CAIXAS

Hey people

Well i finally peaced out from Passo Fundo. And oh how i miss it.. I was in heaven.
Isn´t it funny how we think we have it bad but then realize how good we really had it...?

Now i am in Caxias do Sul! It´s rad. My companion´s name is Elder Gruchka, he´s Russian! Radder!

Anyone who is reading this probably knows me pretty well, and knows that i usually just tell things like they are. That hasn´t changed. This week sucked. It was the hardest week of my mission and first the first time in 9 months i TRULY felt depressed, discourages, and disanimated. I arrived in my area, which I pretty much felt was a cast off of what for 3 years missionaries didn´t want to take care off. Its clear out there from Center where i live, i have to take a 30 minute bus just to get there. And for this reason people have literally never even HEARD of the church. This is such a different experience for me. I´ve never seen such a heavily influenced catholic society. This city is super low surrounded by a big valley, and sitting way on top almost like a big rameumpton is the great whore of all the earth- A giant Catholic Church.

Long story short i worked my butt off. I did all day all week what every missionary hates doing. Kocking doors. What else can i do? But i am going to be a living testament this transfer that not only does the Lord bless us when we work hard it IS POSSIBLE to baptize knocking doors. Its just a mindset that people have pre set that its not. I dont have an option, so im just going to do it. Through nothing but pure grit we were able to get 35 new investigators and mark 5 baptismal dates. Pow.

Just so I don´t sound egotistical I didnt do it alone. I humbly enlisted the help of my Zone leaders and a few ward members and we spent 3 hours Sunday afternoon divided in EIGHT!! I was so grateful for the willingness of this ward to help me. This ward is on fire to grow! That something i didnt have in my last area, it was a dead feeling. Here people have this ZIP to spread the gospel. Even if we have to do it out in the middle of no where 40 minutes from the chapel!

This transfer is not going to be easy. On top of the area I am also training, and was called as Relief Society President. I mean, District leader of All Sisters. No, not joking. And i didnt even make it one week without incident. One of the Sisters called me with a dude following her, so i told her she couldnt go o that bairro anymore, and was gonna call President and see what we could do. I am now the most hated man here in Caxias. There´s a reason girls can´t baptize.

I love you all and miss you so much. But for now im just here telling people he came and that he´s gonna come again!! Pray for my success.

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Elder Alex Allred
Terra de Gaúcho Tchê

Caixa Postal 13008

91010-971 Porto Alegre-RS

Brasil