January 30, 2017 "Sweet, Sweet, Chastity"

WELL..

This week was a miracle! we were teaching the law of chastity to a progressing investigator family Joao and Cristina. During the close of the lesson they had the question of ``what about the payment we have to make for her to her parents?``

thats when i was just thought to myself ``oh my goodness.. i wish meque was here. (meque is a member that went through the trial of getting married without paying the wifes parents any money  and is now super strong and married ) 

and just as i thought that, what do you know... Meque himself walks right into our lesson... like.. WHAT THE ?! ... 

So that happened and then we finished teaching them about that and he shared his experience with Joao and Cristina. They committed to keep the law of chastity and prepare to get married so they can get baptized!!

so ill keep you guys updated on how that goes. Joao is the best. he has had a difficult life and just recently when HE FOUND US, he decided he wanted to change the way he was living and follow the gospel. since then he has changed many of his habits he developed over the years and has committed to follow and practice what we teach him. 

Mission is awesome. Serve one for yourself, there are other people waiting and depending on you!

love you guys! this week ill hit 5 months left! what is a mission!?

Elder Fuchs

pic of us doing internet right now

the baptism (felix)

some others who had baptisms also!

January 24, 2017 "Reactions"

Reading Mosiah 13 during this past week.

This is where the prophet Abinadi was taken as a prisoner because he was preaching against the king and the people telling them about all the things they were doing and how they needed to repent. 

As he was telling them of these things that they were doing in V.8 he says "yea, and my words fill you with wonder and amazement and with anger."

The prideful sinners of the world get amazed and angered when they are told the truth. To the prideful sinners, the truth hurts. Only if we humble ourselves when the truth comes can we allow our lives to change and to be shaped the way we need them to be. But how we REact to the situation, or the truth preached against us, is what makes all the difference.

v.10 "but this much i tell you, what you do... after this, shall be as a type and a shadow of things which are to come."

However we choose to react to the trials and things that happen in our lives is what will determine the things which are to come. Our "decisions determine destiny."

Choose to be humble. When we need to make changes in our lives in order to be living within the church standards just do it. "Yesterday you said tomorrow." 

Love u,

Elder Fuchs

i dont have any pictures of me, but here are some pictures of the missionaries in my house.

January 16, 2017 "Shots Fired"

Going out on sunday morning and we hear gunshots out in the streets infront of our house. waited a few minutes, and everyone was walking around like nothing happened. so we just went on with our day.

This week my comp elder mayeya was the one who fell in the water...twice, so i feel a lot better about myself now.

This week i notices how the book of mormon makes such a difference in our lessons. Showing them the answers in it, and sharing our testimony of it makes the difference. If they know that the base of a testimony is the book of mormon, then they can have more of a desire to read it!

The Book of Mormon is the fruit of the restoration. you cannot call the fruit good and the tree bad.

I know the book of mormon is true

Elder Fuchs

January 9, 2017 "Big News! Read This!"

Well... I was planning on writing you guys a really good email today, but the internet hasn´t been working and i´m out of time now so.. there really isnt any news i just wanted you guys to read this email.

Have a great week i guess!

 ill upload some pictures really quick though!

I got a new comp! here is a pic of us.

Pic of the baptism this last week.

Pic of Elder Brown cleaning out our water tank (full of nasty dirt in the bottom)

January 2, 2017 "Start 2017"

Baptism this past week went really well! Regina and her cousin Eclips. They are really cool and both really smart and its amazing to see who they have become sinse we first started teaching them! 

At first we were teaching her neighbor and she would occasionally stop by and sit for a minute and then go back to whatever she was doing. she didnt really like us all that much, but she didnt have much of a problem with us. As we kept teaching her neighbor she became a lot more comfortable with us when we visited with a member Joao. Joao and Regina are good friends from school and what not, so she sat with us. Ever since then she has gained a sincere desire to do what is right and has even stopped selling on sundays and given up some of her trials with the Word of Wisdom.

The Gospel can change us! 

With the start of a new year, many of us are already doing great things and living happy lives. We need to keep setting goals so that we can keep getting better and stronger. One of the most important goals we should set is sharing the gospel. Just a simple invitation can change someones life forever!

I got a new companion this week. president called and said that Elder Combs was going to be his assistant and he was leaving the next day. 

My new companion is Elder Mayeya from Zambia. he is super chill and a really nice guy!.. so far. 

Have a great start to 2017!

The year i get home!... (but i'm not trunky)

Elder Fuchs

December 26, 2016 "Black Christmas"

Nothing can be more Merry in Christmas than to be representing Him 24x7... ENJOY!

stay safe.. be happy... enjoy the present for a happier future!! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

and remember....

December 19, 2016 "Wet"

Because of the rain, our area is now a river. 

It has been raining so hard this past week! usually we haven´t been in the area when it starts raining so that´s been a blessing, BUT we do have to wear boots everywhere. Wearing boots sucks. especially when you accidentally step into a hole and your whole leg goes in the water and you have a soggy boot the rest of the day.. (that happened yesterday)

The bright side is that the temperature has been a lot cooler lately.

We also had our Christmas zone conference!! it was awesome! and something that is even cooler is that this week we will be skyping our family and friends!! so if any of you wanna skype for a little, just email me your skype name! (sike, thats against the rules.) 

Other than that all i have to offer you guys this week is some cool pics and a Happy Christmas.

Hope you all look to find the deeper meaning and when you give a present, make it something not just with your money or time, but put yourself in it! 

"He who gives money gives some, he who gives time gives more, and he who gives of  himself gives all."

Thomas S. Monson

Elder Fuchs

December 12, 2016 Where Shall YOU Work Today?

Great baptism this week!

This week was fire with referrals from members! the families here in Maraza are really doing their part in helping us teach other families that they know. It is always great to work with members and see how the members re-kindle their joy for the Gospel as they share their own stories and experiences of how they changed their lives. 

In church this week we learned something super cool. We were talking about how we shouldn´t seek to serve people just because we might get recognized, but we should seek to serve people because we sincerely desire to help others. We cannot keep doing things just to please other people and try and look good. Doing that leads to pride.

Now if we are having a sincere desire to help other people or to do something good and happen to be seen or acknowledged or praised for it, it´s chill. As long as we keep doing things for the right reasons.

This kind of made me think about my own little prideful self.. Growing up playing soccer I never wanted to play defense because they never got to score the goals. I only wanted to play in the coolest positions where I thought I would be seen by others and praised for it. 

Also when the time came to play in a tournament or something I would get very frustrated if we were assigned to play on a field in the very corner of the complex or somewhere where no was could see that i was playing. I only wanted to play where there would be a lot of people watching. 

Maybe that´s not the worst thing ever, but what was probably not so good about it is that I was more focused on those aspects of "who was watching me" rather than playing my best because i wanted to help my team. 

This makes me think about a poem I found a while back talking about this concept in gospel terms:

Father, where shall I work today?
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then He pointed out a tiny spot
And said, “Tend that for me.”
I answered quickly, “Oh no; not that!
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done;
Not that little place for me.”
And the word He spoke, it was not stern;
He answered me tenderly:
“Ah, little one, search that heart of thine.
Art thou working for them or for me?
Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee.”
--Meade McGuire

Christmas time is coming up. 

What are your desires? 

Are we doing good things to look good in front of others?

Are we focused on what really matters?

Do something nice for someone, and don´t tell anyone about it. 

It´s much better this way!

We need not serve to please. Come what may, we need only serve.

December 5, 2016, New Transfer! 7 Months Left!

I don´t have to much to say this week, it was a really good week! Things here are great in the area

 i´m serving in! 

Because i dont have much to say ill just make a pros and cons list off the top of my head of things this week that happened or that have been happening or will happen soon.

Pros:

Baptism

new investigators to church

not sick

new transfer

same companion: Elder Combs

Thanksgiving

7 months left

Christmas Skype coming up

Cons:

rain and muddy streets

HOT AS HECK

Satan

Love Handles

that´s all i can think of for now

this week i found a nice scripture that i think will be of great worth to me in certain aspects of my life, and i hope it can do the same for each of you.

It talks about how Prayer + Fasting = Answers

We all have doubts or questions, sometimes prayer alone might not be enough to get the answers we need... well.. it is enough, but sometimes we are just too hard in our hearts to hear the answer we are given with prayer alone, so i figured that accompanied with fasting is the perfect way to be able to really get what we are searching for. I´m not sure if that´s doctrine so don´t quote me on that.. just a personal thought i had this week in my study! 

Alma 5:46

Elder Fuchs

1. my buddy Elder johnsons last day

 

2. Our zone killin it with the baptisms!

3. Elder Combs and I were walking and we found this cool spot, so we sat on some cinder blocks and ate a couple mangoes. 

November 21, 2016, Africa Is Great

Africa is great. but something that sucks here is Lobola.

Lobola is ``the price of the bride``. It forces millions of people to not get married, and to live together with their girlfriend or boyfriend. The parents of the bride make the soon to be husband pay a certain amount of money to be able to marry the daughter. So as soon as you finish the payment then you have the parents ``blessing`` to get married. This tradition BLOWS! But.. it is a good way to find an elect family. If you can find people that are willing to try and convince the parents or to even legally get married without doing it, you know you have an elect family that God has prepared and softened for you to help them in coming into the lords church. It is always amazing seeing a family with the courage to do something so special and to make small sacrifices to get married. Most of the people here do not have all of the documents in hand that they need to get married so another obstacle for helping people get married is getting the documents.. all they need it an ID and their birth certificates. Seems like something so simple thinking about it back home its just something everybody already has! hahah but here most of the time that´s not the case... so make sure you tweet #endLobola2k16 to @DonaldTrump this week.

Maraza is an amazing area! this week we get to catch a plane down to Maputo, the capital, for a leadership meeting! where we are gonna have a nice little get together with the mission president and i think we even get a thanksgiving dinner! ....... oh yah...

get excited..

Thats about it fam. Stay great! thanks for all the emails you guys send me friends and fam!

I´m thankful for you guys! have a great Thanks Giving!

Elder Fuchs

November 14, 2016 "Goods & Bads"

This week there were many good things and also many things that were very frustrating that happened.

Good things first right? 

We had a baptism of this woman who was a referral from her boyfriend and she is amazing! she has changed so much, and made a lot of difficult decisions and changes in her life in order to be living the gospel, but she has been so much happier! when first sitting with her she was so shy and quiet and kind of sad, but these past weeks preparing her for her baptism and helping her with some personal issues she has opened up and is always smiling whenever we see her! Amazing to see the happiness true repentance can bring!

We also had the baptism of that family that got married last week! that was also very awesome! 

The negative of this week was that Elder Combs and I have been finding a ton of new investigators, but we just can not seem to find the elect investigators. these past few days doing some finding, but the people we find just don´t seem to recognize the plain and simple truths that are taught in the message of the restoration. it is a bit sad to see. Sooo keep some prayers for Elder Fuchs and Elder Combs to find the right family this week!

Love you guys! 

Donald Trump!.. We made it.

Elder Fuchs

November 7, 2016 "Maewege"

This week was pretty normal here in Maraza!

We were able to go to the wedding of Miguel and Elsa the couple that i had found and taught in my last area of Chamba! It was beautiful! and i think based on what it was like and what ive seen in america.. im going to be pretty dissapointed with my wedding. hahaha 

The culture here and the people are so fun! they just know how to have a good time, even though they are pretty awkward sometimes hahaha they know how to party. so ill send a little video of them dancing and stuff.

Other than that we are finding many new families and people each day! When i think about it im very blessed to be serving here where the people are so very receptive to the gospel and already have a firm belief is some of the things the gospel teaches. we can knock a couple doors and just within those few doors we can sit with a new family to share the message of the restoration with them. This area is dope! 

The Gospel blesses all of us, but exaltation is no fun if you´re there alone. Bring a friend, bring your family. When we choose to follow we slowly change. Looking back to how Miguel and Elsa were when i first sat with them they have completely changed into different people because of the Gospel and the teaching in it! 

October 31, 2016 New School, New Baby Pool Pt.2

 Me, Rosa, and Sergio (we rosa will be baptized on the 12th of november)

First week in the new area of Maraza. Went super well here with my new companion Elder Combs! He is from Colorado, and is a transfer older than me on the mission. Really nice guy and hard worker.

As we were going around on saturday night passing by and visiting some investigators and less-active members to remind them about church, we went to this recent investigator family we have been teaching these past couple of days. Mozinho and his wife Felizarda, and Fiusa and his wife Nina. They are next door neighbors and everytime we come by we sit all together. 

When we came this night Mozinho and his wife were not home, so we were just going to see how Fiusa was doing and mark another day to sit with everyone. As we were talking with Fiusa he told us that he wouldn´t be able to come to church tomorrow but he would come next week because he has a new born baby and they need to go get it named and blessed at his old church. Well.... (nice to see he understood the restoration lesson we taught...) we were a bit sad, and said alright we will see you next week then and left to go visit others in the area. 

Elder Coombs & me

Coming out of another visit we were about to start making our way home when we both felt like we should just go back to Fiusa´s house and name and bless his baby, then that way he could come to church in the morning.. At first we kinda just laughed at the thought, but then we just said  ´´well... lets go name us a baby!´´. So went back and sat down with them, had a prayer and then told him that we hold the Priesthood and that if he would let us we could name and bless the baby and that way they could come to church in the morning and they never have to go back to their old church. Without hesitating Fiusa tells us that only God could have told us to come back and do that, so he handed us the baby, we knelt down in this tiny tried stick house held together by rope and mud, and blessed Rosa Fiusa Julio. 

The Next morning they came to church along with their families!

Have a Great week!

Elder Fuchs

1. meeting with the DL´s

October 24, 2016 New School, New Baby Pool

Dear family and friends,

Had a week full of goodbyes here, it´s crazy to think that i have been in this area for half my mission already. it´s almost like leaving home for a second time! it´s weird!

I will be going to this new area with a new companion. The area is called Maraza and my comp will be Elder Combs. I don´t know too much about him, but so far he seems chill when i see him walking around and stuff... 

This week we had an interesting lesson with a super inactive woman. She was baptized and soon after because very sick and couldnt come to church because she lived so far away and couldnt walk there. Her husband also stopped coming to church but that was just because he was a bit lazy. anyway, my last comp and i  would visit her a lot and try and encourage them to come back, but nothing seemed to work to help her husband while she was still sick and unable to come. finally we got there and he wasnt around and she told us that her husband actually kind of really dislikes the church and has no desire for any church or religion or God. 

When we came this time we came with a recently returned missionary from another branch, she shared to us about how she has been attending another church because she hasn´t had the capability to go to our church far away, but how she always tells everyone at that church how she is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The return missionary shared some interesting scripture with her, making it clear that once we know the truth and turn from it, we are only bringing sorrow and a harsh judgment on ourselves. She understood everything loud and clear and committed to come back to church. 

She never showed up. 

A bit disappointing haha especially when someone understands something so loud and clear and still ignores and rejects things they once knew.

 Though we may not be able to accomplish the things that we want in helping all the people we love, if we do our part and give them a clear option, we have done our part and the rest is out of our hands. Just remember that those who seem so prepared may not always be, but we can´t forget about those who we would never think would be prepared. Because more often than not, they are the ones prepared to receive the Gospel!

Share da gospel fam,

Elder Fuchs

 3. had a member paint me a cool pic of jesus

1. saying bye to come families

2. found this boat

October 17, 2106 Conversion

I think I am down to my last week here in Chamba.. I have been here for almost 8 months and its been great! but our mission president told me to enjoy my last days here in this area!

So I am for sure going to miss this area, but its time for some new things I guess!

This week I studied a lot about conversion and what is necessary for conversion.

First the definition of conversion is:

The process of changing or causing something to change from one form to another.

When dealing with things of the world, science and such, we need physical evidence in order for things to change. In order to make things and people believe or know that something is true. 

But what about for spiritual things? do we still require physical evidence? 

A challenge for a lot of people on the mission that I have met and also people back home that I know, is that there isn´t sufficient evidence for them to be converted. 

That´s because the evidence they are searching for is something you can see. Something you can feel with your hands. but if that were the case then why would we be told to walk by faith rather than by sight? (1 cor. 5:7). 

There were people who saw Christ, people who saw the gold plates, people who were visited by angels, people who were given the `physical` evidence. but to most of those people even though they saw they eventually rejected or denied or fell away from what they once knew... For some reason they still did not receive the right conversion. The conversion for the things of the gospel need to be in a spiritual sense. Yet people are looking for physical evidence to their spiritual questions. and if that´s not stupid i´m not sure what is. 

That´s like trying to find the solution to a test question in Calculus, while using a formula to find the solution you learned in foods class. Pretty stupid huh?... yep. 

Seek the answers from the one who has them. 

in class we ask the teacher for help, or we can cheat off a friend (not recommended)

but for the answers to the questions of the soul, we need to ask our Heavenly Father. On the test of this life we can´t cheat off our friends answers we have to get our own. 

Seek the answers from the one who has them.

Stay classy.

Elder Fuchs

October 10, 2016 Dece Week

This week was pretty stressful! lots of things to do, we have been running around the city and back to the area helping a couple of the families we are working with to do their documents. Pretty exciting feeling, but also very busy! 

Things here in Chamba are great! the Branch President has been helping us a lot visiting our families together, so there is really nothing to complain about! 

Actually.. we were out of water for a few days taking bucket showers and having our dishes and laundry pile up.. so thats gonna suck today when we clean all that.. but other than that,  its all chill. 

Baptism we had went really well!

Have a great week! 

Quote of the week "It is our reaction to our challenges and adversities, not the challenge or adversity its self that determines how our life story will turn out"

Elder Fuchs

(these pictures arent loading fast enough soooo next week ill send a bunch!)

Ps. if you have a pretty friend that is a girl, tell her to email me, because most of you don´t.

October 3, 2016 HOT

Chamba. is. so. hot.

HOLY. 

It just keeps getting more and more humid everyday, so thats great.

But Just thought i would update anyone reading this for the first time in a couple months.

I am serving in an area called Chamba, in the province of Sofala, in the country of Mozambique! I have been in this area for 5 transfers now, which is about 7 months, and things here are great! the members are amazing inviting their friends and family to visit the church and sit with the missionaries, the food... well.. im not sure if i told you guys but last fast sunday to finish i had some Dobrada de vaca. if you wanna know what that is just look it up. other than that we usually cook for ourselves so the food is only about as good as you can cook, and that means the food is pretty bad, unless you plan on having frozen pizza everyday for the whole week (it"s pretty good pizza). I am finishing training a new missionary, Elder Allsop from bountiful utah, and all is well. 

Missions are a blessing! if you ever get the opportunity to serve a mission, DO IT! there are things you can only learn on a mission. It doesn't automatically make you change as you go out, but it can if you are willing to do what you are supposed to. Just like anything in this amazing Gospel. If you let it, it will change you. What sucks is that the world can also do that to us if we aren't careful. Just like the things of the gospel can change you and mold you into something new, so can the things of the world change you and mold you into something of the world. BUT we are the ones in charge, we decide what we become. If we do today what others won't, we can accomplish tomorrow what others can't. 

I know there is a God, I believe in this Restored Gospel, and I know it changes lives! I've seen it here in africa with these people, but it only changes those willing to accept it and live it.

Elder Fuchs

(i didnt really take pics this week so i snagged a couple before we left the house.. Enjoy)

September 27, 2016 FAITH VS. DOUBT

       Studying in the beginning of the book of mormon when Nephi and his family are traveling in the desert, but his father the prophet receives revelation that Nephi and his brothers need to go back to get something they had left behind that was not in the hands of King Laban. His brothers when they heard this complained, but they ended up going along. When they got to the city walls, they played some rock, paper scissors to see which one of them will go to the king and get what they needed. Laman, Nephi's brother got chosen. 

       He went and asked for their things and King Laban tried to kill him but he was able to escape. Laman, when he got to his brothers, told them the story. They all became discouraged because they weren't able to get what they were asked to by God. They were about to pack up and go back to their father, but... Nephi , being the stud he is, stops them and says " As the Lord liveth and as we live, we will not go--- until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us. Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord."

How many of us are like Nephi's brothers.. When given instructions of commandments we murmur, we get annoyed, we get angry, or we think its too hard? Sometimes we might end up doing it anyways, but when we come across some unplanned trials of faith, or temptation, we pack up our bags and go back to where we came from. We give up, Because it's "too hard" or it's "not cool" or we have other plans.

How many of us are like Nephi. When given instructions or commandments we recognize that it is from the Lord, and that "the Lord giveth no commandments save he shall prepare a way." and even when the trial of faith comes and those around us have given up and are starting to go back, we like Nephi say, No "I will not go until i have done what the Lord has asked, i will stay faithful until it is finished."

It's not like we are required to do such hard things as these. I mean, for example, keeping the law of Chastity, the Word of Wisdom, tithing, the sabbath, these can be hard at times, believe me. But if we show faith like Nephi then these things we have a hard time with, these weaknesses we have, will become strong. (ether 12:27)

Each day we should ask ourselves if we are doing all we can or if we are just going up and going back to where we started each time a new trial comes.

Everything this week went super well 

Here in MOZ its SUPER HOT, really humid. it's like as soon as you get done showering, you don't dry off.. what a blessing. 

Baptisms went well this weekend! should have a couple more in these next couple weeks!

Quote of the week was for Maria when she was bearing her testimony... 

"eu sei que Joseph smith e um curandeiro verdadeiro"

Translation

"i know that joseph smith is a true witch doctor"

Well.. no.

Have a great week

1. my big fat Mozambican wedding

September 20, 2016 GOLDEN FAM

Lately we have been working with this family, Marcos and Celina. 

we found them about a month ago when their son was standing outside on their porch, we asked if his parents were home, he said no but that we could come by later that night and they would be. 

We came back and his parents were still at work, so we just left an invitation for church. 

The 17 year old showed up at church and at the end told us to come to his house that next week to visit his family. When we came that next time we were still unable to sit with his parents that whole week. but still he came to church that next week too. 

Finally giving it another try we went to visit his home, and we were able to sit with his whole family, teaching them the restoration. Though they said that they belonged to another church they felt that the message was true! They gladly accepted to pray about the message and showed up to church. 

Sinse then they have been coming to church every week and are now getting their documents in order because they realized that their `marriage` isn´t really a marriage because they aren´t legally married and that they are not living the law of chastity.

They have a desire to change, to quit doing what they have been, in order to live the commandments and do what the lord wants them to be doing. 

I love this family and I have no doubt that they have been prepared by God!

I am grateful for them and for my own family and for the example my parents and brothers show me still of being great people!

Elder Fuchs

September 12, 2016 TRANSFER #10

new transfer starting up! im gonna stay in the same area.. again. but i love this area so its all good! 

Also ill be with elder Allsop again, so im happy about that too! i get to help him finish his training!

Everything went super well this week! sorry i don't have much time.

love you! have a decent week.