Week 6

Tuesday 17/1 -

We started teaching this one guy, Rafael, who´s the boyfriend of the daughter of a member, and the daughter is less active.  They are really nice and he is really interested in the church.  Then we taught a boy named Luiz who is the brother of a member.  We taught the 3rd lesson, the Gospel, with our Ward Mission Leader, who really likes to talk.  I taught faith, my companion taught repentance, the WML was just supposed to teach baptism, and then I was going to teach the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then finish with “endure to the end.”  The WML taught baptism, the Holy Ghost, priesthood, temples, tithing, and so on and so forth.  He asked Luiz´s brother to share his experience with baptism, and after he shared that I quickly cut in with my experience with baptism and then I invited Luiz to be baptized, which he accepted.  I ended the lesson before the WML could start on another discussion and we scheduled his baptism for next Saturday. 

Wednesday 18/1 -

Today we were supposed to go to the Costa´s to eat, but we had to get out of the street because it was too dangerous.  We went to the Costa´s early so we were in before the 7 o’clock curfew, after dinner the dad drove us home.  It is dangerous because something happened in the prisons here and the gangs inside are fighting and it’s pretty bad and a lot of people are dying because the police aren´t doing anything about it.  The gang members on the outside are mad and are protesting.  They shot and killed a bus driver and set the bus on fire.  Some of the prisoners escaped and we saw a couple in the street.

Thursday 19/1 -

Today I taught English in the morning which went well.  We taught Rafael again and that went really well.  That night we had to return home at 7 again and so English class that night was cancelled. 

Saturday 21/1 -

Today we taught Rafael again and he asked us questions about what he read in the Book of Mormon that I invited him to read in the last lesson (Alma 12) which means he really is interested.  He accepted to be baptized but he lives with his girlfriend so he needs to either move out or get married. 

Monday 23/1 -

Today we had to go to the mission office across the river and we saw that the government deployed the military.  I saw at least 15 personnel carriers carrying soldiers pass us in our area.  Across the river, I saw 10 or so armored personnel carriers and soldiers patrolling the streets everywhere because of what’s happening in the prisons.  I don´t know exactly what’s going on so look it up on the internet. 

Anyway that´s all for now, no pics this time. 

Until next time!

Week 5

Monday 9/1

Today we went to the other Elders’ house in our district to help them move houses for a couple hours.  Then we emailed, then we picked up an investigator, a young boy, to play futeball at the church.  Then after we ate at the Costas, always good. 

Tuesday 10/1

Today we had splits with the other Elders in our district, which went well.  Then one of the other Elders and I ordered pizza. 

Wednesday 11/1 

Today we had zone meeting where they revealed the new missionary schedule.  Instead of the "white handbook" schedule, we have personal/exercise/shower and breakfast time from 6:30-8:30.  8:30 is daily planning for 30 minutes, then its personal study until 10, then we work.  After lunch we have training for 30min, companionship study for 30min, and language study for 30min.  We really start work at 3 o clock. Personal study got taken away on P-day which now starts at 8 am and not 10 am.  I like the new schedule.  We had interviews with the president that night, which went well and was pretty basic. 

Thursday 12/1

Today, I taught English class in the morning and the same one at night for an hour and a half.  Only three people turned up to both classes and they were all teenage girls.  I wonder why.

Friday 13/1

Today we had an appointment with a man named Antonio, but he wasn’t there, instead we were welcomed by his wife, who was baptized when she was young.  She told us her uncle just died and they were very close.  Then she asked about the spirit world and if we could explain it better (our last lesson was the Plan of Salvation).  I explained it in greater detail.  She then asked if it was possible for the spirits who have died to communicate with us through the veil, and I said it was possible.  She told us a dream she had where she saw her uncle in a room with a bunch of other family members she knew who were dead and they were all dressed in white.  The family members took her uncle and then they left. She then woke up and heard the news about her uncle’s death.  Then she told us about a dream she had where she saw a stairway come out of heaven and she went up and saw a man who was dressed in all white and long hair, but she couldn’t see his face because it was super bright.  She thinks this man was Christ.  Behind the man she could see 12 kingdoms, and we explained that those 12 kingdoms were probably the 12 tribes of Israel and that the work we are doing today is to gather the 12 tribes in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.  We talked about some other stuff and it was a good conversation and she said she will go to church next week. 

That´s pretty much it for this week, no investigators showed up to church yesterday, so no baptisms this week which is frustrating.  I asked the president and he said I could buy a guitar, so I bought one today, and a hammock.  

Until next week, Vai dar certo

Elder Holdaway 

​Elder Vargas and I with too much pizza, but hey teusdays are 2 for 1

Week 4, I Guess

Monday 2/1

Nothing special happened today until we went to play paintball with 6 other elders and two sisters.  It was pretty fun and pretty cheap as well, only 50 reais which is like twenty something dollars.

Wednesday 4/1

For dinner, today we had some other elders come over to our house and we made homemade french fries and topped them with cheese, herbs, onions, sausage, and bacon.  Super good. 

Thursday 5/1

Today we invited a member to teach with us, and on the way back from the lesson, we saw 6 sagui monkeys run across the power lines from roof to roof! I was probably more excited than I should have been.  That night I was supposed to teach English but it was cancelled.  I am going to start teaching English every Thursday in the morning and at night.

Friday 6/1

Today we didn´t have a lunch appointment so we called the Costas and they happily accepted us.  We ended up spending two hours there just talking, but we ate really really good.  They told us we could stop by any time any day and grab food or a snack or water or whatever.  I think we will take them up on their offer.  

Out of our six or so promising investigators, only one showed up for church, and we later found out that she doesn't live in our area so we can’t baptize her.  So, no baptizing for the next week.  

Photos over on the photo page!

Week 3

This week was pretty good! We were able to teach some powerful first lessons and I think we will have several baptisms in the upcoming weeks.  People just have to go to church.  Wednesday I had to go to the mission office across the river to do some visa stuff.  I went with the two secretaries to the federal police building and spent a couple hours there doing paperwork.  Then the sisters in that zone came over to the office and brought some food that they made.  Rice, chicken stew, mashed potatoes, and passion fruit mousse. All very delicious. 

We also exchanged our cell phone for a "better" one.  Well it ended up not working so we went back the next day to fix it.  We got a new phone and then we went to McDonalds for lunch.  I never thought I would be that excited to go to McDonalds, but I was.  I got a club burger, a big mac, fries, and of course guarana.  It was my companion’s first McDonalds and he said it was really good.  The rest of the week was pretty normal. 

Saturday afternoon we cleaned the kitchen of our apartment and I bought some provisions for the next week and for cooking.  It feels good to be able to cook in a clean kitchen.  then we had some other elders meet up with us that night and we ordered pizza.  we hung out for the rest of that night and one of the elders taught the security guard most the night.  I am looking forward to a new year of faithful service to my Lord.

My foot looking much better