Well hey, this week had been alright. It sure has been tiring though. This heat and hills everyday sure take it out of ya. Those missionaries in the states sure are lucky to have those amazing cars. I didn`t understand how good I had it up there in NHMM. haha But its all good. When I come home socking wet in sweat and my face is all red, I makes me feel like i worked really hard! haha But yeah, we didn`t have any big meetings or anything this week, so we just had some good time for finding and teaching. Our member lessons were pretty low this week, I still haven`t really learned how the best way to work with the members here, because our appointments fall soooooo often. People here just don`t remember, and its really frustrating because I have a hard time inviting members to work with us if we our appointment just falls through. But they really do help us with giving us refferals so I usually try to set up a time that they can come with us, for 2 reasons: to have a member lesson, and finding addresses here is rediculous! haha You have to be really lucky. The streets are crazy and way unorganized. So yeah, its great when we have a member with us! haha
But we have been working with Fernanda and her family but we still dont have permission from their parents yet to baptize them. They still want to, but Fernanda needs to talk to her dad again she said she would, but I still think she hasn`t. But her dad came with one of our members (Wiener) to the Activity at the church to play soccer, and got to show him the church and everything (I think that was this week...if I said this last week...Im sorry....all the days are mixing together). And then he came by himself with his Fernanda`s uncle to play on Thursday too! IT was so great to see them come by themself. I think they are getting a lot more comfortable, its just going to be the mom that we need to work on. But I think if the Dad comes to church once with his kids he will like it and let them be baptized! We are really hoping it happens this week though, because Elder Fuhriman leaves in one week for home. He really wants to have them baptized because we have been working with them all of this transfer, and they have been ready for baptism for a while now. Its so hard to have to see them wait, especially when they are going to be moving soon! But it will be up to the Lord on this one, we will just do everything we can.
We have also been helping another young women, Raquel. She is almost 17 and we tried teaching her whole family, but they didnt really show much interest and Raquel was the only one who has come to church with us. She is a lot smarter than the normal Brasilian here in Manaus. you dont find very many like this. She really understands what we teach, and understands the purpose of why she needs to pray to ask if this is true. We had a great experience this past week with her. She explained to us that she had received her answer. She said last week at church it felt way different than her other church. She said it was different, but felt really good. She also tried to explain how she felt when we come to visit, she says she just feels better when we come by, and then expalined that its like she knew us before, but wasnt sure how to explain it. Like we were her brothers was the closest thing she could say it. But yeah, it was really cool to here that she had received an answer through her feelings at church. She knows everything is true she said....but let me tell you the sad news again...her dad wont let her be baptized. I know the parents again. Her dad is set in this other church, and she also is afraid to go against anything her dad says. So yeah, she doesn`t really want to talk to him more about it. But she said, "I promise I will become a Mormon when I am 18" so in like one year. But she has friend here at the church already, and Elder Fuhriman will help her by keeping in contact through facebook with her because he will be home in one week. I really wish she could be baptized too, but its all in the Lords timing.
But we have also been trying to find as we go from apointment to apointment, and have found some families that we havent met with a second time yet, but we really think will be promissing! Especially those we have found with a list of people our Branch President gave us. It is a list of Lost Members in the branch that no one knows but they had found a new address or number for them, and he gave us this list to try and find them as well to try and get refferals too. Well we have contacted 2 and one was baptized 14 years ago when she was 14 years old, and so doest remember anything and now has a family that we want to teach. She is also willing to come to church. Then another women, we tried didnt end up living there but her step daughter lived there and is married and has 2 younger kids. And so we have an appointment with her and her husband tomorrow to talk more about the church, because they dont really know a whole lot about it, only of it from her step mom. But yeah, it was really great to find these families through this list. Trying to find these people reminds me so much of my work in the states with "owning our ward lists" and really trying to clean them up, and find those lost souls! I am so excited to see if we can find these other people too and find some more families.
Our Mission President, Castro, really is enforcing finding families and men in our mission. Because it is through families and men who can hold the preisthood that the wards and branches here will grow. This is what will really help the church grow here in Brazil! I know my mission president has been called of God through our living day prophet. He is directing this mission not as he thinks it should go, but as the Lord wants it to go. The principles he is trying to beet into the heads of us missionaries here and especially those who had President Kline is the same principles that I learned in my other mission. The mission field has the same standards and spirit where ever you are. Some missionaries here say we dont have to do certain rules because its the Manaus Mission and its just different than others. But what President Castro is helping them see is that the rules don't change, nor the standards for missionaries. The culture and language, and people might be different but this is no exuse for disregaurding rules of the mission. That will always be the same.
I am getting a little nervous for transfers this next week. We will get a call on Sunday....I have gotten along with Elder Fuhriman pretty well, even though its challenged me, but I really am scared of being placed with my one the Elders here, Elder Glese, the brazillian. He is really disobedient...but with my own companion we haven't needed to be a part of it, but it would really kill me if I was with him all the time,...but more likely he would kill me because he knows I will keep the rules, and it will annoy him to high waters for sure. :/
But yeah, just keep me in yalls prayers for this next transfer. I know it will be the Lords will whatever it is, I just want it to be able to work out right so that I can continue to work hard and not have to waste my time. This next transfer will seriously be interesting.(because btw, this whole spliting our area without any instruction and being in the same branch has never really happened here before, according to comp that has been here for 2 years now.) So yeah, I dont really know if 2 companionships will stay here or I will just get a new companion.
Well, until transfers, I look forward to trying to work my hardest and hopefully have a baptism this week!
I love you all!
-Elder Swalberg
P.S.
And this is the one picture I have for this week. This is in the court behind our church building. It is normal used for soccer but has basket ball hoops too. Its like totally enclosed.( I forgot to take pictures of the rest to show it better and of the chapel, but I will try to do that this next week.) We called up a couple youth from the Branch and played soccer this morning at the church with them. It was pretty fun! The boy we are holding up is the son of our branch president! haha
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