February 13 | Generations

Me, Elder Clawson, Elder Freitas

Elder Alves, Elder Amancio´s son (my mission grandson)
and Elder Begnini,  Elder Alves´s mission son (my mission great grandson)

Us ansd (Elder) Vasconcelos who was visiting in the area

February 6 | Transfer and Training

District

Hi!

Got the transfer call yesterday and I’ll be training indeed in Jacareí. Elder Freitas will be training as well! We’re staying in the same area, same district, and same house—the house is quite large actually—so we’ll all be here! We have the trainers’ meeting tomorrow at 9 am at the escritorio. We´re about three hours away by ônibus so we’ll go tonight which will be good—we’ll be on time. 

This week wasn’t too rainy actually! Only at night it rains now and sometimes during the afternoon after lunch. It’s been getting pretty hot other than that. I’m looking a wee bit tan! Woot!—only it’s the odd tan lines on the neck and arms though, so that’s cool. There hasn’t been any flooding where we are which is good, though they say its a frequent problem in Sao Paulo this time of year. We’re hoping none of it comes this way. The only difference in how we work when it’s raining … is that we use an umbrella... only mine broke this week so I’m fixin to get me a new one. 

We got a good bit done this week here in Jacareí which was great—loving the work and the people. Rita and Adriana have been difficult to contact this week so that was a bummer but we´ll keep trying this coming week. On the 18th, we are going to have a ward activity about missionary work to help the youngsters get excited about serving missions. President Silcox is going to be here and speak which should be awesome. We´re working on getting everything all planned out and such—we´re going have a mission “museum” with photos from ward members who served missions—have their mission shoes and scriptures and such here too. Should be good! Pray it goes well! 

I had the realization again this week that when we partake of the sacrament, we show that we want to align ourselves with Christ, and as we do that He promises that He will sustain us as His. It´s a “where is my heart?” relationship that we can renew each week, where we are able to evaluate ourselves and start over and recommit to be better the next week. And He promises that we can have His spirit with us and receive a remission of sins. Sounds like a pretty good relationship to me. 

And that was essentially the week! This week should be awesome and filled with good stuff with two greenies in the area! We´re hoping it goes really well. Keep praying for us and I will pray for you. Have a great week!! 

Love you lots,

Elder Hughes

About to rain

In a hammock hammoc hammok? Don´t remember how to spell that word. ’Tis a mystery!

January 31 | Miracles are happening!

Sunday—sunny outside with rain falling

Dear family,

This week was a good one. There was a worldwide devotional/training meeting for all missionaries on Wednesday which was very cool. We were gonna get the bus to lunch and then go back to the downtown area of the city to get another bus to the stake center here to watch the transmission from Salt Lake. However all buses were running late and we were late to every appointment that day haha. However, we got there—and the training meeting was great. We sat in on a missionary executive council meeting with Elder Oaks, Elder Bedar and several others. The transmission from last January's meeting was recapped, and there were also some sweet new schedule changes announced for missionaries. We were also reminded about our purpose as a missionary to invite others to Christ, trusting and living the gospel ourselves as missionaries, and how to be better teachers.

The schedule for us may still be adapted, but in South America most missionaries will now be up at 7:30! Bed will be 11:30pm—so the schedule just shifted a little bit to be able to be more flexible with most people's schedules here. Comp study after lunch and planning for the day in the morning. 

Sacrament was awesome here yesterday. A man spoke who served here twenty years ago and is now married and is a father. He was visiting, and was able to bear his testimony about serving a mission and how it has blessed him in his life.

Something I learned this week: In the Book of Mormon reading that President invited us to do as a mission this year—we are highlighting each name or pronoun of Christ in the Book of Mormon, along with every word that Christ says—with the promise through recognizing that we will come to know Him and not just know things about Him. However, as I was reading in Second Nephi, highlighting names and quotes, it almost became second nature and I realized I wasn’t focusing on what I was reading and what it was meaning. So I began asking myself two questions: How does my belief in Christ strengthen and change my life? And: Do I personally believe and have faith in Christ, and are His words part of me?

Asking myself those questions as I continue reading. I’m coming to better know the Savior through unexpected ways, and am learning that believing Him is trusting Him.

We saw the Lord’s hand yesterday when two investigators came to Church wanting to be baptised! We’ll be teaching them more this week. Please pray for them. Miracles are happening!

I love you!

Elder Hughes

The district

I have a year and 6 months in the mission and only have 5 more left,
Elder Freitas has 5 months in the mission and has a year and 6 left.

January 23rd | Teaching and Trust

We went with the T. family to visit an investigator who lives on a mountainside neighborhood and got lost in the rain
for about an hour and a half. But in the end we got there!

Hi all; love you like crazy!

Grandma was listening to Rod Stewart? Awesome! There is a rock bar across the street from our house so for the past few weeks I’ve been falling asleep to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, REM and Alice Cooper. It’s a cover band over there, so all is sung with Brazilian accents.

I met a guy at church yesterday who was Elder Cook's Zone Leader in Argentina recently -- said Elder Cook is my cousin! He said, “Elder Cook?” And immediately flexed as if to suggest that that is the identifying trait for him haha. Said he’s the most lovable elder there is!

This was a good week for us. We found some new people to teach, and we’re working hard to concentrate our efforts in specific areas of the ward, so that’s helping. The city is pretty big, so we’re having to organize well. We’re working with the ward members too to find people to teach which is going well. There are two recently returned missionaries who got back in the last month, and next month one more missionary is returning. There are also a few who are going on missions soon, so were using their help too. Going pretty well all of this! We’re teaching people who don’t have traditional Christian beliefs which is interesting—reincarnation and other beliefs. Pretty interesting discussions, and they’re interested in coming to church to learn more about the gospel.

One of the RMs (returned missionary), Lucan Galhardi, taught in the Elder's quorum yesterday. He taught using President Uchtdorf’s talk from last conference—learning from Alma and Amulek about repentance and forgiveness and faith, and working together—which was really cool. He talked about the need to have trust in others and to be trusted by others. While on his mission he was thinking about trust, and started thinking about if God trusted him. So, he decided to ask. He said, “That night I decided to ask Heavenly Father what He thought about me. And that night I had never felt so loved.” I thought that was really powerful. Of course He would respond like that. Heavenly Father loves all of us. We are His children. My testimony is that the worth of every soul is great in the sight of God!

And that was the week. Please keep praying for us here, and I will keep praying for y’all too.
Love you!

Elder Hughes

Also - fun fact - There’s a Sister in the Zone who is from Panama, and she waited a transfer there for her visa... her district leader who called her every night to follow up was... can you believe it? Elder Taylor Green!

January 16 | Portuguese + Español = Portanol

This week was a good one!

Thanks for the shoes headed my way. They will be greatly enjoyed!! My current ones are getting wee holes in them and now is the rainy season so new ones will be appreciated. Thank you!

Woot for the rain there! And for the drought ending!

The work is going well here. The area in Jacarei is an entire city of small neighborhoods that are far away from each other which makes some parts of the work different than in my other areas. We take the bus a lot, but that’s just a matter of planning. Last week we found three families to teach so we have high hopes. Some of our other investigators are agnostic, which is cool, and we are approaching teaching differently than I have on my mission, and learning a lot. All is going well!

We ate lunch this week at a couple’s house; they are from Uruguay. They have been in Brasil for 40 years, but still speak Spanish mostly, we essentially spoke Portanol! We were trying to remember Spanish words, and in the end we got it right, I think haha. We ended our lunch visit reading about tender mercies in 1 Nephi, and the brother said that we were inspired that day because he needed that message. Language of the Spirit is the universal one!

We’re reading the Book of Mormon as a mission, highlighting every time a name of Christ is used, and every time He speaks. It’s a New Year’s resolution for the mission to come to know Christ more, and not just to know about Him. It’s going great; I like how clearly the scriptures invite us to follow the example of the Savior.

I hope you are all well and in good health! Love you! Have a great week!

Elder Hughes

January 9 | One year, six months; feeling old and new

All is well here! also sorry for the creative grammar my key board is having a crisis i think>  elder freitas is from cearà the same stake as elder rodrigues> he has 5 months in the mission and is super excited about the work. 

First week of the new year was pretty great. 2017 is going well. Miriã was baptised which is wonderful for her, and I think her husband André might be even happier than she is. André didnt even believe in God when he met the Elders. He’s now baptised and is extremely happy> amazing how the spirit works in our hearts and changes lives.

I hit the one year and six month mark yesterday and felt very old> though I still feel new in the mission> very odd feeling to be honest, but we’re going going going> this week should be great and filled with lots to do; we have high hopes!

love you!

elder hughes 

 

January 2 | Feeling the New Year's Potential

Gerações  |  Taken on the day Elder Martins went home

 

Hi all! 

Great week! We had a good transfer and I saw Elder Martins, David and Vasconcelos before they went home which was great! My new companion is Elder Freitas. From Ceará. Elder Ewerton, who was in Mogi with me, was his trainer. Elder Wengreen, who is in my zone right now, is training a new Elder from Chile. I have a Chilean grandson! The whole city of Jacareí is ours for the work right now. Very large place but we´re getting to it. Loving the work.

The New Year festivities went well here. We had permission to stay at a church member's house for New Year's Eve until midnight; we went to Irmã Marta´s house which was great. She made a huge churrasco (BBQ) which was delicious, and also had various fruits and dips which was all very tasty. Church the next day -- first Sunday here in new area -- was really good, though a little tough after very little sleep, but all was well. The ward has a frequency of like 250 which is wild. We visited a recent convert and his wife has accepted a baptismal date for this coming Saturday so that is awesome! Should be a great week to come!

Sorry for the short letter today -- a few pictures from the last two weeks in just a minute. 

I hope you are feeling the new year´s potential too! Love you!

Elder Hughes 

Mec Favela lunch

Christmas party

Christmas Day

Goodbye to Pablo

Zona São José dos Campos!