#27 - "Carrying the Banner" (Newsies = Missionaries) (11/20/23)

Bom dia todo mundo! Como vocês estão? Espero que vocês estejam bem e que esta semana passado era ótimo! [Good morning everybody! How are you? I hope you guys are doing well and this past week was great!]

Whats up guys! Hows it going? Today is a little bit different than other p-days. We had transfers today and Elder Hogge transferred to go be a Zone Leader and I just recieved my new trainee, Elder Da Silva! Thats right, im training now so good luck to me!

In other news, here is an update on this last week:

churrasco again

Monday - We did another churrasco because.... why not!? Elder Loertscher and I were jamming out on the guitar also (have to practice!) 

Tuesday - We had Elder Jenkins and Elder Araújo for a division today and Elder Hogge and I worked with Elder Araújo again! While we were doing personal study, it was so windy that it sounded like howling in our house and all of our doors kept opening and closing. I couldnt help but think the spirits from the cemetary across the street were possessing the house!🤣 something cool i learned today is that "wow" in english is spelled as "uau" in portuguese. No idea why but it is. While teaching a family today, the kids asked if we had any nicknames and I explained the nickname that my mom gave me: Pooka. While explaining that my mom took the first letter of each of our names and then added "oo", Elder Araújo started laughing realizing that with my name, my nickname is "doo doo". I then explained what "doo doo" ment in english to the family and lets just say, im glad my nickname is pooka and not "doo doo". [Mom note: Choo Choo, Shoo Shoo, Moo Moo & Boo Boo all sounded ok for the other kids...Doo Doo did not LOL!]

Division with Elder Jenkins

Wednesday - Elder Araújo and Elder Jenkins stayed one more day so I got to do a division once again with just Elder Jenkins! (As always, we were running like all day) We also had our mission devocional about dress and personal higiene so I will sum it up to: take care of yourself and wear deodorant! We actual marked a baptism date with the Mother in law of the member, Dalva and when we went to speak with Dalva, she couldnt help but tear up! Dalva knows how much the gospel has blessed her and is happy to hear her family is following it to so please, keep Antonia in your prayers! Later that night, after Elder Araújo and Jenkins left for Ponta Grossa, Elder Hogge and I went to invite a family to be baptized. It started out well but then it got noisy and people began to leave so we didnt do the invite, BUT, the Mother, Rosa, was walking us out and told us she wants her family to be baptized. MIRACLE!!!! What we thought was a fail invite was the best invite because we didnt have to ask!

With Rosa

Thursday - Big update today: I DONT RECIEVE ALL THE REFERENCES OF THE MISSION ANYMORE!!!🤩 Before the change, we receieved all the referências in our mission that didnt have missionaries but now, its just referências in our area so now its only like 3 a week, a lot easier to manage! Not gonna lie, today was full of a lot of laughs and exciting moments. We first saw an ATV! I didnt know they existed in Brazil! Second, while teaching Eva, her nephew Benjamin, 2 or 3 years old, ran out of the house and into the road without clothes on! Eva and her husband immediately ran after him and Elder Hogge and I just sat there thinking, "what just happen?😅". We also taught someone who was a reference and they gave us this book called "The great conflict". I really dont know exactly what it is but I think they were trying to convert us... At least they have a Book of Mormon now! Fair trade I guess!

Friday - Here is where the title of the email comes in. As we were about to leave, Elder Hogge started singing music from Newsies and I immediately freaked out! We then were singing Newsies music around the entire town well walking to lessons.

Horsing around

Saturday - Ngl i woke up this morning feeling really down and out of it but then out of the Blue, president Ribeiro sent 8 messages to me and Elder Hogge and it really brightened my day. Just goes to show how God truly does know his children and is always looking out for them. I then got to listen to some knock of trap beat remixes of pop english music. It was lit to hear Bruno mars again!

                

Sunday - we had the baptism of Eva today! It was such a marvelous experience to see the fruits of our labor and how the miracle of a simple hello Led to someone coming closer to christ. Also had to say goodbye to many people today since Elder Hogge was leaving and it was both bitter sweet to see how the work of an individual thanks to the power of God blesses others but that we need to say "see you later" at times. I like to think that this pain we feel for other that we call missing somone (saudades in portuguese) is really a memory keeper. God could take the pain away but then you would forget the amazing moments you had with someone. Pain and missing someone is a sign of a truly grand relationship and a learning tool to remember such as remembering what God and Christ have done for us.

Baptism of Eva

  

Ngl, i am writing the rest of this after p-day hours here in Brazil (i will repent!😅) but truly, my heart is full for the love that God has for all of you! I wont lie and say that every day is perfect cause part of life is to have challenges. But, like Nephi 3:7, the Lords doesnt ask anything of us we cant do. Trust in the Lord.

Love you all! Até mais!

- Elder Fisher