Week #96 Rewarding Week

Heeeyyy,
      So this week was really rewarding, we had new investigators at church.  We are teaching a bunch, talking with everyone and being obedient!!!   
     My companion Elder F. Silva is really improving his teaching skills.  He is starting to teach the investigators and not the lessons, which has been our goal these past weeks.  We focus on the person we are teaching - - ask them inspired questions to discover their needs - - discern from the Holy Ghost which direction we should take it;  then teach doctrine.  This is something that I can honestly say that takes practice!  Lots and lots of practice - -  but it really is the only way we can become Preach My gospel Missionaries. Teaching people the same way our Savior taught when He was here - -  Simply, Powerfully, and always by the spirit.  
     I love the people I teach.  All of the times that I have felt inadequate, like I didn't have what it took to make someone understand,  as if I wasn't good enough to teach something - -  I just think about them, and how God loves them.  For some reason whenever I have done that, it just always works out and Heavenly Father puts in my mind what His child needs to hear.  There are no words to describe what that is like, seeing someone who has felt alone his/her whole life and them coming to know that they have a Savior and a Father in Heaven who loves them.  
     This work is so real, and I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to play a role in it.    Love you guys Elder Akina

You know this is a real monkey, right?  There were about 20 of them and one tried to steal my camera!

Week #95 Poco de Caldas - - Lovin' It!

Haazit, 

     This week has been sooo good!  I am training Elder F. Silva from Fortaleza Ceara - -  he's dooope.  He is learning really fast, we are teaching a lot.  Every house we knock we are trying to get in to teach and we are having success.  We only had 3 days to work in our area this week because of the transfer, however we had 3 people at church on Sunday!  One is a couple that we found knocking doors Saturday night right before we were going home.  We got into their house and taught the Restoration, killed it!   They wanted to know more and they were at church yesterday!  

     We are working closely with the Bishop so that we can have a family with us the next time we teach on Tuesday.  We are talking with everyone!   We do not let anyone pass us without talking to them and trying to get there address to teach.  Our focus this week is getting people to church!!  I want at least 8 investigators at church on this Sunday.  Everyone were teaching will be visited Friday and Saturday to go to church, if they don't go, were cutting them - - we cant waste any time with people that won't progress. 

     We went on splits these past 2 days in a row, so the ward is getting very involved with our work and getting to know a lot of these new investigators we are finding.  I want Elder Silva to know how much better the work is when we work with the ward!  It's so much easier and effective.  We are also teaching a lot of less actives that haven't been visited in like 5-10 years that were buried in our area book.  I have to give the missionaries credit that were here before, the area book was very well organized and it made it that much easier for us to hit the ground running here - - despite not knowing anything/one.  

     Elder Silva is learning really fast, his teaching is improving, his contacting too.  We are studying really effectively, he memorizing the topics and scriptures for everything and I am doing it with him since I've been in the office for 9 months.  Extra practice cannot hurt me - - Lol. 

     My District is good, they're all sisters - - but they are such a good example to me.  I feel like I'm the one that's learning from them.  I'll take a pic tomorrow of our District in District meeting for you guys. Mahalos.  Love your Elder Akina

President Bangerter - - Zone while at the office.

Transfers - - at the bus station headed out!

Elder Christensen from Mesa, Arizona - - this is for his Mom who reads the blog!

Elder Silva - - my new companion

 

Week #94 Last Transfer - - heading out of the office!

Hey Mom,
     My prayers have been answered!!  I am getting transferred!  I got called as a District Leader - - I'm going to train too. I'm going to Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais.  It's in a different state, outside of Sao Paulo.  It's soooo far away by bus - - like it will literally take me a full day to get there.  This area is new - - my companion and I will be opening it up.  We will be the farthest away and in the coldest region of the mission!   I'm super excited for this opportunity - - this last transfer we are gonna get after it!  My shoes are trashed - - we are hot gluing them today before I leave.  Don't worry about sending me anything before I come home - - I won't get it in time to use it!
     Our English class is having a going away party for me today. I have had 5 baptisms from this class - - these people are very close to me.  Saying good bye will not be easy.

     I love you all - - very excited for this new opportunity in front of me!  Love you - - Elder Akina

* Elder Akina wrote us a wonderful email about his interview with President Bangerter as he leaves his office assignment.  He has asked us not to post it as it is personal, we know you understand.  We want to thank you for your prayers - - Elder Akina has felt them as he served in the office with such a great responsibility on his shoulders.  Now off he goes to make a difference on the streets in a country he has grown to love and call home.
   

Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    

Week #93 - - Transfers?

Heeeyy, 
     That's so cool that you guys are going to Carrie's wedding - - super pumped for her! Sorry I didn't write last week, it has been crazy busy here.  So last week we had Multi Zonas and my training that I gave was super cool!  We did this big prank where we told everybody the mission was getting iphones and we even had a fake release form and everything!  At the end they figured out it was just a joke, lol we laughed so hard, everyone got so excited for nothing.  Let's get excited about the work like we did for the phones!
     We bought my groups plane tickets to go home this past week.  Elder Welch (who was my companion in the CTM) is my Zone Leader now so when I have time we'll go to his area on splits or he'll come to mine.  Ha - - ha, like whenever I'm talking to him we literally trip out on how fast it went.  Like it feels like last month we were in the CTM trying to memorize the missionary purpose in Portuguese.  The days are going by fast, our mission is doing really good.  President and Sister Bangerter are being really well received by the missionaries and the members here.  They're super cool. 
     Next week we have 28 missionaries going home and 14 arriving, so our house is going to be really busy this week, missionaries coming in and out of Piracicaba. Our house is like the house for missionaries, so I should probably just kiss all of the food that's in our fridge goodbye already - - cuz nothing is safe when it comes to food and these monsters.! 
     We planned really well so everything should run pretty smooth.  Next week I will be back in the field full time!!  I'm stoked for the opportunity I'm going to get to have this last part of my mission to really dedicate to the people here in Brazil and to the Lord, both of which have done so much for me.  I pray for you guys always.  Have a good time up there in Utah and tell Carrie that I love her, tell her husband I said welcome to the Fam.  Tell Cameron to hit those dance moves for me at the wedding.  Love you guys. Falou. Elder Akina

*When asked if it he was sure his last transfer he stated, "No - - transfers take place this coming week.  I think I am being transferred as  I already am training Schmitz,  it makes sense that I will.  I'm not for sure yet though, but I'm hoping, I feel like my time in the office is up.  I've learned a bunch but I'm ready to get back out."  We shall wait and see with this weeks e-mail!  Fingers crossed!

Week #92 Pictures Galore!

Baptism of a several people from our English class.  They live outside our area, they asked me to baptize them.  We gained approval to travel from President and  went to their baptism - - it was sweet!

Week #91 Preparing for Multi-Zonas

Hello,

     This wek is going to be crazy busy - - we have multi zonas so we're be traveling Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  We're trying to get some stuff done today to make up those 3 days we're going to be out of the office.

     I will be in my first area (Sumaré/Portal Bordon) on Wednesday!  I've made plans to see some friends at the chapel down there - - so that's going to be cool.  It's been like a year and a half, that's sooo crazy to me.

Piracicaba, Brazil July 2016

     I will also bear my final testimony in these multi zonas (like every multi zona the missionaries going home before there will be a next one, bear their testimony in front of everyone) so I'm going to have to do that 3 times, should be good.

    I spent part of the week with President Bangerter doing his paper work etc . . . we chatted a lot about his family.  He told me about his 3 sons earning their Eagle Scout awards, just like me  - - cutting close to my 18th birthday - - LOL!  I am so full of cake!  I had 4 Birthday cakes last week - - I was well taken care of and now I am stuffed full of cake!

Make it a great week - - Love you guys. Falou  Elder Akina

Tag picture - - so green.

Birthday celebration with the office AP's



English students help celebrate my birthday!

 

Week #90 Happy Birthday Elder Akina

Haaazit,
    This weekwas craaazy - - President Canuto left us :/  It was super sad to see him go but is bitter sweet moment because we knew we were getting a stud for a President.  President Bangerter!!   So on President Canuto's last night he took us, the Assistants and his councilors out to eat.  We had good talk about pretty much everything lol that was super cool.  President and Sister Bangerter got here the next day with the Canuto's here in the office.  We had a sign ready for them here and everything - - we talked about mission stuff and that was the last time President Canuto walked through the office :/  He called us into his office for the last time and thanked us for everything, super cool moment and then they left.
     President Bangerter then met with all of us, we chatted, then yesterday we had a meeting called conhecer seu Presidente, where all the missionaries came to Piracicaba to meet President Bangerter.  The logistics of this meeting were super hard to plan btw, we had lunch there too.  Last night I went with President Bangerter to do his visa stuff, Monday morning we will go again to take out a couple more documents he needs and to get his signature registered at the notary.  Yaaayy fun stuff!!  (Lol - - totally joking) 
     President Bangerter is like 6'6 so he's like a giant here in Brazil and Sister Bangerter is tiny!   They are super cool and really spiritual.  President Bangerter worked for the church before receiving his call, he was a product manager for the programs of the church.  His dad was President Faust's companion when he served in Brazil.  His dad served in Brazil when the mebership was 20 something in the country and the mission was the Brazil Mission - - like there was only one mission in the whole country!  So their family definatley has some pioneers here in the country. 
     I'm putting up some videos for you guys to see.   On Tuesday my zone did a little party for my b-day which was super cool.  Today I'm going over to some of my English students house for my b-day, were gunna eat there for lunch.  Tonight we will be with the Assistants for dinner for my b-day and then tomorrow there are some mebers here that are gunna do a party for me that im not supposed to know about.  However I do know because someone has a big mouth - - Lol!  So - - should be good, my birthday is taken care of Mom!


Love you guys!! tchau.  Elder Akina

Zone Birthday celebration!

"The Last Supper".  Aloha Oe President and Sister Canuto.  Ahui hou, malama pono.

 

Birthday boy!