He Lives - Celebrate Easter Because Jesus Christ Lives

Week #24 "Chicken Feet + Transfers"

Hey Mom!!

 

     Sorry I'm e-mailing kind of late, lunch ran a bit late today.  Transfers are tomorrow, I find out where I'm going tonight at 9p.m.  We receive this conference call with everyone in our zone - - it's pretty cool.  I am really hoping to train this transfer.  I'm really going to miss Elder Fernandez though - - I have learned so much from him!  That guy taught me how to teach, how to interact with members, knock doors, make contacts on the street, everything - - he was the man!  But yeah, I find out tonight where I'm going, who I'll be with or if I'm staying - - who knows, it's a mystery!  If I am transferred I will not be able to say good bye to anyone in this area.  They used to give transfers out to us Sunday night, so Monday we could say goodbye to members and investigators.  However, there were a bunch of missionaries that didn't work, they just chilled with the members all day, so now they give us the transfers Monday at night, so we will work all day Monday.

 

Zone 3

(TRANSFERS are when missionaries are moved within their mission boundaries.  They will have a new companion and do the same work they did in their last area with new people - - Elder Akina has been in the same place for 5 months)

    

     Yes I have a new umbrella :)  It has been raining like crazy here!

     I have no idea how General Conference works here.  I guess I'll find out this weekend. It's different in every area and since we opened this area  - - we don't know how it goes down.

     Felipe couldn't get baptized this week, again. He is ready and I am disappointed I may miss it with transfers pending.  The important thing is that it happens - - he is ready.

      We ate at a members house this week and we had chicken feet!  By far it was the hardest thing I've had to eat here.  The foot is cartalige so it's like eating an ear - - you have to suck the meat off so you can feel the nails of the foot in your mouth!  It was an experience.

    Oh, in Spanish do they call Relief Society - - Soc Soc? Cuz that's what they call it here! It's Sociadade de Socorro in Portuguese.  This lady came up to me and Said, "Where's Soc Soc?"  She repeated Soc Soc like 6 times and I had no idea what she was talking about.  Then I realized, Oh - - Relief Society - - ha ha!

     I get mail in 2 days - - so I'm pretty excited!   I hope Carlie's Valentines box is here!  I will let you know if the Primary's package arrives too. 

     Sorry I forgot to send pics last week and it's raining super hard right now - -  so i couldn't bring my camera.  I have some sweet pics from the last two weeks and of the chicken feet :) Sorry, I'll be sure to send pics next week.

 

Love you - - Your Elder

Week #23 Working Hard

Hey Mom - - how are you guys?!

 

     Sounds like ABQ was awesome.  Sorry to hear about Uncle Bobby - - he use to come watch me play hoop!  It's sad when we lose someone close to us.  The knowledge and comfort of the gospel makes it easier.  That's why we have MISSIONARIES - - to spread the word :) he he.

 

     As far as scripture reading - - I have not been reading a specific book.  I study out of PMG (Preach my Gospel) and I study the lessons - - like finding scriptures for them and stuff like that.  If you want, give me what you want to read and we could study that this week.

 

     I have bad news ... again... the baptism was canceled, we went to his house to go get him Saturday and he wasn't at his house he didn't answer his phone.  We went to get him Sunday morning and his mom came to the front to tell us he was sleeping.   I was like we just need to talk to him real quick. No joy!  Kind of depressing, we are super close with this kid!  We are going to try and close this transfer out with a baptism!  So please keep Felipe in your prayers - - that he can remember the confirmation he has already received and realize the importance of his baptism. 

 

     This week was good, it's still raining it hasn't stopped in like 2 weeks!  Plus I don't have my umbrella anymore :(  I had to give my good one away:/ I'll probably buy one today.  This lady was on the street, it was pouring and she had her 3 year old daughter with her.  I went up to her to give her the umbrella, she was like, "No I can't".  I told her, "You'll see us on the street another day, you can give it back to me."  idk if I'll see her again, so I will just get another one.

 

Love you so much Momma.  Your Elder

Week #22 "Teaching Haitians"!

     Hey Mom - - I use the carbon monoxide detector, it's plugged in. Dang I can't believe that dog bit his ear off.  Super awesome about Andrew's call!

     I have good news and bad news. Bad news - - we didn't baptize Felipe this past Saturday, his dad shut it down.  His dad thinks he's too young to handle something like this. Good news  - - we are baptizing him this week!  We got the dad to finally come around, through a lot of prayer.  The dad signed off and it's all good!  So this Saturday it's on!

     We started teaching a bunch of Haitian people this week, there is this neighborhood that is straight Haitian.  So weird with the Schroeder's fireside!  We are teaching like 6 of them it's super cool!  It's kind of hard cuz only two of them speak Portuguese so they have to translate for the rest. They speak Creole. It's super cool. 

Me with my Haitian peeps!

     Being in Brazil there are still like a bunch of people that speak Spanish and so we do a bunch of contacts in Spanish.  I can understand everything.  Speaking it is different, but I can understand everything so it's pretty cool!   My companion talks to me in Spanish in the house.

The Haitian people are very friendly and welcoming. 
We love teaching them!

     I messed up this past week.  We went into house and there was this family and I asked the mom, if this was her son.  She said, no that is my husband.... and it just went silent in the room for like 20 seconds.  I didn't know what to say . . .  but guy looked like he was 17.  It was bad and I felt horrible.  My companion will never let me live it down. 

     Love you lots Mom.  Please ask the family to write me letters so I can read them on non- "P" days when I can't get to the computer.   Take care - - your Favorite Elder 

English Class banner on the meetinghouse

Elder Elias - - he rocks!

Week #21 "Are you from China?"

Hey Mom,

     The search for the rat continues, still haven't got him. 

     We have a baptism this Saturday with Felipe, he's 14 - - we're pumped about that.  We're also teaching this lady Marliza and a man named Carlos.   We teach a bunch of peeps, it is going good!   I use the object lesson book that you made for me - -  I taught one this week that worked really well.  

All smiles!

      3 other elders and myself teach an English class in the church!   A bunch of people come, it's sweet because everyone here in Brazil kills to learn English!  So it's a good way to meet people because everyone we invite to the class will come.

    We have interviews this week with President.   Has anyone else gotten their call besides Baylor?  Andrew?  

This green racket is my mosquito slayer, it's electric and sweet!  
I've taken countless lives with it!

     We were teaching a lesson this week and it was going good - - you could feel the spirit and everything; and she was being like completley silent which was weird.   When we  finished and asked her, "do you have any questions?"  She was quiet for like 30 seconds - - then looked at me and said,  "Are you from China?".   My companion and I just put our heads down like seriously!?  Ha - - ha frustrating when people aren't focused Lol!  I'll send pictures.   Love you all.  Tchau - - Elder Akina

Fernandez and I doing exercícios in the house

 

Week #20 - - 5 Months in the Field

Eyyeee Hazzit,
         

    The work is coming great!  My companion and I have 2 baptisms coming up on March 14, which is my companion's birthday.  A 14 year old named Felipe and a 10 year old girl Monique.  We're still working on the parents, but the kids are committed and everything.  We took Felipe to Mutual Saturday night and he loved it, he was like, "you guys have this every week?!"  He was pumped  - - ha ha!  It was funny, our church here in this area is two stories and has an elevator.  Felipe was like, can we pleeease go up in the elevator?   I said, "Dude there are just classrooms on the second floor, it's nothing special."  He responded, "No, I just wanna go in the elevator!" I said, "why?" and he said "I've never been in one before!"  At first I thought he was joking, then I realized he was serious.  So we took him up and down twice, ha - - ha!  It made his day!   He loves the Young Men's program and all the young men so he's super pumped. 

 

Birthday Pa'ina

     This week we got invited to one of the guys in our ward birthday party dinner.  He wanted us to come, he thought it would be a good for his family and friends to meet the missionaries since he was the only member in his family. So we went, we ate and talked to people.  Then we had to leave so he got like everyone in the living room (like 20 people) so we could share a message.  Usually for these types of messages we share a scripture or a talk  and bear our testimony.   My companion and I had a feeling that we needed to teach the first lesson, A restauração (The Restoration), so we taught it!  The lesson was quick, 15 or 20 minutes, but before we left we had 8 referrals!  None of them lived in our area, so we had to pass them on to other missionaries, but that is ok!  8 of them wanted to know more about the church, it was cool.      

Members Ohana

     My companion and I found a rat in our house, we tried to kill it but it was to fast!  It ran into this hole in the wall in our kitchen, I think there is a colony of them in our ceiling.  If you're quiet at night you can hear a bunch of tiny little sounds in the ceiling.  I'm going to buy a mouse trap today.

 

     Remember the couple that we were helping get married and baptized this month?  They dropped us.  We went by their house Sunday morning to get them for church and they just told us, we don't want anymore - - we're good where we are right now.  My companion and I couldn't belive it.   3 days ago they were on fire, progressing, praying every night, and then just like that.  We were very disappointed, but we're not going to give up on them.   We'll still pass by, but when it comes down to it, people have agency.   As missionaries our job is to invite, not force.

 

This week was cool.  Love you guys lots :)  Elder Akina