7-25-11 Transfers! Going back to San Martin as a trainer

7-25-11

[Lori wrote] I'm glad that the gospel is making a difference in Eliete's life--it's a wonderful thing to see when that happens, isn't it? YES I LOVE HER AND HER FAMILY. I SERIOUSLY AM GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK TO VISIT THESE PEOPLE AFTER MY MISSION! (OH YEAH AND IF SOMEONE OF YOU WANTS TO COME PICK ME UP FROM MY MISSION NEXT MAY, SEJA BEM VINDO).

SO ON FRIDAY WE HAD AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE WITH HER THAT I DON’T HAVE TIME TO WRITE ABOUT, BUT BASICALLY SHE WAS EXTREMELY DISTRESSED AND CALLED US. WE WENT OVER AND TALKED ABOUT SOME STUFF AND BY THE TIME WE LEFT SHE WAS GENUINELY HAPPY. SHE TOLD US THAT SHE IS SURE THAT WE ARE REALLY REPRESENTATIVES OF JESUS CHRIST. AS I TOLD ELIETE, I THINK THAT HELPING HER HAS HELPED MY FAITH A LOT TOO. SHE IS SUCH A SINCERE AND JUST PURE HEARTED WOMAN. SATURDAY WAS THE BAPTISM OF ELIETE (36ISH), TIAGO (HER 12 YEAR OLD SON) AND IEO (HER 9 YEAR OLD SON), WHICH WENT GREAT! SHE INVITED A BUNCH OF FRIENDS TOO, AND SEVERAL OF THEM WENT AND LIKED IT. THEN SUNDAY MORNING SHE GOT TO CHURCH AND BROUGHT ALL THE SAME FRIENDS! MANY BAPTISMS ARE COMING THROUGH REFERENCES OF ELIETE. ONE OF THEM IS AN EX MINISTER THAT WE TAUGHT DURING LAST WEEK, WHO WENT TO CHURCH AND AFTERWARDS WE WENT OVER AND HE ACCEPTED BAPTISM. HE WILL BE A BISHOP IN 5 YEARS, MARK MY WORDS.

NOW THE TERRIBLE NEWS, I WAS TRANSFERRED. I’M LEAVING CAMARAGIBE, WHICH MUST BE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AREA IN THE MISSION RIGHT NOW, AND AM GOING BACK TO SAN MARTIN TO RE-OPEN THE AREA WITH ANOTHER NEW ELDER STRAIGHT FROM THE MTC, DON'T KNOW WHO YET. I WAS REALLY SAD TO BE TRANSFERRED.

TONIGHT I GET TO GO TO A FAMILY NIGHT WITH ELIETE, THE FAMILY OF THE EX MINISTER GUY (MARCELO) AND FAMILY, AND CHEILA. BUT TOMORROW I WILL ALREADY LEAVE TO SAN MARTIN. [That's definitely Portuguese language construction coming through!!] ELDER BRADLEY WAS TRANSFERRED TOO, AND JOHNSON JUST STAYED WITH A BRAZILIAN ELDER THAT I HAVE ALREADY LIVED WITH.  BUT I ASKED PRESIDENT IF I COULD RETURN ON SATURDAY, AND HE LET ME BECAUSE JULIANA WANTS ME TO BAPTIZE HER. AND BRADLEY WILL RETURN TOO BECAUSE HE IS GOING TO PLAY THE PIANO FOR THE ENTRANCE OF THE NOIVO AND NOIVA [Groom & Bride]. SHOULD BE A GREAT WEDDING, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF PLANNING IT WITH THEM YESTERDAY WHEN I RECEIVED THE CALL THAT I WILL BE TRANSFERRED. IT WAS HARD NOT TO CRY OR GET MAD.

JULIANA WILL BE BAPTIZED WITH HER CUNHADA [sister in law] YOLANDA, BUT WE (WELL, ELDER JOHNSON) WILL HAVE TO KEEP WORKING WITH MARIANO. THEY ALL WENT TO CHURCH YESTERDAY. DUDE EVERYONE WENT TO CHURCH YESTERDAY. WE HAD 4 FAMILIES IN THE CHAPEL. I AM USUALLY LUCKY IN MY MISSION TO HAVE 4 PEOPLE IN THE CHAPEL. AND NOW I HAVE TO LEAVE. UHG

DON’T HAVE TOO MUCH TIME [to talk about a typical day], AND THE TYPICAL DAY WILL BE CHANGING NOW, AS I START IN A NEW AREA. I HEARD THERE IS A LADY THERE WHO WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED, SO THAT IS GOOD. AND I WILL SEND PICTURES FROM THE WEDDING NEXT WEEK TOO!!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK, LOVE YOU TOO

BYE

7-18-11 Baptisms coming! [Photo of Mission Reunion w President Lanius, Elder Mazzagardi]

Photo from Mission Reunion with President and Sister Lanius (left) and Elder and Sister Mazzagardi(right)

 (Can you find Jon?  Try, then scroll to the bottom of this blog :)

HELLO FAMILY! WE HAD ANOTHER GOOD WEEK HERE IN CAMARAGIBE. WE HAVE A FEW NEW INVESTIGATORS THAT SEEM TO HAVE POTENTIAL, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE I'VE TOLD YOU ABOUT. ELIETE, THE LADY IN THE PHOTO WITH ME AND BRADLEY AND CHEILA, IS AWESOME! I FEEL LIKE WE ARE ACTUALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN HER LIFE. SHE HAS THANKED US SINCERELY MANY TIMES AND LITERALLY IS A DIFFERENT PERSON SINCE WHEN I MET HER BACK WITH WAGNER, MUCH HAPPIER THAN BEFORE, WHO ACTUALLY HAS HOPE IN LIFE NOW. SHE MOVED HERE IN DECEMBER FROM SÃO PAULO WITH HER TWO KIDS TIAGO 12 AND LEO 9. THIS SATURDAY NIGHT WE WILL BAPTIZE HER AND HER 2 SONS, WHO ARE GREAT GUYS AS WELL. THEY LOVE US, THE GOSPEL WE TEACH, AND THE PEOPLE THEY'VE MET AT CHURCH.

WE ALSO SPENT ABOUT HALF HOUR TODAY MAKING JULIANA AND MARIANO'S WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT! WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT THAT I WOULD TAKE SOMEONE'S WEDDING PICTURE ON MY CAMERA, AND TOGETHER WITH MY COMPS, MAKE A WEDDING INVITE AND COMPLETELY PLAN EVERYTHING? IT'S GONNA BE GREAT, AND EVERY LITTLE THING WE DO (LIKE THE INVITES) MEANS A TON TO HER, BECAUSE SHE NEVER EXPECTED TO EVEN BE ABLE TO GET MARRIED. SHE IS EXCITED TO GET BAPTIZED AFTER THE WEDDING ON THE 30TH TOGETHER WITH HER 10 YEAR OLD SISTER IN LAW YOLANDA WHO HAS ALSO BEEN GOING TO CHURCH AND WHO WE HAVE BEEN TEACHING.  

TO CATH-
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
TO LIB-
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I THOUGHT THAT LITTLE PERSONALIZATION WOULD ADD A NICE TOUCH. 

[Chris & Cath & Em spent 3 days in Yosemite this past week] I WANT TO GO TO YOSEMITE! CATH OR EM WILL HAVE TO SEND ME AN ACCOUNT OF THE TRIP! DAD ALREADY DID BRIEFLY AND IT SOUNDS AWESOME!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HAVE A GREAT WEEK. AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE BABY [Lib's & Chris'--due this week--our first grandchild and Jon's first niece--a girl!] AND THE LIKE. YOU'LL SEND PICTURES, RIGHT??

LOVE
ELDER HOOKE 
(Jon is in the very back row, 6th from the left)

7-11-11 Doing Great! [PHOTOS]

THIS LAST WEEK WENT WELL, AS THEY ARE ACCUSTOMING TO DO THESE DAYS. PRES LANIUS SEEMS LIKE A GOOD GUY, I STILL HAVEN'T PERSONALLY TALKED TO HIM BUT WE'LL INTERVIEW ON THURSDAY. AND YEP I'M STILL IN THE TRIO, AND STILL IN CAMARAGIBE. HOPEFULLY I CAN STAY HERE A LONG TIME.

[ME AND ELDER BRADLEY WITH GREICE, THE LITTLE GIRL I BAPTIZED AWHILE BACK. I'M GONNA WATCH HER GIVE A TALK IN PRIMARY THIS NEXT SUNDAY.]
 

NIDA WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HER BAPTISM, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH HOW EVERYTHING'S GOING WITH HER AND THE FAM OF HER B/F.

THE MEETING WITH JULIANA AND HER "HUSBAND" WENT REALLY WELL. SHE IS COMPLETELY WILLING TO LIVE THE COMMANDMENTS, STOPPED DRINKING COFFEE, TALKED TO HER HUSBAND ABOUT MARRIAGE AND HE'S DOWN WITH IT. SO WE TOOK THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND IDS AND STUFF TO THE OFFICE YESTERDAY IN RECIFE AND THEY WILL BE PROCESSED DURING THE NEXT 2-3 WEEKS, AND THE WEDDING AND HER BAPTISM WILL BE EITHER THE LAST WEEKEND OF JULY OR THE FIRST OF AUGUST.

THERE IS ANOTHER FAMILY THAT WE ARE TEACHING THAT ALSO LIVES IN THE SAME BAIRRO [area], REALLY FAR AWAY, SAME AS JULIANA, FLAVIO, CHEILA, LINDALVA, AND OTHERS. THIS LADY, ELIETE, JUST MOVED RECENTLY FROM SÃO PAULO AND SHE IS NOW ACCEPTING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER WITH HER 2 SONS LEO AND TIAGO. CHEILA (MEMBER) IS AWESOME, SHE GOES OVER THERE TO TEACH THE FAMILY EVERY OTHER DAY WITH US. THEY WENT TO CHURCH YESTERDAY, AND WE MARKED A BAPTISMAL DATE FOR THE 3 OF THEM FOR JULY 23RD. SHE'S EVEN GIVING US LUNCH TOMORROW! THEY'RE AWESOME.

                      [Elder Bradley, Cheila, Eliete, Elder Hooke]

OH YEAH I FORGOT TO TELL YOU LAST WEEK THAT MAN HAD NAMED THE CAT "BISCOITO", OR COOKIE. WE ONLY SAW HIM ONCE DURING LAST WEEK AND WE COULDN'T GET A HOLD OF HIM BEFORE CHURCH SUNDAY, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO BY TONIGHT.

WE HAD HOT DOGS FOR THE 4TH OF JULY. THEY DO EAT HAMBURGERS AND HOT DOGS HERE BUT THEY PUT WEIRD THINGS ON THEM, LIKE PEAS AND CORN, AND STUFF. HERE'S OUR AMERICA PRIDE PICTURE--

   [Gedalva, Elder Bradley, Elder Hooke, Elder Johnson]

WE WENT ON A FAIRLY UNEVENTFUL HIKE THROUGH THE JUNGLE THIS MORNING WITH SOME MEMBERS AND INVESTIGATORS. WE ONLY SAW ONE LOUSY MONKEY, BUT IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE TALKING TO THE PEOPLE AND STUFF. I WAS HOPING TO CATCH A  PYTHON OR SOMETHING, I EVEN BROUGHT A PILLOW CASE JUST IN CASE. BUT WHATEVER. IT WAS NICE.

LOVE YOU TOO,

ELDER HOOKE