Monday, November 18, 2013

11 - 17 Nov 2013 Flowers,Machoie.JamineFamily,FHClass


The week began with a continued display of flowering trees and shrubs. Just when it seemed that they could not get any prettier, they do.




Here is a selection of fruits that we were washing after coming home from the grocery store - quite colorful. This week we got what looked like apricots, but they were really “nectacots” a cross between a nectarine and an apricot. They were actually very tasty.

We bought the “pumpkin” below that is supposed to taste and look like a pumpkin inside. We’ll  believe it when we taste it!

Wednesday family history classes continue. Here is a picture of last week’s eager learners. (Back row (left to right): Anastacio & Adelina Mutampua, Eduardo Machoie, Laurinda Branco, Victoria Feliciano, Neuria Chiua. Front row (left to right): Elder Tidwell, Sister Tidwell, Angelo & Matilde Jamine.)

The hot afternoon sun from the west has caused us to move our front room furniture to the large air conditioned room.

Our dear friend, Irmão (Brother) Machoie, was able to baptize his wife on Saturday. They plan to go to the temple in South Africa in a year from now to be sealed for eternity. See their cute baby named Tiago in the pictures as well.




A few weeks ago Sister Tidwell and I were introduced to a couple from Maputo 1 Branch by Elder Lake. They were baptized a year ago and were planning to go to the temple with the Maputo District Temple Caravan leaving on November 21, 2013. They plan to be endowed and sealed in the temple as well as sealing a child to them. They also had some work to perform for deceased ancestors, They wanted help in preparing their paper work, so Sister Tidwell invited them to attend her weekly family history class. They attended, and, with some other individual meetings with them, they are now prepared to go to the temple and perform the temple ordinances.  Pictures here are Sister Tidwell with Matilde, Angelo, and Angelo's mother, Helena.

Here is a picture of a “nectacot” and the fruit, lychee.  The rough Lychee skin peels off easily; the peel is brittle like a boiled-egg shell.  The white juicy fruit surrounds a black pit and tastes like a sour grape.  We both tasted it and we may not want to have another … we think it is an acquired taste.

Late Saturday night Elder Tidwell watched part of BYU football game over the internet on  BYU-TV!  He had to go to bed before it was over, as by half-time it was midnight and the score was already 42-3.  He presumed they would win and he was correct!


Weather has been hot and humid, and it is expected to get worse. Tomorrow we will work on putting up a mosquito net for our bed, as mosquitos are supposed to flourish in the hot humid weather.


The week ended with great sadness as we received word that our dear friend Diana Cranney from our home ward in Provo had passed away. We also received word that our Mission President’s mother had passed away in Brazil. We are grateful for the gospel message of eternal life that reminds us of our everlasting existence and association with loved ones.


We continue to experience great blessings on this mission.  Every week there are baptisms to attend here and we hear of multiple marriages and baptisms happening in other branches in the mission.  To show our gratitude for these great miracles we acknowledge our dependence on our Heavenly Father for all that is happening here, and we petition Heavenly Father that the miracles will continue as members and missionaries remain steadfast and committed to mission goals.  President Kretly has called for a special fast for November 30 - 1 December. He had recently visited with a missionary from another country, which has a significant percentage of citizens who are members of the Church and which had previously experience great growth.  The gospel vigor there is waning and President Kretly doesn’t want that to happen here.  You are invited to join this special fast in the interest of successful missionary work throughout the world.

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