6-15-15

HELLO!!!

Well, lets make this fast and to the point. WE have a bus to catch! This week was about normal. We are preaparing J for baptism but we think she might be nervous a bit. So we are gonna try and help her out with that. We hope that she will actually be baptized. This is the closest we have come to a baptism in my mission so far... So we are praying VERY hard. I would be very grateful if you would include her in your prayers this week that she will be able to be baptized and feel ready. Thank you!

Also, I find out today that we could be getting and new companionship living with us! We found out that another ward will start coming to our chapel and so the sisters cant very well stay in the other city AND come to our chapel every sunday... So President will probably trade them with elders and send the Elders to live in our house. BUT I'll probably be transferred by then I think so I won't have to close that house as well. Thank goodness. Missed that by the skin of my teeth, I think.

Other then that it is getting colder and colder here and Wednesday should get as low as 33 degrees! WHAT?"?" Am I in Brazil or what? What the heck. Also they dont have heaters in the houses here and insulaiton... so there isnt any escaping the cold here... So that's an adventure. Like winter camping, ALL THE TIME. So we are trying to keep warm and everything so that is different about here. 

At this time I'd to thank all those who have donated to my mission, especially Grandma and Grandpa George. Thanks SO much for you contributions. It means so much that you support me through all this. I will be sending a "surprize" to you in the mail. :) Not to discredit all other that have donated. I am VERY grateful for all who have donated. It means the world to me.

Well, Chillens, This week you guys should read the story of the Prophet Jospeh with your parents and talk about WHY he did what he did. And I expect SOMETHING of correspondance next week! From the cousins especially. Anyone else feel free to send something BUT you SIX are obligated to send something and read about the Prophet Joseph and if not.... You will be called mud forever more. :D 

Thanks everyone and I look forward to hearing form you once again in one weeks time :)

Take care,

Elder George

Wonderful Week!!!!! 6-8-15

Friends and Family,

This week was quite the good one really! We are making real progress with J! She is doing really well and went to church yesterday! So she is on track for baptism on the 20th! So we are hoping, praying and fasting for her! We had a lesson with her last week about prayer, studying the scriptures and obedience and she is understanding it really well. During the lesson I could tell the Siprit was there and so I decided to try and identify it for her. I asked her if there was a change in the atmosphere or the feelings that she gets when we come and go and when she reads the scriptures and prays and she said there was a real difference. So we told her about what that is and she seemed to understand it well and accept it. We have another appointment tomorrow with her so I will let you kow how it goes! Pray that it goes well!!!

Other then that I found out today that a nearby area is going to close so the missionary house there has to be closed and guess who has to do the move...... ME!!!!! YAY!!! Another freakin move. It hasnt even been a month!! NOOOOOOO!!!!! But oh well. Maybe Heavenly Father is trying  to teach me something about moving so that I can apply it for the future.... :/

We had our district meeting and it went well. I had one of the sisters do a trainging on the gift of tongues and she did well. I trained on humility and its always fun to train on things that are really broad like that. It went well and the district is doing really well with getting new poeple and baptizing. I will probably have 2 interviews one thursday for the sisters and so that should be good! I hope to have to have J do an interview with the Zl's so that SHE can be baptized. We'll see. So the way that the interviews work is I do the interviews for everyone and the ZL's do them for us. It works well. 

Well, thats about it this week. I love you guys and remember little ones to eat your fruits! They could be expensive in the Mission Field!! Love you guys. See you Later

Elder George

Letters from Presidente Silva 6-2-15

Note from Elder George's Mom:
We received these letters from Presidente Silva today about Deven's callings to serve as a Trainer and a District Leader. He has commented about the responsibility he feels trying to fulfill these two callings. I appreciate the growth and maturity I can see in him as he diligently serves. I am so thankful for the opportunity Elder George has to serve the Lord at this time.


Elder George
District Leader
Thank you for preparing such a wonderful missionary, Elder George is a great missionary and a fine young man. We are pleased to announce that he has been called to serve as a District Leader. District Leaders provide the vision of the work for the rest of the missionaries. The extra work load is tremendous, and they are still expected to bring souls to Christ through baptism. His responsibilities will include training all missionaries in his district (which includes 4-12 missionaries), conducting district meetings, conducting baptismal interviews, solving problems within his district, and informing the president of serious problems that may exist. We are overjoyed to have him as a District Leader. We know that he will execute this responsibility with the same degree of faith and diligence he has demonstrated in every other assignment and responsibility he has been given during his mission.
We express our love and gratefulness, you have a wonderful missionary! We love him, and we know that the Lord loves him. We will continue to care for him, please continue to communicate with him. Letters and e-mails are very important to full time missionaries. He is in the Lord's care.
Sincerely,
Presidente Ramilfo E. Silva


Elder George
Trainer
It is with great pleasure that we inform you that your missionary, Elder George, has been made a "Trainer" in the Brazil Florianopolis Mission. This additional responsibility comes to him because of his proven service as one of the most trusted missionaries in this mission. Trainers have the responsibility of preparing the next generation of missionaries who will continue the work of the Lord, even after the trainer has returned home. For this reason, only the most faithful missionaries are selected to be trainers. As a trainer, your missionary will have the opportunity and responsibility to implement the "Twelve Weeks Program" with a missionary that has recently arrived from the MTC; teaching and training: the lessons, planning skills, teaching techniques, how to form relationships with leaders and companions, and to testify of Jesus Christ and his Atonement as well as the restoration of the Gospel. These experiences will be of benefit to him throughout his entire life. We know that your missionary will execute this new responsibility with the same degree of diligence that he has demonstrated thus far on his mission.
We ask that you continue to write him regularly! Communication from home is very important to full time missionaries. We want you to know that we love your missionary. He is in the Lord's care!
Sincerely,
Presidente Ramilfo E. Silva

Helloooooooo! 6-1-15

How is everyone!? I am a little stressed but I'm pretty sure everyone know why already. Being a parent is not the easiest thing in the world and I just feel more tired everyday! But my son is a good boy and tries not to break the rules I think. He just gets carried away sometimes. I am learning the language a LOT faster so that's good. ANYWAY!

This week was quite the different one. We got one more investigator with a baptismal date and that was really good. 20th of June. We are trying to help her prepare for that right now. We have a lesson with her today with a few members. So that'll be good I think.

Also this week there were 3 child baptisms! 2 on Saturday and one yesterday! I was really struck at the 3rd. I felt the Spirit INSANELY strong when President Dal Toe stepped into the font with his son and said,"Tendo sido comissionado por Jesus Cristo, eu te batizo em nome do Pai, e do Filho, e do Espirito Santo, Amém." It made me once again sad that I myself haven't done that... but we are hoping that we will this transfer.

This week I was thinking about the 2000 stripling warriors story. I thought about it compared to missionary life. There are few missionaries compared to the army of the world that we face. BUT, we have been taught by our mothers that if we do not doubt, God will deliver us. We will triumph over our foes. Then there is a verse in Alma chapter 57 that says how great was Helaman's joy to find that NONE of the young men had fallen to death in the heat of combat. BUT, EVERY single one had a battle wound. I then thought about that compared to missionary work. We, as missionaries are fighting the battle of salvation and during the fight we take wounds and hits spiritually, emotionally and sometimes physically. BUT, if we remember what we have learned, we WILL not fall in the heat of combat.

I bear my witness of these things. I know that I have learned of the truth of these things these past months as discouragement and sadness come and go. If we do what we can and let the Lord handle the rest we WILL Triumph over all of our foes. 

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week and I thank you all for everything you have done for me. Until next week!

Elder George

Note from Elder George's Mom:

Deven talks about "parenting" and his "son." That is missionary lingo: a missionary who trains a missionary first out of the Training Center is the "Father," and the one being trained is the "son."
He also refers to a story in the Book of Mormon. The Ammonites were once a violent people who were caught in conflict with the neighboring peoples. A missionary came to them and their hearts were changed by the power of the Holy Ghost. Because they chose to embrace the Gospel, they decided to make a covenant with God that they would not ever fight in a war again. At one point, they were even being slaughtered by another group, because they would rather die than break their covenant with God. They were befriended by a group called Nephites who became their protectors. There came a time when the Nephites, who were trying to protect themselves and the Ammonites, were struggling against those who would conquer them and take away their freedoms. The Ammonites had 2000 young sons who had not made that same covenant not to fight. Despite their youth and inexperience, they volunteered to fight for their people. Helaman, who was their leader, called them his "sons" because of the fondness he had for them. Helaman describes them as:
“And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.” (Alma 53: 21-22)
After a severe battle, Helaman reports that although ALL of the young men had been wounded, none of them had died. It is a beautiful story the of faith and courage of young men who lived for what they believe. Here is a link for the story if you are interested.
(See Chapters 53-57)
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/53?lang=eng

Final Countdown To Transfers 5-25-15

Custom scripture case for the Portuguese Quad

This week is once again the week of the transfer! I hope I stay here for one more because it would be a real pain to have to move again after moving to the new apartment. Besides, I would like to leave the area better than I found it. But we'll see.
 

This week was a disappointing one. We lost a few and aren't finding many. So that's the goal this week is to find! We'll see how that goes.
 

Mom requested the most meaningful thing that happened to me this week and so I'll try to describe that this week. We did a division with the ZL's on Wednesday and going into it I wasn't too thrilled. After I while he asked me about the area and I told him about how hard it was getting and he told me one thing. "The field is ready to harvest! Sometimes seeds weren't planted but the field is ready to harvest!" He expressed to me how and what we could do to help the area a bit more and so we are gonna give it another shot. I also read one of Mom's letters this week that had a quote from Holland about this. "If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart! So it has been with the best people who have ever lived." I have started to not let insuccess effect me and just do my best and let the Lord handle the rest. That is the way we win the prize.
 

I'm sorry this is so short but it's time for us to head out. In the next I will have the transfer info and HOPEFULLY a happy experience of a new investigator. Wish Us LUCK!
 

For you little ones. Study about Joseph Smith and his life. He is a hero for us and we need to know what happened and why he did what he did! Ask your parents if you have questions!
 

I love you guys. Take care

Atenciosamente, 

Elder George

 

Here is a link to the personal account of Joseph Smith:

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng

 

Here is a link to the movie, "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration"

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-01-joseph-smith-the-prophet-of-the-restoration?lang=eng

Move is Done! 5-18-15



Elder George and his companion Elder R

 

Hello again and may I say that this move coming to an end is a HUGE stress relief for me. I know now how stressful parents feel about moving. It really isn’t all that fun. But the new house is much better! So that’s a plus. Really the only one. So we'll work with that from now on! Today we are Emailing Pres. Doing the numbers, and after we are gonna get groceries and I'm gonna make pancakes tomorrow! I can buy pancake mix, but its kinda expensive. So I think I'll make the recipe from scratch :) I am also going to make syrup from the maple flavoring mom sent.

My favorite food! Pizza! Half savory and half sweet-Nutella and candy bar with caramel.

No mom, I haven’t received the package with my razor cord in it. I won’t get it until next Zone Meeting which is in June. Zone meetings are once a month. Transfers are every 6 weeks usually, except twice a year a transfer is 5 weeks to help with the visa waiters. District meetings are every week.

As for a lesson this week.... We taught a new woman called J. She is really nice and she has been searching for something more in her life for a little while and she is excited to learn about the church. The lesson went well. We talked about the Restoration and it went well. We left her the BoM and she was interested to read it. We have another appointment on Tuesday. Should go well!

Oh my goodness... In the center of the city there is a tin man that walks around doing funny stuff! Yesterday I did an interview with him in English and it was funny. My companion couldn’t stop laughing! It was awesome. Sometimes we pass him and he's perfectly still! It’s awesome!

During church this Sunday I was listening to the hymns and thought to myself why we really sing hymns... God has to be listening, yeah, but then I remembered that music invites the Spirit much stronger than anything else and so that’s why we sing them. We were singing “There Is A Green Hill Far Away” and I was truly touched by that song. Everything about it is amazing.

Well, mom asked me about a scripture that impacted me, and I was reading in 2 Nephi 9:34.... No Just Kidding.

I was reading in D&C 121: 7-9 again and I'm ALWAYS touched by his words in Liberty Jail. "My son, peace be unto thy soul. Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a moment. And if thou would endure it will, God will exalt the on high." Every time I read those words when I'm having a bad day it makes all the difference. Thinking about how much He loves us helps more than people imagine.

I love you all and wish you the best! Have a great week! I look forward to seeing you words soon!

Sinceramente e com amor,

Elder George

Wassup --- 5-11-15

Mother's Day Skype

 Hello again! Yesterday was Skype as everyone should know. So that was really good as always and it was good to see everyone. But on to news this week!

This week we didn’t have a lot of lessons.... AGAIN! I found out on Tuesday that we were gonna move on Friday and we had conference with President Silva on Thursday all day. So on Tuesday and Wednesday, all day, we packed everything we have and got ready for moving.

 On Thursday we had Conference and it was good. We got to see the more fun side of president and it was good to see! We played a few jeopardy type games and it was a good day!

 On Friday we had the move and it was a long day. We tried to get everything done, but it took longer than we thought. So we missed an appointment, which I was upset about but it went okay. Saturday we started to get things organized and that was normal. Got things unpacked again and so that was annoying, to pack and then the next day unpack in the same freakin city. Oh well.

 We talked with L and she is going well. She wasn’t able to come to church because she was traveling but she promised she would next week. If you guys could add her to your prayers I would be really grateful. Other than that, we didn’t have too many lessons that are notable. So yeah.

So everyone, not too much new because of the move, so I'll cut this here! Have a grand week and I am so grateful for everything you guys have do to help me and support me. Love you guys!

Elder George

That is chimarrão. Its from south Brazil :) Its healthy and its good. I enjoyed it. Not super sweet.