My companion Elder Brito is awesome! im thankful to have his as a companion because i knowl that he is a good missionary. He is hardworking and fun at the same time and we have a lot in common. He always has a good attitude and he helps me when i need it.
My testimony has grown while ive been in my area. I know that this gospel does truly change and bless lives. I know that Joseph Smith restored this gospel and we have current prophets that continue to lead and guide us today.
. I love that we get to walk a lot and be outside! its a nice change from the CTM. Here in Victoria da Conquista it is a lot different than what i saw in Salvador. Salvador is the 3rd largest city in all of Brazil and Conquista is definately not that. Here it isnt humid or very hot.I love the weather here because it isnt much different. During the day it is very similar to Idaho. Even though its winter, its warm here. it isnt super hot, but it is warm and during the evenings and nights it gets pretty chilly but nothing that im not used to. the food is great. generally it includes rice, beans, meat, pasta of some sort, lettuce, and dessert. its actually really good and i havent had a meal that i havent like yet or that has grossed me out!
here´s a quick summary of my week.:
On wednesday morning after i arrived in Victoria da conquista on an overnight bus, we dropped my luggage off at the house and went to the store to buy bread and meat for breakfast. after we went home and got ready for a service project. We got there and there was a huge and i mean huge pile of the kind of brick that they build houses with here. We moved the bricks from the pile outside to a new spot inside the walls of their property. There were 3,663 bricks! We didnt have time to move all of them but we got a big chunck done. Afterwards we had lunch at their house and it started to dump rain. After we shared a message and i beared my testimony and i felt the spirit so strong even though my portuguese isnt very good.
We also teach a man named Alexandre. He is a big guy and he is really funny and nice. He has a huge scar on his left leg and no toes at all on the same foot.
Thurday and friday we continued to teach people and walk long distances. it was great!
On saturday we walked super far to teach an investigator. on the way we found a random horse that was tied up but got loose. we took the rope and walked it around a bit then kept walking. just before we got there a lady from a different house yelled at us and motioned us to come over. Honestly i was a little scared because this place was already sketchy and there was a scary looking guy standing outside on the sidewalk leaning against a lightpole smoking a cigarette right in front of her house. She told us to come in so we did and it smelled really bad of cigarette smoke. but long story short she showed us some photos of when she was baptized a year of two ago. Then she showed us a picture of her son and she started crying. She said he went to jail today. We invited to come another day and share a message with her, set an appointment, then we left. Finally we got to the house of the investigator that we originally walked all the way there for and ...... she wasnt home!! elder brito misunderstood her when she called and said she was at her moms house not her own. So we walked all the way over there and she wasnt home, but i think we were supposed to make that mistake so we could talk to that elderly lady that obviously needed help in her life right now.
Sunday was a good day too and church was great, but obviously not the same. I still could hardly understand anything. During sacrament i got to speak for about 4 or 5 minutes at the pulpit about myself, my family, and share a scripture and bear my testimony. After sacrament we went to a Gospel Principle class and i didnt understand anything. I only understood when i heard the word ´´gringo´´ then everyone chuckling and laughing. i just laughed along even though its a little annoying hahaha. In priesthood they showd a 10 minute video, and during it a special needs man moved up and sat next to me. He scooted over on his chair closer to me so his whole side was against mine...that was a bit weird but i didnt think too much of it until he rested his head on my shoulder. Now it was a bit more awkward haha. He also put his hand on my knee and would always talk and say random nonsense stuff at the most inconvient times haha. After church we set a time to go talk to a pastor of a different church. Elder brito, the bishop, another man, and i are going to talk with him, because this pastor had been trash talking about our LDS church and the bishop. so we are going to talk to him this tuesday. Im pretty excited because i bet it will be interesting.
So many other things have happened that i want to share but i dont have time to. I just want to say that im grateful to finally be here in my mission area and be teaching people and learning everyday.
I love you all!
-Elder Hilton
Elder Brito (from Sao Paulo)
Just walking the streets
Flying from the CTM in Sao Paulo in to Salvador
Our kitchen
Our laundry room
Our closet. Mine is the one in the suitcases
3,663 bricks
trying to exercise
I'm allergic to THAT!
these kids were super excited when elder brito told them i was from america. they would shout. Ele de Estados Unidos!! and they would throw me their basketball and have me shoot it into the garbage baskets across the street haha
getting picked up by the mission president and his wife
President and Sister Bangerter
my bedroom
a view from my apartment
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