December 14, 2015 - Ipatinga

It´s a Belo Horizonte.

This week was interesting. Every week here is interesting, but somehow normal.

The first thing that happened this week is that we were sitting in a FHE (family home evening) and they had a non-member present. He came over to us and told us that he wanted to be baptized this Saturday. We were super excited. He is in a part member family and when we asked him what made him decide that he wants to be baptized now, he said that he had prayed about the Book of Mormon last week and knew it was true. We do have the rule that a person has to attend church twice before baptism, so he couldn't be baptized this Saturday, but he did come this Sunday. Half way there!

We had a guy get really angry at us. We have been visiting and giving the lessons to his wife and he hasn´t really wanted them. We were talking with him and he kept saying that his wife didn´t want anymore lessons, but seemed really nervous. He kept messing up on conjugations and saying more or less, she doesn´t I want more. We said that we would talk to her as she still had our book. When we all got there he spent about 20 minutes yelling, "why can´t you go to a closer church?" and "It´s that church or me. We will divorce." We are only trying to bless your entire family. Marriage is very important, but salvation is more important.

There was a Christmas activity this Sunday. So my Companion and I decided to try and invite everyone that lived near the chapel. We knocked on over 30 doors, and talked with over 30 families, but none of the came. We did give out some of the churches Christmas cards, so maybe someone will visit the sight.

Randoms:

* The fruit salad here is really good and even better when covered in honey

* A bird pooped in my hand this week

* You can literally pick mangoes up off the street as they fall off the trees when they are ripe

* Yesterday I had 4 mangoes and a coconut

Elder Quain

December 7, 2015 - Ipatinga

Well, I still see a Belo Horizonte.

First things first, I got a new companion. His name Is Elder Gonçalves and he is from Cape Verde. Most people don´t know where that is, so he has to explain it a lot. This means that I can already explain where it is in Portuguese rather well. They do speak Portuguese there, so he is almost a native speaker, but definitely has a different accent. He´s good and he is different from my other companions, which is good. It will help me. Everyone here says that you learn something different from each companion.

Other than that the week has been pretty normal. We had some really good lessons, but none of our investigators showed up to church. I kind of just want to drag them there, but need to remember that people have their agency. Feels kind of like trying to feed a little kid fruits and vegetables, they´re good for you and it will help you grow stronger.

I like to think that I have learned to be more patient on my mission, but as you can see I still have a little ways to go.

 

Randoms:

We got to ride the train again. this time with almost out whole zone. I think we contacted nearly every person is our car.

 

Elder Quain

November 30 - Ipatinga

It´s a Belo Horizonte.

This week was actually pretty eventful. I hope I don´t forget anything important.

 

The first big thing that happened this week happened while we were knocking doors. We barely ever do that, but we had a little unplanned time. One of the doors we knocked on was interested to hear what we had to say. Unfortunately, like what normally happens, it was only girls. But while we were talking at the door step some members were walking by. We talked with them and they had time to go in and do a visit with us. I thought that was pretty cool.

 

The next day we had a split. I enjoy splits because they make you grow and realize how much you actually know. I still don´t know all the streets yet though. I was paired up with Elder Agiar who was being persistent in wanting to know exactly how we were going to get to the next location. Finally I just told him, it´s in about this direction and we will walk this direction until I feel wee need to turn. We only had to do a little backtracking.

 

We had 6 people staying in the apartment one night for zone conference. The conference was really good and I learned a lot, like being more confident in our invitations to act. After the conference we had interviews. This took about 4 hours and I was the last person to go out of 36. I took less then ten minuets. It was pretty much, how are you feeling? Good. Any problems right now? no. Anything you need to tell me? no. Are you happy? Yes. Well, if you´re happy I´m happy.

 

We also had a talent show this week and Barbosa and I did a duet of the song Glorious. It went really well until I forgot the words. I also forgot that only about 2 other people understand any English, so I should have just kept blabbing. I was able to jump back in and it ended up pretty well. There were quite a few singing acts and they were all in English. I was told by one of the girls that I was not allowed to comment on her pronunciation. 

 

Randoms:

* Elder Barbosa is getting transferred, but I don´t know who will be my new companion yet

* Elder Barbosa got Glasses this week

* Two other people I know have also gotten glasses while here - I don´t want glasses

* For Thanksgiving here they have rice, beans and meat 

* I found in the Portuguese English dictionary Benjamin means favorite son in Portuguese. The book has a lot of errors though.

 

Elder Quain

November 23, 2015 - Ipatinga

It´s a Belo Horizonte

Good news, Valadares has water again, but the Rio Doce is still contaminated.

This week Elder Barbosa and I went on a split to João Molavade.  We were able to take the train, which was really cool. Literally, because it had air conditioning, I was actually a little cold. The ride was smooth and it was intresting to see more of the jungle area of brasil. The veiw of the mountains covered in jungle and fog was awesome.

While in Molavade I was partnered up with Elder Agiar. He´s really nice and only has one transfer left. I am really the junior of the group as I am the only one with more than 3 transfers left. While there we had a noite familiar (FHE) with one of the families that went really well. Also, while we were there a thunder storm started up. luckily, the family lent us some umbrellas to use.

So, our biggest success has been with a less-active convert of less than a year. She is an elderly lady and is really nice. Barbosa and I were just figuring out were to go next and happened to be in front of her house and she came out and started talking to us and shared her conversion story. She ended up coming to church the next week and we continued to visit her and she kept coming to church. She is now called as a counselor in the releif society presidency and we even had a noite familiar at her house. She is doing well and trying to figure out how to get the rest of her family interested in the gospel.

Randoms:

The ward had another baptism. That makes 2 for the ward and one for the missionaries.

When it rains here it really rains and afterwards it is even hotter.

We made some pizza pastels this week  

Questions from the Kimbler kids:

Benjamin (age 13) Do you spend a lot of time knocking doors? How do you find people to teach?

We do knock some doors, but not that many. Generally to find people to teach we just talk with people on the street, but the best way is through the members. This is because then they help us teach and are friends with the investigator.

Emma (age 10) Is it fun being a missionary?

It is fun, but it is also hard work. I guess a better word for it would be enjoyable and it is definitely worth it.

Matthew (age 7) Do you like the food? What's your favorite?

All the food is really good here. The fruit is better here. One thing I really miss is salsa. I did get pico de gallo one time. My favorite things are pastels and caldo de cana.

Henry (age 5) Do you get to eat candy- if so, what kind?

Yes, we eat candy. At times probably too much. They have a lot of Oreo variations here and all the packages are covered in minions and sponge-bob. My favorite treat is called goiobada and is a fruit paste.

Love you guys,

Elder Quain

November 16, 2015 - Ipatinga

It´s kind of a Belo Horizonte?

 

Well, if you know the news about Minas Gerais you´ll know that it´s not good right now. So, a dam that was holding back a bunch of mercury contaminated water has burst, killing quite a few people and contaminating the entire water supply of a city bigger than the one I am in and my city has about 270,000 people. Since the mercury turned the water red people are comparing it to the plagues of Egypt and a couple of our investigators were talking about how Brasil is not being righteous and it will get worse. There is actually a possibility, sadly. There is another dam with 3 times the mercury and they say it already has a crack in it.

Want to hear something happier? We made pastels last p-day. they are kind of like fried hot pockets filled with meat and cheese. I really like them and like every Brazilian meal we had them with ketchup and coke... You thought I was going to say rice and beans, right? Well, generally it is one of the two sets. 

You win some and you lose some. We lost some of our investigators this week due to them not wanting, not caring, or not being willing to act. The great thing is that We also gained some new investigators that have the desire, care about it, and want to change their lives. One of our investigators is really interesting and always has another random scripture in the bible that he wants us to try to explain. The problem is they are often taken out of context. It´s really hard to try to explain a random verse in revelation without sighting nearly every chapter before it.

 

So, we had our first real lightning storm and they were awesome. The lightning was giant and ran across the entire sky. One of the thunders was so big it sounded like a gun shot. The coolest part is that I even saw purple lighting. Is that normal? Half way thru I remembered that I left the window above my bed open. Luckily the rain was coming down in the other direction and didn´t come in through the window.

 

Randoms:

* A lot of people yell, "seguidores de Joseph Smith" at us

* Someone caught me off guard when they yelled, African!

Elder Quain

making pastels

 

 Elders Barbosa, Campelo, & Agiar

 

November 9, 2015 - Ipatinga

 I see a Belo Horizonte

 

We had one day this week were a recent convert actually went out and taught lessons with us. He´s a younger guy and actually wants to serve a mission. We had a few good lessons with him and one that ended in an interesting way. We were teaching one of our best families when suddenly the lights all went out. We looked outside and noticed it was the whole street. We ended up teaching the rest of the lesson by flashlight. It was our last one for the day and we started heading back to the apartment in almost pitch blackness. The entire area had lost power. Our entire proselyting area had lost power. All the hills around us normally have little dots of light, but they were all out. We had to take care on our walk back because the sidewalks are not even here and we were trying not to fall. When we got back to the apartment I remembered that no power equals no fan and that day was up at 37 degrees Celsius. Luckily the power came back on and we were not totally miserable that night with my two fans on full blast.

 

So, we finally had some investigators come to church. It was the family that we were teaching when the power went out. They are doing great and are super receptive. They read the book of Mormon, pray and come to church and we´ve only been teaching them for a week. 

After Church we had lunch at a members house that lived really far. We were able to get a ride there, which was great, but we had to walk back. To understand the rest of the story you need to know that we are trying to function without a map right now as is got put through the wash. Well, we got lost (it turns out that neither of us are emperors and born with an innate sense of direction)and in trying to find out where we were we asked for direction which I actually understood and called another set of missionaries. We found out that we had somehow ended up in the sister´s area and had a long walk ahead of us. 

 

Things I´ve learned to do on my mission so far:

* Iron my clothes

* Keep track of how much clean clothes I have left

* Make my bed without being told

* Try to keep a house clean 

* ...and a little bit of Portuguese
 

Elder Quain

November 3, 2015 - Ipatinga

I see a Belo Horizonte.

Well, this week it rained. We have divisoes with the zone leaders this week and I was paired up with Elder Nunes. He´s Honduran and is really nice. As we were walking to to the area to switch companions it was raining lightly and I was doing just fine in my rain jacket. After we switched off the rain really started to pour and we hid under an overhang for about 15 minutes when I broke down and bought an umbrella. When we got to the apartment to begin studies Elder Nunes and I were completely soaked. Luckily the rain let up and We were able to have a normal day the rest of that day.
 

We were in my area for the split and it really helped me learn a lot. I have really let Elder Barbosa take the lead in planning and directions, while I was focusing on the language and how to be a missionary. I had to do the planning and most of the directions as Elder Nunes did not know the area. It was a good growing experience.
 

Just so you don´t get bored reading my letters I have another interesting story. Well, Like what happens every once and awhile on a mission our lessons fell through and we had to decide what to do next. We were both really tired and decided to sit down and look at the map. As we were looking at the map I guess somebody was spraying off their yard and pushed the water under the gate. Upon standing I found the backside of my pants very wet. It was very noticeable too because I was wearing my light brown pants. Luckily, it is hot in Brasil and it dried out rather quickly.

 

Randoms:

* I had my first fresh coconut this week and a member gave us some mangos

* There is a woman in the ward that tells me I´m too skinny about every time she sees me and another guy overheard it, now he does it also as a joke. 

 

Elder Quain

Me and my coconut

 

Me - Elder Nunes - Elder Marcedo - Elder Barbosa

 

 

Proving to Mom that I have washed my sheets, though rarely make my bed