10/7/2008
Hey,
I´ll go ahead and answer first, MY WEEK WAS MUITO OTIMO! Its hard to even
remember what else happened when proselyting was so great. Everyone knew the
week was going to fly by and it certainly did. Everyone was cramming (ew i just
smashed a bug across my screen) way hard all Thursday. We had friday morning
to practice and then right after lunch we went to work.
We met at the front of the CTM with one of our instructors to jump back into
the clown car we had all traveled in when we first got here. Already knowing
where we were going (Santa Cecila, subway station) but not knowing what it may
look like made the some what long car trip and exciting adventure around every
turn. Before we had left each of us had received 2 ´´Books´´ of Mormon (best
two years anyone?) and a handful of pass along cards. As soon as we were let
off the bus me and my companion walked into this open area, in front of a church
ironically, and i had us walk over without hesitation to someone sitting on a
bench were i just started speaking. The man was very kinda and accepting in
listening to our message and i handed out my first pass along card. We met
many different people throughout the day but i think my next favorite is a man
we stopped on the street to talk to and as we finished and started to give him
a pass along card i had the distinct feeling to give him a book instead,
awkwardly reaching behind my Comp´s man bag and pulling one out to give to
him. He was very great full and shook both our hands lovingly.
Of course not everyone was as interested we spent some 15 minutes talking....
listening to this lady speak on the position of there only being one bible. Its
prolly the most frustrating thing in the world to be able to understand the
ideas coming out of her mouth but not really have the words to respond.
Naturally i could say some basic sentences but nothing that could possibly
respond to her network of arguments. It ended pretty great with her telling
my companion (who she must have, oddly enough, thought spoke portuguese) that
i didn~t understand a word and that he should make sure i know better
portuguese before i´m allowed out on the streets again. Quite honestly it was
hard not to laugh especially when the first thing Elder Duerden said afterwards
was ´´ok lets try and go over what she said,´´ in an i´m not entirely sure wat
happened ton. But it makes sense because the way he speaks, though all in
first person and three to five word sentences, is smooth and without hesitation.
As far as my portugeuse here was my message:
Oi tudo bem? Qual é sue nome? Praze em conesh-lo. Nos somos missionario´s de
A igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias. Nos temos uma mensagem
sobre do evanghlo verdadeiro. Gostariamos de lhe ensinar muita repidomente a
respito do evanghlo. Em mel oitocentos e viente nos cremos que Joesph Smith
orou saber qual igreja era verdadeiro. Dues disse não unir querqual igreja,
mas deu a ele o Lirvo de Mormón. Este livro testifica de Jesus Cristo e
também é a prova que Joseph Smith foi um profeta. Eu sei que vocé pode saber
este pe verdadeiro attravés orar e ler.
then one of two endings
1. Vocé vai ligar este numero para saber mais?
2. Por favor aciete este cartão. Se vocé ligar este numero vai recebe o Livro
de mormón de graça
then
Eu sei que este livro vai trazer felisedade e paz para sue vida. Obrigato por
sue tempo
And so that was that. We handed out all of our books of Mormon and talked to
another devout Catholic old man who kept pointing to a tree and we couldn~t
figure that one out to save our lives you we kinda left awkwardly.
In other news i need to swear off buying ties, which the sell to missionaries
for super cheap down here. Its almost been a tradition to get a new one each
week. Luckily i swore off pink and blue so they are all different colors.
By the way family i sent you a letter via missionties today so hopefully you
get that because i like to think its a pretty good one.
In a weekly volleyball update we played a district who was almost directly
made up of high school allstars and only lost the first game by 2 points. One
of the elders on the on their team, Elder Christiansen, i´ve grown really close
to this week, he lives on our floor, is in our branch and went to Utah State.
And most importantly he is amazing at volleyball. They raised the nets this
week and his tall lengthy body was still whipping the ball arcoss the court
with each smash. Sadly he just felt this morning for Jaun Pessoa...i think.
This week has been all about the Plain of Salvation and i tihnk its goung to
be my favorite lesson to teach while i´m out here. Its wonderful to carry a
message about how families can be together for ever, even those that were lost
before they could here it. The mission president told a story about a lady the
missionaries had found crying at the door. When they asked if they could come
in, being very sentimental about her condition, she let them. Upon further
invistigation she told them that her child had just died and every priest and
bishop was telling her that her baby had gone to hell because it hadn~t been
baptised. What a blessing to hear the words that she could saee her child
again someday and return to live with him. I am so greatful to be here and
have that opportunity
While we were prosilyting we gave another book out to a lady watching her
kids play, well actually even before that i should include this other story.
We were walking down a street and this was more torwards the begining of our
adventure, when we saw a man trying to open a door with his feet while carrying
a box. I was going to offer to help then decided not to upon further
investigation. By the time we were even close the man hadn´t had much trouble
in prying open the door anyways and was already setting the boxes down. But
lending a friendly hand my comp asked the man if he needed anymore help. He
said no but thanks, and we continued one. Once out of earshot i looked at my
companion smiling and said something to the effect of, ´´Elder maybe we can
find another man to help carry beer across the street´´ knowing he hadn~t
realized that lol. The other story was one of finding a women on a bench
watching her boy play soccer, we gave her a Book of Mormon and continued on.
Then later walking back arcoss the same area we saw her almost 7 pages into it
already and still reading!
Even more exciting than that was an African man who actually came up to us while
we were talking to a very neat street vendor. He was the only person we ran
into that day who spoke english, for the most part. He was from Swaheli and
spoke aobut as much portuguese as we did, but was wondering if we had an
English Book of Mormon we could give to him. Sadly we di´dn´t but of course
we had a number he could call. He told us a little about himself and that he
was searching for the other stories the bible talked of but didn´t contain,
apparently he was reading to other Jerusalem versions of the bible at the
time...maybe three. I don´t remember.
Well i´m pretty sure thats most of the stories i have for this week.
Hopefully everyone got as much as i did out of general conference. I it thnk
most of it can be sumed up in Unity and Brazil is awesome. That Rome temple
better be out of this world btw. It felt like all the talks spoke to us
missionaries direcftly alot of the times though, all expect the one on
marriage of course. I ithnk we should all remember Ukdorf´s words in
Lefting Where we Stand. Having our hearts knit together is also a common
classic that can always do with some repeating.
I love all of you so much. I hoipe this is getting to everyone. If
anyone know´s Elder Lee´s email they should forward it to him. I sent
him a letter this week but i have no idea on his email address. As for
me i´m going to get a little volleyball in before choir. O speaking of
which me and Elder Clark are putting together an arrangment for this
sunday which combines the first and second verse of come thou fount with a
key change to army´s of helaman, and then twisting the 2 together at the end.
So far so good, tho the ending is shakey. But i wish continued luck in all
that you do at home. Travis excellent job on the Quad that is so great and
remind Prosser he owe´s me a pizza from water polo practice years ago.
Know Your Always in My Prayers
Elder Kyle Neuberger
No comments:
Post a Comment