Another day another dollar… unless your here. Our semi monthly allowance for groceries and stuff hasn’t dropped… in a long time. (It’s two days late)
Night at the APs
This week we had an exchange, actually we had 3 but more on that later. The last exchange of the week was with the APs. (Assistant to the President, the missionaries in charge of the whole mission). The way the leadership exchanges works is one missionary from each companionship will switch with the other for one day to learn new stuff, new approaches and ways to teach. The district leaders do divisions with the zone leaders and the zone leaders do divisions with the APs, and the APs go with the president of the mission. The APs happen to live in one of the nicest apartments and have “air conditioning” (it doesn’t really work well). Fortunately this division I was supposed to stay in our area and work with Elder Green but at the last minute they switched it up and my comp and I went to “the big house”. The area they work in is a really nice area with a family vibe. Safe to say the division was pretty fire.
No Dont Kiss Me!
In the area with Elder Green and Elder Escossio, we started talking with a guy like normal in the favela. All seemed to be going perfectly fine, until I heard some chatter behind us, something along the lines of “go kiss him”. Immediately my spidey senses started tingling and I looked to my left right in time as some lady was trying to blind side me with a kiss. I quickly swerved my way out of there but she began to chase me, as Elder Green and Elder Escossio are talking to this guy all unfazed as I’m going in circles around them getting chased by this drunk woman trying to kiss me. Everyone else thought it was so funny and a little crowd of kids started hyping her up as I was doging my way around the lesson, of course my comps and the guy were unfazed.
Exchange Week
As I said earlier we did 3 exchanges this week, the first two were back to back and I was to be left alone in the area both times without either of my comps who new the area better, because of all the time I spent in the office this transfer I wasn’t too familiar with the area, and I was a little nervous to take the reins and lead the area two days in a row. The day of our first divisions I woke up sick, and had absolutely no desire to work, I slept through our morning routine trying to catch any little bit of rest and after district council and lunch we stared our division. As I tried the “forget yourself and go to work” thing it actually worked. That first day we found more than half of our weelky goal and we marked for baptism way more than our weekly goal in one day, the next day as well only added to it, and at the end of the second day we had hit all of our goals for the week except for one that was just shy, in two days.
It’s All About The Additude
Just like two weeks ago it chose to rain, and of course it chose Sunday (Sunday morning right before and during church). Unfortunately this meant that 1. Very few people would be coming to church 2. We would get soaked 3. Our week would probably end as a dud after such an great week of work. Last time it rained its safe to say I was the exact opposite of happy, I was cold, wet, miserable, and nobody wanted to go to church (Brazilians are basically alergic to rain). This week the same thing happened, in fact it rained even worse, I’ve never seen so much rain, all the streets flooded, we got soaked even while wearing rain gear and no one came to church. This time was different though, I’ve never had such a paralel experience, this time I was overjoyed, wet, and estatic to be out trying to get people to church. This experience showed me how much of an additude change can make the same experience go from the worst to the best. We can choose to see the joy in life even when it sucks, this is what makes life, life.
2 Nephi 2:25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. The truth of this statement was so clear to me in this moment, joy can be experienced in any situation because of the hope that is brought through Christ.
Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Love ya’ll
Elder Gist
Google Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/cnvNHFLuWEPTfcKj7
Notable Events
-We ordered food but it never showed up
-Everyones accounts are zeroed, but I secretly have money still because I saved 😂😉
-I saw a dog break its leash and maul a little dog :(
-my comps phone got reset because of all the water
-The Choir at Temple Square came to brazil, most amazing concert