INTER!

Hey people

We had another difficult week, but im finding more and more that as i press through these tough weeks the better weeks seem better, and i get stronger as a missionary. We´re having success, but we´re just not finding new people to teach. If i wasn´t working my butt off i would understand but I AM!! It´s okay though i´ve got a couple ideas this week and we´re going to get right back to the pavement. Our LZ`s came to our area Wednesday morning to have breakfast and then go contacting to try and help find new investigators. I was really impressed to see their dedication and sacrifice to do that. That´s what good leadership is. Selfless sacrifice. It was a great example to me.

I am studying a topic now a days that i just cant stop thinking about. It´s AWESOME. The concept of Mercy & Justice. (Yes I know i am truly my father´s son.) And for that matter the nephew of Mike and Tom Lee, and the grandson of Rex Lee. But it just BLOWS my mind the in depth analysis the Book of Mormon gives us into the very brain of our Heavenly Father. Between 2 Nephi and Alma we truly have a comprehension of HOW PERFECT our father´s plan really is for us. We could never return alone to his presence, he completely saved us from sin, yet that does NOT mean we are not accountable for every FEATHER we ruffle here on earth. How sweet this world would be if we all had that knowledge...

I taught two of the worst 1st lessons i´ve ever taught this week... The first was with an old lady who had a son baked out of his mind, who would not stop screaming the words to ITS MY LIFE!!! We didnt even make it to Joseph Smith. The other was with a mom and her 13 year old daughter. The mom was completely ignoring us and talking very loud on her cell phone, and then just decided to completely get up and leave us alone with the 13 year old girl who was actually listening.. I dont want to go to Jail here in Brasil. So i abruptly ended my lesson and gave her a book of mormon, even though she didnt understand ANY of it. I tell you this to tell you how frustrating it is as a missionary when you know you have something special, and you get excited to share it, but its ruined by the adversary, and nobody REALLY benefits from it. Satan is a punk.

Sunday was a difficult day but mostly just awesome. There is this thing called Grenal here which is when the two big soccer teams play each other (Gremio & Inter) and its basically like the super bowl. Its impossible to teach. So we went to a members house to get some water and stayed there until it ended. Smart move Al, lets wait until the celebration to try and teach. Picture 300,00 people all SCREAMING with about half of them in the streets burning things, drinking, honking, and waving flags. My comp and I just stood there for a good 10 minutes in amazement. Flash back to 3 days earlier, me arguing with a hard core gremista that they had no chance. To which he replied alright, if Gremio wins, your buying me a jersey of Gremio. And if Inter Wins I´ll buy you on. I stopped by after to rub it in. He was in the corner with his head in his hands and when he saw me told me I was never invited back into his house. I almost fell on the floor laughing and trying to hug him. I told him DON´T buy me a white 2009 Inter Jersey size J, DON´T buy it there from that store in Center. I´m pretty stoked to pick it up Monday. He´s making a churrasco for us. Pow.

But Inter winning wasn´t the only good thing about Sunday. We did actually get something done. We had a really productive meeting with all the big guns in the stake. They are trying to divide the ward. There are more than 1,400 members in this ward, about 120 that attend!! Welcome to Brasil. So this meeting was basically okay lets shove everything onto the missiionaries for now until we can figure out who these 700 people are that we dont know. But it will be good. Im picking up an updated list tonight, and im basically going to go house to house to the old members and start eliminating names. The rest, is our job. We´ll go door to door and figure out who they are and what happened to the church in their life. This list will be a great tool, I won´t knock doors this week.

I love you all. I´m working hard i hope you are too. I know that this is the restored gospel. Keep me in your prayers, your in mine.

--

Elder Alex Allred
Terra de Gaúcho Tchê

Caixa Postal 13008

91010-971 Porto Alegre-RS

Brasil