Elder Helvey: Parque das Nações Week 10

Another awesome week! This week we had a TON of success in our area and we are really getting excited. We have loved using the "Ele é O Presente" (or "He is the Gift") pass-along cards and sharing the message about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We have had a lot of success with the people we are teaching and we are expecting a ton of people at church next week for the special Christmas Sacrament Meeting. It is going to be awesome!

We are excited for the baptism of Beninha this Sunday afternoon too. The way we found her was actually a really cool story. It was about a month ago and we Elder Moroni and I had a goal that day to do 10 contacts. It was a Saturday night and we had about 30 minutes before we had to go back to our house. We remembered that we had absolutely nothing in our house to eat for that night or the next day but also we had only done 9 contacts. We decided to go to the grocery store but while we were there we had to do our last contact of the day. We talked with Beninha who works at the grocery store and set an appointment to teach her the next day. It was awesome and really shows that setting goals and reaching them is when the Lord will make miracles happen.

We are teaching many other people and a few awesome families so I am happy and feel like the Lord is really helping us out a lot to find the people that are ready and needing the Gospel.

Now for the last story of this week: There we were playing basketball early this morning for exercises at an outdoor basketball court in our area. We were with 3 members of the church and we played a few games. At the end of our last game I had the ball on the fast-break and decided to re-live the moments from my high school days and dunk it. Needless to say that was a bad idea. Not only did I two hand dunk it for the win but I also brought the rim and the entire wooden backboard down with me. I received a "graceful" blow to the head and was in immediate need of medical attention. Don´t worry, I received it. The wonderful people of Brazil quickly came to my aid and a nearby neighbor gave us a ride to the Hospital. It´s a long story that I will have to save for another day but 4 hospitals later and a lot of money spent on taxis I received 3 stitches in my head by a very good surgeon who happened to speak English. I will sent a few pictures! After I went to the Mission Office where I received a much needed Priesthood Blessing from my companion and President Evans (1st Counselor in the Mission Presidency and my VERY good friend). No need to worry I do not have any symptoms of a concussion and I will have the stiches in for about a week. It was quite a day and quite an adventure but I am really so grateful for these wonderful Brazilian people that were so happy and so willing to help. We did a contact with the lady that gave us a ride to the airport and plan to visit her this week!

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve here in Fortaleza and represent my Savior, Jesus Christ, especially during this wonderful time of the year.

Until next week.

Love,

Elder Helvey