Always Unexpected Experiences!

Nicholas Holmes <nicholas.holmes@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Time really is flying by so fast! I only have 4 more weeks left in my training. It's crazy! So I'll start off by answering all of dad's questions because I know that will make him happy!  

Anyways on p-days we don't really do much. There isn't a whole lot to do! We come to a lan house at the super market to send our emails and then after that, we do our shopping for the week. We have our own washing machine so we do our own laundry but then we have to wait for it all to dry! There's not really any site seeing at all in our mission, or at least I don't think.  haha Pretty much just all city, so not much to go see! I did find out this week though that the ocean is like less than an hour away from where we are, but it's now outside our mission so we can't go there! So we pretty much email, shop and then return back to the house and do stuff around there. Ocasionally I will take a nap which feels pretty refreshing! Today is about the same schedule I don't think we have anything planned. I need to get a hair cut today so we will probably go to that! As far as a support system within the ward for our new converts, it is pretty good, especially within the youth.  They are super good at welcoming recent converts into the church. It is a ward not a branch and we have a big ward. The chapel is always filled with people. Our new elder here said that in his last area there wasn't nearly as many people and the chapel was never all the way full. So we are way lucky here and have a ton of members to work with! 

So this week was pretty awesome because we got to go to the temple on Thursday! The temple here is way pretty! I'm trying to send pictures of it but everyt ime I try, this computer freezes, so maybe no pictures this week! So it was super special to be able to go to the temple! I was pretty dissappointed though,  because normally after the temple the missionaries get to go to the Tucanos like restaurant next to the temple, which from what I hear is amazing. We didn' get to go because Elder Assis didn't cancel our lunch with the sister, so we had to go eat beans and rice! haha Next time, though!  I am excited to try this place out!!

Yesterday was pretty hard, not going to lie! Only 6 of our investigators showed up to church when we were expecting like 16! That was pretty hard and then after church literally every appointment we had fell through! It was so hot and I was so tired and we had no one to teach! We made a lot of contacts and then got to the church and stopped to think of who we could go visit when we saw Mak and OJ and Moses (our african converts) coming to the church. Man I love these guys. They are so funny! Mak's brother was with them. I had met him before but didn't know they were related because he speaks fluent portuguese! We've invited him to church but he didn't really have a desire. Last night he showed up and we showed him around the church and it was so awesome! We went into the cultural hall and he asked if he could pray so were like yah sure. He knelt down right there and starting praying like total african style!! He did this twice!  When he was done, he stood up and said that he'd never felt like this in any other church and that he wanted to join! Incredible! He said that he was going to stop drinking and start coming to church, all of this without us saying practically anything! He has been living in Brazil for about 3 years now so he knows his language and he even married a native Brazilian! Man it was such a cool experience and definitely a much needed booster for the day! 

Other than that, things are going great!!  I'm loving the work and our area is pretty bomb! Thanks for all the support!! 

Elder Holmes