So we heard about the new Brazil Piracicaba mission yesterday as one of the 58 newly-announced church missions. Also, that's pretty awesome they're opening a mission in our little city of Vancouver! Here, they will divide Campinas and Riberão Preto missions to make the new mission.. They've explained which zones will go to the new mission and it looks like all of the areas that I've passed through, except for Vinhedo, are going to the new mission! We haven't heard anything about who's going where yet. I think the change will happen in June or July. I was thinking it's possible to have us three [AJ, Sam McKague, and Tanner Nelson from our ward] in the same mission. Or it could end up being Sam in Riberão Preto, one of us in Piracicaba, and the other in Campinas! But we'll see what happens. It's all in God's hands.
Vinhedo ['Vineyard' in English] supposedly has (or used to have) a lot of vineyards. Every year there's a Festival da Uva, which ended about a week ago. It's like their version of the County Fair, with little rides, those booths with games, and food, performances, that kind of stuff. We didn't go but last week we passed by and saw it.
So living in four has indeed its pros and cons. It's good because you can talk freely with the other missionaries and get their input on difficulties in your area, or how to improve your teaching. We also chat a lot and laugh about things so it helps with the stress. The not so good part can be explained by looking at the kitchen. It seems like sometimes I'm the only one who washes dishes or cleans. But it's not a big deal because most of the time we all do our part to clean the house. Also sometimes we get to talking or goofing around and we lose track of time.
I think when I said that I don't feel like I'm giving 100% it's because I don't follow the schedule PERFECTLY. Like, we're supposed to do 30 minutes of exercises every morning. It's been very few times on the mission that I've been able to do that (not because 30 minutes is too much - it's because I wake up, pray, go to the bathroom, maybe sit there on the bed for a few minutes, and it's already 6:50 and there isn't time to exercise for 30 minutes and still be showered dressed and have eaten breakfast and be ready by 8:00. Well, looking at it now maybe if I got myself ready more in a hurry in the morning it'd work out. :) Also after studies we kind of take a while to get out the door. And lunch is supposed to be only an hour long (achieved this very few times also). And sometimes our lessons take 2 hours. Just things like that. I would feel better if I was baptizing more, but this has nothing to do with giving 100%. Except that we were promised by Presidente Perrotti that if we give our all, we will baptize every week. I really liked what you said mom, that all that God asks from me is that I ask him what I can do better and he will show me, little by little I'll improve. And that is the 100% that I want to reach.
So the package came without problem, I didn't have to pay any fees. Also looks like no one tampered with it. My Brasileiros here like the peanut butter, but they get all grossed out when I start putting it in/on other things like pancakes and apples and bananas and milk shakes.
As you can see, It didn't turn out looking very good. I was like, let's just bring it and show the members we tried, and they'll be like, oh just call us next time and we'll make a cake. But the other Elders expressed concern we could begin an apostasy here in Vinhedo by bringing that thing to the baptism. So, we ended up just eating it at home. |
| Baptism of Bento |
Ok, é só isso para esta semana. Que essa semana seja cheia de experiências e oportunidades de melhorar e crescer no evangelho! [that's it for this week. Let this coming week be filled with experiences and opportunities to improve and grow in the gospel]
Elder Bradford!
I took some pics of the area. The first one has a house on fire or something...
