Parque das Nações, Brasil Week 2

Hey everyone! This week was really good and I really love this new area and zone already. We did two days of companionship exchanges so that kind of made it for a long and tiring week but also a great week! We had a great Family Home Evening at the house of one of the families we are teaching. Edna and her daughter (9 years-old) had us over and a few other members including the Bishop and his wife. It was so great and really provided a great time for the members to get to know them better and we had a great lesson on the life of Jesus Christ where we watched the church´s Finding Faith in Christ DVD. We also had some great cake and soda afterwards which is always good.

Elder Goff and I started traveling around the Zone this week to give a training to all the missionaries about how to plan better and how to really help people understand and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We gave it to one district this week and now have 3 more districts. It is always great to be with the missionaries and understand their needs and help them improve. I am learning so much everyday it´s crazy!

I left my area and went on a companionship exchange on Wednesday with Elder Bishop from Kansas. He was also in Zona Litoral with me so I already knew him pretty well. It was a great day and we had quite a bit success and found and awesome mom and three kids that really seemed excited when we taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel. That night I also did a baptismal interview of someone that had been coming to church for 5 years and had finally decided to be baptized. It was awesome!

Elder Goff and I had a lot of success in our area this week. We continued teaching many of the same people but also found 3 more families! It was great and we are super pumped!! Many of the people we are teaching came to church this week so that always makes the week even better.

On Friday, I left my area again and did another companionship exchange with Elder L. Lopes from João Pessoa, Brasil. I had talked to him a few times throughout my mission but it was good to be able to spend a day with him and see how he works. He teaches very well and I learned a lot from him. They have been having some difficulties in their area and we were able to talk about them and create ways to resolve them. It was a great day!

Last week a few of the people we are teaching had some difficulties coming to church and many of them have already been taught almost everything we teach as missionaries. So this week we decided to just visit and read a chapter or two from The Book of Mormon with many of the people we are visiting. We truly felt the power that The Book of Mormon has and can really see the difference it makes in people´s lives when they read it and understand it. As I continue to use The Book of Mormon more and more in my mission I know I will continue to see the miracles happen.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission here in Fortaleza, Brazil! I truly love it here and love these people. Things continue to go well for me and I am happy and excited for what the rest of my mission holds. I was talking with Elder Goff who is ending his mission in less than 4 weeks and we have had some great discussions about the mission experience and how it has changed our lives.

Thank you for all those that continue to write me and pray for me. I feel blessed to have so much support. I hope all continues to go well for each one of you.

Until next week.

Love,

Elder Helvey

Elder Goff and I went and visited a less active, Ismael, and he showed 

us around the property that his family owns. It was awesome!

 There were a ton of tress with a lot of different fruit on them and a river running 

throughout where he went fishing. We cut down some coconuts for us and 

we drank them right there. After he made benches out in the middle of all the trees 

and right next to the river and we all sat down and read parts of the Bible 

and The Book of Mormon together. It was such an awesome experience!

Elder Goff and I planning and doing our Weekly Progress Report 

for the meeting we had with Bishop.

Elder and Sister Evans invited us over for lunch today at their apartment 

in Aldeota because Elder Goff and I have to go to Aldeota every week 

to pick up materials for our Zone. It was the BEST lunch ever!

 Sister Evans made Cafe Rio salad with that salad dressing. 

It was soooo good! We ate with them and the Mission Secretaries.