What a Wildly Wild Week!

​That looks safe. Right outside our window

Chillin

Boa Tarde Trinidade!

Visited the Basilica on P-Day (Huge Catholic church)

Half of the Zone GYN Norte

​Won't let my hair get this long again!

Muito melhor!

​Stolen and Found

Alex (Dad of Gabriel, our first baptism) and Alex (President of the Elder's Quorum)

Whhhhhhhooooooaaaa!!!! Everything happened this week!

Friday night we got a call from Elder Zanuttini, one of the assistants to the mission president. Elder Gerson talked to him for a minute, then handed the phone to me. He said I was transferred to Uberlandia, Area Tibery 2, and that I would be training a missionary right out of the MTC! Whoa!! I haven’t even finished my training yet! I’ll pack my bags today, finish my own training Tuesday, and on Wednesday, hop on a bus to Uberlandia and start training an elder who’s only 3 months younger than me within the mission. Crazy! I’m really excited and a little nervous haha since I pretty much just got here too, but I’ll do my best and rely on the help of the Lord! It will be a great experience.

It’s triste leaving Jordim Curitiba after two great transfers here. The ward members, the people we’re teaching, and the area have all been awesome, and it’ll be weird to serve in another area because this area is all I’ve known of the field so far! This last transfer was tough, lots of hard work with few results, and I feel like we’ve reached the point where baptisms will start happening—and I’m transferred out haha. But you have to plant before you can harvest and I’m grateful I was able to plant a lot while I was here. Really, I didn’t want to leave the area because the work was picking up. As soon as I heard I was transferred, however, I was instantly excited and ready to go!

This Sunday probably could not have been a better last day of church in the area. We had three families there, and some members brought friends—12 people in all! A great blessing after only 2 last week. President Kuceki says to leave you area better than you found it. I worked hard, and I think I accomplished that. These last 12 weeks have been a great training!

I’ve really been trying to improve my teaching. I want to teach by the Spirit with power and authority so people can know and feel the truthfulness of our message. With the Lord’s help, I have already become a way better teacher, or, rather, a better instrument in the Lord’s hands. Our lesson with Gustavo, a 15 year old 7^th Day Adventist, was a good example. After 15 minutes of him reading verses out of the Bible trying to prove why Saturday should be the Sabbath, I said “We’re going to put our scriptures down and talk about the real reason we’re here” (Translated and paraphrased). Then I talked about the three main parts of why we were there--to teach that 1. Jesus is the Christ, 2. He restored His church through the prophet Joseph Smith, and 3. How we can know of a surety because of The Book of Mormon. It took a while to get him to realize that he wanted to know whether or not the church was true; that if it was (it is) what a difference it would make in his life and that through The Book of Mormon, which is either true or false (it’s true), he will know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ, but when he finally realized that, it was powerful. The spirit was so strong! He asked us how we gained our testimonies of the church, and Elder Gerson and I explained and bore our testimonies. Wow. After that, I asked him how he felt. He said “touched, by the things you guys have said.” He accepted a baptismal date. I believe it was the most spiritual, powerful lesson of my mission so far. I’m so grateful to be a tool in the hands of God—there’s nothing greater! This work is the best!

Why do we keep getting robbed man? Friday night we were walking back to our apartment from Tremedao, one of the most dangerous bairros in likely the most dangerous region of Goiania, the noroeste (our area is right inside and takes up most of this region J )., and two guys pulled up on a motorcycle. The back guy hopped off, knocked the phone out of Elder Gerson’s hand, grabbed his bag, patted us down, grabbed out of my shirt pocket my planner, Portuguese verb card, and MY NAMETAG, jumped back on the motorcycle, and took off. What the heck. Walking home, we saw them pass by again without our stuff. Early the next morning, we looked for our stuff, and I found my name tag and verb card in a nearby road! I’m really grateful my bag wasn’t taken and that I was able to find a few of my things that next morning. Don’t get robbed, but if you do, be grateful! I’m glad Uberlandia is a safer, calmer city.

Also this week, we got stuck in the rain! We were walking one day and it started pouring. We took shelter under a couple different overhanging roofs, but even the best one wasn’t much help as the wind drove the rain right into us haha. WE got pounded and drenched! Fun stuff!

Tambem esta semana, we enjoyed P-Day with half the zone at the zone leaders’ apartment in Trindade. We had a churrasco (barbeque) and visited the Basilica, a huge Catholic Church there on top of a huge hill. It was pretty cool! I got my haircut, there as well, which was much needed! I like the city of Trindade. It’s much cleaner, more open, and newer than Goiania. Good P-Day!

I hope you all are doing great! Don’t get too worried about me here, as we have the Lord’s protection and nothing too terrible will happen. I hit the 4 month mark yesterday! Time flies!

Elder Anderson