Campos2 - Week Eight

 Brazil!

 "I found Herbie!"

Me and my companion, Elder Diego.

Well, This week has been pretty good.

About basketball, You know that I haven t been the biggest basketball fan, but looks like I'll have to get into the family gig. Talking about sports here, Brazil is getting ready for The Confederations cup that will happen here in like two months. I'm hoping that US will come out strong. =) I have also heard from my companion that Donovan might play for a team here in Brazil. That is interesting.

Anyway, about mission things.

Remember how I talked about Felipe last week? He is doing really well. This Sunday he was ordained a priest. =) It's really awesome to see him progress and see the excitement that he has to live the gospel. We started to teach two references that he gave us this week. The first one is a family friend named Nilton. He had heard a lot about the church from Felipe's family when they were active in the church. We had a really spiritual lesson with him this week. He told us that he is a coward because he knows that some of the things that he does is wrong and doesn't have the courage to change his life, but we invited him to pray and see what God wants him to do. We are going to teach him this week.

Yesterday, we also taught Felipe's friend Douglas. He wasn’t really certain if God exists or not, and doesn't have many religious beliefs. We taught him about faith. It was a really spiritual lesson, and I know that he felt the Spirit. He said that after that lesson he changed his mind about some of the things that he had said to us, and he thanked us for the message. He agreed to let us teach him more this week. He has tons of potential.  =) I love it when the members help.

We are also having really good lessons with Carlos and Natalia. Natalia got an answer to her prayer and knows that what we are saying is true. She didn't come to church this week, but we left the Book of Mormon with her and we are going to see how her reading went this week. I'm really excited about the things we have to do this week. We have some really great investigators, and I know that they'll keep progressing.

That's about it. It's crazy that Nate is home already. Time here is just flying by. When is Jesse going to get home?

We are going to Rio when you come right? I can't leave Brazil without going.

And I bought white shirts. All the shirts that I brought are gray. A sister in the ward made a comment about it to me one day and I decided to buy a few new shirts.

Why is Cameron working in LA? Oh and uh, it's not May yet. Its still April. It's the month that never ends. haha

My companion is out of his mind. He's really funny. But we are working really well together, we laugh every day, which is the most important part. If a missionary isn't happy, the work doesn't get done. There is no progress. But there is a subtle difference between being happy and just goofing off. haha. Whatever. We're working hard.

The mission is great. I'm trying my best. Some days, it's just so hard to keep walking. But we do what we can. Trial of faith. "Just do it" is like our mission motto. "Só vai!" yeah..

That's about it. I have started to buy Snickers and Milky Way here lately. It’s not quite as good as in the states, but its pretty darn close.

I love you guys, hope the family is doing well .

Choose the right, when a choice is placed before you.
If the Savior stood beside you, would you do the things you do?
Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?
Search, ponder and pray, are the things that we must do. I know the scriptures are true.
I know that my Redeemer lives.

and last but not least,
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ. I know who I am, I know God's plan. I'll follow him in faith.

I love you all. And I love the church hymns. They share my testimony better than I do. This month I am going to do a special musical number in sacrament meeting. =)

Peace out.

Campos2 - Week Seven

Well, like I said, this week was action packed.

So, transfers were this week like I said. I was sad to see my companion go. He was one of the companions that I liked the most. The member that took him to the bus terminal said that he almost cried when he was leaving because I was the best companion that he had. haha =) So on Tuesday I spent the day with the other elders here. They (the leaders) said that my companion would get there that day, at the normal time, which is 10:30ish. So I was there waiting, and no one showed up. I called the LZs and they said he would come tomorrow. Lame. So we went back home and I went to sleep. 3:30 in the morning I got a phone call from the elders, saying that my comp was at the terminal. Well great. Why didn't you tell me that before? So he took a taxi to our house.

This week has been really interesting with my new comp. Almost everyone gives us food. Literally almost every single house we enter, they give us cake and soda. Every house! It's ridiculous.

We also had a sister from the church tell us that her son's father (...) wants to be baptized. Woo hoo! We'll start working with him this week.

We are working with a less active named Felipe. He was baptized when he was 9, and didn't stay in the church very long. His family fell away from the church when his father died. A few weeks ago he found us in the street, and wanted to know how to get our visits. Since then he has gone to conference, and to church twice. We have been teaching him like an investigator, because he doesn't know very much about the church, but he has such a huge desire to learn and follow the church. Every time we talk to him he had been reading on the church website, or studying something about the church. We challenged him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and to know if the church was true and if it was the right path for him to follow, and he got an answer so clear and powerful. So awesome. It's really amazing how much desire and real intent does for getting an answer. He is a really great guy, and the bishop is preparing him to receive the Aaronic priesthood.

We are also working with a less active named Enilda. She is really great, she has some problems with the word of wisdom, but she says that she wants to come back to the church. She is living with a man named Claudio. They are really funny. Such a classic old couple. haha. We challenged them to get married this week. They just looked at each other, and then back to us, and Claudio said, “Let’s do it.” So, he also wants to get baptized, we just have to figure out this marriage thing, and that's it.

We are working really hard.  I walked a LOT this week. But that is a good thing.

Thanks mom and dad for everything, Love you all. Keep up the good work!

Campos2 - Week Six

 Me and Tania's family

 Me and the other elders in our district

 My comp and me getting acai

Hey fam,

Well this week was a little bit slow, but it was good. Transfers are tomorrow. My companion was transferred, but I'm staying here for another one. I really don't like transfers, but whatever. I just want a good companion.

Last p-day we went to Tanya’s house and we ate lunch there. It was excellent. It was really good to see how much the gospel had changed her life. I'm really happy with what happened in her life. It's awesome! I really love her. She is excellent. After we visited her, we had a barbeque with the other elders in our district. It was really good. Yummm.

In terms of work this week, it was all right. We worked hard trying to find new investigators, but we didn't really get much. We were trying to get our current investigators to firm up on baptism, but no success.That's all right though. I'm going to use the boost from a new comp to really work hard this new transfer and make a difference.

An important thing that happened this week is that the bishop here in the ward changed this week. The bishop is a man named Severino, I have already worked with him before in Campos. He was in the other ward, but he moved here like right before I got to this ward. He really is going to make a difference here. I really like him.

I'm really happy to be here on the mission. I really love it. I'm happy for the opportunity that I have to serve. I really like my companion here also. I'm sad to see him go, and I really hope that my next comp is good. That's what worries me. haha

Well, I don't really have much to write this week, but next week will be action packed.

Thanks for everything mom. =)

I love you family. And yeah Elder Holland's talks are always the best.

Umm.....yeah. It's crazy how fast the time passes. When you guys come to get me, we should go to Rio. Just a suggestion. That would be like the coolest thing ever. How many times do we have to chance to go there? And it’s only like 2 and a half hours away from Campos....

LOVE

Campos2 - Week Five

New glasses and a new tie

Well, I love general conference. What was really interesting is that we were talking in the house about what temples would be announced, and all of us agreed that it would be in Rio, because of this and that and everything else. We were all shocked at the announcement of the Rio temple! As were the members here in the Stake. The Rio temple, (when finished) will be the temple for our mission. Really cool.

I liked those photos of conference that you put up. As always, Elder Holland's and both of the talks by Uchtdorf were favorites. I noticed that they talked a lot this conference about having a firm foundation in Christ, and also fortifying the family. It seemed like they put a lot of importance on 1. personal and family scripture study every day, 2. Personal and family prayer every day, and 3. Family home evening every week.  And that is how we have a strong foundation.  It was really good.

Well that was really the focus of the week. The mission has been really working hard this week. But Our work has been going pretty slow lately. We are starting almost everything over again, and we haven't really been able to pick up the pace yet, but we're doing our best.

We have really been trying to do our best. I really love the mission, and know how much I'm helping people here.
I don't know if you remember Tania, who we baptized here in Campos right before I left. I got in contact with her this week and we are going to eat lunch with her. Last night she called me and was telling me about all the blessings that have happened in her family since she joined the church. At the end of the conversation, she started crying and was saying, thank you, thank you so much. Thank you for bringing me to the true church. If there is one thing that brings joy to a missionary's heart, its hearing someone say that. =)

I got the package that you sent in February. Thanks. haha. I like the Chargers shirt. We ate all the candy already. =)

Congrats, Darcy for being a soccer star. You are an excellent young woman. Just keep being happy, apply what you learn about the gospel, and keep up your plans and your goals. Aim high Darcy!

Drew I know that you have all the potential to be an outstanding example. Congrats on doing well in school. I wish that I didn't slack off that much. haha. I forget who said it, but in conference they said to make plans for your life. DO IT, and make goals to help you achieve those plans. And a mission better be number 1 on your plans.

Blake, you are the best redhead brother ever!  Keep being kind to others. You will be a huge difference in the world because of it. I love you.

Love you family! And its fine for you to come get me here on the mission.

Got a call this weekend that freaked me out. A missionary called me and told me that the US was at war. But then I found out that we aren't. Yet... haha

I love the gospel, and conference is the best thing ever.

See ya!

Campos2 - Week Four

On a division. Went to Habbibs. Ate 10 mini pizzas. Each.

Hey family, so to respond the questions first.

The day set for me to go home is September 24. yikes. Only 4 more transfers . . .  Last that I heard, its all right for you to come get me but I'm pretty sure that you guys have to arrange it with the secretary so that they don't buy my plane ticket or whatever. Stuff like that. You know how it is. =)

About the Book of Mormon, what I have found on the mission is, we can prove to these people that the church is true only using the Bible. It is possible. It's pretty easy actually. But even if you prove everything to them, they won't accept it or they won't ever have a firm testimony of the Church. True conversion only comes through an answer to prayer through the Holy Ghost. As Moroni says, “and by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Conversion is much more than knowing.

Well, I'm super excited for conference. Like stoked. I LOVE conference. It's the best.

This Sunday we would have had a baptism. But we didn't. We've been working with Valdir for a long time, but he's still indecisive about the baptism. On Saturday he visited family who didn't help support him in his choice. We are going to keep working with him though. He has a lot of potential.

Easter wasn't really that special. The only thing that I noticed that it was Easter was all the people in the supermarket going to buy chocolate eggs. Other than that and the talks in church about Easter, everything was exactly the same. It was really normal.

So this week it continued raining, and it flooded a few streets here.

This is our street.  Past our ankles in rain!

Rain is good, but not that much rain. The best for working is when its almost raining.

I got my glasses this week. I don't know if that picture I sent I'm wearing them. I haven't been taking very many pictures. My bad. haha. I'll try to do better.

Happy birthday, Darcy!! Sorry I forgot to send that last week. Here in Brazil at 15 is the big party for girls. They dress up like princesses and have a huge party. And ballroom dancing. And then normal teen dancing. haha. My little sister is all grown up! =)

Hey, if you could send portraits of the family that are new it would be cool because the photos that I have are from Zions, and like 2 years old already . . .

Cool things that happened this week. We had lunch with a member, and her friend was there. We talked about the organization of the primitive church, and we talked about the apostles, prophet and the seventy, with the bible. Then my companion showed that list of general authorities that is in the ensign. She thought it was really cool. We are going to try to keep teaching her this week.

We also visited Angelica this week. We baptized her daughter this transfer and it had been a while since we had been by there. We passed and just left a normal message there, and went. We were close another day and we decided to pass by. She told us that the other day when we visited them, that she really needed our visit. That she felt like she needed us to go by to help her spiritually and then we showed up. It really is amazing how God answers prayers through really simple means. It wasn't like any huge spiritual prompting telling me to go there, but just a small desire. I thought that helped me know that I needed to do it. So subtle that you don't recognize until you've already followed it. It's really cool.

The best lesson that we had this week was really good. It was with a man named Genilson. We didn't have much to do one day so we were knocking doors in the rich neighborhood in our area, giving out pamphlets of the plan of salvation, in preparation for Easter. We met this guy in front of his house and he let us in. He used to be an atheist, but because of something in his life he is starting to change. We taught him about the Atonement, and the spirit was really strong there. I was surprised when I heard an instrumental of “I Need Thee Every Hour” playing on his radio in the kitchen. I was really surprised. It was cool. We are going to go back and teach him this week also.

Well, today I'm going to learn how to do some wood carving with an investigator. Like make signs and that kind of thing out of wood boards. We've been looking forward to it almost all week. haha.

Well.  I guess that's about it . . .

Word to Drew, just do it bro. Organize your time, and do all the things that you want to do. If you really want to do it, you'll do it. Buy a planner. haha.

Well I guess that's it. I love you guys. =) I'm trying to do my best.

Campos2 - Week Three

This week was okay. I did have one really awesome experience this week.

First of all, the questions. I'm in a different part of the city, and my area has all kinds of places. In one part it's a really rich neighborhood, really big houses, and it really nice. The people who live there are normally married, middle age and have one or two kids.
We also have areas that are really poor, where there are more people who are not married, and there are a lot of kids on the loose in the street. Really different. We are working in all of the places in our area, which is a little difficult, we're trying to change a bit.

As for Drew and the kids, I really, really regret wasting so much time at home doing literally nothing on the computer. So much time to learn how to do something, and it's just wasted. Music, for example, is a great way to spend time. Even if its skating, it's better than sitting on the computer. In my opinion, video games, although fun and entertaining, are not the best way spend time. Learn! D&C says that man cannot be saved in ignorance, and that all knowledge that we gain in this life will put us one step ahead after. A little bit of video games is fine, but we should use more time doing productive things. Learn a new skill. Develop new talents. Gospel Principles says we need to develop our talents! =)

About the Eagle, it's totally worth it. I really think that it was the Eagle that got me my job. For members of the church it's not that impressive. But everyone outside that knows anything about scouting thinks that's super awesome. Really good boost when trying to get a job.

I went to buy glasses today. They were expensive here. I little money help would be nice but whatevs. I'm only going to get a box next transfer, or in 3 weeks. =( lamesauce.

I live with two other elders, both Brazilians. I’m the only American here, but that's fine. I'm still losing a little more weight, which is a good thing.

We had a cool experience this week. On Sunday, we had to go get Valdir, who should be baptized next Sunday. We had to go get him, we took a bus, which was late, he wasn't ready, and then we missed the bus on the way back, and church had already started. WELL great. We sat there a while, and I thought, Heavenly Father, we really need to get to church. If someone could give us or ride, or send the next bus or  something, it'd be really great...My companion was thinking the same thing. WELL, almost the exact moment that I finished that thought, a pickup stopped in front of the bus stop. The window lowered. I couldn't help but think, No flippin way. A guy asked us if we were going to the church, and offered us a ride. He was an inactive member, going in that direction, so he decided to help us out. By small and simple means great things (or miracles) come to pass. Really cool. My comp freaked out. haha it was for sure the coolest thing that happened this week.

We are doing WELL, I'm trying to do my best. I know that this has been the best for me. I've have been thinking about my mission and what I've learned. I don't know if it really has been the BEST two years in terms of having fun, because I've had a lot of struggles and hardships, but I do think that with the amount that I have learned and grown, it has been the best two years of my life without a doubt. I learn new things every day. I'm thankful for all you have done to get me here.

I love you!

Campos2 - Week Two

 My new companion.

So, this week was pretty good. There was one day this week that was just killer. It felt like it was 50 degrees C. It was so hot that in the shade, the wind passing was hot. It was just ridiculous. But other than that, the week was great. We had a lot of lessons, and we are working a lot with the members here.

This Sunday, I had to give a talk in church, and I had to teach the gospel principles lesson, but that wasn't hard. On Saturday, bishop called me asking me to give a talk about having good language. So I didn't even have a day to prepare, but everyone thought that my talk was good. I used what you always say, If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. =)

The end of this week it started to rain. A lot. Brazil has some flooding problems because the drainage systems in the streets don't really work. So the streets just get full of water.

We are going to try and baptize two really awesome people soon, the first is Valdir, who is an older man, lives by himself and is a member's neighbor. He really likes the church, but we have to teach him a little bit slower for him to understand and remember everything. We marked a baptism date with him for the 31st. We are also teaching a guy named Atos. I think he's 18, but he came to church with his friend and this week he came by himself. He really likes the church, but we discovered that he has some family problems. We are going to continue working with him. I know that the gospel will help his life.

That's about it for the week. I'm going to try and see how much glasses are here so that I don't have to worry about that anymore. I already have the prescription. Well, I love you, Good luck with everything.
Keep doing soccer Darcy,
Happy Birthday Drew!! xD you're 17 now right?

Until next week. =)