getting to know our converts

Latest news from our missionary.


We had a pretty cool week. We had our zone conference Thursday and that was really cool what the president did. He taught some more about Teaching Repentance and Baptizing Converts. It's a theme we've been touching on rather constantly to tell the truth and I'm really loving it. But this time around he did something really cool. He asked all of the missionaries who are converts to stand up and asked for some volunteers to come up and share their stories with us. They talked about their own conversion process and how they met the missionaries. There was this one sister that had a really awesome story, went to church for a year before she got baptized. That was a really cool story. I was really able to learn quite a bit about the example of those missionaries who taught them and how their behavior and example really changed and affected the understanding and learning abilities of these missionaries. It's interesting to see that as well in my own converts and those that I teach and even in the ward members. It's interesting to be in places that haven't had the best missionaries there beforehand and then you try to work and they trust you quite a bit more. 

I think it just shows more and more that our own example is super important. Like it says in 1 Timothy 4:12(Which I'm ponderizing this week if anyone wants to join me) we are and should be an example at all times and in all that we do. I've learned that as we do our best to show our exaple to others that they will trust us more as they realize we love them and are trying to really help them.

 I love you guys. Until next week!

P.S. All the missionaries from Texas 'cept Gann, Cause he's far away. Plus one other guy who decided to photobomb us. 

Speaking of Photobombs:

THE MARRIAGE OF THE CENTURY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the more amazing and wonderful things about having a missionary child is the community of support. When he left, I was really surprised by how much love I felt for the people he would be serving. I didn't even know them. I now have several Brazilian Facebook friends. They've sent me pictures and video and even a quick happy birthday from Elder Monzingo to his siblings. My Facebook family has also been joined by some other missionary moms. They are like pennies from Heaven. The people and the messages and the pictures are all just wonderful. I love seeing how happy our son is. This gospel is really, really wonderful. There is so much joy. Joy and happiness is probably as good a segue into his weekly email as I'm going to get. Here it is:

The Marriage this week was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There was a lot of prep put into the chapel. They decked it out. Like, really it was sweet. We were supposed to start at 5 but the groom only got there at 6 and his Bride likewise arrived another 45 minutes late. And so we started when they got there. And there was music and Cristiano entered with A Thousand Years in the background and then the whole, duhduhduh duuuuuhhh, duhduhduh duuuuuhhhh, duhduhduh DUH duhduhduh duuuuuuuhhhhh duuuuhhhhh duhDUHduh duh duh duhduhduhduh duh duh. And There was standing involved and Avilla came in and then Bishop talked for a little bit and then there was kissing involved cause that's like, the stereotype and normal and stuff and they signed the papers and then changed clothes and we had a baptismal meeting. That was super awesome. We baptized them and returned to the festivities. There was cake (Of which I unfortunately ate none) And other food (Which I did eat) And we talked to those invited, who knows, maybe one of them is next one the list of people who want to be Baptized and all that stuff. 

In other news, Our lunch appointment on Sunday was with a member of our ward who just so happens to be a super expert in 2-3 kinds of martial arts. And we were talking about that and what not and he decided that a demonstration was in order, so he grabbed my companion to show some different self defense techniques. And so they were doing that and as that was going on they did this one and we heard the sudden sound of something ripping or tearing. Pictures follow of what happened to my companion's pants. It was hilarious. he borrowed a pair of pants from them and now his ripped pants look like nothing happened. unless of course you examine closely. I May know how to sew a little bit but it isn't really all that much. but I love you guys. I hope that everything's going good where y'all are! Até mais!

Somebody's Getting Married!!!!

Marriage seems to be the theme of the week. Before I share Daniel's latest email here is another story. I am often amazed and frequently amused by how my children see the world. Yesterday our youngest comes to me. 

"Mom, do you know at least one person who doesn't believe in marriage?"

"What?! What do you mean?"

"Well. If you know one person that doesn't believe in marriage they just need to watch that one part in The Princess and The Frog when they are married. Because they kiss after they are married and turn human again because she is a princess now. Because she married a prince."

That, apparently, was all the proof he needed that marriage is real. 

Here is the latest from Elder Monzingo:

LORDS AND LADYS, THIS WEEK, SATURDAY, AT 5 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE MARRIAGE OF CRISTIANO AND ÁVILLA IN THE Marambaia CHAPEL OF THE Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latterday Saints. IT IS PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE LAND THAT ALL THOSE IN ATTENDANCE SHALL BRING CAKE, BECAUSE I WANT SOME. It's not a good Idea to write official declarations

when you're hungry. It just doesn't really work out well. We are super excited for said wedding, it's gonna be great, it's totally gonna be the wedding of the century cause it's definitely the most important wedding that has/will take place for a while as far as I'm concerned. SO, We is excited. Actually we're helping to do a little bit of the decorations, we go to their house and Ávilla hands us some scissors and other stuff and says "Cut this" and so we do. But it's going rather well. All the preparations are underway and everything is all good. This week went fine for the most part. we were able to run into some new people, once again we are teaching a pastor, Sort of because he isn't yet but is planning on becoming such, BUT he understands scriptures and stuff super well. Rather glad to have people that get it. I love you guys. Have fun, don't die. 

Transfers and Stuff

Saturday was Sarah's birthday. Through one of my new Brazilian Facebook friends, Daniel sent a birthday greeting to her. She was delighted. She had spent the whole week making sure EVERYONE knew it was her birthday. Anyway, here is the latest news from our favorite missionary.

So the results are in the stuff has been said and set and we are NOT getting transferred. First time I'm gonna be 3 transfers with the same companion, so should be cool, just now he is no longer being trained. But our week for the most part went well with all of this. It was pretty busy, there was this family that we finally were able to teach all of them and it was impressive how well Marcelo (one of the peoples there) understands some scriptures. Like, there are some things about the plan of salvation that he understands very well, + we haven't even taught the plan of salvation, so even better. But the Sisters in my district had 2 baptisms this week. They share the same chapel with us so we went, it was interesting. One of the people being baptized, Aldecir,(pronounced like Al-de-seer) got there late and well we had to do a separate meeting for him. That was actually pretty cool. Because really gospel ordinances are not for a lot of people at the same time, but they have to be done one by one. You can't just do a mass baptism or something like that. It's one at a time. And you gotta do it slowly. So yeah. And the Young Woman that was baptized, Laíla, I was very impressed with her testimony. She has an incredible testimony of the Book of Mormon. It was very very awesome to see someone that really was helped as much as she was by that book. If you guys haven't read it you should, It's a wonderful book. Love you guys