Fazenda Rio Grande - Semana 2 (Week 25)

This week has been good and crazy in the same time lol. So for two days we were in the office of President Cuvelier one for Zone Conference and another for Interviews which i always like interviews with President Cuvelier ! 

So one crazy day that we had this week was i think Saturday and we were just knocking doors and one lady got really heated up at us because our Sabbath day is on Sunday and not Saturday and she basically invited all of her neighbors over to judge us that we are breaking the 10 Commandments because we go to church on Sundays lol. She said to return tomorrow because her husband would like to talk to us. I fasted for this and i got a feeling not to go because i know they will be in our face a lot about this. It wouldn't be a lesson it would just be them talking really loud lol. Anyways that same day we were walking i the street and this man that is the father of one of our investigators saw us. Keep in mind he was a pastor (built his church) and now he is a drug addict and just doesn't have a really good life now. So he said Ay! and then i said Opa boa tarde Irmão (good afternoon brother) Then he went off and said to us if you all go to my house again talking about the living Prophet Mormon again i will beat you both up and then i will call the cops on you both! Anyways we had planned to teach his family but they weren't in the house so we will return another day lol. 

This week i have felt the Atonement more and realized the importance of it and how everybody needs it in their life. We has Zone conference this week and President Cuvelier asked a question and that is "What have you learned through the Book of Mormon most?" I personally have learned more about repentance and the Atonement of Christ more. The Book of Mormon mentions repentance 360 times in just 600 pages (Portuguese has 600 pages) and without the Atonement we cant be forgiven of our sins and return to Heavenly Father. What have you all learned most from The Book of Mormon? If you haven't yet read it, find out for yourself by reading! 

I have photos this week lol!

-Elder Hammond

 

 

First pair of shoes worn out in 6 months! Time for the second pair, and mom preparing to send more!

 

Fazenda Rio Grande - Semana 1 (Ala Pioneiros) (Week 24)

Hello everyone!

This week has been a bit crazy to be completely honest because my area is immensely bigger than my old area Novo Mundo. I think to be able to walk from one side to the other it has to be an hour or more just walking so that is fun lol. In Novo Mundo, i could walk from one side to the other and back in probably 30-45 minutes. The chapel for Church is outside of our area too which is new for me. It's a smaller ward because the wards split 6 weeks ago. We had a lot present this Sunday which is probably about 80 people in attendance so we have lots of work to do which is great! One thing I notices a lot Sunday is that the members rely a lot on the missionaries to almost teach lessons in class. It's a lot different than Curitiba for sure but I like it here a lot. Our session for church starts at 2:30 and ends at 5:30 which is cool because I get to study in the morning before we go to church .

This house we are staying in is huge too we have 3 rooms, kitchen, dining room, front room (with nothing in it) and 2 bathrooms and then a area we have space to exercise ( we don't exercise really intense lol). The first day we got there we cleaned for maybe an hour or more because I would of died without cleaning there but it's all clean now!

So for the past 2 or 3 days its bee raining a lot here which I normally like but when we can't stay inside its a bit annoying. Yesterday I know for sure it rained literally all day and maybe stopped for 10 min and then raining cats and dogs again. It's okay when it's raining during sleep but I like to have the sun out when we teach. 

Lol so we have these two dogs that always follow us literally everywhere. They are not ours or anything but the just follow us when we knock doors or teach lessons. I arrived here and my companion said yeah they just protect us I guess lol. 

I have photos but I left my camera at the house .....  Not much fotos but more of how worn out my shoes are lol. I will be changing into my new ones soon for sure! will send the photos next week!

Até mais!

-Elder Hammond

Hello again everybody! (Week 23)

Today I start my new journey in another area and this means I am emailing from a lan house which is kinda a downfall but this area is huge which means lots of people to work with and more growth of the Church of Jesus Christ !!! 

This past Saturday we had the baptism of Lebny Gabriel and Abner!!!! I am so so so happy for their decision to be baptized and am so honored I was able to baptize Lebny! After Sunday they said to me that if I leave for another area that my mission was complete in Novo Mundo because they were baptized! I am also so happy to see Gabriel and Abner be ordained as a Teacher and Deacon and receive the Priesthood !! There is literally no other better feeling than to see the people I care about be more happy than they ever have and see the light glow on them! So in our church, after we are Baptised you receive the Gift of The Holy ghost! I did the confirmation for Lebny and yes it was in Portuguese in front of the whole ward. 

My language is not as much as a stress as it has been in the past and I think this is just because I am being patient with myself and realizing I am only 5 months here so I can be calm! 

I am so very excited for this new area too now! I am nervous but I am excited to help this area grow! No matter where I serve I will be working as hard as I did in the last area! Our church session starts here at 2 PM so that's going to be a little bit different but maybe this means more can attend sacrament meeting when we invite? Idk let's see how this goes. My companion wants to learn English so this means we will have language study every day and 30 min of English for him too! 

I am so honored to be here in Brasil and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in another language. I am so honored to be able to wear a nametag with my name and Jesus Christ on it too! 

Photos soon! 

-Elder Hammond

The baptism of Lebny Gabriel and Abner! Bryson was able to baptize Lebny. He sure loves this family!

Bryson with his new companion Elder Perera! He was transferred today to a new area, about 30 min from where he was before. We found out his new area is called Pioneiros or pronounced "Pioneers" in English.

So fun to see the items and hand written letters we sent Bryson in his care packages this month! We love and miss you Bryson! Hope these things help home not feel so far away.

BAPTISM!!! (Week 22 - 5 Months!)

This week has had its ups and also its downs and I think more downs than I have had my entire mission just thinking more about other things and being frustrated in ways. I should not be frustrated though! We had a baptism this week of Vitor and I was super shocked he choose me to baptize him because his GF is a member and she has people in her family that he could of choose lol. Anyway, I was and still am so grateful that he choose me to enter the water and baptism him!! I said the words wrong the first time but Heavenly Father knows I tried to pronounce it right! He is really kinda like me in a way because he is going into school for sports therapy and won't even drink soda lol. I drink soda here now because usually, people drink soda or juice (i try to stay with the juice lol) . Anyways he has been long prepared to be baptized he just needed somebody to help with that process! 

This Saturday Lebny, Gabriel, and Abner will be baptized and they are really excited! They even already know who will baptize who! I will baptize Lebny, Elder Krepsz will baptize Gabriel and a member Bruno will baptize Abner who is the leader for the young men here! Anyways they are really pumped for this next step in their life and I am excited to see them take on this step. Gabriel will leave with us Thursday to eat lunch with a member and then maybe go to some lessons after (he doesn't know about the lessons part though lol). This Saturday will be great because in my district we will have 11 baptisms in one day and we are trying to have them all in the same Chapel at the same time!!! I think that would be really cool. 

We read a part in The Book of Mórmon this week in 3 Nephi chapter 11 verses 7-17 and this describes a part when Jesus Christ visited the Americas and showed the scars on his feet and hands. I love this part in the scriptures because some day we will have this opportunity to know Jesus Christ in person! The Bible and The Book of Mórmon testify of this. here below is verses 7-15 but verses 1-19 are even better!!

 7 Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.

9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the willof the Father in all things from the beginning.

12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.

13 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:

14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your ha ds into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and t rust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

Baptism of Vitor. He requested for Bryson to baptism him. 💗

Handsome Missionary, having fun! 😊

Packages from home and Suprise Skippy Peanut Butter! He received all of these on his 5th month anniversary! 😃