Week 19

Monday, April 16, 2018

Hey FamLee!!! I sure miss you all but this week was a great and strectching week. I have learned to really appreciate trials. And the other night I heard my companion praying for more so now I’m buckling up. Haha he is a great elder who is ready to work and I’m excited to see what we can do together.  But quick update; we will stay in this area most likely until June 19thtogether. So I will leave with at least 6 months in my first and only area. It will really be sooooo hard to leave. I think I will cry. I didn’t cry when I left the states cause I was excited and knew I’d come home to you guys. But leaving here is sooo different. You don’t know what will happen to these people and just thinking about it makes me sick. But I have much more time here thankfully. 

This week we had stake conference and it was great. I am at the point where when we talk about the gospel I don’t have to think in English and then translate. I think in Portuguese first and then translate. Also This week we did a Zone conference call on the phone and I dropped my planner down a deep whole and was trying to get it out when they said that Elder Lee will now give a 10 minute training on true conversion.... haha a bit stressful and longest ten minutes ever. But it was good. 

My son (companion) is a wonderful elder from Utah and is going to be such a great missionary. I was really worried because teaching how to work is a lot harder than teaching language. But Todo via dar certo. Nothing crazy happened this week but it was long and short at the same time. We are learning to play the guitar together for a few minutes a night to relax and calm down. We play hymns for our investigators to start lessons. It was neat because one lesson we had a lady cry. (I’m hoping it was because of the sprit and not my playing...) But my comp sings really, really well. Anyways, you’ll hear more next week. And pics will arrive in half hour because I have to go back to the church for my camera. But I love you and miss you all! Keep up the great work!

I really love all the pics you send. I know it’s hard and takes time but it really makes my day. Thank you soooo much!!!!

This week was hard but in the good kind of way. We are going to travel out of my city for 3 days which is hard because I can’t work with my people but it will be good. We will return Saturday and work our guts out to fit everything in. But I’m excited. 

Week 18

Monday, April 9, 2018

So this was the first week of training another missionary and being district leader.... It could have definitely gone a lot smoother you know...

But challenges are all really just opportunities to grow. And if the rest of the next few transfers go like this last week I will grow a lot... like a lot a lot. 

Tuesday I picked up my comp and traveled back to my city. My phone broke 2 weeks ago but the mission said they would have a new one for me waiting when I came to the mission home. Yeah they didn’t have it. So I returned to my city late at night unable to call a member for a ride and it was pouring rain. So we walked to our house with his two suitcases. Then we finally got back to our house. As district leader I am responsible for talking to everyone in the district to get the numbers and then talk to the zone leaders and pass all the numbers and do a small update report on the other missionaries. But with a broken phone it makes that a bit more difficult. I also lost all my contacts and didn’t have my members or investigators numbers. Finding lunch this week was ruff because a lot of people just started giving us lunch which is good but I have no idea where they live and I can’t call and get directions or even to comfirm... So that was hard. But then I cut my foot Saturday and had to play futebol today of course so that was also fun. And my comp doesn’t speak anything yet so I have to always be paying attention to everything and it at times is a bit tuff. But this week will be better.

Tomorrow we will travel to the office and pick up my phone finally. This next Sunday we have a steak conference 3 hours away that I’m really excited for. The steak president told me I might have to speak so that might be rough. I don’t think I will end up having to though. And I really love the members here. I don’t know how I will leave them. And I especially love my investigators. There are those who I know I won’t baptize but it’s so hard knowing that I won’t see them make the commitments and covenants. But I have faith that other missionaries will come and help out. 

Fun things that happened this week was getting lost in the sister’s rea when trying to do a baptism interview for them.... I also bought a guitar and play a little at night to release stress. Haha it’s like the Latin lover version so it’s fun. I play while my comp tells a story ad it’s a blast. Good old comp bonding. But I love you all so much and hope that everything is going well. Spiritual thought of the week... Either 12:27

Keep being amazing!!!

Week 17

Monday, April 2, 2018

So Today I officially ended my training... And because of that my comp and I will separate. He will move to Vitoria the capital and be the assistant to the pres. I will stay here and train another missionary and be the district leader as well. Things are happening really fast and it will be soooo crazy. But pray for me to not die from stress. 

General conference was crazy awesome! I watched it in Portuguese of course so it was a different kind of spirit. But I look forward to getting the magazine and reading it all over again. But real quick I want to add my testimony that we really do have a living prophet. Richard G Scott said in the past that the most important part of General conference is not during the actual conference itself but after. This is because that is when we have the opportunity to show and demonstrate what we learned and how we will grow. 

I love and miss you all tons! I hope you all had a wonder Easter and remember that the most important day in history is the day the savior atoned for all mankind. I love how we have the opportunity to celebrate his resurrection and triumph over both Sin and death. Stay strong and continue to be the wonderful leaders you are! 

Haha highlight of the week was receiving a call from an older member who lived in the USA for a few years. She surprised us with Cereal, Peanut butter, and hot dogs, mustard and ketchup. Haha I really love the members here. We also went out for ice cream as a district to celebrate the baptisms that we had this transfer. All in all it was an amazing week as usual!

Com muito amor,