"Different Sins"

Soooooo I am having fun and experiencing joy.  I figured out a mission is not about you as a missionary having fun, it´s about you as a missionary helping other people and seeing their joy when they recognize the Church is true. This to me, is when a mission is fun. Yesh of course we do plenty of fun little activities in lessons and stuff like that but, the real joy is when someone becomes converted to the Gospel. I believe there is a difference between fun and joy. You can have both at the same time, but they are different things.
  
I learned a lot of really good things from the 2 sessions of conference I got to watch. Probably the biggest thing I learned was from Elder Uckdorfitif. ( I can´t spell his name so I just hit random buttons). I loved the quote he had from the car bumper sticker, " Don´t judge me because I sin differently than you." This is very true. I have tons and tons of things I need to work on before I can start judging others. That doesn´t excuse me though from trying to help others grow and change with me as I try to make myself a better person as well. And so I have decided that if I am going to help my Brazilian friends be better people, I need to start with myself.
   
This week was pretty normal - nothing too wild happened. Our baptism that fell though last week was sick all this week so we still weren´t able to baptize her but we will be taking her to those waterfalls and hopefully she will feel more comfortable there out in the open and be able to be baptized. I am just impressed every day though by the faith of this woman. I mean she is legit putting herself into her least favorite situation because she knows that this church is true. I know that Heavenly Father HAS to bless her with the courage and strength to be baptized because of the amount of faith she is showing, but it will all come on His time-line, not mine.
   
I really can´t think of anything else from this week.... I think I am just gonna answer those questions that you sent Mom. I really like this idea by the way, it makes me have more to write about.
   

What are some of the things you do each week to fulfill your "service" time? 
We don´t really have "service time" anymore here, we are just always out asking people if we can help them out with something. I have done plenty of weeding and I am now a champ at washing other peoples' dishes. Don´t get any ideas guys....... :p

How many discussion do you usually teach a week?
On average about..... 25-30. That is including less-actives as well. We are working a lot with them and part-member families. I feel like I have already contacted everyone in Viçosa.

What household item to you miss the most?
Ipod touch.... so bad. I want music more then anything...... real music. And when we have those little five minute random breaks in the day it would be sweet to have Words With Friends or Tiny Wings. Or carpet.

What are you enjoying most about your new companion?
Everyone loves him so we get to talk with a lot of people and he is Brazilian so he is teaching me how to be one too. Woot!

Did you resolve the challenge you were having w/the sister who was too frightened to get baptized?  How?
See above. Working on it....

How much Conference did you get to watch and where?
Just the Sunday sessions sadly. The branch here doesn´t have enough to go to all sessions of conference and Stake Conference in 2 weeks. We went into Maceió of course!

Where do you go to write your email each week?  How much time do you usually spend there?
In the LAN House across from the church. Ummmm....... Plenty? Hahahaha

Do you do any additional physical exercise, or just what you get in walking around?
Dancing to random music in the street and every once in awhile I ask a kid to pass me a soccer ball so I can juggle a bit. (Glad to know he's not overdoing it ha-ha)

What was your favorite Conference talk and why?
Tough question.... I loved the one about the Haiti earthquake from Neil L. Anderson and the guy about unrighteous dominion was super funny.

What was the hardest thing about this past week?
Having to tell a kid he couldn´t stay in our house cause his road was closed cause someone got killed there.... Last night. (This is an uneventful item not even worth mentioning above? Great.)

What was the best thing about this past week?
Conference for sure. It was a blast on the bus with all the members and going off with the Pres of the branch. He is legit my hero.

Do you dream in Portuguese yet?
I started dreaming in Portuguese in the MTC but I actually understand what is going on now. My comp woke me up this past week twice because I was "Sleep-yelling" in Portuguese... I am going crazy.

Well..... you all are so rad and I hope the pumpkin waffles for conference were delicious. I love you all tons and tons. Have a solid week!!! :)


Elder Big Squid