Big news for the week, looks like Ill be staying here in Itapetinga for another transfer. Woohooo!! also of note, I’m done with the whole switching the bandage on my toe, now its just showing its ugly face in the sunlight, peeking out from underneath the cuff of my pants, reminds me of Emperor Palpatine every time I look at it, I’ll see if I can get some photos sent out sometime soon, it seems the email of the church wont let me, though maybe its just a lack of know-how on my part.
Carnival is ending here, though thankfully in Itapetinga we didn’t have much to deal with, though a drunk man confronted us the other night in the street, saying the devil sent the message, asking what the purpose of life was, All around absolutely smashed and trying to start something as he pushed at our shoulders a bit, I gave him a card of the message and he grabbed some stuff out of my shirt pocket, at which point I asked him more or less, "what, will you break a commandment of God and steal?" he returned the stuff, (all during the midst of a group of others saying, "let them work", What are you doing etc. ) and as we walked away he followed after us, but fortunately did nothing more than apologize. It wasn’t till later I realized the Lord´s protection, and how things might have been diff. how many prayers of let us go home in safety are answered without us knowing?

Had a big meeting with most of the active members of the ward Sunday night, and handed out assignments to the members to pass by the houses of recent converts, two times a week, and also to bring them to church on Sunday, also put in place a system of reporting. We will see the results of the meeting today as we call out to the leaders to see how people have been taking their responsibility. There seems to have been a division as I first mentioned when I got here, and hopefully that will lessen as we all work together to help the ward grow, the goal set is to have 75 people attending by the end of the transfer. (requirement for a chapel) I found out an interesting fact this past Sunday as well, apparently at one point there were about 100 ppl or so active in the ward here, but many went inactive, moved away etc. The land for a chapel was bought, but the stake president never put out the money for the chapel, and with time, the numbers weren’t sufficient to build one. As for the meeting, it seemed well enough accepted with more then just us as missionaries talking, thankfully. Though there was a bit of strong pessimism from a small percentage, guess we’ll see though, no unhallowed hand can stop the work.

Ward activities, there was a cry for them at the meeting on Sunday, but then people retorted that if we have them, people have to come, there seems to be a great desire to just show up to church on Sunday for many and not much more, but then again who am I to judge. I wasn’t much of a member missionary. Man my views on that end of things have changed.

We met a man a couple days back who is set to be baptized on Sunday who seems really sincere about finding the answer. We have only had a chance to meet with him once as of yet, so we’ll see how things go when we meet with him tomorrow.

Elder Pettit