6 Months Down! 3-30-15

Friends and Family,

Family,Family,Family,Family,Family,Family,Family,Family,Family, guess what day it is!!!! BUMP DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

This week is bump week!!!! That went by fast! And slow at the same time. Isn’t it weird how time works?

So what’s going on here in fabulous Brazil? Well let’s get to it shall we!

A: He is marked for 12 April for baptism but he faults the desire to go to church. We didn’t teach him this week because his appointments fell so that was a downer.

D: We also didn’t teach him this week because he was traveling. We called him about church and he said he couldn’t because he didn’t have bus money. So that didn’t go too well. But it happens in life.

C: He is a new mark that we have for 25 April. So we are working with him on that! He has one problem though. He is living with a woman and they have been for like 17 years so we are gonna have to get them married. SO we are trying to teach them about that.

P: She was a reference from a member in the other ward and she is awesome. She understands and we are teaching her right now as well as her family. We were teaching last night and the spirit wasn’t really there because of some reasons that aren’t my place to explain since I really don’t know what's happening in their lives. So yeah.

One bit of news that probably everyone with be shocked about is the fact that I now weigh 170 pounds! NUTS!!!! I have gain more then 20 pounds in 6 months! I'm gonna try to make sure that it turns into muscle though because being fat isn’t for me.

Something different about Brazil: Well, randomly you can find fruit trees just walking down the road so you can have a quick snack! Houses here aren’t made with insulation! ITs just brick usually. Anyone that has insulation is REALLY wealthy. In our area the people are not poor; most of the families in our ward are pretty well off! Money just works different here. I don’t exactly understand it to explain it so....they have electronics and appliances like home, but they aren’t nearly as extravagant. SO tha’ts different. IPhone here costs like 300 reais which is like 1200 bucks so they are less frequent. No..... I meant 3000 reais.. sorry :)

Well, As usual now its time for the minute for the chillins’! You little ones remember this scripture: "Helaman 5:12"

("And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.")

Make sure you are planted on the right things in life so that when trouble comes you are ready and will be able to withstand!

Love you all and I can’t wait to write you guys again! Take care!

Te amo e te confio! 

Translation: I love you and trust you!

Elder George

First Week Gone This Transfer 3-23-15

That.... is a xsalada. Basically a giant cheese burger with bacon and tons of veggies :D

Friends and Family,

Well I can definitely say that this week felt like 3 weeks. Not that it was bad but it was just slow. WE had some good success but just took a long time. But lets get to the news shall we?

A, our original baptismal date is not going terribly well... He doesn't come to church and he lacks desire. He is trying to quit drinking tea and he is reading the BoM, so that is good, but he lacks desire to go to church because of work on Saturday nights. So we are working with him on that front.

D is 19 and he was a reference from the ward mission leader. He lives with his dad and his mom lives in a different city. He used to work at the grocery store but lost his job for some reason. He received us well and we have met with him a few times already. Last time we talked to him about Alma and how he baptized people and the picture in the front of the BoM. When he saw the picture he immediately said he wanted to be baptized. So we scheduled him for the 18th of April to give him and us time to teach. The trouble with him right now is he hasn't been to church yet because he lives far. So we are trying to get a ride for him but no one really lives over there. So that's where we are at with him.

Well, those are the 2 most important people we are visiting right now. So if you could mention them in your prayers that would be awesome.

I'm getting a new scripture case! The one that I have now lets water through, so I can’t use it without a plastic bag... BUT I talked to a member and he said he knows a women  that makes leather cases like the one I got in the MTC! So I'm getting one of those shipped here! Super cheap now too because of the exchange rate! It won’t even be 40 dollars! The leather will keep it dry. I tried with my other one using the faucet and it worked way better. I have been using grocery bags to keep them dry. Elder Betts has a leather bag. Other missionaries use plastic bags.

We taught 13 lessons last week. This week if everything goes like it should we should have at least 15. We have lunch appointments every day except P-day. And they RARELY fall. Its awesome! I LOVE THE PEOPLE HERE!!! They are just so welcoming! They are super nice and the fact that I can understand them makes it good too :} I understand 90%. Church is getting easier every Sunday.

Now for a bit of stuff for the littler ones!

You guys, do what your parents say. Don't get them mad at you cause you wont have them to get after you forever! Be grateful you have them and every once in a while do something to help them out. They get tired too but the difference is they cant just go home and sleep like kids can. They gotta keep going until the end! Remember to be grateful for them in your lives and do them a service. Also, remember to read your scriptures and say your prayers everyday. These things are SO essential. Don't let these things take the back seat. Even if its just one verse, just do it! It makes all the difference later!

Well everyone, take good care of yourselves and have an awesome week.

Love you guys,

Elder George

Another Transfer Here I Come! 3-16-15

Friends and family,

Well that passed fast! It doesn't feel like I've been here for 6 weeks already! Feels like last week I got here! So what are we waiting for lets get to the new stuff!

CYLCONE!!!! This week it rained a ton! We went to a members house and we were talking about the rain and they proceeded to tell us that there was a 100 km wide Cyclone out over the ocean! Because of that it was pounding us with rain! It was kinda scary knowing it could move toward us and really hit us. But everything was fine and it stayed out on the ocean.

Manifestation!!!! This week our zone leaders called and told us that on Sunday, yesterday, we weren't allowed to leave the house. WE could only go to church and that was it! So that's what we did! Apparently there was a public unrest manifest about politics and so we were "in danger" but it was fine.

Rodizzio! This week we went to a pizza place with a recent convert to try and help him get some friends! I did take pictures but they got corrupted. We were sitting there the 3 of us and then these three girls sat at the table next to us and started talking to us! They were marveling at the fact that I'm American! Elder B didn't say a thing so they thought he was Brazilian. IT was funny because W, recent convert,  said we were missionaries and they were like instantly backed away. Super funny.

Other then that Brazilian life is a bit strange! I found out that the standard for clothing is almost optional right now because summer is ending. So walking around the center is interesting this week. We kinda have to avoid any busy spots in the city for fear of seeing anything too bare.... So that's different then in the states.

The pic that I'm sending is of a family home evening that we did with a member, her less active daughter, and her home-bound dad. We did the Familias podem ser eternas! It was a blast and they were super nice. They're two kids were kinda active but that's okay. I was like that when I was their age.

Well family, That's all the interesting this week. Love you guys and you little ones remember to read you scriptures and say your prayers! Those two things make all the difference in life! And my dear cousin, I wish you all the best and I'm praying for you! Love you guys!

Elder George

Deven's cousin, who is serving a mission in the Dominican Republic, was involved in an accident. She and 2 other missionaries were hit by a motorcycle and injured. She took the brunt of the impact. She received stitches last night and was sent to a larger hospital to determine how to treat the burns she received on her arms and legs. Her family is very worried. Any prayers on her behalf, and for her family, would mean a lot. Additionally, I KNOW God hears and answers our prayers for healing and comfort. I KNOW that we are His children and he loves us and is involved in our lives. Thank you for your prayers and your love. Sincerely-Deven's Missionary Mom, Stacey

March 9, 2014

Hello!

This week was rather bland. Not much went on. So I'll get right down to it!

We are teaching a recent convert who moved from another state. He is super awesome. His name is W and he loves the gospel. This week we taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For those who dont know, we teach the lessons twice. Once before baptism and once after. So we were teaching and we did all the points of the Gospel and it was good. He has a strong testimony and it was awesome. He is really very ready to begin his journey to the temple.

This week I have been spoken to in English quite a bit. People can just tell that I'm American and that's funny. We met a guy from New York today! So that's an adventure every time. Sometimes people just say something super generic and you can tell they DONT speak English; so sometimes I rattle off something super fast to try and confuse them. So thats fun.

I was studying about infant baptism for no particular reason in Moroni 8. Its super interesting that they thought of that 1600 years ago! That was interesting to study about the will of God with respect to this stuff!

Not too much terribly spiritual this week. Sorry to disappoint anoyone... but I do have a counsel. You YOUNG ONES! Read the BOOK OF MORMON! IT is the essential tool to being a missionary! KNOW the BOOK OF MORMON. Thats all I'll say about that.

As for our investigators... They are falling a bit. They are lacking desire so if you could mention these people in your prayers that would be awesome!

A-desire to obey the Word of Wisdom and quit smoking

L- that God exists

F-desire to go to church and read the Book of Mormon

If you could pray for these individuals I would be so grateful.

Well, love you guys and I hope to hear from you next week!

Elder George

Another Week, Another P-day! 3-2-15

This week was another week on the way to the 6 month mark! It was pretty good! Here is a pic AFTER haircut :)  It’s a good haircut and it was free!

First off we met a guy on the street who came up to us and said to me "You’re American right?" (Everyone knows that I'm American!!!!) I said I was, in Portuguese, and he said "Oh its cool. I speak English." Turned out he has dual citizenship in the states and here! He went there and was a marine and a cop! As he was talking I thought to myself," Yup. You could be a cop." But, that was fun.

Other than that I realized something they have here that is less common in the states! Street performers! LIKE IN THE STREET! They juggle, and do weird things that I wouldn’t pay a nickel to see. So that’s fun.

Saturday I bought a “cake for 1” mix and ate it this morning! Yep-I ate cake for breakfast! IT WAS GOOD. It was only like 1 real. So that was awesome! I’m gonna go back and get another couple today :)

Lessons were lacking this week. We had divisions and meetings with the district so that made it harder but even so there isn’t anything new with them! Exchanges were fine. Everything went well and we are pretty good friends now! He is from El Salvador so that’s different. He's gonna make tacos for us soon :D

Yesterday, it was testimony meeting. THERE WAS A LINE OF PEOPLE!!! We didn’t have any investigators attend, but we had some less actives so that was good! We are trying to do more with less active members because we are lacking with new investigators right now. So we are focusing more with them. After church, we went with a member for lunch. It was so much fun now that I can understand!

This week we have another zone meeting and another opportunity to receive mail, so that’s exciting! So there is a new convert in our ward who moved here from North Brazil! HE IS SUPER COOL! I'll get a pic with him this week to send next week but we have a bit of a problem with his records.... Since he moved like RIGHT after conversion his records are kinda screwed up... He received the Aaronic Priesthood but the records don’t show it so he'll have to receive it again. Also his baptismal date in the computer says that he was baptized in November but he was actually baptized in January.... So we are trying to help him with that. 

The mission is a weird place! I have decided it is only place where you can feel so spiritually high and not even be effected by anything bad! So that makes things a bit easier! It’s like things just always work out! For example, we were waiting for a bus one night at like 8:55 that should have passed then and we had been waiting for like 15 min. Turned out that there wasn’t even a bus that night. But we said a prayer that everything would work out and right as we said “amen” a member drove by and gave us a ride! So that’s what I think about the mission.

Well everyone, I love you and miss you and hope you have great week!

Sinceremente,

Elder George