Some Changes

Oi tudo mundo!

I hope you are all doing well. This week started out with finding a new person! We found a guy here in Chambersburg on Facebook, and turns out he is a "Facebook Pastor." He is super cool, and we will be teaching him again tonight. As far as other people we are teaching and members, almost nobody picked up the phone, but that's ok. 

We also got to "attempt to obtain people's phone numbers by going to their door." We aren't allowed to call it knocking doors, because the mission doesn't want people to think we are tracting. We aren't tracting, but we can knock doors of people who have been taught before and meet a few requirements so we can get contact info. It also snowed a bit again, so we got to do some snow shoveling. 

We also found out about transfers that are going to happen this week. Elder Giles leaving and I am getting a new companion, Elder Jacob. He came into this mission around the same time as my trainee Elder Dixon. He is also reassigned from Brazil, so I can teach him Portuguese! I'll let you know more about him when I actually meet him.

Spiritual thought: I watched President Nelson's short message for children this week, and I love what he focused on. He talked about how we must remember that we are literal children of God. We must always remember our divine origin and that we have a loving Heavenly Father!

Photos!

1. Bowling 

Chains Loosened (a little)

Hi everyone,

This week brought some exciting changes. We had some restrictions lifted, so now we can do limited service for members. Also, we can knock on the doors of people previously taught by missionaries if we don't have a phone number for them! We didn't knock any doors this week, but we did get to help a member move, so that was cool.

We also got to meet with a lot of members over zoom. It has been really good to get to know the members of the ward, and try and help them do missionary work. 

Please keep Kaci in your prayers. We haven't been able to meet with her because she is going through some really tough times. Also, we made a video this week, and it should go up on Facebook tomorrow, so look out for that.

Spiritual thought: Our video this week is about Christ's atonement. I just wanted to share my testimony on that. I know that the atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite. We will all make so many mistakes, but because of the Grace of Jesus Christ, we can be saved from sin. You are not going to be perfect, but he was. You have never made too many mistakes to repent.

Things I like: we were buying stakes this week, and the guy threw in an extra one for free! Also, we made ribs again... Haha 

Things I hate: This week they canceled in-person church right as we were leaving the apartment because the parking lot was "too icy." We haven't had in-person church in 3 weeks now, and not because of covid.

Love you all! Thanks so much for all the support!

Service and Zoom

Oi gente!

Hope you are all doing well! This week felt busy, which was good. We didn't have many lessons, but we did have a great mission tour with Elder Bennett of the 70. It was a lot of zoom meetings, 2 hours every day and 4 hours on Friday. But it was super awesome! We learned a lot about teaching with love and being diligent.

Due to the massive snowstorm on Monday, we got to spend Monday night and most of Tuesday shoveling snow for people. It was super fun to be able to get out and serve.

Spiritual thought: Elder Calderwell from the area presidency also came and spoke to us. He talked about enduring to the end, and how the gospel is kind of an eternal round. We must continually grow our faith, repent, and make and keep covenants. It's not just a checklist of things to do.

Things I like: Last Monday, we played spikeball in 14 inches of snow. It was super fun.

Things I hate: they canceled in-person church because of a forecasted 2 inches of snow, and none of that stuck to the roads.

Photos

1. Snow spikeball

2. Shoveling

3. Lots of snow

4. I don't know if you all remember my friend Isa, she got baptized right after I left my first area in Brazil. Now, her kids got baptized!

There's gonna be lots of snow

Hello everyone!

This week was a bit more eventful than last. We got to meet with Kaci again and we had a super awesome lesson. We are so excited to be teaching her, it is great to be able to meet in a members home and have them help us teach. We also had a finding miracle this week. We have been messaging a whole lot of random people on Facebook, and we found a really cool guy who lives in Chambersburg. He wants to come to church next week!

We also had interviews with president this week. One Elder said president told him 8 missionaries will be going back to Brazil soon, and I am 1 of 8 Elders in this mission who already have a Visa so there might be hope of returning. Elder Harris (my last companion) already got a departure date for Goiânia. We will see what happens, it would be pretty crazy if I got to go back.

This week we will be having a mission tour from our area president, Elder Bennett. So, 2 hour zoom meetings every day. Pray for me to be able to focus and not fall asleep haha.

Spiritual thought: Doctrine and Covenants 35:13 "Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit;"

God calls us in his weakness to do his work, and he will help us do it with his spirit.

Things I like: It Snowed all Sunday, and is supposed to snow the rest of the week.

Things I hate: Lots of snow means the mission probably won't let us drive anywhere.

Photos:

1. Pennsylvania Farmland

2. District photo at a farm next to a cemetery 

3. A neat picture I took of Elder Harrast

Just another week

Hi Everyone,

Wish I could tell you a lot happened this week, but it didn't. We had 1 lesson with a new person this week, and 2 lessons with members, and that's it. For some reason, almost nobody answered the phone or texts this week. But, that's just how it goes sometimes being a quarantine missionary.

The new person we found was through posting an ad for free Bibles on Facebook. She lives close so we were able to drop off a Bible and Book of Mormon for her! Apparently she just got out of jail and doesn't have anything, so the ward is gonna get her some clothes and stuff. That's about all that happened this week.

Spirtual thought: Alma 5:19 "I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?"

I read this in my personal study, and it stuck out to me. We must always be asking ourselves these questions and try to always be prepared to meet God.

Things I like: We went hiking last p-day. It was pretty cold and lame, but just nice to get out. One Elder asked where the appalachians were, and I told him we were hiking in them. He was pretty underwhelmed haha.

Things I hate: The Giacomos Cheese Steak. Biggest rip off ever.

Photos

1. Hiking with the Spanish Elders

2. A meme. We aren't allowed to approach people in the street, but if they approach us we are allowed to talk to them haha.

Back to church!

E aí bão??

This week was super awesome for us! We were able to find 2 new people, and we got to go back to Church. The first person we found is named Brenda. We were just calling through our area book for the bajillionth time, and this time she answered! When we told her who we were she started balling and telling us all sorts of stuff about her life. It was kinda uncomfortable, but we could tell she needed help. She is going through a really rough time. We were able to share a couple messages, and invite her to church, but she didn't come. Please keep her in your prayers

The other person we found is actually a member referral. Her name is Kaci, she was the foster daughter of this member at one point. She has been going through some hard stuff as well, but she is ready to hear the gospel. We didn't even have to invite her to church, she has already made plans with the members to come next week! It was so awesome because we actually got to go to the members home to teach. It has been months since I have had an in person lesson.

Spiritual thought: Mosiah 5:13 "For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" To really know God, we must serve him.

Things I like: We played golf in the freezing cold last week. Also, we have been reviewing all the cheese steaks in Chambersburg. It has been pretty fun, but after having 2-3 cheese steaks a week, I'm pretty sick of them haha.

Things I hate: zoom meetings. Going back to Sacrament meeting in person has made me realize how much I hate doing it over zoom.

Photos!

1. Golfing in the cold with the spanish Elders.

2. Tiny ponies we found while doing billion graves (Also pictured, the new Elder in our district, Elder Faimalo)

3. We made ribs for Sunday dinner (yes I realize this is the 3rd time) but this time, we had fried ribs with homemade spicy bbq sauce. It was amazing, but I think my heart may be covered in a thick layer of fat now 😄.

The District is staying!!

 Hi Everybody!

We got transfer news Saturday night, and the whole district is staying! We will also be gaining another Elder so we will have 5 people in my apartment. It might be a bit crazy, but it will be fun! Elder Woffinden leaves for Africa in 2 weeks, so it's just a temporary thing.

Not much to report as far as people we are teaching. We had one lesson in Portuguese with my friend Dym from Angola, but that was it. We are trying to find people to teach, and the members here are a great help. But, we did get to do service pulling cabinets out for a museum place

Spiritual thought: Doctrine and Covenants 11:7 "Seek not for riches but for wisdom; and, behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich."

Seek what really matters in life and you will have true joy.

Things I like: Elder Harrast has been teaching me guitar, and it has been really fun.

Things I hate: The wind out here is pretty brutal. It wouldn't be so cold if it wasn't always windy

Photos:

I realized I only took 1 photo this week, and it's just of the ribs we made last night 😂

So just so that isn't the only picture, I'm going to throw in a random picture quote I made.