May 27, 2013

Well another fast week... they don't even seem like 7 days anymore hahah.

Good news, Kaik passed his interview!! So this Saturday will be his baptism day.  He was already asking about what's the process to serve a mission and everything; what a boss. 

Other good news, Wítallo who we baptized in Araguaina got the melk. Priesthood this past weekend and  I also found out Francisco who we baptized in Angelim, my first area, is beginning his paper work to go on his mission; so that's very good news.

We did interviews with President this week and he asked us to teach him a lesson...it was so nerve racking!! hahah. But after that I got my birthday package so it was all good. He thanked me and elder Rais for our work.

We are still working with Carol, and her sister Claudia. Claudia asked us if she could be baptized so that was cool.  It's just a challenge to get a man from the ward to go over there with us to teach and then sometimes they like aren't home but that's like the biggest challenge with them.

Well that's pretty much all for this week.

Love you all and miss you!
--
-Elder Howe

May 20, 2013

This week was so awesome!  So we had a member referral that we had taught my first Sunday here in the ward.  Then last Sunday we marked to go visit him with the member who referred him.  This investigator is an 18yr old boy named Kaik, that didn't like his own church. He had been asking his LDS member friend a bunch of questions since our first visit that first Sunday.  So we went back this week and we get there and Kaik had a friend there who's called Patrick.  We taught about the Plan of Salvation... the whole thing and the whole time they were just asking questions and wanting to know more and then when we finally got to the end there was this huge feeling of peace and calm in the room; it was so strong that Patrick said, "wow as soon as you guys came into the room I felt peace."  We then invited Kaik to be baptized on the 1st of June and he accepted.  After that Patrick said “well I was already baptized...but it wasn't with my heart." Elder Rais asked "well will you be baptized again?" He also accepted it was awesome; we went back later in the week and Kaik bore his testimony of how he had always been looking for the truth and when he read the Book of Mormon and prayed he just knew, it was a great miracle this week.

  

   We also scheduled Carol this week to be baptized on the 1st. Oh Carol is also a referral from a member from another ward who was driving down the road, saw us, stopped and then called us over and the took us to her house. Her boyfriend is getting ready to marry her and she wants to learn more. Basically another miracle that happened.

The whole Zone had an awesome week; so we did something called a BLITZ.  Basically it was a competition to see which companionship could do the most contacts in one day. The prize being that the winner doesn't have to pay for the Zone shirt. Keep in mind that last month AS A ZONE there were 550 contacts made.  This Blitz day alone there were 418 contacts... all IN ONE DAY and this week there were 679 contacts!!!  I was so shocked at how much all the elders worked! The other miracle of the zone was that in the months of March and April the zone baptized 7 people... this week alone the zone baptized 10 people!  I'm just so happy to see the hand of God working here to bring his work forth; it's truly a blessing to be a part of it.  

I love you all and I'm grateful for your prayers!!! 

May 13, 2013

Hello it was super awesome to speak to you guys!  Glad to see everyone is good and doing so well.

So not much new for us this week there were 2 brothers who were interviewed and passed Paulo Ricardo and Paulo Roberto yes they are both named Paulo (and I thought that mom and dad were silly for naming us Allan and Alex).  So they will be baptized, their mom is returning to activity in the church.

This week we were able, at least i feel, to accomplish a lot. It has only really been one week that we have been in the area we have been able to gain a lot of trust from the members  and they are excited to help us.  We have learned a lot about the area since it's not such a big area, its really nice everything is close together.

My Comp is awesome normally he plays the guitar and sings songs when we are in the house in the morning before we study. His English is so good but because he is Brazilian and with his accent, it's so funny when he tells jokes.  We were talking and we might honestly be here in this area for the next 5 months together. The President doesn't really move elders much, especially zone leaders unless there is an absolute need to transfer them. but yes its all going well here is Brazil I love you guys and miss you!!

May 6, 2013

How is it already may?!?

Well this week not much happened... like really not much at all! I left my area Wednesday morning for Teresina, I stayed there all of Wed, Thursday, and Friday. I left Friday night and arrived here in my new area after a 13 hour bus ride. Saturday we organised the house and cleaned it... it was a mess. And then Sunday we went to church like legit that was my week I didn't get to do to much teaching because we are really just kinda organising things here so that we have a good base to start from.

Oh so Thursday I got my visa renewed!! YAY after 6 months of being illegal. hahah I'm now legal again!

My new companion is Elder Rais, he is from Rio Grande do Sul it's at the very south end of Brazil and he is awesome!!! He was in the office as the a Secretary for the President for 11 months and in that calling you don't get much time to teach... so he is super ready to just go to town. He is really funny and we are super excited to be here.

Saturday when we arrived literally 30 min after we got in our house the Ward mission leader knocked on our door, it was like 8:30am. He was like hey you 2 are the new elders, welcome to the ward! I'll be here at like 11:30 and help you guys get to lunch. LIKE WWWWHAT!!!??? not even 30 min passed since we arrived, I was blown away. Then later Saturday we had a mtg with him he gave us the low down on everything...all the investigators and stuff. Honestly I have never seen a ward so organized here in Brazil. Sunday in Elders Quorum the Bishop got up and said "look we have 2 new elders in the ward and they don't know anything about the area, so we are going to assign you all to go with them every night this week. who can go Tuesday? and wed.? etc." he did that for like a few min and we now have a week full of visits with the members!!! I'm so excited to work here!!!
so basically that's all i got this week i love you and miss you all!!! --

-Elder Howe