Week 21 - Mission conference and busy!

My week was really good! Nothing really interesting happened. We had a mission conference on Wednesday so I got to see Elder Faustino and Elder Peterson.  Elder Costa (the father of Elder Faustino) was also there.

The conference was really good. President Ferrin’s oldest son bore his testimony to us.

Elder G. Santos and I are crazy busy. We had nine new investigators that we taught lessons this past week. Our numbers are higher then they have ever been. This transfer is just flying buy crazy fast.

It’s freaking hot here now. It’s spring. It’s around 88 degrees…  I’m going to die in a couple of months.

Week 20 - Baptism!!!

Oi! Yeah this week was the freaking bomb for me.

The baptism of the special family was this week!  I got to baptize them.  It was the first time I have baptized anyone.  When I baptized the father, we are both big, and as I immersed him in the water, we created this big wave that soaked a little child sitting up front.

One of the family’s friends came and I have been teaching him.   I have already taught him about the restoration of the gospel.  He doesn’t live in the area, so I can’t go to his house, but whenever he is around we always have good discussions.   He is so cool!

My companion is PERFECT! His name is Elder G. Santos. (We have lots of Santos and Silvas in the mission so we have to use their middle initial.) Elder Santos is from the Bahia! (Bahia is a state on the eastern side of Brazil with the capital city of Salvador).  Many of my Brazilian friends are Bahians or Nordeste.  The special family just baptized and our bishop are some of the people from this state.  One friend, returned from his trip to Bahia this week!  He brought us lots of fruit and things from there! We had legit chocolate. He made chocolate with the cocoa fruit in his house! It was way good!

Elder G. Santos is freaking awesome! He is very obedient. Our teaching pool is the highest it has ever been! He is amazing! He is way funny too!

My clothes are pretty loose. I came here using the very first hole on my belt and now I’m on hole number four.

Week 19 - Transfers, Baptism, and Monkeys

Tomorrow are transfers and I will be getting a new companion.   Elder Villca has finished his mission and will be going home.  I still don’t know if I’m staying or not but I’m pretty sure I’m staying! As long as I don’t get transferred I’M BAPTIZING TWO WONDERFUL PEOPLE SUNDAY!!!  Ahhhhh I have waited for this day!

The Lord is opening so many windows.  If I stay and get a hard working companion I have no doubt in my mind we can find, teach, and bring many people to the water’s of baptism in the Lord’s church this tranfer!

THERE ARE MONKEYS HERE!!! The museu do ipranga has monkeys!!!  I will get a picture of them this week! I’m totally going to try to get one on my shoulder!

I went to Gaurulos today. It’s like a tiny town in the mountains.  The town is way cool!  It’s all dirt roads, cows in the street, forest, and favelas.

Week 18 - Disney movies and emailing friends

It has been a hard week.  There are many things that have been disappointing and saddening.  I want to work and be productive.  Today and tomorrow I will be on splits with Elder Santana which I'm way excited for!  I really like working with him.

We had a zone meeting and have new mission rules.  We are no longer allowed to email friends...  but the trade off is we can watch some Disney films...  I've already decided that I'm going to obey this.  President Ferrin promised our mission that if we follow these rules it will help us contact more people.  This is a huge issue in our area.  

The special family will be baptized on the 17th so I'm super pumped for that!

Here are pictures of phone booths: