Week 67

Monday, March 25, 2019

This week passed by super-fast! But we had a lot of good experiences! We are working with a lot of part member families and are having success bringing less actives to church and finding there relatives that are not baptized yet. This week we will most likely be able to help Nichole and Nataly who are 9 and 11 be baptized and confirmed. They are part of less active family and are super fun. They are very smart and have a cute sassy attitude that makes it fun to be around them. We are also working with a woman who is less active. She was able to go to church and loved it. It's amazing how the same class can have different impacts on people. She left crying feeling like it was exactly what she needed. From a teacher she didn’t even know. The members here are great at helping our families feel welcome. There really is no better place in the aspect of love and fellowshipping than the church of Jesus Christ. What a marvelous blessing it is that we are here and have the chance to help others safely arrive as well. 

Sunday we had a family night with one of our friends Rayanne and Ciça. We made epic American brownies and gave it a fun spin. The mom worked at a super fancy restaurant here in Ro and gave us a few tips. I love this family! It’s gonna be super hard to leave. But we know that Friendships can be made eternal through the blessings of saving ordinances found in Gods church. I love you guys tons and am so grateful for the many prayers. I hope you all have a great week and continue being the light to the world. 

It’s so important that we are worthy and ready to serve now. Everything we do, every action we take is something that will affect the missions of people that come after us and that we find around us. Love you all tons!!! 

Elder Lee

Week 66

Monday, March 18, 2019

So this week we had lots of fun adventures. First of all we had a full straight week of work without meetings, traveling of anything like that. So it was nice to start and finish plowing and working. But this was one of the most tiring weeks of the mission I think. Also we are in the water tropical lightning storm season. So it’s really cool to have lightning storms everyday almost. 

One day, we were coming back from a far area and it was getting a little late. This was during a rain and lightning storm... We were drenched and ready to go home after a super long day of work. But we felt we needed to return to the house of a family we did a contact with. The family didn’t seem too interested and so I questioned why but trusted the feeling. We walked through a field of dirt and grass and just went for it. What we didn’t know was across the field the family was watching us with a friend of theirs... the friend committed that those two people were so determined that they must have something really important to do. To her surprise we showed up to talk to them. The family isn’t too interested but she was so impressed she decided to listen to the message and we marked a date with her for baptism along with her friend. A lot of times we receive promptings that don’t make sense and don’t accomplish what we are thinking or even wanting. But God really does know best. 

This week we had Saint Patrick’s Day... truth is I forgot. But an investigator asked me what it was... Luckily I wore a green tie without thinking. Then I celebrated by eating mint ice cream. We are teaching the owner of one of Brazil’s most popular ice cream popsicle stores... we got the hook up. (This is the family of Rayane on of the coolest people ever)     ;) 

This week was a lot of work and we are excited to start the next week running. Tonight we have a family night with Rayane one of our most progressing investigators. Please pray for her to recognize her answer! I love you all and hope you guys have a great week! 

Elder Lee

Week 65

Monday, March 10, 2019,

Hey how are you guys all doing! This week was crazy and tons of stuff happened. But just for the record I am still alive and everything worker out. Okay let’s see....

This week was carnival and everyone left. But we worked tons with everyone that is here... Also we had a visit from president and I had to give training in front of him and he luckily liked it. But first the first time in my life I got nervous to talk in front of people. But it went well and the next day we had zone conference. 

So after that I got a call from the secretaries saying that I was illegal.... I had to travel to the capital to get myself legal in this country. But it all worked out in the end. I was scared because I had to change states and they always check your identity. Captain Charisma still lives... that and God is good. But it was a 5 hour ride and two hours in a woman threw up on me and not my comp. And the worst part is that I let my comp have the window seat and it was really the seat the secretaries bought for me. And the sad part was it was the only bus in Brazil that is air conditioned so the windows don’t open. And nobody could clean it up. Sad stuff. But it allowed us to do a contact with her. 

Then in Vitoria we go to the office late and nobody was there. We waited until 11 pm watching drug deals and finally they got there. The next day I did my interview and got everything worked out. I have to return to the USA before the end of November. But with transfers it will be the end of October I think. Unless I can get it expanded... Who knows if the prophet extends the mission? Love you mom ;)

On the way back we passed a riot for women’s rights and the bus got stuck for a long time. Traffic is not the greatest here in Brazil. But after a lady on the bus almost got pulled out and wrecked for yelling at the people we made it to the station and caught the other bus home. 

Sunday night I burned my entire hand cooking. The pot I was using broke and I caught it and all the boiling water came down on my hand. We ran out of ice in the house and for a while I used frozen beans. But that didn’t last too long. After lots of pain I got to sleep. But it’s all good now. Over all it was a good week, filled with lots of adventure. Next Carnival I will be in the USA. It’s a weird thought. 

Spiritual experience. On our way home from lunch Sunday I got the impression to visit a person. I went and was disappointed to find he was in a different place. So I went to the other place and he had already gone to a different place. We determined to go to another family and I felt bad for not accomplishing my prompting. But in the way it timed perfectly to find a woman who is a relative of one of the members we are activating. We were able to mark a date with her and we will start teaching her. I was able to realize that our promptings are to be followed immediately and not to be questioned. Everything has a purpose and our heavenly father is a lot smarter that we are... When are in doubt whether something is a prompting or just an idea wait and think... is it inviting you to do good... if so who cares as Elder Bednar says. Just follow it. Or as Nike teaches.... Just Do It

Over all I love you all tons. Sorry for the delay. Internet here is bad. We are in a lightning rain storm. But love you all! Have an amazing week!!!!

Love, Elder Lee

Week 64

Monday, March 4, 2019

Hey Family! This week was Carnival... Not going to lie... I don’t like it very much. All of our investigators go to the beach and leave us with no one to accompany. So we did a lot of work trying to find new people. Here is an over all of our week.... 

Monday: We picked up my new companion and then went to downtown to take Elder Sater to the medical to have a few exams done. We also had a Family night with Bishop and taught his friend who also invited her friend. Ironically the friend of the reference had more potential and we continued teaching her and her 10 year-old son. Her name is Suzane. 
Tuesday: We started our day early by trying to bring a coffee substitute for an investigator and then worked in the area lunch would be. After lunch we accompanied all our of dates for baptism and then went to the chapel to prepare an activity for the 43 Venezuelans here in the city. I got to DJ at the activity and we served authentic special tradition foods from there and had a powerful testimony meeting in Spanish. Gift of lounges is crazy! 

Side note: Today I started Reading the Defense of truth. Greatest thing ever. Its two missionaries being challenged by leaders form all the churches trying to prove the church and book of Mormon false. But the missionaries can prove all the doubts wrong using the bible and logic. I’ve found it super helpful in teaching investigators. Here everyone uses bible like deodorant... 

Weds nay:  Sad News... my camera broke. But here there is a sight like craigslist and I was able to buy another camera super cheap that Works great. It’s a film Fuji semi pro... Have no idea why it was cheaper than all the others but it Works great and is tons of fun. 

Thursday: So Thursday night is the pre-night to carnival... So it’s always a little crazy and dangerous. But don’t worry mom, we didn’t see any action. But what did happen was a major storm that wrecked a ton of roads and killed a lot of people’s power and knocked over a bunch of stuff. We were literally in the middle of a lightning and thunder storm right over us. I’ve never seen lightning hit the ground before. Also we got drenched because we didn’t have umbrellas and the sky threw everything it had at us. 

Friday: Today I did a division with Elder Nasilai Who was the number one pick in college football before he came. He turned down all the schools to serve a mission and will play for BYU when he gets back. I was already a DL of him in Colatina so it was really fun to see that I would live with him again. Super Great guy!

Saturday: Running around like headless chickens trying to get somebody to church...
Sunday: Happy fast Sunday! Hope all the boys remembered to use the fast Sunday ties. 
Over all this week was busy and flew by. Only five more weeks in this transfer. We have five dates for these next two weeks. If you could all pray for Rayanne, Ciça, Lucas, Suzane and Paulo I (as well as them) would appreciate it! I love you all tons and hope you all have a great week! FELIZ CARNIVAL PRA VOCÊS!!!  - Elder Lee

Week 63

Monday, February 25, 2019

So we finally found our baptism... And now I understand why it was delayed. We had to wait for Zoriada to come all the way from a different country to get here. She is a 79 year old grandmother of a family that came from Venezuela. We got to teach her in Spanish and complete her family who are now all members. Gift of lounges is so real. And it’s a blessing that Spanish and Portuguese are similar. But her Grandson baptized her and Elder Garcia got to leave the zone baptizing. It was a very spiritual long awaited moment in the family. 

So... one of my favorite people on the planet left yesterday. Elder Garcia my comp was transferred to Colatina the area I was before I got here. It was nice because I gave him list of people who will help them out tons. But I won’t lie I will miss him tons. We really hit it off and never had any problems. My new comp is from Sao Paulo and seems super cool. His name is Elder Oliveira. We are excited to start this next transfer working form the beginning. 

Over all this week was just a lot of running and trying to get everything done. We had 5 people return to church with us and are excited to see where they go. One is Raine who her family is the owner of a big ice cream chain and she gives us free ice cream. She is a life saver! I'll really miss her entire family when I leave. Also my fav member who is my mom is moving to the south this week so that is sad. But the work continues and we are looking forward to the giant harvest awaiting us.

This week we got caught in a thunder lightning storm and rain storm... it literally was the most rain I’ve seen in my life. Google recent rainstorms in Rio... we could have gone swimming in the roads... Also my shoes got destroyed while helping a lady move. It was actually really sad 

Love, Elder Lee