Week.... We have pics!!

Haha, so Rose is her nickname, and she is awesome. Really. But Rose is super strong in the gospel..  We were supposed to go over there tonight, but we can´t go without the sisters and the other elders here scheduled a family home evening and the sisters need to go there instead.  

But so here is some really good news. I found good batteries! For 20 reals (pronouned hay-als). So there shall be pics this week!

But so, now let me say a bit about my week. We baptized a lady this Friday. Maria has been feeding the missionaries for 4 years now just never was baptized. But she finally was this week and confirmed Sunday. Her son baptized her, it was pretty awesome especially considering that he is preparing for a mission. It was super awesome. The husband who isn´t a member was there and I think that he had a little change of heart during the baptism, and especially during the closing song which was Careço de Jesus (I Need Thee Every Hour). He was just sitting there thinking, and his wife just got baptized and it was awesome. Just plain awesome. I think Maria will be an awesome Relief Society President, haha. But seriously she would. Her work is to go work in other people´s houses caring for the disabled that live there. That is what she does, it´s pretty cool. But so yea, after 4 years we finally baptized her......AND we have another date for this Saturday. Little Ann, she is 9 years old and her mom is inactive but we are helping her to return and her daughter getting baptized should help. A lot.

So, my new comp. Straight up Brazilian, no english, nothing. Only Portuguese. So this should help a lot with the language, getting down the accent and everything like that. And he´s pretty chill. He was an MMA fighter before the mission. But he´s kinda letting himself go a little. He says so hmself. Here in the mission he has gained 15 kilos. Don´t know how much that is but I think it´s 25 pounds. I think.

But so yea, we are having a pretty good time and we are getting some work done. And that about sums up my week. Baptizing Maria, setting up for Ann, teaching some other people, and teaching an English class. yea, that is always interesting.....But so yea.

 Oh, the package, talking won´t do any good, it´s gone. Long gone. Super lame but yea, it gone.

So tip´of the week. Less actives. Work with them. A lot of missionaries here think `Why work with less actives? They are already baptized and I wanna baptize people.´  Less actives and part member families are the best places too work because they always have references, which is the best form of contacting someone. So work with the less actives and part member families. You will find that once you reactivate them they will be inspired to bring others who aren´t members to the light of the gospel. So yea, just do it. Haha, nike.

But so yea, I´m glad to hear that everyone is doing well. Love you guys! Love you mom!

Me and my old American Companion, Elder Adams.  Cool dude.

So here is me and my new companion with Maria at the baptism.

 Here is my destroyed shoe. Got a pic as soon as I got new batteries and then threw them out. Super trashed....

So here is what the sisters left when we moved back in to our old house (thank goodness).  Nice sisters.....

This is the little cake the sisters left for us for me hitting 11 months.

The Batmobile.... car of the transfer!

Tender Mercies....

This is Elder Link's mom....
I needed to write a little this week about how The Lord is mindful of us all...no matter how small our needs may seem in the grand scheme of things.

I joined a facebook page called Missionary Momma's.  (It's a fun page to be involved in).  I have seen so many pictures of missionaries that moms from the mission they are in, would send through text to the moms.  As I was happy for those moms, I was also very jealous.  I knew that would never happen to me because of where Elder Link is.  It had been so long since I had seen his face....I just prayed to Heavenly Father that all I needed was to see his face.  I literally prayed for just that.
The next day, I get a friend request on facebook from a lady named Rosemary...her Maiden name was Campos and I figured that I had gone to school with her in New Braunfels, Tx.  So I accepted her request and kind of went on with my day.
Then, on Thursday, Rosemary sent me pictures over fb....weird...why would Rosemary from highschool send me pictures???  But, I opened them....And there he was!!!  Instant tears...instant realization that my prayer had been answered.  Simple thing....Tender Mercy.
Rosemary is an angel to me.  I love her for following the prompting to reach out to someone she doesn't know...she probably will never understand the impact this made on me.
Heavenly Father hears me....he hears you...He knows our needs.  I love Him.

K....so pic time....from Rosemary!!

This is Rosemary.....And the Elders

Elder Link and Rosemary's daughter

Elders, Sisters and Rosemary's daughter

Week....

Thanks for the pics....they are pretty good.

So, first thing to talk about is my companion.  Both you and dad talked about doing divisions.  So, there is a story that goes with it.  So we had interviews with President 2 weeks ago....And he heard from someone here in Vilhena that we were doing divisions like crazy before my comp messed up his toe.  Like every day is a division.  So President told the district leader no more because we are losing the companionships that were designated by the President and therefor by the Lord.  Then my companion messed up his toe and we asked for divisions but we were reminded that we had already done so many and I have to take care of my companion because he is my companion.  So no divisions were allowed.  But we did get permission for 1.  So that was a relief. But it was only one...And that was a week ago.  In total we were stuck in house for 2 and a half weeks.  My companion finally got permission to leave on Thursday.  So Thursday and Friday we worked and then Saturday and Sunday were Conference and that is basically all there is time for.

But so you won´t believe my luck.  We show up Saturday for conference and they are trying to set it up as it starts.  Bad idea because we need the translated version. And... they can´t find Portuguese.  So we have 2 options, Spanish or English.  Spanish is closer to Portuguese so they went with Spanish. I spent Saturday morning trying to understand Spanish.  There was only one source so I didn´t even have the option to go to another room and watch in English.  So I sat trying to pick up words I knew or were close and try to piece it together.  It was so hard.  Then Saturday afternoon we missed the last hour because we were teaching some people that walked out because they didn´t want to listen in Spanish, so we went to try to help them. I think we helped but I missed Saturday afternoon, which they finally figured out and got it in Portuguese. Then all I saw of the Priesthood session was The Prophet, because my district leader said that we weren´t approved by the President to stay out.  But eventually, we got allowed and made it to see the prophet and for my comp to say goodbye to people. He got transfered....but I´ll talk about that later. But so then Sunday was the only day I actually got to see conference.  I was way dissapointed.  Everyone who e-mailed me said conference was amazing and I missed so much.  But I think I´m gonna watch a lot of it tomorrow.  I shall now explain.

So my comp, Elder Adams, got transferred and he left Sunday Morning before conference.  What a badger, he missed some good stuff but he will watch it today or tomorrow.  President approved already.  But so my new companion doesn´t come in until tomorrow because we are so far away.  So I am with my district leader until tomorrow morning at 5 in the morning my time.  My new companion hasn´t had the opportunity yet to e-mail his family or the President so while he is e-mailing I shall be watching conference... In english haha.

 But so we did have an investigator at conference, such a miracle since we didn´t really have time to go visit anyone during the week but this family is amazing. 2 daughters already baptized and the other daughter, the mom and the dad are just about ready... we just have to get the mom and the dad married.  That is a big problem here in Brasil.  People don´t get married with paper all the time.  Just say they are married because it costs to get married and no one wants to go through all the processes.  So they just live together. It´s a big problem, but the church actually helps people get married here. Does all the paper work and everything. So hopefully here soon they will be married and then baptized. They are ready, just have to deal with the details now. But so that about sums up my life now.

After e-mailing today I shall go and buy many batteries and take many pictures.  Also my companion Elder Adams took some for me and he should be sending them to me later today, so I shall also send those.  I just haven´t really been able to get out of the house lately to go get them, but now I have time and a comp that can walk, so I shall buy them today.  But so yea, that´s about my week.  Comps toe got better Thursday and we worked for 2 days and then kinda saw conference but I shall see it tomorrow. So that´s about it.

Ah, and that pic dad sent me of Beckett with the chocolate powder, does that remind us of anyone? `Mom, this stuff is good!!!´ Ah the good old days. But also, I shall send a pic next week of my car for this transfer. So this transfer I shall pass 1 year, so that makes me a really cool dude in the mission, a year under my belt. So my car for the transfer is......drumroll please......the Batmobile! I know, so awesome. Everyone is now jealous because here in Brasil I found a hot wheel of the Batmobile.

 But so now for the last is the tip of the week.  As it is transfer week, I shall talk about companions. I have a friend whose name I shall not reveal who is having a hard time with their companion.  So, my zone leader was told to give a training on companions so this is what he told us... Look at your companion, and then just think... Who is a future companion like the mission companion.  Your future spouse.  Haha, missionaries thinking about marriages already haha.  But so we were told to think of our companion like our future spouse. There will be days we get along great, and days where not so much and we wanna fight and yell and sometimes just walk off on them because they are being so stupid.  But we can´t.  We are stuck with them no matter what.  And would you let a little fight or some stupid thing ruin an eternal marriage?  No, no we wouldn´t.  So we can´t let it ruin our companionship in the mission either.  This is practice for later, so we have to cherish the time we have with our comps. Learn from them, whether it be something great they did that you want to do just as well or you learn something you don´t want to do. Either way, learn from them, cause that is why you were put together.  So learn and then better yourself, cause here in the mission, eventually the transfer will come and one of you will leave.  But when your married, that doesn´t exactly happen.  So just think about how you treat your companion because the same will happen with your future spouse.  Pretty good tip huh? Haha, I think so.

But so I´m heading out. Love you guys! Love you mom!!!

Hastening the Work of Salvation!

So, I joined a group on facebook called Missionary Moms.  I introduced myself to the group and put a couple of pictures up of Elder Link.  Then, an admin from the page Hastening the Work of Salvation contacted me and asked if she could use them on the page and a blog.  This is what she came up with.....

I LOVE THEM!!!!

Week ?? Mom's Playing Catch Up!

Week

March 31, 2014

So here we go.  So about the package, I saw dad´s e-mail. (His package is "Lost" in Brazil) That´s so stupid.  That is a very rare occurence, I´m talking very rare.  Everyone gets their package.  I just have terrible luck.  So let us now talk about terrible luck, maybe the missionaries there can read this and maybe feel a bit better.  So Maggie´s ingrown toenail, yea, my comp got that 2 weeks ago.  We went to the hospital and they removed a piece of flesh that was super inflamed, turned out there wasn´t an ingrown toenail.  But then we went to work.... for 1 day.  Then he felt pretty bad about his stupid toe.  We haven´t done anything since.  He has been ordered to bed rest until it is completely healed. And no one can go on splits with us.  We tried so hard.  Calling every day and every night.  We only accomplished one split for 4 hours with the other elders here.  Our frequency at the church went from 90% last week to 56% yesterday.  It was terrible, an exact replica of our work.  We really weren´t able to accomplish anything.  This week has been one of the hardest of my life, literally sitting in house, having the members drop off the food we were supposed to eat at their houses, then sitting and reading more.  It´s been super hard. ...but life is just hard.  So missionaries of Tyler Texas or Bullard or wherever there are missionaries let us do what we do.  We wear the nametag of Jesus Christ, that is the second biggest name on our nametag.  So we are gonna look at the positives.  What did I get done this week.  I got to study.  I learned a ton this past week from the scriptures.  I also got to improve my companionship with my companion.  We are getting along super well and whenever we get back to work we will work better than before.  So I want the elders to know this story.  While I was in Washington, I was first put into an area that hadn´t baptized at all in like a full year or 2.  My comp and I went in, did some work and then in one week lost every single one of our investigators.  All.  We went back to 0.  So we started over.  The end of the second transfer, we had 2 people on date with another 5 in potential.  We just hadn´t had the chance to ask them to be baptized yet. Then the worst thing imaginable happened.  We got swept out.  The next elders came in behind us and baptized 4 in 2 weeks.  Those were people I had worked so hard with and I didn´t get to see them get baptized.  But so I got shipped to an area that again hadn´t baptized in years with an elder I was told was not doing very well and didn´t want to do anything.  But we went out and worked.  The first 2 week were terrible. 0´s down the board in every category.  Maybe 2 `other lessons´ per week.  Then in week 3 miracles happened.  A guy approached us and invited us in to talk to him.  The bishop for the first time in 15 weeks at least liked the missionaries and gave us referrals to go talk to.  Every member took a church tour and said they would invite friends to take it.  Which did happen, I just wasn´t there for it.  I got moved to Brasil. Where I can´t speak the language.  Now I can but when I got here, nothing.  So we have to look on the bright side.  You don´t have any investigators, all are gone and you can´t get referrals from the members.  You guys are servants of the Lord God Omnipotent, He will help us out.  Just keep stepping outside, do some walking, and you will find miracles.  The way is prepared, we just have to find it. So just walk, and you will find the way.  And always see the bright side, at least you guys can leave the house, haha, I´ve been stuck inside for a week now with only 1 day of work in 10 days. So there is always a silver lining.  But so to now answer the last little bit and then sign off. So for dad, my shoes cost about 75 American dollars, and I have already bought new shoes, so I should be good for another little while. Batteries.... I am searching for. I should have plenty in my account right now so I wouldn´t worry about dropping any. I think right now I´m pretty well off, just haven´t had the chance to go try new batteries because I´ve kinda been stuck in house. But my comp is getting better and we will recieve new updates today to see if we can go work or not. So, hopefully we can here pretty soon. Unfortunately no pics but soon, I promise. I will try to get some today since we are already out of the house. Love you guys! Love you a ton mom!
(No pics because he can't find any 'real' batteries.  They like to sell fake ones to missionaries.)

Week

March 24, 2014

So I have some kinda bad news.  My package did not arrive.  So it´s probably another 6 weeks until my next opportunity to get it if I stay here in Vilhena.  Which I probably will.  But so here is what I think you should do. Look up the package number that they gave you, And send it to me as well so I can check it.  What happened to my companion is the government held his package.  No reason, just stored it in a building.  And they charge you to store it there.  And if no one picks it up they send it back.  It´s super rare but it happened to my comp so the numbers and look it up.  It could happen.  I hope not but it could.  And it can get expensive, like an extra 100 bucks expensive if you leave it sitting there.  So I saw the money that dad put it and I´m super grateful cause I need it.  Broke through those new shoes I bought like 3 months ago.  They´re gone.  Já era.  Have to buy new ones today.  Totally lame.  Don´t know how but yea,  I´m needing new ones like today.  So I know you don´t want to send shoes but I could really use some american shoes.  And my comp got some like black ecco hiking boots, and they are awesome and will definately last a year.  So I´m thinking if I could get some of those, that would last me the rest of the mission.  I know it would be expensive cause the safest way is one at a time but it could be worth it in the long run.  It´s that or buy shoes every 3 months,  Which I really don´t want to do.  But so that´s my news, I was at conference this week and no package.
So here is what happens.  We never travel to Manaus except transfers or if you are a zone leader, but even rarely for them.  So we travel 6 hours to a city called Jí-Paraná.  There are 3 or 4 companionships there And that is our entire zone.  But then sometimes we have a combined zone conference with Porto Velho, which is 12 hours away by bus.  I think there is another 6 or 8 companionships there.  Oh and Porto velho is basically underwater right now. It´s been raining so much that the river broke the thingies that keep it in (forgot what they are called).  Flooded most of the city.  Pretty sad, but no one has died so that´s pretty good.  And the houses of the missionaries are in good areas so nothing has been lost yet. But it´s still raning a ton without the chance of stopping until like the end of April.  That´s when the rainy season is supposed to end.  So yea, the missionaries there are just doing releaf efforts right now.... And baptizing while doing it. Probably can baptize in the road with the amount of water there.  But yea, those are the two zones here in this area. This area being the entire state of Rondônia.  But I guess that´s just how it goes. But so now to answer dad´s e-mail. So there are 2 other companionships here in Vilhena, my district leader and his comp and then the Sisters.  So we aren´t entirely secluded, and we all travel together so we usually have something to do on the bus.  Talk or just go to sleep (usually sleep).  But we follow the same schedule as everyone else. We wake up at 6:30 and do exercises, then get ready for the day.  8 starts personal study,  9 starts comp study, and 10 starts language study to keep working on the language.  Because we are living with 2 other elders while we find a house for the sisters, our language study has turned into teaching them english while my comp and I try to learn some Spanish.  Basically Português is down, just got to get rid of my accent and that just comes with time.  So now we are learning some spanish.  It´s pretty awesome. I´m gonna come home knowing 3 languages, and I´m just gonna learn more when I get home.  I´ve got some big goals now.  I wanna know English, Português, Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, German, and a little bit of Arabic and possibly throw some Greek in there too.  I think that would be awesome.  But back to my schedule.  So then at 12 we have lunch and then we work until 9.  A pretty typical day of the missionary.  Teachin and learnin and stuff haha.
And so yes mom I am happy.  I´m doing pretty well, enjoying my time here and I´m learning a lot.  So I wanna tell this story of what happened this week and then I´m gonna stop writing, I´ve written a ton.  And unfortunately no pics.  I´m gonna find a way to get some for you for next week, I promise.

So here is the story. So my comp and I are walking down the street and this man stops us and says his family is in need and doesn´t have food. Unfortunately we don´t have anything on us so we can´t really help.  We pass by a few days later and clap our hands (that´s the same as knocking on the door here) and his wife comes and says they are still in need.  They literally have no food.  So we go to our branch president, Presidente Rui (pronounced Presidench Hooey), and tell him what´s happening with this family.  Without hesitation or question he has me hold up a bag and starts loading in food.  80 reals (40 dollars) worth of food and asks where they live.  We drive to their house and drop off the food then Presidente Rui invites them to church.  Presidente Rui and I pass by there Sunday to see if they will go and give them a ride.  The entire family and a friend are sitting outside waiting for us.  It was so awesome to see that they remembered and that they were honestly willing to go.  It was super cool and we will start really teaching them this week.  We were waiting to see if they would go to church and now we know it is honest and sincere and they are ready to recieve the good word.  So I would like to invite everyone to act like Presidente Rui. When someone is in need, without hesitation or question, it is our job to help.  And everyone is in need.  Everyone needs the gospel and it is our job to help them see the light.  So that is my tip of the week.  Help everyone, don´t question, just do it.  And they will see the light.  So that is all I have for this week, remember to look up the number. Love you all! Love you mom!