What a week!! THis week has been so crazy!!
We had to take Elder Almeida to the SeaTac airport on Wednesday. He had to go to San Francisco to do some visa stuff for portugal. He was only gone for 24 hours, but it was good just to be with Elder Ward for a day. The next day was Elder Ward's birthday, so that was fun!! I took him out to a fun burger place. They had eggnog shakes!! In July!! Of course I had to get one, and it was the best thing ever!! We had to spend 6 total hours in the car driving between the two days, though!! The traffic to get to Sea-tac was awful!!
Exchange with Bothell
We had a crazy exchange with the Bothell Elders this last week. With Elder Whitley's grandpa being in the hospital, we decided to do an exchange to keep his mind off things. I went with Elder Keil in their area. When I woke up in the morning, I looked over at Elder keil and realized that something was wrong. He told me that he had been throwing up all night and that he thought he had food poisoning. He kept on having massive stomach problems and throwing up. We ended up having to stay home the entire day so he could rest and be by the toilet. I felt really bad for him. It was about the strangest exchange I have ever done. He was too wiped out to talk except for companionship study. I had a productive day though. I was able to finish the New Testament, finish a course called MY PLAN that I have to do before coming home, adn get a bunch of other studies in. It was good.
Lunch with Rita, Liv, and Luiza
Rita, Liv, and Luiza had us over for one last lunch this Sunday. I am so grateful for the chance I had to teach and baptize them, and to now see the change in them and how they have taken off in the gospel. They are so different now. They have the SPirit with them. They have peace in their home. Their futures have changed. Luiza is doing BYU Pathways and institute. Liv willstart pathways during her senior year of high school this year. They both want to go to BYU Provo after this next year. Liv wants to serve a mission. I feel so blessed to have been able to witness all of this. I have such a good friendship with Rita, Liv, and Luiza, and am so grateful for them. (the food was also delicious)
Savia's miracles
So, Savia texted us this week and told us she didn't think that she could get baptized on the 18th. We got kind of worried, but we just set up a lesson for the next day. She started the lesson just in tears. She has a really hard family situation. We read some scriptures with her, and talked and taught about the Savior's Atoning sacrifice and grace, and by the end, she was totally happy and smiling again. She definitely felt the Spirit. She came to church the next day, and was completely normal again. It was definitely a huge miracle! Please pray for her to be baptized on the 18th!!
Josue
So, this transfer has been a little bit of a faith challenge for us. Last transfer, the Lord guided us to find about 60 Brazilians. We had a pretty good teaching pool and a couple appointments every night. This transfer, we had found 5 total people. Everyone that we taught has pretty much dropped us except for Savia. It seems like the entire Brazilian community is working so late and not getting home until 9:30 because during the winter it is hard for a lot of the construction companies and other things they do for work. That has been pretty hard this transfer. This week, I had the impression to start using the app Whitepages again. It is basically like an online phonebook. We have tried using it a couple times before, and it isn't super effective with Brazilians, but we had never tried it in Bothell. We searched for a common Brazilian last name in the app and filtered for the city of Bothell. We repeated that process with as many last names as we could think of, and we ended up with the addresses for about 6 Brazilians up here in Bothell. Typically, in the past when we have done this, the Brazilians had already moved and it wasn't updated on the app. it had never been super effective.
We decided to try on Sunday night. We went to one of the adresses, and no one was home. WE then moved on to the next house, and it was Josue and Ivani. They are so nice!! They are from Curitiba, Brasil. We have a return appointment with them tomorrow at 6:30. The incredible thing is that they told us that there are 9 other Brazilians in their neighborhood!! It seems like the trial of our faith is finally over!!
Zone Conference
Zone Conference was absolutely incredible!! I loved it, justas I always love zone conference. It is always such a spiritual high. This was the first full day zone conference since before Covid!! It was awesome! We didn't have masks on and we had lunch and everything! The best part was definitely the end. We were with the Seattle and Auburn zones, and there were 9 total missionaries going home. We all bore our testimonies in alphabetical order. Before we started bearing our testimonies, Elder George played a special musical number on the piano. He is one of the most incredible pianists I have ever heard. I served around him in Kirkland almost a year ago. He has been playing for weddings and other things since he was 11 years old. Elder George is also going home, and he put his entire heart and soul into the music. He played the most incredible, beautiful, and heartfelt arrangement of "If you could high to Kolob" that I have ever heard. Almost everyone was in tears by the time he was done.
The first Elder to bear their testimony was Elder Carpenter from our zone. He got up there and just started crying. He bore a very heartfelt testimony. I had started getting teary during the music, but I was definitely crying listening to Elder Carpenter.
Then it was my turn. I got up there and immediately choked up. My mission has meant everything to me. This gospel means everything to me. I have such a strong testimony that God exists and that He is our loving Heavenly Father. This is a great work that He has given us. I have always wanted to serve a mission, but this has been more incredible than I could have ever imagined. I have a witness that this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know He lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Well, I will send one more email next week. I am ready to continue strong and trust the Lord more than ever this week!!
3 Nephi 11:10-11
10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
I love representing the Savior in Brasil and Washington, 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 - Washington is so pretty in the summer
Photo 2-5 The temple!
Photo 6 - Cool park
Photo 7 - Mom sent us matching July 4 ties
Photo 8 - Washington is amazing!!
Photo 9 - Again the July 4 ties
Photo 10 - Last Mission Leadership Council
