*****Just a disclaimer: I'm working on screening Matt's emails. From now on I'm only going to use first initials for names of companions and investigators to protect them.
Stake Conference
This week was really good and we taught a whole bunch. Our numbers were a little low in certain areas, but I didnt mind this week because we have been accomplishing a lot. We had stake conference in São João da Boa Vista yesterday. I sat next to L. My first baptism in the mission field. Elder S. was sitting with G, who will be baptized next week. Accross the aisle from my was a family we have been working with. The only male in the family recieved the Priesthood yesterday. As I was sitting there in conference I saw all these people and things that we have been doing, that you really cant attach a number to. It was a cool moment and one I was really grateful for. We have been working really hard lately and I really dont want to waste any time on the mission. Two years goes really fast. Well, I am out of time but I love you all. Tchau!
Elder Siemers
September 12: Good week and miracles
This last week was pretty good. We didnt teach quite as much as we wanted to but we accomplished a lot. We were finally able to find this lady we havent seen in over a month. She wants to be baptized, but we literally passed by her house every time we are in her neighborhood and she was never home. We can actually start helping her.
We had a couple more run ins with the local intoxicated people this week. One asked me if I am American and I said yes. He then gave me one of the longest hugs of my life. He was pretty excited to meet an American. We found our friend who threw up at church while we were picking up people to go to church yesterday. He came with us and poor Elder S. had to share his umbrella while we walked in the rain. He stopped to talk to everyone we passed. At one point we were walking up a hill and he was having trouble keeping up, so Elder S. grabbed his hand. He then said something about Elder S.'s girlfriend would be jealous if she found out. Oh the mission. You do and see things that you never thought would happen. I love it. We also saw somebody scarf down a banana with the peel still on.
We have started teaching a young man again this last week. We taught him for a while and he didnt even believe God exists. Then everyone got super busy and we didnt see him for about a month. One of his friends told us that his room caught on fire this last week. We then saw him in the street the other day and we talked to him about it. He wanted a new Book of Mormon so we swung by his house after lunch. He then told us an amazing story about how he had a really bad day, then decided to pray to God. He then had an amazing experience. The next day his room caught on fire and all his stuff burnt up. Everything was completely destroyed. Everything but the 2 Bibles and the Book of Mormon he had. The Book of Mormon's cover was damaged and the edges of the pages were singed, so he wanted a new one. He is super excited to learn more and draw closer to God. Because of the experience, not because of the fire. It was awesome to hear his story and see his excitement for the Gospel. We are going to help repaint part of his house today.
Other than that, the week was pretty uneventful. We have a lot of good people to teach and the work is moving forward. Have a great week.
Elder Siemers
September 5: 6 months!
Another really dificult week, but we survived and it ended with a baptism, which is always awesome. We have been working with a family where some are members of the church and some arent. We had a really nice baptism last night for B. and L. Their brother in law and uncle respectively, did the baptizing. It was a really special day for the family. I have grown to really love them these past couple weeks.
I am going to stay in Poços this transfer with Elder S. This is good. Its what we both wanted. We are both learning tons and are working with some really good people right now.
This week I will have 6 months on the mission. Crazy. Time is going fast. The language is coming along really really fast now. Having a Brazilian companion helps a lot. Even though is is from the North where they dont really pronounce their Rs. I am picking up his accent and he is picking my horrible American accent. By the end of our time together we will be speaking a completely new dialect and no one will be able to understand either of us. =)
I hope everybody is enjoying pear picking and BYU football. Tchau!
Elder Siemers
August 29: Tough Week
This week was a lot of walking and not a lot of teaching. All but one of our appointments fell through.
I got sick again this last week. It was a really weird cold. I was stuffy, but not too stuffy, lost my voice, but didnt have a sore throat. It was the most interesting illness I have ever had. During the week my accent got a lot better over just a couple days. I was really excited that all my work was paying off until I realized that my cold was forcing me to talk through my nose a little more. Portuguese is really nasally, so this helped a lot. I am now working very hard at talking through my nose and improving my accent now that I am feeling better.
Before church yesterday, we passed by all our investigators' houses to see if they wanted to come to church with us. We looked for people for an hour and a half, but nobody came to church. That was a little hard. But, we did get a new couch, which is a little soft, so it all balances out. One of our investigators didnt want it anymore, so she gave it to us. We carried it accross two neighborhoods. Something I never thought I would be doing on the mission.
Life is good though. This is the last week of the transfer, so I dont know where I will be next week. Maybe I will still be here, or maybe another city. Only a week will tell. Tchau!
Elder Siemers
