This week was another difficult week, though we had a miraculous date marking experience. We marked a date in the first lesson with the girlfriend of a former investiagator. She was the driving force that kept him from being baptized (she wanted him to be baptized in the Assembleia). She came to church with us yesterday. She has cousins that are members of the church. She will turn 18 next month. Remarkably, a member gave her mom as a reference the week before, so we had visited her house twice and talked with her parents before even meeting her. For now, the parents are determinedly NOT interested, but they like us and know us because of our visits. We both want to involve them though, to the point that they grow a desire to be baptized as well.
One of our pillars of strength in the Serra-Sede (one of our really awesome members) is suffering financially and took up a job that keeps her from going to church except for one Sunday per month. This is sad.
Remarkable how a mission makes you want to raise your hands to the air and yell in anguish, but at the same time fills you with sublime satisfaction and heavenly joy.
Elder Wilson saw wild monkeys for the first time in one year and four months in Brasil! It was my third time in nine months. They are tiny and almost squirrels except for their faces and their long tails. It was funny, because it was in one of the fanciest neighborhoods in our area.
Yesterday at church, the sister who taught Principles of the Gospel (the course for new members of the church and visitors) came sweeping into the class room with a bunch of balloons and a cake. The lesson was on baptism. The reason? She said: <<Baptism is like a big party! When there is a baptism on Earth, there is a party in heaven!>> I´m not sure on the accuracy of her statements, but it was all in good sentiments. Sigh...ay ay.
Things are really nice here weather wise. I don´t sleep with the fan anymore. We just open our window. I´m not sweating as much. Blessing!
Next time you just feel blah, try going out into the street, talking with thirty different people about your deeply personal religious views and listen to all of the criticisms and comments they make to you. Let me tell you, if I didn´t know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true, I don´t know what I would do.
A mission is work, but its wages are better than any other work.
Good week to all,
Elder Joshua Bodily
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Inverno Chegou (Winter has Arrived!)
Well, this week has been a challenging one. First off, Inácio, the man who was to be baptized on Saturday bailed out four hours before the baptism. He called us and told us to come to his house ´´para conversar´´ or, in English ´´to have a talk´´. This did not leave us feeling very tickled, but we walked to his house. The next hour and a half were spent in trying to understand and address his concerns. He cannot read, and he is very sensitive about it. Apparently, when he distributed invitations to his friends and family, more than one of them called their pastors to come and talk to him and keep him from baptizing in this church. More than one. Despite the fact that we always warn our investigators to talk with us about their doubts and concerns, this was too much for him. He doesn´t want to get baptized until he learns to read. Even though he is 48 and works a lot and very hard (the church has his resumé and is searching for a better job for him--I had to fill out his resumé because he can´t write), and has no time to return to studying. This is very sad, because he was truly excited and happy to be baptized the night before when we visited with him and had a good talk. He said that he wants to keep coming to church, just not get baptized. Yet, he didn´t even come to church yesterday. Also, the man who had a goal to be baptized this coming Sunday didn´t come to church.
The only investigators we had at church were Reginaldo and Edineia, the most golden of the three couples we are teaching. Good news in their category, they marked the date of their marriage! They will be married on the 13th of July and be baptized the Saturday after. The only reason for the delay is the red tape of marriage here. We were in the government office building when they signed the papers and marked the date officially. Now, the papers will process, then they will come to the office on the 13th of July and sign one final paper and then the deal is sealed!
So, basically, all of the people we have been teaching and helping for the last 7 weeks, save for a precious few, are not doing very well. We are going to start working in a different neighborhood again. Start from scratch. This is refreshing, but exhausting work, building a group of people who accept us and getting to know a neighborhood from the ground up. Remember, we go everywhere on foot, and it is easy to get lost in the maze of streets, alleys, and pathways.
One brilliant and lovely and glorious piece of news: WINTER HAS COME TO BRASIL! We are officially in the winter season here. It has been really nice the past few days. Really really nice. We open the window instead of turning on our fans to sleep at night. Right now in the internet house the windows are open and the a/c is turned off, but it is the same as when the windows are shut and the a/c is on! Miraculous, but true. It is probably 75 degrees right now.
We are determined to make things work here. Elder Wilson is now the district leader here. Our former district leader left to be a zone leader in Vila Velha. In his place came a missionary fresh from the MTC, he is from Argentina. The last American waiting for his visa with a call to this mission arrived as well. Elder Buttars, who I met in the MTC. He has been waiting since leaving in December for the Texas Fort Worth mission. No more Americans in the mission for a while due to visa problems.
Have a wonderful week,
Elder Joshua Bodily
Monday, May 16, 2011
Baptisms and Street Contacts
This week was that of transfers. Neither of us here got transferred. Elder Wilson is starting his fifth transfer here in Serra-Sede. He will have seven months here at the end of the next transfer. That is a TON! Everyone thought he was leaving this transfer.
We have a baptism lined up for this Saturday. His name is Inácio. He is a very humble but savvy man of about fifty years. He can barely read at all. Basically nothing. He can only write his first name. Yet, he astonishes us with his spirituality. He stopped smoking in one day, a habit he has had since forever. He also gave up coffee the same day, a huge hurdle for a Brazilian. He has been in many churches that haven´t allowed him to be baptized because he cannot read the Bible. Darli, another investigator of Inácio befriended him at church and is making visits in his house helping him learn the basics of writing and reading. He is ready and filled with almost childlike excitement to be baptized. He is awesome.
One man got really mad at me this week when I tried to contact him on the street. It is really hard to keep contacting and talking to people when every bit of my shy self doesn´t want to, and the people we are talking to all too often would prefer we let them be. But I also know that this is about more than just shyness and inconvenience for 30 seconds on the street. This is about a lot more.
This week I read Our Heritage, a brief history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I felt the Spirit testifying of the divinity of this work as I finished the book. The truth of God is going forth nobly, boldly, and independent. There is no greater joy than in service to Him and His kingdom.
Tchau,
ELDER JOSHUA BODILY
We have a baptism lined up for this Saturday. His name is Inácio. He is a very humble but savvy man of about fifty years. He can barely read at all. Basically nothing. He can only write his first name. Yet, he astonishes us with his spirituality. He stopped smoking in one day, a habit he has had since forever. He also gave up coffee the same day, a huge hurdle for a Brazilian. He has been in many churches that haven´t allowed him to be baptized because he cannot read the Bible. Darli, another investigator of Inácio befriended him at church and is making visits in his house helping him learn the basics of writing and reading. He is ready and filled with almost childlike excitement to be baptized. He is awesome.
One man got really mad at me this week when I tried to contact him on the street. It is really hard to keep contacting and talking to people when every bit of my shy self doesn´t want to, and the people we are talking to all too often would prefer we let them be. But I also know that this is about more than just shyness and inconvenience for 30 seconds on the street. This is about a lot more.
This week I read Our Heritage, a brief history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I felt the Spirit testifying of the divinity of this work as I finished the book. The truth of God is going forth nobly, boldly, and independent. There is no greater joy than in service to Him and His kingdom.
Tchau,
ELDER JOSHUA BODILY
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Please Write!
Josh didn't send an update this week. We talked to him on Skype on Sunday and he asked that I pass on the request to send him a letter! Who doesn't love mail! Have a good week and check back next week for another update from Elder Bodily.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Maio Chegou (May Day)
Dear Everyone,
This week was one of the longest ever. Tuesday it rained on and off. I got wet. I had left my umbrella in the car of the bishop last week. Wednesday it rained almost non-stop. We went straight to the store to buy a new umbrella for me in the morning. I payed
R$9 for it. It turned out to be a lemon. Before lunch the umbrella caught the wind and the handle stayed in my hand but the whole rest of the umbrella went flying down the street in the gusting breeze. Luckily it caught on a pole, unluckily it ripped a tiny hole in the top. So I spent the afternoon getting dripped on by an umbrella without a handle. In the evening the wind picked up and blew my umbrella completely inside out and snapped four of the metal prongs. I got soaked. It was really irritating, but also really funny the whole time. I mananged to keep my scriptures dry, so no harm done. Thursday my umbrella was returned to me at District Meeting in Laranjeiras.
I found out that two members of our Group can´t read or write. One is a 42 year old woman, the other is a 62 year old man. The woman has a son that is 8 years old that can´t read or write yet. He said ´´I´m only 8, I´m not behind at all!´´ This shocked me. Education, even the most basic education, and simple capabilities are truly a blessing.
One of our investigators, Darli, bore his testimony in fast and testimony meeting yesterday. He read a brief scripture in the Bible, and then gave a simple testimony about God and the joy he gives us. It was really neat. He loved it (he is an attention hog who loves to talk, bless his heart). I bore testimony in Portuguese for the first time yesterday as well.
Six of our top investigators have to get married before baptism: Edineia & Reginaldo, Gilmar & Silvana, and Darli & Arlete. One of our other investigators is in the process of separating from a man she has been living with for 12 years, because she doesn´t like him and she wants to be baptized. Marriage is a really complicated process here, and it takes a long time for all the paperwork to work out. You have to have a birth certificate, signed my the government in the city in which you were born that is no more than 4 months old before you can start the marriage process. So, basically we have a ton of people who want to be baptized, but it is just a waiting game. Wait. Wait. Wait. To give you an idea of how ready they are, Edineia and Reginaldo hosted a Ward Social at their house last night and yesterday was their sixth time at church in a row. Gilmar & Silvana have daily prayer and scripture study in both the Bible and Book of Mormon. And Darli bore his testimony yesterday, while Arlete decided before she even went to church that she wants to be baptized. Serious.
Elder Wilson and I wanted to do something different to find people to teach and help the group this week, so we planned and gave a scirpture study class along with a scritpure chase activity and bonbons for refreshments on Saturday. It was a big hit and we had 18 people attending, which-- for the Group is a huge number. 12 members and 6 non-members. (Edineia, Reginaldo, their daughter, Darli, and Arlete being among them). It was all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ--about faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endurance to the end. It was really hard not to write fé, arrependimento, batismo, o dom do Espírito Santo, e perseverança até o fim just now. Portuguenglish.
A bus went driving by us the other day and someone was sticking their umbrella out the window. On the narrow street on which we were walking, I was afraid of getting hit, and I moved all the way to the edge of the street to avoid it. I looked at the person, and it was Edineia! She was laughing--just trying to get our attention. She cracks me up.
We had a really good spiritual, fun, successful Ward Social last night (the one in Edineia and Reginaldo´s house). Only about 15 people came, but I gave the spiritual message on loving our neighbors along with Elder Wilson. Then we had a discussion for a half an hour about loving our neighbors. Then we just chatted, played a game, and ate hot dogs Brazilian style afterwards. It was really neat. And I won the game. It´s too hard to explain but it is fun. It is called Zoom, Break.
On a side note, one day while we were studying, I looked over at Elder Wilson, and he was sticking a sticky note against his face and then pulling it off. I thought, that´s weird. Then it happened again! Turns out, he was just trying to see which side was sticky on the sticky notes and his hands were too clammy to feel.
Funny story: knocking doors one day this week we got the best excuse yet. I woman opened a window on the second floor and she looked to be very distressed. She explained that she is 9 months pregnant, is feeling contractions, and is waiting for her husband to arrive and drive her to the hospital, so she couldn´t attend to us. We understood.
We got word that our little Group here in Serra-Sede will be discontinued soon. We just don´t have the Presthood presence yet. This is a little difficult, because of all of the couples we are teaching who are working towards marriage. More news on this next week.
Have a lovely week,
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
This week was one of the longest ever. Tuesday it rained on and off. I got wet. I had left my umbrella in the car of the bishop last week. Wednesday it rained almost non-stop. We went straight to the store to buy a new umbrella for me in the morning. I payed
R$9 for it. It turned out to be a lemon. Before lunch the umbrella caught the wind and the handle stayed in my hand but the whole rest of the umbrella went flying down the street in the gusting breeze. Luckily it caught on a pole, unluckily it ripped a tiny hole in the top. So I spent the afternoon getting dripped on by an umbrella without a handle. In the evening the wind picked up and blew my umbrella completely inside out and snapped four of the metal prongs. I got soaked. It was really irritating, but also really funny the whole time. I mananged to keep my scriptures dry, so no harm done. Thursday my umbrella was returned to me at District Meeting in Laranjeiras.
I found out that two members of our Group can´t read or write. One is a 42 year old woman, the other is a 62 year old man. The woman has a son that is 8 years old that can´t read or write yet. He said ´´I´m only 8, I´m not behind at all!´´ This shocked me. Education, even the most basic education, and simple capabilities are truly a blessing.
One of our investigators, Darli, bore his testimony in fast and testimony meeting yesterday. He read a brief scripture in the Bible, and then gave a simple testimony about God and the joy he gives us. It was really neat. He loved it (he is an attention hog who loves to talk, bless his heart). I bore testimony in Portuguese for the first time yesterday as well.
Six of our top investigators have to get married before baptism: Edineia & Reginaldo, Gilmar & Silvana, and Darli & Arlete. One of our other investigators is in the process of separating from a man she has been living with for 12 years, because she doesn´t like him and she wants to be baptized. Marriage is a really complicated process here, and it takes a long time for all the paperwork to work out. You have to have a birth certificate, signed my the government in the city in which you were born that is no more than 4 months old before you can start the marriage process. So, basically we have a ton of people who want to be baptized, but it is just a waiting game. Wait. Wait. Wait. To give you an idea of how ready they are, Edineia and Reginaldo hosted a Ward Social at their house last night and yesterday was their sixth time at church in a row. Gilmar & Silvana have daily prayer and scripture study in both the Bible and Book of Mormon. And Darli bore his testimony yesterday, while Arlete decided before she even went to church that she wants to be baptized. Serious.
Elder Wilson and I wanted to do something different to find people to teach and help the group this week, so we planned and gave a scirpture study class along with a scritpure chase activity and bonbons for refreshments on Saturday. It was a big hit and we had 18 people attending, which-- for the Group is a huge number. 12 members and 6 non-members. (Edineia, Reginaldo, their daughter, Darli, and Arlete being among them). It was all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ--about faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endurance to the end. It was really hard not to write fé, arrependimento, batismo, o dom do Espírito Santo, e perseverança até o fim just now. Portuguenglish.
A bus went driving by us the other day and someone was sticking their umbrella out the window. On the narrow street on which we were walking, I was afraid of getting hit, and I moved all the way to the edge of the street to avoid it. I looked at the person, and it was Edineia! She was laughing--just trying to get our attention. She cracks me up.
We had a really good spiritual, fun, successful Ward Social last night (the one in Edineia and Reginaldo´s house). Only about 15 people came, but I gave the spiritual message on loving our neighbors along with Elder Wilson. Then we had a discussion for a half an hour about loving our neighbors. Then we just chatted, played a game, and ate hot dogs Brazilian style afterwards. It was really neat. And I won the game. It´s too hard to explain but it is fun. It is called Zoom, Break.
On a side note, one day while we were studying, I looked over at Elder Wilson, and he was sticking a sticky note against his face and then pulling it off. I thought, that´s weird. Then it happened again! Turns out, he was just trying to see which side was sticky on the sticky notes and his hands were too clammy to feel.
Funny story: knocking doors one day this week we got the best excuse yet. I woman opened a window on the second floor and she looked to be very distressed. She explained that she is 9 months pregnant, is feeling contractions, and is waiting for her husband to arrive and drive her to the hospital, so she couldn´t attend to us. We understood.
We got word that our little Group here in Serra-Sede will be discontinued soon. We just don´t have the Presthood presence yet. This is a little difficult, because of all of the couples we are teaching who are working towards marriage. More news on this next week.
Have a lovely week,
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
Monday, April 25, 2011
Semana Santa
Bom Dia- (Good Day)
Yesterday, Easter (Páscoa) ended the Holy Week (Semana Santa) here in Brasil. It is truly a cultural phenomenon here. Everyone has the day off on Thursday and Friday before Easter. Almost nothing was open at all the whole weekend. A lot more people were willing to talk to us because they were enjoying free time.
So, there is an epidemic of pink eye going around here. Various missionaries in the mission have it. Three members in our group have it. And Elder Wilson caught it. One eye first and now in the second eye. He is not happy about this. He woke up four times last night to rinse out the ´´goop´´ in his eye. I have not touched my eyes for four days.
Yesterday there was a soccer game between two of the biggest teams in Brasil, both rivals from Rio de Janeiro. Flamengo versus Fluminense. Everyone here calls it a ´´fla-flu´´ when these two teams play each other. A vast majority of people here in Vitória and in the state are fans of Flamengo. Last night we were walking down the street when all of the sudden a roar of screaming and cheering broke out across the whole city and fireworks started going off. Flamengo had scored a goal. Soccer is a big deal here. Elder Wilson was here during the World Cup, and he said that last night was super mellow in comparison. I believe him.
One really neat thing that I have liked since arriving here is all of the hummingbirds here. I usually see at least one a day. They sit up on the power lines like sparrows. There are a lot more flowers here for them to drink from than in the States.
One thing that is not so neat is that a very popular form of advertising here is done with big speakers on top of cars that play catchy slogans about everything from supermarkets to cell phone companies. Elder Wilson said that during election season candidates hire various people to drive around with these big speaker boxes. It´s basically propaganda all the time, and really loud. I already have the catchy tune to Rede-Show Supermercados memorized because it drives past our house every morning at least once.
We have a family that will be baptized as soon as they finish the long sticky process of getting married. They gave us Easter eggs yesterday. They are just an egg shell with the innards taken out the bottom, and they paint them with paints. It was neat, mine had palm trees painted on it. Inside they had chocolate covered peanuts wrapped in tin foil. Basically home made peanut m&ms.
Yumm.
We are having a really good experience teaching a man named Darli and his wife Arlete. He has already come to church twice and she is very interested and always sits in on the lessons we give in their house. He is the first person that I have met who really has a thirst for the truth, for the scriptures, a drive to learn. And A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias has really struck a chord deep inside him. He knows it is true, and he likes it. He asks an abundance of questions, good questions. (Everything from What does the name Mormon mean? to Who can receive the Priesthood?) Arlete met missionaries years ago in the home of her sister back in Bahía, (the state where Elder Russell Gray is serving...to the north of Espírito Santo, where I am now). She said something really neat the other day. We showed up to our appointment in the rain. She said more or less translated: ´´I don´t know everything about your Church, but it seems clear to me that your church is the true church because you come visit us of your own free will, and even in the rain.´´ (Rain is a huge excuse to do nothing here in Brasil. Really big excuse. If it rains in the hour before church starts on Sunday, attendance will be less than if it is sunny. Invariably.) It is neat to visit with them. They are set to be baptized on Mother´s Day.
We had interviews with President in the Stake Center in Jardim da Penha on Wednesday. It was cool to ride the bus back to Vitória. Traffic is nasty though. Our trip there took one hour and 14 minutes. Our return to Serra-Sede during rush hour took 2 hours and 29 minutes. Riding on big Brazilian buses packed with people while its raining outside is interesting. In the beginning, everone sitting by a window shuts the windows, but soon there the windows get foggy and it gets really hot and muggy with everyone smashed in the bus, so the people by the windows sit in limbo between opening the window and getting wet to shutting the windows and roasting. You also get to eavesdrop on everyone around you. Mostly empty chatter about annoying co-workers or the price of a pair of shoes.
Have a wonderful week everyone. Happy Easter.
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
Yesterday, Easter (Páscoa) ended the Holy Week (Semana Santa) here in Brasil. It is truly a cultural phenomenon here. Everyone has the day off on Thursday and Friday before Easter. Almost nothing was open at all the whole weekend. A lot more people were willing to talk to us because they were enjoying free time.
So, there is an epidemic of pink eye going around here. Various missionaries in the mission have it. Three members in our group have it. And Elder Wilson caught it. One eye first and now in the second eye. He is not happy about this. He woke up four times last night to rinse out the ´´goop´´ in his eye. I have not touched my eyes for four days.
Yesterday there was a soccer game between two of the biggest teams in Brasil, both rivals from Rio de Janeiro. Flamengo versus Fluminense. Everyone here calls it a ´´fla-flu´´ when these two teams play each other. A vast majority of people here in Vitória and in the state are fans of Flamengo. Last night we were walking down the street when all of the sudden a roar of screaming and cheering broke out across the whole city and fireworks started going off. Flamengo had scored a goal. Soccer is a big deal here. Elder Wilson was here during the World Cup, and he said that last night was super mellow in comparison. I believe him.
One really neat thing that I have liked since arriving here is all of the hummingbirds here. I usually see at least one a day. They sit up on the power lines like sparrows. There are a lot more flowers here for them to drink from than in the States.
One thing that is not so neat is that a very popular form of advertising here is done with big speakers on top of cars that play catchy slogans about everything from supermarkets to cell phone companies. Elder Wilson said that during election season candidates hire various people to drive around with these big speaker boxes. It´s basically propaganda all the time, and really loud. I already have the catchy tune to Rede-Show Supermercados memorized because it drives past our house every morning at least once.
We have a family that will be baptized as soon as they finish the long sticky process of getting married. They gave us Easter eggs yesterday. They are just an egg shell with the innards taken out the bottom, and they paint them with paints. It was neat, mine had palm trees painted on it. Inside they had chocolate covered peanuts wrapped in tin foil. Basically home made peanut m&ms.
Yumm.
We are having a really good experience teaching a man named Darli and his wife Arlete. He has already come to church twice and she is very interested and always sits in on the lessons we give in their house. He is the first person that I have met who really has a thirst for the truth, for the scriptures, a drive to learn. And A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias has really struck a chord deep inside him. He knows it is true, and he likes it. He asks an abundance of questions, good questions. (Everything from What does the name Mormon mean? to Who can receive the Priesthood?) Arlete met missionaries years ago in the home of her sister back in Bahía, (the state where Elder Russell Gray is serving...to the north of Espírito Santo, where I am now). She said something really neat the other day. We showed up to our appointment in the rain. She said more or less translated: ´´I don´t know everything about your Church, but it seems clear to me that your church is the true church because you come visit us of your own free will, and even in the rain.´´ (Rain is a huge excuse to do nothing here in Brasil. Really big excuse. If it rains in the hour before church starts on Sunday, attendance will be less than if it is sunny. Invariably.) It is neat to visit with them. They are set to be baptized on Mother´s Day.
We had interviews with President in the Stake Center in Jardim da Penha on Wednesday. It was cool to ride the bus back to Vitória. Traffic is nasty though. Our trip there took one hour and 14 minutes. Our return to Serra-Sede during rush hour took 2 hours and 29 minutes. Riding on big Brazilian buses packed with people while its raining outside is interesting. In the beginning, everone sitting by a window shuts the windows, but soon there the windows get foggy and it gets really hot and muggy with everyone smashed in the bus, so the people by the windows sit in limbo between opening the window and getting wet to shutting the windows and roasting. You also get to eavesdrop on everyone around you. Mostly empty chatter about annoying co-workers or the price of a pair of shoes.
Have a wonderful week everyone. Happy Easter.
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
Monday, April 18, 2011
What a Week!
Queridos,
This was a week jam-packed with action. Serra-Sede is quite an interesting area.
An 18 year old --Alan-- from the Serra Ward worked with us from 1:30 pm until 9:00 pm on both Tuesday and Wednesday. It was funny to think that it has been over a year since I opened my mission call envelope and read that I was going to Vitória Brazil. Working with him reminded me of the many days I spent in trios in Georgia.
I had my first Sunday with the Group of Serra-Sede. You won´t believe it, but we had 15 investigators at the church. And there were only 24 members that came to church! It was quite interesting. One of our investigators showed up 45 minutes early, before any members. In fact, because of tardiness, only six members were in the church when the meetings commenced. The rest arrived only a little late, but it still was strange to have almost three times as many non-members as members at the start of the meetings.I played the keyboard that was sitting on a small table (the table had been serving ten minutes before the meeting as the Relief Society table complete with flowery centerpiece) in the middle of the seated members because the only outlet in the chapel room is on a pillar in the middle of the room. It was almost hilarious. I didn´t know what hymns I would be playing accompaniment for until they were announced over the pulpit (which still lacks a microphone) For all you piano players, the first hymn was Christ the Lord is Risen Today. On a keyboard. I made it work. We had excellent lessons in Sunday School about the Priesthood, and I think that it helped the people we are teaching really understand and get a taste for the significance of the Restored Gospel, that we are not just one more church.
I read a talk from Boyd K. Packer that came from the April 2010 General Conference of the Church called The Power of the Priesthood. It made me remember that though the true followers of the true Church of Jesus Christ will be few, that we have the Priesthood. He quoted the following verses in 1 Nephi 14.
This was a week jam-packed with action. Serra-Sede is quite an interesting area.
An 18 year old --Alan-- from the Serra Ward worked with us from 1:30 pm until 9:00 pm on both Tuesday and Wednesday. It was funny to think that it has been over a year since I opened my mission call envelope and read that I was going to Vitória Brazil. Working with him reminded me of the many days I spent in trios in Georgia.
I had my first Sunday with the Group of Serra-Sede. You won´t believe it, but we had 15 investigators at the church. And there were only 24 members that came to church! It was quite interesting. One of our investigators showed up 45 minutes early, before any members. In fact, because of tardiness, only six members were in the church when the meetings commenced. The rest arrived only a little late, but it still was strange to have almost three times as many non-members as members at the start of the meetings.I played the keyboard that was sitting on a small table (the table had been serving ten minutes before the meeting as the Relief Society table complete with flowery centerpiece) in the middle of the seated members because the only outlet in the chapel room is on a pillar in the middle of the room. It was almost hilarious. I didn´t know what hymns I would be playing accompaniment for until they were announced over the pulpit (which still lacks a microphone) For all you piano players, the first hymn was Christ the Lord is Risen Today. On a keyboard. I made it work. We had excellent lessons in Sunday School about the Priesthood, and I think that it helped the people we are teaching really understand and get a taste for the significance of the Restored Gospel, that we are not just one more church.
I read a talk from Boyd K. Packer that came from the April 2010 General Conference of the Church called The Power of the Priesthood. It made me remember that though the true followers of the true Church of Jesus Christ will be few, that we have the Priesthood. He quoted the following verses in 1 Nephi 14.
12And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few (...); nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.
14And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
This became even more evident to me yesterday as we went on splits with members. I was with a member named Marcelo who drove us both out to the other side of our area where I had never been and we made visits with less active members of the church and members of the church needing assistance and visits. As we drove around children playing soccer barefoot on the streets with crudely constructed goals made of old plywood (and one group of children playing cricket), small and humble homes on both sides of us I realized that the Church really does have a worldwide presence. In its grand and elegant presence in downtown Salt Lake City all the way to the few and far between members in tiny houses in a large and sweeping, yet very poor neighborhood of Planalto Serrano in the Serra-Sede.
On a lighter and more random note:
I saw a dog throw up yellow stuff all over the road on a really hot day this week. I gagged.
Elder Wilson bought a hammock made of coconut fiber from a street vendor who basically sold it to him and ran in 45 seconds, even though Elder Wilson didn´t even have a desire to buy one. The man was a very polished salesman. Poor Elder Wilson broke his budget just because he wanted to show me a genuine Brazilian hand-made coconut hammock.
Someone we taught said that Elder Wilson looks like a Southern Brazilian, but I look like I have a French face. They asked if I have ancestors from France. This made me happy.
We passed through the weekly farmers market downtown on Saturday. There was a vast array of fruits and vegetables I have never seen, live crabs, men selling ducks who looked excited to be carried around by their wings, not knowing that they would probably be eaten within 24 hours. There were also clothes vendors, people barbecuing meat, selling ice cream, and everything from wallets to umbrellas. It was really exciting to be swallowed up in the hustle, bustle, and culture.
A member gave me a Bible that has tabs! This is great because the ones we got in the MTC don´t have tabs, so it is really hard to find the really tiny books of the Bible quickly in a teaching setting.
Life is good, Serra is beautiful, and I am happy.
There are more rainy days on a mission than there are sunny ones, but the rainbows that you experience are more vivid than any you´ve ever seen before. This is true.
I took some better pictures from the house out over the area and will have to send them next week.
Have a wonderful week,
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
I took some better pictures from the house out over the area and will have to send them next week.
Have a wonderful week,
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Serra-Sede
They have strikes a lot. Today was the first one that I´ve seen the participants of. Today on the street were about two hundred people standing in the principle road with banners, shirts, and a huge megaphone thing making lots of racket and lighting fireworks. They are professors and teachers of some state schools here.
The sun rises here at about 5:15 in the morning, and sets around 7:30pm.
Anyways, my time is running out. Have a lovely week.
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
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| Elder Joshua Bodily and Elder Luke Wilson |
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| Catholic Church as viewed through window in our house |
Hello.
Much news this week. I was transferred! I am still in the same zone and the same stake, but on the opposite side of the stake. The Vitória Ward is at the extreme south of the stake, and my new ward is on the extreme north end of the stake.
I am in the boundaries of a Group. So, technically, we are in the Serra Ward (pronounced Seh-huhh.) But, we are working in the Serra-Sede Group. (pronounced Seh-huhh Sedge) Once again I am working in a Group (instead of a ward or branch). However, here the papers have already been sent in applying to become a branch. We meet in a house, but every fast and testimony meeting we go to have church with the Serra Ward. That is what happened yesterday. We have fast sunday the week after general conference here, instead of before, who knows why. I have seen the house though, it´s pretty neat. It has a drinking fountain, walls separating the chapel area and the primary area and the young men/women area. It also had a lizard crawling up the wall when I visited. Apparently, they have no one who plays piano...so guess what will happen this Sunday. One member has a keyboard he is bringing.
My new companion is Elder Luke Wilson from South Jordan, Utah. I have yet to have a Brazilian companion. Elder Anderson got transferred too, and he is with his second Brazilian companion. He is also here in the Zona Vitória. Funny. Elder Wilson just turned senior at this transfer, which means that I am his first junior companion. He is incredibly on the ball and focused. For the first time, I have a companion that is demanding things from me. I feel a lot more like a part of the team, instead of the assistant to the senior. We are having a good time working harder than ever here. The city of Serra is really strange. It is really spread out. We live in the downtown district of the town, even though the downtown sits on the extreme northwest boundary of the entire city.
The house here is immaculately clean. It is very new. A good surprise. I like living alone with one other Elder for the first time. There is much less traffic in the bathroom in the mornings, it´s calmer at night, and easier to coordinate lunches and scheduling.
We had six investigators at church yesterday, and the Serra Chapel is a fifteen minute bus ride and a five minute walk from Serra-Sede. Remember, the downtown sits way far off from the city...weird.
We have a great group of people we are teaching and we can both sense success on the horizon. We are both passionate about the progress of the work and we are having spiritual experiences every day in lessons and with members and investigators alike. Here, the work involves a lot of visiting less-active church members, reminding them of the fire that was one in the thestimonies. I really enjoy this. We have some really strong people who have just fallen off the path a little bit. It is very rewarding to help others strengthen themselves, because we end up strengthening ourselves in the process.
Some strange things about Brasil:
Much news this week. I was transferred! I am still in the same zone and the same stake, but on the opposite side of the stake. The Vitória Ward is at the extreme south of the stake, and my new ward is on the extreme north end of the stake.
I am in the boundaries of a Group. So, technically, we are in the Serra Ward (pronounced Seh-huhh.) But, we are working in the Serra-Sede Group. (pronounced Seh-huhh Sedge) Once again I am working in a Group (instead of a ward or branch). However, here the papers have already been sent in applying to become a branch. We meet in a house, but every fast and testimony meeting we go to have church with the Serra Ward. That is what happened yesterday. We have fast sunday the week after general conference here, instead of before, who knows why. I have seen the house though, it´s pretty neat. It has a drinking fountain, walls separating the chapel area and the primary area and the young men/women area. It also had a lizard crawling up the wall when I visited. Apparently, they have no one who plays piano...so guess what will happen this Sunday. One member has a keyboard he is bringing.
My new companion is Elder Luke Wilson from South Jordan, Utah. I have yet to have a Brazilian companion. Elder Anderson got transferred too, and he is with his second Brazilian companion. He is also here in the Zona Vitória. Funny. Elder Wilson just turned senior at this transfer, which means that I am his first junior companion. He is incredibly on the ball and focused. For the first time, I have a companion that is demanding things from me. I feel a lot more like a part of the team, instead of the assistant to the senior. We are having a good time working harder than ever here. The city of Serra is really strange. It is really spread out. We live in the downtown district of the town, even though the downtown sits on the extreme northwest boundary of the entire city.
The house here is immaculately clean. It is very new. A good surprise. I like living alone with one other Elder for the first time. There is much less traffic in the bathroom in the mornings, it´s calmer at night, and easier to coordinate lunches and scheduling.
We had six investigators at church yesterday, and the Serra Chapel is a fifteen minute bus ride and a five minute walk from Serra-Sede. Remember, the downtown sits way far off from the city...weird.
We have a great group of people we are teaching and we can both sense success on the horizon. We are both passionate about the progress of the work and we are having spiritual experiences every day in lessons and with members and investigators alike. Here, the work involves a lot of visiting less-active church members, reminding them of the fire that was one in the thestimonies. I really enjoy this. We have some really strong people who have just fallen off the path a little bit. It is very rewarding to help others strengthen themselves, because we end up strengthening ourselves in the process.
Some strange things about Brasil:
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| Another view from our house. |
They have strikes a lot. Today was the first one that I´ve seen the participants of. Today on the street were about two hundred people standing in the principle road with banners, shirts, and a huge megaphone thing making lots of racket and lighting fireworks. They are professors and teachers of some state schools here.
The sun rises here at about 5:15 in the morning, and sets around 7:30pm.
Anyways, my time is running out. Have a lovely week.
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
Monday, April 4, 2011
Vinte Anos, Transferencia, e Conferencia (Twenty Years, Transfers, and Conference)
This has been a wild week. I have twenty minutes left on the timer, so I will type until it runs out!
I turned twenty on Saturday. I had the wonderful opportunity to have General Conference on my birthday. Not only were we watching conference in English in an air-conditioned room all day, but the conference was spectacular! All the normal Portuguese members were in the chapel watching in their language. About eight of us English speaking missionaries and President and Sister Pickett viewed the conference in English on a tiny little 32 or less inch TV with blown out speakers in the high council room on the second floor of the stake center in Jardim da Penha. In between the sessions, Elders Bagley, Rossi, and Souza (with whom I live) took me out to a lunch shop. I had a delicious pão de queixo (cheese bread) and suco de abacaxi (pure pineapple juice, made right in front of me, fresh!--literally, blended pineapple--delicious!!).
The Conference, as I said, was awe-inspiring. It is good to be reminded that the Church is a worldwide organization, and more importantly, that it is led by God. I felt super-charged by the Spirit after the final session.
I had to watch the priesthood session in Portuguese, and it wasn´t horrific. I caught a lot, but it was not the same as having it in English. The first session on Saturday was rough. The tech guy at the church, in charge of setting up the equipment couldn´t find the channel that was delivering the Portuguese translation of the conference. He couldn´t find English either. So, for the first 45 minutes all of us watched in SPANISH. It was hilarious. Finally, he got it working. Portuguese definitely has helped my ability to understand Spanish, though. I understood almost everything.
Right towards the end of the last session on Sunday, when Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was speaking, an electrical storm passed over us. It was the most breathtaking storm I have ever seen. Lightning was flashing every five to ten seconds for hours! Many of the bolts left crashing explosive thunder. At one point in the conference, we heard Elder Holland say in his emphatic and slow voice: ´´The voice of God will be heard.´´ This was immediately followed by a flash of lightning through the window and an instant sonic boom of thunder. I had goosebumps all over. At least five of the lightning bolts were followed by thunder within one second. There was a downpour also, of course. It was really neat.
Also, I found out last night that I have been transferred! I am leaving Vitória 1. I don´t find out where I am going or who my new companion is until tomorrow. I am nervous and excited. It will be good to have this fresh start with a new age, new companion, new ward, new area, and a new outlook-inspired by conference.
In Vitória, there are three blue macaws that fly over the city regularly. They have a routine, it seems. Most mornings they land on a telephone post a block away from our apartment. Today, we went to take pictures of them when they arrived there. We found out that they go there because the post is next to an old lady´s house, and she feeds them whenever they come. They sit on the pole and call out until she comes outside. We talked with the old lady, took pictures really close up of the parrots. Brazil. Enough said.
I am in really good spirits, I feel energized by the presence of the Spirit, and I am determined to make the best of this new transfer. Have a fantastic week, all.
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
PS. Wish me luck with packing.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Vinte Anos (Twenty Years)
Beleza! (Beautiful)
This week we found a woman who has a desire to be baptized. We have already taught her twice, though she couldn´t make it to church since she is travelling out of state this weekend. She is neat. She is pregnant with her and her husband´s first child, and she wants to be a good mom. She is motivated by this. Her name, for future reference is Jánia.
I may have already mentioned that the Area Seventy of the state of Rio de Janeiro lives in our ward. He and his family are going up to Utah for General Conference tomorrow and staying for over a week. I am so jealous! So strange to think that they will be there so close to home!
Irene, our investigator that cancelled her baptism also cancelled the family home evening we were going to have with her and the former mission president´s family. We are seeing her tonight to see if she wants to continue, or some other option. I am hopeful.
The coconut man missed church yesterday. No one we are teaching was at church yesterday. Basically we have a blank slate, despite the fact that we work all day long all week long to help people progress in the gospel. However, we had a really inspiring meeting with the mission president, his wife, and half of the mission (missionaries from Vitória, Vila Velha, Viana, Serra, and Cariacica). The meeting was phenomenal and both Elder Bagley and I feel recharged to go out and thrust in the sickle. Also, last night, due to the meeting, Elder Anderson, Elder Gneiting, and I were all reunited for the first time since Provo where we were all roommates! That was almost five months ago! Elder Gneiting is working nearby too. Very neat.
I am going to turn 20 on Saturday. This is crazy. Twenty marks the beginning of being old. Then again, I am happy to be done with the teenage years. And as a birthday gift I get General Conference in an air conditioned building! And hopefully investigators galore watching with us! I am excited.
I went on another exchange to Serra, ate in the bishop´s high rise house again, and talked with a man named Paulo who was fishing in the bay. Just another week in Brasil.
Have a good week all.
Boa semana. (good week)
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
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