Week 73 - Feliz Natal in Castanhal!

Hello Hello Hello!!!

It was great to see all of you yesterday! I am glad we didnt have problems with the internet! It is crazy how big everyone is! Archie and Dottie who were little babies when I left are now running around and talking!! Crazy. And I dont even know Annie Marie yet. CRAZY! But I had a wonderful Christmas. We had a ward Christmas party with tons of food and games and what not. It was really fun. THe party was suppose to be outside and when we got there it was pouring down raining! There were a few people outside trying to set up 2 trampolines and all the tables and what not. They said they were counting on the rain to pass. So we helped them and got absolutley soaked. Once it was all set up, it started thundering and the rain only got worse!! So we had to move everything upstairs to the culteral hall to save the activity. So we spent a lot of time moving everything and drying it all off, but it was a success!! Everyone enjoyed it.

So funny story. We got to an investigators house and they offered us dinner and we dont reject food. So I put my bag on the floor and we went and ate. After the message we asked when we could come back. I put my planner in the back pocket of my bag, and when I went to get my planner to mark another day, it was soaking wet. I knew I hadnt walked in the rain and the liquid was yellow. I thought someone had spilt something on my bag, until i smelt it... The dog had peed right on the back pocket and all over my planner! And then it got all over my hands!! I was horrified. So after a wash in the washing machine and lots of perfume I was able to get the smell off my bag, but I had to get a new planner and transfer EVERYTHING over from my old one. The Lord tests us in mysterious ways..

So we went to visit a family that is a member of the church but hasnt gone to church in a while because the lived in a city that doesnt have a church. They are an old couple that was baptized 16 years ago and have already gone to the temple, but the man lost his job so they had to move to a small city that is far away to live with their kids. That city doesnt have the church so over time they ran out of garments and passed 10 years or so without going to church. But now they saved up the money and have moved here. They talked about how much they missed the church and how they want to go to the temple again and get new garments. I felt really sad for them because they are old and arent really able to take care of themselves but love the church, and after 10 years without going to church they are now returning. It makes me wonder what I would do in that situation and it strenthens my faith to seem people like that!

We started working in a new part of the city and have found lots of good people. We were knocking doors this week and talked with a lady who wasnt really interested in hearing us and didnt even want us to come back, but we asked it there was anyone else there who would like to hear us and her son then came out and didnt say anything to us except, "come in". We talked to him and his girlfriend and he knows a bishop from another ward and he already has a Book of Mormon with a chapter marked for him to read! He is really receptive and wants to know more. He really wants to go to church but they travel this week and only come back next month. But they are super good. The Lord is generous with His blessings.

I read a talk this past week that was exactly what I needed to hear at this point in my mission. It is titled "Am I good enough?". One thing that has always been hard for me is to accept that I have done my best. I always feel like I could have done a little better. I am never satisfied. I sometimes feel like the Lord is disapointed in me because He knows I can do more. On my mission I have come to understand Atonement a little bit better. None of us are capable of earning our Salvation through our works. No one can do that. We have to do our best and REALLY TRY to follow the Lord, and we must believe in CHrist and accpet Him as our Savior, and He will do the rest. If we belive in Him and do our best, Christ atonement will make up for our failures. Perfection doesnt come overnight. Be better today than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow that you were today. Doing this and applying the atonement in our lives will bring us Salvation.

I love the Lord. I am so grateful to be one of His representatives during these 2 years. I feel His love and His presence everyday.

Love yall!! Happy New Year!!!

Elder Green

Week 72 - looking forward to Christmas in Castanhal

Hello!!

We started our week off visiting that family less active that went to church last week. We used the rubiks cube to explain how we can have a family more united. Each row of the cube represented something we can do to complete our family and make it perfect. Each row was read the scripture in family, family prayer, and go to the church. We slowely completed the cube while showing scriptures about these 3 things. Everyone liked it! We went back there later in the week and talked about the temple. They have a great desire to go to the temple and be sealed and are willing to make the necessary changes. Their 10 year old son was never baptized. So we started talking to him about baptism. We put him in front of a doorway and told him the doorway represented the kingdom of God. We said his family was already in there and were waiting for him. Then we help his wrists and said we represented sin. We told him to go into the kingdom with his family. He tried and tried and tried but we were holding him tightly and he couldnt get in. We asked him how he could get rid of the sin and go into the kingdom of God with his family and he didnt know. When then showed a video of Jesus Christ being baptized and explained thet baptism is essencial for our salvation. He then excitingly accepted the invitation to be baptized. So we will work more with him this week!

Also, there is a kid that has been going to church for a long time and even goes to seminary every day but his parents will not let him be baptized. They refuse! This week we found out that he turned 18 last month and really wants to be baptized. So we will also start working with him. 

We had a zone meeting on Thursday and I talked for about 40 minutes about planning every day and every week and how to set goals. So on Friday, we started heading back to the house at 9 to plan out next day. As we were walking home, a women started screaming "Help me!!" and was running! TUrns out she was running after her dog that had ran away a week earlier. Everyone on the road was running after this dog! But the dog was fast and got away. SO we kept walking back home and I stopped and got a milkshake real quick. As I was waiting for my milkshake, a dog walked right by my leg. I wasnt sure if it was the dog we were chasing or not. We soon realized that it was that dog so we took off after it! SO you can imagine me and my companion sprinting down the streets of Castanhal after this dog with a milkshake in my hand. After a lot of running and almost being bitten in the face, we trapped the dog in a health center and the old lady got it back. Quite the experience and service opportunity!

I am loving the mission!! All the experiences and people! And we are excited for Chirstmas!

Love yall!!

Elder Green

Week 71 - NATAL from Castanhal!

 Zona Castanhal ready to play soccer.

 Clay and Elder Romero

Sister J. Silva, Elder Bartoski, Elder Belo, Clay, Elder Black

Elder Hall

The entire Brazil Belem Mission December 2016

This was a good week. Very slow as far as missionary work, but a lot of fun. So Tuesday all the elders in our zone came to our house to stay the night because we had to travel on Wednesday and it is very far for them. So we had a lot of people trying to sleep in that house!! Wednesday we traveled to Belém and had our big dinner with the WHOLE mission! Even the 3 zones that require an airplane to get to were there. The first time in the history of the mission that the whole mission got together. We had a nice dinner and some activities. 

Wednesday night we stayed at some elders house with air conditioning!(Sorry but I have no idea how to spell anything anymore)! Then Thursday morning we went to a big event place that had soccer and basketball and vôlei ball. We stayed there all day and it was super fun. Our zone did not win the soccer tournament but I didnt really care because all the americans just played basketball! SO that was a fun 2 days. I got to see all of my old companions!

WE played secret santa and I got a tie... Looks like it has already been used too but whatever. I am grateful! I gave tereré (soda) to Elder O. Ribeiro. He liked it!

Sunday we had a multi stake conference presided over by Elder Jeffery R Holland. We were all excited to here him speak. He was the last speaker. I wish you could have seen everyones faces when he got up there and spoke in PORTUGUESE!!! No lie. He started his talk in portuguese, switched to english, then ended with his testimony in portuguese. Super cool and very powerful. We were all very happy to see an apostle speak in our language. President Costa also spoke about the area plan in Brazil. He is really good. I think he will be an apostle someday! 

We are starting a new transfer this week.Sis Zanella and Sis Villscis were transferred from our zone. A lot of goals have been set and we will change a lot of things this transfer. Also the last transfer of my companion! As we say here, I am going to kill him. 

The sisters will go to Belem tomorrow and will pick up any packages I have at the mission office. SO we will skype on Sunday - Christmas day. I don't know what time yet. Probably in the afternoon.

I have a bunch of pictures I will try to send using the wifi at the church. I am waiting to receive some pictures from other missionaries and I will forward them on.

Have a good Christmas, love yall!!

Elder Green

Week 70 Baptism, Package Party and time with Son and Grandson in Castanhal!

 Clay and Elder Vilaca with Fernando at his baptism!

 Another baptism picture

 Clay's Christmas packages arrived in Castanhal!

 Clay with his 'son' Elder Steindorf and his 'grandson' Elder Bulcao

 Clay and Elder Vilaca - who has had a little too much cheese bread and energy drink.

Clay and Elder Vilaca

Hello!!!

SO this week was great! This wont be the longest email because I am short on time. Fernando was baptized on Saturday. He was super prepared and it was a great meeting. He is wanting to serve a mission and we will work a lot with him!!

We decided to do an exchange this week. I went to Bragança with Elder Bulcão. My grandson!! It was a great exchange! 

I got my packages and we have been eating like crazy and killing each other with those nerf guns. My companion took a shower this week and when he got out I had set up a fort in front of the fridge. It was just a decoy. He thought that I was in there waiting to shoot him so he ran into the bedroom. But I was really in the bedroom under my matress! I lit him up. hahaha! 

We had a cool experience this week. Knocking doors we taught a girl that is 17. After the message she said we brought a light to her day and she asked for a book of mormon!! WHAT!! Super cool. But she didnt go to church... but she will.

Unfortunatley we had to drop the family we wanted to marry and baptize. They just didnt want to progress anymore and they already planned to separate. Satan.

Love yall!!

Elder Green

Week 69 - Undocumented car ride in Castanhal

NOVEMBER 28, 2016

Hello!!

This week was good. We recieved a referal of a man that lives in another city that is about an hour from our area. Igarapé Açu. By bus. But this city doesnt have the church yet so tecnically it is part of our area. When we asked the president what we do when we recieve a refferal that far away he burned us saying it is a soul and child of God. So we went!! It is actually a big city and has a lot of people!! We even thought about asking the president to let us open a new area there. Super nice city. So we went on Wednesday And got there at around 4 o clock. We taught the guy and his wife. They arent married but they are really interested in the church. But it will be tough bringing them on Sunday. They told us the last bus leaves at 6 o clock. So we left the guys house and made it back to the bus stop at 5:30 but the place was all closed and they told us the last bus already left. So we were stuck in a city, with no members and no way to get home. Then this guy came up saying he was driving people back to Castanhal for 20 bucks. So we went with him as our only hope. There we 5 men in a car that only holds 4. So the good part about being big is that I got to sit in the front. WHen I looked back I could only see my companions head because he was crammed in between these other full grown men!! So I was dying laughing the whole trip. Almost arriving in Castanhal, there were a bunch of cops stopping everyone in the road. When they stopped us they sayed the car wasnt registered and we had too many people and the driver didnt have a license and a bunch of other stuff. The ticket was gonna be around $1,500. Our driver said and I quote, "Look officer, I´m brazilian too and I know how this thing works, so I´ll give you $50 right now for you to pocket and lets just forget about the whole thing". So that caught me a little bit off guard when he said that, but I got even more surprised when the cop took the $50 and let us go!!!! SO we were planning on getting the receit adn get reembursed for the $40 we would hae to spend. We asked the guy if he had receit and he said yes, but when we got to our house he said he didnt have any!! So we got pretty upset with him and we ended up only paying $35. But it was quite the experience.

We have been teaching Fernando for 2 weeks and he is super excited for his baptism this Saturday. He is 21 years old and plays football. REAL FOOTBALL! They have a little team here that he plays for. Super cool. 

So for the first time in a year and a half I got poison ivy!! I couldnt even believe it! I got it on my arms and fingers and on the palm of my hand!! Not fun. But I went to the farmacy anf bought some cream and pills and now it has completely gone away. That brazilian stuff seems to have worked better than American stuff! But thankfully I got rid of it! 

Love yall!!

Elder Green

Week 68 - Zone Conference - Castanhal

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

Clay at Multi-Zone Meeting in Belem

Hello!!

THis week was cool. We went to Belém Wednesday night and stayed there the night for the zone conference on Thursday. It was a super great meeting!! We heard from the presidente and his wife, and a few missionaries. It was really good and helpful. We talked a lot about personal revelation, and how we can use this Christmas to find people to teach. 

Afterward, we did an exchange in our zone. I stayed with Elder W. Silva and my companion went to another city 5 hours away from here! SO that was fun. We drank Tereré all day long! It was great. 

We have a few really good investigators that we are working with. One family that we will marry this week. We are teaching a lady named Hanna. Hopefully she will be baptized this week. Lots of prayers and miracles. When we got back in Castanhal on Thursday we passed by the chapel on our way home. We ended up teaching a kid that was there with his friend to play soccer. He is 21 years old and is super good!! He accepted everything and we marked with him Friday night. But we werent able to find him on Friday so we got sad because we werent able to confirm him for church. Sunday comes around, and he shows up by himself!! We taught him after the meeting and he is super excited to be baptized. 

This Sunday was stake conference. Elder Lima visited the stake. The same general authority that visited Cabanagem in February. And he gave the exact same talk!! Literally word for word. Every joke, everything. But it was still good. Everyone liked it. 

Have a good week!!

Elder Green