Dear Family,
Sounds like things are good.
Oh Brazil.... Life´s been good here. This week we marked 3 baptisms... Well, we kinda had the sisters help with 2 of them.... We´ve been teaching these young woman for almost 2 months now.... Leila, who was baptized 6 months ago and never confirmed, and Estefani, who is the older sister of Weverson and Amanda who we baptized last month. But we´ve been talking and teaching and asking about baptism... and... no.... So we got the sister missionaries to come and try. Some of the girly talk stuff. It worked! They´re both going to be baptized on the 4th, this saturday.... Things just work different when a girl talks to a girl.... but it´s great...
Then there´s my favorite. Maria.... She is the mother of Tiago, who we´ve been trying to reactivate. We´ve been teaching lessons, getting them to come to church, the usual.... But, last Wednesday, we felt like it was time to ask. So we did... she was hesitant. She said she didnt know... wanted to talk to Tiago first...... So we watched the Restoration movie.. After bore testimony and asked her to take Moroni´s promise, and to ask if the church is true and if she should get baptized. She said she would... The next day, we went by to check her answer. She was so excited to see us! She brought us in, and told us that she prayed, and she felt this warm feeling in her heart. She said she knew she should be baptized. She told us she couldnt wait till we came back and she could tell us. It was so cool!! It was really my first experience of someone "I" taught and they had a big spiritual experience like that. It was awesome.
And last night we taught Johnny... A referal from Lion, (cool name huh?). (PS Lion was the trainer of Irmão Dodge, my teacher in the MTC, they both served in Manãus Brazil) So, Johnny, he´s a tennis player, he has a "wife" and some kids. He told us that he knows he needs to change his life, so 3 weeks ago he stopped drinking. He still drinks coffee and smokes, but we can take care of that..... We bore testimony of the Word of Wisdom, and how God will help us, if we try to do whats right. He told us that we´re his favorite missionaries he´s talked to... Probably a lie, but thats ok. ..... But, he needs a good example, and Lion.... isnt. When we left, he grabbed a cigarete from Johnny, started smoking..... He has a woman, and a kid on the way.... We talked to him, he says he has a testimony, he just needs to change.... Ugh.... It´s ok. Just more people to help.
But, the wards here are different. Members are somewhat slackers. For example, our ward mission leader, a japanese guy... He hasnt spoken to us in a month. He doesnt come to church, anything. Lindenberg called him, and i guess he hates our ward. He hates how nobody does what they´re supposed to (hypocryte?)... So he has been going to a different ward. And now, he´s moving.... Ugh, just people are so much different here. I know if that happened in our ward, Carl would be there hanging on his ear till they did what they were supposed to....
But... it´s good. I love Brazil. I love my mission. I´m really looking forward to this saturday. We have our baptisms, and stake conference. It should be fun. I´m also looking forward to next transfer on the 13th..(really its the 15th)(????) Im excited to experience more, new companion, new area, new everything. I think it will help me a lot.
Thats life in Setubal. Love you all.
Elder Tracy
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