November 28 | Being Sick, Gratitude, and the Road to Emmaus

Thanksgiving Feast

This week was a good week. It was both super hot and super cold and rainy like normal (which is odd at times). But there´s no complaining. However, I did get sorta sick this week so any prayers would be excellent! We spent the day at home on Saturday. First time of the mission like that for me but very necessary. I was having a rough time—had a wild fever but that's gone away now, now its just a cough and sore throat. Called Sister Silcox and she gave me some ideas for medicines to buy so I will do that today right quick! Worst sickness I've had since Junior year of high school I think, when I stayed home for a week, though I´m quite better and keeping positive! All good! Tell the grandparents I'm praying for all of them to get better soon too.

On the 7th of December we have the Zone conference/Christmas conference with the Penha zone as well. Elder Martins, Elder David (both of whom are leaving for casa on the 27th of Dec.) are in Penha, and so is Elder Amancio (all previous companions)! It´ll be cool to see them all again! And yes, we will be doing the Christmas Light the World acts of service! We have a little card that tells us what each day´s theme is so we can participate. Should be great!

I really like that story about the disciples on the road to Emmaus. It´s one of my favorites in the New Testament. Shows how powerful the Sacrament can be for sure. And how many times is Christ by our side but we don´t recognize Him?

I´m happy the holiday went well! What all did you cook for the fam there to the Calistoga? We ate some pizza to celebrate Thanksgiving—though the pizza we ate was quite glorious, so that was quite worth it—tough due to lots of pizza recently we are now abstaining from pizza these days ... though pizza here is so good... sigh. Elder Miranda has been making horchata for us all these past few days which has been pretty awesome. Definitely tasty! Also the house is all painted and is doing well. I missed you all on Thanksgiving too, but as for the saudade, I felt saudade only like this, "Man the family is all together! Next year will be great!" Your prayers worked in my behalf.

Maria and Eduardo are excellent! They noticed I was a wee bit sick yesterday at church so Maria gave me lots of sickness medicines that she had with her in her purse haha. 

This was a great week filled with gratitude and thankfulness. I think sometimes we don´t recognize the Lord´s hand immediately (at least that's something that I am trying to do better with). However, one of the keys is gratitude. Showing and giving thanks for His hand in our lives is how we can better recognize who He is. Like the disciples going to Emmaus, they only recognized that Christ was Christ when they ate bread He had given them. When we recognize the daily spiritual bread Christ gives us, we can understand who He is and know how to come unto Him. And we feel happier --

Love you! That was the week! It was good and filled with gratitude.

Have a great week!

English class on Thanksgiving

Attempt at making tacos

November 21 | Transfers, Painting, and Ponderizing

The Zone

Hi all!

This week was pretty great. This week was transfers, and my new comp is Elder Chartrand from Turlock, CA. He studied Piano and Chemistry at BYU for a year before the mission. He was in the Itaquera zone for a transfer; he is in his second transfer of training right now, though again, I am the one learning. Going well!

We got a call from the House Secretary on Wednesday that he was gonna pass by to look at the house since we had asked him to come last transfer. He ended up re-cementing the floor in the bathroon because it was leaking, and he came back Friday to paint inside the house! So essentially two days were used for the house repairs but they were much needed. We are putting the second coat on right now so after email we are going to paint! Woot!

Ruana was baptised yesterday. She came to church a few times my first transfer here and then wasn't able to attend again until more recently. Elder Moraes and Miranda have been teaching her, though I had taught her a couple times in the first transfer. We are all super happy for her. The baptism was yesterday at 4pm and was super good. There were a bunch of people there to support her and the Young Women sang a hymn for her. Overall super cool experience!

This Thursday will be Thanksgiving and we will have English Class! Will be good to speak some of the native tongue on the National Holiday.

As for this week, I was ponderizing what it means to truly do something and to act in Christ´s name. In the GEE (Bible Dictionary in Portuguese) it says that to do something in Christ´s name means that we do what He would do and act as He would act and speak as He would speak. I think doing thing´s in Christ´s name means that we always remember Him, that we keep the commandments, and are willing to take His name upon us. The Sacramental prayers. At Ruana´s baptism, a ward member commented how quick the ordinance of baptism is, which made me think about how quickly we can make the change to follow Christ. Then as we make these small changes continually to follow Him every day, we can act in His name.

Well, I love you! Have a great week!

Painting the house--Elder Melo

Me, Ruana, and Elder Chartrand

Taken 30 minutes ago, finishing the paint job

November 14

At the Temple

Lost on Avenida Paulista

Elder Rodrigues´last day (with Eduardo)

Forgot how to spell class in english class

Breakfast today

November 7

Zone Photo, half of us thought it was serious and half funny

Eduardos baptism and his family!

October 31

October 24 | Setting off Alarms and Kneeling in Prayer

Hi all I love you to pieces! :)

We went to Vila Mariana on Thursday to do a baptismal interview, and the sisters who were also there had stopped by the Mission office earlier that day, and they brought my box! I was very happy, I do say!! I now have happy feet. Thanks for sending everything!

This was a pretty great week. The busiest day was Friday. We had interviews this Friday so we all went to the Stake Center in Monumento (where we had the independence day activity) and when we got there, President hadn't gotten there yet. We tried to open the chapel but ended up setting off the security alarm so that was fun. It turned off really quickly but we went in and waited for President to get there. We had interviews with Sister Silcox in our duplas about the Area Book and planners and then with President. It was all super quick and then we went home.

That afternoon, we had a lesson with Adriano. We were teaching him (following up really) about the Book of Mormon to see if he felt it was true after reading, and after praying to know. We had a good discussion, and he then asked to be baptised the next day! That was awesome! He will be baptised this coming Saturday because we all felt it better for him to invite his family to come to the baptism. Super happy for Adriano!

At night we taught Eduardo. He is Maria's husband—Maria, who was baptised recently. We called him earlier in the week to schedule, but he couldn't come. He called us Friday morning after the interviews that he could come that evening. We went to the chapel to teach him right after Adriano. It was one of the most strongly spiritual lessons while teaching on my mission. Eduardo has been going to church ever since Maria's baptism some months ago but never has accepted a baptismal date because he wants to wait to know the church and the gospel better. We taught about how we have to open our eyes and ears sometimes to see God in our lives--we have to actually try and work for it. In the end he accepted to go through the baptismal interview which is awesome. He didn't accept a baptismal date but stepping stones! Good lesson.

We also had stake conference which was super good and President Silcox talked about what our life would be like without the gospel, and without divine help, which was perfect for some of the great people we are teaching.

This week I read that in only one place in all of scripture is Christ´s mode of prayer described. In the Garden of Gethsemane Christ kneeled. It is so simple but He kneeled to suffer for our sins. When we kneel to pray every night, we do so in the likeness of the Savior in Gethsemane as He suffered for our sins. That made me think differently about personal prayer. As I repent of my sins on my knees, I do so in the likeness of the Savior as He suffered my sins. I felt that was really interesting too. Prayer is a powerful tool, and I wonder how much I underestimate it at times. And what would the quality of my life be like without prayer? Prayer is powerful and is necessary; it is how we can also seek the Heavenly Father´s will, and not ours.

Well I love you! I hope you have an excellent week filled with foods and good things!

Elder Hughes

Also, I am feeling a little bit with a cold but I'm doing good. It's Elder Rodrigues and Miranda that are sick now. I hope its not because of me! Love you!!

October 17 |

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