Quarantined!

We have pretty much been quarantined to our homes. We can't go out and contact or get new families. We can teach current investigators and less active members. So we're doing a lot of work over the phone and any other way we can. Since we are inside so much, we are studying, reading scriptures, cleaning and all that stuff. The mission gave us 200 Reales per person to buy supplies for our quarantine and future needs. Sister Lago sent out a list of things we were to buy and so we did. We set up just fine for quite a while!

Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

Signal Flag indicating "Quarantine"

Protect the toilet paper!

Church at Home

This week was not the best because I had nobody to teach at the start of the week, so I just went to the other side of the river to start a movement to Cristo over there, but all of them are heathens that hate anything of God – they only like candles and Mary over there.

Later on in the week I went to Picos to do the baptismal interviews for the Elders living there. What went down was: the two people that I was to interview weren't in town (and they moved their date for the next week), my pants split wide open when I sat down, and I found out that there won't be any meetings at church this Sunday – so that was lit. When I came back to Floriano, nothing crazy was happening.

Hammock makers

 Wild street goats

I did learn that we can have sacrament in a member’s house and we’ll just bring our investigators there and it'll count toward them progressing. None of my people came to the member’s house this Sunday and I wasn't too happy, but at least I know they don’t want to progress, right?! I am just happy that I even have the chance to have the sacrament. My zone leaders told me that Sister Lago will send me an email about buying a food reserve, in case I have to stay in the house for a long time due to the coronavirus. It won't be too hard for me, especially because I’m finally getting over how annoying my comp is – haha. I might buy some playing cards so I’m not too bored. This week wasn't the best and I could really see Satan lashing out at me by attacking my willingness to serve, my little problem with pride, and anything else he could try and get me with. Stay safe and enjoy having church in your home this Sunday!

Farewell Carminha

This week was truly one to remember so I’m going to give y’all an email really detailed and good just like mom asked me to do. So on Tuesday, I did some splits with the zone leaders here in the beautiful city of Floriano.

I saw an iguana while doing my splits with Elder Manchego (Peru) and while we were teaching lessons, this Peruano just roasted everybody in sight. He just loves burning all the people to a pulp with his knowledge of the scriptures and desire to baptize people in the quickest amount of time or not at all. Because of this and her not keeping all of the commitments she made with us, Naiana (daughter of Carminha) lost the desire to be baptized and go to church. On Friday, I was having no success and I had the feeling to go to a recent convert ́s house to see how they are. We went inside and the wife said that we were sent by God. She then explained that they had planned to go traveling to sell some things in some nearby towns, but their car kept breaking down. They needed to leave and make some money or they won't have anything to eat or pay the bills. I shared Alma 37:16-17 and said that everything would be fine. I then had the feeling that I should go see the car. I looked at the oil and water levels and saw that they were low so I filled them up to make everything all set. We all said a prayer and the car started up just fine. They were super grateful that they wanted to go teach with us with the new found spirit we were all feeling. We went to Carminha ́s house thinking that we could help her daughters feel the spirit of our testimonies, but her dad said that she was at the hospital and that she'll be back tomorrow. We did end up going to the recent converts sisters house and taught her. We all felt the spirit amazingly strong and they began to cry. They kept saying that they feel unworthy to be in our presence and that they just want to improve in Christ. It was an amazing experience. The next morning, I received a phone call from Presidente Nascimento saying that Carminha (50) DIED early that morning! What?!! I still couldn't even believe what happened - even while I was at her funeral. What a miracle that she was baptized and followed Christ when she did instead of waiting another week to "think about things". On Sunday I went to her final resting place to pay my respects and leave flowers. RIP Carminha!

Carnaval!!

This week was really great and had a lot of little cool moments. I did splits/divisions in Picos the day after Carnaval (carne means meat, so it’s the festival of flesh) and it was litty.

That is why President Lago had all the missionaries work in the morning and go back and stay in their apartments by 4 pm. I saw a bunch of people walking around with grey crosses drawn on their foreheads (Ash Wednesday). Elder Rivero explained that the catholic priest does that cross on people’s heads the day after the festivities to show that they are "repenting" – APOSTASY! Haha.

The most spiritual moment happened while I was in Picos too. I was teaching the first lesson and I was trying my best to make the first vision the spiritual peak and when I got to that part, something came over me and I was so close to crying, but y’all know how hard it takes me to break into tears so I didn’t cry, but I was close.

Anyways, my district is doing a lot better and they were able to do all of their lessons and contacts! Now all they need to improve on is bringing people to sacrament lol. To end things off I got to tell you guys... We baptized Carminha!!

I had my comp throw Maria do Carmon Pereira Sandes in the sacred waters of baptism this past Sunday and her daughter was there to watch... So we’re going to dunk the daughter in the waters of baptism too this next Sunday! Good stuff! Below are some random pictures. Tchau!

 Member meal

 "my little pony"

Pretty bird