Monday, July 22, 2019
No letter today. We skyped!
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Week 83
Monday, July 15, 2019
Hey guys!
This week went by really fast. We are having a lot of success
with the people we are teaching and we have a few people really progressing.
One of these is Vinicius. He is a 30 year old professor of English who lived in
the USA for 3 years as a teenager. He went to church with us Sunday and loved
it. Our branch is a little hard because it’s small and doesn’t function as
smoothly as a most of us are accustomed to. But it’s amazing to see that the gospel
is true whether or not there are 15 people or 150 people. The same spirit is
available to all of us at any time we decide to make right decisions that
enable us to draw closer to our savior. Vinicius is doing a great job studding
almost every day and he is noticing the difference that it makes in his life.
He confessed that before the missionaries had found him he felt lost and far
from God. But through their help was able to come back again in the presence of
God and feel the love and peace that comes by following the commandments..
Right now he is engaged with a wonderful woman named Fernanda. More or less
live together and so we are helping them get married legally on the paper and
because his family lives in the USA he wants to get sealed there. So please
pray for him. He is truly an amazing person!
Anyways that’s about all I have for you... My city is starting
to get hot again which is good because I’ve been using a jacket every day in
75-80 degrees... On the down side there are lots of mountain wild fires here.
But that’s part of life. Luckily there haven’t been big incidents yet. I hope
you all have a great week! Keep looking for chances to spread the good news and
bless our brothers and sisters! Love you all!
com muito amor,
Elder Lee
Week 82
Monday, July 8, 2019
So this week passed by super-fast... Sorry for missing last
week but the la house that I was using closed and last second internet died...
Welcome to Brazil. But over all my last two weeks have flown by. We are here in
a new city in a branch of about 15 active members. But this means that the city
has so much potential to grow. I met with president of the mission to talk
about our action plans and what we want for this branch and now we have a very
definite direction and the work is ready to be accelerated!
We also have some great people we are teaching. Most of them
speak English which is fun to practice with them. One is Vinicious who lived in
Boston for about 3 years when he was younger. He is 30 years old and lives with
his girlfriend. But they are now engaged and he is really progressing. He reads
the Book of Mormon every day and we have really focused on temples because he
lost his mom and had a lot of concerns for what would happen to her because she
wasn’t baptized. The only problems we are facing right now are that he isn’t
married (yet) and he is a patriots fan. But he can repent and change ;)
We are also teaching a family that we found through the 24 year
old daughter who is a work friend of Vinicous named Thayane. She is super
bright and teaches English as does Vinicious. Her mother is amazing and Grandmother
I the funniest sweetest old lady who never stops smiling. They have already
been to church once and are enjoys the lessons.
My companion Elder Aguilar is an 18 year old from Honduras and
has 6 months on the mission. He has become one of my close friends. I really
love him! It’s fun to have a companion who you just really get along with.
Anyways... Love you all tons! Hope you have a
great week and enjoy the pictures! Keep your eyes open for missionary opportunities!!!!!
Love Elder Lee
Week 80
Monday, June 24, 2019
This week I got transferred am I will be leaving Rio... My
new city is called teófilo otoni and is in the state of minas gerais... ha-ha
its one of those places that only the people who lives there know about. But I
am super excited to have a new area full of new people ready to accept the gospel.
Although it is hard to leave behind my old area. I stayed there for 6 months
and made many life time friendships.
Today I said goodbye to my trainer who is going home and I
thought for a little bit about the nature of going home. And that mixed with an
amazingly well timed letter from Grandma Lee led to some deep reflection. I
realized that a home and a house are two very different things. A house is a physical
place where your physical things reside and your comfort is placed. But a home isn’t
the same thing really. A home is Where Love resides and when you are surrounded
by the people you love. Today I finally realized something. A year and 7 months
ago I left my house. But I never left my home. I just expanded it. I know why it’s
so hard to return from the mission. You get to your house and are still
homesick. I’m excited to make the most out of these next three transfers.
Random fun fact.... This week to say good bye to us the ward did
an activity that involved pie to the face... it took two bottles of shampoo to
get that out... I’ll send pics
Anyways I don’t have tons of time but I love you all! I hope you
guys have a great week!
Love, Elder Lee
Week 79
Monday, July 17, 2019
Fun fact, here in Brazil Father’s day is celebrated in august.
But I’d just like to wish everyone a happy father’s day and thank all you
fathers for your great examples. I am so lucky to have the amazing dad that I
have. Growing up all at the same time I had him as a dad, stake pres,
seminary teacher, coach and of course a best friend. Love you Dad! (Ha-ha and
thanks mom for choosing him).
So this week was another amazing week in the field. With
transfers arriving next week I’m running to get everything done to leave this
area in good conscience. Making sure all my recent converts are firm, visiting
progressing investigators and running to get Fabiano and Luciene married and baptized.
It’s crazy to think I’ve only been here in this city for 6 months. I feel like I’m
a member of the ward and stake. It feels like I’ve known these people for an
eternity. And then I realized that I do. Every person here I strongly believe
are pre0mortal friends. People before this life that I found and excitedly
parted ways to meet up again a little later. It’s hard because as a missionary
you try to not get mentally attached. But this area, this ward these people are
my family. I will always be a different and better person because of the things
I learned here. It’s crazy to see how much progress this ward has made. We
arrived to 35 people attending sacrament and now average 85. Their faith and
desire marvel me. There will always be a part of my heart here in this little
city in Rio. I already know that eventually I’m coming back.
This week we had a family night with our married couple and a
few members making cookies and speaking about the ingredients of the gospel. It
went really well and everyone had a great time! I’ll send pics
This Friday if all goes well Fabiano and Luciene will be married
to be baptized the next day and confirmed the next. If something happens and
they aren’t able it will be here in a little I just hope I’ll be here to see
it.
Not much to report. Just hitting it every day in the grind. Love
you all! Hope you all have a great safe and productive week!
Love, Elder Lee
Week 78
Monday, June 10, 2019
If God doesn’t ever change it means that he is still working and
therefore confirms that work is an eternal principle. People think that heaven
is just sitting around and that’s how we are happy. But Work is truly gratifying
and gives happiness when we work in the labor of our savior and God. This is
what I tell myself at 8:30 after a long day of work and question if we have
time to visit one more person. I can really testify that the happiest moments
of my mission are when I’m deadly exhausted and falling to pieces. I don’t know
how or why but they are. If we want to be happy working in heaven alongside God
we need to learn how to work here on earth. I believe that is one of the
purposes for us being here. But you guys are all great examples of fine
servants working in the vineyard of the lord.
This week we have had a lot of ups and downs with our families.
But they are all on the right track. Sometimes walking a little slower than we
would hope. But it’ll all work out in the end. We have a family that is waiting
to be baptized. The mother and father are working on getting married and the
process is long and difficult but we’re finding short cuts at every turn thanks
to Heavenly Father. Pray for Luciene and Fabiano.
On a random side note I’ve gotten really excited by cooking Brazilian
food. All the people say that I’ll miss the food to death. But I won’t have to
miss it too much if I can make it whenever I want. So I’ve been training with a
few of the sisters in the ward and it’s become a great hobby for me. So look
out kitchens here in a little when I get back! Ha-ha
Anyways I love you all tons. Hope you continue to work and reap
the Lords blessings. Have another amazing productive week!!!
Love Elder Lee
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