14/01/13--Shout Outs and Highlights O' the Mish

Ay oh!  this week was crazy.  I have never been so excited for a pday.  I am getting some much needed rest. well let me enlighten you about my week.  I´ll go day by day and pick out the interesting stuff.  But first I´d like to give shoutouts because I know for a fact the majority of you don´t read the whole email so i feel like i should give you some shoutouts at the beginning.  

       

CONGRATUFRICKNLATIONS TO THE MISSIONARIES IN THE HOME WARD
              CAM MCGINN - GERMANY!!!

              BRYSON NICKLE - ITALY?!?

              MADI BORUP - ARGENTINA!!!

       

START YOUR STUDIES, BE STOKED, GO FORTH AND REAP!  Im so excited for you guys the mission is such a priviledge and blessing.  Im sorry you guys werent called to the true mission, PORTO ALEGRE SUL, but you know those other missions are kind of cool haha joke jokes. go and kick satans butt :)

 

SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS: i only get mail once a month so here we go.  Thanks for the letters, packages, and love! It means alot!  Im so thankful for the time you put into sending what you sent :)

    Grandma Maynez                                                        Mrs. Junior

    Grandma & Grandpa Solis                                            The Hinckleys

    Primary Kids                                                               The Parkers

    Sister Sanders                                                            Sister Turner

    Omar Jackson                                                             Brother McAllister

    Gary, Bachi, Kathryn, William, Hannah Smith

    The Heatheridge Stake Presidency

    Amber C. 

    Heather B

7.01.13

          a Pday.... something i wrote in my journal was "Faith isn´t faith until it has been tried."  that statement right there describes the following week.  Then I also wrote that "miracles are wrought via Faith and Prayer"  I´m a fan of miracles so i´ve been do all I can to make sure they are wrought.... The highlight of my Pday is that I caught a frog.... yaaaaaa if any of you really know me then you know I love catching animals haha. its what i do #aceventura #steveirwin 

8.01.13

          I´ve made it a goal to read the Book of Mormon in a month.  in english.  Then I want to read it in portuguese.  So I started 25 Dec.  Im in Helaman now.  I´m cruising.  I love it.  I have such a love for the Book of Mormon now.  I love doing contacts.  I love talking to a total stranger and telling them a story that relates to them.  Somehow I always read something that can be applied that same day.  Today we taught a mother and a daughter... the daughter loves us.  She gave us some pictures she drew.  I love that family.  We taught and the mom was super interested.  SO that was good. We made plans to go back and do a follow up.  We had tried contacting this family so many times.  They were never home.  The reading I did this day was Alma 17.  In the 11th verse it reads 11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be^apatient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good ^bexamples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.

So i thought "yes finally after all these attempts the Lord is finally blessing us with the opportunity to teach them!" . . . haha we did everything we could to be able to teach this family.... finally the time came.  The Lord blesses in His own timing.

9.01.13

          So the coolest thing I found in the scriptures this day was when Alma is counseling his sons.  HE tells one of them TO LOOK TO GOD AND LIVE.  Ahhh cool beans.. Im definitely gonna turn that into a church talk one day.  Haha just need to ponder a little bit more on that phrase.  WEll the highlights of today were,  new pavement was poured and we walked on it and all the black rocks stuck to our shoes (ya my fun standard is going down i know... or im finding joy in the little things idk which) I found a flower that looked like a real mustache.,... so naturally I grabbed it and put it on my upper lip.... forgot the picture but its all good.  

10.01.13

          Got mail!  Again thank you!  The highlight was a hawaiian themed family night.... That was fun, i threw my IZ cd in and we ate pork, rice, and beans.... hahah but ya I taught the elders here how to do a haka,,, that was mean, maori mean.  There was a pineapple drink that looked really good, but it wasnt... i almost choked on it haha...

11.01.13

          Cleaned our apt.  its spotless.  We went to a members house and he made me sit down and listen to brazilian reggae... haha i liked it! but ya... We found a new group of people to teach.  We literally found 17 new investigators.  none of them are progressing.  I just wanna shake them like a dog. (CYGZ that was for you) Well i met an elderly woman that has a 40yr turtle... wow... it could be my dad.  haha but thank goodness its not. haha

12.01.13

           Bible bashed with a Grandma .... she knew how to get under my skin.... i didnt lose it but my comp did.  We walked away after he burned her and asked why i didnt say anything.  I said the spirit wont give me the words to say when theres contention.  haha.... well we´ve been doing a ton of walking and contacting.  I know the members help the most, but they havent been help at all.  We´re working on that right now too.  Well anyways as we walk theres a lot of rocks on the dirt roads so we try to peg eachother with rocks... its fun haha.... I caught a big hairy caterpillar ha... that was cool too.

13.01.13

           So the lesson learned today was, PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD.    because when everyone says "yes I´d love to go to church and see what its all about" dont trust them.  Trust the Lord!  SO i´ll be here inviting teaching and testifying, but as for the trust... thats going to the Lord.  I sincerely thought I was going to see at least 4 or 5 investigators at church.  We walked to their houses to get them so we could walk together... No one answered.  I was honestly so upset with them.  They dont get it.  They can be so blessed! I tell them that but they just dont listen!  I was so bummed.  We had lunch after church and then we went home.  I hate how the people here force feed us... If i eat alot instinctively I will want to nap after! after lunch is when we work the hardest! haha i cant work hard and be sleepy haha.... well we ate a lot... we were basically fainting going into food comas, but I said "the Lord is trying our faith... lets go work instead of relax" so we worked... until 9pm.  Every single person I talked to was rude, closed, and didnt want to hear anything I had to say.... I was so bummed.  But we got home and planned... I busted out the uke and sang my heart out... im so glad I brought the uke... shoot.... if i didnt then i wouldve sat there and marinated in my sorrow.... but dont worry peeps im alive and im happy. :) i know how hard i can work now.... i know how to deal with rejection, just work harder.  No worries here.

  

I love the mission, I hate the rejection, I love the Lord, I hate the blindness of these people.  Im learning everyday.  Its amazing... Elder Holland said "pelo menos tem um converso.... você"  At least have 1 convert,,,, you.  I know that im being converted everyday... I love it.  This was my week :) I hope u enjoyed the small adventures.... I know i do... welllllll tchau

             MUCH LOVE FROM ELDER MAYNEZ & BRAZIL