Well, to start off, I'm emailing you guys in a winter coat with a sweater, and thermal clothing under my dress clothes. So here was my week:
-It is extremely cold, oh my goodness. I normally walk with 2-3 pairs of socks, thermals, dress pants, a sweater, a jacket, and the giant winter coat you got me. And it's only May. In July and August, I can't even imagine how crazy it's gonna be. Welcome to Brazil.
-Elder Pontes and I have iniciateda special program for our companionship. Every other day, we do a special fast. The first 2 days weren't that hard, but I'm actually starting to fell hungry now, which is good. It makes it feel more like a sacrifice and I'm feeling the Spirit a lot stronger. This fasting is also bringing about a lot of miracles! We found a couple and started to teach them, Rafael and Iliane. They are super cool and they accepted the baptismal invite. It was super cool. Also we're seeing a lot of protection. This city isn't very dangerous, but something cool happened. Elder Pontes and I had marked an appointment with a less-active that is getting over a drug addiction. It was night, and we were about to go, but we had a feeling to go meet with a recent-convert on the other side of the area. So we followed our feelings and went there. Nothing special happened, (except for a chocolate cake that was waiting for us),, but we later found out that the drug dealers had tried to break into the house of this less-active that same night, and they tried to ruff up his brother in law. But because we listened to the Spirit, we were protected. It was super sweet.
-I've been thinking a lot about my childhood lately, and I'll I have to say is that I am so grateful for my amazing parents who raised me so well to know that the Gospel is true, and that families can really be happy and unified. You guys rock.
Well, besides the cold and the work, there's nothing else going on in my life. I'm just so happy tobe here in Brazil! I love my mission, and I love this work!
Challenges of the week:
1. Write your testimony to me in Portuguese
2. Read a talk from General Conference, Oct. 2013, and write me an email about what you learned.
"In the sight of the Lord, it is not so much what we have done or where we have been but much more where we are willing to go."
-Edward Dube
Well, I love you all! This Church is true. If you don't know it yet, just ask the creator of all truth. He'll tell you.
Rock on.
Elder Hintze
Monday, May 26, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
Rolling Hills and Deutsch
Ich bin Deutch lernen!
So this week was sweeter than honey pie. I'm in my new area of Cruz Alta, after many events I made it to P-Day!
Okay, so here was my week:
-So I left Uruguaiana at 4 pm last Pday and after 8 hours of travel alone, I arrived in Cruz Alta at 12:30 in the morning! When I arrived, absolutely nobody was waiting for me. haha I was in a new city, alone, and in the middle of the night. Luckily, some nice man let me use his cell phone and I called the Secretaries. Luckily (again), they were awake still because they had a meeting with President Parrela. So they called the Zone Leaders and they came and got me! haha. So I'm good.
-On the bus ride, the bus was stopped by the Brazilian Military. They asked for all the passengers to show their identification, and I, being the only foreign person on the bus, had a different type of ID than everyone else. The soldier walked over and looked at me and asked where my passport was, and I had to explain that the church has it in the mission headquarters in Santa Maria. Nothing happened. They left, and I was fine. But oh, how scared I was.
-So Cruz Alta is BEAUTIFUL! It's rolling hills and extremely green. The city is much smaller than Uruguaiana, but much more developed. It feels like a mix of San Juan, Paris, and Old Town Leesburg. It is sweet. I absolutely love it here. It's small,. peaceful beautiful, and the people are so nice. I love it.
-The people here speak portuguese with an Irish accent
- There is a member of our ward who speaks German! I talked with her yesterday, and she started to teach me some stuff! It was her first language becuase her parents were german and owned a farm here. She hasn't spoken it since she was little, though, so here vocabulary is limited to farm language with bad grammar. But, she gave us a reference to a lady who speaks German better, and we're gonna try and read Das Buch Mormon with her! It's cooler than coolers.
-My companion is Elder Pontes, and he is super cool. He was baptized 7 years ago and went to church all alone for 6 months until his dad was baptized. Then his dad went inactive, but Elder Pontes kept going to church. And after 1 year of the mission, his mom was baptized! I think it's an awesome story. But he rocks, and right now he's our district leader.
Well, this was my week. it was super sweet. and I love it here in Cruz Alta! I'm happy and working! So I have a task for all of you. I want you all to read this article.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/the-windows-of-heaven?lang=eng
Pray before hand and ask the Lord what you need to learn and what he wants to teach you. Then read it and think of all the different ways that the Lord blesses us. Also think about the form in which blessings come. I promise better understand of the blessings that the Lord sends us.
Well, I love you all a whole heap and I hope you all keep strong. Read the scriptures!
Até próximo,
Elder Hintze
So this week was sweeter than honey pie. I'm in my new area of Cruz Alta, after many events I made it to P-Day!
Okay, so here was my week:
-So I left Uruguaiana at 4 pm last Pday and after 8 hours of travel alone, I arrived in Cruz Alta at 12:30 in the morning! When I arrived, absolutely nobody was waiting for me. haha I was in a new city, alone, and in the middle of the night. Luckily, some nice man let me use his cell phone and I called the Secretaries. Luckily (again), they were awake still because they had a meeting with President Parrela. So they called the Zone Leaders and they came and got me! haha. So I'm good.
-On the bus ride, the bus was stopped by the Brazilian Military. They asked for all the passengers to show their identification, and I, being the only foreign person on the bus, had a different type of ID than everyone else. The soldier walked over and looked at me and asked where my passport was, and I had to explain that the church has it in the mission headquarters in Santa Maria. Nothing happened. They left, and I was fine. But oh, how scared I was.
-So Cruz Alta is BEAUTIFUL! It's rolling hills and extremely green. The city is much smaller than Uruguaiana, but much more developed. It feels like a mix of San Juan, Paris, and Old Town Leesburg. It is sweet. I absolutely love it here. It's small,. peaceful beautiful, and the people are so nice. I love it.
-The people here speak portuguese with an Irish accent
- There is a member of our ward who speaks German! I talked with her yesterday, and she started to teach me some stuff! It was her first language becuase her parents were german and owned a farm here. She hasn't spoken it since she was little, though, so here vocabulary is limited to farm language with bad grammar. But, she gave us a reference to a lady who speaks German better, and we're gonna try and read Das Buch Mormon with her! It's cooler than coolers.
-My companion is Elder Pontes, and he is super cool. He was baptized 7 years ago and went to church all alone for 6 months until his dad was baptized. Then his dad went inactive, but Elder Pontes kept going to church. And after 1 year of the mission, his mom was baptized! I think it's an awesome story. But he rocks, and right now he's our district leader.
Well, this was my week. it was super sweet. and I love it here in Cruz Alta! I'm happy and working! So I have a task for all of you. I want you all to read this article.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/the-windows-of-heaven?lang=eng
Pray before hand and ask the Lord what you need to learn and what he wants to teach you. Then read it and think of all the different ways that the Lord blesses us. Also think about the form in which blessings come. I promise better understand of the blessings that the Lord sends us.
Well, I love you all a whole heap and I hope you all keep strong. Read the scriptures!
Até próximo,
Elder Hintze
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)