Sept 22, 2014

Hey Family,
So this week had me running pretty fast. Monday we had a zone activity and we played games and watched some movies, we ended up having a water fight which was super fun, but I didn’t have any more cloths so yeah I went home super wet. Tuesday had me in cidade slavador trying to get some people ready for baptism, we got them firmed for next week, and then I taught a few lessons, Wednesday was super fun, elder honey in my house, now has a year in brazil, so we had a party... we made cake and got drinks and hung out. Thursday had me teaching a bunch of lessons and doing a service project, helping this family clean a little bit. Friday I got sent to another area to do a divisâo which was really fun. I have been working a lot in this area and I have a ton of people there that I am teaching. We were able to give two more blessing this week and able to firm up two people for baptism this Sunday which was super cool. That night we made cookies like homemade cookies and they came out so good, wow I loved them. Saturday morning we had a service project at a members house, we broke down a wall and some doors, it was so much fun, we had hammers and were just going at it haha. Later that day it rained a ton, and we had a ton of lessons to teach, so we had to run from lesson to lesson, I bet it would be so funny to see two young men in white shirts and ties running in the rain. That was a long day. I then went back to my area. Sunday was long, after church we had to help set up for activity that night. We then got a call about transfers, so I am staying in my area and with my comp. We are going to work hard and try to do more work. This week was good, but no crazy stories, but we had a ton of fun,
Dalton

Elder Freitas a Year in Brazil

Sept 15, 2014
Família, I love you guys so much,
This week was as crazy as ever. Seems like my life is getting even more busy every week, Tuesday found me with elder Honey, we were in my area. I got the feeling that we needed to visit, this one new member. I didn’t know why, and it was way out of our way, but I went with the hit, and went. Well it took us an hour of walking to get there but it was so worth it. We found out that this new member had done something to his back and couldn’t leave his house, and that his phone was broken, and he couldn’t call anyone. We did some shopping for him and we even helped him make some lunch, then we gave him a blessing, to give him more strength. We then got a call to go to another member’s house to give another blessing, so we run to that house and we gave the kid a blessing. We then ended up teaching some more lessons, and then headed home. Wednesday was normal, had some lessons then kind of relaxed. Oh and on Thursday we got a person ready for a baptism. This weekend, on Friday we had a meeting with a new president. Well first of he is so cool, he is super smart, and I know that he was called, to make some changes and to help us out. I am really excited for this. Then I went on a divisão with Elder Ferro, that night we taught a ton of people and we even got to find 3 new people to go to church on Sunday. That night we had family night which was awesome; everyone was excited to be there. The next day we got up early and had a service project which was hard but fun. I was still with elder Ferro and we worked really hard, we were able to give 2 more blessing and teach some people. Wow, I love teaching, it’s so much fun, and it’s so cool to explain about the church and how it all came to pass. That night we had dinner, which was amazing and perfect, we then got a call that I would be staying one more day. It has been over 3 days that I haven’t been in my area. Sunday I went to church in the other ward, and I got to bring all the people that I meet that week to church. We had 6 new people in church, what a great day. After church we all went to eat lunch and then everyone went to my house. We had 10 elders in my house that night, and wow was it crazy, it ended up being a big slumber party. Half way through the night someone started a war, and yeah we didn’t get any sleep, but that’s normal, and today we are going to have a pday as a zone, which should be fun. This week has been crazy but fun. I also had another baptism in my ward, so there you go saving more soul.
Dalton

Sept 8, 2014
Hey Family, yet another week has passed…haha it goes so fast.
My week started with paintballing with the guys in my zone. It was so much fun and crazy. I have a bunch of good welts, but it was really fun. Tuesday had me in cidade slavador, we had 4 lessons there. We were helping everyone get ready for baptism. Wednesday and Thursday were just normal days we worked hard and taught some lessons. On Thursday we made lunch, so me and the other American we made lunch for us. It came out really good, I made this chicken thing, rice beans and I even made a cake. It all came out really well. Friday had me going on a divisão with a different elder, we went to this one house to talk about his baptism, when we got there, the other elder was like almost forcing the guy... and that’s when he snapped... he got up and started yelling at us, saying that all we want to do is throw him in the water, and he was so mad, he said that he was never going to church, and his wife couldn’t go anymore either. He walked over in to the other room, and the wife started crying and said look what you have done I can’t go to church now. The guy came back with a bottle of wine or beer, and said “look what you did, you made me become the man that I am not”, and he drank it right in front of us. The Elder was still trying to talk with him and the guy threw the bottle on the ground the glass went flying everywhere, I even got cut and started bleeding. I stood up, and I looked right in to the man’s eyes, and he looked at me, and then I started to speak, I spoke with the authority of the Lord, and I said things that I didn’t know before, I spoke with power, and I didn’t move. He then sat down and started to cry, a grown man was crying. I spoke with the guy, and I talked with him for 3 hours, I helped him with his fears, I answered his questions, and I helped him feel better. I then marked him for baptism, and he accepted and in one week he will be baptized. In the end he was asking for forgiveness of me. I told him don’t ask me forgiveness ask the lord, I am as weak as you. I am only human. I had him say the last prayer... wow the words he said we so sweet, something you only hear once in a life time. He cried and I cried with him. We left and the spirit was so strong, he looked at me and said come back any time. He had a change of life in 3 hours, and my life change also. So yeah every day after I have called him, I check on him but he is firm. He has had a change of heart. Saturday had me teach this kid Robert... wow he is so cool, we taught him about missions and being the example for his friends, and he started crying, and wow he is such a cool kid. He is 18 years old and he is so ready to go on a mission. Sunday came, and it had me in the waters baptising joão, he is a great investigator. He has been investigating the church for 3 months before I came to the area. When I came here we talked and he just wasn’t sure he was ready and that when I learned that he had lost some of his kids in a car accident. I talked with him about the temple, and told him that he can see them again. He cried so much. He didn’t believe he could see his kids again, but I bore my testimony and he just cried. He wanted to be baptized and go to the temple with his wife and be sealed to his kids for all eternity. So this Sunday I helped him make his first steps to get back to heaven and his family. Sunday night we had churrasco which was amazing. This has been a crazy week. I love you my familia, I hope all is well EU TE AMO VOCES
P.S. I forgot to tell you I gave another blessing this week.

Sept 1, 2014
Hey Family,
This week was a good and busy week. Every day had me running from one end of the city to the other. My best two days were Friday and Saturday. We have been working with this member Petterson who is 22. He is a returned missionary, and he’s just a bro. He played pro soccer for about a year, then got hurt, so he decided to back out, he could have kept playing, but he wanted to live a different life. We worked with him a ton, he has taught me so much, he has taught me a new way to work with our investigators, he also teaches with such great power, and when he bares his testimony it’s like the world stops moving and listens to him speak. He makes friends with everyone. He is a great friend, and I would have to say my best friend I have met. He is so funny, so both of those days we worked really hard, and taught a ton of lessons. On Saturday we taught 7 lessons, and marked 3 people for baptism. Wow, we worked hard, On Sunday we had 10 people in church, that is so many people, Ii was running from one end of the church to the other, trying to get everyone in classes and trying to grab members to become friends with them. It went really well, we work super hard. I have never worked so hard before, we have a great pool of investigators, and I hope that we will have a bunch of baptisms. Also this week I was asked to give 4 more blessings.... wow I don’t know what it is, but I feel that I am an instrument in the lords hands. The blessing this week were so powerful (talk about a testimony builder)., and doing it in Portuguese is so cool. These are things I will never forget. This week was good, on Sunday night I did get a little sick, my body is just hurting... but hopefully it will pass. Have a great week and keep working hard.
Dalton
P.S. We have our new mission Presidents. He came this week and is an American. He is one of the 70 in this area. He is cool, we will have interviews with him next week. He will be here for 11 months and then we are going to get another one. That means I will have 3 Presidents on my mission. There are some elders who will have 4. It is crazy how fast time is flying.
New Mission President

Aug 25, 2014
Well this week was a crazy one, like every other week Tuesday was normal, we had a few lessons, and just had a normal long day, oh and note every day this week I got up by 630 and went to this park with the other missionary in my house to play basketball and soccer. Wednesday was really good, we went on splits with the youth, and found like 6 people to teach, which was cool, because it’s hard to find people. Thursday we started our day, but we had to go to the stake center and clean up the building because we had the conferencia of the mission. That night we stayed at a different elders house and we stayed up late eating açai and talking about the mission. We didn’t go to bed until like about 4 in the morning.. and got up at 530 so that we could open the church. Everyone was there, President said that he is leaving in a few weeks, and that the mission is over for them. They gave some talks and gave us presents and just had a last good bye. That was a little sad, but now we get a new president. Then that night I stayed with elder Freitas and we taught a lesson the next day and then went to this members house and gave a blessing. I was asked to give it in Portuguese. Saturday we went to lunch but the irma gave is the wrong address so we walked for an hour trying to find this house, until we saw the son and he helped us to the house, and then we walked to visit some different people and yeah we walked all day for 4 hours in the hot sun... burning.... yeah I got sunburned... and got lost.. and yeah it was stressful... oh and to top it off we only have hills in our area...... wow was i so tired. We then went to the church and had an activity which was really fun with the youth. Sunday was good, we went and picked up some people for church and then just went to the classes, at the end of church we were getting ready to leave and a irma grab my arm, shes like 80 and asked for a blessing. Igrabbed my comp and we went to the other room, and we talked with her, and then my comp said that he didn’t fell like he should give the prayer part so I did. I started out speaking some things, and then I stopped and the spirit took over. I said things I didn’t know about, and the Irma started to cry and so did I. This blessing was amazing. I felt the power of god, and the Holy Ghost in the room. There are not words that I can say to describe what I felt. Wow this church is so true, after the blessing the irma came to me and was like I didn’t tell you everything, but you answered questions in my heart. You truly are a servant of god, and where ever your mom and dad are, they are proud of you. You have a gift, and you just helped me. Wow this was so amazing, it’s crazy how many blessing I have already given. Each time it still surprises me how amazing it is, and how I feel doing it. If there is one thing I can say, always be ready because you never know where you will be called on. Be ready and worthy to serve.
Last conference with Mission President

Getting Lost

Aug 18, 2014
Hey Família
Well let’s just say so much has happened. I don’t even know where to start. Monday we had a Zone meeting and we all were in the church in carrão. They called our Zone Leaders and told them where we would be going. I found out I was going to Jacareí, in the JD Liberdade area. That is on the other side of the mission. That night I stayed up until 2 in the morning packing all my stuff. Oh and yeah I have way to0 much stuff…like way to much stuff. Tuesday I met my new companion and we started our travel to our new area. We took the metro, then train, then bus, then another bus. In the end it took us 4 hours to get to our house. I am in a house with another group of missionaries. We go to the same ward and everything. It is really fun. Every night we mess around and it’s just so much fun to go to lunch with 4 elders. This first week was amazing. We worked and walked a ton. They really don’t have buses in this area, so if you want to go somewhere you have to walk. This week was really good we had lessons every hour of the day starting before lunch. Thursday we had a lesson at 10:45PM. We got home late, but the familia is almost ready for batismo. The fruit here is sooooo cheap. For a box of strawberries it is only 80 American cents, and they are so good. Every day I have different fruits. The ward is amazing, it is so big, and they have so many youth. The youth are so cool, they work with us, teach with us, they also play soccer and volleyball with us. Every Wednesday they bring friends, so we are allowed to come and play with them and talk with their friends. This week my shoes ripped in half, they have a big hole, so I am down to only one pair for everyday wear. Sunday the class for investigators the teacher was sick so me and my comp taught the lesson... which went really well so that was good. This week was good, oh and I made French toast on Friday for everyone, the other American in the house has maple syrup. It tasted so good. I really like it here; it’s kind of amazing to work again, and to teach. I am doing the Lords work, and growing.
Questions I asked Dalton
1. What is the biggest difference between where you are now and where you grew up?
This isn’t the city so it is a lot poorer, and more relaxed. People don’t work every second of the day and they are a lot nicer.
2. Something you will miss eating from your mission when you have to go home?
We eat rice and beans every day for lunch, so I guess when I get home that will be the thing I miss. The fruit is good here and there are so many different types.
3. What do you wish you had done BEFORE your mission that would have been really helpful?
That is a good question and there is not much I really would have changed. Learn more about The Book of Mormon and Bible. Really just learn to be cool and relaxed and to never get mad, things happen but if you can always have a smile then your day will be that much better. I wished I read a lot more of The Book of Mormon before, just like one chapter a day it is so easy, just 10 minutes out of my day. Yeah that is just all part of it.
4. What is the most amazing thing you have seen on your mission so far?
The love the people have here, and how most people have only been members for five years. A lot of the missionaries are the only members in their family. The coolest thing I have seen was “The temple of Solomon”, it was crazy cool.
5. How has Brazil changed you?
I am humbled now, I have such a perfect life. What I had may not have been a lot in the states, but here I lived the perfect life. I never knew how good I had it. The house and the conditions that people live in is unreal, sometimes it hurts me in the heart to see people living in these conditions, it’s crazy. This church is so true, the joy that comes from it, is what keeps them going. I have learned how blessed I am, and how much more I am blessed to have been born into the faith. Brazil has changed me more than I could have imagined and I have only been here 5 months.

NEW COMPANION

Aug 11, 2014
Hey mom, I can’t write much today because something really bad happened. Our mission President is going home early. He has problems with his visa and has to go home. Transfers are coming up and if I get transferred I am not going to lie, I am going to miss this ward. They are so good and I have made so many good friends. This week has been slower but I have learned things that will change my life.

Aug 3, 2014
This week started out crazy, Tuesday had me with Elder Diniz who is my ZL. He was in my area and we did some work, we found 2 new people to teach and were able to have janta (dinner) with a family which was cool. They are less active and we talked about the importance of praying every day and every moment. Wednesday had me going to a bunch of different appointments for my comp. He needed to have a bunch of tests done. We then had family night with our investigator, which was perfect. The family that had them over are perfect. I just love them, they are so strong in the gospel and are always willing to help us. Thursday was really slow, we didn’t have much, so we went to a park and did some contacts. We gave out 5 Book of Mormons away, maybe they will do some good. Friday found me at Irma vanild’s.... wow she makes the best food, her suco de limão is, wow. I just die for it. We then went to a dentist to check my comps teeth because he broke it when he fell on the ground. After we had two lessons that went well. Well one did go well and the other one, no one was there. Yeah that happens a lot. It was then dinner with Tarsil, who is a new member. She is going to BYU Idaho in a year and she is super cool. She speaks 5 different languages which is really cool. Saturday we went to Lucas house and taught his mom, which went really well. We then went to the new Temple of Solamon, it is the same thing as in the bible. Wow it is so big, and they put a lot of work into it. Sunday was a normal day. Today we went to 25 de março which was so cool. It is the same thing as china town in New York. So many people were there, and a ton of elders. We met elders from 5 different missions today, which is so funny. I bought a ton of fresh looking ties. We have one more week until transfers and then who knows where I will be!!!!!
Dalton