FELIZ NATAL!

Week of December 19-25, 2016

(19) SEGUNDA (Monday):  Here’s our day today.  We talked with our families, ate lunch, got in a bus, and went to Santa Maria.  Tomorrow there will be the mission counsel with all the zone leaders.  We slept in the house of the assistants with about 20 other missionaries.  

Today was day 528 of my mission.

(20) TERCA (Tuesday):  Counsel!!  It was super good. Also said good-bye to some people.  Elder Santos Melo went home today.  I also learned that maybe I’ll be coming home on the 18^th of July, 

but they don’t know anything for sure yet.

            So, the transfer is next week.  I was feeling pretty sure that I would stay here because I just got here, but today president asked me, “Are your suitcases ready?”  But I don’t know if he was just teasing me or not.  I don’t know.  Today was day 529 of my mission.

(21) QUARTA (Wednesday):  This morning I grabbed yet another bus to go to another city in our zone to do the baptism interview.  It was a very interesting interview.  I asked if she had ever committed a serious crime.  She said yes.  This is a problem because now president has to interview her.  But then she kept talking.  Here’s the serious crime.  She said her ex-husband drank a lot.  And one night he came home drunk, and started hitting her.  The first time, she ignored it.  The second time she didn’t do anything. T he third time she grabbed a painting of Christ on the cross she had, and started smashing it on his head.  She said he fell on the ground, and she kept hitting him, and if it weren’t for his daughter who came in middle she would have killed him with the picture of Christ.  Ha-ha, but where he didn’t die, she doesn’t need to talk with President.  Then she told about how a young man was swearing at her, so she hit him in the head with a sickle, that thing they used in the old times to harvest wheat, sent him to the hospital with a hole in the top of his head.  

Today was day 530 of my mission.

(22) QUINTA (Thursday):  Today, nothing interesting happened.  Today was day 531 of my mission.

(23) SEXTA (Friday):  WARD ACTIVITY!  And a TON of our investigators went!  It was super fun with a LOT of food.  I did the samba with some people and taught some my dance.  

Today was day 532 of my mission.
Elder Costa, Sister Fernandez, Jake, Sister Cunha, Christain, Mateus

 

 

 

 

 
Jake and Allan

 
Nicolas, Jake, Elder Costa

 

 

 

 

(24) SABADO (Saturday):  Nothing, Nobody wanted to receive us.  NOT A SOUL.  We had dinner with a member and a white elephant, I got the 5^th Harry Potter book in Progusues.  It was an awesome dinner.  This family of member is my second family here in Brazil.  Today was day 533 of my mission.

 
Family of Chris and Carlos

 

 

 

 

 

(25) DOMINGO (Sunday):  FELIZ NATAL!  Woot Woot.  Today is a great day.  Today I talked with my family.  And met the families of the other missionaries.  Today was great.  I’m super happy.  I think the best part was that I learned Zac will go on a mission. That made me so happy.  He’s going to be a great missionary.  Man, I am so excited.  Today was day 534 of my mission.
Elder Costa

 

Elder Costa

 

Elder Gates

 

 

 Elder Robeldo and Elder Costa

 

 

 

 

Mom: 

We loved talking to Jake on Christmas day.  He is doing well.  And he did get a release date of June 6^th.  We are VERY EXCITED!  He talked a lot about what he wants to do when he gets home, but he said he has a lot to do in the next 5 months.  He loves Brazil.  He loves the people.  He loves being a missionary. 

 The Bakers came to talk to Jake.