Week 83

Hey whole world (as they say here)! It been a pretty good week in Monte Negro here and I´m still alive so I guess things couldn´t be better. 

So some cool stuff that went down this week.... I guess we could start with Thursday because I had my first district meeting then! We had to get up bright and early at 5 to get to São Leopoldo by 8:30 and start up because we were also having interviews that day. We got there just in the nick of time and started up just fine. We have 6 in our district plus one ZL is always there at least and it went well enough I suppose. It´s the first time I´ve given one of these things in Portuguese so it was a bit tough but I got the point across still I think. At the end we did a little get to know you stuff and I told everyone they had to pick a spirit animal, so if my district were a pack we would be (including one ZL): 

A lion

A wolf

an eagle

a falcon

a (flaming) horse

a cockroach 

a Honeybadger (yours truely) 

It´s quite a bunch, ha ha. I think it would make for some sick zone/district shirts though, ha ha. 

Also I brought some apple pie and spread the love a bit to the zone and to Pres. and Sister Wright. One other Elder also brought some ´ little rolled Cinnamon breads´ as we translated it, ha ha. Sister Wright was so shocked and excited that she gave us both a good strong arm-hug thing and started laughing, ha ha. It was pretty great. I think Pres. just might move me up to the office now just to make some more pies for them, ha ha. 

After all that happened some pastor-man showed up out of nowhere in the church. he had this big bock-hat thing on his head and was dressed in black and purple. At first glace I thought he was some sort of pagan priest of Baal or something but then he introduced himself as Brother Paul. He wanted a hymnal a Book of Mormon and to pass out some planphlets of his. He´s some kind of reformed catholic I think judging by the pamphlet. Anyway Sister Wright went and talked to him and gave him all that he asked and a gospel principals manual. She bore a simple and powerful testimony to him and thanked him for his pamphlet and he went on his way. 

It was interesting to feel how the spirit changed when she talked to him. I at first was a bit put-off by his boldness, entering to the house of another faith and giving pamphlets and stuff. But the way Sister Wright treated him with nothing but simple kindness and testimony. Sister Wright doesn´t speak excellent Portuguese but that seemed to even help her case. Her simple language and pure intent to help seemed to disarm the man and when he left the spirit was palpable. I was stunned by her example. There was never really a debate or anything hostile but it area seemed much calmer as she started talking. It went from a situation I wanted no part of to a rich spiritual experience. These two little old Americans in Brazil really are called of God, I say that calling in action. 

I bet you were all betting on hearing a bunch about general conference which was great and very uplifting. I just was very impressed by that one experience this week. It was a bit funny but I really left there edified. 

Well, I guess we can called that good this week. Just one more thing, I want to give a shout-out to my little brother Kyle who got his papers all sent in this week! I´m sure you´re gonna love where ever you go bro. I served both in the states and outside and I can promise you that it´s the same. Don´t feel bad if you don´t leave the country and don´t even those who do. The work is the same and there are plenty of crazy stories in the world to go round. You´ll have the time of your life and some of the hardest moments but you will come to know God as you preach his gospel. 

Have a good week everyone! Keep calm and drink açai juice :) 

-Um no exécito de Deus

Elder Teela