Week 34 - Looking Forward to Conference in Cabanagem!!

Hello!

This week was good. It was a little crazy but we managed to get through it.

So at the beginning of this month I told you how we were helping a couple get married. We sent their papers to the place where they do marriages with all the money and everything. I called the guy afterward and confirmed that he received it. After 1 week they are married and in 15 days he sends a certificate that allows us to have a ceremony. So they planned this ceremony for the 26th of March. We sent the papers weeks before to make sure there would be enough time. But last Monday I didn't receive an email about the certificate so I called the guy to see what was going on. He said that he never received any papers from me and hasn't done anything for this wedding... So the president of the stake called and talked with him and he found the papers. But he said that he can't do the wedding unless he has the 2 original birth certificates. So Tuesday we got the original birth certificates and went to Belém and sent them to the guy. But he said they aren't married until 1 week after we send the papers and that they can't do the ceremony until next week.. So I had to call these people and tell them that this wedding they planned and sent out tons of invitations and what not for can't be done on the day they planned.. You can imagine how that went down. So the stake president had to talk to the guy again and apparently they worked something out so that they did have the wedding this past Saturday. I don't know what they did cause I didn't ask..  I was just glad my part in it was over. So that was one fun thing we got to deal with this past week!

We did a division last week. After the district meeting on Wednesday I went with our district leader to his area and one of our zone leaders stayed with my companion. It went well. Our district leader has been teaching a youth for a little while and he wanted to be baptized, the only problem was that his mom wouldn't sign the permission for baptism form. I guess I was his good luck charm or something because I was there for one day and she totally signed that baby. So they had a baptism this week!

We had planned to baptize one woman this week. That didn't happen but now we have started teaching her husband too and they both came to church on Sunday. It is a long story with him and I don't have time to tell it, but it was definitely a miracle that he is willing to listen to the missionaries and come to church!!!

We went to a member's house last night and did a little Easter egg hunt. Each person was only allowed to get one egg and they were very well hidden and very difficult to find. But they were big chocolate eggs and so when I found mine I was basically in heaven. Afterward we ate some good lasagna. It was a good Easter here.

I got my new shoes! I had to go to the post office and pay 40 reais taxes. I also got my Easter package. And I've been hearing a lot of crazy stuff about the politics back home. Everybody vote smart!!

Thanks for the photos! Banx's tie is at the perfect length! I love seeing everyone and the kids are so big!! Glad y'all had fun at Easter!!

I don't have any more time to write, but this was a good week! I am really excited for conference next week and so are our investigators.

Love y'all!

Elder Green

Clay's nephew Banx and his perfect length Easter tie!!

Week 33 - Speaking and Baptizing in Cabanagem!

Representing Paysandu Sports Club - a soccer club in Belem!

Still an Alabama Boy! Wearing his 2015 National Champions shirt, sleeping on his crimson sheets and houndstooth pillowcase! And snuggled under his Nauvoo blanket made with material from our City of Joseph costumes!

Special baptism five years in the making!

Hello!

This was a good week. We could have done better in a few areas but it was overall good.

I had the opportunity to do a lot of public speaking this week. Tuesday I was told that I would give the training in our district meeting on Wednesday morning. That didn't give me much time to prepare but it was ok I still brought the house down haha! Wednesday night a missionary from this Ward returned home. So we were invited to his house where they had a little welcome home party. During this little get together I was told that I will give a talk on Sunday. So I had some time to prepare for that one!

This week we passed by a little McDonalds stand that only sells ice cream. It is a little expensive here but I wanted to try it. So I bought a hot fudge sundae and it was literally the best thing I have ever eaten in my life. Besides açaí of course. But really, I almost cried because it was so good. So that was a highlight of my week. From now on I will start guarding 8 reais every week to by a hot fudge sundae. (Note from Betsy - obviously I will be putting a little money in his personal account each week as long as he is near this McDonalds so both Clay and his companion can get a sundae...)

The missionary who returned is super cool. His name is Ronan and he already received a calling in the ward to serve as assistant to the ward mission leader. He will help us a lot.

About the family we helped to arrange their marriage - it turns out that he lives in a different area and after the marriage they will move to a different ward... So we basically gave a great baptism to other elders. But that's ok. As long as he gets in the water I don't care who baptizes him!

We are teaching this one lady who is the mother of a member here in the ward. She has already read the book "Principles of the Gospel" and pretty much knows more about the Church than me. She is hesitant to be baptized because she has attended another church for many years and her husband won't change churches. She has a baptism set for this Saturday but it is not at all firm. But we will work with her this week and try to help her be committed. Please pray for her.

We are also teaching another woman. She understands everything about baptism and what not, but she has lots of doubts and questions about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. But she came to church on Sunday and liked it a lot. She even asked, "When is the next baptism you are planning?"! So we will work with her as well this week.

We had a baptism on Saturday morning!!! The guy from the area book finally decided to be baptized! He is very smart and was very prepared for baptism. The return missionary Ronan baptized him because they were best friends before Ronan went on a mission so it worked out kinda perfect that he returned this week.

Well that is about it for this week. Me and my companion are doing good. He is learning really fast and the Lord is blessing us everyday. The time is literally flying but we are doing good work!

Love yall!!

Elder Green

It rained a lot one day and the roads were flooded, actually its like that everyday.

Week 32 - Lots of training in Cabanagem

Clay and Elder Steindorf eating pizza at the Multi-Zone Conference this week!

Hello!!

This week was good. We had a lot of stuff happen and it was very busy.

We helped send in the marriage papers for a less active member and her boyfriend and we are teaching him now. I never knew how complicated it is to do a marriage! But thankfully we got that out of the way now we just need to get him ready for baptism!!!

We had our first district meeting since the transfer on Wednesday. It was good. We had a good training and what not. I learned a lot. We also had the big conference on Friday with all the zones here in Belém. It was super good. President and Sister Stasevskas talked a bit about some essential parts of missionary work. I really learned a lot this week and we are trying to apply the things we learned to our work!

So I have been talking to y'all for a while about the investigator we found in the area book and have been teaching. He is super busy and almost doesn't have any time even to talk to us, but he is always at church and has a testimony. He is just very focused with his studies. So we prayed and prepared a special lesson for him. We read a chapter in the Book of Mormon talking about the importance of baptism. Then we read in 3 Nephi 13 where it talks about seeking first the kingdom of God and the other things in life will fall into place. Afterward we bore testimony and invited him to be baptized on the 19th. He accepted. So that was super cool. It was a lesson really spiritual. So we are very happy about that and will continue to help him during this week so he will be fully prepared on Saturday!

Me and my companion are doing good together. He is learning very fast and isn't as nervous to talk with people as he was at first. We practice every day in the morning and study preach my gospel. We are both learning and progressing.

We learned a lot this week about talking with everyone and the importance of talking with as many people as possible every day. That is one thing that I wasn't very good at when I started my mission but now I like to talk with people. I have a scripture that I have been reading and applying to my work. Mosiah 28:3:

"Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble."

This is the desire that everyone needs. I love these people in Brazil. I don't want any of them to miss out on the blessings that this gospel has to offer. 

Well that's it for this week!

Love yall!!

Elder Green

Week 31 - Primeira Semana Treinando (First Week Training) Cabanagem

    Clay with other trainers and new missionaries last week. 

  (I told  him next time try to get a little closer to the front!!!)

Hello!!!

So this week was good. Sorry my email was stinky last week. It was a very crazy 2 days. Monday I spent a lot of time in the mission office and then went to this big house where all the missionaries who are being transferred to a far away area stay. Or in my case waiting on a companion. I didn't have time to send an email Monday, and Tuesday I was in the mission office again for a while and then had to go get my companion, so I had very little time to email then either.

The group that arrived on Wednesday had 16 new missionaries. My companion is Elder Steindorf. He is from Curitiba and is 18 years old. He spent his senior year of high school in the United States and learned a little English, but we don't ever speak it! Training is a lot different for me and I am learning a lot while I am teaching. Our investigator group is a little small so we did a ton of contacts and looked for new investigators this week.

So we had a funny experience yesterday. We got in the house last night and the water wasn't working in the shower. The sink in the bathroom and kitchen still worked. My companion was worried about being able to take a shower. So we came up with a plan! We stopped up the drain in the bathroom sink and started the water running so we could use a cup and bail water out of the sink and pour it to take a shower. My companion went first and while he was taking his 'shower' the water in the sink stopped as well! So he gave up. But I realized that the sink in the kitchen was still working a little. So I got a blender, filled it with water from the kitchen, and took it to the bathroom and used it to take a shower. When I ran out of water I wrapped in a towel and ran back to the kitchen to fill it up again! It was quite the experience but I got clean! Then my companion was going to try the blender but the water in the kitchen ran out too so he didn't get to finish his shower. But there are guys at our house now fixing it.

So we had a baptism 2 weeks ago and our new convert already gave us a reference. We went with him on Saturday and taught his friend. He also received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday!

Our zone changed a lot with transfers.We got 2 new zone leaders and 2 new district leaders. Our zone is really strong now and I hope we can have a lot of success.

We will have a big conference this week with multiple zones and the president, so I am excited about that. 

Sorry no pics this week. I didn't take any and my companion's camera doesn't have wifi like Elder B Silvas did...

I met lots of missionaries this week. Thanks for sending the packages. I am going to make the brownie mix at the bishops house after this!

Well that is about it for this week. Love yall!

Elder Green