"Oi!
Well, sorry that I wasn't able to send you an email yesterday (Note: parents beginning to hyperventilate). No, pday has not changed, but yesterday was a huge hassel with my visa so there wasn't time to do anything. Everybody from my group had to go to Campinas for the routine visa renewal and it took all day long. Everything went well. I saw everybody again...E. Benson, E. Hahne, E. Brewer, S. Pierce.. and aside from them Elder Larsen, who helped us renew our visas. Everyone else was able to send out emails yesterday, but I wasn't so the president let me do it today.
The office elders did receive your package and they thank you for it. The district meeting on Monday was a big success. I gave my first training and did a practice of the second visit that was really spiritual and made me feel really confident about how I can teach that. I felt perfectly confident and at home in front of everyone teaching even though I was super nervous the whole week before it. I know it was the spirit that strengthened me. Tomorrow I'll do my first baptismal interviews for a companionship in my district. I'm excited for that. There are only four elders and two sisters in my district.
After the meeting we did a division with the assistants. They were in our zone to observe and one went with me and the other went with the other companionship here in Rio Claro. That was a great day. We talked to everybody, and we found 14 new people and one HUGE family of seven people! Today we'll return to this family and teach the lesson that I practiced at the meeting. I'm sure that the Lord will again strengthen me and the Spirit will be strong enough for them to commit to be baptized. You can pray for them. Their names are Marcos, Adriane, Taileza, Anderson, Alison, Alexia, and Elivelton. Likewise, we'll return to someone the AP said he felt was elect: Devanir and Joziel.
Something super exciting is going to happen on Saturday!!! Elder Quentin L. Cook is coming to our mission!!! He is down here in Brazil for 10 days and he'll preside at a stake conference in a stake in our mission and he found one hour to talk to all the missionaries on Saturday. He is the man responsible for "Preach My Gospel." This will be a huge blessing for our mission and surely he'll leave an apostolic blessing over our mission! I'm super excited!
I love you all and am happy and anxious to work hard. This church is true!
Elder Christian
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
District Leader and Trainer!
"Oi!
So we had transfers and mission conference yesterday. It was really good. President Castro Deus is truly guiding the mission by revelation.
The story that you sent this week (about your mission call in Germany to district leader) is interesting because I was called as a district leader and trainer yesterday. My companion is Elder Dunn from Colorado. He looks like a big Samoan and when our names were announced I went up to the front to get him. We hugged and he picked me up! Ha Ha! The mission won't forget that! He doesn't speak any Portuguese, of course. I get to teach him everything! This will be cool! The hard thing will be being district leader. I have no idea how to be a district leader or give trainings to the missionaries. But it's all good!
Elder Rossi was made a zone leader and Elder Hahne was sent to the office to be Elder Larsen's companion. Elder Santanna didn't return to being senior and now I don't know if he ever will. BUT, he did qualify himself, so I did my part.
The two baptisms of Quiterio and Kamilla went off without any problem. Wanderson baptized his father and it was kinda hard to get him under the water (he's a big guy). We now have to baptize Kamilla's parents. That's what I'm worried about this week. I hope the spirit will guide us in doing everything necessary to baptize them.
We're gonna get new cell phones and as district leader I'll have infinite credit to call the missionaries! We'll also be getting a washing machine soon. I got the package with the pillow cases and they felt like they just got out of the dryer! It was so wonderful! I also got a Christmas package from Becca. She sent me a teddy bear and a bunch of candy. Oh, ya, I would very much like the Church News and the missionary announcements still. And now, we'll get mail every single week.
This is funny. At the beginning of the conference President Castro Deus announced the trainers and then did the transfers. Sister Castro Deus then spoke and at the beginning of her remarks, she said, 'it seems like everyone is most excited when the trainers are announced, but I think everyone was waiting to see when Elder Christian Larsen's name was called because everyone wants to be his companion. He gets so many packages! His greenie is really lucky to have him as a trainer!' LOL! Everyone laughed at that...it's so true!
I'll be honest. I'm a little intimidated by this new dual call as DL and trainer, but I can do it! I know that this church is true and that this mission is guided by God through revelation. I love you and am happy!"
Elder Christian
So we had transfers and mission conference yesterday. It was really good. President Castro Deus is truly guiding the mission by revelation.
The story that you sent this week (about your mission call in Germany to district leader) is interesting because I was called as a district leader and trainer yesterday. My companion is Elder Dunn from Colorado. He looks like a big Samoan and when our names were announced I went up to the front to get him. We hugged and he picked me up! Ha Ha! The mission won't forget that! He doesn't speak any Portuguese, of course. I get to teach him everything! This will be cool! The hard thing will be being district leader. I have no idea how to be a district leader or give trainings to the missionaries. But it's all good!
Elder Rossi was made a zone leader and Elder Hahne was sent to the office to be Elder Larsen's companion. Elder Santanna didn't return to being senior and now I don't know if he ever will. BUT, he did qualify himself, so I did my part.
The two baptisms of Quiterio and Kamilla went off without any problem. Wanderson baptized his father and it was kinda hard to get him under the water (he's a big guy). We now have to baptize Kamilla's parents. That's what I'm worried about this week. I hope the spirit will guide us in doing everything necessary to baptize them.
We're gonna get new cell phones and as district leader I'll have infinite credit to call the missionaries! We'll also be getting a washing machine soon. I got the package with the pillow cases and they felt like they just got out of the dryer! It was so wonderful! I also got a Christmas package from Becca. She sent me a teddy bear and a bunch of candy. Oh, ya, I would very much like the Church News and the missionary announcements still. And now, we'll get mail every single week.
This is funny. At the beginning of the conference President Castro Deus announced the trainers and then did the transfers. Sister Castro Deus then spoke and at the beginning of her remarks, she said, 'it seems like everyone is most excited when the trainers are announced, but I think everyone was waiting to see when Elder Christian Larsen's name was called because everyone wants to be his companion. He gets so many packages! His greenie is really lucky to have him as a trainer!' LOL! Everyone laughed at that...it's so true!
I'll be honest. I'm a little intimidated by this new dual call as DL and trainer, but I can do it! I know that this church is true and that this mission is guided by God through revelation. I love you and am happy!"
Elder Christian
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Water Shortage....But Two Baptisms!
"Oi!
This week was a very good week. Our mission measures our results and assigns colors to them. Our zone had the goal to eliminate all RED results this week and our area did the best! We eliminated all RED and marked 4 baptisms! This week we have two baptisms. Quiterio (Wanderson's father) and Camilla ( little 8 year old girl whose parents aren't members, but who goes to church with her grandma). These baptisms will happen. These people are firm! The only thing I'm worried about this week is finding 14 new investigators. We didn't find any Monday or Tuesday, so pray that we can find at least 3 per day until Sunday.
We went without water for three days! The person who owns the garage underneath our house turned it off. The water people didn't know what was going on. They came and dug up the sidewalk searching for the problem until we were able to get inside the garage and found out. We took showers in the church across the street and didn't wash any clothes or dishes for those three days. Luckily it's back on!
Elder Santanna will finish qualifying today. He only has to memorize 14 more scripture references. He really started to be motivated this week now that the transfer is coming.
The transfer is next Tuesday, the 20th. I bet one of us will be transferred...most likely him, but you never know!
Yesterday, while Elder Santanna was qualifying, I did practices with our zone leader and we did a practice of a "faith Lesson" which, I think, is about one of the hardest things to do....or was one of the things which I least understood. But he said that mine was one of the best he'd ever seen. That made me really happy.
I love you all and am working hard and am happy."
Tachau,
Elder Christian
This week was a very good week. Our mission measures our results and assigns colors to them. Our zone had the goal to eliminate all RED results this week and our area did the best! We eliminated all RED and marked 4 baptisms! This week we have two baptisms. Quiterio (Wanderson's father) and Camilla ( little 8 year old girl whose parents aren't members, but who goes to church with her grandma). These baptisms will happen. These people are firm! The only thing I'm worried about this week is finding 14 new investigators. We didn't find any Monday or Tuesday, so pray that we can find at least 3 per day until Sunday.
We went without water for three days! The person who owns the garage underneath our house turned it off. The water people didn't know what was going on. They came and dug up the sidewalk searching for the problem until we were able to get inside the garage and found out. We took showers in the church across the street and didn't wash any clothes or dishes for those three days. Luckily it's back on!
Elder Santanna will finish qualifying today. He only has to memorize 14 more scripture references. He really started to be motivated this week now that the transfer is coming.
The transfer is next Tuesday, the 20th. I bet one of us will be transferred...most likely him, but you never know!
Yesterday, while Elder Santanna was qualifying, I did practices with our zone leader and we did a practice of a "faith Lesson" which, I think, is about one of the hardest things to do....or was one of the things which I least understood. But he said that mine was one of the best he'd ever seen. That made me really happy.
I love you all and am working hard and am happy."
Tachau,
Elder Christian
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Baptism, Bishop, and Scooby Doo!
"Oi!
Ok, this Sunday was interesting. We got a new bishop. This really good, because our other bishop was kind of "burned out". This bishop is young, excited, has lived in the US and has already been a bishop. This is really going to be good!
Did I tell you that we marked the baptism of Wanderson's dad? He'll be baptized on the 17th and he is firm. Wanderson will baptize him.
We also met two new families yesterday....Monica and Nelson...and Norberto and Teresa. I really want to baptize them. I think Norbert and Teresa will be the hardest, because they are kinda apathetic, but the Spirit can change anything.
As you noticed Elder Santana is my most challenging companion yet. It's because he has never made senior, so it is my goal to help get him there so he can be transferred. LOL!
Last week I emailed the president about your concern that I'm stressed out and he said, 'The time for rest is called pday. Every day from 10:30 to 9:30 give it your all.' I also told him about J. Dell sitting next to Bednar and Uchtdorf at the Jazz game and he said that he'd like to watch a game sometime with me in the US and remember these days of sacrifice and hard work. That would be a cool experience.
The bishop's wife has a request. She is concerned that her little sons are forgetting English, so she wondered if you could go to the Dollar Tree (because it's cheap) and find some children's DVDs and send them down to me. She says she'll pay me back in reais. She has one of the nativity that she showed me as an example. I'm sure you can find something great and she'd be really thankful. PS. Her little boy loves Scooby Doo. Her son's are named Gabriel (12 anos), Vinicius (9), and Mateus (4). The DVDs are for Mateus. She asked if I got packages and I told her that no one gets more than I do, so send one for her please. Thank you!
I love you all and I' very happy. I know this church is true."
Com Amor
Elder Christian"
Ok, this Sunday was interesting. We got a new bishop. This really good, because our other bishop was kind of "burned out". This bishop is young, excited, has lived in the US and has already been a bishop. This is really going to be good!
Did I tell you that we marked the baptism of Wanderson's dad? He'll be baptized on the 17th and he is firm. Wanderson will baptize him.
We also met two new families yesterday....Monica and Nelson...and Norberto and Teresa. I really want to baptize them. I think Norbert and Teresa will be the hardest, because they are kinda apathetic, but the Spirit can change anything.
As you noticed Elder Santana is my most challenging companion yet. It's because he has never made senior, so it is my goal to help get him there so he can be transferred. LOL!
Last week I emailed the president about your concern that I'm stressed out and he said, 'The time for rest is called pday. Every day from 10:30 to 9:30 give it your all.' I also told him about J. Dell sitting next to Bednar and Uchtdorf at the Jazz game and he said that he'd like to watch a game sometime with me in the US and remember these days of sacrifice and hard work. That would be a cool experience.
The bishop's wife has a request. She is concerned that her little sons are forgetting English, so she wondered if you could go to the Dollar Tree (because it's cheap) and find some children's DVDs and send them down to me. She says she'll pay me back in reais. She has one of the nativity that she showed me as an example. I'm sure you can find something great and she'd be really thankful. PS. Her little boy loves Scooby Doo. Her son's are named Gabriel (12 anos), Vinicius (9), and Mateus (4). The DVDs are for Mateus. She asked if I got packages and I told her that no one gets more than I do, so send one for her please. Thank you!
I love you all and I' very happy. I know this church is true."
Com Amor
Elder Christian"
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