The Country Club

Elder Healy磗 back alright, Hello, hello wonderful people that have decided to remain updated on my life. I am writing you from an expensive English school owned by a return missionary here in Botucatu. I think they like the American publicity. Speaking of English, another American missionary in the city and I have started giving English classes for free once a week in the church. The first week was a little week, but we hope a better turn out tonight. It is really strange teaching a second language in a second language, but it was fun. We sung the alphabet, learned how to introduce ourselves, and practiced praying. I feel like everyone was uplifted. As missionaries we have to mark a lot of appointments. The problem is that it seems that we are the only ones who remember to keep them. Members and investigators alike simply aren磘 there when we mark a time and a place and it gets a little frustrating. So then we just have to make up new plans on the spot that are simply much less effective. If you dont want to learn, dont say you want to! But we should have some baptism this next week which is exciting. I am really having to apply the Christ attributes in my life this transfer. I have been having some compatibility problems with my partner in preaching. Whenever I talk about anything that I did before the mission or anything I am good at, he goes off and says I am super prideful. For example, I played chess against a member today and beat him relatively soundly and then he got mad when I talked about how I had won at some giant chess at the bus station. Then he says he is undefeatable at chess. Ugh... funny story, one time I went to the bathroom at like 6:20 and he changed the phones time to 6:15 so he could sleep 5 more minutes. I changed it back when he wasnt looking :) Patience, humility, love, charity, and hope for the transfers are all in play! I do like it when he tries to rap in English. I always bought some sweet, new flip flops because I lost one running to a bus. One of our investigators ditched a meeting so we went to hunt him down at the local gym. We felt ridiculous walking in white shirts and ties next to sweaty people in tank tops. We almost joined the gym, but the price was over 100 bucks entrance fee. Also, it required running in the morning which I really did not feel like doing. I have been studying recently about the process of repentance for the benefit of one of investigators whose mind was weighed down with sin. In D&C, it greatly simplifies forgiveness. 创Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same will be forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins, behold, he will confess them, and forsake them创 58:42-43. Everyone of us may apply this magnificent blessing in our lives, changing our thoughts and actions and confessing and abandoning the sin. I love you all so much and hope you can apply this wonderful gift in your lives so that your burdens might be lifted and your hearts purified. I love you all and hope the best for each of you. Come on really, Elder Healy

Apostasy

Hey everybody, I have heard several complaints about my inconsistency of updates this transfer and I hope you guys do not think of me as to lame because of this. I will try to do better. The reason I did not write a complete letter last week was because I was marking my call home, sorry :( And now a quick update on the work. We were eating a snack in a bakery when a man sat down at our table and began talking to us. He wanted to know what we do and also wanted to learn English. So we marked a visit with him and he accepted the baptism invite. He has read what we left for him in Book of Mormon and we will meet with him tommorow to remark his baptismal date. We found another man yesterday who works for the military and is an inactive Catholic. When we invited him to be baptized he was almost shaking. I have great faith he will be baptized next week with a little help ffrom us and Heavenly Father. We found yet another man on Monday who was worried about his wife who is several months pregnanat. So we tried to focus on how the family can be eternal and how the gospel can bless him. He also accepted the baptismal invite without hesistaion, and we will pass by there to try and teach his wife as well. We have a family of more anctient investigators who only faulted marriage. I decided to go to the marriage office and find out the policies in the city. It was so easy I couldnt believe they had not been married before. There marriage will be on the 28th and their baptism on the 2nd. One lady literally stopped my companion on a bus and asked us to pass by her house so that she could be baptized. Another anctient investigator for some reason had our phone number and sent us the occasional text. When he called, we invited him to prepare to be baptized. He accepted. We also had a less active mother of a recent convert try to destroy our faith by using an internet video that talks bad about the Church and the Book of Mormon. It was a stressful, but fortifying experience. I think I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith ten times during the lesson. I tried to help her through the scriptures and through logic, but nothing went through. One person there went so far as to accuse the member I was with of breaking commandments and being unworthy of the priesthood. At some point all we have to rely on is our faith and I know that the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith was a Prophet. I love you all <3 Come on really, Elder Healy

Esfilhas (mini pizzas)

Dear World, Just thought I would give you a shout from this cold end of the mission. We are now entering the Brazilian winter here. When we hit 60 degrees here they all act like they are going to die. My companion was literally shivering and said he could not feel his hands when it was still well above 50. So now he walks around in a camo hoodie. He looks just like a missionary... I tell people that it was -15 at my college and they think I am lying. I just walk around in my short sleeve shirt and my companion thinks I am nuts. I put on a sweater, and I know I am hot. So my companion is Elder Inacio. He has about 4 months out here, about half the time I have. He is from the North-East of Brasil and says that it does not ever drop below 80 there. He also weighs about 120 lbs so I can understand how adapting to the weather could be a little tough. He twisted his foot on Friday last week and until today he has been coplaining about it. There wasnt any swelling or bruising so the mission´s medic just told him to ice it, elevate it, and wrap it. He did none of these things and wonder why it still hurts. I just stay quiet and let him use my advil :) I am really excited to work in this area. There are like 20 people who have already visited church who I will try to contact and baptise. We slept at President´s House and Sister Tanner made us waffles. Best night ever! Then I had honey nut cheerios for breakfast, what what. The leadership meeting was a little dry, but the President´s words were really inspiring. He talked about the importance of doing our part. I must do my part if I want to see success here in this area. The Lord will see my effort and we will be blessed. So they have this place called Habib´s that sells fast food middle eastern style. So I bought some baklava, a hot dog, and esfilhas. It was super delicious. I think we are going to dry deep fried pizza this week. Yum! If you have someone in your life who is being really difficult to deal with or just rubs you the wrong way, dont worry because we all have people like that in our lives. Just love them, help them, and explain to them your feelings. And they will change. It is that easy and that hard. We have to do our part and try to accept them as they are. You cant force someone to do good. You can just let them do it them selves. I love you all so much. Come on really, Elder Healy