Hey all!
This week I learned a lot about the importance of having our own
individual testimony, our own personal conversion, and walking by our own
light, rather than the light of others. The parable of the 10 virgins is an
excellent example of this. I also have been thinking a lot about the parable of
the sower, and the symbolism of The Seed, or, our testimony and level of
conversion so to speak. as it applies to virtually everyone that comes into contact
with the gospel. I encourage you all to read Matthew 13, and Alma 32:27-28, and
ponder what the scriptures have to tell us there. (Also included an awesome
song with lyrics that go along with this theme, the lyrics really struck a
chord with me).
We had a pretty good lesson with Raphael and his girlfriend
Thatiana, who is interested in learning about the gospel. Roberto and Elder
Russi taught pretty well, but I was a bit all over the place, however, I felt
prompted to talk about dad´s conversion story and it really seemed to strike a
chord with her and her friend. Hopefully they´ll progress, they seem to be
really interested. We are also teaching one youth, Marcio, who seems to be more
or less interested, but happened to tell his grandma we invited him to get
baptized. When we talked to her later, she said that it´s a constant fight to
keep him out of the world so to speak, so when he said that 2 Gallegos (even
though Elder Russi is black (invited him to get baptized, she replied, Descend
into the waters my son. It´s actually pretty cool that normal people talk like
that here and they´re dead serious. A pretty nice cultural difference, of
course it´s not everyone, but it is normal here.
We also had some interesting experiences this week, some of which
were on a more personal level if you will. We visited one less active member who
is just the coolest, Bruno, if I weren´t a missionary I would be hanging out
with him right now haha
It was interesting though because he hasn´t gone to church in a
long while, and has doubts about the scriptures in general, The Bible and The
Book of Mormon included.
When we asked him if he believed The Book of Mormon to be true, he
replied that he had a response, ´Tive uma resposta`, but perhaps he needed to
pray about it again, or in other words, work on his conversion and nourish the
seed. He had a lot of
curiosity about the US, judicial systems, and is trying to learn
English *he watches CNN in English and Spanish (so I recommended that he
listen to the Serial podcast as yet another way to practice English haha). When
we were leaving he asked how much time I had in the mission, I replied 4
months, to which he said, Oh, you still have much to learn Elder
We also had a nice experience with Irma Alba, who was part of the
Relief Society presidency here in Jordao years and years ago, but went
inactive. She said she always felt like the newbie/greenhorn `novato`, but said
that it was a really great era in her life and that she has a great fondness
for the missionaries that taught her and wondered if she could get into contact
with them. She also said that when she was baptized that it was an incredible,
wonderful experience and that she had a feeling that can´t be described by
words that exist. She also said she has a great desire to return. She also had her
8 or 10 year old grandson there with her who was really awesome, funny, and
quite precocious. When she asked him about his own experience with, strange
tongues, here in Jordao, he replied, ´mais realmente...´ I couldn´t help but
laugh, it was interesting to see the humorous way in which he reacted, as well
as the insights children have that adults often miss.
Marcos *who reminds me a lot of dad, I want to get a picture with
him, and Elizabete want me to pass by again at the end of the mission, said
that they were already impressed with the progress Elder Russi and I have made
here in Jordao, as in our own personal progression as human beings and
missionaries. I put that onto the calendar, should be easy, the airport’s close
haha
I also kept on seeing this guy with a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey, so
I had to talk to him. We started talking to him, I was all, that´s my city!
haha turns out he has already been baptized (this happens a lot in Brazil), and
said we could pass by his place whenever, was pretty cordial and nice, so
hopefully we can make some progress there.
Barbara was baptized this week, after much time a day came when she
felt ready and her family truly seems to be progressing one by one. We´re
trying to help get the whole family have the temple as a goal.
We also have one investigator who saw us this morning on his
motorcycle, his name is Elder and is interested in learning English and the
gospel. It is a bit unusual as a missionary to talk to someone named Elder haha
Also, one street contact passed a false address, which happens all
the time in Brazil unfortunately, and we found another person, with the name
the person had given, Wallison, who seems to be extremely interested in the
gospel. Funny how things like that sometimes work out.
Lukas and friends didn´t show up for the English class this week,
but the children almost always come. It was funny though because in the other
week Lukas had thought that Erin was my fiancé, and I was all, no, not with
her, and marriage is not yet haha. He also asked how to say Fica na paz Senhor!
in English, I replied that the closest thing to that would be Godspeed haha,
but now I think of it, Peace be with you works as well. Anyway, keeping up with
people and determining on what investigators we want to focus is a bit
difficult here. It´s relatively easy to find people to teach, but it´s a skill
to pick out the people who actually want to progress and people who are
receiving the missionary for whatever other reason.
Also, a quick comment about Jessina, just wanted to mention that
when she said she ´lives in a house of rebels´, her granddaughter was in
another room and replied ´woohoo! ´it was hilarious. She also went on to say
how she remembered when Brazil was a righteous country, etc. Anyway, I´ll leave
it at that.
It´s interesting here to see the various reactions to missionaries.
I have come to believe you can learn a lot about a nature of a person by the
way they treat children, old people, and missionaries. True colors shine
through for sure. We have some evangelical people here who start singing music
when they see missionaries because they believe it will keep away evil spirits,
it´s a strange phenomenon. You also have people who say they don´t need people
from other lands to preach to them, they have their pastor to tell them the doctrine,
or that people that already accepted Jesus don´t need missionaries. However,
you also have people, men and women, who address us as "meus queridos", or my
dear, blessed one/abencoados, and admire missionary work whether or not their interested. Really
the righteous and the kind hearted, and the reverse, exist in every tier of
society, speak various languages, and are both young and old.
The work here in the ward seems to be progressing and we have a lot
to learn still, but the Lord works in his own way. Fortunately, the wards here
seem to be more animated about the Lord´s work and we seem to be integrated
well here with the members and such.
We also came across one fantastic lady, her name is Anna, she
served a mission in
Sao Paulo, is inactive right now but has a strong desire to
return, a thirst for the gospel
if you will. She said to Elder Russi when she came across him in the
street, I have 2 baptisms for you!! Haha She is part of a part member family
but has
an extremely strong testimony. She told us so many stories and
explained many things,
most of which I recorded, but I don´t have time right now to write
everything. However, she did say, that she has a strong desire to visit
the US, but only for the church history sites, she asked if she could bring a
tent to The Sacred Grove and live there haha I replied, I´m pretty sure you
can´t do that haha. Anyway, she is pretty fantastic and she and us both want to help her and her family.
Oh, also, my favorite comment so far that people have given us have
been It's an honor, and good day your excellency haha These comments were not
said in jest, which made it even sweeter haha Also a commentary about the
Portuguese language.
It´s interesting that the word, penultimo, or penultimate, is widely
known and used all the time, and the frase a gente, or the people, is used as
English people would use the 3rd person singular and the first person plural,
and is used in ways to avoid blame or culpability. Example, did you read? A
gente sempre tenta, or literally, The people always try, *you know (Also here,
there is some slang, oxente and vici in particular, people find it funny when I
use these terms but I feel I’ve lived here long enough now to have license to
use those phrases haha
Elder Talentino
Ice Cream Birthday cake
