Monday, November 28, 2016

91st Week Out, Week 1 Horizonte, "Transferred to my last area"


Dear Family and friends, this week............ I WAS TRANSFERRED! DANGIT I’m now in a place called Horizonte! but its ok because my new companion is awesome! I already knew him before! His name is Elder Tozin, he is 24 years old, and he only has 2 years as a member of the church! He is a convert! He is from São Paulo.  He loves MMA and Jiu-jitsu (If anyone knows what that means). I knew him when he was in Mondubim with elder Anastacio, we were in the same district. So I already have done many divisions with him! I will miss Pacatuba! It was a great experience for me there! I have learned a lot there and established many close friends! But I know I will go back there 1 day! I thank you for all the love and support!
Impressions of Brasil
-here at night there is a motorcycle man that is a security motorcycle and he rides around all night with a loud siren to scare off robbers and crime, If he sees anything strange he calls the police.


Monday, November 21, 2016

90th Week Out, Week 22 Pacatuba, "Baptism all the way from City of Horto"

Dear family and friends, this week the Power went out at night! And that’s one of the worst things here in Brasil! Why? What do you use at night to here in Brasil? A fan! Fortaleza is SUPER hot! Even at night. I Remember in California that… yea it’s hot there to, but during the morning and night its cold. But Fortaleza no... It’s hot AND HUMID, during the day, during the night, and during the morning! It’s simply always HOT! You can’t sleep at night without a fan! So that’s always not fun! You just stay laying there in bed and you start to get super sweaty and you automatically wake up and you can’t sleep even if you’re dead tired and want to! This week we had another baptism for 2 sisters. I met them last transfer, I had contacted their mom in the road, unfortunately she is not legally married with her spouse, only living together with her Marido(very common) BUT she told me that she had 3 daughters so I marked with her another day to teach their family. This transfer I had gone there with Elder Arias and we were able to get to know them; Tainara who is the oldest with 17 years old, Taiz who is 15 and Ticiane who is 13. And they were VERY firm in their church (which I will not name). They even had callings to help there, they had uniforms and everything! Tainara even had the responsibility of tasting the wine that they use for their sacrament (they use wine instead of water) to see if it was good. In the beginning they were open to our message but they were very clear that they have their church. Even the first day that Tainara decided to come to church on a Sunday she went home and then attended her church that night. Tainara was the first to visit, we had invited her on a Wednesday to come to church and Sunday she showed up with other recent converts (Recent convert=members recently baptized) from “HORTO”. These Girls live all the way in “Horto” Turns out the bishop here went out to pick up one of the recent converts  in “Horto” who didn’t have any $ to grab the bus to come to church and when He got there Tainara was there to! Tainara had a very spiritual experience That Sunday that she came to church and the next week she showed up again, but this time with her sister Taiz. With help from our messages and the confirmation from the spirit she knew that our message was true and Tainara and her sister Taiz were baptized this last Sunday, they stopped going to the church they were going to, and ever returned their uniforms and all! During this process many people talked very bad about the “”mormons” But 1 thing I know is that they truly felt the spirit. It’s something you can’t ignore! I know and bear testimony that Joseph smith is a prophet of God; heavenly father and Jesus Christ did appear to him! Many people told Joseph that he was lost and that no one can see God and to not speak of his experience with anyone! But if heavenly father and Jesus Christ Truly appeared to you, would you reject it just because everyone is telling you that you’re lost? I KNOW that this is the true church here upon the face of the earth, I didn’t see Jesus Christ or God, I didn’t even hear their voice! BUT I DID FEEL that these things are true through a simple prayer. You feel it and you know it’s true! I can’t deny nor will I EVER deny this feeling. So yea they faced a lot of rejection... But they knew it was the right choice because they felt the same thing I feel! I’m so grateful to know without a shadow of a doubt that this is truly the church of Jesus Christ! If anyone that reads this has not found it out yet I invite you to simply pray and ask! And visit your local “MORMON” church and you will find the answer that maybe you didn’t even know you were seeking! I thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Pactuba Brasil
-EVERYONE is playing with YOYOS!? Like Everyone! Little boys and even men!? I don’t know if it’s big in the U.S. Right now but everyone here is playing with YOYOS! There’s going to be a competition here so everyone’s practicing!

-The power is always going out here! Like literally it’s a common thing for the power to cut out in the city! And its funny at night because the entire city goes black! And everyone starts to scream until it comes back!!!!!!!

1st photo: Baptism of Tainara and Taiz.
2nd photo:  here is a picture from the city; “Horto“ that I talk so much about.
3rd photo: Feeding a monkey ice cream!
4th photo: some type of Bird.






Monday, November 14, 2016

89th Week Out, Week 21 Pacatuba, "My Companion Sings Well"

Dear Family and friends! Did I ever mention that my companion is a singer? Well he sings REALLY well and to thank our lunches he singes after lunch everyday and its really neat! This week we had zone meeting.  Our focus was sending families to the temple! We ALSO had a baptism for Gabriel! He is 15 years old. We have been teaching him for 3 weeks now.  He finally accepted to be baptized! His mom went to church this Sunday to assist his baptism, and she really liked it at church! So we will be working with her as well as she is LEGALY married, which is hard to find out here. I thank you for all you love and support!

Impressions of Pacatuba Brasil
-People use alot of english words to make more sells
For example; Compra 1 camisa e ganha 1 T-Shirt de gratis LOL




Monday, November 7, 2016

87-88th Weeks Out, Week 19-20 Pacatuba, "Lunch at the Mission Presidents House"

 Dear family and friends so on monday we went to the mission office to get materials and while we were there, President Leite (our mission President) showed up and invited me and my companion to lunch at his house with his family! he lives in an area SUPER RICH! every single house looks like a temple where he lives! He even took us to see the beach and take a picture because he lives super close to the ebach here!!!!!!!! like I haven't seen the beach in so long! Then on tuesday we had Mission counsel  with all of the leaders in the mission! then on Wednesday "Dia dos Mortos" day of the dead, (when everyone goes to visit their ancestors). with a group of 10 missionaries, we went to one of the  Bigest cemetaries here in Fortaleza which is owned by a member! and  we were given a huge room in this cemetary to pass videos from the church talking about the atonement and resurrection and we invited everyone there to watch the videos ! many people were curious and we got many addresses to pass by! Thursday I did a Division with the assistants I went to their area. Friday I did another division with missionaries in my zone. andSunday our stake had a missionary devotional about missionary work! I thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Pacatuba Brasil
-NO one ever uses shoes! its always sandals! all of the kids that skate here skate with SANDALS! YEA!