Happy 4th of July!

Well the week had a bit of a improvement. We found a few more people to work with but we are still waiting for this drought of Baptism to leave haha we were in a meeting in the gospel principles room is and the drain for the baptismal font turned on making a super loud noise. We turned it off but my comp made the joke that the font is anxious for a baptism and I have to agree! pray that we can baptize a man named Fabiano this week! The 4th was awesome. We had a member make a churrasco (barbecue) for us. Man I love Brazilians! I have had some great memories here. Transfers calls come this Sunday. I kinda want to finish somewhere else and NOT as an ZL... I am going broke... dang sooo much stuff to pay for. But whatever happens I will gladly accept considering it will be the last one! dang time is starting to go by pretty quickly. Just calls for more work. My comp and I get along fine, about what you´d expect with completely different backgrounds and passions. But we are good friends so all is well in Zion. We get to go to the temple tomorrow in Campinas it might be my last time before coming home! Itll be great! lot to learn. I hope you all have a great week!! Love Yall!!!

June 29: Hmmm

Well I can say this week was a hard one. Those who have served missions remember those weeks where nothing seems to go right and this past week was this exactly. Everytime we tried to get something going or everytime someone showed potential something would happen.. My companion and I are rather frustrated. We have been talking alot lately trying to figure out what needs to be done differently to help us baptize, and we are still at a dead end. We are being exactly obedient, talking to everyone we can and inviting everyone to baptism but nothing worked. We are going to add to this our own fasts and prayers and leave it all up to the Lord. I can feel the strength coming from your prayers. Please keep them coming. Please pray for a miracle. I dont like feeling down on the mission but when you arent seeing the miracles you expect to see it can be rather saddening. We will continue to work ourselves until the end. Love you all! Have a great week!

Saving some souls while ruining his own soles.

June 22: Good Week

Well not much happened this week to notable to pass along to yall. I am trying to lose some weight. I want to come back at least decent;) Not to say that I have gotten fat but just that I want to come back looking good. I might need one more little package with a few things the biggest being one more can of murrays hair gel haha. and a good long sleeve white shirt that I can wear home. 16 and 1/2 neck and 34/35 sleeves. I will need to buy a new suit here to come home because after months of use here in brazil with stains and holes this one just wont make it home together;) We are marrying a couple here and are going to work with them to have their baptism for this saturday. It hasnt really gotten better with the branch president but at least our WML is totally on board with us! Its a great area here and I wouldnt mind finishing the mission here but at the same time I would love to finish the mission in one last area. But we will see what happens! Keep praying for me! Im trying to literally kill myself out here. I´ll send pictures next week of my pair of shoes I bought 3 months ago! I am going to get them re-soled this week;) but yeah trunky is weakness but as we now weaknesses can be made into strengths;) Pray for me and for my area!!! LOVE YALL!!!

The favela we found

Our zone with the visiting member of the 70 and our mission president

Looking GQ

June 15: Opa

 Well this week wasnt as great as the last ones. Lets just say I have had my fair share of arguments this week with the leadership in our branch here. Basically in a nut shell they are having problems with the baptisms we are having. Us and President Farnes are having to team up to get them on board with the idea of more baptisms. They are not used to having recent converts to have to take care of... lets just say none of my Recent Converts have received a visit or even know who there home or visiting teachers are.. Its been a mess. Just life lessons you learn on the mission on how to deal with people that take different approaches. There idea is that we are responsible for taking care of these converts... We keep telling them we wont be here forever.. But I feel like it is getting a little better. Our Ward Mission Leader is AWESOME!! he is killing it here with us! I got to do a division with one of my old companions and that was fun! We also had a 70 come and give a training. He is brand new. His name is Elder Cero Schmeil. It was good the only problem is that we ended up getting home at 1 in the morning. It was in sorocaba a 5 hour drive.. We are working hard here still. I just hope we can see more miracles here! keep praying for us!! LOVE YALL!!

June 8: Milagres

milagres means miracles for those who didnt understand;) Yeah the miracle being we were able to baptize this weekend! Its a story that I will tell after the mission. ;) lets just say it was a miracle for now;) My new comp is awesome. He is super serious but as I have said before I have become very used to it after having a few of the other comps I have had. It is kinda funny to me now. He is great though. Super focused on baptism. We are working hard. He goes home in November so we are really pushing each other! You know to be honest it hasnt really hit me yet that the time is winding down. I keep forgetting and then members will always say something about me going home soon. Its kinda nice. I have been almost more focused now than earlier in the mission. I hope it stays this way;) We are going to have a 70 here this week to talk to all of us. a mission tour of sorts. I have been really wanting to go to the temple lately its been like 3 months! hahah I know carley had to wait like 2 years but with having a temple close to here it gets you anxious to go! dang the mission is really the best. The stuff I have learned here... lets just say I am a changed man;) Well I would like to think I am a man not just a young man anymore;) Well keep praying that we can keep baptizing! The mission is way more fun here in Brazil when you are baptizing! LOVE YALL!!!

oh yeah and i almost forgot- I got bit by a dog!;)  not to bad just ripped my pants! and gave me a nice cut and bruise. and for those wanting to know.... he wasnt a big dog... a stupid yappy one.

 

 

 

June 1: Peruvian

Well this week was the last week of the transfer and we saw the miracle of one more baptism. It was by far the most miracles I have had on the mission in one transfer and better yet one month. Elder Curtis and I will be parting ways. It will be hard cause of how much success we had and how well we got along but as we know the greatest growth comes with change and Elder Baldera from Peru will be my new comp still here in Itapeva. It will be a great transfer and fromt he looks of it I know two of the missionaries coming into the zone. I think one of them is Elder Rodriguez my comp like a month ago haha. I am excited to hit it hard these last two transfers and to work hard on baptizing weekly. We are at 4 weeks straight and want to keep it going! Pray that we can find some miracles! Love YALL!!!


PS it is getting super cold here!!!

May 25: 20 months

Well today marks 20 months on the mission and it has been nice having a companion who has the same time on the mission as me. We are much more focused because as everyone knows the closer you get to coming home the harder it is to stay focused. It is really nice that we are pushing each other to stay focused and finish with No Regrets! We say another miracle this week with two more baptisms that we found just one week ago. It is unbelievable how blessed we are. I have never felt so strong on the mission. I pray that I finish with these feelings that I am having right now. I am learning an awful lot about service in the Lords kingdom and how to efficiently and effectively serve. Lessons that I will no doubt carry with me for the rest of my life. I am reading Jesus the Christ alot now and have been learning quite abit of things that I have learned before but never really thought about. Its a great aid in knowing more about Christs role in everything. I was rather shocked to get the news of Uncle Freds passing and I cant imagine the power that is behind adam during this time of trial. All I know is there is without a doubt a greater force in his teaching and a greater love for the people. I know that the Brown family will be forever blessed because of Adams service during this time. What a great privelege it is to be blessed with the knowledge that Uncle Fred is still very much alive and is merely awaiting a joyful return of his loved ones to never again be plagued with illness or heartache. The Plan Of Salvation for those who have served is by far the best lesson shared to those we teach. No greater spirit can be felt than when testifying that indeed families can be together forever. I know now more than ever that this life is just a time of preparation and a greater opportunity to learn and grow. I will continue to do everything I can to finish my mission as the Lord would expect me to finish! I love you all and am praying continually for yall!