letter #39

Dearest Family, 

It is so good to hear that all is well. Things are going well here too. I won´t keep you waiting, I´m being transferred to a neighboring mission that is being created the 1st of July, Missão Brasil Piracicaba. . . Okay, just kidding. I'm staying here in Agudos and with Elder Beaudoin, (aka Mr. Incredible, or Bruce the shark from Nemo: ). This makes me happy, for more than just one reason. Principally because we have so many families, complete families that we have found and begun to teach just this week.

 The chances that I would be transferred were drastically reduced when Pres. Tavares called early, think 6:31 a.m. on Saturday morning to announce that due to a recent request from Pres. Monson to the mission presidents, all elders are to stay in an area 6-8 months. Almost nobody will be transferred. That´s a game changing curve ball, if you catch my lingo. Before, it was likely you would be transferred after 3 or 4 months. Double that. Think like I've only got 6 months out here in the field which means that I wouldn't even have a chance to be transferred from my first area until now. Or in another two months. No longer are missionaries going to be hopping around and they will almost inevitably have less companions, as well. It should be interesting how the work continues to proceed and changes occur in adaptation to these changes. For example, if we are teaching a family that is not married we now have time to marry them and then baptize them without fear of being shuttled out of the area. Interesting, exciting stuff!

Thursday we got the activities here in Agudos going again in grand style and unlike Tupã the activity was put on and sponsored by the ward. We just had to bring the people, which was nice and it turned out well if a little crazy.

I add to my food list this week cajá, caqui (yeah sounds appetizing. think like sweet tomato?...), jilo (best laid aside) and abacate.

We also began the Ramo Agudos Institute Book of Mormon Challenge, asking one member of the class Saturday night to deliver the Book of Mormon we had there to a friend before the next class, Saturday, and then pass the reference to us. Then, choose the next person who would pass a Book of Mormon the next week. We're getting the missionary machine going!!! On all levels and with all ages! Wait, I'm just getting started:

This week we left with an all-around champion, one of the young men here in the branch, who kind of reminds me of Hunter. We took off Tuesday night really quick just to knock some doors for an hour in an area we had never worked in. First of all, I don´t as a rule knock doors and second, I made an exception to the first because we are helping a young man get ready for his mission, which he expects will be in August or September. So we went from door to door with a passion and I don't think I've ever been so rejected in all my time here in Brazil. Generally, most people at least let you in to share a message, almost without exception. We just got no, no, no, I´m sick , I'm tired, NO. And I was like, "Bummer, how are we going to show this kid how to teach a first lesson, do a door approach, etc, if everyone's dying or dead?"

Well, we were running out of time because we had a meeting on the top of the hour and had to walk there, 15 minutes in 2, ya know, but at the end of a dead end street Elder Beaudoin pronounced those magic words so dear to the successful men of history. . ."One more." It turns out that the 30ish old women who lived in that house did want to hear our message though not then, so we marked to pass by Saturday. The spirit confirmed to both Elder Beaudoin and myself that the interest she expressed was sincere and so we felt happy for the hour of work we had done, and hopefully the young man learned that sometimes small and simple things are the things that matter most, like one reference.

 

  

Saturday we marked in faith with the branch president to pass by them 3 o'clock in the afternoon. In faith because we hadn't marked a time with the mom during the door approach. Of course we didn't tell the president this. This was also the first time that we had left with the president, whose faith in missionaries has been diminished by a slew of missionaries that haven't necessarily utilized the branch or kept it abreast of the work. Either way, let me assure you that my prayers, in heart and on knees, were fervent. Fervent that we would find them at home, fervent that they would accept us, especially the husband whom we had never met, fervent that the spirit could then enter into their hearts and touch their soul to know the truthfulness of our rather funnily pronounced testimonies.

Well, it just went great, The families hit it off and even though our message was certainly not presented conventionally or in order, it was right, it was what they needed and God wanted. We taught about the family and the importance to us and to God. We left a copy of the Family: A Proclamation to the World with them and then presented the Book of Mormon. This caught the interest of the husband right away, a history buff. What broke the ice? A fish tank, think 150 gallons that they have in the front room. I was able to throw around some fish tank lingo and gab a bit on salt water vs. fresh which helped him open right up, quicker than a clam, fresh or salty. Just goes to show that it's the little things of who you are that help teach the gospel, like visits to the fish store with my friends and family. We are excited to get back and teach them. The president´s thoughts? "I haven't taught a lesson like that with the missionaries in 3 years! Thank you." Stamp of approval? Oh yes. Call us what you like (one friendly drunk likes to shout out various European countries to us as we pass: "Oh Germany! France! You English, Americans!!!) but we're getting it done.

 

 

This week we also have a rapaze, or young man who is preparing to be baptized Sunday after stake conference. We are, I believe, going to put on a dia de branca, or day of white, with all the baptisms from our zone being baptized on this day together. Should be celestial: ) And we might have two, we'll see; )

Well that´s all the news fit to print. Sorry for my excited version of words. I'll blame it on the fact that ColdPlay is playing in the internet house and I have no choice to bob along as I write. It's not everyday these things happen after all: )

(sugar cane)

Hope my letter was uplifting and the photos happy! Quick thought: I shared 3 Nephi 19 as my post lunch message yesterday which focuses on when Christ prayed with the people during his visit to the Americas. I had the family, with the exception of the mom, kneel on the floor as if they were praying and then we read excerpts form the chapter. The apostles begin to pray, then Christ prays, the apostles continue to pray, Christ prays again, the apostles continue, Christ prays again! It was, I thought, a very good lesson on the importance of prayer; That we can´t pray too much, although we probably shouldn't do it on the tile floor: ) I love you all and wish you a wonderful week. We´re smiling here, 

Keep Smiling up there: )

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