Photos: 1-Mateus and me, 2-After the first day of hard work with Elder Gois, 3-French toast!
Dear Family,
This week was GREAT! Elder Gois and I
got a lot of work done! We are getting a long great and the branch trust us a
lot. Things here are looking a lot better. I am feeling a little more at home
every day, but feel a little down at times. Really have to keep busy at all
hours to not get homesick. Work really is the secret to missionary success.
Also, this week we received a bunch of referrals from members and found 6 new
investigators! Elder Gois and I have a competition to talk to 5 people in the
street about our church and invite them to do something (read a pamphlet, come
to church etc.,) every day. It is working very well! I have seen the blessings
already.
Monday, after emailing the best
family and friends ever we went and had lunch, shopped for our food for the
week and just hung out together. We cleaned the house very well and organized
things. That night we had a family night with Irmà Rosa Bruna and Bruno and we
were supposed to have Jennifer with us as well but she couldn't make it. It
went well though!
Tuesday, we had great studies and
then had Zone Conference. ZC went super well and I learned a lot. They taught
us some new teaching techniques. That really helped us a lot. Had hot dogs as
well, which are a lot different here. They cut up the hot dog and put it in a
pot with tomato sauce, beef, and vegetables. It is pretty good! That night after
the ZC we had a lesson with Elder and Nara. It went pretty good but we need to resolve
his concerns... Nara wont return t church unless Elder come with and is
baptized.
Wednesday, we taught a lot of people
today and had a lot of success. Found 1 new investigator named Rosa. Got 2
investigators progressing and taught some less-actives as well. Lucio, Aline,
and Irmâo Henrique all gave us referrals! :) Referrals are super rare here and
super good!
Thursday, we taught quite a bit today
as well. Talked with Elias and Juão for quite awhile and it went very well. We
figured out how we can reactivate a less active member through these two. Today
we walked a ton. I am getting very used to walking and it´s kind of cool. We
speed walk most the time too because we have a lot of ground to cover and not
much time.
Friday, we had a great weekly
planning and made some great new goals. I made a new map of the area and
organized the area book. Most area books here are a disaster. Contacted a
referral today and got 3 new investigators, a family of 3! The family has a son
who knows his doctrine. He is only 15 but goes to a Seventh-day Adventist Church.
It was kind of cool to open up the Bible and Book of Mormon with him and answer
his questions. Even if he would misinterpret the verses every time.
Saturday, today we contacted a ton of
people. Found some new investigators, including a super solid one named
Adriana! We invited her to church and she said yes. Talked to a lot of people
in the street and seriously just worked super hard. Don’t know if I have worked
as hard as I did this day ever before. Plus we were fasting so we were about to
die! Ha-ha. I dint know if it is smart to not drink water while working in this
heat. What do you all think? It is about 110 degrees here. I was super tired
this night and slept like a baby.
Sunday, Adriana and her 3 daughters
came to church and they loved it. Besides the part when Lara, her youngest
daughter, got her arm stuck in the box that holds the hymn books...ha-ha. Elder
Dias, one of the zone leaders got very sick and had to go to the hospital so we
had Elder Crandall with us for the day. It went well and he helped with my
teaching a lot. The teaching here is very different. I have been just teaching
the same way as I did in the US, but here I cant do that. They aren't smart
enough...We missionaries have to give them a little bit at a time and teach it
as simple as we know how.
This week went very well and I
learned a lot from my studies, companions and from the members of this branch.
I am so glad things are getting better here and that the language is coming.
Thank you all for your prayers and love. Sorry my spelling is horrible.
Mom, thank you so much for the great
letter and photos. You may have to review this email and correct some misspellings.
Sorry…ha-ha! That is so awesome about Amy and the Jetettes! Academic All-State
as well! Wow!! Golden Child! ;) Really though, Amy congratulations and keep
working hard! Little miss Emme is so CUTE! The picture with her and the random
other little girl at the per store is super funny! Mom, I am glad you are learning
so much as the Gospel Doctrine teacher. It is cool how we learn the same things
here as you all do there!
Dad, things are getting a lot better.
Definitely with my health that is for sure. Elder Gois is from a city near Porto Allegra. His whole family is members and he has always been a member. It is
hard at times having to refer to him when I don’t know a word. I think it gives
him a lot of confidence…Sometimes maybe a little too much, ha-ha. Broncos...Wow!
They let me down. I think it was because I left Denver. That is interesting
about the church retention around the world. South America does have a hard
time keeping converts. We have a lot of less-actives that don’t even understand
what a covenant is.Thank you for the great photos!
I love all of you s much! Hopefully I
can get some photos off to you guys! : )
Love, Elder Hauck
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