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.)