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 

Week #19 Sickness & Details

Hey Mom,

 

     This week was good, it went by super fast. Here are some fun facts:

 

THINGS DIFFERENT ABOUT HERE THEN AT HOME:

1. You don't knock on doors, you clap in front of the house.

2. You don't throw your toilet paper in the toilet, you put it in a seperate trash can thing.

3. There is this buffet by us,and if you leave a lot of food on one of your plates they charge you extra.

4. You dont speak English - -  ha ha!

5. The cockaroaches are huge man and they're black - - not brown.  So that makes them   like 2x freakier!  We have some in our house some times and I'll say, "Fernandez kill it dude!"  He tells me "why?" and I say,  "it's a cockroach that's why!"  He says, "just let it go", and I have to tell him, "No, you don't understand I won't fall asleep  tonight until I know that thing is dead!"

6. Milk isn't refrigerated, it's like sold in boxes. 

7. There is no peanut butter and no syrup - - ha - - ha!  Cravings!

8. Guarana... it's the name of this soda, it's like THE soda here, it's from the Guarana fruit.

9. DOGS.... everywhere.. but me and Fernandez have been here so long we've started naming some of the ones we see on the streets regularly.

10. Everyone wears slippers... I get so jealous sometimes, there is this brand of slippers called Havaianas , they're like the "Locals" of Brasil - - everyone wears them.

 

     I got sick this week, felt like crap for like 3 days, still worked tho, but it was pretty bad - - getting over it now.

 

     I really like it here, the people are super cool and it's very green everywhere.  We're having some problems with the marrigae of that family, they're missing a lot of stuff, documents.   So we are waiting for them to be sent down here.

bom semana para voce, Love you guys tchau :)  Elder Akina

It's so green here!

  Elder Akina and his Mom writing back and forth in Portuguese:

Favorite part of my Monday. If I happen to catch Elder Akina on line we get to chat for a few mintues back and forth.  I use my translator option on my e-mail at work!  It is so fun - - although Elder Akina responds very quickly in Portuguese - -

I have to translate in order to respond! 

MOM: Cole Dean, Baylor Romeny, Elise Machen e Andrew Stuart aguardam missões.  Vai ser emocionante ver onde vão!

Cole Dean, Baylor Romney, Elise Machen and Andrew Stuart are waiting for mission calls. 

Cole e Baylors deve estar de volta na próxima semana.  A chamada não tiver sido atribuída da Igreja HQ ainda.  Elise só mandou nos jornais na semana passada, Andrew enviará neste fim de semana.  Deve ser em breve e muito emocionante. Um do nosso filho TREK acaba de abrir sua todos ontem à noite, Arizona, Scottsdale

ELDER AKINA: quando eles vou receber o chamado deles

When will the calls come?

 

aahhh intende, vai ser muito legal

Ahhh, it's going to be so cool!

 

e que sobre Braxton

And What about Braxton? 

 

 

Week #18 Transfers - - Staying Put

Hey Mom,

     I haven't gotten any email from Ben, I think he has the wrong address - -  if you give me his I can write him.  We had transfers, I am staying in Portal Bordon, and with the same companion - - should be a great next 6 weeks.  We have got some really good working going on, I want to see it through.  We are working on helping Marcelo & Dedise get married.   

     This week it rained a butt load down here, which is good.  When we go knocking doors (if they have a door) people let us in way easier, they feel bad for us out in the rain yada yada.  My Ecco's are handling all the weather and walking great.

     I'm so pumped to know where Baylor's going on his mission.  Be sure to go when he opens his call.  Andrew too - - dang Mesa isn't going to have a Priest quorum left!  Oh mom  - - I hit 4 months yesterday!  I passes off all my new missionary training materials in Portuguese - - I am no longer "IN TRAINING"!  I am anxious to have my shot at being a trainer.

      I will continue to work hard this week.  We have a lot to follow up on.  I am not too big on the soft stuff - - just know I am more humble.  The work is what matters - - although I did see some Nike Elite socks on a dude last week and my heart ached for just a minute!

Tchau - - Love you Mama, Elder Akina

Elder Sosa cutting Elder Diaz hair.  We cut each other's hair.