Week 81 - Week of Difficulties and Happiness!

Clay and Elder Alves

 Clay with Aureo - a Brazilian Bama Fan!

 Clay and Elder Romero

 Clay and Elder Gaspar with Aureo

A group of American Missionaries serving in Brazil Belem Mission

Hello!!!

So this week was interesting. Full of dificulties and happiness. Let me start with the dificulties.

So 2 weeks ago, our washing machine broke and we werent able to get anyone to fix it right away. So we have been using semi clean clothes. Last Monday we planned to fix the machine, but my companion lost our cellphone. He doesnt even know what happened to it, it just 'vanished'. But ok, we went to Belém on Thursday for Zone Conference and we were suppose to get a new phone, but it just so happens that all of the sim cards in the office are broken... So until today, we have no cellphone. It stinks because our phone was the nicest in all the mission!! But no big deal. They cleaned our water bucket, but after they cleaned it, the water wasnt working right. No water has been leaving the shower or sink for a while and they havent fixed it yet. So we have been having to fill buckets of water downstairs and lug them back upstairs and take showers with a cup. But no big deal. On Thursday we got home from Belém, and our power got cut off! THere are 3 unpaid bills but they didnt send the bills in the mail so we didnt know. But Friday we paid them and asked for an urgent turn on of the power. That was Friday, but until now, they havent turned it back on. But we called and they said the will today. SO no water, energy, washing machine, or cellphone. Pretty much sums up our week. But we recognized from the beginning that these are all just tests, so we worked even harder!

WE saw many blessings this week. Fernando taught with us again. His friend who introduced him to the church is inactive again but Fernando is preparing for a mission!! We are super happy with him. Beny came to church and she is super excited for her baptism this weekend. We also talked with Aureo and he accpeted baptism for this Saturday. The sisters have been teaching this lady who is ready to be baptized this Saturday as well, but today this lady will move to our area so we will teach her what is left and interview her and she will be our baptism. A few blessings.

Yesterday, we were sitting at church right before the sacrament waiting for investigators to come in. As we were waiting, an investigator that we stopped teaching 2 weeks ago came walking in!! We stopped teaching them but he came by himself to church! So we will go back there this week. Also, another Lady we have been teaching came to church all by herself! SO through the dificulties, the Lord blessed us a lot!

Our zone conference was super good. The President talked a lot about goals and the Atonement. We all learned a lot. 

Have a good week!

Elder Green

 Clay and Elder Gaspar with Aureo

 Mission Zone Conference - Elder Case, Elder Rech, Elder Della Piana, Clay, ?, Elder B. Silva, ?

 Clay with Mitt Romney's cousin.

 No lights.

Ironing with no electricity.

Week 80 - Milagres in Castanhal!

Leadership Council of Brazil Belem Mission Feb 2017

Hello!!

THis was a really good week. We went to Belém on Tuesday for a meeting with the president. We talked about lots of thing in the mission and made a few changes. With all the general changes that happened with the missionaries, our president also changed a bunch of stuff in our mission. Everyone is trying to adapt to the new changes. 

We had our monthly zone meeting on Wednesday. It was super good. We talkede a lot about planning and setting goals and also about working better with the members and helping investigators fufill commitments. We set lots of very specific goals to help our zone with those things. 

So remember Beny? We went there on Thursday and talked about the Plan of Salvation. She understood everything but she gets really nervous about everything! When we taught about baptism she got so nervous when we told her that her baptism isnt valid! Like almost crying nervous! She gets nervous about everything. When we taught about the Atonement and the 3 kingdoms she had a fit thinking that she will never be able to return to Gods presence and that she isnt worthy for baptism. We tried helping her calm down but she wasnt hearing it! I took her Book of Mormon and felt that I should mark Alma 7 for her to read than we left and said we would come back on Saturday. When we got there on Saturday she was completely calm. She would not accept the 25th as her baptism because she was super scared. But on Saturday she said she read Alma 7 and felt a huge peace. She said, "Little preacher, I read this part in the book, and this is what I want in my life. I dont want to be impure anymore. I want to follow Christ. I am excited for the 25th." And we got super happy and taught her the Word of Wisdom and she will stop drinking beer and coffee! The Spirit was super strong during that lesson. She didnt get nervous or scared, simply accepted the commandment and committed to live it. Buuuuut she got sick during the night on Saturday and didnt go to church.... But this week she will. 

So we got more news about Aureo. So he already knows for sure that he wants to be baptized, but he is scared that his wife wont accept. Her name is Ester. So on Sexta he brought his wife to Castanhal!! We called the sisters and all 4 of them came to the church to help her feel more welcome. The sisters took Ester on a tour of the church and showed her everything! Even sang a hymn for her and everything! She said the sisters are angels and she wants to visit the church on a Sunday. They werent able to come on Sunday because they live super far and Aureo worked Sunday night. But this morning, we and the sisters went to their house early and talked with them and she even made us lunch! So she approves and we will mark a baptism date with Aureo this week. MILAGRES!

THere is a family in the ward where everyone is a little overweight. We went there this week and they bought a ton of pizza and cake for us to eat and fruit salad! I love that family.

Mais um milagre. SO on Saturday we went to lunch and I forgot that the member with who we ate lunch said he would invite his friend for us to teach. But we got there and met Victor. Victor is 17 and also lives really far from the city, but he came that day to stay with this family. This family is super helpful. They both served missions. Victor has lots of problems with his family. Lots of problems. But he doesnt do the stuff that his parents do and he has lots of good friends who help him. We taught him after lunch and he cried a lot. Actually everyone cried. He is a super good kid and wants to do good even with his bad situation. He said he recieved an answer from God during our lesson and wants to join the church. He left Castanhal at 5:00 amand went back to his city to change and then came back for church! He made lots of friends and even asked what he needs to do to go on a mission! You can imagine what our response was;) MILAGRES!

We are seeing lots of progress in our area and in our zone. The Lord is blessing us a lot.

Love yall!!

Elder Green

Week 79 - Working hard in Castanhal

Hello!!

So yes I've known for awhile that my release date is changed to july 4th. hahaha. We go to Belem tomorrow for interviews with the President. I'll check while I'm there and see if my package made it yet. If it isnt there Ill check next time.

This was a good week!! We were able to work a lot and find lots of new people! We went on splits on Tuesday with 2 members. I went with Fernando, our recent convert. He has 2 months as a member but is already getting ready to go on a mission! It was super cool to work with him this week. He is 21 years old and he will be a super good missionary!!

We found a lady knocking doors and she is progressing a lot!! Her name is Beny. She is smart and has a really opened mind and heart. We told her that her baptism wasnt valid and she needs to be baptozed again and recieve the Spirit. She said she got goosebumps and wanted to know how this Holy Ghost thing works, so we taught her and she came to church on Sunday! She even invited her 2 kids and their families who are not married to come to her house to hear our message. We taught the law of chastity for all of them on the first visit!  THey liked it a lot and even wanted to come to chuch on Sunday, but it rained a lot!! And they live far and tried to come by bike, but it was raining too hard. So only Beny came. But they are super good and we will work a lot with them this week.

We walked a lot one day this week. Seriously, we left our house at 7:30 to teach a lesson and only returned 9:00pm. We spent about 2 hours teaching and the rest of the time walking. Our lunch that day was super far, and all of our appointments were falling threw and we couldnt get in anyones house. But everyone has days like that. On that day, something happened to me that only happens in movies. We were walking on the streets and there are always kids playing soccer on the streets. As we walked past some kids they stopped and just looked at us. At most the kid was 5 years old. So I smiled and gave him a thumbs up, I always do that and they always do it back, but to my suprise, this 5 year old kid looked at me, did an uppercut mottion with his arm and flicked me off.... I didnt get mad or anything I just was super suprised and kept walking, but my companion was not very happy!! haha but it for sure was an experiance i wont forget!

We helped the sister this week teach a kid who has lots of problems with the Word of Wisdom and didnt really want to talk to the sisters. I have never seen someone who wants so much to change. The Spirit was Super strong while we talked with him and set goals to help him overcome his problems. In moments like those I never want to stop being a missionary.

Aureo is still doing good. He will bring his wife to church next week for us to show her around and help her not think so bad about the church.

We are seeing lots of miracles here in our area. The members are starting to help more and we are finding lots of good people!!

Love yall!

Elder Green