Monday, January 20, 2014

Aldeota, Brazil Week 10

Hey everyone! I had a great week. I visited the Polícia Federal with two more groups two different days and that was the last of them for this transfer so I said goodbye to everyone at the Polícia Federal until next month. I am glad to be done with visiting there for at least a few weeks. This week was busy in the office but good because a lot of missionaries came in and out everyday. Every missionary had an interview with President over the last few weeks so we have had a lot of missionaries in and out of the office but it´s been good. I like interacting with them and getting to know everyone better. And also Sister Souza brings in cake or brownies for each group of missionaries that comes each day and since we are in the office everyday we get cake and brownies everyday when a zone comes in for interviews, so that was was nice!

We had a great training this week from our Zone Leaders about how to be a happy and successful missionary. It really got me pumped up and I really enjoyed hearing what they had to say and my zone had a discussion about it too. It was nice to all be able to talk about what success is as a missionary. Happiness and success all came down to how dedicated we are as a missionary. It was great!

Since there were so many things going on in the office this week (also had some trouble with materials for the mission that I have been working on), Elder Muniz and I didn´t have a lot of time to leave the office and visit and teach people. This was definitely disappointing for us because we love going out and visiting and teaching people. But on Friday we received a big time blessing! There I was working in the office and the mission phone rings. I answer and it a less active member asking me if there are any Americans that serve in Aldeota. I said, "Yes, me." She said perfect and went on to tell me that she and her husband had just moved here from the interior (city called Itapipoca), and opened up a restaurant called Joker´s Burgers. She said that they needed me and my companion to visit them and "test" their food and to see how American it is and what they can do to make it more American. Elder Muniz and I visited them on Friday night and they gave us several plates, including chicken, shrimp, steak, and burgers to try. The food was VERY good and I gave them a few little tips on how to make it more American. Then we ended up just staying there and talking with them for quite awhile. Turns out that both of them served missions but had stopped going to church a few years back. We invited them to return on Sunday and they did! Their names are Italo and Luciane and they have a 5 year old daughter. Italo came in a suit and was very active and participated a lot in our priesthood lesson. I really like them and are very excited for them to come back and start being active members of the church again. It was a great experience and Elder Muniz and I are going to invite them to come teach with us some night this week so that will be awesome!

Saturday after lunch we spent 6 hours at the new house in Aldeota that the mission just started renting this month. Next transfer Sister missionaries are going to live there so we spent all day there getting things ready. Setting up the beds, tables, chairs, oven, microwave, etc. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun to work with my hands setting things up, fixing things, and getting it all ready for the missionaries who will live there in a few weeks. 

Also this week I got to return to my first area, Sevilha, because the mission needs another house there for new missionaries so Elder Muniz and I spent a day there walking around and looking for houses and apartments for rent. It was so awesome to be back in Ala Sevilha and I ran into some members there and it was great to see them!

Anyways, it was a great week here and things are really going well. I hope all is going well for everyone back home, too! Everyday is another opportunity to be a little bit better than you were the day before. I have been studying the talks from this past General Conference and have really loved doing that everyday. Thanks for all your love and support.

Love,
Elder Helvey

These are pictures from Joker´s Burgers. It really felt like I was in the U.S. The food was VERY good!




I got my Christmas package from my Family!!! I loved it!!! Thanks guys! 

Me working hard at fixing up the new house for the Sisters next transfer. (Note, I was not using the hammer to crack the window, just to close the window. I don´t think it had been closed in years!)


Pictures of the Mission Staff and Mission Staff with President and Sister Souza.



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