Elder Swalberg: Monday, Dec. 8, 2014 - Already my 3rd Area in Brazil!

Hey everyone!

Yeah, if you can't believe that I am already in my third area here in Brazil just think of what I am thinking! I was not expecting this at all! I will expain a little bit about our week and then about the transfer!

It was a really great week in Vilhena! We had the Zone Leaders from Jí Parraná come down to do exchanges with us. It was 6 hour trip for them....yeah exchanges are a little different here in the Manaus mission...haha. But it was really great! Elder Pablo and Elder Munhoz are our Zone Leaders who came down. I went with Elder Pablo. He is super super cool! They spent the whole day Tuesday with us and had 2 solid plans for both companionships in our area! It was awesome to get so much done in one day too! We found 3 new investigators, and got to teach almost all of our investigators, and some less actives.

The next day I gave a training during district meeting with the Zone Leaders on chapter 8 of PMG. It had to do a lot with what Elder Aidukaitis of the seventy spoke to us about. I think it went really well. I have really enjoyed serving as District Leader. It has given me a chance to use what I already know from my mission in the states and apply it here. I get to share a lot of my experiences that I have already had. It has really helped me see that I didnt really restart my mission...that my Heavenly Father really prepared me to be ready to serve and share what I know to help other missionaries and my areas.

Cassia is doing really well. She has been working a ton this week so 2 appointments were canceled but she the members already are supporting her really well, and are always asking about her! Thats when you know you did your job right as a missionary, when the first thing the members ask you is about how one of your investigators is doing! Its so great! One lesson we had with her was in the morning, and as we left she was like, "Im so sorry I didnt make some coffee or something for you, but I dont drink coffee so I dont have any in my house." Little did she know, this was just one more reason to explain how prepared she is for the gospel. This week she accepted all of the commandments and committed to live them. She can see her life changing and she knows its the right path.

So about the transfer....Friday afternoon, we went to lunch at a memers home like normal, and was a perfectly normal lunch and we were heading out the door when we got a call from the Assistants, (transfer calls arent normally until Sunday here, but it was about transfers. I had my companion answer while I finished talking with the members, but Elder Neyra answered and they wanted to talk to me. Elder Meio answered the phone and said, "Hey Elder Swalberg, Im calling about transfers. Congrats, Elder, you will be transfered from your area to serve as Zone Leader in Jí Parraná. You will be companions with Elder Munhoz! And Elder Neyra will stay in Vilhena and receive a new companion to replace you as district leader." Once again, I couldn't believe it and thought there was a mistake. I only had 6 freaking weeks here! I was kind of pissed like last time too! ¨6 weeks is just too short! I was sure I was going to stay, because my comp already had more time than me and my last area was only 1 transfer too. But like I said last transfer, Transfer Pridictions are ALWAYS opposite of what you think they will be. And let me tell you, this was definately the opposite of what I was thinking would happen. But of course I still accepted, and was then intructed on my travel plans.

I left Saturday at 9 (the next day) in the evening. So at least I had time to go around and say goodbye to a lot of the people here and take pictures. I will share a few with yall. It was so sad, especially with a name like SWALBERG here in Brazil, no will remember me very well. But I just hope Cassia remembers me! I am so sad I will not be here for her Baptism. She will be baptized here really soon, but I wont be able to see it. But I got to pass by and see her and a few others saturday afternoon.

It was really sad and everyone was so surprised, but it is what it is. I was all packed up and a member brought me to the bus station and I met up with Elder Carmargos who was also being transfered out of Vilhena to a area way in Manaus. I arrived in my new area at 3 in the morning, and got off the bus to switch places with my Zone Leader, Elder Pablo that i just was with 3 days prior. haha Their ride took me back to our house and we went to sleep. But we have 2 sets of elders here in the same house. Me and my companion, ZLs, and one other set of elders here, all in the same branch too. We also have a set of sisters in the branch. but live way on the other side of town. But our house is a lot bigger than the one I had in Manaus, so it will work a lot better. It is waaayyyy dirty, but I already made some good progress since I arrived. I am a little scard to attack the bathroom, but after I finish up in the kitchen, it is next. BLAH! 4 Elders in the same house makes for a dirty house really quick, and if they dont clean it just gets worse and worse. Its really a good house, its just been trashed by Elders who dont know how to keep up on cleaning! Story of my life for the past year and a half! haha But besides that and the ubundance of cockroachs, our house is pretty good. Still way better than my first house in Manaus!

But our brach is way cool I had Sunday here already so it was way cool to know the branch and everything already! We have some great leaders here, and I am excited to work with them! There is a lot of potential here!

But yeah, thats all I have for this week! I will be able to share more about the work here after experiencing the first week here. But here are a few photos from my last beloved area in Vilhena.

Love you all!

-Elder Swalberg

:) I sure love Vilhena. If I return anywhere here in Brazil I want to visit here!

Wendy and her family....Wendy is in the middle in Blue, and her sister to the left is a member, Breyla.

We did service the morning that I left for this sister, Irmã Vera! She is really sweet. But if I look really red in the face in the other pictures it is because we were doing service and it was really sunny, and I got burnt! haha