Weeks 2 and 3, Transfer 2

Monday 6/2 -

Today, we spent most of the day at the internet café downloading church movies from YouTube like the best two years and the work and the glory. 

Tuesday - Friday

Nothing really interesting.

Saturday 11/2 -

Today we held the interview for a 10 yr old girl named Flavia.  Her parents are members but are less active.  I have been working hard with them to reactivate them and hopefully the baptism of their daughter will help.  They came to church last week and the week before.  We had lunch with the Costas which was super good as always.  The baptism service started at 5:30 and went well. She was baptized by her uncle. I told the father that the best thing he can do now is be a good example to his daughter and continue going to church. 

Sunday 12/2 -

Today, João Victor almost didn´t go to church because he was partying all night last night.  He was confirmed today with Flavia.  I am happy to see the many blessings from the Lord.

Monday 13/2 -

Today I tried to resolve a problem I had with a package that was sent to me and didn't get that far.  We had to go to Alecrim which is a burrow of Natal across the river in Zona Sul.  While there I decided to buy an official futebol A.B.C. team shirt. ABC is the team from Natal.  We spent the rest of the day at home. 

Tuesday 14/2 -

Today we had to wake up at 3:30 for zone conference.  We took a bus to a chapel in Zona Sul.  The conference was really good and we had some good food and I got to meet a bunch of friends.  We got home at 6 and went straight to bed and didn´t wake up until the next morning. 

Wednesday 15/2 -

Today we went to Carrefour (kinda like Walmart) and got our allowance from the church and I bought some food.  I also bought food to make tacos Mexican style to make for my companion and I.

Friday 17/2 -

Today I got my garments that I ordered in the mail a couple weeks ago.  The nylon mesh and the silk type are awful here. I bout a 50/50 cotton/poly mix garments that they don’t have in the states. Super comfortable.  For dinner, I made the tacos.  I cooked up some ground beef and seasoned it with I'm not sure what because the spice names are different here.  I mixed in some pinto beans and hot sauce. it smelled really good but tasted way to salty.  The beans I bought had a ton of salt that i didn't know about.  I decided to level it out with some sugar and it turned out really, really good.  My mom used to make taco meat with ground beef and baked beans, what I made tasted just like that.  I made a simple salsa with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice. topped the tacos with cheese and lettuce.  They were really good, and it was my companions first time trying it.

I invited some elders over to my place today for lunch to make tacos again, one of them is Mexican, so I hope he approves.

Week 1 Transfer 2: BATISMO

Tuesday 31/1 -

Today, we got the news that Elder Nhantole was to be transferred to Parnamirim and become zone leader.  I loved being his companion, and he taught me a lot of things that aren´t in the manuals.  We spent the rest of the day getting ready for the transfer and then had açaí with the zone. 

Wednesday 1/2 -

Today we took a taxi to this big bus/taxi station where all the missionaries meet up.  we got there early but I had to wait until 1 p.m. for my new companion because he was coming from Mossoró which is about 7 hours inland.  My new companion is Elder Prado, who is from south of Brasil, near Curitiba.  He is 22 yrs old and likes anime, Japanese stuff, and has 2 pet fish that he brought with him.  Interesting guy.  He also likes analyzing peoples handwriting and asks every person we meet to write their name so he can analyze them.  I took him back to the apartment and he got settled in.  I showed him around the area and we taught the commandments to João Victor, who we are preparing for baptism next Sunday.  Then we got açaí with some other elders.

Friday 3/2 -

Today, we taught a boy named Alan and his two friends the Restoration. João Victor wasn´t there, but I hope he will be there tomorrow so we can interview him.  We had dinner at the Costa´s and I brought my guitar to play for them at their request.  We had a good time.

Saturday 4/2 -

Today we found João at his house at 10:30 and he had his completed baptism form completed and signed to my delight.  We scheduled a time later that day to hold his interview.  The interview went well and he is excited to be baptized. 

Sunday 5/2 -

We went to pick up investigators including João Victor, but he wasn´t home.  His family said he already left for church and I hoped they were right.  We arrived at church and I was glad to see him in Elders quorum.  After church, we held the baptism service and I had the opportunity to baptize my first investigator.  One thing I forgot to mention, he was a bit taller than me.  I ended up having to baptize him 3 times because some part of his body was out.  I felt kind of bad because he looked nervous.  But everything went well and he was really excited. 

In our second lesson with João, he mentioned that he saw the movie "Other Side of Heaven" and he wanted to serve a mission.  He turns 18 in August and I am eager to see if he will.  

Week 7

Monday 23/1 -

Today we went to the mission office so I could get my passport to authenticate some documents to receive my refund for the baggage fees I had to pay.  Well the place I went to authenticate them didn´t accept my passport as identification.  They need a document from the Federal Police that says I am registered that I am still waiting for.  We went to McDonald’s for lunch and went home. 

Wednesday 25/1 -

Today we had a transmission from SLC with Elder Oaks, Elder Anderson, and other authorities from the missionary department.  In the conference, they revealed the new worldwide missionary schedule, and they got rid of all the key indicators except for Investigators Baptized and Confirmed, Investigators with a Baptismal Date, Investigators Attending Church, and New Investigators.  After the conference, we had the other District Leader in our zone interview Luiz for his baptism this Saturday.  Then we taught Rafael the Law of Chastity and told him his options concerning marriage and baptism. 

Friday 27/1 -

Today we started teaching a 17-year-old boy named João Vito who is really interested in our message.  He watched The Other Side of Heaven and wants to serve a mission.  We received news today that our baptism with Luiz got postponed for next week because he is dealing with some problems with the police.  He was going to run away with these two girls but he decided not to go at the last minute.  One of the girls went to Fortaleza and the other went to João Pessoa.  The parents of the girls went to Luiz´s house to find out what happened and they called to police to get them involved. So, we are just waiting for this to blow over. 

Saturday 28/1 -

Today we had João Vito, his friend, and two girls under 11 with their two brothers around their same age come to church.  The mom of the kids would have come but she was sick.  Yesterday I decided to fast for investigators to come to church and I can see the blessings from the Lord. 

Again, no pictures.  We should have a couple baptisms this weekend if everything works out.  And its transfer week this week so I may get a new companion but we will see.  

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