"This has been an eventful week. First off, this has been one of the worst weeks of my mission, but I'm still super happy! It was bad because three of our families shut the door on us...half our teaching group. I think I cried, I can't remember. Also we threw a huge open house with our zone leaders ward and nobody...NOBODY came, so we lost a lot of time, but the open house was really good. I'll tell you about it later.
Yesterday Elder Hancock was transfered. My new comp is Elder Nodal from Albuquerque, NM. This is his second transfer and I'm his second companion. He is really new to the mission. My zone leader got a new companion, too, an Elder that I really like, Elder Bradford. His is super humble, super excited and super happy all of the time. We still live with our zone leaders, so it's still crazy at our house all of the time.
The open house was really well done. We had the church decorated really well and each room was about a different aspect of the church. Our room was the Missionary Work room and we had the baptizmal font open and running. It was cool! We had a bunch of neat banners from the mission and there was a room that had a pathway made out of old liahonas. It was pretty neat!
I saw everyone yesterday at the mission conference. Elder MeEwen was the happiest to see me. He got the present and said he nearly cried when he saw it. Elder Pereira nearly knocked me over when I gave him the ring you sent for him. I told him he didn't need to pay for it. Elder Benson, from my CTM group, was made senior companion and Elder Rossi, my old comp and (at the time) his comp said that Elder Benson was praying that he and I could be companions. I may not have baptized many people yet, but it seems like I'm making a big difference in the lives of many of the missionaries here.
We taught two rich ladies the other day...one lady's house was as fancy as anything in Park City. She called to receive a Book of Mormon. What happened was that she found the number to call while she was channel surfing waiting for her husband's surgery to finish. She happened upon a church film (about the Beck family, one of whom, the subject of the film, I know from Sunday Singing) and she called then and there in the hospital. When we invited her to be baptized she told us the she never thought she could be baptized, that she couldn't convert to Mormonism...that we were like the Jews and that you had to be born one. We were like OF COURSE YOU CAN! She said that she wanted to talk to her husband first. The other lady did something that nobody has ever done before. She wrote down the date and time of our baptizmal invitation! We will have to call both ladies to go back and that will happen tomorrow. Please pray for them. Their names are Ana Maria Mandoza and Ivone Wagner Bento. We also need to teach their families.
I'm happy and working and loving the mission. Thanks for the information on my friends. Will you find out if Casey (Bangerter) knows an Elder Monson in Fortaleza. He was one of the zone leaders that I got to help call and introduce while I was AP in the CTM.
I love you. Elder Christian.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Miracle Baptism...More Coming!
"This week was good, VERY tiring, but good. I think that I told you about what happened with Aparacida. Not this past Sunday, the Sunday before that we filled up the font after church and taught her and her husband that day and invited them to be baptized that night. That made a deep impression on her, deep enough that the following Tuesday she told her son that she wanted to be baptized the following Saturday. He immediately called me and told me and she was baptized by him on that Saturday. At the baptism she told me that she really wanted me to baptize her... even more than her son! But we both thought it better that he baptize her and I confirm her.... since I have the Melchizedek Priesthood and he does not. That was really good. That was a miracle baptism. We're working for another miracle baptism this week...Luiz, her husband. I think that he needs a lesson about agency and the atonement, that he has to act, make the choice. He is a "dry Mormon"... he only lacks the baptism.
I'm very happy about our other investigators. Joao Batista is totally elect. I can't even describe him! This is the guy that called to us on the street. He just needs to go to church and then I'm positive that he'll accept baptism. His wife and daughter are more difficult. His wife accepted the first visit, but then we met her in the street and she said (very happily and almost laughing) that she was 'passionate' about her church, that she believes that it is the only true church, and that is where she cries and feels good and that she would never, ever, ever change. The daughter does nothing more than study. She's very nice but she fights with her parents. I think they are probably a little overbearing, so she doesn't want anything to do with anything. Pray for them. Send their names to the temple. Joao Batista, Adelia, and Isadora. He is stake president material.
We have lots of other investigators. All of them are working on various problems, but they're all really good people. This weekend the other ward is throwing a big open house. It's HUGE and we're working with those missionaries to put this on, because it will affect both wards. I'm excited for this. Pray for the well being of our investigators, that they will act according to the knowledge they have so they can be touched by the spirit and choose to be baptized. But pray also that they will attend this open house and that many members will participate and be profoundly affected.
Dad, you should see the campaigning down here. They have an annoying peculiarity here called the sound car. They go around playing jingles for the candidates all day long! They congregate in the most densly populated neighborhoods where we also are and it begins to really get on your nerves.
This coming Tuesday are transfers. But, we're working and praying that Luiz can be baptized. I love you and am happy. Ate mais!
Elder Christian
I'm very happy about our other investigators. Joao Batista is totally elect. I can't even describe him! This is the guy that called to us on the street. He just needs to go to church and then I'm positive that he'll accept baptism. His wife and daughter are more difficult. His wife accepted the first visit, but then we met her in the street and she said (very happily and almost laughing) that she was 'passionate' about her church, that she believes that it is the only true church, and that is where she cries and feels good and that she would never, ever, ever change. The daughter does nothing more than study. She's very nice but she fights with her parents. I think they are probably a little overbearing, so she doesn't want anything to do with anything. Pray for them. Send their names to the temple. Joao Batista, Adelia, and Isadora. He is stake president material.
We have lots of other investigators. All of them are working on various problems, but they're all really good people. This weekend the other ward is throwing a big open house. It's HUGE and we're working with those missionaries to put this on, because it will affect both wards. I'm excited for this. Pray for the well being of our investigators, that they will act according to the knowledge they have so they can be touched by the spirit and choose to be baptized. But pray also that they will attend this open house and that many members will participate and be profoundly affected.
Dad, you should see the campaigning down here. They have an annoying peculiarity here called the sound car. They go around playing jingles for the candidates all day long! They congregate in the most densly populated neighborhoods where we also are and it begins to really get on your nerves.
This coming Tuesday are transfers. But, we're working and praying that Luiz can be baptized. I love you and am happy. Ate mais!
Elder Christian
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Faith, Hard Work....And a Mission Record!
"Oi familia!
This week was an amazing week...we worked SO HARD! And exercised so much faith! We concentrated on everyone that was possible to be baptized that week and invited everyone for that Saturday, but nobody accepted. Sunday we filled up the font right after church as an act of faith and went directly to Luiz and Aparacida's home to invite them to be baptized that night at 8. I even told them that the water was waiting for them. They rejected, but she asked me, 'Will there be a baptism tonight?' I said, 'Well, not now.' And she said, 'I'll prepare myself then.' Yesterday, I got a call from her son, who told me that she just barely told him that she wanted to be baptized this Saturday! YES!! Elder Hancock and I nearly fainted, we were so overwhelmed. So happy! She'll be baptized this Saturday at 7. Pray for Luiz Carlos and Eduardo, her husband and son, so that they can be baptized with her.
On top of this we met a super prepared family Saturday night. We felt impressed by the Spirit to keep Saturday night planned for a baptism, even though we hadn't marked one, so we were walking to the church when a man across the street called to us. He asked what time church was and where the church was and if he could go. We told him and marked to go teach him. We taught him yesterday. He and his family live in the richer part of Vinhedo and asked every question that we answer before we answered them...'Are there prophets in our day? Is there modern day scripture? What do I need to do to know that this is true?' They'll accept our baptismal invitation after they go to Aparacida's baptism Saturday.
And what more this week, the mission hit a record. We baptized 204 people in the month of August, and 63 in this last week....a record unparalled in the history of this mission! YAY! It's truly a blessing, the Lord has seen our hard work, sacrifice, and faith and is blessing the mission like never before.
You don't need to worry about the packages. I'm getting every single one. The customs people don't take them. I need new shoes. I think I'll have these resoled, and maybe buy another pair. I left my other pair in Piracicaba, because they had a huge hole in the bottom. I'll take a picture and send it to you so you can get more from Missionary Mall, but I need some new shoes right away. You don't have to send much more mac and cheese. Please keep sending a few socks and maybe some insoles. I ate macaroni today and the four of us devoured the candy. I gave a lot of macaroni away to our zone and they appreciated it. Everyone thinks we're rich now. Ha ha
I can't wait to hear about Casey. I'd love to keep hearing about my missionary friends that are out. I don't hear much...and now that I'm senior, I can't find time to write either...
I'm super happy and love the mission. Thanks for everything!"
Elder Christian
This week was an amazing week...we worked SO HARD! And exercised so much faith! We concentrated on everyone that was possible to be baptized that week and invited everyone for that Saturday, but nobody accepted. Sunday we filled up the font right after church as an act of faith and went directly to Luiz and Aparacida's home to invite them to be baptized that night at 8. I even told them that the water was waiting for them. They rejected, but she asked me, 'Will there be a baptism tonight?' I said, 'Well, not now.' And she said, 'I'll prepare myself then.' Yesterday, I got a call from her son, who told me that she just barely told him that she wanted to be baptized this Saturday! YES!! Elder Hancock and I nearly fainted, we were so overwhelmed. So happy! She'll be baptized this Saturday at 7. Pray for Luiz Carlos and Eduardo, her husband and son, so that they can be baptized with her.
On top of this we met a super prepared family Saturday night. We felt impressed by the Spirit to keep Saturday night planned for a baptism, even though we hadn't marked one, so we were walking to the church when a man across the street called to us. He asked what time church was and where the church was and if he could go. We told him and marked to go teach him. We taught him yesterday. He and his family live in the richer part of Vinhedo and asked every question that we answer before we answered them...'Are there prophets in our day? Is there modern day scripture? What do I need to do to know that this is true?' They'll accept our baptismal invitation after they go to Aparacida's baptism Saturday.
And what more this week, the mission hit a record. We baptized 204 people in the month of August, and 63 in this last week....a record unparalled in the history of this mission! YAY! It's truly a blessing, the Lord has seen our hard work, sacrifice, and faith and is blessing the mission like never before.
You don't need to worry about the packages. I'm getting every single one. The customs people don't take them. I need new shoes. I think I'll have these resoled, and maybe buy another pair. I left my other pair in Piracicaba, because they had a huge hole in the bottom. I'll take a picture and send it to you so you can get more from Missionary Mall, but I need some new shoes right away. You don't have to send much more mac and cheese. Please keep sending a few socks and maybe some insoles. I ate macaroni today and the four of us devoured the candy. I gave a lot of macaroni away to our zone and they appreciated it. Everyone thinks we're rich now. Ha ha
I can't wait to hear about Casey. I'd love to keep hearing about my missionary friends that are out. I don't hear much...and now that I'm senior, I can't find time to write either...
I'm super happy and love the mission. Thanks for everything!"
Elder Christian
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Look How Close We Got!
"Oi!
(You should know that I started typing this in Portuguese and realized that wouldn't work! HaHa)
This week has been another good week. Look at our numbers:
Ammon Pattern Our Numbers
12 lessons with a member 11 lessons with a member
14 new investigators 13 new investigators
10 investigators in church 10 investigators in church
2 baptisms 0 baptisms
LOOK HOW CLOSE WE GOT! President Castro Deus promised us that if we meet the first three indicators we'll be blessed with 2 baptisms. I'm praying hard that we can mark a baptism for this Saturday. The president made a goal for all the missionaries to baptise in the month of August and there are 62 who haven't yet, INCLUDING US.!
Here's a list of the possible people for this week: Edcarlos, Edma, Vivane, Natan, Luiz, Aparacida, Eduardo, Adrian. Here's who we marked to be baptized 13 September: Tereza, Manoel, Abel. Here's a few awesome people who are surely elect people: Leandro, Danilo, Celso, Sydiney. Would you call the temple and put them on the prayer roll along with mine and Elder Hancock's names.
We just got back from the temple. WE took the bus to Campinas and then grabbed another bus within Campinas. At the bus stop in Campinas I ran into two members of my ward in Campo Grande! Actually, they ran into me and yelled "Larsen" from across the street! That was so cool and it made me happy to know that they remembered me...even my very name!
At the temple, I ran into Elder Rossi. He reminded me to ask dad for the beef jerky recipe, he really wants that, lol. He is now the comp of Elder Benson from my CTM group, cool, huh! Elder Brewer was also there.
I'm very happy and working hard. I love you.
Ate mais Elder Christian
(You should know that I started typing this in Portuguese and realized that wouldn't work! HaHa)
This week has been another good week. Look at our numbers:
Ammon Pattern Our Numbers
12 lessons with a member 11 lessons with a member
14 new investigators 13 new investigators
10 investigators in church 10 investigators in church
2 baptisms 0 baptisms
LOOK HOW CLOSE WE GOT! President Castro Deus promised us that if we meet the first three indicators we'll be blessed with 2 baptisms. I'm praying hard that we can mark a baptism for this Saturday. The president made a goal for all the missionaries to baptise in the month of August and there are 62 who haven't yet, INCLUDING US.!
Here's a list of the possible people for this week: Edcarlos, Edma, Vivane, Natan, Luiz, Aparacida, Eduardo, Adrian. Here's who we marked to be baptized 13 September: Tereza, Manoel, Abel. Here's a few awesome people who are surely elect people: Leandro, Danilo, Celso, Sydiney. Would you call the temple and put them on the prayer roll along with mine and Elder Hancock's names.
We just got back from the temple. WE took the bus to Campinas and then grabbed another bus within Campinas. At the bus stop in Campinas I ran into two members of my ward in Campo Grande! Actually, they ran into me and yelled "Larsen" from across the street! That was so cool and it made me happy to know that they remembered me...even my very name!
At the temple, I ran into Elder Rossi. He reminded me to ask dad for the beef jerky recipe, he really wants that, lol. He is now the comp of Elder Benson from my CTM group, cool, huh! Elder Brewer was also there.
I'm very happy and working hard. I love you.
Ate mais Elder Christian
Thursday, August 21, 2008
New Investigators and Wild Monkeys
"This week was great! We met two of the key indicators (goals) for the Ammon Pattern of Excellence. We found 15 new investigators (we needed 14)and we taught 12 lessons with members (we needed 12). We only lacked 8 investigators in church (we had 2) and 2 baptisms, but those come as a consequence or blessing of meeting this key indicators. I was so super happy anyway!
We had a division this week with Elder Bowers (my old distric leader in Piracicaba, who is now my district leader here) and his comp., Elder Madsen. Elder Madsen stayed with me in Vinhedo because he needed to get qualified. That was a good day... he's an awesome missionary. I helped him with his qualification and he did very well.
This week was a week of revelation also. I was reading an article by Pres. Packer and he cited Alma 10: 6, so I opened to it and read the description of Amulek in Alma 10:4-11 and felt to powerfully and clearly that at lunch that day the members would know someone who met that description and would become a great leader in baptisms. It was so powerful! We met Sebastian last night who had been taught but didn't get baptized, who was RICH and lost everything, and who said that he wants to get baptized as fast as possible. The only thing left is for him to get married, but his wife doesn't even want to hear the lessons. He is fasting, praying, and going to church, and we scheduled his baptism for September 13 (because of getting married). Pray for his wife that we can teach her and she will accept. He wasn't presented to by these members, but they are the members that live the closest, so I thought, wow, could this be our Amulek. It's pretty powerful!
Also, I was studying an old conference Ensign and turned to the GA page and saw Pres. Ucthdorf, E. Cook, E. Christofferson in their old places in the Seventy and was so happy! I thought about all of the brethern around them and thought how happy they must have been on the call of these men to the Quorum and related to that because I felt joy for Elder McEwen when he was called to be a zone leader. He, like they, received higher opportunities and responsibilities and I couldn't help but be happy for him. It's really cool. (Did I tell you that Elder McEwen has baptized more that any other missionary in the mission...HE WAS MY COMP)!
I saw wild monkeys for the first time yesterday, they were really little and cute and we got really close.
I love you and am really happy! Ate mais!
Elder Christian Larsen
We had a division this week with Elder Bowers (my old distric leader in Piracicaba, who is now my district leader here) and his comp., Elder Madsen. Elder Madsen stayed with me in Vinhedo because he needed to get qualified. That was a good day... he's an awesome missionary. I helped him with his qualification and he did very well.
This week was a week of revelation also. I was reading an article by Pres. Packer and he cited Alma 10: 6, so I opened to it and read the description of Amulek in Alma 10:4-11 and felt to powerfully and clearly that at lunch that day the members would know someone who met that description and would become a great leader in baptisms. It was so powerful! We met Sebastian last night who had been taught but didn't get baptized, who was RICH and lost everything, and who said that he wants to get baptized as fast as possible. The only thing left is for him to get married, but his wife doesn't even want to hear the lessons. He is fasting, praying, and going to church, and we scheduled his baptism for September 13 (because of getting married). Pray for his wife that we can teach her and she will accept. He wasn't presented to by these members, but they are the members that live the closest, so I thought, wow, could this be our Amulek. It's pretty powerful!
Also, I was studying an old conference Ensign and turned to the GA page and saw Pres. Ucthdorf, E. Cook, E. Christofferson in their old places in the Seventy and was so happy! I thought about all of the brethern around them and thought how happy they must have been on the call of these men to the Quorum and related to that because I felt joy for Elder McEwen when he was called to be a zone leader. He, like they, received higher opportunities and responsibilities and I couldn't help but be happy for him. It's really cool. (Did I tell you that Elder McEwen has baptized more that any other missionary in the mission...HE WAS MY COMP)!
I saw wild monkeys for the first time yesterday, they were really little and cute and we got really close.
I love you and am really happy! Ate mais!
Elder Christian Larsen
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Vinhedo is Chique
"Oi!
Well, first off, yes, Vinhedo is SUPER chique. I am amazed at the affluence here. Most of our area is made up of giant condominiums that we can't proselyte in that are as good as Stone Ridge. There's one condominium here where famous soccer players and Brazilian actresses and politicians live. The ZL's had lunch with the old president of the Sao Paulo Temple the other day and guess what they had....SHRIMP! AH! This is one place we'll have to visit after the mission.
We mostly work in one neighborhood here called 'Bairro Capela' or Chapel Borough in English. It's the most humble part of town, but it's where people want to be baptized. This ward is awesome. They like to teach with us and are super excited. We have a bunch of ideas going right now to attract new investigators including English classes, an open house, and booths about the church set up in the square on the weekend. It's pretty cool what we're planning on doing.
The most difficult things are our living conditions. The apartment is small so it's cramped living with our zone leaders. Elder Hancock is a good companion. He reminds me of Cory in appearance. H's got 6 months on the mission, so he's got a bunch to learn like me, but it's good. We work well together.
I'll try and send pictures to you next week. We've got some good ones. This transfer is going to be a big growing experience for me and I'm excited! Thank you and I love you."
Elder Christian
Well, first off, yes, Vinhedo is SUPER chique. I am amazed at the affluence here. Most of our area is made up of giant condominiums that we can't proselyte in that are as good as Stone Ridge. There's one condominium here where famous soccer players and Brazilian actresses and politicians live. The ZL's had lunch with the old president of the Sao Paulo Temple the other day and guess what they had....SHRIMP! AH! This is one place we'll have to visit after the mission.
We mostly work in one neighborhood here called 'Bairro Capela' or Chapel Borough in English. It's the most humble part of town, but it's where people want to be baptized. This ward is awesome. They like to teach with us and are super excited. We have a bunch of ideas going right now to attract new investigators including English classes, an open house, and booths about the church set up in the square on the weekend. It's pretty cool what we're planning on doing.
The most difficult things are our living conditions. The apartment is small so it's cramped living with our zone leaders. Elder Hancock is a good companion. He reminds me of Cory in appearance. H's got 6 months on the mission, so he's got a bunch to learn like me, but it's good. We work well together.
I'll try and send pictures to you next week. We've got some good ones. This transfer is going to be a big growing experience for me and I'm excited! Thank you and I love you."
Elder Christian
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