SEGUNDA (Monday): P-day again!
Today was good. We 4 elders all
put in about 30 reais and bought a ton of food for the house, which was cool. I found real M&M’s and milky ways, which
was cool. We actually have a good solid
plan for tomorrow, which is cool. Good
day. I love talking with my family. I think the 3 of us being able to speak
English bothers my companion. I try and
stick to Portuguese when he’s around and even when he’s not. I like speaking Portuguese. But I’m working on that. Today was a good day. I’m excited for a new week of new
investigators. So, that site I told you
about of my videos I’m going to give you guys, it’s got about 25 videos on it
right now. Ha-ha. And I’m going to make more. Merry Christmas, ya’ll. Today was day 132 of my mission.
TERCA (Tuesday): Today was a good day. We had a very good lesson, with Vanessa. Talked about the Book of Mormon. Her stepdaughter is living with them, who is
6 years inactive, but showed a lot of interest.
We marked a family night with them Saturday, and I invited some members
because they need friends in the ward.
Then, we
had a lesson with Sergio, who is smoking and drinking a LOT. But we’re going to continue working with
him. We really need new investigators
and today I don’t feel like we put forth our best effort to get them. We had good lessons, but we slacked on
knocking doors and contacting addresses. Tomorrow will be better.
Today I did
stay more positive. And at the zone
meeting, President Parella showed up and asked to talk to me. He showed me the pictures of him with Roy and
had me help him text them to you. I
don’t know if you got them or not. Then
he talked to me about how much trust he put in me to organize the work in this
area. He said it’s obvious in my posture
and the way I hold myself that I am a leader, but that for right now he’s put
me in a spot to learn to lead from the background, and help others learn to
lead. He said my time to lead will come,
but for now I need to take it easy and learn to obey. He said to help Elder Felipe feel like he’s
leading the companionship. Ha-ha. President really knows how to put your mind
at ease and make you feel good. Today is
day 133 of my mission.
QUARTA (Wednesday): YES!!
TODAY WAS AWESOME!! We found 4
new investigators that are GREAT! And
Felipe accepted the baptism day of the 5th of December. One of the new people we found we actually
met when we were in a lesson with Valdenir, the Pastor. His name is Israel. His wife is already a member, inactive for
years. Then after the lesson about the
plan of Salvation, he walked us around to introduce us to some family that
lives there close. His granddaughter,
who appeared to be about 16-17, has one dark brown eye, and the other is like a
bright, bright sky blue. And they’re all
black. It was actually really pretty and
I tried to say so, but I said, “You’re beautiful” woops. Ha-ha.
The other 3
are a family that older. Parents and
their 25+-year-old son. It went very
good, but we need to go back because they had a lot of questions about a lot of
different things, so we kinda taught 5 different lessons, ha-ha.
Also, the
other elders are telling me about my old investigators, that are
progressing. Denise and Mauricio started
the marriage process when I was there with Santos Melo and didn’t say
anything! Daiana and Rodrigo received
answers and want to be baptized, but they have a ways to go.
I’ll
elaborate on the 16-17 year old I called beautiful. Israel said, “Ela’ e linda Nao e?” And I thought he was talking about the eyes,
and I said, ‘Yes, Fo mal” ha-ha. But
today was a very good day and I am very happy.
WOOT WOOT! Today was day 134 of
my mission.
QUINTA (Thursday): Woot Woot!
Good day, and we have a great day planned for tomorrow! We found one new investigator named
Lenir. We taught her the restoration and
it was awesome. She understood
everything, and accepted it all very easily.
Elder Felipe and I were trading off very well. The spirit was there. So flippen cool! And she had a lot of sweet old bibles she
showed us. When she wasn’t looking, I
took a pass along card and circled the churches website and slipped it in a
random page. Am I smart or what?
Also, I
think one of these days, P-day, I am going to go to an eye clinic and get some
glasses. I’m fine without them, but then
I remember how much better I can see with them.
And my glasses at home are the wrong prescription. They didn’t help much.
So, today
at the house of Neli, an investigator who is pretty old, she has a handicap
daughter who is also oldish. She wanted
to go outside, and Neli wouldn’t let her.
She got very mad and grabbed the gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet out of
her hand and ran out of the room. So, I
gave Neli a new one and we continued.
Then she came back, and saw the new pamphlet and got even madder. She grabbed a sandal and tried to smack my
head, but I blocked it with my arm. Then
she started smacking Neli. It was awful,
but Neli got her more or less under control.
I was more scared of the chimarrao she had in her hand. It’s very hot water, and I was afraid she was
going to throw it on Neli or one of us.
But she didn’t. Then she left,
and we hurried and left the house, because she was angry with us. We told Neli we’d come back another day.
One thing
about when President told me to relax and let others lead, primarily Elder
Felipe, my senior Comp. I think that it
was really good he told me that. Today,
I stopped assuming the front, and let Felipe lead. I didn’t agree with everything he did, and I
feel like we could have had a more productive day. I wasn’t passive, don’t think that, I just
did what I was told. I voiced my opinion
when needed. Things seemed smoother that
way, but less productive. Parella said, right now, I need to learn to obey
before I can lead. So that’s what I’m
doing.
I also have
learned it’s better to square your shoulders and look people in the eye in the
street, even if you trip over the occasional rock, then to stare at your feet
and miss the people. Present yourself in
a way that shows the importance of the message you carry. Today was day 135 of my mission.
SEXTA (Friday): Today was a one of those days when literally
everything flaked, and we walked and walked.
One good thing thought, and that’s that the church is true. So, that being said, today was a good
day. I also bought burgers for the 4 of
us, just to top it all off. These hamburgers were hamburger, chicken, bacon, sausage, egg, tomato, peas, corn, lettuce, and mayo. So good.
I really
don’t have much to write about today.
I’ll share something I’ve been working on. About a week ago at the zone meeting we had a
training about having courage to do what’s needed. I’ve kept that in mind, to have courage and
faith. Courage doesn’t always mean
overcoming things that are scary, sometimes things you don’t want to do. Some times when you know a person won’t
accept you, it takes courage to still talk to them. When you don’t want to slap at yet another
door, it takes faith to keep going with the hope that one of them will be the
one you’re searching for. I’ve been
trying to apply this, and I’ve seen a big difference. Not yet in results and numbers necessarily,
but in my attitude. It was a lot better
and I felt more confidence in speaking and making contacts. So that’s good. Today was day 136 of my mission.
SABADO (Saturday): We had a family night with the family of
Vanessa today and it went great! We took
2 young adults from the ward with us, because they need friends in the
ward. They ARE going to go to church
tomorrow. The stepdaughter of Vansessa,
who’s 23 and now lives with them and is 6 years inactive showed huge desire to
go tomorrow. It’ll be good.
Really if
I’m going to be honest, I’m ready for a new area. I love the people here, and it’ll be sad for
me when I leave, but I want a new start.
I think I’ll be here until February.
Of course I’ll happily serve where I’m told to, but a change of scenery
would be nice. I don’t have much to
write about again, because we are cleaned the church, for a long time. Today was day 137 of my mission.
DOMINGO (Sunday): Woot Woot!
Good Day! Going to church always
makes me feel better. We had a meeting
as well with the ward mission leader and a missionary of the ward, and came up
with a lot of good ideas. Then, in ward
council, they helped us a lot. Bishop
said, “alright, these two are opening a new area and have very little to work
with. Everyone think about any less
actives in their area, or old investigators.”
We have a lot of references and marked days to go with the members to
their houses. So good. It’s going to be a great week. This ward is awesome. Also, we walked out of Elders Quorum, and in
the hallway were President and sister Parrela!
Ha-ha. They spoke in sacrament,
and President said something I really liked.
“A saint is
just a sinner who keeps trying.” All of
us know that everyone sins. But what
makes a saint is the person who let’s their sins and trials be a lesson to them,
then use the atonement of Christ to be clean again and try again. Mosiah 26:30.
This is the purpose of the sacrament, to renew our baptismal covenant
and try again. It really shows how much
we need this. That God made it so we
start anew every 7 days.
All in all
this week was a good one, and I’m ready for this week that’s coming, because
it’s going to be a week of new investigators!! Woot Woot. Today was day 138 of
my mission.
I love you all, Elder McKee
Elder Jawwad, Elder Donoso, Elder Felipe, and Jake
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