January 14, 2013

Hello all,

So some videos you guys should see the dead mouse we found in our apartment that gave us a scare and also the classic "Brazilian fireworks in the daytime!" hahah

Other news: So for quite some time near our dining room table we have found little plies of what looks like saw dust being that I haven’t even seen a saw in over a year we have be quite perplexed as to what it was. Today we received our answer. I was showering Elder King started yelling I thought oh maybe more coach roaches or a dead rat... but no what it was is 20-30 flying bugs coming out of a little hole in the side of our table, they just kept coming out like pilots from a areal show... this continued until we put tape over the hole... we shall see what happens next....

This week was had some good experiences.

1) Paulo Sergio is a man who was taught like 3 years ago, I think I talked about him last week, well this week he went to church! His baptism is for the 26th. But so we went to teach him and we were like alright let’s teach him the word of wisdom so he can start getting over his addiction now... turns out he doesn’t have any! Every once in a while he drinks coffee but he doesn’t even like it... hahah what a miracle!

2) Isaías and Da Paz are going through what the divorce (her divorce from another marriage) this week, so basically that means in 20 days they can get married!!! AND THEN BAPTISED!! They have been taught for over 6 months! Time to add water!

3) We returned to Alex and Eudenei... Eudenei wants to go to church and has even gotten a response about the Book of Mormon. Alex hasn’t read it yet... we gave a message about the restoration (what’s the movie? thank you mom) and he was like "wow I really relate to Joseph, and if this book is true then what you guys are saying is true and I need to be baptized" man I love teaching smart people. We will continue to work with them... sadly hey didn’t go to church this week.

Man I am loving it here in São Luis...we got some new district leaders who trust us and we trust them so things should take off now... before I felt like Elder King and I were carrying a lot of weight but now we can delegate it to them so life got easier!

I love you guys and miss you all!!!

January 7, 2013

Hello family and friends!!!

We had an awesome mtg this week everything went well, the full time elders are a lot more open, we met in the high counsel room so that was cool and the elders made some good high goals.  So now we just have to go to work. The elders here are ready and willing they are improving and it is so awesome to see the lord work when we have faith and are obedient. 

We did some divisions this week just with some elders who were needing help.  I went on a division and stayed with elder Bird. We only went and worked there for like 6 hours but in that time we worked ATE O PO (until the dust, doesn't translate very well.)  its like we worked really hard. so at the end of the night he was just like .... wow that was the best day i have had in so long... thank you, he then opened up and i was able to talk with him about the problems he was facing and the things that he could do to overcome them... Getting the trust of the elders is so important and i believe in any calling or leadership responsibility you have it is necessary.  Without it... no one will follow you... and if no one follows you how can you lead?

We did another division i stayed with elder Taylor.  He is such a boss and will be training now!! haha but he just has simple problems after a long day of sweating and working hard we just talked... once again he just needed to know that his leader cared for him enough to spend some time with him... not just to get mad at him because he was having trouble working... but to love him because his trails seemed bigger then he could manage.

We had a cool lesson visit with a man named Paulo he already had a book of mormon and actually made a contact with us one day in the street... we are apparently the 3rd group of elders who visited him... we invited him to be baptized .. his response was a classic. " yeah i guess its getting about time that i was baptized . The look on the members face, with whom we were teaching, was so funny, the member then blurted out "waaa... I have never... elders has this happened to you before?... i'm just amazed..." hahah it was great. Paulo had some trouble going to church this week but next week he is there for sure! 

I love you guys and i Know that this is the work of almighty God, as we strive with all our heart might mind and strength to walk in his paths we can and WILL see his hand in our lives. this i bear witness.

With all my love

Elder Howe 

January 3, 2013 (1 year in the field)

Hello My Dear Family and Friends!

I hope Christmas was good and happy for you and that the New Year is filling your hearts with hope :)

So last week the highlight was OBVI my phone call home! It was so good to hear all your voices and hear all the stories you guys have. I got the Christmas card yesterday and I loved reading the letters you all sent. I also got my Ranch Dressing!!!!! (See picture) man I am so happy :)  Thank you Mom for the box with the dvds and preach my gospel :)

So everything went well with Bryans baptism he was confirmed and all went well! I am so grateful that the Lord blessed us with him. He is so cool and we just like high five in the halls and stuff he’s a goof. 

We had our trip to Teresina on Monday (for this reason I’m writing today) so we left at 11am and got there at 11:30pm... 30 min before the New Year. so here’s what happened we were driving along all happy and what not when a warning light come on in the bus that said simply enough "stop" (yes it was in English) so that’s what the bus driver did and we waited... for 4 hours!! hahah till another bus come and took us the rest of the way to Teresina. But it was cool while waiting we got to talk to 2 GERMANS!!! WHAT CRAZY RIGHT!!! We spoke in Portuguese to each other!!! Man the world is a crazy place! haha but they were super awesome... maybe one day I’ll live in Europe. 

The Teresina meeting was good. President was happy with the work Elder King and I have been doing here in São Luis... I guess I just need to look more at the positives and not focus on the negatives... next week is transfers but I think we will both stay here, I hope :)

So we left the meeting and went back the bus stop, no time for bom preço this month :(   and we were waiting for the bus which was supposed to leave at 10pm... and we wait.. and wait... and at 11pm we are like what the fart!! So we go ask someone and they are like yeah you’re at the wrong boarding platform.... WOW!! So we ran to get our bus and we got the last bus of the night which had yep........... Only 2 open seats on it (Isn’t God the best?)  We left there at midnight and got home here at 7am and it’s back to work so that’s my week I love you guys and wish you all a happy new year!!!

GO SKINS!!!!! 

Elder Howe