Estamos acabando de novo... Sério?

Helloooooooooooooooo

Hi. We are at the last week of transfers again. That is weird. Sometimes life on the mish flies, other times it feels like it goes forever.. Weird. But thank you to all of you for the constant support. I often wonder how often i feel a prayer of one of you, for example when im having a bad day, and then just instantly feel lifted up. I know that prayer works. I had a great experience with prayer this week. We met maybe the most interesting man ive ever met on my mission. His name is Leo, speaks incredible english, and is rich (for here) because he is a freelance accent expert. He helps all the bigshots that come here and cant speak. He is an ex missionary AP that is completely inactive. And unfortunately for me, kind of a missionaries worst nightmare. One of those guys that is completely ignorant, but speaks fancy words... almost enough to convince you. I´m not going to say he SHOOK me, but he said some things i was really having a tough time getting out of my head. So when we returned that night, i asked Elder Lynn to give me a quick blessing, i also prayed. Needless to say i have NO doubt WHERE i will be in 10 years... And someday this week im going to go back and Tell old Leo exactly that.

On to better things. I think i had the greatest visit ever on Wednesday. But it started the visit before. We visited Alex, and his brother is a HARD CORE gaúcho. Dances, wears the get-up, the whole shindig. So i start telling him how i want to bring back bombachas and such, and he goes and gets me a lenço! (see below, red tie thingy) and gives it to me! I´m like serio, for me?? So i leave pretty excited and go to my boy Luis. (new Luis) And im showing off my new lenço to him, telling him now i just need to buy bombachas! Turns out Luis used to dance as well, dude goes back to his room grabs me SICK bombachas, (see below again) ANOTHER lenço, and a gyuacka!! (the belt) I almost cried with excitement. It was extra funny as well, because Lynn is always joking he has a man crush on me, but Luis goes man Lynn im feeling bad now, you need a present too! Ive got something for you, and you´ll use it WAY more... He comes back with a tie!! I tried really hard not to laugh. BUUUT even after my expensive gifts, my boy Luis had a great lesson. We left a pamphlet (word of wisdom) with his son the last time, and he nearly broke into tears. He told us how this neighborhood is FULL of drugs and crime, and he has been praying for an answer on what to do. He received the pamphlet, and he read that parents need to help their children avoid these things. He had been thinking about moving, and that is exactly what he is going to do. He is still reading the book of mormon, and promised to come to church. Love that guy.

Other than that not a whole lot happened. I walked into a lot of really broken homes this week. I am always telling Lynn there are just a few houses that i know i am going to walk out of a little bit sadder than when i walked in. People here will literally SCREAM at each other in front of us. Hit their children, talk about leaving the other. Its extremely hard. We also had to listen to a lot of the blame game this week.. For some reason people here LOVE to hate bishops, other ward members, or themselves. It makes a great excuse for going inactive. I sometimes have a really hard time keeping my cool when people tell me they wont get married or wont come to church because the bishop/1st counselor isnt worthy. Its a joke. But we have to keep the spirit with us. I am glad for parents and the knowledge that I AM RESPONSIBLE for my salvation, not the bishop, not the neighbor, ME. It doesn't matter what he does.. it only matters what i do.

We also had good things happen though. We had what looked like a disaster of an activity (started 2 hours late, normal in Brasil) but then turned into a success, because one person was touched, and told us she wants to be baptized. Her name is Barbara. I also had one of my favorite little girls (her name is Giulia) ask me if i would baptize her next week when she turns 8. Her parents aren´t members. I am very excited for that. We also had our first english class!! Teaching english is MUCH more difficult than it sounds... People want reasons WHY, not HOW to say it. Yikes.

Anyways, it was a pretty good week. I did take an absolute knife to the heart last night though. Jack, dad of one of our favorite fams.. Told us that he loves our visits, agrees with everything we say, and feels the spririt, yet HATED the church. Said it wasnt what he expected, and that he felt cold. I yanked out the knife quick and tried to recover, i asked him if he had read and prayed yet. he admitted that he had not. i told him not to worry about church YET, read. pray. Recieve an answer, and then try the church one more time. he agreed to do so. So please pray for him and his family. Douglas moved out with his girlfriend this week, that makes things much harder. They need help. But i love you all, and i love this gospel. Have an ÓTIMA SEMANA.

--

Elder Alex Allred

Caixa Postal 13008

91010-971 Porto Alegre-RS

Brasil

Hello

Hello people. It was a long week.. not sure why. But oh well, it happens. I hope everyone had a great time at the super bowl.. But not too great a time, because it couldn´t have been the same without me. I did miss Dad making remarks under his breath during the halftime show though... About how the boys look like girls, and the girls don't wear enough clothes...

This week was pretty good. I felt like we really made some progress with Michael. It actually was an entire discussion about the law of chastity.. And how we can keep it. But believe it or not, it really helped. He admitted at the end, you know i think if i would have been told this at 16, i can see myself having served a mission. Too bad his ridiculously intelligent mind has clouded that now, still wont accept a baptism date.

We spent a lot of time this week cleaning up lose ends. We are really trying to do better at cutting people that aren´t progressing, and finding new people that are willing to change their life and come closer to our savior. This unfortunately meant a few unpleasant visits.. Including the most frustrating of my entire mission, with a man that WILL NOT SHUT UP about faith.. I'm sure you ex-missionaries know the guy i am talking about. The guy that will literally agree with everything you say, nod his head about the Restoration... And then ignore everything i said and say Yeah, we have to have faith! I almost killed him when i re-explained the restoration, then listened to him teach ME for 5 minutes, tell me about what a saint he is, and then say, that's why no man has ever seen God!! Its like talking to a brick wall...

But we had good things happen this week. We finally got my AWESOME family Jack, Silvanna, and Douglas to church!! It was awesome.. What was not so awesome, Alex and Giselle didn't show up again. Still not confirmed.. I almost cried. We now have 7 people with baptism dates marked. Two this week- And old Lady named Iracema, who will talk for an hour straight if you don't cut her off.. And a 16 year old named Maicon. They are both sweet. We are really working our butts off. Hopefully we will see the fruits of our labors.

We had zone conference yesterday, and it was really good. President gave me a lot to think about. On Saturday we received the fun call that President and Sister were coming to OUR house to do interviews... Yikes. We spent a good 3 hours cleaning, and still got brutally chastised.. Interviews went well though.

Others things... Our cockroach infestation is SO bad we have received permission to go to some experts. I literally almost threw up when i went into my bathroom at 4 in the morning and saw probably 10. There is cockroach poop EVERYWHERE when we wake up in the morning. My 2nd favorite person in my ward will leave for his mission this week. It is sad, i will miss him. We went to his chá missionario (come give me stuff) last week, it was fun.

To finish, Yesterday night we were waiting for a bus to go home at about 840. I was in a corner DYING. I had to use the bathroom SO bad, i was in SO much pain. Unfortunately Brasil is not like the good old U.s. where you can just run into a gas station and use the bathroom.. I wish. But seriously, i was hurtin, bad. I tell you this not to emphasize how many times a day this happens to me, or that i´m in Brasil, but to tell you that prayer works. I started praying, just H.F, I´m hurtin. PLEASE send me an onibus... or help me out. Im REALLY dyin. No less than 30 seconds later i seriously felt like i could run a mile. 2 minutes later a bus comes around the corner. Isn´t it funny the little things in life that grow our faith...?

I love you all. Sorry this was long. I ramble... Have an awesome week. Missionary work rocks.

--

Elder Alex Allred

BYU Trunkyness

Oi Mother/Gente

Man. Reading all you guys rave about BYU/Jimmer mania almost makes me feel like i am right there. I love those newspaper clips. They make me feel like i kind of know whats going on. That's so dang cool though.

Honestly it wasnt all the eventful of a week... We didnt have a whole lot going on, we had a real kick in the stomach Sunday when we again had ZERO investigators show up to church. We are trying everything. Showing up to pick them up, calling the night before, making them PROMISE they will go. Thats what sucks most, when they repeatedly tell us yeah yeah of course ill go, SURE ill go. I wont miss it for the world. Again and again.

My venting for the week is this. I dont know HOW I CAN SPEAK ANY MORE PLAINLY. Seriously I am thinking about starting to speak entirely in parables, because for some reason people are not getting it when i say ´this is the ONLY true church, it is NOT just another church´Were having major problems with authority. People arent getting it. It never ceases to amaze me when i can tell you for 10 min about why we are the only church with authority, and then you tell me, yeah go figure, i was telling my husband we should go to your church, you guys are basically the same as his right?? Or better, finish the plan of salvation, and hear, so what do you guys believe about reincarnation... Shoot me. So yeah, apparently it doesnt work to speak simply, i am going to start speaking in parables, see if that works.

No enough of me whining really things are pretty good. We have a lot of people that are close to baptismal dates, just need to go to church... We had a great visit with Jack and Douglas last night, and then they walked us home, and Douglas was asking me, so do you think i could serve a mission..? Chique. Unfortunately he also told me he has a 32 year old girlfriend (he is 19) and has already been married once to a 28 year old with 2 kids... Not so chique.

But yeah, other than that life is good. I FINALLY got my x-mas packages and loved going trough that. Also got a package from the Lewis´s and spent all that day wondering WHY me and my best friend had so many matching outfits.. Pois é. I thought i had died and gone to heaven when i put on my new pants. I love wearing pants that dont HURT. I am so fat. But i love you all and i hope you know i love you, and this gospel. This truly is the work of the lord, i feel his hand in it every day, our savior lives. Até logo.