83nd Week Out, Week 15 Pacatuba, "Patience is A Blessing!"

Dear family and Friends,

This week was great we has 2 miracle baptisms! the First was for Wesley! he is 15 years old and he eat and sleeps soccer! I had contacted him over 2 months ago! but he could never make it to church because he was is soccer season and he had games EVERY Sunday! SO I patiently waited for his soccer season to end and the 1st week it ended I showed up at his house and Invited him to church! last week he went to church and he loved it! so We invited him to be baptized and I baptized him this Sunday! His mom even came to church to support him and we are going to be working with her now as well! The second baptism was for a Woman named Rosicler. She is 45 years old, the mom of Raiani ( A recent convert, that I baptized here 2 months ago) and her other son is preparing to get married so he can be baptized as well! She is one of he very first people I met when I showed up here in Pacatuba. Before the missionaries started teaching her, she had a dream of two men in white shirts and ties , so when she first saw them she couldn't help to stop them. When I started teaching her she was living together with another man and she used MANY  drugs because of her strong Depression because her first husband committed suicide. But as the time has gone by these last 3 months here she started to go to church she started to understand the message we have to share and she has completely stopped using all her drugs for depression! she has a dresser in her house, loaded with all the medicine she was taking, but now she is free of it all! she has become a second mother to me here in Pacatuba, Every single night she makes food for me and my companion, LITERALLY every single night! she always takes care of anything I need! I love this woman and last week she separated from this man that was living together with her so that she could be baptized! I was so happy for her! these past couple of weeks had been tough, so many baptism that had fallen through!  during these past 4 weeks I had prepared 8 people to be baptized, taught them every single message, they were interviewed and all  8  of these baptisms gave up... I know it was heavenly father testing my faith to see if I would give up the fight or keep on trying and I know he blessed me for my efforts! We are all here in life to learn, if we never faced trials we would never get better. There is opposition in all things! But please don't give up , I KNOW THIS is the true church! If you don't have a testimony of it yet you can borrow mine until you get one! I promise you that you will find success I thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Pacatuba Brasil

-There is always something burning, literaly theres a fire ever day! but since the houses are made of brick and cement. no on ever has to worry! People always start brush fires to clean up because they are to lazy to weed! I can count on my fingers the times I have seen a fire truck! and many people call fire trucks just to fill up their water reserves when the water in the city is cut.

82nd Week Out, Week 14 Pacatuba, "Mission Counsel"

Dear Family and friends,

This week I got no sleep! Monday I had to get up @5:30 to go to the mission office to get materials, Tuesday I had to get up @5:30 because we had a mission counsel with President Leite, Wednesday We had to get up @5:30 to travel to one of the areas in our zone to do a division that is 2 hours away! Thursday we had to get up @5:00 to get back to Pacatuba because we had to give a zone meeting, and ONLY Friday I was able to sleep until 6:30but I was so used to waking up @5:30 that I woke up at 5:30 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! I´m a lot more greatful for sleep! I now have 1 year and 7 months on the mission! DANG! its crazy to think I have been here for more time than a sister serves a mission!  I feel OLD! but Im not even thinking about time anymore! Im just living it up! Thanks for all your love and support!

Impressions of Pacatuba Brasil

-EVERYONE thinks my companion is german because he is blond with blue eyes!

81st Week Out, Week 13 Pacatuba, "Mormon Helping Hands"

Dear family and friends,

       So this week transfer calls came and I will be STAYING here in Pacatuba! my new companion is Elder Wedekind! He's and American from Colorado! thats right 2 americans together speaking Portuguese! he is 21 years old and this is his last transfer! so maybe I will stay even another transfer after this! This week I had my very first Mormon Helping Hands service project! it was super cool we handed out papers about Dangue; its a mosquito Virus very dangerous here and we passed out procedures to reduces the chances of Dangue here in the community. It was very cool for people to have a different Kind of view of us missionaries as people to help the community, not just the people who are here to baptize you! But My companion is super awesome, I already knew him back in Juazeiro! ands looks like this is going to be a good transfer! I thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Pacatuba Brasil

-people are always asking what time it is! in the stores in the streets EVERYWHERE! like people will be waiting at their front door for someone on the street to pass by and they will be like HEYYY what time is it!? like go buy yourself a watch!