Cruzeiro Week 5 Of Transfer 2

Hey everybody! 

I would say that this was a crazy week, but this was probably the slowest week on my mission! My comp was sick all week! We had to stay home so he could sleep, and boy did he sleep! He pretty much only left his bed to use the bathroom. It´s all good; I tried to still make the best use of that time. Here is what I did while I was stuck in the house:

7. Tried to figure out a way to put potatoes in pancakes. (by the way, doesn´t work. They end up tasting like potato chips with liquefied mashed potatoes in the middle). I thought it was going to be like pancakes + hash browns, but it definitely wasn’t.

6. Learned some songs on Elder Zundel's Ukulele

5. Started reading “Saints"

4. Studied Preach My Gospel

3. Memorized a ton of Portuguese words. I started going through each section of the Portuguese-English dictionary I have and picking out words that would be useful or could at some point be interesting to know. I got through the letter A this week. 

3. Started studying the Guide to the Scriptures that is in the back of the Portuguese Livro de Mormon

2. Started studying the New Testament

1. I also had the unique experience of finishing the Book of Mormon twice in one week. Last week, I finished reading O Livro de Mormon in Portuguese. I had started that study 6 weeks ago. At the same time, I was continuing my study that I started in English in the CTM. I don´t need to use the English anymore, but I wanted to finish what I started, so this week I did. The Book of Mormon really is so incredible. It is the foundation of my testimony that this is the restored Gospel. No matter what, if you know the Book of Mormon is true, pretty much no other question can hurt your faith. 

Today, we also had a chance to have interviews with President Miller. It was so awesome to have a chance to talk to him. He talked to me for about 30 minutes. We talked about BYU (´cause he played football there), and a lot about how to better utilize the Book of Mormon. I used to think that I shouldn´t give out a Book of Mormon unless I think the people are going to read it, but President Miller helped me understand that even if the person we give it to doesn´t read it, someone else that they know might be touched by the Holy Ghost and read it. I´m going to start giving out a ton of Books of Mormon! 

Another interesting thing that happened this week is that we found out the Lucas and Ires are involved in drug trafficking. This is extremely unfortunate because we have been teaching them for a couple weeks, and they believe the Book of Mormon is true. We are trying to work with them and teach them about repentance, but I think it is going to be pretty hard to get them to change. 

One of the parts of the Book of Mormon I read this week was Ether. I love the story of the brother of Jared! He is a great example of faith. Through his example, we can learn how to receive personal revelation. In Ether 2:16-25 and 3:1-6 we learn to listen, obey the voice of the Lord, ask in faith, listen, be obedient, ask in faith, listen, ask in faith, look for answers, and present those answers to the Lord. 

I love representing the Savior in Brasil, I love my companion, I love the Gospel and Atonement of Christ, I love my family, and I love my Redeemer. I am ready and excited to work harder, learn more, and love better this week!  

Love,

Elder Warren Matthew Dudley 

Pictures:

#1 I drew this into my study journal

#2-3 O Livro de Mórmon round two

#4 Pancakes (my regular variety that I made every morning, not the potato disaster)

#5 Almond cake

Cruzeiro Weeks 3 And 4 Of Transfer 2

Bom Dia!!! 

Another fantastic week of missionary work has come and gone. This week definitely had its ups and downs, but I´ve got no complaints. Here are the notable things that happened this week:

4.  We were teaching Lucas and Ires this week, and one day, before we started the lesson, they told us that they didn´t feel worthy to be at church. We talked for a couple minutes, and then Elder Hatch told them that we were going to read Alma 24. This chapter is all about the Anti Nephi Lehi's. We read he chapter with them and talked a lot about the principles of repentance that that chapter contains. When we finished, they told us that it was the answer that they needed.

3. This is definitely one of the most notable things that happened this week, but it is bad, unfortunately. Kelly, who is the best investigator I´ve had on my mission, had a really bad experience at church. She has been progressing so much, and she has already told us that she believes in the Book of Mormon and wants to get sealed in the temple. She went to church 4 days after we meet her a week and a half ago, and she went to church yesterday. We were planning on inviting her to be baptized during our appointment with here yesterday, but when we got there, we had to change plans. After every talk at church, Kelly claps. That is a pretty common thing in other churches here in Brasil. Unfortunately, a few members of our branch didn´t have very much common sense, and they said some things that really hurt Kelly´s feelings. Now, it’s going to be an uphill battle to regain the ground we lost.

2. We had zone conference this week, and it was awesome. President Miller had a bus pick us up at 7 in the morning, and then we picked up the rest of the missionaries in our zone. I learned a lot at zone conference and had a really fun time hanging out with so many other missionaries. Elder Hatch and I got called on to give a testimony about how companionship study helps us, and each of us talked for about five or so minutes. 

1. I finished the Book of Mormon in Portuguese for the first time this week. I started it 3 days before last zone conference, and I finished it 3 days before this zone conference. Reading it in just Portuguese has really helped my language skills.

Scripture of the week:  Alma 24

Best Quotes from Donizete

Donizete is this guy in our branch who is in his 60´s. He is one of three people baptized in the last year, and he is unintentionally hilarious. Here are his best quotes since I´ve been in Cruzeiro:

3. We were in second hour one day, and we had an investigator there. President Pedro was talking about President Nelson´s Last talk about loving or neighbors. He showed a picture of President Nelson to our investigator and then said, "Donizete, do you remember who our prophet is?"

Donizete: "Of course I remember!"

President Pedro went to put his phone back in his pocket, and Donizete said, "Wit, wait! Let me see him just to make sure he hasn´t changed. Yep, that’s him"

2. During the same lesson on loving our neighbors, President Pedro asked everyone to donate spare clothes to a Venezuelan refugee family. Donizete said "Man, those dang Venezuelans, always coming here and talking our jobs! Why can´t we do what Trump is doing and build a wall?" 

 I think that he missed the point of the lesson.

2. Elder Zundel and Elder Oliveira were visiting Donizete, and they saw two open bags of coffee on his counter. They asked him why he had them, and he said a friend dropped them off. Elder Oliveira told him not to worry, they would get rid of them for him. The next day, he called them and told him to bring back his coffee. Elder Zundel asked him why he need it, and he said he had the right to sell anything he wants in his store. Elder Zundel then asked him why the bags were open if he was selling them.

1. We were in a Sunday School lesson about the Plan of Salvation, and we were talking about the Pre-Mortal life. Renan asked Donizete if he remembered living with God. He said, "Of course I do".  Renan said, " Wow! What do you remember?".

Donizete: "I remember living with God and his plan"

Renan: "What do you remember about is plan?"

Donizete: "That it was a good plan"

I love representing the Savior in Brasil, I love my companion, I love the Gospel and Atonement of Christ, I love my family, and I love my Redeemer. I am ready and excited to work harder, learn more, and love better this week!    

Love,

Elder Warren Matthew Dudley 

Pictures:

#1 - Finishing O Livro de Mórmon 

#2-4 - My scripture study key

#5 and 6 - Christmas Packages that I got at Zone Conference

#7 and 8 - Zone Conference

#9 - Elder Hatch and I with Eveli, Kelly, Dani Ramos and President Pedro Ramos

Cruzeiro Week 2 Of Transfer 2

Hey everybody! 

I had another great week here in Cruzeiro! Even though it is a tough area and there aren´t a lot of members, I love it here! I really saw Heavenly Father´s hand in work this week. We have been working super hard to find people to teach, but the only way to do that here is to knock doors because there are so few members. We have been working as hard as possible to do this, and Heavenly Father blessed us with a lot of people to teach this week! It was awesome! Here are the things that happened this week:

9. I got hit by bird droppings on Thursday.

8. I stepped in a massive pile of horse dung on Friday

7. A dog licked all over the straw part of my water bottle on Saturday.

6. A drunk guy bought us soda. We were passing by a bar on the way home, and this guy calls us over right outside. I wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but then he yelled into the bar that he was going to buy us a two liter soda. The bar didn´t have any, so he just bought us each a can of Guaranita and a can of Coca-Cola.

5. My companion had to go to Sao Paulo with two other missionaries from our district to renew his Visa and get his Brasilian ID, called a CPF. Americans don´t receive the CPF until they have been here for 6 months. I went on divisions with Elder Jaime and Elder Tuttle. However, the morning that they were supposed to leave, Elder Hatch called us to come get him and told us that the bus station wouldn´t let him on the bus because he didn´t have a CPF. That´s one of the crazy things about Brasil. They have laws like that, but only a couple people follow them. I haven´t had any trouble going on busses without the CPF yet. My comp just got unlucky. Elder Hatch and I are going to try to go again on Wednesday.

4. Celso. Celso is this super old guy we met knocking on doors. Usually, super old people are hard to talk to. They are either old men that are missing teeth and are impossible to understand, or they are old Catholic women who won´t talk about anything except "Nossa Senhora, Maria". However, we started explaining about the purpose of the Book of Mormon to Celso, and how it is another Testament of Jesus Christ. We asked him at the end if he would read it, and he said, "well I have to, don´t I?" Lots of people say this, but don´t do anything, but we came back to check on him three days later. When he saw us at the door, he shuffled back inside. He came back out holding the Book of Mormon and said: " the theology in this book is fantastic!" It turns out that he had read 16 chapters in four days! We have an appointment scheduled with him for this week.

3. Fernando. We visited Fernando twice this week, and the second time we showed him the film of the Restoration. He thinks that everything about the church makes sense. I can see his testimony growing. 

2. Lucas and Ires. We met Lucas and Ires last week knocking on doors. They are a young couple with a 9 year old daughter. When we knocked on their door, they let us right in, and we taught them the Restoration. We left Books of Mormon with them and came back this week. They actually started reading, and even watched some of President Nelson´s Conference address. We taught them twice this week. Lucas told us that everything we have taught him makes sense. And, yesterday, they came to church!!!!! It was so awesome! The testimonies people bore were perfect for them, and both Lucas and Ires really liked it.

1. Adriano. We met with Adriano once this week and read 3 Nephi 27 with him. That chapter talks about Christ´s church and His doctrine/gospel. When we finished reading, I asked him if he believes the Book of Mormon is true. He said yes. We then read the introduction to the Book of Mormon with him. The intro talks about the three proofs of the Book of Mormon: 1. Christ is our Savior and He lives, 2. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, 3. The Church of Jesus Christ is the Kingdom of God on the earth. I asked him if he believes those three things. He said yes. I asked him if he has prayed about this. He said no, but he said he would this week. I then asked him if he receives confirmation if he would be baptized by someone who has priesthood authority. He said yes!! He still has problems with some of the commandments, but when we go back there next week, if he has received an answer, we will talk with him about what he needs to do to prepare for baptism.

Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 5:13

Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

I love representing the Savior in Brasil, I love my companion, I love the Gospel and Atonement of Christ, I love my family, and I love my Redeemer. I am ready and excited to work harder, learn more, and love better this week!   

Love,

Elder Warren Matthew Dudley 

Pictures:

#1 Up the Hill

#2 Elder Hatch and me

#3 The English Class book

#4-6 The Tracks

#7 - A Capybara at the River

#8 Our wonderful cell phone

#9 - The best soda ever - Guaranita!!!