Oi,

Well, mom you’re a full week ahead of me… We don't go down to Maputo until the 1st and 2nd of October. 

However, we did have transfer meeting… It was absolutely insane. So many changes, I did get a new companion 

as Elder Fiallo will leave this Thursday for Maputo, to become the new assistant. Everyone was super happy 

for him. He'll make a great AP too. As for me, I'll take over the zone here and get a new comp. His name is 

Elder Smoot, might seem familiar, because we were together in the MTC. He was out in Inhamezua and now being

transferred to hang out with me. It ought to be a good couple of transfers. He's a super funny kid and I'm 

really looking forward to serving with him. Another bit of info on the transfers, is that the President has 

created a new zone in Maputo by dividing the already existing Maputo zone. That was fun. Now instead of having 

4 zone leaders,we have 6, plus next transfer the President is putting 4 missionaries into Angola and sending 2 

to the city of Nampula in Moz., so ya. That transfer will be nuts too.

Other info that you'll be very excited to hear is that although I will not be training Elder Featherstone, 

he will be living in our house. He'll be trained by an Elder named Elder Udall. He's in his 10th transfer and 

is a very good Elder. They will be the other pair of Elders who live with us, and so that will be fun. 

I'm sure Elder Featherstone will really like Elder Udall. Udall is one of the most patient Elders in the 

mission and speaks the language very well. We've got a very fun house next transfer, so I'm sure he'll like 

it. The room that he and Udall will live in is super nice. It just got a new air conditioning unit (that will 

be nice, since the hot season is just around the corner...) and everything is in pretty good condition. 

Usually we always have power and water, so that’s good, plus he'll live with us, so he'll get free rides 

all of the time. Elder Udall is a solid missionary. Works hard and is very tall, about 6'4" or 6'5" I think… 

I passed Elder Featherstone’s MTC address to him, so he might write him today. Elder Udall is from Arizona, 

he played B-ball in high school, along with Volleyball, but I think his big thing, was choir. He's got a really 

good voice and so he sings a lot in church and zone conferences and stuff like that. I'm sure they'll get 

along great. They've got some great investigators and are doing well. Elder Udall is a part of the Branch

Presidency in the Beira 2 branch, and so Elder Featherstone will get some exposure to that side of the work. 

It'll be a good transfer this next one. His first area will be called Macaroongo... ha. Mac-a-roon-goo is a 

nice area which I would classify as suburban. It’s not exactly the jungle like the Manga areas or city like 

Beira 1 or ghetto like Munhava. It’s a nice little mix between the 3, I'd say. So ya, I'm sure he'll like it. 

There are 2 people marked with baptismal dates I believe. Still no word on their visas. We'll be doing all 

the transfers on this Thursday, and so that will be a busy day for us. We'll be sending more missionaries up 

to Morromeu by bus, and so it ought to be another adventure to see if they get there alright... This week 

went by fast. Today we'll be having a transfer party at the church at 2:00. It should be way good. We're 

going to have a BBQ and play some dodge ball and things like that, board games and stuff. So ya. 

Hope you guys are doing well in California. Thanks for checking out those jobs. I'd definitely be down for 

that one that you guys have already found. Sounds good, like you said, I still have plenty of time, so who 

knows what will happen. I just get nervous, because it seems like time is going by super fast. It honestly 

feels like yesterday when I turned DL with Elder Briggs... nuts. It’s honestly going to be over with

before I know it.

I'm super excited about next transfer, as I'll be serving with Elder Smoot, however I'll miss Elder Fiallo. 

He's been a good companion and we did well together. I'm happy about staying in Beira, I like it here but 

at the same time, I would like to see other parts of the mission. Generally people spend 8 transfers here and 

8 transfers in Maputo. After this last transfer meeting, I expect to spend at least 12 transfers here in 

Beira. Elder Nagao and I were the two missionaries who had been in Beira the longest; however he just got 

transferred to Maputo and so now I've been in Beira longer than any other missionary, that includes both the 

senior couples here. I was here when they arrived. Man. There's even a possibility that I might spend more 

than 12 here, which would mean that I'd spend another Christmas here in Beira. So we'll see. I like it a lot 

here, but I'm curious to see the other missionaries. It’s weird, I've seen some missionaries come to Beira 

and then go back to Maputo. I guess we'll find out in a couple of transfers. Another 3 months. It'll fly. 

I know it will. Well, hope you guys have fun in California. Tell Bapa I'll let him bless all of the

meals, however with my cooking, we might need a 15 min. blessing on the food. Let him think that over. 

Sounds like everyone is doing well. I still don’t believe that Annie is a senior in college. Insane. Well,

that’s about it from my end. Have a good week; I'll let you know how Elder Smoot is next week.

Elder Okazaki