Elder Akina

Elder Akina

Monday, November 30, 2015

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

Monday, November 23, 2015

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

Monday, November 16, 2015

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

Monday, November 9, 2015

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

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

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