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
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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
Thursday, February 25, 2010
February 25, 2010
Hey hey hey!!
Transfers happened and after a long three week stay in Itapuã.... I’ve been transferred again. Unfortunately right when we started picking up some good solid investigators but its all good. We had a really cool experience with one man, Elso, who truly seemed to be taught by the spirit. One of those lessons where you feel that true comprehension has been reached. He began to finish sentences with us as we were explaining about the Priesthood being restored and as we invited him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon he told us that he didn’t want to read it alone but rather would read it with his wife and afterwards wanted to pray about it with her. Interesting how often people who come into contact with the truth and truly are touched by the Spirit have a great desire to share the gospel with those they know and love. Also had a girl who we invited to go to church on Saturday night who showed up alone to church on Sunday. When we had passed by her house Sunday morning to go to church her neighbor told us she had left a little while before we got there. A little disappointed as nobody else had decided to go to church on Sunday, we got to church only to find her in the hallway talking with a relative of her's, a member of the church. There was also a brother of a recently returned missionary who decided he wanted to be baptized and will be this coming Saturday. I was really liking the area but I am also excited to work here in Amaralina with Elder M. He is from Natal which is up on the northern end of things here in Brasil. Thus far we've done a pretty good clean-up of the smallish house here and after a bucket shower we came here to the LAN House to send some emails and pick up the weekly boletin. Other than that not much to report. I'm going to be studying Christ's life and teachings a good bit this transfer and am looking forward to gaining a stronger testimony thereof.
Jacob
Hey hey hey!!
Transfers happened and after a long three week stay in Itapuã.... I’ve been transferred again. Unfortunately right when we started picking up some good solid investigators but its all good. We had a really cool experience with one man, Elso, who truly seemed to be taught by the spirit. One of those lessons where you feel that true comprehension has been reached. He began to finish sentences with us as we were explaining about the Priesthood being restored and as we invited him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon he told us that he didn’t want to read it alone but rather would read it with his wife and afterwards wanted to pray about it with her. Interesting how often people who come into contact with the truth and truly are touched by the Spirit have a great desire to share the gospel with those they know and love. Also had a girl who we invited to go to church on Saturday night who showed up alone to church on Sunday. When we had passed by her house Sunday morning to go to church her neighbor told us she had left a little while before we got there. A little disappointed as nobody else had decided to go to church on Sunday, we got to church only to find her in the hallway talking with a relative of her's, a member of the church. There was also a brother of a recently returned missionary who decided he wanted to be baptized and will be this coming Saturday. I was really liking the area but I am also excited to work here in Amaralina with Elder M. He is from Natal which is up on the northern end of things here in Brasil. Thus far we've done a pretty good clean-up of the smallish house here and after a bucket shower we came here to the LAN House to send some emails and pick up the weekly boletin. Other than that not much to report. I'm going to be studying Christ's life and teachings a good bit this transfer and am looking forward to gaining a stronger testimony thereof.
Jacob
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Feb. 17, 2010
Life here in the field is good though the results aren’t immediate in coming. We are currently working with an unmarried couple who are progressing slowly in their reading of the Book of Mormon (though the wife is really the only one reading as of yet I think) and another family who really seem quite excited about the gospel though they will have to get married before being baptized as well. We also were led to another woman who is extremely excited to know if the church is true. We taught her husband and a good number of family members though she seemed to be the only one who was really into the message. Recently Elder P. and I have have been trying to narrow in on how we can have the Spirit's influence stronger in our lessons and something we have been finding is the simpler we say things and the less "fluff" we throw in the better. A principle taught all over Preach My Gospel (PMG) but I just hadn't applied it. I feel like I haven’t used PMG as much as I could or should have here on the mission and am working on changing that around.
I know God Lives and this is His work, that through the prophet Joseph Smith He restored His gospel in its fullness and I feel that as we teach these principles each day. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.
Elder Pettit
Life here in the field is good though the results aren’t immediate in coming. We are currently working with an unmarried couple who are progressing slowly in their reading of the Book of Mormon (though the wife is really the only one reading as of yet I think) and another family who really seem quite excited about the gospel though they will have to get married before being baptized as well. We also were led to another woman who is extremely excited to know if the church is true. We taught her husband and a good number of family members though she seemed to be the only one who was really into the message. Recently Elder P. and I have have been trying to narrow in on how we can have the Spirit's influence stronger in our lessons and something we have been finding is the simpler we say things and the less "fluff" we throw in the better. A principle taught all over Preach My Gospel (PMG) but I just hadn't applied it. I feel like I haven’t used PMG as much as I could or should have here on the mission and am working on changing that around.
I know God Lives and this is His work, that through the prophet Joseph Smith He restored His gospel in its fullness and I feel that as we teach these principles each day. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amém.
Elder Pettit
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
