  He doesn’t really speak any English, so it’s just Portuguese, which is great!

Elder Money, Jorge and I

This week I said goodbye to Elder Money and he said goodbye to our investigators and then on Wed. he went to the airport and then we waited there to pick up Elder Domingos. It was a great first day, he got settled in and I explained to him about the area and introducing him to those we are teaching. Everyone was wondering where Elder Money.  I told Elder Domingos that we have the coolest investigators in the mission. Which we do!  We went to Mirandas and he showed us his collection of 12 or so elephant tusks that were carved by natives into really cool designs, each one would price at about 30,000 today, of course now they are illegal to buy. He bought them a long time ago before the law came out.

The Luisa Family

We had so much fun at Luisas house yesterday we went there at 16 at 4pm and she made 3 cakes and pero (turkey) and then she brought out batatas fritas(french fries) and then more food! bacalhau and salada(fish salad) AND WE ATE SOOOO MUCHHHH and we had just finished eating lunch at our house. I didn’t expect to get fed that much. So yes Riley I had a wonderful Easter with lots of food and love from the Angolan people(:  and it rained again yesterday.  It’s starting to get into the cold season here and in Lubango it gets a whole lot colder down here than in Luanda, you need a jacket. I’m really excited to be here and I hope to stay 7 months! But we will see.

Jorge's Baptism

Making lunch at Jorge's

Manuel and I

Elder Domingos, Manuel and I!

So my companion is really pretty funny and we have been laughing a lot. I’ve really been enjoying it so far.  We had 87 people at church on Sunday which is a record high! on Sunday morning Elder Domingos and I went to wake a family we wanted to come to church the Paulas family and she came and her 6 kids!!! So the primary was really full today. Elder Domingos and I taught part of primary and I also had my first interview as District Leader with in an investigator, Fernanda, who is getting baptized this Saturday. she has smoked for 28 years and had a son die  at age 18. She quit smoking cold turkey a little over a month ago and cried 6 times during the interview, she was super prepared, Mom you would like her a lot. Then after that I taught the jovenes (youth) Sunday school class so it was a busy Sunday. I’ve been very tired mentally these past few days wow…but it’s all been very worth it.

I love you all so much and I wish you the best week. love, Elder Dunkley

Falling off of Tunda Vala!!

Help!!

Haven't lost my sense of Humor!

Tunda Vala...Don't worry mom!!

District Leader...new Native Companion from Mozambique!!

Dinner with Elders from Lubango & Huambo

I loved getting all the emails the past 2 weeks! First off I have some news... So we had transfers this morning and I am staying in Lubango! That is 6 months! The longest I have been in an area. My companion is Elder Dominguez. He is a native from Mozambique and speaks fluent Portuguese! I am very excited to serve with him. Also I am now a District Leader.

I get to Skype you for Mother's Day in a few weeks, hopefully it will be better than last time. The Internet is not very good here in Lubango.  I was thinking about the reunion the other day..Mom gets the first hug, then Dad or Ash..can't decide we will probably do a group hug!

So sorry to hear about Brother Marlow Riley, so great that you were able to sing at his funeral.  You are so amazing and blessed with so many talents.

Lubango and Huambo Elders & Sister Merrill

Mission Conference in Lubango

So Elder Money and I saw the blessings from all our hard work, as it was our last week together.  We also set goals and one was to gain the trust of the members. We have really seen the difference and have had success through the members and it has really helped the branch.  The branch has been experiencing real growth and inactive members coming back to church also. We are teaching Teodoro and his family, his wife is very prominent in the Methodist church and he is nervous to tell her, he is more interested with each lesson.

We have 5 baptismal dates set for may 10th with a family, Paula and her 4 kids.  Also there is a new family coming to church the Luisas family and they loved it, she said that she felt peace in her heart, she knew it was the right place. Fernanda also came to church and they all sat together, they are practically members already.

Dinner with President & Sister Merrill

So something happened and it reminded me of a story you told me from your mission Mom. We were on a busy road and there was a man holding down a lady on a bench and they were screaming and she was trying to get away from him and she was yelling that she wanted to die and take her life and run into the ongoing traffic. We were waiting for a taxi and then the lady broke free and the man yelled ajuda (help) and so I got between her and the street and held her back from running into the cars on the street, we finally got her down and into the neighborhood. I just felt sad the rest of the day. And later that night a young boy who was crying and he was pushing his brother's motorcycle and since he did not have the keys to it, the police stopped him and took the bike. We tried to intervene with the police but here you cannot and they were threatening to take us to jail. We had to show him our documents but mine had expired a week ago and the church hadn't sent the renewal.  I know The Lord protects us because the police ended up telling us to go home.

This week we had a soccer game with 7 members, literally in the grasslands of Africa, it was just dirt and big goal posts. It was awesome! We won 5 to 2, and there are some really good soccer players in our branch. We are going to play regularly, I can't wait..hopefully this will up my game!

Road In Lubango

So our baptisms are set for the day before Mother's Day, so hopefully all will go well. We have had great communication with President Marques, and we know the better friends you are with the members the more they open up and share their personal experiences with us. It has been an awesome 4 months with Elder Money, we are both ready for a change and are thrilled with the work we have done. We also came up with our ward missionary plan with everyone last night and we are helping to re-activate members. There is a lot of work and we will keep going, I love all the members here and the families we are teaching. Tonight we have a family night with one of our favorite families the Luisas. It will be awesome. I am glad I am staying another transfer and I will make the most of it.  I love you all so much.  Keep on moving forward! That's the motto in the mission!

Elder Dunkley

Tasted Alligator and Oryx....visit from the Mission President!!

Beautiful Lubango!

Another week down here in Lubango! I’m glad you are having surgery on your hand mom. I wish I could get mine done too, it hurts all the time.  I had Sister Merrill take a look at it and I don’t know what I can do right now. My arm kind of hurts sometimes too because I think the bones affected all down my wrist and until my elbow. Anyways wow I can’t believe Brother Johnson is so great! I did get the package and it was wonderful!  Thank you for the chocolate covered pomegranates and the turkey jerky those are my favorite!

Jensen! I miss you more than anything, Happy Birthday!  I saw the photos on the package and there was one of me and you outside the house in the backyard eating chick–fil-a. I think that was the last time I ate Chick- fil- A, it was with you! Well, it won’t be the last, that was a sad day the day I left.  They don’t have any Chick-fil A’s here, but they should Haha. Anyways I love you tons.

Well this week was a quick one. I can’t believe how fast it went we had lots of exciting new things happen.  We found some new investigators. One named Luisa. That is a reference from Leonor. a member. She is so awesome. On Friday President Merrill and Sister Merrill came down with the Assistants and the Elders from Huambo! There were 10 elders here in Lubango!

 It was the first time I have seen them and President for almost 4 months! It was such a blast!

 I walked with Elder Rigby an Elder from Huambo and we went and saw Leonel and then I showed him around Lubango, he loved it!  Lubango is the best area in the mission(:

After that on Saturday we had training with President Merrill and all the Elders at the chapel, it was very refreshing. We talked about how we are good enough, and overcoming the challenges of the mission. It was great because it’s been a while since I’ve had mission training like that and it’s been a little lonely for a while down here. Sister Merrill and President Merrill always do a great job of showing their love for us, always in their tears.  I cannot remember a meeting or event without Sister Merrill crying(: or President Merrill. This is a crying mission Haha.

President and Sister Merrill

 Well it was wonderful and we had some great laughs and some really great fun.  After that we went to a restaurant called Kimbo do Soba, which was the nicest in Lubango... It’s really cool; I would take my family there. Super awesome!  It’s all exotic meats... so I ate Alligator, oryx, also bird and some type of pig. We celebrated Sister Merrill’s birthday. We had a wonderful time, I took a lot of pictures, but these computers are not good at all. I will try and find a way to send photos.

Oryx

Well I hope to get them to you soon. So sorry for the delay, also it rained every day this week. So it’s been relatively chilly(:

Sunday we had 10 missionaries at church and the members did not know what to do there were so many of us! It was a blast! Sister Merrill got sick from the exotic meats the night before so she could not give her talk. So president just picked like 3 elders to talk.  After that we had lunch and I went with elder Tingey and we did contacting and I showed him around Lubango and was very impressed(: Haha. well there is lot of fun in the mission. You just have to look past the challenging days. I hope to stay here as long as possible. I had an interview with President last night. It was great I love talking with him always, and sharing stories it’s nice to have a check up every once in a while.

Week 50 of the mission was just straight up work, probably the hardest week of work that Elder money and I have had now 16 weeks as companions. ~it was a lesson week, and a ton of new investigators. We met a new family. The Paula’s family, she is a sweet lady and has two daughters and several other younger children and she suffers from HIV.  We met with them, 4 times in one week, they pretty much have been taught everything and have accepted baptism. Super awesome!  Joaquin. Leiocadias husband left the Hospital on Tuesday and is still recovering from brain surgery. We talked with the family and he is doing well and is healing and so is the whole family and because of this they came to church. Which is wonderful! We also are teaching another family that speaks English, one of my first and the grandpa’s name is Miranda. He has lived in Angola for 60 years now, he is a lively man and very funny and tells stories of the war all of the time… he can talk forever.  He was also a professional skater. (Roller skater) Out of the blue, he left the room and then came rolling very fast into the room on roller skates and began doing circles around us and doing little tricks and it was hilarious! He is really good and told us stories of when he used to skate. It was really awesome and we are hoping that they come to church. They fed us and they are just the coolest family. We probably have the coolest investigators in the mission.

Also Jorge has been coming to lessons with us and he is sooo bold. He just asks them do you want to be baptized? Don’t you want to be baptized like me?? Haha. It’s awesome. He is helping a lot in the church. And is always at church and has made friends. He has done a perfect transition. It’s such a blessing.  We worked really hard these past two weeks and we taught a lot, more than we ever have. Hopefully we can see the fruits of our labors in the next few weeks.

Well family and friends I love you all so much. Keep sending packages! I think I get the most in the mission! You are awesome! also I love you soooo muchhhhh!! I’ll talk with you next week!" I love you! bye bye! Wow week 50 in Angola already! 

Forca ali!! amo vos! e fiquem bem!!!

Elder Connor Dunkley

Jorge....what it's like for others to go through the process of Baptism...

Sunset in Lubango

Hi family! It is a bit rainy over here!  We woke up with the power out and raining hard.  I love the sound of the rain waking up.  First off, Mom I can’t believe you broke your finger in Cancun.  And that is great that you were able to go back to the Orphanages again.  Those iguanas looked cool, they have big lizards here and the other day one almost attacked Elder money!  I think my hand needs to be re-broken or something it hurts when little kids pull on it, we will just see when I get home.  It happened my first transfer here and it swelled up pretty big, but no need to worry.  I listen to the song “Have I done any good in the world today, such a great song, the mission makes me realize the important things that matter, and that is mainly doing what is right and being happy.  I am down here with some great missionaries and we talk a lot and are very close.

This week was absolutely fantastic Elder Money and I saw the miracles of the mission.  We also have a new Elder , Elder Garn  who flew to Angola with me!  He is replacing Elder Wilhelm who is going home.  We prepared Jorge for his baptismal interview, and he passed the pre-interview with flying colors, he has made so many changes in such a short period of time than I have ever seen anyone do on my mission.  We have such a strong connection with him.  I feel he is one of the reasons why I am here in Lubango.  Lessons come easy but progressing investigators are very hard to find.  Thank goodness Jorge showed up!  I want to come back here in 10 or 15 years and see him and his family.  It’s going to be awesome!  Elder Wilhelm gave his interview and was blown away, he asked if President Marques could baptize him and that his friend Henricks, who introduced him to us, to confirm him a member of the church.  So this Saturday and Sunday will be such a neat experience.  I honestly can’t wait for him to become a member of the church, it is going to be awesome.  He talks with President Marques all the time and they have a great relationship, so it will be a wonderful change for him to become a member. 

We also met an older man named Teodoro who has a lot of questions, but they are some of the best questions I have ever received on my mission.  Sister Lassalet from Luanda called and said that a member Juaquin Gonsalves was in the Hospital and we left to give him a blessing and what a miracle that Teodoro was in the bed next to him!  We explained to him about Priesthood blessings and he was able to witness the blessing we gave Jauquin.  We couldn’t believe what a blessing it was that Teodoro was there.  When a miracle like this happens you get a confirmation that you know that it was meant to be.  So awesome!  With Joaquin hey found out that he had 2 blood clots in his brain and had to have brain surgery he is now recovering and  doing OK.

We are still teaching the Primary and the Youth each week, we are excited for Jorge to hold a calling in the church!

Playing with the kids on the street

So another week has gone by and it was another great week of miracles.  Everything played out the way the Lord intended and the way we had planned also.  So Jorge and Elder Money and I were talking with Jorge at his house and we were in his living room and then after the lesson we came out and in front of his house facing outside the door there was the prettiest rainbow… ever, that I had seen here in Africa!  We pondered for a moment and talked about the rain and how it cleanses the earth and then comes the rainbow.  Jorge was like, that’s a sign from God,  symbolizing my baptism.  We smiled and were like yes it is…it was a wonderful moment.  I love Africans because they take time to feel and notice the signs of God and really listen.

On Saturday we got Jorge there and ready for his Baptism.  President marques was going to baptize him and Jorge was very nervous and he was emotional.  We got the font filled and Jorge changed into his white clothes and we were about to start but we couldn’t’ find Jorge.  So we went  looking and I went into the room behind the Baptismal font and I found him in the dark room praying and it was the first time I realized and felt what it’s like for another to go through this process.  I walked with him and felt something different about Jorge something I didn’t notice before.  It was an incredible experience.

Jorge was now baptized and after the Baptism, Elder Money and I sat in the front of the Chapel and reflected on how Jorge joined the church.

Some kids were playing soccer in front of us so we joined their soccer game with the flat ball as the sun was going down and just enjoyed it. 

I love Lubango so much.

River in Lubango

Jorge was confirmed a member on Sunday and it was a remarkable day.

I know that the Lord works in marvelous ways, and it’s not my will, but it is always His.  I know that He can only touch the hearts of our investigators, as He touches mine, a testimony I’ve learned is something that keeps on growing and doesn’t stop, I am so grateful to be here in Lubango, this is my favorite branch. 

I have never felt closer to the Lord and the members than here.

Wherever you care may the Lord watch over you.  I love Angola and I love my mission.

Love, Elder Dunkley  

Arafat...Zola...Broken fingers?

Pano (cloth) Angolan material they made my tie with!

I’m feeling much better now, I don’t know what I had, and I wasn’t able to go to the Hospital. I don’t know them as well as the ones in Luanda, anyways it’s all good now, and I just hope that I never get sick again.  The tie I was wearing at the Baptism in the photos is actually an Angolan pano (cloth) that is very traditional among everyone here. I bought the cloth and asked an Angolan lady at a market if she could make me a tie and a shirt and pants, she did a great job!! It’s straight up Angolan! Really cool! So Domingo who was just baptized is really humble and he is so excited to be a member and Jorge we have been working on still and he has changed so much he should be getting baptized here in a couple of weeks.   So, Dad actually Elder money and I taught the youth the same thing this week!! music!! Ha-ha... We are on the same teaching schedule! We read the hymns and talked about them and read scriptures of why it’s important to sing. I was thinking the other day of how much I miss music, I heard some Billy Joel here and it made me really miss home! I miss the classics too... and Journey and I miss drumming a lot. This week was a lot better than last week... being that I wasn’t dying of some African sickness haha... Well so we had some changing events this week, particularly in one investigator named Jorge.  Elder money and I have noticed that he has changed immensely, and is completely a different person.  That is exactly what the atonement of Jesus Christ does for each of us in our lives, it takes us and strips us of our natural defenses and shows who we truly are. It’s something that as watching my investigators go through encourages me to change more with them each step of the way.  He has gone from being a drunk and a drug user, to a completely new life. Even in our last lesson with him he told us his friends said to him “Jorge you are a completely new person”.   He understands the scriptures at a level that most Angolans don’t get, he is truly elect, and if you would have asked me if I thought he would have joined the church when I first saw him, I would have never even guessed.  It goes to show that the Lord has taught me that I don’t know what a person can become, but the Lord knows and I should not judge because they are Heavenly Father’s children, and he knows their full potential, just as he is doing with me.  So he is pressing on very strong and it seems that he will be baptized this next month! We are very excited; he will be a strong member.

Marketplace

Elder money and I have been helping out a lot of people with talks lately, it seems like when a member is going to give a talk they will call us and ask for help, we have pretty much been writing every talk... hahaha... but that is what it’s like when the church is so small, we have to be the force behind driving it until it is self sustainable. Well it’s funny, because we get there and they say you don’t have anything to use for my talk and we always say, well do you have a Book of Mormon, and they say yes and we say that’s all you need. They are always so shocked but we help them with the scripture study guide.  I can’t wait for the Branch to spilt and eventually have more and then a Stake and on and on... but that will only come with time. This week it also rained a ton, thank goodness Mom that you sent those shoes because I don’t think mine will last the rest of this week!  We also got our water heater fixed! It’s been about 6 weeks that we have gone without hot water! So that was really nice, we are also still waiting on our bikes, but we should be getting them soon.  It is so great to see someone’s life change and it is such a blessing, I can always find one thing, (blessing) that the Lord wants me to know he has given me each and every week, and this week it was Jorge, this Wednesday we will be going over to his house to cook lunch for him, we just found out he doesn’t have a Father or a Mother. His Mom died when he was 7 and his dad left him after that, so he has grown up with no one and it brings him down sometimes, emotionally. He is an amazing person and has come so far in his progression in such a short time, don’t give up on anyone, especially the ones that you love, Also Mom don’t freak out but I may need surgery on my hand, I think I broke 2 fingers when I was in Cassequel (Luanda) and I got an x-ray at the Hospital and the Doctor said it was fine, but it grew back wrong and I’m pretty sure I’m going to need it re-broken, but anyways I can probably do that back at home.

Dad that is so cooolllll! I can’t believe Brother Johnson videotaped Kito and Miloca, I LOVE THEM!!! Ahh I will try to watch the video but, I don’t have head phones, I’ll try to find someone here who has a pair. I’m so excited for you and the trip you guys are going to do in Cancun!! soooo awesome!

We had several spiritual experiences, Elder Hyde and I. He is an AP Assistant and we set a goal to find a new family, and so we knocked doors and we found a nice humble guy named Arafat and when we sat with him he had told us that he had said a prayer that morning for God to send him a sign and we showed up, so awesome! He has three kids and is separated from his wife and has tried to commit suicide 3 times now, so we got there just in time and so we are praying that his heart will be softened.

Also Elder money and I found another guy whose name is Zola!  He has such a nice house, Portuguese built, on the mountain. We sat with him and he straight up opened with us he told us he needs our help. He is 25 and married and has a kid on the way, about 5 months. He explained to us his temptations and the things that bother him. So we are going to help him straighten up his life... he also drives an Infinity! Also Elder money and I just got transfers and we will be staying a 3rd time together... 18 weeks with a companion is a long time, but we are excited at least to be out of the heat of  Luanda.. Anyway such a wonderful week and at the start of this new transfer we have 2 awesome new investigators already.

 I wish you all the best week... ate proximo! chau chau!! Elder Dunkley

Statue in Lubango