Week 23

Monday, May 21, 2018

So this week was good in marking dates for baptism. But the problem is when you mark a date you have to visit them every day. So our biggest problem is that we are always running and trying to visit our people. But there are worse problems to have...

But the spiritual thought for this week...

Sometimes in life it feels like we are taking two steps forward and one step back. But if we continue we will eventually reach our desired location. But it our job to be willing to move and change and work. Because no matter how long it takes we will reach our eternal goal. Key word... eternal. We will have an eternity to progress and learn.

So we have a guy we teach everyday who is in love with the gospel. But his wife left him in the house locked without the keys. Because here in Brazil you have gates not doors. And so he pulled us in after climbing up through a second story window so we could enter his house and teach him. So I went first and then helped him then pull my comp through the window. Its people like this who make getting out of bed in the morning easy. 

Other than that I’m excited to work with the 7 baptisms that we have for these next two weeks. Also started cooking Brazilian food which is good. Also guitar is still fun to calm down and take my stress out. And I found a place that sells frosted flakes by the kilogram so I’m set for life ;)

But I love you tons and hope everything is going well for you!

Week 22

​Monday, May 14, 2018

For all of you wonderful woman out there happy mother’s day!

This week was great in finding new people to teach... But everyone we found and needs to get married first. But the lord is wonderful and has blessed us with a non-member who is married to a member who will help us speed up the process. And so right now we have to have faith that everything will work and keep our people firm. But that’s okay. Everything will all work out in the end. 

It was wonderful getting to talk to the family Sunday! Fabiano the member who I skyped with was very impressed with you all. I didn’t really realize how much I missed you until I saw you all. But it’s okay because Christmas is only 7months away right? 

Spiritual thought of the week,

Mother’s day is an opportunity to reflect on the wonderful things that the woman of this world do for us and realize how essential there role is in gods perfect eternal plan. But one day is not enough to express our gratitude. Every moment of everyday we should live our life in such a manner to show our appreciation for the teachings and service of our mothers. And with that being said it is important to remember that we have a heavenly mother. I want you to know that I have such a testimony of the love that mothers have for us and our heavenly parents as well. 

This week was shorter because I talked to a lot of you... But I really do miss and appreciate you all. I hope that all is going well and that you are all still being rock-stars. 

Commuito amor,

Elder Lee

Week 21

Monday, May 7, 2018

This week was super full and fun! The highlight was the baptism that we had on Saturday may 5th. But what is cool is that I was baptized 11 years ago may 5th and it was my fifth baptism on the mission on the fifth day of the fifth month and it was Becca’s birthday too ;)

But we baptized Dianna Fraga Pires who is with 9 years. Her father is brothers to the bishop. The Father, Welington went inactive for 10 years and the rest of his family is active and amazing in the church. So imagine the surprise of bishop when I told him we were baptizing his niece. He told me that it wasn’t possible that they had already tried. But the lord had been working with them and gave us the perfect set up. I love the family so much! Welington also is a pro at guitar and they have been teaching me a little. For the baptism I played with my comp a special musical number that I wrote comping I like to look for rainbows. I also made cookies and Jell-O (cause everyone here loves Jell-O). Everything went perfect. But because she was a convert baptism we had to wait until Sunday to confirm her. So as we waited for them to show up they didn’t and my heart fell. But as we said the opening prayer they showed up. So this is cheesy I know... but I opened my eyes to see my family walk in and sit down and everything ended up perfect. 

Another bonus to this week... So our investigator Ana Rita is a principle for a school. And one night I taught her a lesson and she cried and loved it so much that she brought me and my comp to give a lesson to her whole school! I was thinking 30 people but it ended up being over 300. And I had a cool blue tooth microphone and walked through the crowd giving an inspirational speech. Then after that, we visited every classroom. They had never seen Americans before and it was really the weirdest thing. We were like rock stars. Kids legit tried to get our autographs... But the best part was that Ana Rita loved seeing her kids like that and now likes us even more. She is really a blessing in our lives. I think that a lot of times people forget that missionaries aren’t the only ones who are capable of blessing people. They receive so many blessing from non-members. But this week was good. I made some steak and brownies, crapes, and am learning guitar still. 

Big change that happened is transfers are no longer 6 weeks. President will randomly decide when we have transfers, which is honestly kind of hard for me. But it makes sense because unfortunately we have people who know they don’t have time to baptize so they don’t work. But my son and I will use this as an excuse to only work harder because we don’t know when we will leave. But just this for this week, I’m excited to skype you all this next week. 

Week 20

Monday, April 30, 2018

Hey family so my key board isn’t working very well and I don’t really speak Inglis anymore so please forgive me. But this last week was amazing! We marked four dates for baptism and saw some amazing miracles. For example we had been walking everyday more than usual which is a lot and we finally got to a house and I sat down to start the conversation and the first thing that came from the mothers mouth was that she wanted her daughter to be baptized and herself as well in the church of Jesus Christ. Her husband is brothers with our bishop and they kind of left that family alone because they lost hope. But you can imagine the surprise on my face when I had a day full of rejection and walked into that. The 9 year old daughter will be baptized Saturday and the wife later after she gets legally married. But what a miracle from Heavenly Father. It was really a humbling experience and something that reminded me that realistically, Heavenly Father is who prepares the people and converts them through the Spirit. So that was wonderful.

Another fun thing was p-day. We had been walking so much and we both felt a little sick but I asked my son if he wanted to climb Zumbi Mountain. He asked WHY? And I responded ha-ha because it’s there. Definitely made me think of dad. So we climbed it and it was sooo worth it. The view of the city was breath taking. We found two pure quarts rocks at the top and brought them to struggling investigators and gave a lesson about how they can do hard things like give up coffee. We are all on a journey in life and are all climbing a mountain. When we get tired and think that we can’t continue it is sooo important to realize that Christ is behind us ready to push us up. 

Please pray for Anna Rita and her husband Rogerio. They are so ready to be baptized but coffee is hard for them. They have a date for the 12th of May and we get to visit them every day. They are such a blessing to us. They are wealthier here and have a car and give us a ride home so we can stay longer with them. Brazileros are so amazing. The charity that this culture has is unbelievable. I will be sure to send more pics for you all. 

But thank you all for everything and for your prayers. We really feel them out here. I love and miss you tons!

Com muito amor,

Elder Lee

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,