Monday, September 11, 2017

Brazil Independence Day and a promise 09.11.2017

Hey everyone,

    The highlight from this week was September 7th (Independence day of Brazil), hospital visits, and splits with the assistants to the mission president. 

     Well, September 7th we got a promise that if we worked hard we would find a family that has a son who could serve a mission.  So we went to work to find this family. That night we hadn't found anyone and we went to visit one of our investigators and we found a wallet in the street. We started knocking on doors to try and find the owner and with some help we found him. The owner was a man that we had knocked his door the day before and he had opened it and closed it in the same second saying he didn't want to know anything about religion. But once we gave him his wallet he humbled himself a lot and asked for forgiveness. Then we said the least he could do was hear our message and he said that really it is the least he can do and marked a return visit for the next week. He lives with his wife and son, so the promise was completed. The Lord works in mysterious ways to open doors.
     The assistants to the mission president made a surprise visit with us this week. They showed up Saturday night and slept there to prepare for the splits the next day. I stayed with Elder Kaiser and Elder Cruz went with Elder Taporosky. It was a really good division and the lunch was BBQ. BBQ is the best lunch possible here because it is real meat: stake, sirloin, ribs... Brazilians know how to have BBQs. 

    We visited some investigators and at the end of the night we made a visit with the Stake President as well. He went with us to Jerson and Leandros house, who have been investigating the church for almost 3 months. It was a powerful lesson and the stake pres. took control and marked a solid baptism date for this Saturday. It was a powerful lesson. 


Questions:


How is your contact lens supply?  Will you have enough to last?


You wont even need to worry about my contact supply. I think that i still have 8 boxes. enough to last 4 more years. 


What time was stake conference last week?  It seems like i got the live feed from President Lacerda at 1:30pm and 4 pm my time, which would make it 3:30pm and 7pm your time.


Stake conference started at 4 p.m. and went until 6 p.m. 


Do you have senior missionaries in your mission?


No my mission doesn't have senior missionaries

Do you use the sausage and shrimp seasoning I sent?  What do you make with it?  Do they eat seafood in Brazil?

I have used that seasoning. I already used it with sausage, stroganoff, and some other things. Most brazilians love sea food, but it is a little expensive.


How many missionaries are serving in the office?  2 AP's and then who else?  Do they stay there longer than other typical missionaries?


Staff has 4 missionaries: Executive secretary, financial secretary, and the two  assistants. However, the two assistants of the president don't stay in the office much. They work in the field and just go to the office when required or to travel with him. 


Where will you be tomorrow for Zone Conference?  Will you be there overnight?


Zone conference will be tomorrow in Volta Redonda. I will take a bus to Teresopolis tonight at 7:00 and then the mission rented a bus to bring Zones Terespolis and Petropolis there and back. I will get back to my area Wednesday morning.


I saw somewhere it was Brazil independence day last week...was that a big deal? 


I thought that it would be, but nothing happened. Everyone just stayed inside their houses and slept or had bbq´s and drank. I didn't see any flags or any fireworks. Brazil doesn't have a lot of patriotism. 


Tell me about one great person you met this week?  Why?


Leonardo. I had made a contact with him 2 weeks ago in the elevator of going to an investigators apartment. I went back there yesterday in a division with Elder Kaiser and we said a prayer and marked a return visit and he liked the fast visit a lot. He has a wife and a daughter and they seem to have lots of potential.

     Now I am off to zone conference tomorrow which will be good. I am out of email time now, so this is all you guys get. 

Until next week!

Elder Smith

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