Caucaia Week 3

Hey! Well another week has gone by here in Caucaia. It was another busy week as we had Zone Conference and a Church Building Open House in Fortaleza two different days during the week. I also did four divisions this week. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday I spent with our two District Leaders which was good to train them a little bit and help them with their work. But it made it for a strange week and I barely spent any time in my area doing normal missionary work.

Tuesday I spent in a nearby city called Icaraí with Elder Ricks. The church has a small group there and it was fun to spend the day there working with him.

Wednesday we had Zone Conference in Bom Jardim, Fortaleza. It was awesome! We rented a huge van with 18 missionaries and we all went there together. As always it is great to receive instruction from President and Sister Bonini and a training from the Assistants. President Bonini gave an awesome training about the Atonement of Jesus Christ! Very powerful and really helped me remember why I am here. It helped me renew my desire to preach the Gospel to everyone! As always at Zone Conferences it was awesome to see so many missionaries that I haven´t seen in so long. I will send a few photos of me with some of my best friends on the mission.

Friday I spent the day with Elder Toffoletto. We spent the day in his area and in my area visiting the people we teach. It was very good and a super fun day!

Saturday, Elder Toffoletto and I went to Fortaleza to particpate in a Church Building Open House that was put on by the Fortaleza Stake. It was awesome! We had over 450 people there, members and visitors. There was an awesome missionary choir and I helped out with the tech part of things (computer, videos, and lights). It was awesome. It was something that the missionary couple, Elder and Sister Evans, planned and organized and it was great to help them out and feel the Spirit so strongly throughout the meeting. It was so great! It was also so good to see so many people from the Aldeota Ward.

Yesterday was good because we had church. Unfortunately many of the people we had to visit church with us didn´t come. And two families that we have been teaching and two other people all did not progress these week. It was hard because many of these people were so excited about church and baptism and now each one seems to have major difficulties. But it´s okay, because that is what we are here for and I know that these weeks we will be working like crazy to help these people out. It´s often hard as a missionary but this week I was reading in the Book of Mormon about a few missionaries that had many difficulties and challenges, too, but the Lord comforted them and they were able to bring many souls to repentance and to the Savior, Jesus Christ. I have definitely felt the Lord´s comfort this week and I am excited for another week to start!

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers.

Until next week.

Love,

Elder Helvey

I spent the day with Elder Ricks and before we left to teach we set some things up 

in the new house in Icaraí. It was a good time!

Elder Toffoletto and I with the van that we all took to the Zone Conference in the back.

My good friend and old companion, Elder Muniz, who will be ending his mission in 10 days.

Elder Shelton, my companion in the MTC. It had been a very long time since I had seen him 

so it was good to catch up.

ELDER ZWICK! Enough said.

ZONA PLANALTO!

Elder Toffoletto and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity we had to be in Fortaleza 

and eat at Subway! Dang, it was good!

It was so fun to see so many people from the Aldeota Ward, including Bishop and his wife. 

One of the nicest couples and families I have ever met.

I was sad to see Elder Larkin go home this week.  He's like a brother to me.