July 14, 2014
This week was a pretty normal week, we worked with the members, and taught a lot of lessons. On Thursday and Friday we had a big service project. We built a shed, cleaned everything in the house, painted, laid down tile, and pretty much made the house livable. It was a lot of hard work and we had to wake up early to leave our house about 8. After our work on Friday, they took us to Outback, which was amazing, it is always good there. I was able to teach a lesson to one of the workers. It helps being an American because everyone asks why we are here, and all sort of stuff. This week we also worked in a favela....as I said before it is like the hood, but worse. We didn't have any success, but we were able to help some people. About "The World Cup", we watched it was some other missionaries, after the game they were all mad and sad. People don't want to work anymore, their mindset is to stop caring because of the loss. Soccer is their life and if they win they are happy, but if they lose it is like someone died in their family. Our president said that we need to be careful because most Americans look German and the people of Brasil don't like them right now, so we just need to be more careful.

A little service is all part of the work

Even missionaries get to have a little bit of fun!

July 7, 2014
Hey family

This week was busy. It was the first week of the transfer. To start out it was a world cup game on Tuesday. The game was so good, but Brasil lost some of its best players, so I don't know if they are going to win the next game. On Wednesday we didn't have much to do, so we did some contacts and when that wasn't working we stopped and went to the church and practiced lessons. I am not going to lie, I am starting to be able to teach pretty well. I has been crazy how fast I have learned, and then how slow I have learned. I never thought I would be able to speak Portuguese, but yet here I am. On Friday we didn't have too much to do. My comp decided to go to a favela, which is like the hood in english, but 10 times worse. All that is here is tin houses with drugs being sold on the street and everything you can think of bad, lets just say it's not a place for an American, but I couldn't leave my comp. Yeah it wasn't a pleasant time, everyone was looking at me, and I was on edge the whole time. Sunday came around, and we had a lesson with a women. What an amazing lesson. I haven't felt the spirit so strong in a lesson before. It was the restoration, which is by far my favorite lesson to teach. It is what makes us so different This week had it's ups and downs, but we are doing well. te amo familia


The Homer Boy's love their Disney

July 1, 2014
There is one trick that I want to share with you that I love doing with new people. I will be in the house of the person and ask them to come to church or to pray about the Book of Mormon. I will take off my name tag, and hold it up and look them in the eye. I say the reason why I am here is to help people come unto Christ, and if they pray with real intent and ask if this church is true, I can tell them that the answer will be yes. If I am wrong I will give them my name tag and go home, because if this isn't true, then I am just wasting my life. You must find out if this church is true or not, if The Book of Mormon is true or not, and if Joesph Smith saw God and Jesus or he didn't. I can talk all day long, but unless you ask in prayer, and want to know, then and only then will you get your answer. This has worked to bring people to church, and to help people get a testimony.

June 30, 2014
Hey,

This week has been a lot slower, and I have had a chance to catch my breath. Thank goodness. To start, I went to one of my recent baptismal converts and was talking with him. When he stopped me and said "because of what you and Elder H. did with my life, showing me the gospel and everything. I want to serve a mission and be like you." I just sat back in shock, here a young man of 17 years wants to serve a mission. He has been a member of only 4 months, and he wants to help people and share the gospel. It's crazy, because I served a mission and helped him, he's going to go on a mission and bring more people to the truth. This moment is worth 1000 doors slammed in my face, and all the challenges I have had. The next day we went to a park, wow, was it so beautiful. We talked to people, sat on the grass and read the Book of Mormon. What a great day to remember. On Wednesday we had a lesson with this girl, she has had 20 different missionaries pass her house. and not one was able to teach her, but for the first time she let us come and teach her. The Lord has a plan for each one of us, and today was her day to hear the gospel, On Saturday we had a big party with the ward. We played games, ate, and had crazy fun. There was a ton of friends and new members. Sunday was a normal day. Monday was transfers my companion and I got a call that we would both be staying in Tatuape for another transfer. This will be my 4th transfer here, this is all part of it.

June 23, 2014

Hey family this week has been a crazy one..... and a long one.

Tuesday was the game of Brazil and well it was crazy. The whole world here was so pumped, and after even though they tied, they partied like crazy. I swear they use the world cup as a reason to drink more. Wednesday we didn't do much a lot of walking and no one to talk to because everyone is hung over and not on the road. Thursday we had 4 lessons to teach. Wow, did we not have enough time to teach them all, but we were blessed and I swear the clocked stopped so we could make it in time for our appointments. We went to this one house and the guy is a piano player, and he played for us. oh, wow, was he amazing. I have never heard such soft music. I really want to learn how to play the piano one day. Thursday we also got a girl ready for baptism. On Saturday we had an interview for her, and had to help with an activity. Sunday at church I went to go get the font ready, (right now in Brazil, it's really cool. It is their winter season, so it's really cold.) the water was freezing, like I could barley move. I thought I was going to turn into ice. I dressed in white and baptized the girl. I cannot tell you have amazing that felt. There aren't words for what I felt... I helped someone come closer to Christ. The spirit was so strong. We had 2 new investigators there. After the baptism they said they felt something that they had never felt before. They wanted to know more, so we marked some lessons with them. This church is so true, I know it. I didn't see angels, I didn't hear the lords voice, I didn't have a vision, but I feel it in my heart that it is true. This church is the true church on the earth, there is nothing more I need to say. This week has been crazy, but it ended on a moment that I will never forget. This mission is changing my life. After the baptism we had a lunch with a sister of the ward, she is older. We had to walk with her to her house, a 45 min walk. She doesn't have a lot of money, she lives in humble home far away, but she has not missed a Sunday yet. She walks 45 min to church and back every Sunday. The faith of some of these members is unreal. We had the normal rice beans and meat. She had the bit fruit salad on the table, and I thought that it was yogurt on it. I knew it was going to be amazing, so I put a lot on my plate. After I took one bite, I realized that the white stuff was mayonnaise with fruit. I had to eat all of it on my plate. I thought I was going to die, never before had I tasted something so weird, but that's just part of the memories. This week has been wild, and I will say that I am worn out, and really tired, but that's all part of it.
Baptism

Silly Missionaries

Thankful for those who feed my son

June 16, 2014

This week was very busy. On Tuesday we were doing contacts and found a really big park. We walked around and talked to people and it was just a beautiful day. I loved it, it was nice to have a warm day, it's been raining a ton. The next day we just did contacts and yeah nothing came out of it, but that is all part of it. The next day was the big game of Brazil.... and the whole world was crazy. The sky was full of fireworks, the streets full of people, yelling and blowing horns, and there are flags everywhere. It was crazy. We had to get to a members house to watch the game, so we went to metro tatuape to find a bus, when we got on there, a ton of people were there, and more keep coming. Then all of sudden the bus driver got on the bus really fast, and took off, and in the back ground we could hear shooting. One of the members called us and said get away from the metro because they just shut it down. There was a protest that was going on and the cops where shooting the people with sand bags and rubber bullets. to try to keep them back. We got to the members house safely and watched the game... which was amazing. Every time brazil got a goal they who world light up the sky with fireworks and noise... it was crazy. The next day we had a miracle, we decided to go knock houses... but here you clap, and I wanted to keep count on how many houses we passed. so at the 247th house, I was talking with this guy and asked if we could share a message with him, and he said yes.... but in my brain I thought it would be no again... so I said thank you and started to walk away.. when my comp grab me and said dude lets go in... and I was like what.. so we were able to teach this family and they loved the message. It was so special... it was a miracle. On Sunday my comp talking with another elder on the phone outside, so I was left to take care of the church stuff, I did my best, I planed a bunch of things and talked to everyone I could... and then this member, or who I thought was a member came up to me, and asked if she could get baptized and if I would do it, I was like um yes. She has already has been taught most of the lessons, and she wants to get baptized this Sunday. This is a miracle for me. This week has been a long one, with lots of work. We have an activity with the zone, so that will be fun. I love you family


Amazing Parks

Zone Activity