Life's like taking an 80 year long test

August 17, 2015

Our Zone

Ever since last p-day I had the thought that Grandma was going to pass away this week. It must be hard for Grandpa to not have her around anymore, but the separation is only temporary. In the spirit world life must be far more happy and with much less stress. Just think, life’s like taking an 80 year long test. I feel really relieved after just 3 hours in the BYU testing center, imagine how we must feel after 80 years! I’ll miss her, but in a few short years we´ll see her again.

Sounds like Cole really had it rough at home this week haha. I wish I had someone to buy me Tru-moo. Without my debit card from the "estates" life is sometimes rough, haha. I didn’t even use it very much before it expired, but here in the area we are using lots of busses and that means we have less money for food. However, just as our money was running out and our food as well haha (our lunch appointment fell through one day and we had to eat everything that was left in our house haha) a member gave us 50 reais for lunch on Thursday. We then told her that we didn’t need the money because on Thursday we are going to have a leadership council with a seventy (#hype). But then she told us to keep the money and use it to buy something some other time. The Lord really does take care of us. 

Tell Cole to get the breakfast ready so he can serve me too in about 8 weeks :) haha. Elder Vasquez is getting near the end, but we´re still giving our all. This week there was a lady that was going to get baptized in the Aldeota Ward... which is the richest ward in Fortaleza I think. (You should see the cars they have in their parking lot during sacrament meeting!) but anyways... when she was interviewed for baptism by the district leader she almost passed, but in the end she didn’t want to commit herself to go to church and endure to the end. So Sunday morning during their ward we went over there to interview her and it turns out that she wants to go to church she just doesn’t know where the church is in her state where she lives half the time. But we planned so the sisters would help her know where it is and then she said that she would always go. So after the interview, there was only 1 hour and 30 minutes until the baptism, and the font takes 3 hours to fill up. So we grabbed the buckets from the closet and started to fill the font with a bunch of members. It was great to see everyone excited for the baptism that the ward was going to have, because generally this ward doesn’t have many baptisms, but thanks to the hard working sisters the ward gained one more member and a lot of unity. 

I can’t believe that Marshall is already home! I must really be getting close to the end #tranqueza haha. It'll be great to see him again.

 

So anyways, that’s about all I got. Don’t forget to invite 10 people to church this week :) you never know, maybe you’ll be the difference for someone getting baptized, and they’ll love you forever for it. Love you guys and have a great week!! 

Élder Udy 

Steadfast and Immovable

August 10, 2015

Bom dia! Sounds like a crazy week. I ate eggs this morning, and I was thinking about Grandma’s eggs that were always so good, but it’s tough to try and make them in Brazil because the cheese here is different and it’s not the same taste. I’ll remember to keep praying for you guys.

So the other day our bishop told us that our lunch appointment wasn’t going to work out so we could just pass by the restaurant to eat there and he would pay the lady afterwards. So we went to the restaurant that is like a buffet, but you only get one plate, and you just put as much food on the plate as you can. So of course we loaded our plates and just as we were finishing our meal we got a phone call from one of the members saying that they were waiting for us to eat with them. We had just eaten a mountain of food and now we had another lunch. So Elder Vasquez being the good person that he is told them that we would be right over, haha, but we could hardly manage to walk, let alone eat anything. Good thing the house was 45 minutes away, it gave us time to digest a little bit, and when we got there it was rough because the members always want us to eat more, except we weren’t really able to eat at all. So we put just a little rice and beans and chicken on the plate at a time and we kept putting a little more and little more making it look like we were going for seconds and thirds so no one really noticed, but I think if I had eaten one more spoon full of rice I would have thrown up, haha. 

So this week at church just about all the members decided to not go. I don’t remember if I told you guys or not but for about 6 weeks we are going to a different church building because ours is being remodeled, and we are meeting 3 o’clock - 6 o’clock in another neighborhood. And the number of people that the ward has in sacrament meeting has been cut in half since it was moved to the new building. So after church we went to visit some recent convert families that usually always go to church but didn’t this week and some last week as well. I began to think a lot about what’s written in Mosiah 5:15 www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/5.15. Especially the beginning that talks about being firm and unmovable (at least I think that’s what it says in English) When I think about someone firm and immovable I think about Captain Moroni when Alma left the church in the hands of Helaman and his brothers. In Alma 46 www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/46 it talks about how Captain Moroni reacted when he discovered that Amalickiah was turing everyone less active. He was firm and unmovable, and made others act the same way. And we as members should be like him as well, firm and immovable.

Also this week we were having some difficulties finding people to teach. So we searched and taught and searched, and we weren’t able to find anyone that said they would go to church with us and would read the Book of Mormon. I was getting frustrated a little bit and becoming less believing that we would be able to find people to baptize in the next week. There’s a principle in Ether 12:30 that I read this week, the last phrase says "wherefore thou workest after men have faith" which was exactly what I need this week. Elder Vasquez and I need to show our faith to the Lord, not just asking but acting. So as we continued we found a man that was standing on the side of the road who has a family of 5. We taught him the next day and the day after his 2 daughters and on Sunday he went to church with his son, and him and his son are going to be baptized this week, and the rest of the family is going to go to church this Sunday. The Lord really does hear our prayers and acts according to our faith. 

So I don’t have much more time but I hope all goes well in the good 'ol states. Have a good week and don’t forget to read lots in the scriptures. Love you guys! 

-Elder Udy

The Spirit teaches people what words can't teach

August 3, 2015

Sounds like there’s lots going on in the good ol states! I don’t have much time to write this week. I can’t believe Cole’s growing up! (working at Nike) Sounds like Dad’s having quite the adventure. If you don’t want to sell his car, you could just give it to me :) This week we went to the secretaries’ area to work with them last Monday night. They only go proselyting at night because of their secretary stuff they need to do. But their area is pretty cool, so I sent some pictures of me and Elder Vasquez on their balcony. 

I received some birthday emails this week, so that was exciting. I think on the mission we get used to being forgotten, so it was nice to get some emails. O and I got your letter this week! So that was nice as well :)

Mission Leadership

This week I don’t have much time to type because we’re trying to find some church videos to show in our zone training meeting this week. However I’ll write about one experience I had this week when I was interviewing a lady to be baptized. So we had the interview in the bishop’s room.. I forget the name of the room in English but anyways it was there. And she started to talk about how she didn’t have a certainty that she should be baptized. I told her to tell me about her doubts and she started talking and talking, and as she talked all the answers came perfectly to my mind. I think its’ mostly because we were in the bishop’s room. It’s a very sacred place. As I testified to her I felt the power of God, and she said she entered with doubts and left with certainty. The Bishop’s room is really sacred. The Spirit really is present there and teaches people what words can’t teach. 

I hope Grandma gets better soon. It must be a lot of stress for Grandpa, but one day we will all have a perfect body. Hope everyone is doing well. Love you guys! Have a great week!!!

 

Élder Udy

 

He heard us and answered because of our faith in Him

July 27, 2015

This week the Lord blessed us a lot and we baptized 5 people.

 And also I’ve bought terere to remember Jackson, it’s actually really good if you put lemonade in it instead of water, so that’s what I’ve been doing and I feel like a true Brazilian, even though no one in Fortaleza drinks terere and most of the people don’t even know what it is, haha. 

So this week was lots of work but it paid off. Here in my new area we have a huuuggee ward, and we are also right next to the airport haha. But to get to some of the lunches we have to walk 50ish minutes and then to get back to the neighborhood where we work it’s 50 minutes again. It’s really big. Well at least it’s really big for me because I’m used to small areas, so we’re pretty poor these days because sometimes we have to use the bus because there’s just not enough time to walk, haha. 

So this week we started our week planning our goals and what we wanted to accomplish in the week, then we presented our goals to God and told him what we would like Him to do for us (which was prepare 3 people to be baptized next week). We then promised Him that we would do our part (our goals... lessons taught and new investigators found).. so as the week went on we couldn’t seem to manage to enter in anyone’s house to teach. Everyone was rejecting us, which is pretty rare because we are in Fortaleza and here everyone likes to hear "the word of God". So we had a goal to find 15 new investigators and it was Friday night and we had only found 4. We had promised God that we would find 15 so we continued searching diligently. About 8 o’clock on Friday night we contacted a lady that was friendly and told us we could go to her house to teach her family. When we arrived there was a family of 6, 5 of which were at least 8 years old and thus we found 5 new investigators in the last minutes of our day on Friday. Saturday came around and the same thing happened again only now we needed to find 6 new investigators in order to fulfill our promise to God and we had to interview someone for the other elders in our zone at the church at 6 o’clock and we still hadn’t found any new investigators, so we got back to the area about 7:20. We started to contact some people and look for our 6 new investigators. We found a couple that accepted us well and we taught them in about 20 minutes to have time to find other new investigators in order that we could keep our promise that we made to God. We finished the lesson which went very well and went to a man’s house that we had contacted earlier that week. We still needed 4 new investigators. When we got there, he invited us in right away. We started to small talk with him a little and then asked if his family wanted to sit down with us as well. He said no (of course), as almost all people do haha, so then we asked if we could invite them. We went over and invited everyone that was sitting inside the house watching tv and what naught. They told us to enter and sit down on the sofa. All of a sudden there were 8 people in the room sitting down to hear what we had to say! In the last minutes of Saturday night God helped us find the new investigators!

So then we started to wait for these 3 people that we had asked God to help us find that would be baptized the next week. We had been inviting everyone to be baptized in the next week but almost all of the new investigators (I think all but 1) were unmarried couples, so they would only be able to be baptized after getting married which usually takes 3-4 weeks. So after meeting all of our goals, we were confident that the Lord would bless us according to our promise.

Sunday morning came around, we had planned on visiting a couple that had been going to church for a while but never had accepted to be baptized. They always loved the missionaries though. We went to teach them and with confidence in the promise we had made with the Lord told them that they would be prepared to be baptized this week. They didn’t accept with certainty but they said they would prepare themselves praying to know if they should be baptized this week and that when they know they will follow.

And the third person that God prepared for us to baptize... one of the ladies that was baptized this week called us Sunday afternoon because she was having a lot of stomach pain and said she wouldn’t be able to go to church or her baptism on that day. Elder Vasquez looked at me for a second and said to her, all right I’ll call you back in 2 minutes. And when he hung up the phone the Bishop’s counselor came over to us and said what is it? By the way this member of the bishopric (é o CARA). Elder Vasquez told him that she was sick and couldn’t get up off the bed. This member said, no way, so let’s go get her and give her a blessing because she IS GOING TO BE BAPTIZED TODAY. So he went over and borrowed the keys to someone’s car and went with us to this investigator’s house. When we got there we said that she would be better and that today was her baptism. The confidence that she felt in us that she would be better and baptized made her get up and we told her about blessings and she said that she had already received one in the past. We blessed her that she would be better and would be able to be baptized and she got up and got ready and came with us to church.... so here’s the part where the 3rd person that the Lord was preparing for us comes in. As we were waiting outside for the investigator to get ready a lady passed by and said, Lei’s baptism is today isn’t it? And the member that was with us said, yes, do you want to go? Go get ready and we’ll wait here, and she said you’ll wait?? And the member said, of course! So we waited and she came to church with us, and she loved it. She came out of nowhere and the Lord made it possible that through this ride that we gave to the investigator going to her house and through the invitation to go to church with us from the member, we had one more person at church that God will prepare to be baptized. He heard our prayers and did His part because we did ours. We set goals that were difficult for us and acted with faith. We asked the Lord specifically what we wanted and he heard us and answered because of our faith that was in Him. It was a miracle that she was at church. God heard us and answered. 

So that’s about all I got time to write this week, I also had to give a talk for 30 minutes and was given the topic about an hour and a half before church, haha but it went well. Hope you guys have a good week!  Love you guys!

-Elder Udy

I've never eaten so much cake in my life

July 20, 2015

So this week was great. We had lots of things that happened and I don’t even know what all to write in this email because there’s not much time. So I’ll start with the baptisms that we had this week,  We baptized a mom and daughter. Next week is going to be the baptism of her other daughter that is 14 years old, but I’m being transferred to Zona Aldeota, and I’ll be Zone leader of the secretaries and the sisters, haha. It’s the down town super chique zone, so I’m pretty excited. My companion will be Élder Vasquez who was my zone leader the transfer before I came to Beira Rio. I’m really excited because he’s my good friend. So this week I saw a lot of progress in the woman we baptized as she progressed for baptism. She said that in the past she had never had much desire to go to church because the churches all teach things that contend against the others. She said that one time she said a prayer on her knees in her house asking God to show her which was the church that she should go to, but since that day, it’s been a long time, and she had pretty much given up. When we started to teach her we established her baptismal date and told her that God would prepare her for the 19th of July. We then told her that she needed to ask God if the church was true and if Joseph Smith was a true prophet. She asked just as we had invited her, but she hadn’t received an immediate answer. We continued promising her that God would prepare her to be baptized on the 19th and that she would know that the church is true. After she went to church for the first time last week, she said she liked it a lot and that she would continue going. She continued to say that she had never had the desire or feeling to go to church before, until she went to the Church of Jesus Christ. We shared Ether 4:11 with her and told her that she had received her answer. In the lessons with her, she accepted everything we taught her... She has a lot of faith. She was able to leave behind her addictions in that same moment to be able to be baptized and enter into God’s kingdom, and to help her daughters do the same. 

Also, this week was my birthday and I have never eaten so much cake in my life. You know how it is here with the people when it comes to eating, they always want you to eat more, haha. "M" (recent convert of 3 weeks) made me a 2 layer cake that I sent you in a picture, it was with that kind of frosting that you like, Mom. Then everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to me. They tried to make it a surprise but I already knew because none of them are very good at hiding anything haha. They are a great family.  

Also we went to "E" (another recent convert from January) and she had bought me a cake as well and they sang “Happy Birthday” to me Brazilian style and they had a candle in the cake that was impossible to blow out. I sent a picture of the cake. 

Things here are going great. I’m really excited to get to know more people in what will probably be my last area. Élder Vasquez goes home after this transfer so I’ll be his last companion! Again! haha but he’s a great missionary and I’m sure he’s got lots of energy still. So anyways, I don’t have much time because the emails on transfer days are always busyyy, but I hope you guys continue having a great vacation. Have a good week! and enjoy vacation! Tell Grandma and Grandpa (Bitter and Udy) I said hi and I love them. Hope Cole enjoys working on the good ol ranch haha. Have a good week!!! Até depois!

-Élder Udy 

The Lord is blessing us

I have little time to write today because I had to do a survey about the mission. 

So this week was really good. Sounds like for you guys it was too. It must be fun to go on vacation, here we don’t do much vacationing, however, sometimes we get to ride on the bus to go on splits and to some district meetings, haha. 

So this week we had 2 baptisms here in the ward. I’ll send you the pictures. One was a lady, that we baptized that is 30 years old, she is the sister of one of those kids that received the priesthood the other week, and the other was a 15 year old girl, who is another recent convert’s sister. 

So I’m 98 percent sure that my camera was robbed the other day when I was on the bus and it was in my bag and the zipper was open. So now I’m just asking everyone to send me their pictures. The camera was good while it lasted, but I’ll still be able to send pictures, so it will all be fine. So this week for my birthday everyone’s inviting us over, haha. All of the recent converts and investigators. So I’m sure it’ll be nice. It’s good to have you birthday in an area where you’ve been for 4 months instead of an area where you’ve only been there for a week like last year. So I’m sure I’ll have some pictures to send this week. 

So these days Elder Menezes and I have been challenging everyone who doesn’t have a marriage problem (meaning those who aren't living together without being married) to be baptized in 2 Sundays. We teach people about how God loves us and about how his gospel was restored and how important it is that they are baptized, and how blessed they will be. What really makes the difference is when we testify sincerely that the gospel is true and really was restored, and that they really will be blessed if they are baptized and keep their covenants with God. We are also singing hymns in every lesson to bring the Spirit. It really is the Spirit that converts people, not time or any other method. We leave our house set to return to our house at night with at least one new baptismal date. I only have 3 minutes, but this week we found a family, mom and 2 daughters, that was extremely prepared and open to hear us. The mom and daughter went to church Sunday and will be baptized this coming Sunday. The Lord is blessing us a lot and increasing our faith. 

I hope you guys have a good week!! Love you guys and have a good vacation! 

Élder Udy

When it rains here, no one wants to leave their house

July 6, 2015

So I received the email from the secretary today asking me which airport I’m going to return to #Trunky So I told him Pittsburgh International, but I just wanted to make sure with you that it’s right. And as for the debit card, I think it would just be easier to withdraw some money I have now on my card and you can just keep the other card until I get back home because I don’t think I can activate it here, although maybe I can, but every time a Brazilian looks at that debit card I have, they ask all kinds of questions and immediately lose confidence that my American debit card will work on the Brazilian credit card readers. But if you think it’s better to do it another way, let me know. 

So sounds like things were pretty busy this week. I still think the old high adventures were better. I remember when we went on the canoe high adventure, Joel and I would sneak up on ducks in our canoe and try and shoot them with the bow and arrow we had. Now the kids just eat funnel cakes and play on the merry-go-round for high adventure, haha. But I’m sure it was fun at Cedar Point and playing laser tag as well. Hopefully vacation’s fun. What all are you guys going to do again? Hopefully Bandit manages to survive this time haha. He must have really gotten old while I’ve been gone.

This week things went great. I sent a picture of the baptism of M, J, and D. It was quite the preparation, but it ended up going well. 

Sunday morning when there’s rain in Pennsylvania it’s just another rainy day. However, Sunday morning when there’s rain here no one wants to leave their house because no one seems to own an umbrella, haha. But there were still quite a few investigators at church including "Ja" who is going to be baptized this week. She is one of our recent convert's older sister. The first time we went to teach her brother and friend, she just pulled up a chair and started listening as well. Last week we challenged her to be baptized and she accepted. She’s already been to watch 2 baptisms and goes to church every week and is excited to be baptized this week. 

Here things are going great. The Lord is blessing us a lot and helping us find people to baptize every week. We found a woman this week who is a single mom with 3 daughters 8, 6, and 4. She was working every Sunday selling fruit downtown, but when we taught her she said that she felt so good and loved everything we said. We challenged her to change her work so that she could be baptized, and she talked with her boss and she said this Sunday she has to work, but after this Sunday she won’t have to. She said her daughter was asking her the other day why we hadn’t passed by yet because we had passed by the 2 days before and her daughter wanted to talk to us again haha. So we’re going to prepare the mom and her daughter to be baptized on the 19th. 

This week I was pondering about how we can strengthen our testimony to be able to touch others and I started to think about the spiritual experiences I’ve had in the past. I learned that when we ponder on the sacred experiences we’ve had in the past, we can be touched with that same spirit that we felt in the past, and in the same way that the experience strengthened us in the past, it can strengthen our testimony again and again. 

That’s about all I got for this week, but I hope you guys have a good vacation! Nothin’ like the good ol 3 week vacations that always interrupted summer basketball, haha. Love you guys, have a good week! 

Elder Udy