2-14-11 Happy Valentine's Day! Still in Ponte--New Comp Elder Halvorsen

2-14-11

 

YES TODAY WAS TRANSFERS. ELDER NAGASE WAS TRANSFERRED TO GARANHUNS (A DIFFERENT WARD THERE [than Jon served in before]) AND I STAYED IN PONTE. I WAS EXPECTING TO LEAVE, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT NOW I'M HERE AND I GOT A NEW COMP, ELDER HALVORSEN. HE'S FROM MURRAY UTAH. WE ARE STILL IN RECIFE FROM THE TRANSFER MEETING BUT WHEN WE FINISH HERE WE'LL RETURN TO PONTE. THE AREA
 <- Recife
IS DOING ALRIGHT. IT IS FRUSTRATING, YESTERDAY ELDER NAGASE AND I WERE REALLY DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT EVERY SUNDAY SO MANY PEOPLE TELL US THEY WILL GO TO CHURCH AND WHEN SUNDAY COMES AROUND, WE CAN EVEN GO TO THEIR HOUSES AND THERE IS STILL AN EXCUSE.

BUT ANYWAYS WE HAVE AN 8 YEAR OLD GIRL HÉLEN TO BAPTIZE THIS WEEK. SHE ALWAYS GOES TO CHURCH WITH HER AUNT, AND I WAS TALKING TO HER AT CHURCH AND FOUND OUT THAT SHE IS NOT BAPTIZED AND WANTS TO BE. HER PARENTS ARE NOT MEMBERS, BUT THEY SUPPORT HER BEING BAPTIZED, WE'LL TRY TEACHING THEM. BUT YEAH SHE WILL BE BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY. SHE IS MARINALDO'S NIECE. MARINALDO WENT TO CHURCH TOO (LIKE ALWAYS) BUT STILL NOT REALLY ANY PROGRESS. 

WE ARE TEACHING AN 18 YEAR OLD GUY, VALDESIO, WHO IS VERY HUMBLE AND VERY RECEPTIVE TO THE MESSAGE, AND ALREADY WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED. BUT WE WENT BY HIS HOUSE SUNDAY MORNING  AND HE WAS NOT HOME. AND WE ARE STILL TRYING TO TEACH DEBORA, WE FOUND OUT THAT SHE TOLD HER FRIEND, A LESS ACTIVE GIRL THAT WE ARE HELPING REACTIVATE, THAT SHE REALLY WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED, BUT THAT HER BOYFRIEND DOESN'T WANT HER TO...

IF YOU PRAY FOR ONE THING IN THIS AREA, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO ASK GOD TO HELP OUR INVESTIGATORS OVERCOME SIMPLE LITTLE OBSTACLES THAT ARE KEEPING THEM FROM MAKING THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION YET IN THEIR LIVES.

[Jon used to play the French horn, and I mentioned it in my letter] NOBODY HERE KNOWS THE NAME OF THE FRENCH HORN. IVE ASKED A LOT OF PEOPLE AND DESCRIBED IT AND ITS ALWAYS "OH YEAH IVE SEEN THAT BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT ITS CALLED." YEAH IT IS NICE TO HAVE A GUITAR, AND APPARENTLY MY NEW COMP HAS ONE TOO, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A JAM SESSION TODAY.

NEXT WEEK I WILL GO [to the Recife temple]

LOVE YOU GUYS TOO AND THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS, LETTERS, AND STUFF. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO THE FAM AS WELL!HAVE A GREAT WEEK

LOVE

ELDER HOOKE