this past week has been crazy! last Tuesday I woke up early to go to the airport and travelled alone to the mission. when i got to the Londrina airport I was welcomed by president and sister t and the APs. I spent the morning in the mission office being oriented and waiting for my trainer elder F. Elder F is awesome! we chatted a little (in Portuguese only, he doesn't speak English ) and went out to do contacts on the street. I'm still not used to doing contacts, it feels weird to me to just walk up to someone and start sharing the gospel. I'm getting over it though. I find that I am able to speak the language well, just as well as anyone here that has been out for six months already so it is a real blessing to me. I am already able to teach full lessons. the hard part is listening, every person has a different accent and uses a lot of slang and stuff.
after a few hours we took a bus to my first area in the city of M my area is the Centro c B area. the area I'm in is a lot like Oregon, is very green but just has different types of plants and trees. its in the middle of winter now, and like Oregon in the middle of winter it rains a lot. it has rained every day since I've been here, and since I'm out walking in it all day I've had a cold for like the past five days. lots of coughing and sneezing but its all good. my area is in the poorer parts outside the city, most of it is paved. the poorest part in my area, T, is a completely red clay dirt and like two room brick or wood houses. because of the rain, this area turned in to mud and I think dyed my shoes a little red. but its all good, my shoes always kept my feet dry.
the best proselyting is in the t area because everyone is really humble and has an honest desire to come closer to Christ. in most of my area (and in all of brazil outside the major cities) you can walk up to anyone and ask if they would like us to come by their house later and share a message about Christ and 80% will say yes. this people truly are something special and the field is truly white ready to harvest.
in my house live 6 missionaries. me, Elder F, Elders B and Fr and Elders C and F. Elder C is finishing his mission today and either Elder B or elder F are going to get transferred tomorrow. They are all great guys and excellent missionaries, Elders c and F are the zone leaders and my comp elder f is the district leader. the work is really tiring here, walking all day , every day nonstop. the food is either delicious or nothing, we have lunch in a different member´s home every day and usually we don t eat much more than crackers or a sandwich for breakfast and dinner.
I Had my first Baptism yesterday! a woman that elder f and his past companions were teaching got baptized she thought it would be cool to have an American do it so I did. I only taught her once or twice this past week but it was cool. we have a couple more investigators lined up for the next couple of weeks so I'm excited
the work is great! just really tiring! but I'm safe and have a great trainer so I think we are going to really do some great things in the area that hasn't had much success in the past few months
I love you all! good luck with your summers! just remember your poor freezing missionary down here in the winter!
-Elder Leete
the attached foto is of me, Elder F (left) and I Q(middle) a guy from the city that was serving a mini-mission to fill the spot of Elder F´s old companion who went home early. Elder F has had three companions in the past month so he is glad to have me arrive and be more permanent.
PS here all mail goes through the mission home in Londrina which is an hour away and so we only get it like once a month or less when the zone leaders have to g o there for meetings so expect a long delay
after a few hours we took a bus to my first area in the city of M my area is the Centro c B area. the area I'm in is a lot like Oregon, is very green but just has different types of plants and trees. its in the middle of winter now, and like Oregon in the middle of winter it rains a lot. it has rained every day since I've been here, and since I'm out walking in it all day I've had a cold for like the past five days. lots of coughing and sneezing but its all good. my area is in the poorer parts outside the city, most of it is paved. the poorest part in my area, T, is a completely red clay dirt and like two room brick or wood houses. because of the rain, this area turned in to mud and I think dyed my shoes a little red. but its all good, my shoes always kept my feet dry.
the best proselyting is in the t area because everyone is really humble and has an honest desire to come closer to Christ. in most of my area (and in all of brazil outside the major cities) you can walk up to anyone and ask if they would like us to come by their house later and share a message about Christ and 80% will say yes. this people truly are something special and the field is truly white ready to harvest.
in my house live 6 missionaries. me, Elder F, Elders B and Fr and Elders C and F. Elder C is finishing his mission today and either Elder B or elder F are going to get transferred tomorrow. They are all great guys and excellent missionaries, Elders c and F are the zone leaders and my comp elder f is the district leader. the work is really tiring here, walking all day , every day nonstop. the food is either delicious or nothing, we have lunch in a different member´s home every day and usually we don t eat much more than crackers or a sandwich for breakfast and dinner.
I Had my first Baptism yesterday! a woman that elder f and his past companions were teaching got baptized she thought it would be cool to have an American do it so I did. I only taught her once or twice this past week but it was cool. we have a couple more investigators lined up for the next couple of weeks so I'm excited
the work is great! just really tiring! but I'm safe and have a great trainer so I think we are going to really do some great things in the area that hasn't had much success in the past few months
I love you all! good luck with your summers! just remember your poor freezing missionary down here in the winter!
-Elder Leete
the attached foto is of me, Elder F (left) and I Q(middle) a guy from the city that was serving a mini-mission to fill the spot of Elder F´s old companion who went home early. Elder F has had three companions in the past month so he is glad to have me arrive and be more permanent.
PS here all mail goes through the mission home in Londrina which is an hour away and so we only get it like once a month or less when the zone leaders have to g o there for meetings so expect a long delay
