Então, gente. How are you all doing?
I guess I should let you guys know that I find it difficult to think of things to say each week. Maybe I should just send you guys my key indicators and we'll call it a day.
This week was pretty good, I guess. We have been teaching the message of the Restoration to a lot of good, new people, but it seems like no one really wants to progress. Many of the people we taught were more curious about the Church than interested in joining it. A lot of them agreed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it, but as soon as we brought up making a visit to the Church, they all started giving excuses about why they couldn't or wouldn't go. I don't think I'll ever understand why it is so unbelievably difficult to get people to go to church.
In the end, it all worked out, though. I suppose this was a seed-planting week, because we have taught quite a few people who we're definitely not going to teach anymore because they aren't progressing. Although it's always hard to stop visiting people, it's necessary sometimes. Hopefully they will all have another chance to accept the Gospel in the future.
For the second time on my mission, my retainer broke. Can I maybe have a new one, Mom and Dad?
I think I mentioned it last week, but I'm the ward pianist again. I haven't done this since my first area, but it's been good for me to see how much I've changed since then. I remember freaking out about accompanying the congregation in Mococa, but now it isn't as big a deal. I still get a little nervous before we sing, but I'm putting myself out there and trying to get over my crippling stage fright or whatever it is. Lack of confidence, I guess.
I can hardly think of anything to tell you guys. We are working a lot and teaching people. I do my best to teach by the Spirit, which is very real. I love studying the scriptures every day, especially now that I have a nice new quad. I don't know if we'll baptize anyone soon, but I'll try my best. My companion is a really nice, upbeat person, and he's fun to be around. I talk a lot more because he's still in the early stages of his mission, but that's all right. I'm all just like tanta faz about it, sabe? Então tá bom.
Eu amo vocês com todo o meu coração! Tenho muitas saudades de vocês, mas não estou deixando-as me atrapalhar, viu! Eu nem acredito que já faz mas que um ano que estou aqui, gente. Só quer dizer que daqui um pouco a gente vai se ver novamente! A gente vai conversar logo (Natal está chegando)! Amo vocês! A Igreja é verdadeira! O Livro de Mórmon é a palavra de Deus! Estou feliz, então não fiquem preocupados comigo, tá?
Abraço,
Elder Wings
ps seriously what am i going to do about my retainer
Monday, October 25, 2010
I've got nothing to worry about, so I worry about nothing
Hey guys!
So, I'm here in a new LAN house in a new area in a new city with a new companion and all is well. My first week here in Birigui was a very tiring one, but I survived!
I talked about my new companion last week, but I hadn't met him yet. His name is Elder Harris, and he's awesome! He's from North Ogden, Utah, and he has three months on the mission. His trainer was a Brazilian who doesn't speak English, so I'm kind of acting as his trainer 1.1 this transfer. Since he can easily communicate with me and ask questions about the language and everything, I should be able to help him out a lot. I hope.
It has actually been pretty crazy to have a companion who's so new on the mission. After being with my last companion for more than four months, who spoke Portuguese really well and is a very good teacher, I still haven't totally gotten used to being with a newbie. It's weird having to be the guy who leads in planning and contacts and lessons and everything, but it has been good for me to take charge of something. We still have a long way to go, but I like getting to show him new things and teach him new words and all that fun stuff.
Being with a n00basaurus rex has helped me to see how much I've grown on my mission. It's weird, because everything has been reminding me about my first area on the mission. The houses look like those from my first area. It's starting to really heat up again, just like when I was in Mococa. The ward is small. The house is gross. I'm the ward pianist again. And I feel like Elder Harris is me from the beginning of my mission and I am my trainer now, because he's excited to be on his mission and work hard, but he struggles (like we all do) with the language and with teaching, and I can actually talk to people and save him when people start speaking quickly in street contacts and stuff. I've been getting some serious deja vu.
I honestly don't have much else to say. We have some investigators that we've been teaching, but none who are really really progressing. At least, not yet! A lot of the members here are pretty discouraged about the ward and inactivity and stuff, but we're going to baptize the entire universe for the remission of sins anyway. Or something.
We're working hard, and I'm doing all right. I feel like becoming senior companion is turning me into a man. I don't know if it's because of that or all of the hormone-injected chicken that I eat, but something is putting hair on my chest!
That was kind of a lame joke.
I love you guys with all my heart, might, mind, and strength! A Igreja é verdadeira! Amo vocês até o pó, viu?!
Tchau!
So, I'm here in a new LAN house in a new area in a new city with a new companion and all is well. My first week here in Birigui was a very tiring one, but I survived!
I talked about my new companion last week, but I hadn't met him yet. His name is Elder Harris, and he's awesome! He's from North Ogden, Utah, and he has three months on the mission. His trainer was a Brazilian who doesn't speak English, so I'm kind of acting as his trainer 1.1 this transfer. Since he can easily communicate with me and ask questions about the language and everything, I should be able to help him out a lot. I hope.
It has actually been pretty crazy to have a companion who's so new on the mission. After being with my last companion for more than four months, who spoke Portuguese really well and is a very good teacher, I still haven't totally gotten used to being with a newbie. It's weird having to be the guy who leads in planning and contacts and lessons and everything, but it has been good for me to take charge of something. We still have a long way to go, but I like getting to show him new things and teach him new words and all that fun stuff.
Being with a n00basaurus rex has helped me to see how much I've grown on my mission. It's weird, because everything has been reminding me about my first area on the mission. The houses look like those from my first area. It's starting to really heat up again, just like when I was in Mococa. The ward is small. The house is gross. I'm the ward pianist again. And I feel like Elder Harris is me from the beginning of my mission and I am my trainer now, because he's excited to be on his mission and work hard, but he struggles (like we all do) with the language and with teaching, and I can actually talk to people and save him when people start speaking quickly in street contacts and stuff. I've been getting some serious deja vu.
I honestly don't have much else to say. We have some investigators that we've been teaching, but none who are really really progressing. At least, not yet! A lot of the members here are pretty discouraged about the ward and inactivity and stuff, but we're going to baptize the entire universe for the remission of sins anyway. Or something.
We're working hard, and I'm doing all right. I feel like becoming senior companion is turning me into a man. I don't know if it's because of that or all of the hormone-injected chicken that I eat, but something is putting hair on my chest!
That was kind of a lame joke.
I love you guys with all my heart, might, mind, and strength! A Igreja é verdadeira! Amo vocês até o pó, viu?!
Tchau!
Monday, October 11, 2010
I went out into the light, I went out to pick a fight with anyone
So after being in the same area with the same companion for four months, one of us is leaving. And surprisingly, it's me! I'm being transferred right now. I mean, like, right now. I'm actually writing this from a little LAN house in the Ribeirão Preto bus station. My bus leaves from here in a little over an hour, and I should get to my new area about six hours later. My companion is staying in our area (for his fourth transfer), and he'll be training a new missionary.
The other big news is that I'm becoming senior companion this transfer. I'm actually going to be my new companion's step dad, meaning I'll be his second companion (his first one, his trainer, is his "dad"). He's American, and this is his second transfer, so I'm a little nervous. I mean, I'm sure we'll have a blast and learn a lot and I'll grow up a lot and all that important stuff will happen, but I was already nervous about becoming senior, and I'll be with someone who is pretty fresh on the mission. And I'll be in a brand new area. The responsibility being tossed onto my shoulders is a little heavier than I was expecting, but that's all right. That's how we get stronger, right?
I'm just going to keep my head up and put my nose to the grindstone and walk it off and straighten up and fly right and just baptize the whole flippin' universe. I'll let you know how things go next week, if I'm still alive.
This past week wasn't too exciting; we tried and tried and tried to find people to teach, but it was really hard. I swear, no one was ever home in our area from one to five o'clock. We did find a nice young couple and taught them the message of the Restoration. The husband wasn't especially interested, but the wife was wonderful. As I was quoting Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision, she very clearly felt the influence of the Spirit; I felt it, too. Tears fell down her face, and she told us after we talked about the Book of Mormon that she believed that what we were teaching was true. We bore our testimonies and they committed to read and pray. Too bad I'll never see either of them again!
I'm doing all right out here. I was a little disappointed and definitely surprised that I was getting transferred, but I guess it was time for me to go. I really came to love the members of that ward, and it's probably the only area that I've passed through that I would consider going back to visit at the end of my mission. I'm sure I'll be able to say the same about my new area in a few weeks, right? Everything will be all right.
I love all of you so much! I'm proud to be a Wiggins! The Church is true!
Elder Sniggiw
The other big news is that I'm becoming senior companion this transfer. I'm actually going to be my new companion's step dad, meaning I'll be his second companion (his first one, his trainer, is his "dad"). He's American, and this is his second transfer, so I'm a little nervous. I mean, I'm sure we'll have a blast and learn a lot and I'll grow up a lot and all that important stuff will happen, but I was already nervous about becoming senior, and I'll be with someone who is pretty fresh on the mission. And I'll be in a brand new area. The responsibility being tossed onto my shoulders is a little heavier than I was expecting, but that's all right. That's how we get stronger, right?
I'm just going to keep my head up and put my nose to the grindstone and walk it off and straighten up and fly right and just baptize the whole flippin' universe. I'll let you know how things go next week, if I'm still alive.
This past week wasn't too exciting; we tried and tried and tried to find people to teach, but it was really hard. I swear, no one was ever home in our area from one to five o'clock. We did find a nice young couple and taught them the message of the Restoration. The husband wasn't especially interested, but the wife was wonderful. As I was quoting Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision, she very clearly felt the influence of the Spirit; I felt it, too. Tears fell down her face, and she told us after we talked about the Book of Mormon that she believed that what we were teaching was true. We bore our testimonies and they committed to read and pray. Too bad I'll never see either of them again!
I'm doing all right out here. I was a little disappointed and definitely surprised that I was getting transferred, but I guess it was time for me to go. I really came to love the members of that ward, and it's probably the only area that I've passed through that I would consider going back to visit at the end of my mission. I'm sure I'll be able to say the same about my new area in a few weeks, right? Everything will be all right.
I love all of you so much! I'm proud to be a Wiggins! The Church is true!
Elder Sniggiw
Monday, October 4, 2010
Turquoise Hexagon Sun
October 4, 2010
I really don't have much to report on this week besides General Conference, which was amazing. My mission president allowed and encouraged us to watch all of the sessions, so we did. In English! It was so good, gente. My companion and I basically got to take the weekend off because of conference, and it was such a spiritually nourishing experience. I was impressed by how many of the speakers talked about agency and how it relates to obedience and acquiring the Spirit and eternal families and everything. It seems like just about everyone connected agency to something. I enjoyed Elder Nelson's talk about missionary work, and Elder Kearon's about wearing flip flops and getting stung by a scorpion. It can be easy to be a little lazy or rebellious out here with mission rules if you're not careful, and then you get stung.
I took a lot of notes throughout the conference, and I'm going to study them over the next few days, assess how I need to make changes in my life/work (since they're the same thing right now), and then make them. Something that I definitely need to improve is the level of gratitude that I have for God and for others. President Monson's talk was really beautiful, and I like the idea of taking an inventory of everything the Lord has blessed you with. Elder Holland's talk was also pretty similar in that he emphasized the importance of being grateful for the sacrifices that others make for you.
I know it's inadequate to do so here, but I just want to thank all of you for your love, support, and prayers. I love all of you with all of my heart.
Other than conference, things were pretty uninteresting this week. None of our investigators went to conference, and those girls who we promised to buy truffles from were slackers, too (that is a mess of a sentence). Things are going slowly, but they're going well.
The gospel is true. I love you so much.
elder wiggins the fourth
I really don't have much to report on this week besides General Conference, which was amazing. My mission president allowed and encouraged us to watch all of the sessions, so we did. In English! It was so good, gente. My companion and I basically got to take the weekend off because of conference, and it was such a spiritually nourishing experience. I was impressed by how many of the speakers talked about agency and how it relates to obedience and acquiring the Spirit and eternal families and everything. It seems like just about everyone connected agency to something. I enjoyed Elder Nelson's talk about missionary work, and Elder Kearon's about wearing flip flops and getting stung by a scorpion. It can be easy to be a little lazy or rebellious out here with mission rules if you're not careful, and then you get stung.
I took a lot of notes throughout the conference, and I'm going to study them over the next few days, assess how I need to make changes in my life/work (since they're the same thing right now), and then make them. Something that I definitely need to improve is the level of gratitude that I have for God and for others. President Monson's talk was really beautiful, and I like the idea of taking an inventory of everything the Lord has blessed you with. Elder Holland's talk was also pretty similar in that he emphasized the importance of being grateful for the sacrifices that others make for you.
I know it's inadequate to do so here, but I just want to thank all of you for your love, support, and prayers. I love all of you with all of my heart.
Other than conference, things were pretty uninteresting this week. None of our investigators went to conference, and those girls who we promised to buy truffles from were slackers, too (that is a mess of a sentence). Things are going slowly, but they're going well.
The gospel is true. I love you so much.
elder wiggins the fourth
Sunday, October 3, 2010
If I could do it again, I'd make more mistakes
September 27, 2010
Hey family.
This week was pretty amazing for us. We had another baptism! Hurrah! We baptized a girl named Larissa on Saturday night. We have been teaching her for a while, and she has progressed very well. She's actually a friend of the first girl we baptized here, so the two of them are both very excited to participate in the Church together. Our ward's Young Women's organization is actually pretty strong, so the two of them are already getting well-integrated into the ward. We actually went to their apartment yesterday (the two of them live in separate apartments, but they're both right next to a member family's apartment) and talked to them about General Conference and the importance of following the prophet. The young women in our ward are currently selling (enormous) truffles to make money for their camping trip / youth conference thing in February. My companion and I promised to buy five truffles from each of the two girls we baptized and their friend who was already a member if they go to all four sessions of Conference and take notes. We'll see if they follow through with that.
Speaking of which, I am going nuts in anticipation for General Conference. Word is that there will be an English room at the stake center here, and if everything goes according to plan, I'll get to watch all five sessions. I am so excited it's stupid.
Anyway, at that same visit, Aline, the first girl we baptized, asked me if members of the Church are allowed to marry nonmembers. That led to a good discussion about the temple and eternal marriage. We ended up teaching about baptisms for the dead and committed both of the girls we baptized to prepare themselves to go to the temple next month. I really can't believe that that is even a possibility for them now.
Aside from Larissa's baptism and confirmation, there weren't two many noteworthy occurrences this week. The rainy season is getting here, which I love in spite of it screwing up everything we do.
Oh, there was something big that happened: for the first time so far in my whole mission, my companion and I were forcefully asked to leave someone's house on Saturday. Right before lunch, we went to the house of a guy that I had contacted a few weeks ago. He and his wife were both at home, but he was the only one who was happy to see us. We went in and made some small talk. The guy's wife didn't want to hear a message from us because she was making lunch (and, we found out, she was suuuuuper Catholic). So we started teaching the Restoration to the guy. The lesson was going fine, even though he wasn't paying too much attention. We made it to the point in the lesson where we talk about Joseph Smith, and my companion read James 1:5. He asked the dude who we should go to when we have doubts about religion, and the dude said God.
And then everything went nuts.
The guy's wife stormed into the room and started yelling at us. She said that she had been listening from the kitchen the whole time, and that she wanted us to leave. We agreed to, and started packing up our things. As we did so, she kept shouting at us. Apparently she thought that we read James 1:5 to speak out against the Catholic practice of praying to idols or statues. She thought we had gone into her house to tell them about how wrong Catholicism is and that Catholics don't believe in God or Jesus Christ or whatever else. We assured her that we didn't want to offend her, and that that wasn't even what we had been talking about. And she said that she was offended all the same, and that we should leave. So we did!
It was nuts.
Anyway, that was this week. I am seriously so dang stoked about General Conference. I hope you are, too! I love all of you with all my heart, even though you guys don't really seem real to me anymore (a year is a long time)!
luv
elder booga
This week was pretty amazing for us. We had another baptism! Hurrah! We baptized a girl named Larissa on Saturday night. We have been teaching her for a while, and she has progressed very well. She's actually a friend of the first girl we baptized here, so the two of them are both very excited to participate in the Church together. Our ward's Young Women's organization is actually pretty strong, so the two of them are already getting well-integrated into the ward. We actually went to their apartment yesterday (the two of them live in separate apartments, but they're both right next to a member family's apartment) and talked to them about General Conference and the importance of following the prophet. The young women in our ward are currently selling (enormous) truffles to make money for their camping trip / youth conference thing in February. My companion and I promised to buy five truffles from each of the two girls we baptized and their friend who was already a member if they go to all four sessions of Conference and take notes. We'll see if they follow through with that.
Speaking of which, I am going nuts in anticipation for General Conference. Word is that there will be an English room at the stake center here, and if everything goes according to plan, I'll get to watch all five sessions. I am so excited it's stupid.
Anyway, at that same visit, Aline, the first girl we baptized, asked me if members of the Church are allowed to marry nonmembers. That led to a good discussion about the temple and eternal marriage. We ended up teaching about baptisms for the dead and committed both of the girls we baptized to prepare themselves to go to the temple next month. I really can't believe that that is even a possibility for them now.
Aside from Larissa's baptism and confirmation, there weren't two many noteworthy occurrences this week. The rainy season is getting here, which I love in spite of it screwing up everything we do.
Oh, there was something big that happened: for the first time so far in my whole mission, my companion and I were forcefully asked to leave someone's house on Saturday. Right before lunch, we went to the house of a guy that I had contacted a few weeks ago. He and his wife were both at home, but he was the only one who was happy to see us. We went in and made some small talk. The guy's wife didn't want to hear a message from us because she was making lunch (and, we found out, she was suuuuuper Catholic). So we started teaching the Restoration to the guy. The lesson was going fine, even though he wasn't paying too much attention. We made it to the point in the lesson where we talk about Joseph Smith, and my companion read James 1:5. He asked the dude who we should go to when we have doubts about religion, and the dude said God.
And then everything went nuts.
The guy's wife stormed into the room and started yelling at us. She said that she had been listening from the kitchen the whole time, and that she wanted us to leave. We agreed to, and started packing up our things. As we did so, she kept shouting at us. Apparently she thought that we read James 1:5 to speak out against the Catholic practice of praying to idols or statues. She thought we had gone into her house to tell them about how wrong Catholicism is and that Catholics don't believe in God or Jesus Christ or whatever else. We assured her that we didn't want to offend her, and that that wasn't even what we had been talking about. And she said that she was offended all the same, and that we should leave. So we did!
It was nuts.
Anyway, that was this week. I am seriously so dang stoked about General Conference. I hope you are, too! I love all of you with all my heart, even though you guys don't really seem real to me anymore (a year is a long time)!
luv
elder booga
Are you with me? Are you with me?
September 20, 2010
Greetings from the other side of the mission hill! I now have one year and four days on my mission, but it only feels like ten times that long. What did you guys do to celebrate Hump Day? Because I just worked.
We had zone conference this week. It was our first one with my new mission president because we had a general authority speak last transfer. Conference was awesome. My new president has such a strong conviction of the gospel, and he talked a lot about how he wants us to forget about the past and devote the rest of our missions, however much time that may be, to the Lord. President said he wants us to be 100% missionaries. He hit the pulpit a lot and gave such a powerful pep talk that I just wanted to go out and proclaim the gospel to every living creature in the whole wide world. Or play some football. I don't know.
He instated a new mission-wide rule, too: every missionary now has to have a copy of the Book of Mormon in his or her hand at all times. I have mine right next to the computer monitor right now. I haven't noticed much of a difference yet with this change, though I do feel like I have greater authority when I make contacts with people. I guess the idea is to use the Book of Mormon more frequently and sooner in our teaching, or it's just to get people to ask us what book is we're always carrying around. I don't know.
This week was pretty nuts for my companion and I. Zone conference gave us a renewed motivation to do our best, so that's what we did. We taught a ton of lessons and worked continuously with the investigators we already have. After a visit where Manoel spoke to us nonstop for two and a half hours, he informed us that he will be traveling to Curitiba and probably won't be coming back until next year. So...that one kind of fell apart. There's this other senhor who we've been teaching who said he'll be moving to another part of the city that is outside of our area, so that one kind of fell apart. We have some investigators who are really progressing, though. We're trying to teach a friend of the girl we baptized, but we haven't managed to talk to her mom yet. We're going there tonight, so we'll see if anything happens.
I've been studying about what my mission president calls "the formula of success," which is obedience, diligence, and humility. I'd recommend reading about each of those attributes in Chapter 6 of Preach my Gospel and then studying the scripture references that are listed for each one. I'm trying to apply what I learned from my studies during my daily work, and so far it's working pretty well. I don't think the formula of success applies only to missionaries, so maybe you guys would like to study it a little, too. Sei lá.
Anyway, not too much going on over here. I guess after a year of doing the same thing over and over and over again, the things that were once new and exciting just turn into the routine. We're working a lot and helping people learn about the gospel. I'm trying to focus on thinking positively about myself and others because negative self-talk is something that I struggle with. And I don't know why I'm telling you guys this. That was stupid.
I love you! The Church is true!
luv
elder bwoogins
Greetings from the other side of the mission hill! I now have one year and four days on my mission, but it only feels like ten times that long. What did you guys do to celebrate Hump Day? Because I just worked.
We had zone conference this week. It was our first one with my new mission president because we had a general authority speak last transfer. Conference was awesome. My new president has such a strong conviction of the gospel, and he talked a lot about how he wants us to forget about the past and devote the rest of our missions, however much time that may be, to the Lord. President said he wants us to be 100% missionaries. He hit the pulpit a lot and gave such a powerful pep talk that I just wanted to go out and proclaim the gospel to every living creature in the whole wide world. Or play some football. I don't know.
He instated a new mission-wide rule, too: every missionary now has to have a copy of the Book of Mormon in his or her hand at all times. I have mine right next to the computer monitor right now. I haven't noticed much of a difference yet with this change, though I do feel like I have greater authority when I make contacts with people. I guess the idea is to use the Book of Mormon more frequently and sooner in our teaching, or it's just to get people to ask us what book is we're always carrying around. I don't know.
This week was pretty nuts for my companion and I. Zone conference gave us a renewed motivation to do our best, so that's what we did. We taught a ton of lessons and worked continuously with the investigators we already have. After a visit where Manoel spoke to us nonstop for two and a half hours, he informed us that he will be traveling to Curitiba and probably won't be coming back until next year. So...that one kind of fell apart. There's this other senhor who we've been teaching who said he'll be moving to another part of the city that is outside of our area, so that one kind of fell apart. We have some investigators who are really progressing, though. We're trying to teach a friend of the girl we baptized, but we haven't managed to talk to her mom yet. We're going there tonight, so we'll see if anything happens.
I've been studying about what my mission president calls "the formula of success," which is obedience, diligence, and humility. I'd recommend reading about each of those attributes in Chapter 6 of Preach my Gospel and then studying the scripture references that are listed for each one. I'm trying to apply what I learned from my studies during my daily work, and so far it's working pretty well. I don't think the formula of success applies only to missionaries, so maybe you guys would like to study it a little, too. Sei lá.
Anyway, not too much going on over here. I guess after a year of doing the same thing over and over and over again, the things that were once new and exciting just turn into the routine. We're working a lot and helping people learn about the gospel. I'm trying to focus on thinking positively about myself and others because negative self-talk is something that I struggle with. And I don't know why I'm telling you guys this. That was stupid.
I love you! The Church is true!
luv
elder bwoogins
I could have been a famous singer if I had someone else's voice
September 13, 2010
So usually my companion and I send our emails from this one LAN house (they're all over Brasil) near our house. Last week we were near the chapel trying to find somewhere to eat because our lunch appointment fell through, and we found a little place that sells salgados and stuff. The dude who runs it is from Bahia, and he loves rock 'n roll. He has a bunch of CDs and pictures of famous rock stars that he clearly printed out himself glued to the wall. And he has two laptops that he said were really expensive, so we're sending our emails from here today. And the dude is blasting a Linkin Park DVD on his TV. I feel like I'm in Babylon.
Aaaaaaand I just heard the f word for the first time in a year. I just want some peace and quiet! It really is hard for me to concentrate right now, so sorry if I sound weird or I write choppy sentences or something.
Speaking of which, I kind of make a year this week. On Thursday, it will have been ONE YEAR since I reported to the MTC in São Paulo. One year! I seriously have no idea where all that time went. A year ago today I reported to the high council, gave my farewell-but-don't-call-it-a-farewell talk, and had my open-house-but-don't-call-it-an-open-house. A year ago. I'm sure this week will be full of reminiscing and self reflection and stuff. I know I've changed and grown a lot over the past year, but it can be kind of hard to tell how. I guess the biggest changes have been with my testimony. I knew that the Church was true when I got here, but now I know that it is, you know?
This week went by pretty slowly, but that's all right. We're doing what we can to work more with the members, and it's kind of a slow process. An idea that we had was to give each member family a Book of Mormon at our lunch appointments so that they could pray to know who they could give it to, give it to that person, and get back to us about how it went. We haven't seen any immediate results from it yet, but every family has someone in mind, and I'm pretty sure that something will come of it. Because we've been focusing so much on working with members, my comp and I kind of lost steam in making contacts this week. Teaching members' friends is so much more productive than trying to convince strangers to let you into their houses. So help the missionaries in your ward out! Invite one of your friends to church or something! And if you can think of a more effective way for us to work with members, tell me!
We did have three people at church yesterday, which was great. My companion and I did a little division with the bishop and another irmão because they both have cars, and we went to pick up some investigators and take them to church. One of them was Manoel, who we have been teaching for a while now. He's progressing nicely (it's been almost three months since he did anything contrary to the Word of Wisdom!), but we need to work hard to get him some friends in the ward. The other is a twentysomething named Jorge. We found him when he and his wife were moving into their new house. We offered to help them move their stuff in, and they accepted (no one ever accepts our help)! We taught him the first lesson, and two weeks later, he went to church! It was actually pretty cool: he stayed for all three hours, and apparently he told Elder Gillespie as he was leaving that he wanted to talk to us this week about baptism. So that's cool. We'll see what happens!
The third person we had at church was a young woman. Her name is Larissa, and she's a friend of the girl we baptized. We kind of told a member family that they should take her to church, and then we kind of told her that she was going to church with that family, and she went! We're going to teach her this week, and then we'll just throw her in that darn water!
Everything's going well out here. We are really having to be creative with our work and think of new ways to find people because we've already tried all the old ways. I want to talk more, but my time's up! I love all of you so dang much! The Church is true!
luv
Aaaaaaand I just heard the f word for the first time in a year. I just want some peace and quiet! It really is hard for me to concentrate right now, so sorry if I sound weird or I write choppy sentences or something.
Speaking of which, I kind of make a year this week. On Thursday, it will have been ONE YEAR since I reported to the MTC in São Paulo. One year! I seriously have no idea where all that time went. A year ago today I reported to the high council, gave my farewell-but-don't-call-it-a-farewell talk, and had my open-house-but-don't-call-it-an-open-house. A year ago. I'm sure this week will be full of reminiscing and self reflection and stuff. I know I've changed and grown a lot over the past year, but it can be kind of hard to tell how. I guess the biggest changes have been with my testimony. I knew that the Church was true when I got here, but now I know that it is, you know?
This week went by pretty slowly, but that's all right. We're doing what we can to work more with the members, and it's kind of a slow process. An idea that we had was to give each member family a Book of Mormon at our lunch appointments so that they could pray to know who they could give it to, give it to that person, and get back to us about how it went. We haven't seen any immediate results from it yet, but every family has someone in mind, and I'm pretty sure that something will come of it. Because we've been focusing so much on working with members, my comp and I kind of lost steam in making contacts this week. Teaching members' friends is so much more productive than trying to convince strangers to let you into their houses. So help the missionaries in your ward out! Invite one of your friends to church or something! And if you can think of a more effective way for us to work with members, tell me!
We did have three people at church yesterday, which was great. My companion and I did a little division with the bishop and another irmão because they both have cars, and we went to pick up some investigators and take them to church. One of them was Manoel, who we have been teaching for a while now. He's progressing nicely (it's been almost three months since he did anything contrary to the Word of Wisdom!), but we need to work hard to get him some friends in the ward. The other is a twentysomething named Jorge. We found him when he and his wife were moving into their new house. We offered to help them move their stuff in, and they accepted (no one ever accepts our help)! We taught him the first lesson, and two weeks later, he went to church! It was actually pretty cool: he stayed for all three hours, and apparently he told Elder Gillespie as he was leaving that he wanted to talk to us this week about baptism. So that's cool. We'll see what happens!
The third person we had at church was a young woman. Her name is Larissa, and she's a friend of the girl we baptized. We kind of told a member family that they should take her to church, and then we kind of told her that she was going to church with that family, and she went! We're going to teach her this week, and then we'll just throw her in that darn water!
Everything's going well out here. We are really having to be creative with our work and think of new ways to find people because we've already tried all the old ways. I want to talk more, but my time's up! I love all of you so dang much! The Church is true!
luv
booga
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