May 19, 2010
We have yet to move into the new house though the time is not too distant when the long awaited move will take place. Elder W. and I are having a good time as companions and I really enjoy his sincerity and optimistic outlook. It hit me the other day that the one year and eight months mark is already coming about... really kind of weird to think about, time goes so fast.
Investigators this week, not a whole lot of new people to work with but Dora is progressing slowly but surely. She is an older lady raised catholic but after many missionary's efforts, her faith and God's goodness she is having what you might call a paradigm shift. Suane and Marília are undergoing some great changes as they submit to the spirit's guidance and have been sharing the gospel with their friends and neighbors. Marílias mom has also been talking up the gospel message as well and has already invited one of her neighbors over to hear the message in addition to having encouraged Marília to do the same. We are currently going about the separation process of João (Marília's dad) and his ex, he and Claudia have tried doing this before but there is an unfortunate catch in the law here in Brasil. If the husband or the wife desire to divorce, but the other one doesn't there is a somewhat lengthy political process involved requiring a bunch of documents showing this and that, in addition to having a lawyer running it through the judicial system, and going over to the soon to be ex partner's house to have them sign the necessary documents. if he or she doesn't sign them after three attempts (or something to that effect) the case will be reviewed by a judge... a rather drawn out process to say the least. Fortunately they have already been doing their best to start this process and have already gotten most if not all the documents, and just need a little push to help the ball get rolling again. Interesting how we happen to be teaching a lawyer at the moment... we are hoping that she will be able to help this issue come to a close.
Until next time,
Elder Pettit
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
May 7, 2010
Howdy Neighbors!!
I wasn't able to write on Wednesday because we had a meeting with President. It was a great experience as always and I came away feeling very much inspired and ready to go forth and do better. Of particular interest in the meeting we discussed the need to do more as a mission. I think I already explained how the work has been changing in general here on our mission and at this point many missionaries are still working on bringing about that change in their work. One of the biggest challenges as a leader is not only being an example for others but also inspiring others, helping them to feel the desire to change, to do more, to "spin all the plates" increasing the quality and the quantity of work.
The Lord has been blessing us immensely this week. Last Thursday night we visited a guy we had contacted on Tuesday or Wednesday only to find he hadn't red and basically told us he didn't really have any interest. When we got to his house he was leaving to go buy something from the bakery (or something like that) so contrary to what would have made sense based on what he told us about his lack of interest, we marked to pass by a half hour after to talk a little bit better. When we came back his attitude was the same, but he told us that two girls had come up to talk to him after we left who asked him about us and wanted to know more about the church we were from. They had since left but as we talked in those few minutes with him, they appeared and we invited them to hear our message. The next night we went over to one of the girl's houses (Suane's) and her friend Marília came over with her mom. They opened up to us asking sincere questions and as with anyone who is eager to learn the Spirit taught them. The two girls went to church on Sunday had a great experience, (Marília's mom couldn't go because she was taking care of her husband, but she is reading the BOM) they will be baptized this next Sunday after church, Suan's mom has also begun reading the book of Mormon, the members are eager to help out and... well, life is good.
We also met another family (Grandma Dorita, her daughter in law Rafaela, and her grandson Juraci) who will be going to church on Sunday. Juracy has been going to church with one of the members from the primary presidency and he and his aunt will probably be baptized next week. It was pretty funny as we taught them this past Monday, Dorita has already been taught several times by the missionaries and feels that Joseph Smith was a Prophet so as we started teaching the first lesson she cut us off as we were talking about Christ’s ministry (or thereabout) and said, "tell her about Smith, about how the Mormons started, she needs to hear it!"
Afterwards she staring talking about baptism for the dead too which was kinda funny as someone who is just hearing the 1st message won't understand the need/the doctrine of it but it worked out and they are all excited to read the Book of Mormon and visit church on Sunday, Juraci will be participating in the Mother’s day program as well which could help his mom have a greater desire to visit church as well.
I know that this is the Lord's work and the diligence in obedience to the Lord brings His blessings into our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, amém.
Elder Pettit
Howdy Neighbors!!
I wasn't able to write on Wednesday because we had a meeting with President. It was a great experience as always and I came away feeling very much inspired and ready to go forth and do better. Of particular interest in the meeting we discussed the need to do more as a mission. I think I already explained how the work has been changing in general here on our mission and at this point many missionaries are still working on bringing about that change in their work. One of the biggest challenges as a leader is not only being an example for others but also inspiring others, helping them to feel the desire to change, to do more, to "spin all the plates" increasing the quality and the quantity of work.
The Lord has been blessing us immensely this week. Last Thursday night we visited a guy we had contacted on Tuesday or Wednesday only to find he hadn't red and basically told us he didn't really have any interest. When we got to his house he was leaving to go buy something from the bakery (or something like that) so contrary to what would have made sense based on what he told us about his lack of interest, we marked to pass by a half hour after to talk a little bit better. When we came back his attitude was the same, but he told us that two girls had come up to talk to him after we left who asked him about us and wanted to know more about the church we were from. They had since left but as we talked in those few minutes with him, they appeared and we invited them to hear our message. The next night we went over to one of the girl's houses (Suane's) and her friend Marília came over with her mom. They opened up to us asking sincere questions and as with anyone who is eager to learn the Spirit taught them. The two girls went to church on Sunday had a great experience, (Marília's mom couldn't go because she was taking care of her husband, but she is reading the BOM) they will be baptized this next Sunday after church, Suan's mom has also begun reading the book of Mormon, the members are eager to help out and... well, life is good.
We also met another family (Grandma Dorita, her daughter in law Rafaela, and her grandson Juraci) who will be going to church on Sunday. Juracy has been going to church with one of the members from the primary presidency and he and his aunt will probably be baptized next week. It was pretty funny as we taught them this past Monday, Dorita has already been taught several times by the missionaries and feels that Joseph Smith was a Prophet so as we started teaching the first lesson she cut us off as we were talking about Christ’s ministry (or thereabout) and said, "tell her about Smith, about how the Mormons started, she needs to hear it!"
Afterwards she staring talking about baptism for the dead too which was kinda funny as someone who is just hearing the 1st message won't understand the need/the doctrine of it but it worked out and they are all excited to read the Book of Mormon and visit church on Sunday, Juraci will be participating in the Mother’s day program as well which could help his mom have a greater desire to visit church as well.
I know that this is the Lord's work and the diligence in obedience to the Lord brings His blessings into our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, amém.
Elder Pettit
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
April 1, 2010
The work is coming along pretty slowly thus far in this area though I found out that a family we had started to teach back in another area may be receiving the lessons again here. We had a conference with President yesterday and as such I wasn't able send a little letter until today. The mission is focusing on using the Book of Mormon in contacting and teaching people and helping them to achieve the lasting conversion neccesary to help them return to the Lord's presence. President Vecchi feels this is the key (stone) to real success here and I felt that too as he spoke about it at the conference.
I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that this is His work, In the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.
Love,
Elder Pettit
April 8, 2010
Don't have a whole lot of time today, transfers were yesterday. Elder M. should be getting home about now and Elder H. (yes, my MTC companion) has come here from the interior and we are companions for the second time. It’s been a great 24 hours and it’s a breath of fresh air being with him after being with a "dying" Elder last transfer. As always he is ever in the pursuit of knowledge and in this short amount of time we've been together he has already shared an interesting "conspiracy theory" with me, one of the biggest I think I've ever heard actually, maybe we'll talk about it one day...
Not a whole lot to report, we have started trying to "invade" the apartment complexes here, contacting people as they are taking their garbage out, going to work or coming from it. so far without much success but with patience we will go on (check out Uchtdorf's talk btw, twas a good one).
Elder Pettit
April 14, 2010
We have had some cool experiences this past week as Elder H. and I have begun working in this area. It has been refreshing working with him and we have found a very different group of people interested in the gospel than I have ever had before on my mission. The most notable of our investigators is João, an older man in his 60's. He has studied a lot of different religions and currently seems to be following one of oriental origin. He has begun reading the Book of Mormon and plans to read it from cover to cover which is an exciting change from many of the half interested people we find so often in the nets of our finding efforts. Time once again is short but and promise I'll write more next week.
Elder Pettit
The work is coming along pretty slowly thus far in this area though I found out that a family we had started to teach back in another area may be receiving the lessons again here. We had a conference with President yesterday and as such I wasn't able send a little letter until today. The mission is focusing on using the Book of Mormon in contacting and teaching people and helping them to achieve the lasting conversion neccesary to help them return to the Lord's presence. President Vecchi feels this is the key (stone) to real success here and I felt that too as he spoke about it at the conference.
I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that this is His work, In the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.
Love,
Elder Pettit
April 8, 2010
Don't have a whole lot of time today, transfers were yesterday. Elder M. should be getting home about now and Elder H. (yes, my MTC companion) has come here from the interior and we are companions for the second time. It’s been a great 24 hours and it’s a breath of fresh air being with him after being with a "dying" Elder last transfer. As always he is ever in the pursuit of knowledge and in this short amount of time we've been together he has already shared an interesting "conspiracy theory" with me, one of the biggest I think I've ever heard actually, maybe we'll talk about it one day...
Not a whole lot to report, we have started trying to "invade" the apartment complexes here, contacting people as they are taking their garbage out, going to work or coming from it. so far without much success but with patience we will go on (check out Uchtdorf's talk btw, twas a good one).
Elder Pettit
April 14, 2010
We have had some cool experiences this past week as Elder H. and I have begun working in this area. It has been refreshing working with him and we have found a very different group of people interested in the gospel than I have ever had before on my mission. The most notable of our investigators is João, an older man in his 60's. He has studied a lot of different religions and currently seems to be following one of oriental origin. He has begun reading the Book of Mormon and plans to read it from cover to cover which is an exciting change from many of the half interested people we find so often in the nets of our finding efforts. Time once again is short but and promise I'll write more next week.
Elder Pettit
Monday, March 29, 2010
March 24, 2010
Unfortunately Yessica didn't get baptized, her mom didn't want her to meet with us anymore. Sorry to hear that Uncle Lynn is suffering so much but am grateful for the knowledge that all families can be reunited on the condition that we make and fulfill the necessary baptismal and temple covenants made possible through the Priesthood authority restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Recently I have been learning better to recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit and to trust that He will guide us in this work. We have still been working on bringing recent converts/less actives back to church but are trying to "keep the plates spinning" as President puts it. Working with new investigators as well as part member families and inactives. This past weekend most of a less active family we are working with came back to church which was very rewarding and we were blessed to find that a recent convert (João Vitor's) mom came to church as well. Elder L Tom Perry has introduced a plan for missionary work in the wards/stakes called united in purpose which we are working to bring into play here in the Salvador stake. We are also working at getting a ward missionary program up and running with the support of an amazing missionary couple here.
I am grateful to be on the mission at this point in time helping to edify the Kingdom of God on the earth. I know that He lives and that this is His work, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.
Love,
Elder Pettit
Unfortunately Yessica didn't get baptized, her mom didn't want her to meet with us anymore. Sorry to hear that Uncle Lynn is suffering so much but am grateful for the knowledge that all families can be reunited on the condition that we make and fulfill the necessary baptismal and temple covenants made possible through the Priesthood authority restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Recently I have been learning better to recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit and to trust that He will guide us in this work. We have still been working on bringing recent converts/less actives back to church but are trying to "keep the plates spinning" as President puts it. Working with new investigators as well as part member families and inactives. This past weekend most of a less active family we are working with came back to church which was very rewarding and we were blessed to find that a recent convert (João Vitor's) mom came to church as well. Elder L Tom Perry has introduced a plan for missionary work in the wards/stakes called united in purpose which we are working to bring into play here in the Salvador stake. We are also working at getting a ward missionary program up and running with the support of an amazing missionary couple here.
I am grateful to be on the mission at this point in time helping to edify the Kingdom of God on the earth. I know that He lives and that this is His work, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.
Love,
Elder Pettit
Sunday, March 21, 2010
March 17, 2010
Of all the areas I’ve passed through I think I’m most likely to gain the most weight in this one. We have a "grandma" figure living upstairs who cooks as good as any grandma for her grandsons and she does it quite frequently to boot.
This week we have a doctors conference going on in the stake center and so Elder M. and I did a division with a soon to be elder from the stake and one who came home last week manning a little table there with materials to give out etc. While my comp and the RM stayed there handing out materials and answering questions, Ismael (soon to be elder) and I worked in the area going through a list of recent converts of which a saddening large number are inactive. Of those which we found at home we had some success, not so much in the reactivation end of things as finding new investigators. Jassi is a RC's mom who wanted to hear the message and seems really interested in the blessings of a family more united. interesting note, her nephew who I got to know in another area went on his mission a couple weeks ago, (the Lord prepares his elect and leads us to them when we qualify ourselves for His trust) Our hopes are that as we bring her into the church that her son and perhaps other relatives that live close by will either come back to church or join.
We also had another great experience with an inactive family holding a FHE in their home on Monday. They recognized the Spirit's influence and after a discussion in which the mom spoke of her conversion they decided to come back to church on Sunday.
I’m being blessed to recognize how the Lord works in small ways through us if we let Him. The other night as we were returning to a chapel to finish the division, we felt prompted to make one last visit. As it turns out the guy we planned on visiting wasn't home, but we contacted one of his neighbors who we hadn’t ever seen before and she is eager to learn more about the gospel.
I know this is the Lord's work that the Spirit's influence is real. If we live worthily and listen we will hear Him, In the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.
Love,
Jacob
Of all the areas I’ve passed through I think I’m most likely to gain the most weight in this one. We have a "grandma" figure living upstairs who cooks as good as any grandma for her grandsons and she does it quite frequently to boot.
This week we have a doctors conference going on in the stake center and so Elder M. and I did a division with a soon to be elder from the stake and one who came home last week manning a little table there with materials to give out etc. While my comp and the RM stayed there handing out materials and answering questions, Ismael (soon to be elder) and I worked in the area going through a list of recent converts of which a saddening large number are inactive. Of those which we found at home we had some success, not so much in the reactivation end of things as finding new investigators. Jassi is a RC's mom who wanted to hear the message and seems really interested in the blessings of a family more united. interesting note, her nephew who I got to know in another area went on his mission a couple weeks ago, (the Lord prepares his elect and leads us to them when we qualify ourselves for His trust) Our hopes are that as we bring her into the church that her son and perhaps other relatives that live close by will either come back to church or join.
We also had another great experience with an inactive family holding a FHE in their home on Monday. They recognized the Spirit's influence and after a discussion in which the mom spoke of her conversion they decided to come back to church on Sunday.
I’m being blessed to recognize how the Lord works in small ways through us if we let Him. The other night as we were returning to a chapel to finish the division, we felt prompted to make one last visit. As it turns out the guy we planned on visiting wasn't home, but we contacted one of his neighbors who we hadn’t ever seen before and she is eager to learn more about the gospel.
I know this is the Lord's work that the Spirit's influence is real. If we live worthily and listen we will hear Him, In the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.
Love,
Jacob
March 11, 2010
The work is coming along though we are having difficulty getting a solid teaching group together. Solange and her daughter don't want us to come back though they won't tell us why... A bit of a downer but we'll leave them in the area book for another time when they are ready. We tracted into another girl named Yessika, (Yes, her name is Yessica) who is really firm. We talked with her a bit before leaving the 1st message and found out she has always been one to seek out the Lord's will in her life. The Spirit testified strongly of the truthfulness of the Restoration and she agreed to be baptized on the 20th of March. This last Sunday she missed the meeting because of her work and an emergency trip her brother had to make to the hospital, but as we were out and about Sunday night we felt we should stop by and see how she was doing (though previously our plans were different) so we gave her a call and found out she was heading to church thinking there was a meeting still going on. So we met up with her there and gave her a little tour of the chapel after which she decided to sing with the stake choir that was having practice at the time. Twas a cool experience and testifies that the Lord does guide us in this work.
Jacob
The work is coming along though we are having difficulty getting a solid teaching group together. Solange and her daughter don't want us to come back though they won't tell us why... A bit of a downer but we'll leave them in the area book for another time when they are ready. We tracted into another girl named Yessika, (Yes, her name is Yessica) who is really firm. We talked with her a bit before leaving the 1st message and found out she has always been one to seek out the Lord's will in her life. The Spirit testified strongly of the truthfulness of the Restoration and she agreed to be baptized on the 20th of March. This last Sunday she missed the meeting because of her work and an emergency trip her brother had to make to the hospital, but as we were out and about Sunday night we felt we should stop by and see how she was doing (though previously our plans were different) so we gave her a call and found out she was heading to church thinking there was a meeting still going on. So we met up with her there and gave her a little tour of the chapel after which she decided to sing with the stake choir that was having practice at the time. Twas a cool experience and testifies that the Lord does guide us in this work.
Jacob
Thursday, March 4, 2010
March 3, 2010
I dreamed of snowboarding the other night though I woke up right as I was strapping in at the top of the run...
We had a rough couple first days last week but the Lord has blessed us this week with a pretty solid group of people ready to seek out their testimonies. Of greatest note was yesterday as we were out knocking doors/talking to people in the streets we met a girl and her grandma who invited us in and let us teach them. Right about the time we got to talking about the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ the Grandma Solange asked us how much time it took for someone to be baptized. A bit taken aback we explained there isn't a set time but that usually people are baptized after about two weeks or so, she than accepted the invitation to be baptized on the 20th of march as did her g-daughter. She than told us how she had been praying at the time that we began talking to her grand daughter Yasmim. Apparently after the Solange realized that her g-daughter was talking to someone she called to her and asked her if we were wearing black pants and white shirts. (this being before she saw us) She was quite touched by the experience and the Spirit was felt very strongly throughout the lesson. Further proof of the Spirit's work was as she asked us afterwards about stopping to smoke. We hadn't talked about the word of wisdom yet, but she knew and felt that she needed to stop and felt that desire after our short time being there.
I know that God led us to her doorstep and that he hears our prayers when they don't stop with amen. In the name of Jesus Christ, amém.
Jacob
I dreamed of snowboarding the other night though I woke up right as I was strapping in at the top of the run...
We had a rough couple first days last week but the Lord has blessed us this week with a pretty solid group of people ready to seek out their testimonies. Of greatest note was yesterday as we were out knocking doors/talking to people in the streets we met a girl and her grandma who invited us in and let us teach them. Right about the time we got to talking about the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ the Grandma Solange asked us how much time it took for someone to be baptized. A bit taken aback we explained there isn't a set time but that usually people are baptized after about two weeks or so, she than accepted the invitation to be baptized on the 20th of march as did her g-daughter. She than told us how she had been praying at the time that we began talking to her grand daughter Yasmim. Apparently after the Solange realized that her g-daughter was talking to someone she called to her and asked her if we were wearing black pants and white shirts. (this being before she saw us) She was quite touched by the experience and the Spirit was felt very strongly throughout the lesson. Further proof of the Spirit's work was as she asked us afterwards about stopping to smoke. We hadn't talked about the word of wisdom yet, but she knew and felt that she needed to stop and felt that desire after our short time being there.
I know that God led us to her doorstep and that he hears our prayers when they don't stop with amen. In the name of Jesus Christ, amém.
Jacob
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