Open Your Mouth and It Is Filled

Hello Everyone! 

We did all the normal stuff this week. The only problem is that it has taken a turn for the cold and nobody wants to open their door for it seems cold paralyzes Brazilians, but we are working with that.

In other news, my companion’s hands are fine now. We went to the hospital last Monday. After waiting two hours they called him in and did a blood test that we had to wait two more hours for. It was actually two and a half because they forgot to call us for a half an hour. Then they gave him two shots (one in the rump) and a prescription for cold medicine. As much as he understood, they didn't say what was wrong with him, but he is better now so I won't worry about it. Hospitals in Brazil are a bit different.

This week I learned what they mean in Doctrine & Covenants when it tells you to just open your mouth and it will be filled. We have been teaching a family for a couple of weeks now.  It is a mother and son (advanced in age) who live together. They have been trying to quit smoking but the progress has been slow. They like all the stuff we are saying but they weren't sure if they wanted to get baptized yet. The last couple of times that we have visited them, I have just been reading scriptures from the Book of Mormon that come into my head when they ask things. I haven’t really known where I was going with it.  Then yesterday I asked them when they would feel ready to be baptized because they said they didn't feel so. They said when they quit smoking they will be ready.  I really have no idea how that happened but it is very true.  I really had no idea where I was going with any of the stuff I was saying but it just worked out.

Then we were teaching a woman and we had decided to teach her the plan of Salvation. For no reason at all, I spent about 10 minutes talking about the fall of Adam which is really a small point in the overall lesson and then she started to ask a bunch of questions about the stuff I had said (because it was different from everything she had ever learned). Then I realized that what I had said answered one of the questions she has had since we began to teach her.

Then we were teaching a less active member and I didn't know what I was going to say to her at all in the lesson, and so I just read a scripture and shared a story that was just the first thing that came into my head.  After that she said that she knows that for her to be happier in her life, she has to start keeping the commandments.  It was what we had been trying to teach her for weeks but all of the sudden she accepted it.  I never thought that would happen from the story that I shared.

Please understand that I do not share these stories to brag or to show how great of a missionary I am.  In every one of these stories I had no idea why I was saying the things that I said.  I just opened my mouth and it was filled.  It really works.  I couldn’t ever believe that I could do this whole missionary thing without God's help because I have to ask people to change their lives completely everyday.  I don't do miracles, I just get to watch them happen.  That is really awesome.

I hope you all have a good week.  I love you all!

Elder Russell 

They Are Out There!

So this week was kind of cool. We met a Mom and her kid (who is 50) this week and we began to teach them. They went to church this week and Jose Luis, the son, told us that he really wanted to quit smoking and had been trying for years. We are going to help him. There really are people out there who want help but just don't know where to find it.

Another person we met was a woman named Fabiana. She has been looking at many religions and is basically just disillusioned with the whole idea of religion now. We told her about prophets and she said that if she knew there really was a prophet on the earth today, she would feel a lot more secure because she could know what God wants for her and her family. There really are people who just want a little bit more in their life and they just don't know where to find it. They are tired of all the solutions the world has offered that don't really work out too well. That is why I am a missionary, to try and help the people who are looking for the gospel.

In other news, my companion has some kind of malady of the skin on his hands and feet and I hope it isn't contagious.  I don't think it is. I will deal with it because he is a good cook.

This week we had a meeting with the Branch leadership and they are trying to give us a lot more support now. I hope it happens like they want.

We are teaching classes in English and Spanish (because there's a Chilean here). Basically no one is coming but we are going to give it a little bit more time. I find that teaching English is really complicated.

Those are some thoughts for you, but I really don't have a lot to say this week. I had a good week. I hope all of you did as well!  I love you all!

Elder Russell

Why Do Brazilians Think That We Look Like Germans?

So Brazil lost the world cup, which really wasn't a big surprise to anyone that was honest. From the scores, they really hadn't been playing very well from what I hear. But I really don't think anyone expected that they would loose 7 to 1. That was a little extreme. The only problem now is that everyone thinks that we are Germans because anyone who is blue-eyed and blond-haired (my companion) looks German to Brazilians. I don't really know why but that’s okay.

In other news our world has returned to normalcy. Nobody is crazy in the streets and there aren't going to be more fireworks (well at least there shouldn't be). And we are just going to continue talking to people. This week was really quite amazing. We have started saying a prayer and asking where we should go to find more people to teach. When we do this and then go to the place we felt strongly about and start knocking on doors, without fail, within three doors someone has let us in, if not two. God really knows where we need to be; but like in all things, he gives us what we ask for (if its good for us). If we don't ask, we often don't get it. So we just asked and it has been going pretty well so far.

I don't have much more to say this week except that grating a pound of cheese with a knife is a bit annoying.  I included a picture of the American pizza we made and I will have you know that I grated all of cheese for two of these pizzas with a knife.

 I hope you all have a good time this week doing whatever it is you are going to do. I know I will. I love you all!

Here is a picture of my zone.  It is a lot bigger now than when I arrived.

Elder Russell 

Seven Months . . . But Who's Counting

I finally received the package from my family. It was quite satisfying and I am enjoying the shampoo the most I think, even though I have to be careful because the ants that live in our bathroom seem to like that kind of shampoo. We have a colony of ants that live in our bathroom I think; but that is okay because they eat the cockroaches. 

So this week was a bit crazy because we spent a lot of time not working annoyingly. We had interviews with the mission president so we had to travel to another city for that and then Brazil had to play in the World Cup again so we had to stay inside that day for the most part. But despite these troubles we are trying to do our best. 

As a missionary it is interesting to spend a lot of time in the same city as I have done here. People seem to be very open with missionaries. People have told me things after an hour of knowing them that they say they would never tell to even their family. Sometimes this is good, other times I didn't want to know, but I guess that is just part of the work. The other part about serving in one area for a long time is that you begin to know the city very well.  I think I know my half of Votuporanga better than some people who live here. Then it is even crazier to think how much more there is to discover in Votuporanga, principally the people. I still have an awful lot of people to talk to in this city. Maybe I will have to stay here until I talk to them all or something. There is obviously something that I am forgetting to do here because its been a while.

In other news, there will be another Brazil game this week, but it could very well be their last because they are playing Germany. However, if it isn't, they will go to the finals. That would be crazy. I guess I will just try and do my thing even with all this crazy stuff happening.

That is about all that is going on this week. I hope you are all having a great week and that the next one is even better.  I love you all.

Elder Russell 

Votuporanga From a Different Perspective

Hello everyone! This week was my first week with my first new companion. It is interesting how much things can change with a different companion but that is definitely not a bad thing. I have already learned a lot with my new companion, but I guess I should introduce him a bit. His name is Elder Sigleer and he is from Oregon. It is definitely different being with an American, but I don’t really speak English anymore so it is quite similar as well.

We had a baptism!!! Her name is Iane. She can't read, is 62 years old and has a testimony that the church is true and can really bless her life. It is pretty cool. She didn't decide quickly though.  It has been more than 4 months that we have been teaching her. She really had to feel that it was all right for her before she would get baptized. She doesn't really understand exactly what it was that Joseph Smith did but she believes he was a prophet so she qualifies. The baptism was quite nice. She was able to enter the pool to get baptized by herself which is pretty amazing because she isn't very good on her feet anymore. But God gives us strength when we need it. I would say it was a miracle how spry she was on the day of her baptism.

She and her family come from very poor circumstances. I am very excited to see the changes that this decision will make in the lives of all her six kids and at least 10 grandchildren (she doesn't remember if she has more or not). It was really quite an honor to teach this woman. She has more faith than some small cities.

Other than that we have just been chugging along. I am pretty excited to be able to continue working in Votuporunga with a different companion which will definitely give a different perspective on the work.

I hope you all have a good week. I love you all! The World Cup is still going if any of you are still wondering and as of the time I am writing this letter, the US is actually still in it, I believe.

Elder Russell

Crazy Stuff Happens When People Get Transferred

So this week is transfers and I ... am staying in Votuporanga! But Elder De Oliveira is leaving. However, he is staying close by. Actually, he is leaving to become my Zone Leader. It’s funny how stuff happens. Sadly for him, a woman that we have been teaching for four months decided that she wants to get baptized next Saturday. I guess he needed to leave for her to get baptized. But her story is a happy one for those people who are serving or served a mission and believe that members (other Mormons) never help the missionaries. She is a woman of age that lives a good distance from the church. A family that lives close to her picks her up every Sunday for Church. And now, since her family is of limited means, so to speak, that branch is going to do a service project to remodel her daughter's house. I am very happy for her decision to be baptized. 

In other news, the church continues to grow in this region. If Votuporanga continues to have good attendance in church meetings, it will become a ward this year and the Rio Preto Stake (which Votuporanga is part of) will divide this year, as well, if every thing keeps going as it is. The mission is growing too. We have hit almost 200 missionaries now. A lot of wards have two or three companionships in them. This area is just getting bigger and bigger, at least as far as the church is concerned.

It was a good week.  The World Cup continues, but I only know what the people are saying in that department so it is kind of weird. I hope all of you are having a good week as well. I love you all!

Elder Russell

A Different Idea of an Appropriate Use of Public Funds

         

My District with Votuporanga in the Background

        So since the Votuporanga Branch is basically the last stop of the church in this neck of the woods, all the members that live in cities beyond it are also in the branch. One of these members lives in a small town called Turmalina. When I say small I really mean small. The city is roughly a catholic church (because regardless of size, every city has a catholic church here) and about a four by four grid of streets surrounding it.  This member is an elected official in this town so obviously he knows everybody who lives there. So he distributed 100 copies of the Book of Mormon to the people he knew. Then this Saturday we went and visited a bunch of these people and also invited them to come to church the next day because it was branch conference. This invite was a lot easier because this member was able to convince the mayor to allow them to use a city mini-bus free of charge to transport anyone who wanted to go to church.  We obviously had to go meet the mayor to thank her for the support.  I'm not really sure if this is corruption or just a Brazilian idea of an appropriate use of public funds.

The World cup has arrived. And Brazil went a little crazy for the first game since Brazil played.  It was a national holiday and everything was closed. When Brazil scored a goal you could hear the city cheer.  It was kind of crazy. During the game only one car passed in front of our house. Everyone was at home watching. I am sure it will only get more crazy as the Cup goes on and the games get more important. That was the thing that was interesting to me.  Everyone was partying after the game when it was against Croatia and everybody knew that Brazil would win. But a party is a party after all so why not?

I hope you all have a good week. I love you all!

Elder Russell