Week 10: Priesthood Blessings & Ripped Pants

Monday:  Monday was some type of Catholic holiday so everything was closed so we didnt go shopping in the centro. After emailing we took an onibus to a different stake center with a soccer/basketball sportcourt. i played basketball until elder brito decided to be a jerk and dropkick my basketball over the fence and it popped when i landed. then i just sat on the wall and watched all the brazilians play soccer.

Wednesday:Today we were supposed to have district meeting but we didnt. i dont know whats up with that. we had only like 2 or 3 in these 6 weeks when we are supposed to have one every week. On the long walk to Patricia´s house we passed a strange dressed man. As usual we said, ´´Boa Noite´´ and passed him, but after Elder Brito freaked out a bit and looked back at him a few more times. It was kind of strange when we passed him because he was glaring at us and didnt look happy to see us. Then after he rubbernecked us a bit longer he kept looking back at us. It was weird until i learned more about what he was. Elder Brito tried to explain but i didnt understand the words he was using. So we looked it up on Patricia´s phone and i read about it on Wikepedia. it is called Candomble. After that i was creeped out and was more scared walking back home at night in the dark. That religion is close to Macumba which is defined as: a black religious cult practiced in Brazil, using sorcery, ritual dance, and fetishes. so pretty close to worshipping Satan. Candumble is a Brazilian sect of the macumba cult. They believe in a different god and stuff. People dance and do weird ritual things and people get possessed as ´´therapy´´. They wear all white its a weird outfit.  So that man that we saw was dressed like this and thats why elder brito got scared. He explained to me that every church of that religion, like the building, flies a white flag above their church to identify themselves. and the member fly white flags too. Elder Brito says there are lots and lots of this is Salvador. there are only 2 that we know of that is in our area. One is a lot worse than the other according to elder brito.  today we also did a little service project, helping Alexandre move a bunch of bricks. then we watched Olympics, then went on a run, then i exercised more when we went home because Elder Brito doesnt like running and didnt hold up very long.

Saturday: Today i woke up having the weirdest dream. Dad got a different job within Plexus, but it meant he wouldnt see some co-workers ever again. So 2 of his co-workers and our family went skiing to celebrate dad´s promotion. But the funny thing was that dad has a big 5 o clock shadow/ beard, which he never has, and his two co-workers were super tall and one of them was MR. NUXOLL! what the heck!? Mr. Nuxoll!! i have no idea why my brain dreamed of him, but it did. We walked to Campinhos and one of the ladies we were looking for ( i call her the janella lady because we knocked on her door and she answered through the window ( janella), wasnt home so we visited her neighbors. one lady let us in and we shared a quick message about the plan of salvation. when we asked if we could end with a closing prayer we asked if there was anything specific she wanted us to pray for and then she explained how she has been sick. then we talked about priesthood blessings and she wanted one so we gave her one after the prayer. It was really special. Also today Elder Brito´s package came today. we picked it up at a member´s house. Today elder Brito ripped his pants from getting too excited when brazil won gold in mens soccer in the olympics. It was hilarious. i got their reactions on video when brazil won. and let me tell ya, they go crazy! hahaha

In the end what i learned this week and what i have realized as ive moved into my last week of this 6 week transfer is the importance of obedience. Im going to be honest  as i describe what ive learned about obedience. In all honesty Elder Brito and i have not been as obedient as we should this transfer. It has bugged me a lot. We didnt do anything wrong  or bad, but we werent exactly obedient to all the rules. It has frustrated me because i know that its possible to be 100% obedient and i know that i can do it, but we havent. Me being the trainee, and the ´´stupid american´´ who ´´doesnt know anything´´ in the eyes of others, doesnt have much influence in what we do day to day. My senior companion makes all the plans and i feel  as if im just there going with whatever because i have to. We spend more time than we should  in some houses doing unproductive things when we could  be out working more and blessing other people lives. For example, on saturday we walked all the way to Campinhos where we found that lady who we shared a message with and gave a priesthood blesssing to help her with her current health issues. and that was awesome! i felt the Spirit and i felt productive, but then we went to Nattalya´s house where we practically ´´hung out´´ for a long while. I try to convey that i want to work, but it doesnt seem to be effective. During the time  at Nattalya´s family´s house i passed a note to Elder Brito that said, ´´Vamos nao gastar muito tempo aqui. Eu quero trabalhar mais hoje. Mais que normal. Vamos compartilhar um mensagem e sair :)  translation: lets not waste a lot of time here . i want to work more today. more than normal. lets share a message and leave :) So we did just that, we shared a message and left. We walked 30 minutes to Alexandre´s house and ended up watching the men´s olympic final soccer match brazil vs. Germany. It was fun, but it wasnt what i wanted to be doing. I had just passed Elder Brito that note and he completely disreguarded it by finishing off the day with watching 2 hours of soccer. Elder Brito has been on this mission for 23 months, which means he only has 1 more month and i think this is why he slacks a bit. He´s also the zone leader and probably doesnt want to listen to a new american missionary.
    But in the end i dont want to just talk about what we are doing wrong or sound like i am complaining. I want to express the power of obedience. An analogy i like is comparing water to obedience. Water doesnt boil at 205 degrees F, or not even at 211 degrees F. Only at 212 degrees will it boil. the same with freezing. only at 32 degrees F will water freeze. Obediences behaves the same way. when we are obedient we are blessed. and while im on my mission, blessings and miracles depend on obedience. If i am 95 % obedient BLESSINGS will occur. . The same will happen if i am 99% obedient, but 100% obedience brings MIRACLES.  For short obedience brings blessings, but perfect obedience brings miracles. For me, as a missionary, this means i need to follow all the mission rules and work hard. But this same prinicple applies to everyone. We need to be obedient to God´s commandments to recieve blessings and miracles from Him. He want more than anything to bless us and help us throughout our lives, but he only can with our obedience to his commandments. ( D&C 130: 20-21) . I have a testimony of obedience. i know that when we are obedient our lives will be more fulfilling, less complicated, and our challeges and problems with be easier to bear. I also know that when we follow the Savior and are obedient He will provide a way for you and will bless you.
      I also have a testimony of priesthood blessings. On many occasions i have recieved priesthood blessings for comfort peace, and also for healing when i have needed it. I could tell you about these experiences but there is one specific experience told to me by a sister missionary in the CTM that i would like to recount that has strengthened my testimony of the power of priesthood blessings. One week before i entered the CTM in Sao Paulo there was an Elder who broke his leg playing volleyball. You could see where his bone broke because it was poking against his skin; it was a clean break. The whole volleyball court witnessed it as he lay on the floor in pain. He recieved a priesthood blessing, got his leg wrapped up, and Bro. Mello drove him to a hospital. Meanwhile the Elder´s entire district was praying for him. When he arrived and the doctor unwrapped his leg and took a look  at it, he asked, ´´What are you doing here?´´ The Elder´s leg was perfectly fine. He wasnt in pain either. He had been healed and they returned back to the CTM. Now i would have to think you were crazy if you think it was just a coincidence or something that the Elder was healed. I know that because the entire district of that Elder was praying for him in faith, and that because the Melchizedek priesthood holder who gave the blessing of healing was worthy, the Elder was healed. I have a testimony that the priesthood authority we have in this church is the same priesthood authority that Jesus Christ had and used to perform the miracles he did when he was on the Earth. I have no doubts that this gospel blesses families and that God established families to bring us happiness and prepare us for eternal life. And most importantly, I know that we CAN be happy and have HAPPY families, and shine as lights in the world on our journey to eternal life. IT IS POSSIBLE! :) Philippians 2: 14-15 is a scripture that goes with this.
       Have a great week everybody and good luck to all of my family and friends as school is starting! I LOVE YALLS!!

a house of candomblé (white flag)

elder britos ripped pants after the Brasil soccer game

Élder britos box from his girlfriend

 Zone conference pictures

Week 9: Haley is Home!!!!!!!

  This week was absolutely great. with my sister having arrived home from her mission on thursday and america having won 68 medals in the Olympics so far, it has been an awesome week.  I wish more than anything that i could have been in idaho with my family and friends, welcoming my favorite older sister back home, but i couldnt be. it was so fun to see all the pictures of her homecoming, and i even felt some of the emotion looking at the pictures of my sister and my family in tears of happiness. I even got to listen to her homecoming talk that my mom recorded. Haley talked about Giving our will to the lord and lots of other things, but i loved hearing about her experiences and hardships she had and how she overcame them. it gives me confidence knowing that this strong worthy daughter of God is MY sister. i love my sister and wish her the best of luck with her future of school at BYU provo.
    This week we worked hard and had a good time. Its funny how every house we visit the Olympics are on.
    This sunday was stake conference and it was good even though i couldnt understand a lot of it. i just laughed when everyone else laughed and tryed my hardest to listen. there were so many people at conference that all the missionaries were standing in the back so other people could have chairs. President Bangerter and sister Bangerter also spoke and i understood like 80% of what they said because they have that american accent and they use most of the vocabulary i know.
     While ive been out here ive seen how God has prepared people to receive the gospel. ive seen the change in the people i teach and i see their love for God through their eyes and i know that they are children of God. I know that each and every one of you are children of God and that God wants you to return to him and live with his son, Jesus Christ forever. that is why he has restored his gospel upon this earth. i know that the church of Jesus christ of Latter Day Saints is that true pure church that he restored. If any of you are searching for God in your life or you need extra direction in your life i encourage you to pray to god in the name of jesus christ for help and he will answer your prayers if you have faith. i also know, and i have no doubts, that the book of mormon is a true book. i invite all of you to read it and ask god if it is true. Please read Moroni chapter 10 verses 3-5 and follow the instructions and you can know if this book is true. i love this gospel and i love sharing it with others, making their lives better.

   Thats all i have for this week. i hope everyone had a great week as well. I l love you all

A service projecto that we did. We dug a trench like thing in rock hard ground for water pipes to go in.  We only used a pickaxe thing and a gardening hoe!

And we rode home in the bed of a small pickup truck

A very beautiful sunset on a cloudy day

The biggest turtle never came out of its shell

This was pday.  We went to a different stake center that had this sport area.  I played basketball until elder brito dropkicked it and popped it! After everyone played soccer and i just watched and took pictures. There was an ugly tree i tries to take cool pics of haha

Week 8: August 8, 2016

After emailing last p-day, we ate lunch at our house then took an ônibus to the centro. I bought a cool floral tie and ate the ´´comida de Bahia´´. it was alright, Elder Brito says its better in Salvador. Then we returned home and Elder brito got ready to leave for a meeting in Salvador. He left later that night leaving Elder De Jesus and I to be temporary companions.

Tuesday: We had lunch with Elder Washington and E. Andrade. Afterwards we divided and i was with E. Andrade, which i was super excited about because he is awesome. We visited Iva, Alexandre, Nattalya, and a Family of one of the Bishops councilors. then we took an ônibus back to the church where i met up with E. De Jesus. Funny story. today i threw our Keys up towards our window to our house and they got stuck on the ledge! I got a ladder and a long stick thingie and thankfully got the Keys down so we could get into our house.

Wednesday: Today was a zone meeting at the church. Elder Santos and Elder Brito gave most of the instruction. i got a letter from grandma chick! it was so exciting to recieve a letter!Afterward we took pictures and went to lunch. Today sister Martin and i became friends because both of our dads served the same mission in Norway! it was so crazy to meet another person who knows about norway!

Thursday: Today we were fasting until lunch, which was luckily at 11:30 today (pretty early) We ended up doing the normal today, we visited, Iva, Alexandre, Noelia, Nattalya, and Patricia. On the way to Patricia we bought some really good bread. the bread here is suuupper good! Today at night during personal scripture study time i randomy opened up to 1 Timothy Chapter 3 and read verse 2 and this described dad a lot and all good worthy priesthood holders! it just reminded me of my dad and how much i love him and look up to him.

Friday: Today was pretty much the same as yesterday so i´ll just tell a funny story. While we were walking through town we were looking for a specific item and there was one building that had its pôster of electronics, etc above the entrance, so we assumed thats what was inside. We walked inside and there was all sorts of manicans with womens underwear clothes. Elder brito asked if they had the item we were looking for and the lady gave us a weird look and said, ´´no tem´´ (we dont have that).  i busted up laughing when we left because it was obvious when we walked in that they didnt have what we were looking for when all around us there were only women products and clothing. hahahaha.

Sunday: it was a great fast sunday and i bore my testimony and played the piano again

Have a great week everyone! i love you all. Shout out to My sister Haley! she comes home Aug. 11th i love her!!

Elder Andrade and i worked together for a day while elder Brito was in salvador for a meeting

The pic of just me and that sister is for dad. Ver das went to the same mission in norway. They might havê been companions!

Zone Meeting

And we rode home in the bed of a small pickup truck

Week 7

Yesterday (Saturday) we had a service project that lasted all day. We took down shingles off a house and cleaned them and put them back on. it was dirty and really really dusty, but we got it done. After we returned home and showered we walked all the way to ´´Atacadoa´´ (a supermarket) and bought groceries. we took a taxi back home so we didnt have to carry everything home. 

On sunday we walked all the way to Nattalya´s house to walk with them to church (to get them to go to church) and after we got there and waited and waited for them to finish getting ready they didnt want to walk. We walked all the way back to the church (30 min. walk) and they ended up taking an onibus. they were still late but at least they showed up. And patricia showed up too! that was exciting . Patricia is a women that we re-activated. She also brought her 2 kids. Im glad that the people we help and teach came to church today. Also i played the piano for sacrament meeting and priesthood meeting which was pretty fun.

 Love, Mckay

The following was taken from Mckay's emails he and I were sending back and forth.  I had asked him a bunch of questions and here were his answers: 

the meat doesnt really taste a whole lot different but it is really good! maybe it is better idk. i havent had a meal that i havent like yet. maybe thats because it consists of rice and some kind of pasta/spaghetti everytime, and potato salad, and beans and this corn flour stuff, and dessert! like every meal it is this! 

Yes there are a few pharmacies right here close to our apartment and there are more in the ´´centro´´. we are going to the centro today after we email. we have to take a bus there because it is pretty far to walk. and yes there is a waste bin for toilet paper. we dont put the toilet paper down the toilet. i learned that the hard way!

i havent had any watermelon juices yet, but ive had really good mango juice, goiaba juice, and other juices that members feed us. they are delicioius.

that is so cool that there is a braziliian elder in our ward. while i was in the CTM there was a brazilian going to serve in the Boise Idaho mission and he was really nice.

the mattresses are pretty good. they arent really that dirty, at least not mine. i sleep fine every night and only wake up when elder brito does these loud noices in his sleep. i dont even know what it is becuase it is way worse than snoring. haha yes weve taken public transportation. it isnt that bad. we use what is  called an ´´Onibus´´ here.

 I cant believe that haley is already coming home so fast. i really wish more than anything that i could be there for that with you guys at the airport. just thinking about it and typing this is making me tear up... i miss you guys

Walking to patrícia's house.  Its a pretty long walk.

This guy was wearing a usa shirt and he was really nice.  And they have really good bread.  We bought some donut-like things and banana stuffed bread thingie.  Its really cheap too 😀

this is the shirt elder mafi bought me in Sao Paulo. My whole district signed it. its a good souveniour and a way to remember my favorite district i´ll probably ever have.  

today we went to get our hair cut. elder brito got his cut at a random shop we found and there was a 75 year old man cutting. elder brito didnt like it so we went to a different guy and elder brito got another haircut to fix his other one and i got mine cut.

elder brito getting his hair fixed. this guy was way better. and its only like 10 reais ( like less than 5 dollars)

 

i thinks the dude did a good job. i was a little nervous because i had no idea how to tell him how i wanted my hair in portuguese so i tryed my best to explain and he just went for it and i think he did well. i will go to him everytime while im in this area.