Week 57

Hey Family!

Wow maybe this coming week I will write to you on P-day, haha.  Yesterday was awesome!  We had to go to an area an hour away from Eunápolis to pick up an Elder there to be the companion of the Distict leader here because his companion the one in the hospital was sent to Salvador until he gets better.  Anyways the area close by is very touristy so we spent to whole day there.  It worked out nice because we will receive a reebursment for going there because we had to pick up the other elder.  We went to the area the Portuguese discovered Brazil and passed through the old city.  It was cool.  Also they had people there dancing a native dance.  Then we went to a Indian reserve and had a tour.  It was cool but super hot all day.  I got sun burned.  Also we walked a lot so i´m a little sore right now.  I´ll send photos.

This week wasn´t that good for the work because we spent a lot of time in the hospital with the other elder.  But we did have a really spiritual experience this week.  We left the hospital after lunch to go to some apointments with our investigators.  When I got there I was like I have no idea what to teach we haven´t planned anything or talked about teaching them.  I was like well we need to pray first in the lesson and then we will go from there.  After the prayer I knew what we needed to teach.  This happened 2 times.  That night my companion was talking with me and was like I had the impression we needed to talk about the commandment you taught and you started teaching it.  It was a huge blessing because we were not prepared to teach anything.  Without the help of God this work isn´t possible.  These experiences are what help build my faith and testimony.  And I need them because you get kicked down more than lifted up on the mission.

This transfer has started out a lot better for us. We are finally getting people to go to church.  We have had at least one person in church each sunday.  I´m hoping that it will stay that way so that we can start seeing some results here.  It makes it a lot easier when you see results.  

 

Well I love and miss you all.  I hope that you have fun in the snow!  

Love,

Garrett

Week 56

Hi Family!

Sorry that I didn´t write on Monday.  Wow it has been a heckic week!  One of the Elders here has been really sick for the last 2 weeks.  He finally got cleared to start working again on Sunday and that night he fell super sick and has been in the Hospital since Sunday night.  He is still there but we are hoping he will get out today.  And his companion had to go to Salvador for a meeting with President Vecchi because he is the District leader so my companion and I had to stay with him in the Hospital.  But I am fine so no need to worry and he is doing better...he looks a lot better as well now.  

Snow!  Its been cold here...low 70´s.  I think that i´m becoming weak.  I like the cold but 70´s isn´t cold and it feels cold to me.  Its been raining for a while and it almost looks like snow at times....or maybe i´m just dreaming.  Haha.  

This past week was a really good week for us.  I have a lot more hope for this transfer.  We are teaching a family that my companion ran into while we were on divisions.  He was making contacts with less actives and made a contact with some kids in the road.  They are elect!  They went to church on their own this week and loved it!  That doesn´t happen.  It is a blessing and a half.  Also one of our old investigators stopped us in the road the other day and was like you have to return i want to go to church!  So we will start teaching her again today.  Also we have received a couple referals that I´m excited to contact.  Right now the work is good...but it hasn´t been that successful for a while so i´m going to enjoy this time with good investigators as much as I can!  

I will send more photos this next week.  I don´t think I have many new photos but then again i´ve forgotten the last time i´ve sent photos.  

Well I hope that its a good week there and that all is well.  I love and miss you all!

love,

Garrett

week 56

Hey family,

   This week was a little rough and good at the same time.  Our 2 baptisms fell.  But we found a family and a couple other good investigators.  It was pretty hot this week as well.  I´m not a fan of the heat.  Hopefully i can get used to it.  Transfers came and i´ll be here for one more transfer with my companion.  6 months in an area...i´m torn on it.  Oh well there are some good things happening so hopefully things only get better.  

This week we went home teaching with the Elders quorum president.  It was so awesome to do this type of teaching.  So much diferent then what we do everyday.  I really enjoyed the experience.

Its weird here.  They know its halloween but they don´t celebrate it.  Probably because they have 4 or 5 holidays a month!  Haha its ridiculous how many holidays they have here.  But they already have stuff out for christmas!  Its good and bad...i´m waiting for snow and family but that will have to wait for another year.  Oh well.  But we will be doing some cool things with a few of the members in the branch for christmas.  We are going to make cookies and create a message about christmas and go to less actives and sing a christmas song and give them a christmas present with cookies and a message.  I think it will be really sweet!  At least we are hoping it will be.  

 Well I hope all goes well...and if it snows this week think of me and send it this way.

Love,

Garrett

Week 55

Hey family,

It was a crazy week here.  My companion was sick the beginning of the week we had zone conference Thursday and then I got sick that night.  All in all we didn´t get too much done this week.  We had a interesting experience in church this week though.  Our investigator there has some problem.  I´m not sure what but he takes medicine to be semi normal.  Anyways at church he began to hit on the young women.  I was like hey you can´t do this in church.  He replied I´m Bahiano...which just means he´s from Bahia the state.  My companion was like it doesn´t make any difference what state you´re from.  The sad thing is that his comment pretty much explains the morals here...or the lack there of.  Then he ran into the Primary and sat down.  We were like can we watch the primary and the sister said we could.  Man it was an interesting Sunday.  I was so embarressed.  I had to apologize to the girls.  Oh well...its a experience to write in the journal. 

This week the weather was nice....cool almost cold all week.  Its been raining a lot.  It feels like fall...i´m just sad that it will leave and turn on not cold.  Haha. 

You are right Dad...i do need to appreciate how little I have to worry about right now.  This is only a time to learn things for my future that will help.  I know they will...I wish it wasn´t so stressful but we don´t get what we always want. 

There were a lot of good talks this conference!  I enjoyed listening to them.  I want to go back and listen to them in English...we will see if that will happen here on the mission or not.  But I learned a lot from the conference.

Well I love and miss you all,

Love,

Garrett

Week 54

Hey Family!

This week went really fast for me.  We had a family night/birthday party for one of the families in the ward.  We bought 2 kilos or cake mix! Haha it turned out really well.  It was a fun night.  

Brasil likes their protests.  All of the banks and the post office have been on strike for a month or more.  Its annoying because i want to send a letter but it wont go anywhere if I send it.  My companion said that this happens a lot here.  One of the members didn´t have school for two months because of a strike!  I´m glad we don´t have to worry about those kind of problems.  If they have a strike the fix it fast most of the time.  

To answer your questions mom...my companion is from São Paulo the state...I think the city is São josé dos campos.  And a dupla is two missionaries.  I guess its not a word...i´m forgetting english.  I had a dream last night that I was home and everyone was talking in Portuguese.  It was really strange because everyone was talking with voices of people I know here.  I guess this means that i´m learning portuguese finally.  Haha.  It finally feels like that i´m getting it down.  Each day i have fewer problems...and more problems writing in english ;p.

Well good luck in your game dad.  You´ll have to score a hat trick to prove the sticks are good!  Haha....I think my companion is getting annoyed with me because everyday I say oooo...i want to play hockey!  Haha...i miss it a lot.  I need to get into shape again because I will die trying to play.  I think that i´m getting fatter but the other day at lunch the sister said that everytime she sees me i´m getting skinnier.  So at least the other people think i´m skinner still.

Well I love and miss you all.  I hope its a good week!

Love,

Garrett   

Week 53

Hi Family,

This week went by really fast.  I had a division with the zone leaders this week and for the first time it was actually a good experience.  He helped a lot.  Most of the time divisions are just annoying and nothing is learned.  Finally we are starting to revive the area.  We have a few investigators right now that are progressing.  It is nice to work with people that want to learn more.  Our problem now is the President in the branch.  He is trying to split our dupla from the other dupla.  There is such a divide in the branch.  The members against the President....the sad thing is the President is in the wrong most of the time.  It really makes things difficult here.  I´m just hoping that things will get better.  But the positive is the members are good.

This week wasn´t too bad for heat.  It was overcast all week.  I´ve always had problems with the heat in the summer.  My body just doesn´t like it.  I will just watch and see if I continue to have problems or not.  

I love you all,

Garrett

Week 52

Hey Family,

This week was good and bad.  Stressful...i think i´ll take your advice Dad and Chill a little because I will die early at this rate...haha, well i´m not that bad.  Conference was a hassle this week.  The President of the branch rented equipment to watch the session but it wasn´t set up right.  My comp and I ran around all saturday morning trying to get it to work but no one could help us.  We ended up watching it in a members home.  But saturday night at 8:00 the zone leaders called and said we had to go to Porto a town a hour away to watch the priesthood session.  I told them that we wouldn´t go because we didn´t have enough time to get our stuff and find a bus.  If we went we would get there at the earliest 9:30 but most likely 10.  They didn´t like that...and told me that president said it was mandatory.  After the call my comp called president and he was like do whatever you want if you just want to download it off the internet later thats fine. The zone leaders always try to pull `president said this´.  Its really annoying and I have no patience for the leaders here.  They don´t plan anything out.  But in the end it worked out.

Friday I fell sick with a little fever...and other symptoms.  It wasn´t fun.  I think that i had heat stroke or a minor case because thursday was really hot and I woke up weak and feeling bad.  My system has always been bad in the heat.  Hopefully it will adjust or maybe i´ll go into the office where its cooler...but i´m not sure if I want to go to the office and always deal with missionaries.  Oh well whatever the Lord wants will happen.

This week we found 2 really good investigators.  That was a blessing.  Finally we have a couple people that are solid.  Its frustrating here because everyone is soft.  They will let you share a message but they really don´t want to listen to you.  I would like it if they just said they aren´t interested...but oh well.

Well I love and miss you all.  Sounds like things are going well.

Love,

Garrett