Hi family and friends,
Thanks a ton Jeff for the email and update with what´s what in your
life. Mom didn´t send an email this week, so it was nice to hear from
someone this week! Go BYU!
In my planner, I titled this transfer ´´A Transfer of Progress´´, and
golly jee that´s exactly what it has been in only one week. I´m
progressing sooooo much in portuguese since I´ve been with Elder
Leite, especially since I´ve had to take control in what we teach our
investigators that Elder Grow and I had. I´ve been doing most of our
planning too since he isn´t familiar with the area and where each of
the communities are in Alcãntara. It´s been pretty stressful, but the
blessings have been FLOWING. WOOO.
Tuesday last week, Every missionary in the Rio mission went to a big
bus station in Rio for transfers and meeting our new companions. I was
able to see a few people who I knew, Like my companion in the MTC,
Elder Deiffenbach and a few others. It was cool to finally talk to
other missionaries outside of my zone and district. I dropped off
Elder Grow with a Peruvian missionary and now I´m with Elder Leite! We
took a family photo (Since Elder Grow trained both of us).
This has probably been the first week in my mission where I
legitimately felt like I got ´´lost in the work´´. Elder Leite and I
have been teaching, contacting, and overall working nonstop that
there´s no time to take a break for açai or anything. We only have 9
months together of in-field experience, but we´ve been able to help
prepare tons of people for baptism and work a lot with the members
too. We were able to contact one lady named Nancy from the cemetary
activity we did two weeks ago and we´ve been teaching her and two of
her grandkids. They were all able to go to church, and she said she
wants to be baptized next week! She has accepting everything we taught
her, even the word of wisdom. Everyone in Brazil drinks coffee,
especially Nancy, but she said she´s willing to try and stop since she
believes that Joseph Smith was a Prophet. We´re really looking forward
to what´s in store for Nancy, Evelynn. and Josua this next week and
their entire lives as they learn to accept more and more the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.
This past Sunday, we had a total of 8 investigators at church! The
members have really started the get involved in missionary work, which
has kept Elder Leite and I super busy. A member named Alcineira
invited her neighbor Maria to church, and she LOVED IT! We visited
here after church and had a chance to teach her the Restauration,
which seriously couldn´t have gone any better. Maria was telling us
that she was feeling lost in the world and was praying for something
to help her feel purpose in life. She lives alone, nd is about 60
years old, and her husband passed away 10 years ago. Shortly after she
started praying, Alcineira invited her to church and she said that it
was exactly what she needed. She accepted an invitation to be
baptized.... before we even invited her, so naturally, we´re super
thrilled for her desire to learn. We´ll be working with her a lot
this week to prepare her for baptism.
Few random pensamentos… On Tuesday, it rained more than I had even
seen during my mission, with most of the streets being full of water.
When Elder Leite and I took a bus to return home that night, it was
too dark to see outside the windows.
I love you all! Blessings have been sent to Alcãntara and work is
"egg-splode-ding"! Keep the states fresh while I´m here!
Love, Elder Braun
PS. Tell Natalie to check her email if she hasn´t the past couple of
weeks. obrigado
Dad and his two, different raced, sons
Sunset over Alcãntara. Que linda?
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