3 Months Exactly! 5-30-16

Well starting today is the 3 month countdown!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's so exciting to think about. This week the transfer call will be coming and my companion and I are really hoping to stay another one together. He really likes to work and we get along really well. I would be sad to have one of us moved after only one transfer. But I dont think we will.

This week was interviews with the president and they were the same as always... There is a part where President talks for a while about rules and then gives a training. He talked about the new dress code for sisters and didnt bring ANYTHING for the elders up. So that might just go unnoticed in this misison. But then interviews started and I just asked him a few doctrine questions and that was it. We ended up getting home super late because the bus was an hour and 15 minutes late... So that wore us out. 

We did have lunch with the Branch Pres the week and it was awesome! They smoked fish and made salad and fries and they had soda too. They are 4 in all. The couple, a son who is in Utah at Business college, and a daughter. Pres. Alves challenged me to ping pong and that was fun. He is good. If I had a better racket I could have done better ;) But we always leave a message with everyone. Part of the job. But it's good. Something quick and nice. The only bummer was is they were with company but they wanted us to come anyway. It was a little Awkward. Oh Well

Yesterday was Stake Conference. It's the same setup as at home. Elder Mazzagardi was there and he talked about experiences and trips and such. The best talk was the 3 minute testimony by President Silva, our mission president. He always does a great job. He talked about being a man like Christ. It was great for only 3 minutes.

Last night however we had a baptism which made everything better! Our 9 year old got baptized and her family was there to support her but not many from the branch. But it was a good meeting and my companion baptized her.

"John Lennon" basically asks us about the same thing each week. He was a little calmer this week. A few weeks ago he wanted to do something to the governor becasue he "robbed" John lennon.... So that was a little frightening but he got some strong meds and that was that :)

Well I finished up Abinadi this week and I love his example of being a believer until the end. He is one example of daring to be a Christian. I love that quote from President Thomas S. Monson.

Dare to be a Mormon,

Dare to stand alone.

Dare to have a purpose firm,

Dare to make it known.

There are ETERNAL truths in this quote. If we could all stand for righteousness and goodness we would be able to be like Chirst more fully. We would be member missionaries and temple worthy. What advice from a Prophet of God and a man I love. He is a prophet. He was called by God. God lives and He directs this work. Let us all press on in  the work of the Lord!

I love you all and I wish you all a happy memorial day!

Elder George

Below is a link for the Story of Abinadi: Mosiah chapters 11-17.

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/11?lang=eng

Busy Week 5-23-16

Last week wasn't too busy but this one will be!

So our next transfer is in two weeks and we are hoping and praying not to be changed. But it's slim chances that we would be transferred, so that's good. Well after church we generally do the same thing which is visit people that went to church and try to find some other people to teach. Really the only different thing that is on Sunday is the church meetings. We also help with the ward choir but that's it really. Same old thing.

I will send pics with the family of the Branch Pres. next week because we have lunch with them this week.  So there'll be pics next week for sure. I sent pics a while ago I think. I don t know how long its been but its there.

So this week we will baptize a 9 year old girl. Her parents were members of the LDS Church who don't participate and now she lives with her grandparents who do participate and they wanted her to be baptized and so we taught her and she'll be baptized Sunday!

Well all the people that WERE progressing cut us this week so we're back looking for people and only finding once in a while. But we aren't giving up!

I have a lot of people trying to give advice about my future and telling me I have to make the difference for the US. Its kinda funny when people say that because there's never just one person. But they also give other advice, saying things like "you have to provide, so do something that makes money," and others say "do what you love," and so it's a little complicated. But people are talking to me about it. 

I don't really understand until today about what people see in me. They seem to say, after seeing old pictures of me, that I'm better now and I shouldn't have any trouble now because I'm not a kid anymore. Ha! Apparently being a kid doesn't attract people. But now they are saying that I look better and it should take too long until I'm dating. Who knows.

There is this guy that stops at least daily talking about random stuff. He thinks that he is John Lennon and that everyone faked his death, stole all his money and dumped him in Brazil, and now he'll get revenge on everyone and expects us to help him. It's funny every time because he's a little out of his mind so we say some stuff and he gets a little bitter or excited or anything else. Funny guy.

This week we'll have interviews, a baptism and stake conference and so we'll be busy with all kinds of good things. Today we'll try to go on a hike but its a little too cold for that right now he says so we'll see...

Well As far as the REALLY interesting things that's it!

I was reading my President Monson book and he said something really interesting that has helped me repeatedly and that is:  God is always with us through trials and that President Monson knew that even when his wife passed away. Through something that would have been the hardest thing for him, he knew that is was the right time and he isn't alone. I know that too. We are NEVER alone and when we do what's right we will be able to feel that stronger.

Have a good week!

Elder George

 

Totally lost 5-16-16

 So this week I'm totally lost on what to tell you guys... Really today was a week where I was waiting for time to pass doing the same old things. We didn’t have too many GREAT lessons. We mostly just talked to a lot of people and got rejected but hey that’s part of life.

That sounds super exciting about graduation finally! It's hard to believe that the people that were sophomores when I was there are now graduating. That is pretty bizarre really. I can’t even imagine my sister being done for 6 years now! CRAZY! Smoked salmon for Mothers day??!?! It seems like the best foods I ALWAYS MISS!!!! ARGH! We have to make something like that when I get home! JEALOUSY!

So, I haven’t gotten mold on my clothes before, but I've had cockroaches in clothes before..... GROSS!!!!! And I had a spider once..... WORSEEE!!! I've grown to appreciate dress pants these past months that I have some now that I have botten and found in houses that I will FOR SURE wear at school with tee shirts. I also found and insane sale last year of some Nikes that I swooped up without any problem so that it something that I'll looking forward to. Mostly I miss all the shirts B. gave me... I'm excited for the ones I left home... the ones I brought are getting a little beat up in the washing machines here.

Those sure are incredible experiences that Sister Croshaw and Sister Buchanan shared. We haven’t had one of those exactly yet but probably soon there'll be something here soon. Miracles happen every day! This week we talked with literally everyone on the road and got some return appointments. We are trying really hard to build up our teaching pool. It's going okay so far. We'll have a baptism on the 29th and that should be great. The work goes on!

Here, for District meetings, we have this folder of topics we have to follow now. I'll show the folder better when I get there but its about a missionary conference that the missionary department did in January. I don't make up my own stuff now, I have to use something from that packet or else I'm breaking the rules. Elder and Sister Davis generally bring treats or something since they have more time to make things at home. They work with less actives most of the time.  

I LOVE MY COMPANION AND ONLY BEING IN TWO! With just the two of us in the apartment it is SOOOO much easier to keep things clean. Well there are ants and bugs and no carpet so you can see all the dirt and so that is a bummer...My companion is from the same group as the guy I trained so he's got another year to go. Also, I have contacted the Branch President's son that lives in Utah and it seems like we'll get to be good friends! He is super chill and he likes most everything I do. Another bro! 

Well this week I was studying in Mosiah 4 and I found a verse where he tells everyone to think to themselves, "I don’t have anything to give but if I did I would give it." When we don’t have anything more to give, before we can't be self-sufficient, we need to have in mind that if we had more we would give it and have that spirit of giving. I know that we are blessed because of it.

Well I'm sorry that this week is so short but I just don’t have any idea what I should write.... Let me know what else you wanna know! 

Love you all and have a great week!

Elder George

Mosiah 4: 24 "And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give."

Last One Down 5-9-16

Ward Mission Leader served with a friend from home!

 Well with this last Mothers Day down. It has taken a long time to get to this point and I'm still not done yet. I hope to be able to finish the Book of Mormon in Portuguese before I come home. It is about 100 pages longer than in English so it is harder to do. I imagine the fish for Mother's day turned out amazingly and everyone was super thrilled about it. I sure was happy to have the cold chicken sandwich that Sister Davis made for us yesterday. It had been so long since I had had one that it just made my day! YAY CHICKEN!

 

 

Mom asked about miracles I've seen on my mission. Last week, there was an electrical part which went bad in our shower (the water is heated in the shower heads-standard for Brazil). We bought the new part, switched off the breaker, replaced the part, and switched the breaker back on. It still wasn't working, so we called a member of the branch to come and have a look at it. When he turned off the breaker marked "shower" and checked it, the electricity was still on; the breakers had been mismarked and that switch that I turned off did NOT turn off the electricity to the shower but to the lights somewhere else. He asked if I had made the repair under these circumstances. I said yes-I had taken the old part out and reattached the new wires to the new part. We realized that those wires should have been flowing with electricity--220 volts, which is the standard in Brazil. I had been protected from the electricity.

Another miracle that I remembered that happened was one night we were coming home and there was this drunk guy that was following us that was shouting some pretty absurd things at us and When he got close to us, out of nowhere he just stopped and turned around and walked calmly away. I thought that was weird and my comp did too. I felt that we were protected and that was cool.

I mentioned that I knew that I was here for a reason and that was because of S. and the man that was baptized here last week. They both expressed to me that I had helped them to understand and accept baptism. Even though S. didn't get baptized while I was in my last area, he told me when I was leaving,  "Thank you for bringing the truth to me and my family. We didn't even know it, but we were looking for this." He told me that I should always keep in touch and I told him I would try.That is why I know I was supposed to be here. That has made the difference of all those times I had no idea.

I said I have a hard time with faith and that is true. I like to see evidence of things. But I am starting to understand more and more the things the Lord does for me. Because I was here, I know He helps me to become a man that a wife and kids will be able to rely on in rough and good times. 

Just to thank Mom again, Thank you for being my mother. You made ALL the difference in my life because of your example and your belief. I wanted to believe and because of your belief; I let that desire work in my heart until I had my own. I know these things that I have been teaching on my mission are true! They bless us and our families! GOD LOVES AND KNOWS US AND WHAT WE NEED TO GROW AND LEARN! He has passed through every trial and pain and challenge so that we do not have to do so alone.

Have a great week. And remember to look for the good in everyday!

 

Love Elder George

 

New Week - May 2, 2016

Well I have to say that I am loving this new area and the branch and my comp. Everything here is homey and everyone is so welcoming for us and people are constantly trying to invite us over to eat. It's really a great thing. My comp was here only one transfer  before me so we are trying to get to know the area a bit still but we are doing well on that front. We have a few investigators that we visit and they are doing well. We should have a few baptisms here in a few weeks but we had one on THURSDAY!!! So that was a welcome to the area! We were really happy becasue he was Athiest a year ago and his wife was a member of the Church, but not involved, and didnt want anything to do with the church. But now theyre both going actively and doing super well!
 

So on Sunday, for Mother's day, I will probably be on the Computer to Skype at about 4 here so it should be about 1 PM there.Does that work for you guys? We will go the Elder and Sister Davis's house and they'll let us use their stuff. They are a missionary couple from the states that serves in our area too! They are really nice and Sister Davis makes ALL kinds of American foood. So that makes me happy :-D
 

It has been a lot colder here since I got here and I love it! NO MORE SWEATING!!! Yes, we are starting to get into winter but it hasn't QUITE gotten here yet. The culture and architecture here is basically Brazilian. Nothing really too European-like here. As far as I know none of our contacts go to school at the University in town. Basically no one stays here to go to school. They all go to Florianopolis.
 

School for kids is basically the same as there. Summers off and a few holidays during the winter when no one does anything. But they have differnt times for the different ages. Like the little kids in the moring, the middle school age in the afternoon and the high school at night so they can work during the day if they want. But its monday thru friday so thats the same.

 

Well the best thing about this week was definitely the baptism. But the funniest was probably the branch choir here. They are really struggling and Sister Davis, who's Portuguese is a little rough, was getting all stressed without some help. So she asked me to help them and we went. I tried to help and it turned out better. Sister Davis told me how relieved she was to have someone there to help. We also played cards with the family whose dad was baptized this week and that was super funny. It was just like old times and I got a little trunky for those nights when we would play Catan and just laugh and laugh. But it was fun.
 

But I think this week I remembered the scripture in Jacob. "Oh be wise. What can I say more?" Sometimes we get caught in what we want to do and not what SHOULD be done and what needs to be done. I know that when we try to think more about what we do, the Spirit will help us to be wise. Then we will be able to have the Spirit more in our lives to help us in our trials. We will learn to recognize His presence in our lives and His love for us.
 

I love you all!  HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Elder Deven George