Week 56- Baptism in Marambaia!

Hello!!

So this week was good. After much work and fasting, we finally had a baptism. We recieved a referel a few weeks ago and she was baptized on Saturday. Her name is Micaela. It was really cool to see her be baptized. She read the book of mormon and truly recieved an answer, she will be a very strong member. We planned so much to make it a very special baptism. We literally invited everyone in the ward. It was the best baptism meeting I have every done. The entire bishopric was there and lots of members. We even had people standing in the hallway because there wasnt enough seats!! There was cake and everything and her entire family came to watch as well. Her brother has a baptism date marked for this Saturday. We are very excited for them.

We received a very good referal this week. A member less active. When she was active, she was a machine, helping everyone and really fufilling her calling. She even wanted to serve a mission, but she fell away a little bit and ended up having a baby and felt ashamed to go to church. She has been inactive a while. Her cousin (not a member) had a dream that was very similar to Lehi´s dream. Then the inactive member started having dreams about the missionaries. That same week, she ran into the 1st conselor of the Bishop and he passed her address to us. She said that she separated with her boyfriend and she knows the Lord is telling her she has to go back to church. So we marked a family night at a members house and she will go to church thiss week. It was a super spiritual experience.

We had an exchange this week and I went and stayed with Elder Smith. It was a great exchange. He is a very spiritual missionary and I learned a lot.

We were able to bring a few people to church yesterday. Miceala´s family went and Valeska (the women who recieved an answer about the Book of Mormon and want to be baptized). We are also teaching a lady named Angela. We have been teaching her for a while and she likes the church. She is 50 years old more or less and is legally married!! She lives with her 2 daughters, 2 grandkids and her husband. We were able to bring her and 1 of her daughters and her grandaughter to church. They are a really good family and she makes a full sized meal everytime we visit!! We are going to work a lot with them this week and try to mark a baptism date. 

A new bishop was called in our ward. He was a counselor to our mission presidente but now he is bishop here in Marambaia. He is SUPER good. He loves missionary work and we play basketball with him sometimes on p day. He already told us, "Elders, I have 1 hour every Tuesday to visit people with yall and meet your teaching group, EVERY TUESDAY!". So thats pretty awesome. We are going to catch fire now. 

I learned a lot about prayer this week. I realized that I need to be more sincere with my prayers. A prayer is a conversation with God, the most sacred moments of our day. Sincere prayer is difficult. I asked myself, "when was the last time I stayed on my knees for 30 minutes talking to God?" Or even 1 hour. Enos prayed all day long and recieved many blessings. We all need help from the Lord and we have the opportunity to talk to Him everyday. As missionaries, we have lots of thing to pray for. As I started taking my prayers more seriously, I saw a big difference. I have seen many people lives change during my mission because of prayer. I know that through prayer, we will feel closer to God and see a difference in our lives.

Love Yall!! The Church Is True!!!

ELDER GREEN

MISSÃO BRASIL BELÉM

MISSÃO DE MACHO. NEM O VENTO É FRESCO.

Week 55 - Soccer helps to share the gospel in Marambaia

Cabanagem Stake Conference

Hello!!

So this week was good. Quite a few things happened. We had stake conference on Sunday and I got to see all of the people from Cabanagem Ward. So that was fun getting to catch up with everyone. 

We have 1 person marked for baptism this Saturday. Her name is Micaela. She is a friend of a member and is super good. We are working with her this week so she will be prepared for her baptism. Her younger brother as well will be baptized in the coming weeks. So we are excited about that. Remember that lady I told you about named Valeska? Well she is progressing really good. She already has a testimony of the Church and of the Book of Mormon. She just needs to go to church but it is hard for her because she works. But we have already made plans to get her to church this week so everybody can be praying that it works out!

Tuesday someone was robbed on our street. But it was night and we were already home so we could just hear all the stuff that was going on. It was pretty crazy.

So the Olympics have been going on and Brazil made it to the final in soccer against Germany. For some reason the people here think we are German. They always yell at us on the road - stuff like "Hey German!". Brazilians hate Germany because they embarrassed them in soccer last year. But Saturday it was worse. We were walking on the road and a bunch of guys started yelling at us, calling us Germans and telling us this is Brazil and to get off their roads and a bunch of other stuff. At first we were a little uncomfortable but then we just started messing back with them and said, "Hey man are you crazy!! We ain't no Germans we are from the U.S.A!!" Then they started joking with us and we made some new friends. So that was fun. 

But you should have seen this place when Brazil won the gold medal game Saturday night. Neymar is like a god here. Everyone was going crazy!!! Fireworks and everything. And you best believe that we were cheering for Brazil too!!

I am loving my mission. I really can't think of a better feeling than when a person reads the Book of Mormon and prays and then has a spiritual experience. To me that's better than a baptism. 

I did get my little package mom. If you'll send my suit coat that goes with these gray pants in the next one please. And I'll try to send some more pictures.

Love yall!!

Elder Green

ELDER GREEN

MISSÃO BRASIL BELÉM

MISSÃO DE MACHO. NEM O VENTO É FRESCO.

 Clay and Elder Gann

Dinner appointment with Igor Magalhaes and family!

Week 54 - Everything is da hora in Marambaia with Elder Gann!

Clay washing his own acai dish - a newly acquired skill!

 Clay and Elder Gann at a meal appointment (with blue teeth from acai).

Hello!

So this was a good week. We have a lot of good people we are teaching. Elder Gann arrived Monday and we went to work! We found lots of new people this week and have a few good possibilities for baptism. We had 1 baptism firm for the 20th but we found out this week that Stake conference is this Saturday and Sunday so we will have to postpone the baptism for 1 week. This will be my second stake conference in the Cabanagem stake. #BrasilCabanagemMission

So Elder Gann worked out a lot before the mission and knows lots of exercises and stuff. We made a deal and he is now my workout trainer so don't be surprised if I end this transfer looking like a beast!! 

There was an activity in the Entroncamento Zone this week. It was a Mini MTC for all the youth in the stake. Our zone went and we sang 2 songs. There was about 60 kids there maybe more. We sang 'Put your shoulder to the wheel'. In Portuguese the song says 'our law is work' (Nossa lei é trabalhar) but we changed it to 'our law is baptize' (Nossa lei é batizar). It was da hora (Google Translate says this means 'so cool'). They also asked us to sing 'Called to Serve' and since we have 4 powerful American elders in the zone we sang a little bit in English and the rest in Portuguese. Everyone loved it.

I love it here! We are teaching really good people and me and my companion work well together. And guess what - my companion cuts hair! Like a professional! He cut my hair this morning and its da hora.

I ate this whole thing in like 10 minutes. Best thing I have ever eaten. Eggs, bacon, meat, sausage, hot dog, ham, French fries, barbecue sauce. da hora!!!

Well thats about it for this week, Love yall!!

ELDER GREEN

MISSÃO BRASIL BELÉM

MISSÃO DE MACHO. NEM O VENTO É FRESCO.

Week 53 - Goodbye to my son in Marambaia

One Year Pizza Party

Last night as companions. They have been great together!

So this week was good. First off, we had transfers. I will stay in Marambaia but my much loved son was transferred!  He went to Bragança in Castanhal (Lá a farinha é boa!!!) Google translate says this means "They have good flour". Elder Steindorf will be with Elder Monzingo. He was excited and sad at the same time. We had a really good week and were able to confirm 3 people for baptism!! He is sad that he won't be here for that but I will enjoy it for us both. My new companion will be Elder Gann. I did a few exchanges with him when I was in Cabanagem. We work great together and we are excited to be companions.

So I officially have 1 year in the mission!! Saturday night we bought some pizza and went to a members house to celebrate. I ate too much but it was fun. 

On Saturday we went to a lunch appointment and they had 2 TVs on and both were showing the Olympics. While we were eating, to be annoying I would go crazy when I heard that the US had won something!! That was fun too.

I told you before about our Mini MTC that we do after church every Sunday. It is one of my favorite parts of the week. Us missionaries teach the youth from both wards that attend in our chapel about missionary work. Everyone has a little preach my gospel and we have already taught them the 5 missionary lessons. We do practice contacts and everything. It is great for the youth. It helps them feel excited about missionary work and increases their desire to serve a full time mission. 

Yes Mom, I finally got a chance to pick up my package but there were no letters. I really loved the ties you sent. Everyone loves that flower one and was trying to trade me for it! I have lots of pictures but I am not in my area so I will try to send them later. 

Thats about it for this week. Love yall!

Elder Green

ELDER GREEN

MISSÃO BRASIL BELÉM

MISSÃO DE MACHO. NEM O VENTO É FRESCO.

 Clay and Elder Steindorf with their Mini MTC group!

 Clay and Elder Steindorf with the rest of the Entrocamento Zone!

Clay with Elder Cruz. He is the brother of Br. Baker from the CTM. He goes home this week.

 Clay and Elder Steindorf sharing FHE and dinner with a family in Marambaia!

Close Up for Mom.

Last Dinner appointment together Sunday night.

Elder Steindorf's email for this week -

Yeah, I had a transfer. Now I am assigned to Braganca, a small town about 4 hours from Belem. It seems to be well maintained and everyone said it was a nice place. My new companion is Elder Monzingo from Texas. He seems to be a very good person. He has a few more months in the mission than I do. It was good all this time with Elder Green. We have had many cool experiences together. But it's also good to have changes from time to time. I got the box on Sunday. My suitcase when I traveled today was full of food lol I really liked the soda too. I want to help my new companion here in Braganca and I want to help this ward. Sending a hug to all. I love you!

Week 52 - One year down in Marambaia

Lunch appointment in Marambaia - where they treat the missionaries like royalty

Hello!

This week was good. I didn't have time this morning to look over my journal and the cool stuff that happened so I am trying to remember some things here at the cyber. But it was a good week.

On August 5th I will have one year in the mission!! That seems pretty crazy. Time really goes by fast. Seems like yesterday that I was leaving home! But I've had lots of adventures and I've got so many good memories from this past year. And this next year will be even better!

So finally the month of July is over and everyone is returning back to their normal lives. Here everyone is out of school during July so literally everyone travels. But now it will be better for missionary work.

We were able to find a lot of new people to teach this week. We got some help from the members and now we have 14 new investigators! So we are working really hard to bring these people to church this next week.

Transfers are this Sunday. When I went to the mission office a few weeks ago the President told me that one of us will be transferred because we have 6 months together!! I don't know who it will be but I am liking it here in the area!!

I didn't take any pictures this week, but I'll do better next week. A lady in the ward said she was posting pictures from a lunch appointment last week - so at least you should have a few. I haven't picked up my package yet but I'm planning to get it this week. 

Thats about it for this week. Love yall!!

Elder Green

ELDER GREEN

MISSÃO BRASIL BELÉM

MISSÃO DE MACHO. NEM O VENTO É FRESCO.

 Special Chocolate Mousse made just for Clay!

 Finishing off his chocolate mousse

Cupaucu Mousse made just for Elder Steindorf.

Elder Steindorf exhausted from eating his mousse

Selfie for Mom

Excerpt from Elder Steindorf's email for this week:

We had a quiet week, just teaching people, nothing different. We have a lot of good people now that we're teaching, and now things will get better for that over the month of vacation then they are going to have people who were already teaching coming from out of town and the members are also coming from out of town. This next Sunday is the Sunday of the transfer and comes changes ahead so let's close this week on top, full steam ahead.