March 31st, 2014

Hello everybody so this week had some very cool... and not so cool things happen! Lets start with the not so cool thing that happened! SO you are going to laugh when you read this. I was bitten by a dog. I was all walking on some grass and whatnot, and out from under a tree came a dog with an unusually large and ugly snout. He came out barking and whatnotand decided he would try to bite me. Little did he know that I wear these work boot looking things on my feet and he didnt even manage to hurt me. Haha he probably even managed to hurt himself trying to bite me! Take that!!! Haha he was pretty big, but luckily he was wearing a chain and so I got away without getting hurt, but know I can saw I was bitten by a dog on the mission! Later that day we went and a random dog came out of nowhere, but this one was nicer.... He just had a big rock in his mouth that he was carrying around. The picture is attached. 

So actually that was the only uncool thing that happened this week. Everything else was really awesome! So remember that couple Danilo and Milene, they are really really interested in the church, and every night they read and pray! They are so awesome! They actually even asked us to mark more scriptures for them to read, and theyyyy marked our next appointment which neverrrrr happens!!! This Saturday we had an activity of the Hot Dogs,and everybody came to eat hot dogs and what not, and they came too!! And they had a great time, I was so happy! Then they came to church yesterday and I think they liked it too!!!! They are soooooooo awesome!!! And tonight, they are making churrasco for us!!!!!!! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM! They are awesome, I really lovethem! They are such cool people!

So I think it was Wednesday that we taught them, and the Spirit was so strong and then we left the lesosn just so happy... And the dad of a member less active, named Mr. Gama came and decided he wanted to mark a churrasco for us too This Friday! I just felt like it was a bucnh of blessings all at once and I got so happy! It was so awesome!!! I was just very very happy!

So those are pretty much the highlights of this week, just alot of teaching and alot of walking! This week is zone conference and I am so excited, because Presdient Castro is going to come and have a big meeting with us! And General Conference, of course I amm soooooooo excited! My third general conference on the mission... thats crazy!!!! Anyways I love you all!!!! Have a great week!!!

 

March 24th, 2014

Hello everybody so this week was officialy the first week of fall here in Canguçu... and it got pretty col. Wow. On tuesday it was super rainy and like this city is like in the middle of the clouds when it rains... its wierd but cool, but really really cold!!! Haha but apart from that it was a good week!

So we have really being working to find solid investigators to teach! There are alot of people who let us enter for the first lesson and then on the second lesson they run from us or dont want to hear anymore, so we have been really trying to find people that want to progress spiritually. Really the only thing we can do in this city is knock on doors, because there arent much members to give us referalls and whatnot but its good!

So last week we started teaching Danilo and Milene, who are super super awesome! When I was on a division with another missionar we kncoked on their door, and right away I could tell that they were special. She said an awesome prayer at the end of the first lesson that showed that they really wanted to learn! 

This week we returned and started to teach them more. We watched the video of the restoration with them and we talked about it afterwards and Milene said that she feels something strong inside her and that she knows almost certainly what we are teaching is true. They are seriously a miracle family!!! They are young and starting the family and so if they are baptized they will be a hugeeeee strength for the branch here! They are exactly what we needed! This area has the fame on the misison to make missionaries depressed, but I am actually quite happy here. Elder Marcato also was very happy with Danilo and Milene and he cheered up a bit because of them!!

But yeah so that was the big highlight of the week! Also I just wanted to tell you about my branch president here! He is such an awesome guy. I jsut get so happy when people o everything to fill their calling. He lives in Pelotas which is like an hour away by car, but every sunday he comes to Canguçu for the meetings. Apart from this he comes to teach institute, to visit members, to have activities and everything. And he does it all on his own time and own money! I just am so grateful for men like him who are so devoted to their calling! 

But yeah, as for me I think thats about it for the week! Dad Dublin looked so awesome I am so jealous!!! And Connor I hope you feel better soon you Italian fool. Carson, congrats for te game winning hit!!! Jonathan, keep being snouty. Mom, I love you! Thanks for the support you all show me! I love you!! And I saw this nasty little guy on the road... Actually he wasnt little, he was bigger then the other one. Im pretty sure its not the same species as the one from last week. She even has babies on her back!!! Haha... Oh Brasil....

March 17th, 2014

Hello everybody!!! So this week was very cool in Cangucéu! I hope you all had a great week too! I cant believe Connor is in Italy, thats so crazy... I am pretty jealous!!! Haha I hope you ahve a great time buddy! I miss you all so much! Its prettysad to hear that about Sharon... but everything will be okay and go according to Gods plan.

So this week, on Monday (P-Day) we went to visit the Statue of Mary that is on a big hill outside of the city! It was way cool, but super hard to hike that huge hill!!! But it was fun! Thats what those pictures are that I am sending! The area here is really so beautiful its way cool, I am liking it alot!

Then on Tuesday we got to work and we have been knocking on doors, and talking to people on the streets, and it gave some results, but what is hard here is that many people feel alot of pressure because of the family and traditions that they dont really feel like they can accept our message. The Lutheran chruch is really strong here and its been strong since the Germans arrived, like when the city was founded, so there is alot of tradition. But it all has to do with faith. The people need to use their faith and take a leap, and experiment! And when the people really try, they know, but they just need to try to break away from the traditions, as hard as it is. I understand that it is hard, and I am patient with them! But I know there is so much more that they could have if they just manage to take that step of faith!

But this week our whole district came here to work in our area and it was super awesome! We found a family that is super cool and we are going to keep working with them. We shared the lesson and then at the end, one of them said the prayer. And in the prayer she thanked the Lord for seinding us there, because it had been a hard day, and thanked for our message, and realy asked to know if it was true! It was so awesome! The spirit was very strong during the prayer! I loved it! I just love when experiences like that happen because I just feel the spirit so strong.

But yeah this week was alot of work, without a ton of huge things happening, but the miracles will come!!! I know they will, its just a matter of time!!!! I love you all so much! I hope you like the pictures, I took a bunch this week I hope you like them!!!

March 10th, 2014

Hello everybody, so one more week has come and gone, and it went by so fast! So I arrived In Canguçu and.... the city is sooooooo coooooooooollllll!!!!!!!!!!!! Im loving it!!! There are so many hills, but the city is clean and small and safe, and everybody looks like me, so I fit in perfectly!!! Everybody is either Geman or Polish, and the church even gives us books of Mormon in German to give to people, even though almost nobody can read German, just speak it. My companion Elder Marcato is pretty cool, although I miss Elder Mendes a ton. The branch is pretty small here, with just twenty members, but the Branch President is very hard working and excited to help the branch grow! The church building is a house that they turned into a church, but Dad, it looks much better then that picture, because they repainted and put a new sign up out in front. It looks much better and much more like a church! But yeah! So its pretty cool in this little city, and I am very excited to work here!

So this week I arrived on Wednesday and that night we had an activity in the ward and we gave a little presentation and did a little game with some papers. And it was pretty cool, the members liked it alot! Then, the day after I got to meet some members and we went to go find some new people to teach and something really cool happened! We went to a street to find some adresses we had and couldnt find them, and I thought, well, lets ust knock on some doors since we are already here. So we went, anddddd almost everybody was home... but nobody answered the door. So we kept going and I saw a house on the corner, and we passed it and went to go kncok on some more doors. And then, I felt a feeling, go knock on that door. I said to myself, I will go when I finish knocking on these doors on this road. And I went up to go knock on another door, and just felt that it was wrong, and once again I felt, go knock on that door. So I told Elder Marcato, lets go knock on that door... so we went and the lady was super nice and let us in, and has an awesome family with 5 kids!!! Pretty cool huh? It was a cool little experience!

Andddd this week we had a baptism of Iago, who is the son of a member less active. The whole family is membro excpet his mom, and so he wasnt baptized when he was 8, but now his mom is gradually coming back to the churhc and so he wanted to be baptized! It was pretty cool! It was very different the baptism in the branch, because the baptismal font is made of like bricks in the back of the church. Its a pretty cool experience to be in the branch. Also, everybody got so happy because I play piano, and so now I am the branch pianist!

And so yeah, that was pretty much the highlights fo this week! I still havent adjusted all the way, but I will in a few days! Oh the apartments here where I live are sooo nice!!!! Its a huge change from Pelotas... Haha but dad if you want to try to find them, they are on the road Julio de Castilho in the center and they are big and green. I live on the top floor! And yeah, so I hope all is well there! Carson, stay away from them snakes!!!! I love you all!!!!!

March 3rd, 2014

Olá todo mundo!!! So I officially passed my halfway mark!!! How craqzy right! I have learned so much in the past year, and I am so grateful for my misison. Its passing so fast, I just want to make the best of it! I want to do everything that the Lord asks of me! Even though I passed one year this week, I only have about 11 more months of the mission because of how the transfers are, and so I will keep doing the best I can! I loved seeing you all with your lenços and that cake looked amazing!!!!! I love you all. To celebrate, we just had some pizza and celebrated in our apartment for one year!

So tomorrow I am being transfered to Canguçu! It is a city that is about an hour away from Pelotas. The church is just a branch there and there arent alot of members, but its a German colony and so there are going to be alot of blond people like me there! Hopefully I fit in a little better there! My companion will be Elder Marcato, and I dont know him, but it should be interesting! There are alot of hills... and so I think I will get skinnier... Haha...

So yeah. As for this week some cool experiences happened that showed me how I can recognize the Holy Ghost it was way cool. This week we were talking to Izamar and Valdo, and we were reading the Book of Mormon with them, And we ended the lesson and everything and it was realy good, and then a thought came into my head, "ask them if they have any questions." It wasnt like I heard a voice or anything but I just remembered to do that at the end. And then the way Izamar reasponded made me sure that it was the Holy Ghost that told me to do that, because she started telling that something had happened the day beofre that was really hard for her family. And she wanted to know why things like that happen. If I hadnt of asked, she might not of had the chance to share that and ask for help. It showed us that she really trusts us! We were able to answer her, and it made all the difference for her. Her and Valdo went to church yesterday and loved it again! Its just a matter of time before they are baptized, but sadly I wont be there to help them because I am leaving!

Also something esle really cool happened this week! So all transfer we have been teaching a member that is less active named Suzana. She is awesome, and was firm in the church, but then for some reason that we dont know she stopped going. So we have been trying to help her come back to church all transfer ad she never went. But this week we were walking to her house and I was thinking what we would share with her. And then instantly a scripture came into me mind, Alma 7:11-12. This scripture talks about the atonement of Christ and my first reaction was, No Ill think of something else to share. But then I remebered the experience with Izamar and decided to share the scripture, and talk about the love that Christ showed for us through the atonement, and the love we can show him through repentance. And it was a great lesson. And she went to church yesterday!!! How cool huh!!! It was a greatttt way to end the transfer!!!

So yeah taht was my week! It was pretty cool. I am pretty nervous about the transfer but I know that everything will work out great! I will miss Elder Mendes a bunch, but its all good! But yeah! I love you all! Thanks for supporting me!! Tchau!!!