Nova Venecia - Week Two

Doing a service project--helping clean the school were we use internet for free.

Coolest pic of the week.

Nova Venecia after the rain.

Well, this week was kind of a slow week in terms of work, we had a few disappointments with some of our investigators, who lost interest, or didn't go to church, and stuff like that. We haven't had that great of a week in terms of work, and the weather here has been crazy. It rains in the morning, and then gets hot, and then rains, and then sun, it's kinda crazy here.

But yeah, we were kinda sad. The family that went to church last week, lost a bit of interest, and had some problems, and didn't go to church this week. Neither did the other families that we were teaching. We only had one person in church this week, who is an old investigator, but we're going to go back and start teaching her again this week.

The branch here could use a little energy boost here. This branch has been here for like 13 years, and only has around 50 members in church each Sunday. We don't have a  chapel here either. So, we been visiting a few members to help them get excited to do some missionary work, and help reactivate some members as well. Last Sunday we had a meeting and the leadership really liked an idea that I gave, so they're working with that now. I hope they have success.  The district here is depending on this branch to form a stake here.

I really want to end my mission on a high note as you said, but some days are just really hard. I talked with my companion and this week we are going to work really hard these last few weeks. I really don't want to leave this area without baptizing, so that's my new goal.

Well, that's about it for this week I guess. We're going to work really hard this week. =) its going to be great. Looks like everyone's having fun. I think it's crazy how much everyone's grown up. haha

Love you all, talk to you all soon. haha =) That's awesome.

Nova Venécia - Week One

Well, I wasn't really happy about being transferred.  I have actually been missing my last area a lot.

 My district.  My new companion is on the far right.

One of the hills in town.  

I am now in a small town in the north of the state called Nova Venécia. And its really small. Basically downtown is in the middle of a bowl, a river goes through the middle of the town, and its uphill on all sides. It's just a small branch here as well. President took me out of a huge ward and put me in a tiny branch.

My new companion is Elder W. Silva, who is pretty new on the mission, he only has a few months. He was in the Brazilian army before the mission. He doesn't talk all that much, which is a lot different from my last companion. Basically, everything is different! The people here are different from out in the bigger city of Vitória. I'm not really liking it as much as my last area, but during this week and the meetings that we had, I can tell that they need some help and that I can probably make a difference here. So I'm going to keep busy here.

This week we didn't have that much time to work,  Monday, we just said goodbye to everyone that we could, Tuesday, we had transfers, the bus going to my area left at 11 at night, so I hung out in the other elders there.

We got in late, and we started the work. This week we had a lot of investigators in church, a family that the other elders were teaching, We are also teaching some really good people this week with a lot of potential. We found a family of a mom, and her three kids, two of them are in the teens and are listening to our message. They are really great.

Unfortunately, this week, we won't be able to work that much because we have to travel to zone conference. But that's all right.

I'm just going to try to do my best here before the end.

To dad, about the young men and the mission, I know a lot of elders here who are on the mission just because of the family or because it's what the church expects, but they all have found purpose here on the mission. There are a lot that come without testimony, but it's something that the gain here. It's definitely worth going just because it's what the prophet says we should do. That alone should make us go. But the elders who come with desire are one step ahead. It's all about humility and doing what god wants us to do.

But yeah. I guess that's it for the week. The pictures aren't working, but I'm trying to send them

Love ya

Cariacica - Final Week

 This is an older photo on the train track 

Division açaí with Elder Cruz. I was on a conference call with the other zone leaders

Hey family, how's it going?

Well, this week has been a really busy week. First off, the bad news. I was really not expecting it, but, I was transferred. =( I was pretty disappointed, but what can I do? I was really hoping to stay until the end here. My companion and I, and one of the other missionaries in my house were transferred. Lame. That means I'll only have one transfer in the next area, which will be my last. Next week you'll find out where I am.

The good news, we baptized this week!

Remember how I was talking about Edilson and his family? Well this week his mom, Sueli decided to follow the answer that Heavenly Father gave to her, and she was baptized on Saturday, with her other son, Edimilson. Edilson was baptized on Sunday because he was working on Saturday. But it was really great. We were happy that they decided to be baptized. It was a great way to end a transfer.

We also had a really great activity this week at Natalia's house. We have been trying to help her be baptized since we got here. We had a "family home evening" with some of the other youth of the ward. It was really good. We talked about the importance of being an example, and then we ate! But the best part was that we were able to talk to her dad, and gain his trust, basically. Because the only reason why she's not baptized is that her dad wouldn't let her. So its lame that we were transferred. Now others will have to carry on with the work.

We worked really hard just for that baptism to happen. Now that it did, we're really happy. I'm glad that we were able to help the people out that we did. We also had some good experiences with the members this week. We talked with a couple about being casual in our church activity. It was just a normal conversation, but it really helped them and they thanked us for our visit. That's the kind of work that I like to do with members, =) and they promised to give some referrals and start (again) helping out more in the work.

One other cool thing this week. We were led to teach a family. Last week, we were walking by, and I felt like I needed to knock on a certain door. We talked to a woman there named Gloria, and she told us to come back later. So this week we did. We found out that they had already talked to the missionaries, they really liked the church, but weren't baptized, and this last week, her grandson had died, and they were needing some uplifting. We talked to her, her son (the father of the one that had died) Joel, and Wallace, another family member. It was a really great lesson where we talked about Jesus Christ and the Atonement. It was really great, and I know that doors will be opened for them as they receive the message of the gospel again.

I guess that's about it for this week. I have to pack my bags one more time before the end. I'm going to give my best these last few weeks and not slack off like I could be doing.

But yeah, I'm probably going to be traveling all day on the 24th and I'll only get home on the 25th. I'm going to arrive in the San Diego airport. I'll get more details in a few weeks.

It's crazy to think how big the other kids are. I'm going to be the shortest in the family. Except for you mom. haha But that's fine.

Love you all!

Cariacica - Week Five

My comp and I having some açaí.

  I've been with my old comp from Paraguay, Elder Delgado!

 We had burgers for lunch this week. They were goood. And I got a hair cut. 

We cut it at home because I didn't have money. We weren't going to cut it so short, 

but the cutter was lame. So we took it all off. haha

Well, this week has been a really busy week. This week we didn't travel all that much so, yeah we did have time this week to teach in our area. We actually found some really great people to teach this week too.

We had a lot of people in church as well. We had 8 people at church on Sunday! It was a lot. And it was good because it was testimony meeting.

Well, Edilson, who I talked about last week, went to church with his family, Ramon, and Edimilson and his mom, so we're going to for baptism this week. We'll see how it goes. But they really liked church, and we've been having some really good lessons with them.

I also told you about Richardson last week as well. He and his mom went to church this Sunday as well. He really liked it. He payed a lot of attention to everything. We had taught him the day before about the restoration. He really wants to find the truth so that he can follow and serve. Which is awesome. Something that was really cool that he said was that he knew that we had a testimony and that we knew that our message was true because of our invitation to pray and ask God. He wants that confirmation as well. We'll try to mark a baptismal date with him for this week as well.

We found a really good family of 6 this week as well. The father's name is Claudio, and he was really receptive to the message. He said that when we were teaching him about Joseph Smith and the first vision that he got goose bumps. He was really funny, was talking about how if he prays and sees God and Jesus Christ that he will be a faithful servant like the prophet. haha He couldn't come to church this week, but he will come this next week.

Well we're working really hard here, I'm trying to give my best for the last 7 (=D) weeks of the mission. I enjoy feeling the spirit and helping others come to know the truth.

Love you all, thanks for everything. =)