Olá!! Well, this week has certainly been interesting. We have sadly had to continue our quarantine. Our last day is this Wednesday, though! I am so excited to leave my apartment again. It'd be great. We still have managed to stay pretty productive while in quarantine. We teach about 2 lessons on zoom a day, and we have found a lot of new people to teach on Facebook. I have 700 pending friend requests! They are all Brazilians that live in the area. Facebook finding is honestly probably the most effective way for us to find people. It is so mind numbing, though. On Sunday, I spent a straight 2 and a half hour chunk of time just facebook finding. When I finished, I thought my head was going to explode.
Our zone took off this week. Despite all 6 companionships of elders being in quarantine, the excitement level was so much better. We made some really fun videos to get the zone excited, and we started a bunch of new things. It has really changed things. This week, we hope to keep building momentum. I believe that if everyone gets behind the zone vision, we could baptize more than 9 people next month. That would set a mission record for a zone in a month, and Kirkland is one of the hardest zones to do that in!
Rosi is literally progressing so much right now! It is incredible to see her getting so close to baptism! We gave her the Book of Mormon videos to watch this last week, along with the first chapters of the Book of Mormon. She loved the videos so much that she kept on asking for more! SHe has now read from the intro of the Book of Mormon all the way through 1 Nephi 8, watching the Book of Mormon video that goes along with each section. She loved it so much that we sent her the entire Restoration film, which she watched and loved, in addition to President Nelson's message! After watching the Restoration Film, she told us all about the parts that she loved. She especially emphasized how amazing the part where Joseph Smith receives the revelation on eternal family is. Our plan is to set a baptismal date with her this week! Please pray for her!
We had a couple interesting classes over video. The attention span of some of the people that we teach is not very good. I kind of know how the kindergarten teachers feel teaching over Zoom now.
Rita, Liv, and Luiza have brought us food three times since we have been in quarantine. They are awesome to us. I just wish that they would progress. It is tough with english. Teaching English classes as a method to find people to teach the gospel to is really great because when you find someone that is willing to learn about the gospel, they progress so much better because you meet with them regularly. But, the flipside is that if people don't progress, it is really hard to cut them. Everyone that we teach loves us so much. It is worth it though, because between the four Portuguese companionships, we have some people with real potential. In December, we could potentially baptize multiple families.
The Kirkland and Redmond stakes got merged into one during stake conference, so that will be interesting. I am really happy that President Sowby is still the stake president. He is awesome.
Scripture of the week: Moroni 10:22
22 And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.
I loved representing the Savior in Brasil, I love doing the same thing in Washington, 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- Elder Schelin and I are back together!!
Photo 2 - Let the Christmas prep begin!!
Photo 3 - Rita, Liv, and Luiza made us food!!
Photo 4 - One of our new students Billy is super awesome!!
