Super busy

Hallo!

What´s up folks? February is almost over and it doesn´t even seem like it should! Wow. Leah is getting married. Congrats! What the heck... everyone is just jumping on the marriage wagon! Weird. It made me laugh that Kevin is home now! That must be awesome.  Tell Jenny to take him to the Singles Ward to get things pumpin there for when I get back! I´m so excited to take part in all of that Gable Ward Goodness! Parabens por Sarah at the new job! It´ll be great stuff. 

So sad that I had to miss the Bridal Shower. I bet Jaimee answered all of the questions way better than I could have. 12 out of 17 is a score! Congrats. The wedding is COMING! Womp. I can´t wait for the pics. Good luck at Cavalcade practice this week too.

Wow, there is not very much time to write you guys. This last week was good. We went and visited quite a lot of people, and Sunday morning they all had lame excuses as to why they couldn´t come. But, we just hoped for the best! Some members brought friends and we´re teaching one of the members´ boyfriends! He´s got a date for next Sunday! We´re super excited from him. His name is Jhony and he´s a baller! Have a good week. Loves!

-Elder Carpenter

Pics: Neat things going down in Tijucal

Hump Day

What´s up folks? I have officially hit the 1 Year baby! HUMP DAY! Snap yeah. Elder Naylor and I are going to eat at China in Box today for lunch to celebrate. I´m so excited to eat Brazilian Chinese food, it´s not even funny. I haven´t had time yet to burn my shirt or make a cake, but that is still in the making. It´s all downhill from here!

News of the Week: Nothing much! We have been teaching this girl named Ana Jessica who is a member´s friend. She has had a pretty tough family situation (although she doesn´t talk much to us about it) but she´s feeling the changes of the Lord in her life. She´s starting to be nice to people and stop thinking about herself. Way neat. We´re trying to mark her date for this Saturday, because she needs to get baptized soon. And the less-active family that is helping us is awesome! The mom used to be married to the bishop, but then he kind of ran off, left the Church, and started a new family. So for these past 8 years, it´s taken quite it´s toll on all of them. But, one of the twin daughters is planning on going on a mission now! Super cool. She is a twin and her sister is also coming back to Church along with the mom. They´ve got some brothers that are still off in the world, but one day they´ll come back.

We´ve been teaching a few other people, but some of them just weren´t that interested and didn´t come to Church with us. Oh well! We´ll go and find someone that  wants to come. So yup, things are coming along well. We´re looking os eleitos!

Have a great week and a wonderful Valentine´s Day! Loves for everyone! I liked the Valentine´s card, but it kind of scared me. Remember to drink your juice and have strong bones!

-Elder Carpenter

Fotos: The Lil Guy´s alls tuckered out, Best car of Cuiabá, and Thor (my favorite dog)

 

One year anniversary

Ola Família!

 

Yet another week has gone by, and I´ve been out for a year! WOW! I thought that this day would never come. I still feel like I got on the mission yesterday. Super strange feeling! I still have a lot to learn and do before I come home. I´m hoping to make this second year the best of my mission. I want to work more efficiently, learn from my mistakes, and just have a good time. Really enjoy the work! I´ve only got one more to be a missionary, so I want to make it count. I´m going to make some goals and do my best to accomplish them. We were talking today, and I think that I´ve only got 8 more transfers. That´s enough to count on my hands! That´s gonna mess with my head for the rest of the day. It´s all downhill from here...

 

My little kid´s name is Elder Gomes! There is another Elder Gomes on the mission, so my comp´s gonna switch his name to Elder D. Souza, but for now his nametag says Elder Gomes. He´s also from Minas Gerais (my 3rd straight companion from the state) and he´s AWESOME! I love the guy. He´s pretty shy and timid in front of people that he doesn´t know, but once he becomes friends he becomes a chatterbox. It´s funny. I think after our first day together, I never really had to ask him questions to get him talking. Now he just tells lots of stories and I get to laugh at them. Elder Gomes has an amazing testimony too! He definately came to the mission prepared. He´s the only member in his family, and got baptized when he was 16. I can always count on him to teach really well with me and to really give the people confidence while we teach. I´m so thankful to be his comp.

 

The other two in my house are Elder Nader (Colorado Springs, CO) and Elder Naylor (Provo, UT). They´re both the Zone Leaders and way cool. Elder Nader is like Superman because he´s a great example and leader. Elder Naylor is way chill and like to joke around. Thankfully, we all get along pretty well and we´re turning this ward upside down! Everyone is wanting to leave with us and teach people and we´re planning on making this ward divide! One of the things that we do is teach the first lesson (The Restoration) at lunch for out message, and it´s gotten all of the members excited and giving us references. Things have turned awesome here in Tijucal! It´s probably the best ward of the mission.

 

I´m glad that Seth and Jaimee are including lots of RED in the wedding. It´ll be as if I was there myself picking all of the decorations! I´m glad that everyone is excited and helping out. Happy February! Love ya.

 

-Elder Carpenter

 Pics: Hippie guy that we bought coconut rings from, The Fantastic Four, Meu Filho.

New companion--greenie

Hola Família!

 

Things are going GREAT!!  I approve of the wedding colors, especially because one of them is red.

 

Guess what? Lots has gone down here in Tijucal! Yesterday we got a phone call about transfers and everyone left Tijucal except for me. Two more Americans are coming to be in our house and I´m going to be training a Brazilian! My kid´s name (when you train, you get to call your comp your son) is Elder S. Gomes, but he´s not gonna get here til Wednesday I think. I know absolutely nothing about him, haha, so it´ll be an adventure. Not only is that gonna be weird, but I got called as District Leader. Womp! Now I´m gonna have to baptismal interviews, district meetings, be more responsible, etc. I´m pretty excited for these new opportunities though! It´ll be good to be with an excited greenie! We´re going to baptize everyone in this hood.

 

Last week, we starting teaching this 18 year old kid named Willian. A week ago, he was at the bar, and some guys came and grabbed his friend, and Willian accidentally got shot 4 times. Crazy! It´s basically a miracle that he´s alive. We came and taught him and he accepted to get baptized. The problem is that he couldn´t come to Church because he´s not allowed to get a ride in the car or walk very far. So, in a couple of weeks he should be all better and we´ll go from there. We´re trying to take him out of his wordly life, and show him that there is a purpose to everything.

 

Thas it for this week. Hope that all is well in Zion! I´m sure that you´ll all be quite busy up until Spring Break, so good luck. Go to the temple often and be happy wherever you are!

 

Love,

Elder Carpenter