February 18, 2009

(In regards to the flu going around their apartment-and Jacob not getting it) Thankfully I did, and it seems to have passed through our apartment woohooo!! Other medical news the toe is still on the mend, orange sandals and a big white bandage are still the biggest things in style here in Itapetinga, transfers seem to have been delayed for a week here, so this a Saturday we'll find out if I stay or go...
Thanks for posting the address, I love getting letters.

Hair cut? They’ve got local barber shops here in Itapetinga, and thankfully we found one without porn posted on the walls to go to, it’s about $5 per cut generally speaking.

Well, let's see, this past week has been good, though we were all ready for transfers to arrive, Elder Jenkins has been getting a little ancy as he has been here in Itapetinga for 5-6 months(I think there about) We had an interesting time in Church this past Sunday, only four young men (Valmar, Igor, Helio, and Eliandro) were able to make it, and well as 12-15 year old boys are bound to do, when one begins to act up, the rest are as well, and after having them hanging around in a tree outside the entrance to the chapel, yelling out our names for a little bit of time I admit my patience was tried, so Elder Severo and I went out there to get them to at least quite down (Interesting what a difference is made when their parents aren’t around) and As one of them just didn’t seem to want to calm/quiet down we left church early with them to drop them off at their homes again, but before leaving had a neat experience with them (minus the fact that one of them would not shut his mouth) In trying to get them to realize the importance of Church, and why they at least needed to be quiet, I asked each one of them, why they came to church in the first place, starting with Valmar, who responded that he felt God touched his heart and told him it was the thing to do and that the church was true, this continued through each of the others except the one who kept them all riled up and made fun of them as they answered, (though he too answered with in a similar manner) I was a bit well, perturbed to say the least, and we left to bring them home. Through this experience I feel I have experienced a little about what it means to be a scout leader, and/or parent, but also a renewed testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, and the strength of the spirit, that would cause even 12-15 year old boys full of energy and whatnot to say even in the presence of one who is making fun of them, that God touched their heart and they feel of the truthfulness of the Gospel.
Currently working on a plan which we will present to the ward including how they will help the ward grow by bringing people (specifically at the moment recent converts) to church on Sundays, so that we can work on just bringing the people we found that week. this will also help those who have recently been baptized make friendships and not feel connected to the church only through the missionaries, and thereby eliminating the likelihood that once the missionaries leave, they will stop going to church. The ward seems reluctant to do more then just show up at church on Sunday (save a few exceptions) but we will hope, pray and do what we can to excite them and feel of their responsibility to help the work of the Lord move forward. The goal of this plan for the moment is to have 75 people attending church regularly within the next month and a half, (Starting at about 25) if any of you have any ideas feel free to send em my way :)

Well, I know this is the restored Church of Christ, that Christ is our Redeemer, that God is our Heavenly Father, and that if we just do those small and simple things, reading the scriptures and applying them in our life, praying each day, going to church on Sundays, in reality exercising our faith, the Lord will bless us, and we will return to live with our Heavenly Father.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.

Jacob