May 25, 2015

Hey!

So I'm emailing really late again because we went to that farm place again! haha! This time it was a zone p-day, so everyone was there, it was a lot of fun!  

This week was great, Aparacido and Aline were baptized on Saturday!!!  Both of them are great and have a big desire to follow the gospel, Aparaceido has made some really huge changes in his life to get to this point and he seems super committed to continuing until the end.  

I like the idea about writing the lessons from my mission, I think I'll do that, I think I may even buy a new notebook to write that!

We also have been teaching a really cool investigator that came to church yesterday.  Have you ever seen the little video about Wilford Woodruff and his search for the truth?  It's kind of like this guy, Leonardo.  On my mission I've had some chances to teach some really intense lessons with people that have studied the Bible for years and have even taught some pastors with their own churches but this guy's is definitely the most knowlegable about the Bible and the gospel. This man knows so many things about the scriptures, even things that are basically unique to the restored gospel such as: the existence of an apostasy and the Melchizedek Priesthood, the the weird thing? He doesn't go to any church.  He has visited just about any you can think of but hasn't felt that any of them are true.  But yesterday he went with us and really enjoyed it!  When we visited him afterwards he even talked about his plans for him and his wife to get married for the purpose of getting baptized!  They're great, and I really hope to be able to baptize them before the end of my mission!

Love you!

May 18, 2015

Hey!

Sorry I'm writing late, we went to a chacara today, that's like a ranch kind of thing, not big enough to call a farm, more like a house in the forest.  Anyway, it was really cool, I feel like it's been years since I've been able to walk in the grass and climb trees and stuff, haha!  

Check this out!!  President Tanner is going to Hawaii!!! 
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/byu-hawaiis-board-of-trustees-announces-new-president

This week was good, we were able to get some good work done and Aline and maybe Aparecido will get baptized this Saturday!

I did the little daily blurb thing, so here is it.

Monday - Stayed home, read, and slept, had zone meeting which was pretty inspired!  We went to do some visits at about 7 o'clock but none of the people we planned to visit were home so we ended up having dinner at a members house.

Tuesday - I didn't feel very good this morning, I think it was from eating dinner so late.  We visited the houses of a bunch of less active members but only a few have any interest in the church anymore, the ward is asking us to visit a lot of less actives to see who still lives in the area. It rained at night and we had a great lesson with Leonard, a young man who will be baptized June 13.

Wednesday - Spent a lot of the day searching for less actives, finding referrals, and doing street contacts to find new investigators.  We were able to find quite a few people and have some really good appointments marked for the weekend.  We had good lessons with Aline and Aparecido who should both be baptized on the 23rd.

Thursday - I forgot to write about this week...

Friday - We had zone conference from 9 to 4 and we live in the next city over so we got home about 5:30.  The train was so packed I couldn't lift my arms if i tried, haha!  We visited Leonard and Selma and her family

Saturday - We went to rehearse in the chapel this morning. Elder M. Santos is going to participate in a special young men program in Sacrament meeting this Sunday.  Only young men and young men leaders are going to talk and all of them are going to sing "We'll bring the world his truth"  and Elder M. Santos will play violin.  We had some good lessons especially with Valdinete and her family, she is a less active and their family is having some problems, but they are progressing.

Sunday - Church was great, 5 investigators ended up coming to church and the young men program was great, all the young men either gave a talk or testimony!  We did some visits and at night there was a Primary fireside with a great Primary choir, it was really cool!

So that's what generally happens in our week!

May 11, 2015

The photo in front of the chapel is from a cool looking chapel outside of our mission.  I actually don't remember if I told you, but the first counselor of the Presiding Bishopric, Gerald Causse, did a meeting with our mission and the mission next to us!  It was really cool, it was great getting to hear from him.  Anyway, that was the chapel that our two missions went to for the meeting.

April 27, 2015

Hey!
This week was really cool, don't worry about me, I'm fine, definitely nothing dangerous, just something that stuck with me.
This week I got to go to the temple with an Elder I'm living with here to see the sealing of a family he reactivated, and their daughter was baptized. The cool thing is that the church made a cool video about this girl! Check it out!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-06-023-unto-all-the-world-olivias-story?lang=eng


And the missionary I went with is in the video with his companion from back then (who I also lived with when i was in Diadema, haha!)
It was the first time I've ever actually seen a sealing, and it was a really special experience being able to see that.  The whole family was just so happy!
This transfer is only 5 weeks, so this is the last week of the transfer, the transfers are passing in the blink of an eye now! haha!  I only have 2 more and I can't believe it!
I love you!

April 20, 2015

Hey!
It's weird knowing that I will be home soon.  I'm just trying to continue to work on my mission and be the best I can.
This week was really good,we had more success finding people than in the last weeks and we have several investigators that should be baptized in coming weeks, including Hilary, a relative of a recent convert family.  She comes from a bit of a troubled family and is part of a Japanese  religion so sometimes it's hard to teach her, but she enjoyed church and I'm confident she will feel an answer from God. And Henrique, he went to church with afriend in another ward and we got the referral, he and his family are really receptive, and his family absolutely love the idea of him getting some sort of stability in his life because he can't seem to decide what he wants to do with his life.
Elder Souza and I had a really unique experience this week, it's not excatly a happy experience, so I dont think I'll write about it in this email, but I'll tell you about it when I get home probably.  but it helped me learn a lot about our purpose on this earth and how short and fragile and sad it can seem without the glorious perspective of the gospel.
Anyway, keep me updated on stuff, love you!

April 13, 2015

Hey!
This week was good!  It's been getting colder here, and our house is weird, it seems to amplify the cold, because one wall is facing an open field, so the wind hits it and cools it a lot, but don't worry, I have plenty of stuff for cold.
We are going to the temple in two weeks, I'm excited, I think it will be the second to last time I go here in São Paulo, so I want to take advantage!
Love you!!

April 6, 2015

Hey!
So this week I got my new companion, Elder Souza.  He is from the northeast of Brazil from Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará.  It's cool because we were in the same zone in Diadema a few months ago so I already know him a little and had even already done splits with him.  It's going really well but he was sick this past week and with that and general conference we only ended up working like 2 days, so we didn't get to do all that much in terms of missionary work.
I loved general conference, it's my last conference on my mission!  I can't believe it. There were some talks I really liked, especially the one by Elder Pearson. I think I'm going to read that a lot during the end of my mission.
Love you!