Week 39 - Goals and Traditions in Cabanagem!

Clay and Elder Steindorf at their baptism last week.

Cabanagem tradition - celebrating with pizza!

Hello!!

So this week was pretty good. Nothing really exciting happened. A guy in the ward went out with us on Tuesday. He was the companion of our cousin Elder Campbell from Alabama who served in São Paulo. So that was pretty cool! A kid in the ward here got his mission call last week. He will go to Salvador Sul. He was super excited. He was only baptized a year ago so it is really good that he is going on a mission. Another kid in the ward will get his mission call this week!

So we had a baptism pretty firm for the 7th of May. All she needed was 1 more Sunday at church. We had it all planned out that she was going to be at church. But she called the Bishop's wife Saturday night and said she wasn't sure she was ready for baptism. We didn't figure that out until Sunday when she didn't come to church. So that was really sad. But we will talk to her this week and hopefully she will be baptized soon.

So here in Cabanagem we have a tradition. We have a little place across the street from our house that sells pizza and hamburgers and what not. So every time we have a baptism we buy a pizza, and everyday that we teach more than 6 lessons we buy a X-BACON. So this past week we didn't eat pizza but we ate a X-BACON. I still have those packs of Zaxbys sauce yall sent me so I decided to put a whole bunch on my X-BACON. It was literally the best thing I have ever eaten in my life. I don't know how I didn't have a heart attack afterward, but it was so good.

We had a really good testimony meeting yesterday. It wasn't the best day as far as bringing investigators to church, but the meeting was good. It is really really frustrating when we literally confirm with all of our investigators every day of the week about church on Sunday. Then Sunday comes, and everyone has an excuse. But it is our goal to improve this. We will keep working and it will get better!

I don't have a set time yet for our Mothers Day call. I will be at the bishops house. If Skype doesn't work his wife said we can do FaceTime. I don't know but we will figure it out! 

Mom asked for suggestions to put in my birthday package. A guy in my zone got a tape recorder thing from his mom in Mexico. It has a USB drive so he can record what he wants to say for the week. Then he sends the recording to his mom by email and she types it up for his family to see. I thought it was cool and doing that I could say more things in less time! It would be hard for me to find something like that here so if you think that is a good idea maybe you could send one. If you want. And deodorant! I haven't been using any for 3 months because I broke out in a rash using the deodorant here. And beef jerky and an Alabama shirt for my companion!

Something I have realized on my mission is the importance of the Holy Ghost. Nothing happens in missionary work without the Spirit. Actually, not much good happens in anything without the guidance of the Spirit. A constant relationship with the Spirit is something that we all want, but it is difficult to maintain. The glorious promise of the Sacrament allows us to "Always have the Spirit to be with us". When we have the Spirit, we receive promptings. And when we recieve promptings, we MUST act. As we act upon the promptings of the Spirit, we will gain the trust of the Lord and He will start to give us more promptings and responsibilities. As we begin receiving more revelation from God, our eyes will be open and we will be able to understand the will of the Father in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Mosiah 3:19 - Be as a child and always submit to the will of our Father, and we will recieve the blessings that are promised. 

Love yall! Talk to yall on Sunday!

Elder Green

Clay and Elder Gann cooling off in the heat!