Week #63 The Christmas Skype

 Hey Mom - - 

     Okay the pictures I sent are all in Dropbox.  It's waaay easier to put them there, they upload like instantly.  You can download from there, and share them.  There are a bunch of pictures from Christmas there.  Plus a video, the video is crazy! 

At the Nativity

     So the first pic is me at a Nativity, the next one is an alligator that we found in a roundabout in the middle of the city lol, watch the video at the end to see more fottage of the Alligator.   The next picture is Christmas eve dinner at President´s house, then the food that we ate - -  the pics of the dessert, (my pudim is on the right, there are two in like ring form) it was good.  The next one is us with the gifts President gave us, and after that the gift we all got President and Sister Canuto, they are jerseys of the Piracicaba Quinze, the football team for the city.  They loved them! 

The Alligator - - - Elder Akina'a Mom is asking, why do you have to stand so close?  Run!

     Super nice talking to everybody yesterday..  It was awesome to have the family there and to chat with Elder Hee!  Send me the video of my testimony, or put it in the dropbox, so i can see it. It's good to know everyone's doing great, 

The Jersey's!

See my desserts!

     I love you all,. tchau  Elder Akina

Christmas Skype Details:
Tell us about the office:  

• It is very different than what I am use to.  We catch taxi's every where - - not as much walking.  I miss the streets and teaching, but the office is a great experience.
• A lot of responsibility keeping paper work straight with Visa's etc . . . 
• My companion is Elder Johnson, he is from Nebraska, his family moved to Dallas while he's been out on the mission.  He goes home in a week or so.
• I have to tell missionaries NO when they ask for stuff, like new phones.  I am the hammer!
• I provide a lot of translation support for our office as we communicate with church HQ and parents in the U.S.  I have really taken the time to learn the language as a native speaker.  I love speaking with the people.  When they think I am Brazilian I feel like I have forged that bridge of trust - - I want them to know I care enough to speak as they do.   When they ask me to speak English to prove I am American I fail!  It's pretty funny!

  

  Happy Mama

• I will travel the mission with the President in January  - - my power point and portion of the training is complete and ready to go!
• Our apartment is a 10 minute walk from the office. 
• We typically proselyte from 6 - 9 p.m. everyday, some days we get tied up in the office and don't make it.   
• There is a really nice market, Carrefore Market - - it has everything I need.
• We Hoop every Monday, Elder Johnson and I are known as the guys in the white shirts.  They play us by fouling - - trying to beat us.  Have not lost a game yet.  Oh - - I gave my Kobe's away. They aren't important or part of the spirit of the mission.

Where did you spend Christmas:

• We ate Christmas eve dinner at the mission home.  It was awesome - - really good food.  I made that custard desert!
• The Canuto's loved their jerseys.

Did you get your Christmas Boxes?

• Got your's mom and dad, Aunty Tiare, lots of Christmas cards and M & M's from Aunty Debby.  I had to pay to pick up the M & M's but not the boxes, go figure!
• I love the Christmas Garland!  The letters each day were awesome  - - thank you to the family members who wrote to me!
• I got letters from the seminary class, please tell them thank you!  Seminary is at night here.

English Class:

• We are on break for the holidays, we resume on January 6th. 
• I love teaching English, we average 30 to 35 people a class.
• I use post it notes to play games with them - - this invites interaction as they talk to each other.  

Emails:

• I keep in touch with Elder Romney and Elder Hatch.  Elder Kendrick emails me too.  
• He asked about Elder Stuart in Russia, Elder Stuart in Spain, Elder Slade in Angola, Elder Kendrick in Nicaragua and his Spanish, Elder Nelson in Sweden and Elder Gilbert in Alabama.
• I get lots of emails, tries to respond even if it is a short hello!

Elder Akina in Brazil and Elder Hee in Washington state - - -skyping!
Love technology!

Love this kid!

Ohana chatting with our Elder!

Week #62 Feliz Natal

Hazzit Everyone, 
     This week was pretty sweet, we had our confraternização de Natal, ( christmas conference).  It was cool, there was sooooo much mail to give out.  

Office Staff: AP's and Secretaries

     This past week we renewed 4 visas, all of Central America, Honduras, one from Salvador, 2 from Guatemala. I think I got the process down. I  am going with 2 more this Tuesday.  (the missionaries that are being renewed have to go with us, so that have to sleep in our house that night in Piracicaba) an American, and a one from Cabo Verde Africa, his process is a little different than the others but we got it figured it out.  I going by myself this time, Elder Johnson wants to see if I can do it by myself. 
     Oh yeah - -  great news, President Canuto´s son got his mission call!  He is going to the Salt Lake City South mission, which I think is where Elder Hee served! He doesn't speak English, we never think of those who go state side and have to learn English.
     I got put in charge of his Visa!  I am done, we will start this week, ha - - ha!  I just got done learning how the Visa for Brazil works now I gotta learn the American one, but I'm pumped because I'm probably going to go to São Paulo with Pres and his son.  Super nervous, I just don't want him to have to serve in Brazil, I want him to go where he was called, so we're going try and get this in as soon as possible.  The good thing is, it will be an Ecclesiastical Visa, so I'm hoping it is a little easier.  
     I'm super pumped to skype with this week. Very excited to talk to you, I don't know when or for how long.  Be ready! 

Our Zone

     We are eating dinner at Pres's house Christmas eve, everyone says it's sick, so I'm pumped.  Our new Mission President has been called, we won't know who it is until January 9th, super anxious. 
     All my comps loved their ties. so thank you for those.  I got a box but I have to pay for it, the good news is it's 34 reals.   So that  like the cheapest it's ever been.  So I'll go get it Monday.  I gave all the candy canes out to my English class, they loved it!   we will start class back up on the 6th of January, we're taking a break for the holidays. 

     Feliz Natal para todo mundo, que possamos lembrar do verdadeiro significado de Natal, e sempre lembrar de nosso Salvador, e por causa do sacrifício expiratório dele todos nos temos segunda chances. Sou imencimente grato por isso, Feliz Natal, eu amo vocês. 
     I love you most, excited for Christmas!  Tchau  Elder Akina

Week #61 Reports - - Reports!

Hi Mom,

     Piracicaba is dope!  It's a lot different than what I'm used to.   Ha - - ha I'm accustomed to a bunch of tiny neighborhoods spaced out and smaller houses.  Here it's buildings all over, traffic, cars and huge houses.  Being in the office is weird because we don't get to know our members as well as I would in my last areas.  No one even knows my name in the ward because the only time we only see anyone is Sunday for church.  

     For lunch we order Marmitex, I guess you could call it like a Brazilian plate lunch.  Its' pretty good, but we eat it everyday - - so it gets kinda old.  I guess I am grateful to be eating!   Some days they have chef specials where he mixes it up a little bit.  

     My English class is so AMAZING!  I love those guys, the cool part is they are all non-members.  I say prayers with them in English and a bunch of stuff.  This is the biggest class I have ever taught.  In my last areas there would be about 8-15 attending, this one has about 30-35 people, so it's a good time.  Lol - -  no one wants to leave when the class is done.

Ingles Class

     These past couple of weeks I've been looking for stuff to send you guys for Christmas, but like I can't find anything.  It's all a bunch of normal overpriced stores here in the city.  I am  going to  look again today. 

     This week was spent making these reports for President, and all of the Stake Presidents in our mission.  Key indicators for each area in each stake.  We renewed some protocols, got a hold of all the parents of missionaries going home this transfer, passed their itineraries out and all that good stuff.  We speak a lot of English here in the office - -  calling families, calling Salt Lake City, or other Mission Presidents.   I do a lot of translating.

     I got the mail you sent for my old companions,  you don't have to put President's name, I'm the one who gets it all! Super sick  - - because I used to have to wait for a Multizona or  transfers, but now I get it right when it gets here. Working in the office does have it's perks!  Oh yeah, did you know the dates are different here, you put the day first then the month.  It confuses me so hard sometimes!

     I will be traveling with President in January, he will being giving training's in all of our zones in the mission.  I have 15 minutes to present my portion of the training. I'm  starting  this week on my Power Point.  I'm  touching on Baptismal Forms, but most of it will be on cell phones.  Misuse of cellphones! 

      Are you excited for Keapo's wedding?   You need to take a bunch of pictures for me! 

     I have no idea where we are going to be calling from Christmas day.  Excited to talk to you in a few weeks!  

     Love you guys, going to make this good week!  Elder Akina

English Class

Love that our missionaries teach Ingles - - teaching them to say "Carter", no "ter" in Brazil - - sounds funny! 

Week #60 1st Week in the Office

Hazzit going Everybody!
     This week has been suuuper crazy!   I am in the mission office now, I am the Executive Secretary. I am learning a lot in a little amount of time.  I am super nervous - - ha ha!  

Elder Akina working the office!

     There is a lot that the Exec. Sec. does.  Now I´m the one who goes and gets boxes for people and I do all the paper work. Tuesday was super crazy, it was transfers. I stayed in the bus station, in Piracicaba, pretty much everyone that gets transferred has to stop through that bus station.  So I gave them their bus passes that we buy ahead of time for each missionary going to that specific place.  That gets really confusing. I had a 2 Sisters miss their buses and 1 started to cry (Sisters are very emotional).  I have to make sure that all the missionaries take their boxes and letters for their zones.  So if there are just 3 people from one zone passing by the bus station, those 3 people are responsible for taking all their mail for their zone.  But the problem is that some missionaries don't like to take mail unless it's theirs.  So you really gotta pay attention to make sure the missionaries are taking their stuff for their zone. 

This is just half the mail at the office right now.
We get crazy amounts of mail around Christmas time!

     I ate at President's house on Tuesday.  This coming transfer I will be giving a training for all the new missionaries that are getting here.  At this past training we had a Sister that just got here from Anchorage, Alaska - - so I translated for her.  
     The part I'm worried about the most is the computer stuff, we use a lot of EXCEL and I'm still learning how to use it.  I'm also in charge of the phones - -  so I'm the one that burns people when they have a call longer then ten minutes or outside the curfew.  Plane tickets that's me, Visas protocols passports, mail, baptism forms, ordering materials - - that's me too! 
     We talk with a lot with people from the States. We had to call Elder Tarver who already went home, he's in Montana.  We needed his help because he was the only one that new how to use this program.  So Elder Johnson was talking to his mom and then all of a sudden she said, "How is Elder Akina liking the office?".  Elder Johnson was like,"How does Tarver´s mom know that you're in the office?" She said it's because she keeps up with my blog - - lol!  So here's a shout-out to Tarver´s mom if shes reading this in Montana. 

Elder Johnson, my companion and Elder Larenchi, we were together in Aracy.

     I'm in the office all day on a computer and a phone.  We usually leave around 5 to go proselyting, but we're seriously so busy this week we didn't have a lot of time.  I already miss the mission field.  I miss teaching, I miss being on the street - - but I am excited to be here with the staff, President Canuto and the AP´s. 
     We attend the Piracicaba Centro ward and look up the mission office on google maps or Earth so you can see what it looks like. OH YEAAH, we have AC!!  It's so weird being in a room with AC, like I freaked out.  I don't eat lunch in members homes anymore, we eat in the office - - marmita everyday.  The cool part is if you eat fast you can squeeze in a nap.

Proud Mother moment - - wake up!

     I have a ton to learn and I'm super excited.  Oh Yeah, Leonardo did not get baptized last week, he has a date set for the 12 of December, so this coming week.  I will have Becker send pics of the baptism.  
     I got all 3 of my Christmas boxes.  I am enjoying the peanut butter and will save the rest for Christmas day.  Still waiting on the last package with my previous companion gifts.

Kitchen in the mission office.

     I heard about the shooting in San Bernadino, super sad. President Canuto is super cool, I never really spent much time around him in my mission.  I'm learning how he likes things done.  Hey Keapo's wedding is coming up soon right? Bummer to miss that!
      If there's one thing I've learned this past week, it's that the church is ORGANIZED man, there is place and person for everything! It's ridiculous!

Reception at the office

Reception at the office

More desks

I love you more.  Getting ready for another busy week - - lots to do!  Elder Akina

Week #59 Transferred to the Big City

Hey Mom, 
     I got transferred, to the MISSION OFFICE!!   LOL,  I am the Executive Secretary to the President! I got a call from President Canuto at like 10:30 Monday night telling me I had to get on the first bus to Piracicaba with all my stuff and that I had received a new calling.  My p-days are Saturdays now.  I got to the office in the middle of transfers, really hectic - - plane tickets to be bought and protocols to be renewed.  We are leaving for the Policia Fereral building right now.

Piracicaba, Brazil

  

Map view of current assignment area.

     I am being trained this transfer by Elder Johnson, he is my new companion.  I will likely be here for 3 to 4 transfers, then finish my mission on the streets, I think.  I feel like I'm in another world, I stay in an office all day in a.c on a computer!  I'm used to being on the street you know?  Really crazy, A TON to learn but I'm excited and I'm going hit it hard. 

Love you. Elder Akina

Week #58 Full Chapel

Hazzit Everybody, 
     The rain is coming down hard as we speak, it's almost hard to think it's so loud!  This lan house has a tin roof so it's like people are doing fireworks on the roof! 
      This week was super cool!  We knocked A TON of doors, we closed the week with almost 30 portas entradas, doors entered.  So of all the houses we knocked, 30 of them let us in and we were able to do our thing inside!  This is the most doors I've been able to get in - -  in a week in like all my mission.  
     We had a few interesting lessons, one of the coolest - -  we taught an Adventista do setimo dia couple, in English I think it's Adventist of the seventh day.  They were missionaries too.  The moment I stepped in the house I felt the spirit say, "Sabbath Day" and right when I felt that  I starting gettin' ready in my head what I was going use.  So we sat down we talked a little, "oh your american cool".  Then there was like a little pause - - then they said, "Why do you guys worship on Sunday if the Sabbath is on Saturday?"  In Portugese the word sabbath is Sabado, and Sabado in Portugese also means Saturday.  So when they read in the bible, "guardar o sabado" they're  literally reading, "keep saturday holy".   A lot of people mistake the day because of the translation in Portugese.  I really felt that  wasn't going to prove anything to these guys becasue this is the worldwide religion.  So I couldn't really just focus on the translation of the word itself because there are people in  different countries that speak a different language too and that believe the same thing.  So my companion described the "new law" that Jesus left after He established His church.   The law of Moses was changed, eye for an eye tooth for a tooth  - - blah blah blah and then I came in with these 3 scriptures that just shut it down.   I said it's interesting that after Christ establishes this church of His, He starts calling the sabbath day by another name.  In Corinthians 2:16 He calls it the "first day of the week",  in Acts 20:7 or 8 I cant remember right now, it is also called the first day of the week, and in Revelations like in the beginning of the book I forget the reference He starts calling it the "Lord's day".  So like you can see how the sabbath day was changing,and in the beginning of Mark chapter 2 or 3 the Lord breaks the sabbath with His apostles, picking corn.  You can see that the Lord was already starting to change the day and you look on any calendar the "first day of the week" is Sunday.  We didn't even need to explain that Christ was resurrected on a Sunday, like they already knew they were burned, LoL.  The guy didn't say anything he was just like,  "Well ugh, you guys know the bible!"  Ha ha, I told him,  "Yes sir we do."  He wanted us to come back, and so we will go back there tomorrow.  I have no doubt that guy is studying his butt off, to try and get us on something, ahh, but well be ready.  
     Before my mission I didn't even know the difference between the Old and New Testament, but I have learned sooo much.   Studying is one of the greastest things you do as a missionary, you actually learn how to study.  You form study habits,  that you will use after the mission - - in school and I'm really thankful for that.
     We are planning a baptism for this Sunday.  It's hard when you don't have a ward mission leader.  I feel like we do everything by ourselves, but if that's what it takes to move the work forward in this area  - - then we'll continue to do it.  

     This Sunday the chapel was full!!  They had to get chairs for people in the back. 67 people in church this Sunday!  We had 2 less active families make it, we've been working with them this whole week and they loved it!  Adrielle that girl that we baptized brought her cousin and her boyfriend to church.   When I saw Adrielle come in the the chapel with the people she brought I almost teared up!  So good to see our new converts sharing this great gospel!  Ana one of our investigators brought her 4 nieces who loved primary!  Super Super good Sunday. There is nothing better then seeing the people you love in sacrament meeting participating in gosple doctering, or in primary or in young men.  Transfers are this week, I hope I don't leave this area. We'll see. 
     We have a Christmas conference on December 16th, that is the big mail day!  Thank you shipping my stuff.

Love you all. tchau  Elder Akina

Week #57 Meet Felipe

Hazzit Everybody,
      This week was super good.  We had Felipe's baptism yesterday in the evening and his family came with him!  They were at church too and they have accepted baptism!  They're a super good family - - really good people.  

Felipe's Baptism November 15, 2015

     It has been so hot this week, when I got in the baptismal font I wanted to just stay inside like forever!  
     This past week there was a bunch of food trucks in town.  It was this festival, there were sushi trucks and there was a food truck from Australia - -  so i ate there.  I figured it was the closet country to Hawaii - - so I closed my eyes and tried to imagine it was local food.  It didn't work!  
     Me and Elder Becker started this puzzle of 2000 pieces last p day.  We hope to finish it today. This week will be good, we have some solid investigators to be taught.  It's just they live really far, so you gotta plan good.  If you don't you waste a lot of time and money.  
     We had interviews with President Canuto.  The Assistants gave a training and  pretty much destroying everybody.  Our mission just isn't baptizing, a lot of disobedience going on. We're just going to keep doing our thing over here and try to contribute. I did get mail at the meetings, Aunty Tiare's Halloween box with the mochi crunch and dried fruit!  It was the bomb!  For Christmas if you could send the ingredients for Pumpkin cookies like you did last year, there are two families I can bake with over the holiday.  That would be awesome!
     My companion and I are good.  We are very different, but we work well together.  He doesn't anything green, no fruit or vegetables, no juice.  It's the funniest thing ever watching him making his plate at lunch.  If the rice has onions or corn or something in it, he literally will stay in the pot with spoon separating all the rice out just to not get a vegetable on his plate. I just laugh.  
     Heard what happened in Paris.  We were on the street and we passed a bar, this group of guys called us over.  So we went over and one of the guys asked us, "if God is real why does he let this happen?"  He pointed to the TV.  I saw 128 dead and 200 wounded in a terrorist attack.  I didn't even know what had happened.  When I first saw it,  I thought it was in the States, then I saw Paris.  It was weird because I had studied 2 Nefi: 2 that same day. So I shared with them those 2 verses, that talks about - -  if there were no evil we wouldn't know the difference from good and bad.  They liked it.  Man there's some crazy stuff happening in the world.  
     It's pretty much rice and beans everyday.  One of my favorite things here is Pumpkin Abóbora, they bake it and cook it with green onion.  It's super good.  

pudim, é isso aí, quem quer comer?

This week I learned how to make Pudim, it's a dessert here, I made it yesterday night (love his English!) and turned out pretty good. 
     I'll send a pic of it right now. I love you guys, tchau Elder Akina

Week #56 Partying to the Presidency

     This week rained a ton - - but rain is good, especially when your knocking doors!  People feel bad for you - - so most of the time they let you in!   Good news this week - - we have a baptism coming up on Saturday!!!  Super pumped, his name is Felipe and he is 9.  We have another marked for the 28 of November, her name is Irene.  Very happy - -  there is nothing like baptism - - best thing there is on the mission! 
     We have interviews with President Canuto this Friday.  If I have any mail out there I will have a chance to pick that up! 
     Oh hey, the girl that I baptized last month, Adrielle - -  she got a calling this past week in the ward!  She is the 2nd counselor in the Young Women Presidency, she is sooo excited! Ha - - ha super happy for her willingness and enthusiasm to serve!  She is a super good example to me.  It is crazy how she has changed, her Friday nights went from partying to planning mutual activities - - ha - - ha!  It's amazing what this gospel can do!   
     We are starting to fill up this chapel, we had a bunch of investigators at churh this past Sunday.  The work is moving man, so happy that the Lord is blessing this area, these people are good and they deserve it. 
     Love you guys. tchau Love you More Mom!  Elder Akina  

Hey Dad, 
     Hazzit,  that sounds like a good conference you guys had!  It's really crazy that when we look at things with an eternal perspective, all these material things (things of the world) don't really have that much importance.  Is work going good? 
     Ahhh I'm seriously dying to watch Carlie play!  Ha ha, it seems like the other day me and you were standing in some huge gym watching Carlie play for like the 4th game that day! Mom all intense in the stands and me and you just dying to get back to the car to go eat somewhere - - LoL.  Good times man.  Love you lots.

melançia com meus amiginhos

Week #55 The Cake!

Hazzit Everybody,     
     This past week was super, we had 3 baptisms on Saturday. Super cool and super spiritual experience. The baptism was packed, towards the end there wasn't any room to sit down. It's always good when the members come out to support.     

Baptism: October 31,  2015

Members who came to the baptism

     Yesterday I couldnt e mail, because it was Dia dos Finados, Day of the Dead. Everyone goes to the cemetery to visit their loved ones that have passed, so we had to take advantage of that and work. Our district set up a booth at the cemetery with pamphlets, dvds and everything. We did a bunch of contacts and it went super well. Turns out that all the other churches in the city had the same idea! There were about 20 churches there - - no joke. There was this one church that brought a 20 foot size cross and I literally thought they were going crucify someone. It was a battle - - but we were able to find some good potential investigators.     

Our District at the cemetery

     A couple days before the baptism, I was talking with a sister in our ward about the food, like for after the baptism. She was like,"Yeah i can do it, but I want to know if it's reimbursable". I was said, "I'm pretty sure it is, I will call the Bishop tonight and then call you back to let you know." She was said okay great. Well night comes and the Bishop wasn't answering his phone and he lives super far so we couldn't go to his house. So I called the sister back to explain I couldn't get ahold of the Bishop. She responded, "Well Elder I already bought the cake"! I was like, "Well how much was it?" and she says "140 reals"! I almost passed out! We hadn't even asked the Bishop yet, I explained. She was said, "Nooooo it's fine, just talk to him, he likes you guys!" I thought,"140 Reals! This cake better leave a message and say the closing prayer - - because 140 Reals for a cake is Ridiculos! The Bishop wasn't happy and neither was I because it comes out of the missionary work account of our ward, so that's less activities we get to do.     
     This week was good, I got mail from a ward family who's dad uses a cane. They sit in the front right in Sacrament meeting, the dad got surgery on his leg.  She wrote a really nice letter. (Annie Kuntz I think this is you!) Got the Gilberts' Halloween Candy, shoutout to the Gilberts!     
     I am fine if you want to come pick me up in Brazil, but you have to bring Carlie!

Iramo Laercio e mirela, Really nice member family.

My companion and I had to look after the nursery on Sunday - - cutest kids!

Working hard on another week, love you all tchau. Elder Akina

Week #54 Mormon Messages

Haazit,
     This week was pretty sweet!  We taught a bunch of people, our grupo de ensino is huuuge.  We have 3 baptisms on Saturday!  Fabio, his son Luan, and Nicole.  Super proud of them and the desicion they're making. 
     The flash drive you sent is beast!  I have used this one video more then 5 times already.  The people that have newer tvs you can put the flash drive right in the TV - -  so that's what we've been doing. 
     We had a lot of cool experiences this week.  We have interviews with President this week too,  I think.  
     My companion's cool, from the Rio Grande do Sul, he's pretty chill, we work well together.   We have a lot of baptisms coming up so that's pretty exciting.
      Oh yeah,  I forgot to tell you guys I started the English class 2 weeks ago.  It's going super good, every Thursday at 19hs - -  it's super cool.  I meet a lot of people who are dying to get into the US.  The cool part is I use church material to teach, so like they form phrases about the Savior, about the scriptures etc . . . everyone is really liking it.
     I left my camera at home by accident this week, sorry, ill send pic next week.
     Love you all. Paz Elder Akina

Click here: Mormon Message of the week

Week #53 Transfers Elder Becker

Haaazit,
     This transfer has come to a close, my companion Elder Andrade is leaving :/  He's going to Botucatu, I'm staying here in Guanabara.  I have a new companion, Elder Becker - - I know he has an American name, but he's from Brasil.
     This past week was super sweet!  We had the baptism of Fernando, it was awesome.  The baptism was Saturday afternoon, it was amazing to see his progress!  He has stopped smoking - -  permanently!  He doesn't even feel the urge to pick up a cigarrete anymore.  Such a blessing to come a cross people that really want to make a change in their life for the better.  We have 2 baptisms marked for the 31 of October that's a Saturday, and if I'm not mistaken Halloween.  So we're gunna dye the baptism font water red like blood, you know for Halloween!   We have a possible baptism for this Sunday too, Anicole, she's been to church twice and has accepted baptism.  The trick is finding her at home, she's always at school or at her dada house, but well see.  We haven't drained the baptismal font for three weeks- - we left the water again this week and well leave it again next week, #dontdrainthefont!  Baptism is the best thing that there is on the mission - - there is no better feeling then sitting in that baptismal service and reflecting on that persons progress.  Realizing the way their life will change from that day forward - - one of the most craziest feelings ever! 
    This past week we had daylight savings time and our cell phone doesn't move like automatically.  So we showed up to church 45 minutes into the first meeting!  It funny, on the bus ride to church I told Andrade,  "Dude I feel like I got more sleep then usual - -  it feels nice"!  Lol!

     Everyone thinks that I'm not American cuz I'm not white.  So I have to tell them my family is from Hawaii and brown people exist in the United States, if not everyone thinks I'm from Brazil.

     Excited for this transfer. Love you guys  - - will keep working hard.  Elder Akina

Multi-Zona October 15, 2015

Elder Aceituno for Honduras - - he has an amazing conversion story. 
He was in the CTM with me - - very fitting we hit our one year mark together. 
I call him "Vato Loco"!

 

Hump Day tradition, we burned a white shirt!

Fernando's baptism - - he is amazing!

The gifts we made for Adriele and Bianca, photos with their families at their baptisms.  They loved them!

Week #52 Hump Day

Haaazit,

      This week was super sweet!  Yesterday was a holiday so we had to work, hope you weren't too worried!  Thank you for all the pictures!  I cracked up so hard when I saw Bishop with the Guarana bottle - - lol that is literally like water here!  We drink that eeeeveryday, every lunch, Bishop can testify to that.

    I got the letters from the youth in the youth conference packet, thank you for sending them!!  I received Aunty Debby's package - - the Teddy Grahams were soooo good!  I literally forgot how good those are -  shout out to Johnny and Aunty Debby.  I got the Hump Day box!!  Ha ha I loved it! the ties are sweet!  I have been using the Missionary post it notes you sent.  This one family loved them - - I put it on their fridge, and they got it after we left - - they loved it.  I got the card reader too and the flash drive with the Mormon Messages, which I will start to use.  Thank you for all the mail!!  I love getting mail from you guys.
     We had our Multi-Zona this past week and the Assistants did a training on the Atonement and how it relates to missionary work.  They were using the projector in the Sacrament meeting room.  They got to this slide that talked about our families and how we were super blessed by the gospel in our families.  Then this video started to play with like music in the background, it was pictures of all the baptisms of our missionaries!  It had like the picture of the baptism with like the persons name underneath and they passed one by one.  I had 3 pictures: 1 with Carlie and I in white - - Carlie had a lei on, I was smiling super big!  The other one was me and dad in the font and one more, I think it was our family all together.  It was super cool - - everyone was crying!   Then they said, "Everyone in this room has been baptized, everyone has felt the blessing of the gospel in their family, now it's your turn to give this (and he like pointed to all the pictures) to other families who are waiting for this."  Super spiritual. Elder Saunders found me after the meeting to tell me my mom was cool! 

     Oh - - we had a baptism this week - -  super good experience!  Her name is Adrielle, she's 21 and super funny - - she reminds me a lot of Carlie.  It was amazing to see how much progress she made.  We had a man in our ward baptize her that is close to her family.  We taught her in his house too - - so we felt it best to have him baptize her.  The baptism was Sunday morning, pretty early too, like 7:30 a.m., but way more people showed up then we were expecting so that was cool.  We will baptize again this week, a 36 year old man named $#%@*&, who has come a looong way too.  He has a smoking problem and has gotten down to 1 a day, this past week he went 4 days without smoking!  His baptism will be on Saturday.  We passed by his house last night, I gave him a blessing that he could stop, permanently.  Super excited for him.  Super good week.

     Thank you for all the mail, I love you all, Tchau.  Elder Akina

Elder Andrade, current companion

Elder Nunez, previous companion in Aracy - - one of Elder Akina's favorites!
 



Campinas Temple, took the wrong bus after Multi-Zona - - but got to see the temple!

Elder Akina, Adrielle, Ward member & Elder Andrade

Hump Day: A missionaries half way mark out in the mission field!  Elder Akina's is tomorrow! 

Love our Elder!

 



Carlie loves her Bub!



Mackenzie, Lauren and Aunty Morgan !

Aunty Loretta, Lauren and Kenzie

Papa, Aunty Val and Aunty Tiare



Duran Ohana, Love you Pilimai!

Aunty Sheri and Kenzie

She's crazy!

Elder Hatch and Caleb

Chloe and Charlotte

Da goggies

Uncle Dusten - - hysterical!



Faimalo Ohana
 

John and Aunty Debby

Hatch Ohana

Aunty Tiare and Uncle Jon

Mesa Ward Bishopric
Brother Hatch, Bishop Allen and Brother Chong (Pops)

Montgomery's

Packer's

Romney's

Stuart's

Taylor's

Uncle Travis

Rasmussen's TREK Ma & Pa

Tutu, Cameron and Chloe

Washburn's

Whetten's

Love you Elder Akina - - finish strong!