6-20-11 AWESOME WEEK! Elder Rédua / Baptism of Joermeson, confirmation of Flavio, attack of the children :) [photos]

6-20-11

Jon's transfer meeting June 14, 2011

Trace the two gold stripes on the right side down--that's Jon's head in the back between the stripes!! :)

 THIS WEEK HAS BEEN AWESOME. MY NEW COMP, ELDER RÉDUA, FROM MATO GROSSO DO SUL, IS VERY FULL OF THE MTC EXCITEMENT AND AS TOM PUT IT, DOESN'T HAVE ANY APOSTATE PRECONCEPTS. WE ARE WORKING HARD TOGETHER, HAVING COMP STUDIES EVERY DAY (FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS) AND WE ARE ALSO HAVING SUCCESS.
 

WE WERE ABLE TO BAPTIZE JOERMESON YESTERDAY. HE ASKED ME TO BAPTIZE HIM, AND HIS LESS ACTIVE MOM WENT. IT WAS A NICE, SHORT, SPIRITUAL MEETING, AND MANY LEADERS FROM THE WARD WERE THERE TO SUPPORT HIM. HE'S A GREAT KID, I FEEL BAD FOR HIM THOUGH BECAUSE RIGHT NOW HE IS LIVING WITH SOMEONE WHO MAKES HIM FEEL LIKE HE IS THE DEVIL. EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID TO HIM REMINDS ME OF THAT LESSON YOU GAVE IN RELIEF SOCIETY AND YOU TALKED ABOUT POSITIVE DISCIPLINING YOUR CHILDREN. BUT IT REMINDS ME OF THAT LESSON BECAUSE THE PERSON FAILS. WHEN WE REVIEWED THE BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW WITH HIM, HE AFTERWARD ASKED IF I'D EVER TAUGHT A KID AS TERRIBLE AS HIM. SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP HIM REALIZE THAT HE'S A GOOD KID, AND HE WAS VERY HAPPY AFTER THE BAPTISM AND SO WAS HIS FAM. I ALSO TALKED TO THE PERSON HE LIVES WITH AND TRIED TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO HAVE POSITIVE DISCIPLINE. BUT ANYWAYS,,,, HE GOT BAPTIZED AND EVERYTHING WORKED OUT WELL. MY COMP WAS STOKED TO BE ABLE TO BAPTIZE ON HIS FIRST SUNDAY HERE.

                                 Baptism of Joermeson, w family and Elder Rédua

ALSO IN SACRAMENT MEETING, WE CONFIRMED FLAVIO A MEMBER AND GAVE HIM THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND HE WAS AT CHURCH FULLY DRESSED UP. THE BISHOP GAVE HIM SHOES, I GAVE HIM A TIE, AND HE ALREADY HAD PANTS AND A SHIRT, SO THAT WAS COOL. NEXT WEEK HE'LL PROBABLY PASS THE SACRAMENT.

WE ARE PLANNING ON HAVING NIDA'S BAPTISM EITHER THIS WEEKEND OR THE NEXT, NOT SURE YET.

WE ARE TEACHING 2 OR 3 FAMILIES, UNFORTUNATELY NONE WENT TO CHURCH, BUT WE'LL KEEP WORKING WITH THEM.

MY COMP IS A VERY HUMBLE AND TEACHABLE GUY. HE ALREADY SERVED A TRANSFER IN HIS HOME AREA SORTA LIKE CATH DID, BUT WE ARE BOTH LEARNING A LOT TOGETHER. EVERYONE IN THE WARD IS EXCITED TO MEET HIM AND SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE TOLD HIM HOW WELCOME IN THE WARD HE IS. [I told him about a crazy mutual night we had, culminating in someone pulling the fire alarm...] HAHA THAT SOUNDS LIKE NORMAL CHURCH MEETINGS IN BRAZIL!! HAHA SERIOUSLY THAT IS HOW I FELT AT OUR DESSERT CONTEST AND THAT IS HOW IT WAS YESTERDAY AFTER THE BAPTISM. LUCKILY JOERMESON AND HIS FAMILY HAD ALREADY LEFT, BUT I GOT ATTACKED BY ABOUT 10 LITTLE KIDS AND THEY LITERALLY TACKLED ME AND I COULD NOT GET UP. MY COMP DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO SO I TOLD HIM TO GRAB MY CAMERA AND TAKE PICTURES...  IT WAS RIDICULOUS. WHEN I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE GROUND AND SPRINT AWAY, MY SHIRT WAS UNTUCKED, MY TIE WAS CROOKED AND STRANGLING ME, AND THE CONTENTS OF MY POCKETS WERE SPREAD ABOUT. OH AND MY MOUTH WAS BLEEDING. IT WAS REALLY FUNNY, SERIOUSLY, AND THE PICTURES ARE GREAT. I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT I THINK THEY HAD ALL PLANNED THIS ATTACK ON ELDER HOOKE AHEAD OF TIME.

THANKS GOODBYE LOVE ELDER HOOKE