April Showers

Meus queridos (My Dear Friends),

Today it is raining. I am going to buy a new belt today. This week Elder Quentin L. Cook is going to visit the mission. Wednesday, to be exact. We have to organize the travels of all the missionaries in our zone to the fireside. That means four missionaries from Cachoeiro and two from Guaçuí, a city two and a half hours AFTER Cachoeiro. What a puzzle!

So, the transfer happened.

I am now companions with Elder Rossi. You may remember that I lived with Elder Rossi in March of 2011 in Vitória. (When Elder Bagley was my companion.) He is from São Paulo, São Paulo close to the temple. Downtown for real. He is really excited and ready to work. We now have four Sisters in our zone. Two in Cachoeiro and two in Guaçuí. Elder Rocha went to Itaperuna, Rio de Janeiro to train a new missionary from Santa Catarina.

We had a Zone Leader Council on Wednesday in the Mission Home. It was really good and spiritual too. I started to feel old when I realized that there was only one other missionary of all the zone leaders that will go home before I will. Reality check.

Yesterday we went to the baptism of the Elders in Marcílio de Noronha in Viana. It was really neat. Things work really well in the ward there. Elder Rossi served there last year after leaving Vitória. Two people that he baptized were present in this baptism. It was really neat to see them reunite and feel some of the spiritual rewards of the mission.

We had a neat experience this Sunday. Last week I stopped a lady --Mara-- on the street in front of a supermarket and invited her to receive our visits and to learn more about the church. She gave us her address. I went there two times last week with Elder Rocha and two more times this week with Elder Rossi. We marked a baptismal date with her and her daughter --Vitória--, and we are also working with her husband (they are legally married!! miracle!!) and their neighbor too. While the husband, Jorge, disappointed us, Mara and Vitória went to church and loved it. In the sacrament meeting, Mara leaned over to me and said ´´Who knew that day when you stopped me on the street that I would end up here?´´

Did I mention that Mara stopped smoking and drinking coffee since our first visit, not because we taught her to, but because she felt she should?

Did I mention that Mara said to a whole bunch of people yesterday at church that she will be getting baptized?

Did I mention she is elect?

Just a comment: In general, it has been my expierience that women are much more spiritual than men. There are so many families that I have met on my mission that have as a spiritual leader in the home a woman. The women spearhead the scripture study, the prayers, the church-going, and discipline of the children much more than they should have to. If there are any men who are slacking on the spiritual side of things, they should suck it up and be real men. How many mothers and wives, and even daughters, crying because they have family members who are not doing what they should be doing spiritually?

Things are going pretty well here. I can´t complain too much. Except for the fact that all the water coming out of our faucets is brown. Poor Elder Furrows. His WHITE clothes were in the washer when we discovered this. We´ll see what the problem is.

Have a good week,

Elder Bodily