Montanha Russa

Well well well this week was awesome and some very cool things happened, miracles actually!!! But was also a montanha russa, or roller coaster for all you non brazilians hahaha. So this week we had planned to baptize Arlete and Vilmar and they were so excited! But on Monday Arlete said she didnt want to be baptized this week. So we talked and resolved her concerns... and she wanted to be baptized again! Then on Tuesday we talked to her, and she didnt want to be baptized again! But this time she didnt change her mind! Every day we talked to them but they didnt change their mind! It was a little sad becasue Vilmar really wanted to be baptized but Arlete didnt want him to be baptized without her. But, she kept on saying that she knows its true, that everything is true, but she wanted to wait to be baptized. But they already waited for more then a year! So, they are moving to Florianopolis for a few months and so I probably wont see them again. Its really sad, but we did all that we could. We grew to be such good friends and so its sad to see them go.

ANYWAYS, now for the miracles! So Ricardo is doing much better thatnks to all the prayers, and here is why. The other day we had an appointment with him and we went to his house, but his mom said that he never came home from school because him and the stepdad got in a fight in the morning. so we called him and he said that he climed a mountain that is in our area to hide from his stepdad. So we went to find him and we saw two policeman on motorcycles desceding the mountain with Ricardo. We talked to them and turns out they found Ricardo and learned about the situation. The crazy thing is, Ricardo didnt call the cops, they just found him. On a mountain! Crazy! Anyways the cops went to the house, fought witht he stepdad and locked him away. They found out he had already been in jail for two homicides, had 3 false identites, drugs, a revolver, and the thing that every gangster has... a ninja sword. So he his gone for good. And Ricardo knew it was a miracle and he has been much better since then. 

Another awesome miracle. Last tuesday we had a district meeting in Pelotas so we were chilling there, and when it was over we went to catch the bus. Butttt we missed it. So we were chillin for an hour waiting for the bus, and this lady walks up to us and asked if we were the mormon missonaries. we said yeah and started talking to her and she said, "Im a member of the church for a long long time, and I was married in the São Paulo temple, but my husband and I divorced and I stopped going to church. But I really want to come back to church. How can I?" MIRACLE! Its so crazy that in a huge city she found us to come back to church! And guess where she lives?! Across the street for the school where we have our meetings!!!!!!!!:) She went yesterday to chruch and loved it! What a miracle! Her name is Nadirlandi!

So those were the big highlights of the week! Really cool huh! Oh also, we found a frog in the bathroom the other night. He was awesome! And today we found out about transfers and tomorrow I will get a new companion Elder Gaudino, who was Elder Menezes´s companion in the MTC! Pretty cool beans if you ask me! So yeah! Im going to miss Elder Menezes but yeah!

 

Anyways I love you all so much! I hope you are all well! I love you all so much!!! Have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A primavera está vindo!!!!

Hello my family!!! I am so happy to hear from you all! This week has been really great! Man I love being a missionary. But first! Connor Ms Grogan is crazy. Talk to Erica about her... haha... but thats so cool you are going to Italy, and so cool that you interact with the missionaries! The members make such a difference in the missionary work! Carson! I hope your back is okay!!! Thats pretty scary stuff right there! And I heard you are crushing the ball! Keep up the good work! They actually reorganized the stake presdency of the Pelotas stake, but I serve in Pelotas North! But yeah! And mom, I dont really need much for Christmas! If I do need anything Ill let you know!

But this week was really good! It was Independence day on Saturday for them and so in Capão there was a huge street party, and so we tried to find people to teach but nobody was home! Haha so not really much you can do there.. but we met this guy named Alan months ago, but he never had time for us to teach him. But we always saw him on the street and talked to him. Anyways on Saturday he was walking and we talked to him and invited him to church, and he went on Sunday! So cool! Its definately the biggest struggle for us, is helping people go to church because everybody says they will, and hardly anybody does!

So yeah that was cool and we will be teaching him pretty soon! Also this week we had a family night with Arlete and Vilmar, and made cookies, substituting the ingredients for gospel this that we need like faith and repentance! They like it a ton, and we talked and talked, and they will be baptized this week for sure! Arlete finally is more excited about being baptized! Vilmar has wanted to be baptized for a long time but Arlete had doubts, but almost miraculously she became excited for the baptism! So Im really excited becasue they will recieve soooo many blessings from the baptism! I love when we get to baptize people becasue I know how much it will help them! Thats all I want for the people here!

But yeah also, if you can keep Ricardo in your prayers. There is a church here that preaches straight up stuff about us that isnt true at all. But Ricardos uncle goes to that church, and this Sunday Ricardo went with his uncle there because he was staying with his uncle for a little bit, and he is pretty confused. Me and Elder Menezes are famous in Capão, becasue since we arrived more and more churches are talking about us.

But yeah so we are famous, but keep Ricardo in your prayers!

But other then that my week has been good! I will send a few pictures here but I hope you all are well!

EU SOU BAGUAL!!!!

Ó Brasil!

Olá minha família! Hello everybody, I hope you are all well! This week has been really good! I love hearing from you! Dad thats exciting about the garden! Good luck! It should be really cool! And yeah! Haha anyways, so this week, I got sick... again! Its hard to not get sick here becasue the temperature changes so much so fast! Like yesterday it was really warm, but today is cloudy and freezing! So yeah! A little difficult, but its all good!

Anyways so this week was really good! The mission has so many ups and downs, but it is still an amazing experience! But anyways the group is doing good! I think in a little bit of time we can have a branch here, but its up to the members! They need to be firm if the want a branch here, becasue the bishop doesnt want to open a branch if it is just going to close. He has all the papers ready to open the branch, but he is waiting to see some initiative from the members!

So yesterday was fast and testimony meeting and we brought a man named Luiz with us to church! We met him when we were looking for an adress that turned out to be false, but he is way awesome! Yesterday was his first day at church and he bore his testimony! It was really cool! He is awesome! Im really excited to teach him, he seems like a really great guy!

So we heard that this area is full of cruzeiras, a type of snake really poisonous, and I thought about pit vipers... I think maybe that snake we saw wasss a pit viper... ill be more careful next time! Haha i also caught a frog this week! Naturally, I put him in Elder Wilkinsons bed! Hahaha, so that was funny!

About Arlete and Vilmar! They are doing great! Vilmar really wants to be baptized, but Arlete is still having doubts! We are helping them the best we can, and I think they will be baptized soon! We really want them to be baptized, not for numbers or anything like that, but becasue we want them to feel the happiness that we have becasue of the gospel. I read a talk today taht said the spirit wont testify of what you say if you have false4 motives, or if Im trying to baptize for my own glory, I wont have the spirit with me. I really care so much about the people I teach!

Dad and Connor! I was thinking, now that there are Elders in the ward, you should try to visit people with them! There is a huge differnce when the members teach with the missionariers! I think you both would love doing it! Its alot of fun!

But yeah thats just about it for right now! Thanks for eveything! I havent recieved the packeage yet but I think I will this week! I love you and miss you all, but I know Im doing the work of the Lord! I love you all! Have a great week!