Hello!
I am not being transferred so I will have this same address
for the next 7 weeks. Most people were not transferred because of Christmas. I am getting a new companion named Elder
Miller tomorrow. I have heard good things about him so I am excited. We had a white elephant
gift exchange and lunch at the Christmas party. It was fun as all gatherings
with missionaries are. We are going to a members house for breakfast on the
25th, but other than that, I do not know much about what we will do. I have my
Christmas cards and will send them home today for you to give to people we
know. Sorry they are so late.
We went on Saturday to some docks in Olympia with
an investigator. It was funny to see ocean water to close to where I am. The
funny thing was the docks were called Percival Landing. So I have some good
pictures with a big sign that says "Percival Landing". I will send
them next week when I can find out how to get them on this computer. No I have
not talked, or sung in church. I will Skype on Christmas day and will email you
the time next Monday.
We have been teaching lessons and I have improved
greatly in my ability to teach. It was tough learning all that Portuguese
in the MTC because I focused all on the language and not really on the lessons.
We still do not have anyone progressing but we do have some potentials. The
hardest part is just finding a time to teach people that works for them.
Everyone is too busy to listen to the most important message of their life. The
other really hard thing is getting people to come to church. People will
believe what you say and desire to be baptized, but when it comes to actually
going to church they make up more excuses than you can imagine.
I do enjoy the
ward here. The people are really friendly and amazingly we still have a member
dinner almost every night. The person who took us to the Docks is named
Kathy. We have talked and taught her a lot but we decided she only has us over
because she is lonely. An interesting part of a lesson we had with her is when
we mentioned the atonement of Jesus Christ. She completely changed her attitude
and told us what a mess-up she has been her whole life and all the wrong she
has done. Even when we explain the reason and importance for the Atonement,
she does not want to change her life. Something I have realized out here is
every soul knows when it does wrong by the light of Christ and desires to rid
itself of that wrong. The reason that people do not wish to cleanse themselves
is because they harden their heart to the truth and seek earthly things to make
them happy. Its sad to see.
The other thing I have come to realize is how
backwards these other churches are. We talked to a man who read the NIV Bible
every day for 15 minutes for years. The NIV Bible is basically a bible written
for people who cannot understand the King James. (Which is really not that hard
to understand...) An interesting quote in a book I read says, "For what purpose
does man have to re-write a bible, than to change it?" These churches just
appease peoples' need for a little religion in their life. They tell themselves
they are okay because they go to church every week.
I will try to send a
present home for Anne for her birthday but I do not think I will be able to do
Christmas presents for anyone because I do not have a car or a store to buy
any. Sorry. I only get 35$ a week too. I have heard they have stopped calling
American missionaries to Brazil. Is this true? A couple other guys in my
district have gotten visas so that has been tough to see. I'm out of time so I
will say goodbye. Hope everything has been well there.
Will
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