First Week in West Campinas

Olá família!

Elder Painter, Elder Permann, me, and Elder Nelson at transfers

I was transferred to Campinas Ala 3 [3rd Ward]! So I'm stayin' here in the Campinas Mission! [a new Piracicaba Mission is being added, which takes in the West half of the Campinas Mission]. I was worried that I would be separated from all of my missionary friends, but Elder Hill is here (he's my Zone Leader now), Elder Zacheu stayed in Vinhedo (and he's training right now! I HAVE A NETO! [a grandson, as in two 'generations' of missionaries]), Elder Sânio stayed, Elder Gaines went to Jundiaí, Elder Alencar stayed in Jundiaí. Elder Tanner Nelson's area is right by ours. Unfortunately for me, Elder McCann and Elder Mora will go to the new mission, but we'll stay in contact.

Me and Elder Christiansen. Wow, I'm really short

In my new area I'm finishing up the training of Elder Christiansen, who came into the mission with the same group as Elder Nelson. He's from Elizabeth, Colorado. He's a really good guy. He's super humble and willing to learn.

So we spent this last week walking a lot. And not teaching a lot. The area's not very big, but there was one family to visit on one side of the area and another on the other side, 1 hour away. One of the families ended up actually living beyond our area boundaries, so another set of missionaries will be teach them, and the other family didn't attend church, so we're starting from almost zero. This is a new and interesting experience, to start from nothing. It's overwhelming, because the decisions in the first few days, about where to go and who to teach, are very crucial because we will start to grow a teaching group and it needs to be close to the church or close to a member at least. By the way, we live right near the church, so that's awesome! Also it is really different working here inside Campinas. It a loooot harder to find someone who will listen to us or let us enter in their house. But I have a lot of respect for the missionaries in the States. It's even harder there with those cold-hearted Americans :-).

Okay, an experience to share with you guys. Uhh, there were a few. Thursday we went to contact a huge list of member families that haven't attended church for awhile, and among a bunch of people who moved or weren't home or don't want anything to do with the church, we found Iracy. It was kind of funny because we knocked on her door and she yelled 'Who is it?!?', and Elder Christiansen responded with his heavy American accent 'Eu sou Elder Crestionsan e samos michionarious dah igreija de diesus crestou' [I am Elder Crestionsan and samos michionarious dah church to the diesus crestou] and she didn't understand a word, I tried to clarify but she kept yelling 'Fala direito! Fala direito!' which means something like 'speak clearly'. She opened the door and gave an 'oh' when she saw us dois americanos perdidos [two 'lost' Americans]. Shes an older lady and one who's right to the point and still busies herself with various hobbies. We introduced ourselves and asked if she was Iracy, she confirmed and told us that she was making dinner. Ok, can we come another day? Come Sunday afternoon. Okay, tchau [bye].

So, Sunday afternoon we knocked, she answered and muttered 'ah, you guys came'. She invited us in and the first thing we noticed was the many paintings of landscape, one entire wall of the living room was painted with a vista of a waterfall and a sunset behind it. I saw a half-finished painting and asked her if she painted. "ah, eu faço uma pintura de vez em quando" [ah, I do a painting from time to time]. We sat down and immediately she said "so you guys are from the Church of Latter-day saints?" We respond, "yes". She says, "well, I have something to tell you. I don't believe in Joseph Smith because he's not in the Bible. I only follow the Bible and that's why I left your church. I heard about how he's not in the Bible and that's why I left." Ok, so to sum it up I pulled out the Livro de Mórmon [Book of Mormon] and asked her "have you read this book?" She says "No, I don't even know what it is." Huh. So I was thinking, what on earth am I going to say. I started to explain about Isaiah 29:11-12, and she asked "What is the 'book'?" taking me by surprise. I picked up the Livro de Mórmon "it's this right here". "How much is it?" "It's free." "Huh, who's Mormon?" So I explained about Mormon and the plates and what it had to do with verse 12 in Isaiah, then I was like trying to explain verse 11 which is a little more complicated. I showed the picture of Moroni with the plates and started to explain about how one part was sealed and she interrupts "So, Moroni was Joseph Smith's son?" "No, Mormon was Moroni's father..." Okay, that wasn't working so I started to bear my testimony to keep it simple and she interrupted again out of the blue "Okay, I'll go, I'll go to your church. When do you guys have your worship?" "Uh, Sunday morning." "What time does it start?" "9am until noon." "Okay leave it to me, I will go this Sunday. Is there someone who lives close by who's also going?" We mentioned a member who lives on the next street and she said "Okay, tell her to pass by here 8:00 Sunday morning. Will you guys tell her to pass by?" Startled, we replied that we would and she stood up to accompany us out the door.

Elder Christiansen and I looked at each other like, what just happened. At the door I remembered to give her something to read. "Do you like to read?" "Yes, I do." We pulled out a Livro de Mórmon and she asked "How much is it?" "It's free." "No, it's not." "No, it's free, everything we give is free." "I'll have to give you something for it. Bring the book to church and I'll give you $5. Can't I give $5 to the church?" "Well... yeah, but it would be a donation, we don't accept money for the Livro de Mórmon." "Okay, I'll have to bring my tithing to church too." She accepted the book and already started to read. I marked the introduction and Mosiah 2-5 for her. Then we said goodbye and left.

Okay, that's it for this week. AMO Vocês! TCHAU! [LOVE you! BYE]
Elder Bradford

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Google Streets view of the church building for the Campinas 3rd Ward

The view from our window in our study room

Our first day of work together!! yeahhhHH!HH!H!!

Final Week in Vinhedo

Helllloooww Família!

I'm being transferred! I don't know where yet! Tomorrow, I'll find out if it's my destiny to stay here in Missão Brasil Campinas, or if I'm headed to the new Piracicaba mission! Also, Elder Zacheu will train a greenie [new missionary]! Yes, I was shocked, but he's super qualified...I know I didn't train him perfectly, but he's doing well and knows how to work. Also, Elder Gaines [another missionary in his apartment] is being transferred, which was even more surprising because he's only been in Vinhedo for one transfer.

I'm actually going to miss Vinhedo a lot. We've had a lot of success here. We've made a lot of friends. We've had a lot of trials. I have a lot of people to say goodbye to today. People who I may never see again during this life. There's Eurico and Simone and their family, Diógenes and Leia, Hiago and his family, Gabriel, Christian, Mazinho and Angela, Bishop Iglezia and his family...I hope there's time to talk to everyone.

I'm doing good, and I've learned a good deal here in Vinhedo, especially from Elder Zacheu. It was a little intimidating to train this young guy who already knows a good part about missionary work. We haven't always seen eye to eye, but he's a good guy who's out here for the right reasons. I've learned a lot about my own faults and what I can do to improve. There is really nothing like the mission to show you how imperfect you are! I was thinking about that. I think one success about the whole idea of the mission is that there is a clear bar placed waaay above our heads that we are expected to reach. We learn of others who reached that bar by reading their stories in the scriptures, and by studying the life of our Savior, the One who established the bar through his example. We learn how to reach the bar by applying the stuff in PMG [Preach My Gospel guide] and the missionary manual. I've never had such a high bar than when on this mission. And it's awesome because we see ourselves growing. Most don't actually touch the bar, but all missionaries end up growing. And it's the growth that matters.

Okay, have a great week!
Elder Bradgeefordgee

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AJ near central Vinhedo at Praça José Von Zuben square and 'The Fountain of Friendship'. The globe rotates on a column of water and has fiber-optic lights highlighting Brazil and Italy to pay tribute to the immigrants who built the history of Vinhedo.

May 27th letter

Hello my family!

Wow I was surprised to hear that the bishopric is going to change! Has it already been 5 1/2 years? It doesn't seem that long ago when Bishop McKague was called. Man it was so cool having him as our bishop. I wonder who will be the new head honcho of Harmony ward??

Me and Francisco

Saturday we visited Francisco. For about a month he has been staying at a ranch to help him with life. We visited him, and it was really cool! He has changed a lot. He's not just skin and bones anymore. He's got some meat on him. He's shaved and clean, doesn't stutter, acts normal -- he's the real Francisco again! He's loving it there. He'll stay another 5 months before heading back home. We went there with Brandão our Líder da Obra [local church leader] and his wife, as well as a previous bishop (just before the current one). He promised Francisco a job when his stay is over. I'm so happy for him!

Us, our Bishop, and Lavinia & family

We also had the baptism of Lavinia yesterday. She went to the baptism of Beatriz and felt the Spirit very strong, she then had the desire to be baptized! We talked a lot with her family, who is supportive of the decision. We taught her family too. The first lesson went very well and the Spirit was strong. At one point I wasn't even saying my own words, but the words that were coming to my head in the exact minute that I needed them. Kind of cool how the promises in the scriptures are fulfilled. Now if I could only be able to do this in every single lesson!!

We are also teaching this kid Gabriel who is super smart and has a looot of questions. Thanks for the love, and the prayers. Pray for Gabriel, he's needing them!

Elder Bradford

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The big guy who baptized Lavinia is a member of the ward who lives in the same bairro [neighborhood].
The other member in the suit is a recently returned missionary who helps us out a lot.

AJ, Francisco, and Elder Zacheu - the pictures below are of the ranch where Francisco is living

May 20th letter

Helllllooo,

Baptism of Beatriz

So all's going well with Hiago's family! Beatriz his sister was baptized yesterday. And this time their mom and dad went to church and the baptism! They are really supportive. They actually want to be baptized as well. We are also teaching one of Hiago's friends and one of Beatriz's friends. And they have a member who lives in front of their house who is helping a lot. The only hard thing is that the work schedule of Hiago and his mom have gotten a little difficult. We also found a few more families this week who are super cool, so the work is going well.

Yesterday, Eurico blessed the sacrament for the first time! Our bishop asked him last Sunday if he would do it, so Eurico spent the whole week practicing with the part in D&C that has the prayer, in a nervous fret. Then came Sunday and he asked that I bless with him to help him out, it was a little new for me also because there's a different routine for passing the sacrament than I'm used to. I told him to read the words real slow, but when he did it he seemed to be reading it as fast as he could, just to get it over with! But he got it right the first time! Man it reminds me of my first time, I think I was with Jacob Scoville or Conor Seat, I don't remember well but I remember that it was good that I had someone helping me out a lot.

In response to your questions, we do bus contacts every time we ride the bus, which is usually once per day.  That was my companion who took the picture [see last week's post].  He likes to take random photos of me. As far as I know, we don't have any senior couples in our mission. But I've also never seen the two counselors to our mission president so maybe we have some senior couples that I've never seen.

That's all for this week.
Elder Bradford

Mother's Day skype call & pictures

AJ & Elder Zacheu via Skype

AJ poses during our Skype call

We had a great conversation with AJ on Sunday for Mother's Day. A family that was recently baptized offered their home to him and his missionary companion to make Skype calls home. For those less familiar with an LDS mission, the missionaries are allowed to call/skype home twice a year - on Mother's Day and Christmas Day.  It was great to hear that AJ is doing well, and apparently he's gained some weight -- he mentioned needing to be better about turning down Brazilian desserts :-). I've included a couple of pics we took during our conversation, as well as some AJ sent the following day.

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I got caught by a candid camera on the ônibus [city bus] doing contacts

A family night we did with Hiago, his family, and a member family who lives on the other side of the road.

Hiago's Baptism!