Bom dia!!!!
It has been another great week and end to a transfer here in Seattle. I did not get transferred out of Kirkland, but I am going to be comps with Elder Schelin again. We are going to be Zone Leaders together. I am also going to get an apartment!! I have been in a hotel for the last 3 months, so that will be nice. I am definitely going to miss Elder Beardall, though. He has been a great companion. We made some great memories together and saw some awesome miracles.
On Sunday, all of the Portuguese Elders fasted that we would be able to baptize some of our friends in the next couple weeks. We really need at least one baptism to happen to help all of the members get excited and commit to the branch. Please pray for those we are teaching.
At church, I got to see my great uncle and aunt Richard and Joanne! They came to our Portuguese sacrament meeting. It was so fun to get to see and talk with them.
Church was great again yesterday. There were 8 investigators there, and 46 total in attendance. It was the best fast and testimony meeting ever! The Spirit was so incredibly strong because all of the members are just so grateful to be able to do this in Portuguese. It was just amazing. I translate the meeting to english every Sunday for the Bishop of the Totem Lake ward and any one else who comes that just speaks english. Usually, one of the other elders helps me and we switch about every 15 minutes. Yesterday, I was on the stand when the meeting started, and no one came to help me! I ended up translating the entire meeting by myself. I was so tired by the end. It is definitely a mental work out. I like doing it though.
On Saturday, we helped Anna Paula move. She is someone that Elder Schelin and I started teaching. It was pretty fun because she had a bunch of Brazilian friends there helping her. They were all super funny.
We started teaching an amazing new family this week. Their names are Jairton and Karoline. We are helping them with english. They are both super motivated to be learning, and they really like the gospel afterwards. They also are looking for a church and happen to live on the same street as our church building! They came on Sunday and loved it. Karoline cried the entire time because the Spirit was so strong. Afterwards, they told us that they will be there next Sunday! It was the best!
One of the testimonies on Sunday really touched me. They were all amazing, and pretty much all of them talked about how incredible it is to have church in Portuguese because it is so much easier to feel the Spirit. But Kíria Carlton's testimony really touched me. She has been here for 16 years, and this is the first time that she has had church in Portuguese. She said "I feel so sorry for all of you missionaries and all of the sadness that you have gone through on your missions. I am so sorry that you had to leave the places you loved. But your sadness has led to our joy. Being able to do this in Portuguese has brought us all so much happiness. Thank you". It really touched me. These past three Sundays have made it all worth it. Every sad moment in the past 7 months has been validated by these three Sundays. I am so grateful to be here. I love my Heavenly Father
Scripture of the week: Mormon 9:11
11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.
I love representing the Savior in Brasil and Seattle, 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
Photo 1 - Acaraje - a cool food from the Northeast of Brasil. It is a fried bean roll with shrimp filling
Photo 2 - prepping for winter
Photo 3 - Early morning work outs
Photo 4 - saying good bye to Elder Fullmer before he went home
Photo 5 - Richard and JoAnne came to the Portuguese Meeting!! It was cool to have my great uncle and aunt there, especially because I got to translate for them
