4 February 2013

Feb 4, 2013

If you want to see where I'm working, search on google maps for Aracaju, Sergipe, next to Rio Sergipe. Street- Visconde Maracaju.
   I'm still having a hard time believing that Sarah got called to the Philippines, that's super exciting! And I'm So happy for her. Sure do wish I was there to help her out.. Miss you SO much Sarah!
   So my new companion Elder Gonzales is from Chile, Santiago I think... He has almost 11 month in the mission and I'm his first junior companion. He's from Chile so he speaks Spanish, so we're both kind of learning together, me more than him haha. There's many words that we both don't know so at times it's hard to communicate, haha. Something funny that I've noticed, the Brazilians are really good at guessing what you're going to say, so many time they will understand what your trying to say and respond before your even done finishing the sentence, but I guess that's the same when two Americans talk, haha.
   So we're working in an area that the scale of wealth ranges from very poor to very rich, depending on what neighborhood we work in. Our area is huge and since we both arrived in the area at the same time, we have a hard time finding where people live and where the streets are etc.. There have been quite a number of times when we've gone tracking and gotten lost in the dark, or knocked on a member's door, or a person that was baptized and left the church. Since we've opened the area we've had to make a lot of street contacts or knock a lot of doors. Normally I and Elder Gonzales trade off or he gets one side of the street and I get the other. Doing contacts by myself is harder but at the same time easier, cause I can act like myself... I don't know why it's just easier. Like I'll play with the dogs, comment on something, talk with the little kids, idk. Something I've been learning is that there exists a huge number of people in the world who aren't like me.... I thought I was a patient chap before my mission, HA Nope! but I'm working on it, trying to be more patient. ...
   Our ward is HUGE compared to my last ward. It has around 100 people active in the ward and a bunch of kids, this past Sunday one of the more hyper active kids ran around in the chapel during sacrament meeting with my name tag pinned to his shirt, haha, he was whispering Elder Ralph Elder Ralph to everyone! I pinned it on him but I didn't expect him to go around whispering my name, Oppps... But it was funny. Unfortunately the missionaries that were in this area before us didn't do anything, just stayed in their house, so the members are still observing us to see if they can trust us enough to give us references. But they are starting to come, wehehe. The other day we put on an activity with some of the members, one of the games was "Do you love you neighbor", haha kinda difficult when you can't make contact with people of the opposite gender, haha, and the sounds between the word amo and não are very similar hehe
So if you guys have any ideas for games that are simple for big groups PLEASE let me know.
   We've been working with a number of great people with great intention, a couple ITALO and LAELA who have been coming to church but are still working on a few problems, marriage is one of them. And Denise who is still searching for her answer, but she really believes that she´ll get it. And Rosá, who is an older lady that a member has been bringing to church. She has been a part of many religions in her lifetime so she knows a lot, but is very lost in certain topics of the gospel, its fun teaching her, she talks a lot haha.
   We've been teaching a lot of other people but unfortunately the "real intention" just isn't there, they make up a lot of excuses or run away when they see us coming, they seriously run! It's sad but it's their choice, sometimes I wanna chase 'um down or call them out when they lie but it's really not worth it. It's something that Elder Bednar taught us, the difference between helping an investigator gain a testimony and helping them be converted, if we chase them down or force them to go to church they aren't growing in either, a testimony or conversion. Many people in our areá know the Mormons because of the two boys that walk around in the streets, most of them have never talked to them, UNTIL NOW WAHAHA.
   I don't know why but talking about food is one of the easiest topics when talking with the female members, like I've been asking for recipes for certain foods and the women just talk! They probably think, awe this cute little American wants to learn to cook haha but seriously I do! I got rice done to a tee, and pancakes, and I make an awesome salad but I want to learn more, mainly because the guys that I live with are pretty low on the cooking skills. That reminds me! this week we're going to move houses, we're moving into a house way cleaner and bigger because our contract expired and the president has moved us into another house.
  Dearest Friends and Family, I am so thankful for all of your support, your prayers, your examples, love, everything that you have done and are doing to help me. I'm working hard, staying focused, and trying my best. I know that this time that I have will pass so fast so I will soak up every moment of it. Learning and growing in every way that I can. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH, and MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY!

Love, ELDER Ralph

 

28 January 2013

Hello family that I love so much

Well this week was way better than the first week, the first week we spent a lot of time looking for people that we found in the area book, but nothing was following through. We were trying to find members to show us the area or teach with us but we got nothing. So this week our work was more organized, we had people to work with investigators that we could visit. We have been working with a couple that we found our first day of tracting and they were able to come to church this past Sunday. Unfortunately there was a little disagreement during gospel principles that turned into a unnecessary argument. That's probably one of the most frustrating things as a missionary, when members don't act like members and disrupt the reverence in church. Ahhhh! so frustrating, but then there are other members who really reach out and help the missionaries when they bring investigators to church.
This week we were invited by a contact in the street to go to church with them, So, we accepted only if she agreed to come to our church on Sunday. (she didn't come) So we went and it was rather interesting. It was my second time going to a catholic church. Without being offensive, it was a workout! A lot of standing up, sitting down, clapping and singing. The padré read a few verses in Salmos and explained them. It was interesting, you could tell that they were missing something, that they depended on the pastor to teach them, and as long as he praised God, Jesus Christ, Mary or the people in the congregation everyone would give an Amen!. You can see how other churches help people feel closer to Jesus Christ, to feel his love. Help them separate themselves from the cruelties of the world, but really that's just the spirit, So much more exists. The priesthood, the priesthood is such a huge difference between our church and others. We have the ability to receive personal revelation from God, He organized our church, He organized the meetings, everything! He organized it in a way so that people can feel the spirit when they walk into our doors, as members we're responsible to keep that reverence. Without being offensive, I didn't feel the spirit when I went to that church, but I felt it when I went to mine.
We talked to an older gentleman who was sitting outside his house reading a religious book. He has millions of books and loves to read and learn about religions. He said that he has a Book of Mormon and believes that it could be true. But he doesn't believe in our other book, the second visitor, which teaches that Joseph Smith is Jesus..... What?! Uh never heard of it, he said that he had it and went into his house to find it, but he couldn't find it. We ended up talking to him for quite a long time, about religions, differences between our religion and others, and it was amazing to see that two young men who were raised in the church of Jesus Christ knew more than a man like him, extremely educated, well read. He interpreted scripture in a totally different way, then he confused himself about other topics of the Gospel, it was interesting to see. The Devil works through little details, little changes or doubts about the gospel can have a huge affect, like dropping a little pebble into a pond, it affects the whole pond.
This week we decide to have a fast that we can find new people to teach. It worked haha. We've found a number of people this week that have such high potential to progress. Real intent that's the word. :)
I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to learn and grow, spiritually and mentally. I've found so many attributes that I lack or need to change. I'm So thankful for the opportunity that I have to serve the lord.

22 January 2013

Family Dearest That I Love So Much.......

Why is everyone going on a Cruise without me?! :( I Hope it Rains Hahaha)

So.... I have been transferred to another area, another state honestly, I am now in Sergipe, the state on the bottom half of the mission. I was in Maceio, Alagoas and now I'm in Aracaju, Sergipe. I live with three other Elders (YES!) Elder Mendes, Garroza, our Zone Leaders and my companion Elder Gonzales. He's from Chile. He's still working on his Portuguese, haha. This makes the learning process a little bit more difficult because he speaks Spanish, but we're learning together. He's a great guy I really enjoy being his companion. He has been out on the mission 10 months. We both arrived in our area at the same time, so we have nothing really to work with, no investigators, no converts, we don't know where any of the members live, or the streets. But it makes it kinda fun, ya have to start somewhere, so we've been knocking a lot of doors, making a bunch of contacts inviting everyone to church and trying to teach lessons. EVERYONE'S CATHOLIC, hahaha. So basically I've been able to improve my contact/door-knocking skills a lot just this past week! It's honestly simple, just say something, haha, ANYTHING! about the church, about them, their house, anything! So yeah I'm starting to lose the "fear to talk to strangers"... YES!

So we had quite the welcoming party... When we arrived at the house we got a call from the bishop who informed us that the son of the second counselor was murdered. And he asked us to go to the funeral at the church that night. So we walked from our house to the church, thirty seconds away. That was really strange... Because I didn't know who was who, the family of the boy that died, who was in my ward, who the bishop was, who was a member, anything! So I just stayed quiet. It was a strange night.

So a few days ago there was a festival, or a holiday, (everyday is a holiday in Brazil). This holiday is where Men dress up as Women and dance and drink in the streets. The first time I saw a group of these men? I was knocking doors, and I couldn't help but laugh! I was dying! Cause these men? would dance to music all provocatively wearing high heels, wigs, and Flintstone dresses. So we moved on. Later we ran into them again, but there were a bunch more of them. Two of them came over to us, one of them kissed my hand, once he realized that I was American they called over all of their friends! 30 men? started running after us! We booked it! haha super scary.

Got to go love you so much
Next week I'll tell you about Elder Bednar.

ELDER RALPH

19 Jan 2013

Mother Dearest That I love so much! :) 

You Missed! you didn't send me an e-mail and I felt like a lost child... haha NO No no its okay, honestly last week was crazy cause I had little time and wanted to say bye to a lot of people, and I wrote you and awesome letter Huh huh huh? :) 

Well here's the dealio, Monday morning (3am!) I have to take a bus with my companion allllll the way to Maceio, 5 Hour bus ride. Which is nothing compared to driving to Utah, but that gives a little perspective to where I've been transferred. That being said I will not be able to write a letter to you Monday. Funny huh? It's PAYBACK! you didn't write me now I won't write you! HA 

No no I'm writing to let you know that I will be writing you on Tuesday instead of Monday. Works out nicely huh, because if you forget or someone's using the computer you can still write me :) LOVE YOU! 

Please Please Please Wish Sarah a happy birthday for me! Tell that she means so much to me! :)

Love you bunches! Até terça feida!

ELDER RALPH