Week 21

Hello!!

I'm not sure exactly where I should start this week..it was crazy! I had lots and lots to complain about all week and was really upset that we were clapping at door after door of people who had given their address to other missionaries and we weren't having any that were interested. We didn't have any meeting scheduled with investigators and were in the streets all day every day.The list goes on but I won't write about it. Then finally came the weekend. Saturday itself felt likke it was a week long. And then Sunday, Luciano didn't want to go to church and we couldn't find out why because the whole rest of his family just kept yelling at him and telling him that he had to go. It was really upsetting and so we ended up just taking Felipe and Mateus. We got to church to late and everybody wanted to talk to us at the same time and it was stressful. But then Sunday night everything changed. Actually, it changed at church. Felipe was confirmed and the Bishop gave the blessing while Elder Newby and I got to stand in on it. I was so excited I got a little dizzy and I think my heart almost exploded! And Felipe was smiling so big after it was over too. Later that night we were back at Felipe's house, wating for his friend, Rua, to come over. When he finally showed up we talked to him for a bit and then gave the first lesson. At the end of it, Felipe bore his testimony. About how excited he was for Rua to have the opportunity to read Moroni 10:3-5 and to learn how to pray. How good you feel while you are reading and how you feel even better when you pray and ask Heavenly Father if the book and the message about the Restoration are true. About how you receive a feeling of peace and happiness in you heart. He talked about baptism and how great it felt and about how he wishes he could be baptized again because it was such a good experience and you feel so happy; and how he's excited for the opportunity to go on a mission someday (which he'll actually be able to do in exactly one year from yesterday)!

WOW!! I almost cried! ANd I don't cry! My eyes were watering and my heart, once again that day, felt like it might explode. The spirit was so strong in that room. I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life. Here is Felipe who I helped find and teach and I actually baptized, as a member of the church now. He's already helping other people to come to the gospel and have this happiness in their lives! What could make me happier than that?!?

That night made this whole week the best week of my entire mission so far. I already know that it's going to be extremely difficult for me when I get transferred out of this ward. But I know this church is true and I know that he knows it.

Being a missionary really is the greatest thing I've ever done. I'm so excited for the opportunity to teach his friend Rua now and will keep y'all updated! He already said he felt really good after praying at the end of the lesson and seems pretty excited to read the Book of Mormon. I hope you all have a great week and remember that the good things in life are more that worth all the trials we go through to receive those blessings.

That's all I got this week!
Com Amor,

Elder Haws
***He sent some pictures but they didn't work for me..I will add them once my mom sends them to me again! Sorry!

Week 20

Hello! I gained probably four pounds in the MTC and now I've gained a total of 6 kilos!! That's almost 12 pounds!! Yikes...we get one hour for lunch but not an hour for dinner. If we wanna eat something at night we can buy it real quick in between appointments or cook something fast right before we go to bed. So basically I only eat a small breakfast a huge lunch and that's it for the day. That's probably why I'm gaining weight! It's not good to just eat one huge meal each day, oh well. I'll find a balance soon! (hopefully)!

My Portuguese is going great! I think I'm technically fluent in understanding but with speaking I'm just a tad below that mark. According to the other missionaries that is, I don't know what the actual rules are to be considered fluent.

I love you all! Thanks for your prayers. I miss you so much!
Elder Haws!

Week 19: A Baptism

We did get baptisms yesterday!!!
Filipe and Luciano! I attached a photo of us. I baptized Filpe on the left and Elder Phillipy baptized Luciano who looks a lot like Will Smith when he was on the Fresh Prince of Belair (Belaire? (I dunno how to spell that word) It was a crazzzzzy Sunday!! They went from being firmes to calling and saying they couldn't come to church and haing their crazy uncle lie to us that they weren't home and their really old Evangelic Grandma screaming they lieing was bad and that they were there and all sorts of crazy stuff!! I don't have close to enough time to write it all so that will be a story you can ready from my journal here in 20ish months or so!

I miss all of you so much. Elder Phillipy also left this morning to go to Londrina cause he is done with his mission!! That seems so crazy and so far away for me and he thought the same thing and can't believe he is going home. I don't know who is coming here yet or if I'm going somewhere. I imagine I'll stay here because that's how it usually works so there is someboyd who already knows the area. I can't believe that I'm starting my third transfer already! I'm officially done training and going to be a junior companion probably. Though...people have trained on only their third transfer...it's not common though. I really hope I don't because my Portuguese isn't that good yet. I want a Brazilian companion next though. That will help my Portuguese a lot! Elder Phillipy and I almost always spoke English, we shouldn't have but he needed practice before he went home :)

I'm supposeldy suppose to get an email about my transfer and so i'm waiting for it right now..I hope I get it so I can tell you what's happening!

So..this past week was super fast! IT hsan't been raiing as much as it should and it's super hot. Hotter than it's been the whole time. I've gotten some gross looking sun spots on my hand even though I'm putting lots of sunscreen on. The tan line on my neck is awesome too. It goes from super tan to super white about midway up, it looks good.

My companion will be Elder Nubie. I'm not sure if it's spelled correctly or not because I was only told by the Zone leader and don't think I'll get an email. He's an American, so that's too bad. Oh well, we've got quite a few potential baptisms here so that'll be our focus here for the next transfer. I also want to try and teach a few of Luciano and Felipes friends cause it's a lot easier that way than finding people on the street.

Take care! Tchau,
Elder Haws

Week 18: Finally?

Last week we found these awesome kids named Felipe(18), Luciano(15) and Mateus(12). They are super accepting of the lessons and just want to do what is right in the eyes of God. Its crazy how their outlook is so.. right, realizing that what God wants for us is far more important than anything else. They are al set to be baptized this Saturday! they are living the commandments, even the law of chastity which is super rare in Brazil, and they really really liked church in Sunday. Its was a bit wierd cause they came in simming suits (everybody wears them like regular shorts around here because they see Americans wearing them and dont realize its only becuase they are going to go swimming soon) and soccer jerseys. Not everybody wears shirts and ties to church anyways so they didnt stand out too much.

Its cool to see how the Lord guides the work. We looked and looked for new people, clapped at i dont even know how many doors trying to find people to baptize and got nowhere and then last thursday or friday we met this kid Luciano at Paulos house casue they are firends and then went to his house the next day and met all his brothers too. We cant do anything unless its what the Lord wants.

Elder Phillipy will be heading home to washignton here this next monday, so i dont know how that will work with the end of the transfer and getting a new campanion and all but thats knind fo how it works as a missionary. whenever they say something we instantly obey and do whatever it is they asked of us.

Hope you all have a great week!!

 

P.S. It would be super cool to get letters from some/any/all of you. or your friends. Or their friends.

 

Elder Haws