Oi familia!
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| AJ, Elder Hill, W (being baptized), and M |
First of all, we had a baptism this last Saturday! His name is W, who was baptized by M (for some reason, Brasileiros rarely smile in photos). He was a contact I made on the street about three weeks ago (I shouldn't say 'I' made it, but I was the one who stopped him and started talking to him). When we first met he smoked, drank, and took drugs. We worked with him, and he fell a couple times, but we kept on encouraging him and finally he was baptized. He's a pretty cool guy and really intelligent. Unfortunately, he lives with a bunch of bums who drink and get wasted all the time, so it was pretty hard for him and I think it still is now. He moved temporarily to his dad's house, and his dad is a really great guy. But he moved back to be an example for the others, he told us. I really hope he stays firm in the church after we leave! His baptism (or rather the minutes leading up to it) was a really spiritual and intense experience.
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| AJ at the Campinas Temple |
Also, believe it or not I'm in Campinas today, and guess where I went this morning? The TEMPLE! Elder Oliveira Souza had to go to Campinas for a doctors visit, and it worked out better for him to take me rather than his companion. It is a gorgeous temple. It's equally beautiful inside. So right now we're enjoying our P-day in Campinas!
So about piano lessons, I've actually been asked quite a bit about giving them. The problem is, it uses a lot of time. You don't know how fast P-day goes by (well, maybe Dad remembers)! Also, to teach someone who knows very little piano once a week until they are capable of playing even the simplified hymns would take months. It would also depend on whether they have the means or desire to practice! There is this one kid in our branch who can play pretty well, he can play through a few of the hymns. I was thinking of giving him a few piano lessons but he hasn't shown interest or called us back. He told me that he doesn't like to practice.
There's a few things I've learned on the mission about people - one of them is that unless someone has a real desire or outside pressure to do something that's possibly tiresome or inconvenient (like read the Book of Mormon or go to church), they won't do it. So, unfortunately as a missionary I don't have much opportunity to help people learn piano. Maybe in another area I'll find someone who plays okay and is willing to learn, practice, and apply what they learn. Huh, that kind of sounds like a golden investigator, doesn't it?
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| AJ enjoying pizza in a cone |
Anyway, I also included a picture of us eating
pizza in a cone. Yeah, it's awesome. Okay, tenho que sair. Tchau!
[I have to leave, take care]
Elder Bradford
