São Paulo Temple

São Paulo Temple
São Paulo Temple

Monday, February 15, 2016



The new area is interesting... We arrived with the area cell, keys, and directions to arrive at the home. We made it with our bags, which is a funny but VERY long story that I'll have to save for another time. We didn't meet the Bishop until Friday, and the Ward Mission Leader until Saturday, only to find out he's also less active.

My companion speaks portugues REALLY well!! This is probably because he's from Brasil! hahaha he lives in the Southernmost state of Brasil, which is a lot like Texas, I hear. He says there are a lot of cowboys there, they are known for their BBQ, they were once almost a separate country, etc! lol We get along super well, and we're super obedient (he has a huge desire to be obedient), we're getting a lot of work done, etc... I'm actaully not a zone leader, but district leader (did I say zone leader last week?), but that means I am "over" 3 companionships, my own and 2 others (all sisters). So every night I call the 2 dcompanionships of sisters, follow up with their day, their numbers for the day, how they're doing with their companionships, obedience to the rules (including specifically asking about waking up at 6:30 and if they did all of the day's studies), how they're feeling, and giving them words of encouragement, and congradulating their work. Then passing that all on to the Zone Leaders. I also conduct weekly district meeting and give training for the district there. If they have investigators ready for baptism, I do the interviews, etc. I am supposed to have 1.5 hours to write email, about 1/4 of what we were using, so yeah, a bit tighter! Never heard of the zika virus... Unless it's known as Dangue here, than I have!

Valentine's Day isn't observed here... Everyone asks me if I'm missing "Dating Day" back in the US here... Then asking if I have a girl waiting for me... I alternate between 2 responses: "Actually, 2, my sister and my mom!" or "Actually, the problem is that I have a ton waiting, and each one thinks she's the only one." Both of which get a good laugh here ;)

Things are going great with the new companion! He has a huge desire to work and learn and be obedient to the rules, so I am super content :) He pretty much served a 4 month mission, leaving with the Elders to help them almost daily before his mission... So he doesn't have to adjust much... The only adjustments he's needing are that our mission isn't the same as where he was before. He has a ton of homesickness. He's from one of the most southern cities of Brazil, so I think about the distance of our home to the Morris side of the family... I think. He is 19 as well, but will turn 20 on the 24th... I'm thinking of celebrating that somehow... Ideas? 

The 6 month mark has arrived super fast! People area always saying "6 months? Woah, I thought you'd be almost finishing up!" But for me, it's like, "Woah, 6th months? Already? That's 25% of the mission gone already!! NO!!!!!" Hahaha we get to go to the temple every 6 months, and I went right after arriving in the mission, so I should get another chance more or less soon, but I don't know when...

As for my week, after 3 years, we manage to get the Father of a family of 4 (whose family is all members except him) to Church, and he is marked for baptism on the 27th. I really enjoy his family. He has a 15 year old son who is pretty much exactly how I was when i was 15, so I connect really well with the son. Because of this, he, being a bit less active before, is now probably the spiritual strong point in the family! Other than this family, the rest is work as usual :)

Oh, also, we have district meetings each week, where I have to give a 30 minute training for my district each week... This past week, the Mission President, his wife, and the Sister Assistants (I think this is a new thing... the mission now has 2 Assistants to the president (Elders) and two others (Sisters) that are also assistants) were in our zone for our meetings... So I had one zone leader, the 2 sister assistants, and Sister Silcox, the president's wife, in my distict meeting! That added a bit more pressure!!! Luckily I think that went pretty well. Then Fridayafternoon, a member of the Bishopric went with us to visit less active or non-active members... While walking from one visit to another, he asked me to give a 15-20 minute talk on the blessings of the temple in sacrament meeting... I had 1 day's personal study to prepare. That was terrible. But the spirit was strong during that hour, and I managed to prepare well :)mark or the 20. He said, I want you to talk till 5 past. This meant my talk had become a 25 minute talk! WHY?? Luckily, I am a lot better at talking and preparing talks now than I was before the mission,

Have a great week guys, talk to you next week! :)
Elder Beatty