Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Very Difficult Work Here...Ahh Brasil!

It has been extremely hot in Brasil this week.  Look at Elder Hunt's sweaty shirt.

Monday-We played soccer in the morning, I wrote letters, and Elder Burt made delicious homemade bread!
Elder Hunt eating yummy homemade bread by Elder Burt


Tuesday-We had a zone meeting and during it President Farnes came in for a surprise visit and gave us some pointers. It was great and I love that guy! As we had just left the meeting, President called me on the phone and told me I needed to come back to talk to him about something. I went up to his office and he had a letter that was from a Sister missionary from the Sao Paulo West mission. She supposedly knew me from the CTM but I don’t know her. He told me all about how I need to be careful with stuff like this, but I literally don’t even know this girl and she’s writing me letters and stuff.  What the heck?!  It wasn’t a big deal or anything it was just strange. After, he talked to me about our area and the difficulties we are facing there.  I told him all about the iniquity and problems we are having there. I’m happy that now he knows about what is really going on there.

There is no water at the church so they have to bring it in with buckets to fill the font for baptisms.

Bucket by bucket, the missionaries fill the font for baptisms.


Wednesday-We started off the day with a really good P90X workout, which is how we always start off our day, but this one is especially good. Tony Horton, the guy who you watch do the workout with you is crazy and such a goof, but is very motivating and I’d like to include this tidbit from what my best pal, Elder Drake Marley said as he relates every mornings P90X session to the mission-
           Elder Drake Marley, "One thing I have been really grateful for on my mission here in Switzerland is the fact that we are allowed to do a program called P90X3. You probably all know what it is but nobody has a clue here. Anyway, the man who runs the workouts is named Tony, and he just saves my life every morning by ripping my body to shreds, and helping me retain somewhat of my fitness from back home. Each workout is only 30 minutes; with maybe a 30 second break every 10 minutes. Every break Tony says, "We are already __ minutes in and we got more to do!" My mission has gone by pretty fast so far, with hump day coming up in just less than 50 days. In that time I will have less than a year left which is quite upsetting to be honest. Sure I do not enjoy the time 24/7, but there is nothing I would rather be doing. Just like in the mornings with those 30 minute workouts, it seems like it is going to take an eternity before Tony stops telling you to do "crawly Plyo push-ups" whatever that means... but after the first ten minutes, then the next, then the next, before you know it the workout is over with and done, and it is now your time to reflect on whether or not you gave it your all, or whether you stayed on the ground longer than you should have. I feel like I can always do more, just like when you train you are always increasing in strength, but I feel like when this second half hits, that is when the time is really going to zip by, and I cannot afford to stay on the ground at all. Instead of Tony, we have Heavenly Father and Christ leading our lives, and instead of a good physique on the line, it is eternal life and eternal families. I really hope I can give this last little bit of time my all, because just like Tony says, "We got more to do. "


Teaching in the favelas


We also went out and visited everyone in the area book who had gone to church at least one time. We visited over 12 houses, and we only contacted 1 person. This persons name is Bell, and she is quite the trip. She has tried to get baptized 5 times (and it never worked out.) She has had interviews with 2 previous mission presidents and it never worked out.

The school in the favelas

Thursday-We did a division with the secretaries and I went with Elder Curtis from Savannah, Georgia.  He is really cool and very calm and quiet. We went and did a "power hour" in a nearby area to help them out. That night we ordered pizza and did P90X. We lift weights every night, and do P90X in the morning and night. 

This is our investigator who loves Demi Lovato. She speaks Portuguese and had a conversation with him at a concert.  He is a super fan.


Friday-We traded comps back, and the rest of the day we further prepared our investigators for their baptisms.  We are working extremely hard and not getting the results we would like.  

Chocolate Chip cookie cake.  It ended up being burned on the bottom, and undercooked in the middle.  Ahh Brasil!

Saturday-Saturday was very similar to Friday, but we had Elder Arias do all our baptismal interviews for our 5 people who were to be getting baptized (they all passed the interviews btw.) We also tried to remake the chocolate chip cookie recipe, but it ended up being a cake, haha. 


Sunday-EVERY SINGLE BAPTISM FELL apart, AGAIN.... We went out with a member to pick all our investigators up and something happened with every single one. Hospital, someone died, someone’s sick, we didn’t have a single investigator at church AGAIN and all our baptisms fell through AGAIN. Satan is trying extremely hard to beat us right now, and he sure is doing a good job. The people here are struggling to keep their commitments. I feel frustrated.



Monday-P day switched because we are going to the temple on Tuesday. So we went to a mall for lunch and Elder Burt and I made this our last cheat meal before getting super strict on our diets again.  We ate pizza and ice cream. 



After, I got a hair cut that ended up being one of those "too short missionary haircuts that just happen on the mission sometimes", but it’s alright. We had some great lessons that afternoon and night. 


Tuesday-Today, we went to the temple, and took a recent convert to the temple for baptisms.  It was his first time going to the temple, so it was great for him! :)


This area is very difficult and Satan's grasp on these people is very strong, but we just have to keep going and doing our best. 
       
Mattresses on the patio because it is unbearably hot


It is also so hot, that we sleep outside on our mattresses.
Transfers are in 2 weeks and we will see what happens. But I have hope that this week will be a good one! I will do my best and persevere!


Elder Hunt

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