DUDLEY, WARREN: Vista Verde, Weeks 1 And 2

What´s up everybody!

Sorry that I didn´t send an email last week; it has been kind of crazy since I got to this new area, I've got a lot to adjust to here. It is so different from Cruzeiro here. I am in an actual normal ward, not a branch. We have lunch with members every day. I have already gained 5 kilos in the last two weeks. The members here are great. This is one of many wards in the city of São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos is a huge city but is nicely spread out and doesn´t really feel like a super busy city. It is actually really nice. It almost feels like a Brasilified version of a US city in parts. There are actual trees, too! I´m super excited to be here. I hope I stay here for at least four transfers.

I used to think it would be better to switch areas and comps a lot to freshen things up but leaving Cruzeiro was really hard. It is super cool here, but I miss Cruzeiro. Even though it is supposedly one of the hardest areas in our mission, I loved it there. I totally cried when I left. I was kind of surprised how much I had come to love that area. I also miss my old comp, Elder Hatch, a lot. He was a super great missionary and had a very similar outlook to me on what it means to be a missionary. We were able to work super hard and be super obedient together.

This transfer is going to be a lot harder with Elder Cuadra. He is from Ecuador and has a year and seven months in the mission. He is completely dead and just wants to go home. He doesn´t really want to work, and doesn´t care for the rules. He has perfected the art of wasting time in between appointments. Every time I try to knock doors, he finds some way to waste time. He sleeps in a lot, and blasts super loud electronic music in our house. He literally doesn´t have an umbrella anymore because he doesn´t believe in working in the rain. This transfer is passing way slower than the last two because it is a lot harder to work hard. I am always trying to get him to work, but it is hit and miss. I´m making it my goal this transfer to try to help him change his perspective around so that I don´t feel so much like it is a waste of time, but I still find myself going crazy sometimes. It is hard to help someone change if they just sleep. I´m just going to try to be the best example I can.

Aside from this, some pretty great things have happened in the last two weeks. Here they are:

I played sports for the first time since the CTM. Cruzeiro didn´t really have anywhere to play sports, but here does! All of the Elders in our zone rode busses into the stake center in the center of the city last P Day, and we played basketball, football, and soccer. It was so fun, but my legs have been so sore ever since. It was the most exercise aside from walking and pushups that I have done in three months.

We had a ward Christmas party. It was super cool to see what the Brasilian culture is like. There was a ton of food, music and dancing. Also, everyone showed up three hours late.

We marked one of the people we are teaching for baptism. Her name is Aline. We are teaching her and her fourteen-year-old son. We would have marked her son too, but he is visiting his dad in another state for the next month. Aline came to church yesterday, and she loved it. She is a super good investigator. She really believes what we have taught and doesn´t have any problems. One interesting thing about teaching them is that the lessons are a mix of Spanish and Portuguese. They lived in Chile for a couple years, so they speak Spanish in addition to Portuguese. Actually, that is how they found the missionaries. She saw Elder Cuadra´s name one day on the bus and started talking in Spanish. Elder Cuadra and his old companion started teaching them. We also bring some Venezuelan refugees that are in our ward with us to teach them.

On Friday, we found the grandma of one of the members from my old branch in Cruzeiro, which is super cool! The chances of that are so slim! It was definitely not a coincidence. I called Elder Hatch that night to tell him so he could talk to the member, and I found out something super awesome. Kelly was going to be baptized the next day! Elder Hatch and I found and taught Kelly for half of last transfer. She is super awesome, and really nice. I am so happy that she was baptized! Even though I wasn´t there, hearing that made me super happy!

This last Wednesday was one of the best days of my mission. President and Sister Miller took our zone to the Campinas temple for our Christmas zone conference. It was incredible. The spirit was so strong there from the moment we stepped on the grounds. I had a really sweet experience. I really didn´t want to leave. Oh, I also received 23 envelopes that day, many of which had multiple cards. Thanks to all!

In my extra time, which I have a lot of now because of my comp, I started reading Jesus the Christ. It is the most incredible book! I am learning so much from it. The perfectly detailed analyzation of the Savior is absolutely incredible!

Scripture of the week: 2 Nefi 19: 6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

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 - The view from the house in Vista Verde

#2 - Elder Cuadra and me

#3-5 - My Christmas Decorations

#6-9 The House in Vista Verde

#10-11 - P-Day in São José dos Campos