Week 49 - Mission Meeting and reunion with CTM Group in Marambaia

 Most of the missionaries in the Belem Mission

 Clay talking to Pres. Stasevskas

 Clay with Elder Hall (and another missionary - can't read his nametag!)

 Clay with some elders

 Clay with some sisters

Clay with his two Cabanagem companions - Elder Steindorf and Elder B. Silva

 Part of Clay's CTM group

Clay with his CTM companion Elder Black - this is the first time they have seen each other since they arrived at the Mission Home last September

Hello!!

So this week was good. We are still working hard and looking for new people to teach. We had a conference this week with all the zones in the grande Belém. I was asked to talk about chapter 11 of preach my gospel, "Cumprir Compromissos" (Fulfilling Commitments). It was only 15 minutes but I hope it was good. I got to see Elder Black for the first time since the MTC! It was super cool. He is so skinny! I took a few pictures but I forgot to bring my camera here to send them! I got to see my whole group and 3 of my 4 companions. 

Serving a mission is great but it is not easy. The sisters in our district had a baptism super firm this past week. His interview was good and he was ready. But Saturday, satan worked a lot with his family and they started telling him a lot of negative stuff about the church. So when the sisters went to get him for the baptism he gave up and said he didn't want to be baptized anymore. We all have experiences like that and I can't help but be frustrated when it happens. A person just lost a chance at salvation because they gave up on the path that would lead them there. I have to ask myself if there was something more I could have done to help that person have more faith. Why couldn't he see past the lies and see how perfect this gospel is and the blessings he was about to receive? We know that everyone has their agency and we just have to do our best to help them, and in the end, its their decision. But it still makes me sick when these kind of experiences happen. Especially when someone comes so close. But the work goes on!! And maybe someday he will change his mind.

We are teaching a family! We were knocking doors and found a family who is already married!! They are really good. We just have to bring them to church. It is difficult to bring people to church here because you have to take 2 buses or walk a whole lot. But we will find a way!

We do this thing here in the ward called the "Mini CTM". Its where we teach the youth all about missionary work and the lessons and everything. The idea is to help them be missionaries now and develop a desire to go on a mission. And hopefully when they go on a mission they will be well prepared and super powerful!!! We do it every Sunday and I like it a lot. I think it is something that would benefit anyone before a mission! I even taught English for 30 minutes!

So thats about it for this week. Love Yall!

Elder Green

ELDER GREEN

MISSÃO BRASIL BELÉM

MISSÃO DE MACHO. NEM O VENTO É FRESCO.

Excerpt from Elder Steindorf's email for this week - 

We're getting along well here in Marambaia. It is a most difficult place to work because the chapel is far from the neighborhood. Wednesday we had a meeting of all areas near Belem. It was very special with inspired talks and training. Elder Green gave one. Friday night there was a blackout in the entire neighborhood - all were without light. We had to walk back to our house in the dark and the people who seemed kind in the light looked sinister. And it didn't help that we had to pass in front of the cemetery hahaha. On Sunday I spoke here in the ward. Here they have an activity called Mini CTM. Every Sunday afternoon we missionaries teach young people how to prepare for a mission or just share the gospel. It was pretty cool.