Its been two weeks since ive updated everybody and im really excited about today!
Transfers: This last week i recieved my first transfer to a new area in the mission. I am now serving in an Area called "Bom Pastor" in the zone of São Jose Dos Pinhais. My new companion is Elder Galdeano from São Paulo and our area is the largest in the mission and includes the airport, so i get to watch planes take off and land all day which is one of my favorite parts of the new area. The bishop in our ward here is named Bishop Miner and he is from Colorado, speaks fluent english, and is really cool. I talked to him this week about Football (The ACTUAL football) and told him how i havent had a conversation about the NFL in four months. I told him i liked the Indianaoplis Colts and he responded: "The Colts... never heard of them.. are they professional?" my companion speaks just a little english and he got the punchline, finding it a lot funnier than I did.
Work: Here in Bom Pastor we have a young man thats 15 named Gabriel. He is awesome, plays volleyball and loves to meet new people. Upon arrival my first day we had a leson with him and i marked a date with him for Babtism, so we are praying for his faith to be strengthened and for him to get babtized! His family is very outgoing as well which isnt very common here in the south of brazil, so i am trying to work with them as well to invite them to hear our message about the restoration of the gospel, but they are so strong in the Catholic faith they arent interested,but they are still an amazing family to talk to and to get to know. We have a lot of opportunites this week as well to mark with new investigators.
Saying Goodbyes: Yet this last week it was really hard to say goodbye to my old area in Paranaguá. We had some of the youh come out to the bussaion to say goodbye which was a nice surprise. I had a hard time saying goodbye to Elder Garlick and Dos Santos as well, and we had sent off Elder Rodgriguez just three days before as well. The ward out there is amazing and the work of the gospel is moving forth in all of the corners of the world.
Power Struggles: We were without power again for three days here it was actually really cool. Im getting used to the Brazilian power outages and its almost funny now. There was also rain here in my new area all week and it poured. We continued to work and to knock doors but the work of getting into houses ironically is really hard in these superstorms with everyone shut in.
Brazilian Perks: But some bright news is that here inbrazil everything is only like $5. So i bought a New Neymar soccer jersey this past week for $5 and its actually pretty nic even though its chinese and fake. Another perk is that most of the crazy guys you meet on the street have a talkshow on the radio so if you can contact the right ones you can pass the message of the gospel on through them. We had one in Paranaguá that was especially fond of the missionaries and he said he would give us a shoutout saturday mornign on his religious talkshow. I got a shoutout to "Elder Ostridge" which was to die for it was too funny. Also this last week it was fathers day in brazil here and i played a remix of "I am a child of God" and "My Dad" for the primary kids to sing to in sacrament. Speaking of sacrament, i spoke both in my old ward on the 14th and in my new ward yesterday as well, giving 10-15 minute talks in a different langauge is nerveracking but after its over you can feel the spirit so strongly and my testimony is growing.
Your Funny Story for the week: So the missionaries have the opportunity here to have lunch everyday with a member, which is amazing. Right before transfers i had lunch with one Member named "O". so "O" fed us lunch and we had linguisa which is pretty much sausage. So when i was full i had half of my sausage left on my plate and could not take another bite i was so full. "O" said: "Comé mais Elder" (Eat more Elder) and i responded that i was full and laughed saying i really couldnt. "O" got this look on his face straight out of a Tom Hanks movie and he got this savage glare on his face, looked at me and said "No problem" now "O" is an amazing guy and he's older and he invited us back to have dinner that night with him and his wife. Upon arrival a big platter was set out on the table for us! At time to eat we had prayer and he uncapped the top of the plater to reveal a nice chicken and... my half eaten sausage for lunch. The other three missionaries had to hold their breaths from not laughing and i just couldnt help but stare at the sausage. Needless to say i had to finish it now. The moral of the story is when youre in your mission and the member tells you to eat more, you better "Comé Mais".
Spiriual Story for the week: But on a more spiritual note this last week the day before transfers i had lunch in the home of my beloved member firend Nano, who i love so dearly. He had most of his family over and there was one man that sat all dinner with his family as well around the realy large table they had set up and didnt talk much. After dinner i got the promping to talk to him which in English wouldnt be so hard at all but in a different langauge is really scary actually because i dont want to sound dumb or to make a mistake in my speaking. But i thought "what would i say in english and ill translate it to portuguese" and i saw he had a classic muscle car on his shirt and also tatooed on his arm, so i said in portuguese "Do you like cars?" and thats all it took. We talked for almost a half an hour about cars, then brazil, then my mission, then the gospel. They are now investigators back in Paranaguá with Elder Garlick and his new companion and they are an amazing family. The gift of tongues is real and i wouldnt have grown in my testimony on that during lunch that day had i not followed the promptings of the spirit. This past week i finished the book of mormon as well for the first time in my mission. the experience was amazing and i have a testimony as well that the book of mormon is true. My new companion calls me "Super Mormon" because im always bearing my testimony or studying or trying to teach so i take that as a compliment that im doing something right in my mission! Hahaha
Spiritual Thought: This week i want to talk on another christlike attribute. The attribute of Virtue and why exactly its so important in our lifes. Virtue is a status of cleanliness and our innermost thoughts and desires. It is a prerequisite to recieving spiritual guidance. What you choose to think and to do when you are alone is a strong measure of your Virtue. Preach my gospel explains Virtue like a stage. Only ONE actor can occupy the stage at a time and if left empty and bare unwholesome thoughts may enter. We need to occupy our mind with positive things such as the scriptures, family, positive experiences and the holy ghost. Psalms 24:3-4 Says to us to have a "Pure heart and clean hands" and through this christlike attribute we learn and find the "change" to have more desire to do good continually. D&C 121:45 speaks about always letting virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly and so we will be able to "put our trust in that spirit which leadeth to do jsuly, to walk humbl, to judge righteously... which shall enlighten your mind and fill your soul with joy." (D&C 11:12-13) I know that through this chirstlike attribute we can be more open to recieving spiritual knowledge and to learn more about what we need to do to live with our father in heaven again. I am so grateful for my knowledge on the plan of salvation and i know that this is the true and restored gospel of jesus christ. My dad said to me this week in his email that there is "One Doctrine" and its the "ONLY way" to return to live with our father in heaven again. Im grateful for this knowledge and my opportunity to share this as wel in my mission.
Untilnext week i love and miss all of you more dearly than you know!! The church is true! Give service this week as well and "Comé Mais"
-Elder Matthew Arscott
No comments:
Post a Comment