June 13, 2016 10 MONTH's MARK

this week we sat with a family that have been members for a little time and it was really hard to see the result. his wife has had a hard time coming to church and he is the second counselor and a strong member!. after multiple visits from missionaries and members over the last few weeks we have been trying to help his wife start coming back to church. and it seemed that Saturday night we had some kind of reaction from her and we talked about why and how it can help them to prepare to go to the temple soon at the end of the year when they have their documents in order. but the next day at church, we saw that nothing came of it as only her husband shows up to church alone.

Sometimes its hard being a missionary. doing everything you can, devoting time and effort and your life in being here to help try and bring people just any amount closer that you can to the gospel and the church and all it has to offer. When time after time, it just seems like you do It all in vain.

But something that always helps me is in Preach My Gospel a manual for missionaries to help us out. and there's a section that talks about no effort being wasted. how even though you may be saddened that the people or that person didn't choose to act on what you were able to bring to them, doesn't mean you should give up and not try anymore. so Ill think of it in terms of being back home like most of you are. sometimes a friend or a family member might choose to reject or ignore an invite to church or something like that, but that doesn't mean that effort was wasted. you did your part, and they have their agency hahaha

Agency can reeeeeaaaallly suck sometimes.

 but that's just a thought I was having this week! everything is good and transfer ends this next week ! also I hit my 10 months mark this week!!! sooo 14 more months!!

keep it rreal.

just remember Proverbs 21;19   :)

June 6, 2016 ZONE CONFERENCE WEEK

this zone conference week was suuper cool. i got sick and stayed in 2 nights and everything!!

well that part kinda sucked but the rest was really good! i got to walk with my buddy Elder Hruby in my area on division for a day to show him some of the families and people we have been teachiing, also my trainer Elder Ence was up here! he has been in an outside area and took a plane to see zone conference here in beira so it was nice to see him again! 

but i had 2 things i wanted to share about this week. the first is during my personal study in alma 32 :37-39

many of you might know that this talk about a seed being planted and when a seed is first planted it needs a ton of care to be able to grow and take root, and then in the future to be able to produce some kind of fruit. 

v.38 but if we neglect it, and dont nourish it, it wont grow roots. and then when the sun comes it will dry out and wither away because of the heat. so then its dead.

it goes on to say that the seed died, not because it was a bad seed, but because the soil it was plaanted in was hard, and barren. well you can probably seen where im going with this, if not i guess ill spell it out. the seed is the word or the church. the nourishment is scriptures and church and stuff. the roots is our testimony. the fruits is our blessings. the sun its temptation. and the soil is us/our hearts. so think about that for a sec. we cant be hard and not let it grow. if we do we are throwing away the blessing we could have in our lives. have faith let the seed grow in you, and if you see that its a good thing in your life, keep it!

i've read this chapter a lot annnd i love it.

but also something during zone conf. our president talked about judging people. 

when we say "he is" or "she is" or even "i am" like a lot of people just say well being religious just isnt who i am. or you say thats just the way i am. or the way someone else is. and if you believe at all that jesus christ came and atoned for the sins of the world then those statements are all false. because he atoned, we can change, maybe its not what we are used to doing or being. but thats what the Gospel is for, for someone to go from Bad, to good, and good to better! 

but thats just my thought for the week. have a sweet week everyone! 

Elder Fuchs

LEONARDO FUCHS

C/O MOZAMBIQUE MAPUTO MISSION

CAIXA POSTAL 1166

CORREIO CENTRAL

MAPUTO, MAPUTO

MOZAMBIQUE

May 30, 2016 Sorry

well i dont have much to write this week! we had a great baptism and everything is pretty much like last week. hahahah sooo next week ill do better:)

heres some cool pics!

May 23, 2016 WEEKS GOING BY

Everything is going super fast here on the mission, ive already been out for over 9 months and soon this next transfer it will be 1 year! then i'm on the way down.

Well this week flew by and some cool stuff happened! 

we found out one of the new sweeet families we had found, are pastors for another church. so i guess that explains why they havent been showing up, and now i know what they meant when they said they have their OWN church. but hey that's what everyone says here.

also we were able to donate some food to this recent convert who pretty much had all the food and pans he had stolen. even though he didn't have much to begin with. this guy is a super good person. he was that older man we baptized a few weeks ago. he lives alone in a house that isnt even really a house, it is unfinished and doesnt even have any doors and the widows he covered with card board, everything is made out of cinderblocks,. We dropped off the food and he wasnt home from work yet, but we passed by later. as soon as we showed up he just started like making us some food and sandwiches and made us some tea, hahah it was the cutest thing, this guy had almost nothing, and as soon as he received some, he gave. 

he is an example to me!

there are things you can only see and learn when you are on a mission. 

so go on a mission and you'll see and learn what you would otherwise never know!

Elder Fuchs 

May 16, 2016 ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER DOLLAR

This week went super well! first week having the ENTIRE area of Chamba in our hands.

but overall went pretty smooth, we were able to have 3 families at church so that was nice!

our investigators are overall progressing pretty well!

the area is nice, the food still sucks (probably because we cook our own)

but other than that. no worries here in the South East Coast of Africa!

i was reading a talk this week by my bro Pres. Monson, titled "Priesthood Power"

it goes for everyone though. it talks about how times have changed, but the Gospel has not. people may try to justify what they do just because others are doing it, but gods way don't change! he says we cannot subject ourselves to the things of the world that oppose the teachings and commandments of the church.

How can we find protection from these things that are continuously around us? we need a testimony of the gospel! 

If you dont have a Testimony?

well get one. read the book of mormon and pray about it, pay your tithing.

The testimony of other people can only get us so far in life.

and when you do get a testimony make sure you keep it alive by continuing to obey the teachings, praying and studying the scriptures regularly, and obviously go to church.

then he goes on to talk about proper repentance and marriage.

buuuut in my reading this week i found a super dope scripture!

3 Nephi 5; 13

Behold i am a disciple of Jesus Christ the son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

That's what it is.

Have a great week!

P.S I hit 9 months out this week!

Elder Fuchs

May 9, 2016 TRANSFER 7

well going into my 7th transfer now, almost 9 months out! 

got to skype with my family, had a baptism (didnt fill it with a buucket this time), annnnnd now starting a new transfer.

they are taking a companionship out of our branch, so our area is about to double in size, and we have no idea where anything is.. so .. itll, be nice. #whitewash

in my personal study this week i was studying a talk in the liahona november 2015, the general conf. sesson, and i was reading a talk by elder Bennet and it talks about our next step. 

 and there was a small quote that stuck out to me. "We only fail if we fail to take another faithful step forward."  it's pretty cheesy i know, its true! no one is perfect and we all mess up, sooo yeah. just gotta have some kind of vision of who you wanna be in the future and move closer toward it as best you can! as missionaries it can be hard also. seems like we fail a lot and our efforts are wasted. but if its not going toward helping others, i think it still helping us and long as we put some effort, we can feel good about it with no time wasted!

Lots of love from Mozambique to my Utah-hoeans

Elder Fuchs

May 2, 2016 BUCKETS

This week baptisms went suuper smooth! there were more people that came to the baptism then like we've ever had at sacrament meeting hahaha

probably cuz there was about 20 people getting baptized..

we had to fill up the baptismal font from a well outside the chapel because the pump is broken! so we filled it up bucket by bucket for about an hour and a half or so.. hahah good experience?

also we were able to get a new family to church! (the husband was a little tipsy, but we're working on that) the wife is actually already a member, and they are working toward getting married and for him baptized, at the end of the month!! should be fun! 

as for the rest of the week , everything went well! we werent able to email yesterday because of a holiday about work.. so no one worked.. ironic huh? thats how things work here in mozambique.. not too much makes sence! but its alright i guess! hahah

other than that not too much happened.. we did hitch hike last night and caught two different rides, both of which were drunk. we only found out after the car was already moving, so i think its okay. and one of them stopped to buy us cokes at a bar! nice guy.. i said he probably shouldnt be drinking and driving and he answered with "dont worry, with 21 years of driving ive never been in an accident like this!... well.. at least ive never killed anyone like this.." 

so those words were almost just as comforting as the words in matthew 6:19-21.

talking about where our treasure is, is also where our hearts will be.  and reading a talk in the liahona, talking about men and women and what we are measured by.. he said we are measured by what we value. so if we value the cheap, vulgar crap this world can offer.. well. what do you think your value is?? just as it is like that, if you value the things of God, the things that will matter in the future, for your families, for your loved ones, and for you personally spiritually. that is your value also.

so, love you guys and make sure you set some prorities and know what you value in your lives!

Cant wait to skype my family this saturday!! 

Elder Fuchs