Vida Louca
Hey friends! I am gonna be so for real, I have been staring at this screen for an hour with zero clue what to write so bare with me. The original title was “Calm Before the Storm” but the storm hit early. My brain has about a million thoughts in it because of transfers but, it’s okay because it is my favorite week of the month. This week was good, lot’s of organization and prep work but it was super fun. I am now a pro at furnishing houses, I know how to pay utility bills in Brazil, I learned a whole new system. Oh but transfer news! My comp and I will stay together once again. BUT, we are going to train a new missionary who will also be a secretary! It will be good, we are excited. Our ward is also gonna have 9, yes nine, missionaries now.
The Last Supper (many times)
Y’all remember my comp from Vista Verde, Elder Garbin? He has been in the office for the last two transfers with us and this was his last week on the mission! For it being a last week it was pretty chill and we had a great time (and meals) with the members. Here is a rundown of the week:On Monday night we got some pizza with a member that always helps us with moving stuff around the mission. On Tuesday we had dinner with an awesome family that has started coming back to Church and we ran into our old executive secretary there. It was a super super good dinner. Wednesday was kinda an inconvenience; a property owner called us and said she didn’t pay the water bill and forgot to tell us. Then she started saying oh but I did this, this, and this, without charging you guys (things that she didn’t get our authorization to do, and didn’t even tell us they were problems in the first place). We had to nicely explain to her that it does not work that way and the water needs to be paid. It took 3 different phone calls and 45 minutes of conversation to get her to partially understand. It’s fine though because the next day we worked our secretary magic and got it paid. Also on Thursday we did some last minute appliance shopping (it took us less than 10 to buy appliances to furnish 2 houses). That is always a fun experience. Oh and I forgot, we went to the Bolivian Consulate. Interesting sidequest. Friday we had a meeting with Presidente to organize some last minute stuff before the transfer, with that we got sent to furnish some houses. My comp and I went on a nice little evening shopping spree and became professionals at buying even more stuff. Then we became Santa Claus and put together the welcome bags for the new missionaries (and deep cleaned the office). After that we got to play some volleyball with the ward. That was fun. The ward is coming back to life. Okay bare with me, we haven’t gotten through the whole week yet. Now that you have read this far… this is where the title comes into play haha.
Saturday we didn’t have lunch so while Gabrin and my comp cooked, I continued the office deep clean. We then went to tour a new house and oh my gosh it was the nicest house that I have seen in Brasil. New house tour coming soon! That night we had a family night with a family in the ward who invited their neighbors. I managed to convince them that I was Brazilian and then blew their minds when I said I was American. It was super funny. Our senior couple also came and Sister Gibson had made dessert. We ate a lot of food and then we had the awesome dessert. We went to share the message and then everyone got so side tracked, it was super funny. And then during the message they continued to get side tracked ahaha. Sunday was good! We managed to bring two inactive members and 3 non-members to church after all the hecticness of the week. Then a young couple in the ward made us lunch to send off Elder Garbin. I ate way way too much. On top of that they had dessert and I ate too much again. After that we walked back to the office and I edited our mission newsletter. After lots of editing we went over to my favorite member's house (the one that we had pizza with on Monday) and hung out with them. Of course they had food. I was already stuffed from lunch that day and the day before so I was cooked. And that was that. Basically all this to say nothing interesting happened this week and I ate a lot of food.
Brief Jots
I couldn't sleep last night because I was too busy trying to figure out transfer logistics in my head. Haha, just secretary things.
My comp trained the people that work for the area how to do things because they couldn’t figure it out. On top of that 90% of our work is calling the area until someone responds. No one likes to answer our phone calls.
Today I barely had a p-day. We went to buy some stuff, got back to the office and there was a water bill that “hadn’t” been paid (it had), my comp had a meeting with the area, the missionaries going home came into the office so then p-day was over. Since then I have been overseeing leadership transfers (since they are done on Monday) while the APs are babysitting the missionaries going home. It’s been hectic.
God's Hand
All the food given and love shown by the members.
The ward showed up to play volleyball. To be honest when it was 19h30 I had lost all faith that people would come to the activity but at 20h00 so many people showed up to play volleyball.
We had people at Church. I called one of our friends who said we would go pick up in the morning to confirm that we could and they said they weren’t gonna come. I was pretty frustrated but then I thought that we should go anyway. We went and they came to Church with us.
Finding two families that are part members and haven’t been to Church since they moved to Brazil.
Hearing from my friends!
Good study sessions!
Spiritual Thought
I love the story in Luke 15 about the father that welcomed his son back with immeasurable joy. 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Many times we don’t feel good enough to return or talk to our Heavenly Father and think he will look down on us or turn us away. In fact it is the opposite. He will rejoice that we turned back to him. He wants us to come back. He will always welcome us back with open arms.
Okay it was a quick one today but thanks for reading my check in. I hope y’all have a great week! Anything crazy happen?
Com amor,
Elder Urbano
