8-31-11 Heitor's baptism [PHOTO]

8-31-11

HELLO MY FAMILY, THINGS ARE GOING WELL HERE. LAST WEEK WAS REALLY TOUGH, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THE BAPTISM OF HEITOR. 

IT WENT VERY WELL, AND AFTER THE BAPTISM WE HAD AN ACTIVITY THAT ELDER ALBUQUERQUE AND I HAD ORGANIZED WHICH WAS LIKE THIS: 2 MEN FROM THE WARD GAVE PRESENTATIONS ON THE LIFE OF CHRIST, AND THEN HIS VISIT TO THE AMERICAS, EACH ONE ABOUT 15 MINUTES, THEN WE WATCHED THE FILM “THE TESTAMENTS” WITH POPCORN AND SODA. IT WENT WELL, ALTHOUGH THE ONLY NONMEMBERS THERE WERE A BUNCH OF KIDS FROM THE NEIGHBORING FAVELA WHO HEARD THAT WE WERE GIVING FREE POPCORN, AND LEFT AFTER THEY GOT THEIR POPCORN... BUT ANYWAYS DURING THE FILM HEITOR GOT UP TO GET A DRINK OR SOMETHING AND HE KICKED THE CORD OF THE PROJECTOR AND EVERYTHING STOPPED AND HE GOT REALLY EMBARRASSED... HE AND HIS MOM LEFT AT THIS POINT. IT TOOK ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO GET EVERYTHING WORKING AGAIN AND EXACTLY WHEN IT WAS WORKING AGAIN I TRIED TO SECURE THE CORD IN THE WALL AND IT UNPLUGGED AGAIN! SO EVERYONE STARTED YELLING AT ELDER HOOKE HAHA. BUT AT LEAST I WAS ABLE TO TELL HEITOR THAT STORY THE NEXT DAY AT CHURCH AND HE WAS A LITTLE LESS EMBARRASSED. 

SO WE ARE TEACHING THIS GUY CLEYJEMESON WHO IS VERY INTERESTED, WENT TO CHURCH,AND FEELS VERY GOOD ABOUT EVERYTHING. WE INVITED HIM TO BE BAPTIZED, AND HE ACCEPTED, BUT THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT HE LIVES HERE IN SAN MARTIN, AND HIS "WIFE" AND 2 KIDS LIVE IN ANOTHER BAIRRO FAR AWAY. HE GOT A JOB THIS WEEK, AND WHEN HE GETS STABILIZED, HIS WIFE AND KIDS WILL MOVE HERE. BUT AS FAR AS THE WEDDING AND EVERYTHING GOES, IT WILL PROBABLY DELAY. BUT IT’S BEEN COOL TO TEACH SOMEONE SO RECEPTIVE AND HELP HIM BECOME A BETTER PERSON.

WE ARE ALSO TEACHING TWO WOMEN, WHO WENT TO CHURCH A FEW TIMES. I THINK I ALREADY MENTIONED THEM--MARILIA AND LUANA. THEY ARE PROGRESSING LITTLE BY LITTLE. BUT MARILIA IS DECIDING RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THE ASSEMBLY OF GOD AND MORMON. SHE LIKES THEM BOTH AND WE ARE GOING TO TEACH THEM TONIGHT ABOUT THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST AND WHY THIS CHURCH IS DIFFERENT THAN EVERY OTHER ONE. WE’RE GOING TO TEACH THEM WITH RHAWENA.

IT’S A LITTLE TOUGH WITH MONICA--SHE WASN’T AT CHURCH AND IT’S BEEN SEVERAL DAYS SINCE WE TALKED TO HER. SHE GOT A JOB AND WE HAVEN’T FOUND HER AT HOME. SHE REALLY IS READY, BUT WE MIGHT BE LOSING HER STILL THE SAME... SHE HAS A ONE-YEAR-OLD BOY.

WE ARE TRYING TO BE MORE POSITIVE AND HAVE MORE FAITH,WHICH IS HELPING US TO BE MORE EXCITED. THIS AREA IS STILL REALLY SLOW.

LOVE YOU TOO, SEEYA

ELDER HOOKE 

8-22-11 Heitor, Luana, Maurilia, Monica, talk in church

8-22-11

Hello familia, this week went pretty well. 

My comp is a good guy. He's been a member his whole life. He left a girlfriend at home with whom he plans to get married. He's got 2 brothers, one is Downs syndrome, both are younger. His parents are active in the church, but he is the first from the family to serve a mission. This week was good and he's happy (and so am I) to be able to finally have at least a few good investigators.

Heitor was feeling insecure and his friends all made fun of him for being a Mormon, so yesterday he told us he didn't think he would get baptized this week. But we talked to him for awhile yesterday and helped him to see the right reasons for everything. At the end I told him, "So we aren't here to pressure you into anything, we are just here to help, so if and when you feel ready, we'll be excited to have your baptism." He responded and said, "No you guys are right, I should get baptized next week like we had planned." So hopefully everything goes well this week, he's even gonna fast, and have the baptism on Sunday.

We got to teach those 2 ladies Luana and Maurilia, but only Sunday an hour before church started. They were very receptive, and during this week were gonna go meet up with them in a public plaza to teach more (because Luana's family doesn't want us there, and Marilia works in the city every day). Hopefully all goes well with that. They are both very smart and good people.

We also met a single mom Mônica, who is a good lady. We taught her for the first time Saturday, about the restoration, then Sunday she went to church and liked it a lot. We'll teach her again tonight.

Yesterday I gave a talk in church about Missionary work to help the members see the importance of their role. It went alright, although the majority of the congregation wasn't listening.

Thanks for the email, you guys have a great week too!

Falou!

Elder Hooke 

8-15-11 Teaching Heitor, answer to prayer, Visit to Camaragibe, district leader

Anyways this week was decent. Raiane unfortunately didn't get baptized. She left the house of her loving aunt and uncle to go live in not such a good situation. Her brother Mateus stayed with the aunt and uncle and is doing great. So all we can do for Raiane now is pray I guess.

We are helping a lady who was baptized 4 years ago to return to church, and she went with her 11 year old son Heitor yesterday. We are teaching him and his baptism is already marked for the 27th. He's a good kid and is excited to be in church again (he used to go with his mom, but wasn't ever baptized).

On Thursday night we had nothing planned and for no reason decided to go to the house of a member lady, Regina. When we got there her daughter Rhawena said that she prayed that we´d pass by, because that morning she had a really cool experience being able to invite someone to church. So we talked with her about it and called the friend, and Sunday morning this friend, Luana, and her friend, Marilia, showed up at church. They are both about 25-30 yrs old, and really smart, and they just wanted to see what the Mormon church is like, and they were very well received. They liked it and we will be visiting them during this week (hopefully) to explain things a little better.

Irene´s doing great. She's really solid.

Today Elder Wells is finishing his mission, and he's gonna come by to San Martin to visit the bishop and we'll be able to eat lunch with him and his dad and the bishop's family.

The highlight of the week was definitely Friday, because I got to go back to Camaragibe and talk with Eliete and fam, Cheila, Juliana, and do the baptismal interview of Eliete's neighbor, Isabel, who was baptized on Saturday. I had just started to teach her when I left Camaragibe. It was great to talk to my friends there again. I also visited Marcelo and Joelma, who have both decided to get married and baptized--there's just some paperwork business to take care of now. I still hold to my prediction that Marcelo will be a bishop in a few years. I miss that area, all the people we taught there, and Elder Bradley and Johnson. They all miss us a lot too, but the current missionaries there are also good guys, luckily. Oh yeah I'm district leader again, of us, Camaragibe, Carmelo (the other ward in Camaragibe), and a little town called Ur-7. its going well. I think I'm gonna get to do a division in Camaragibe in a couple weeks, this week with Ur-7.

I LOVE THE PEOPLE AND IT IS HAPPY.

Wellp, seeya
love
Elder Hooke

8-8-11 Mateus baptism [photos]

HELLO FAMILY

YES ALL IS WELL (WELL THE IMPORTANT THINGS AT LEAST), AND IT’S BEEN A PRETTY GOOD WEEK. THE LITTLE BOY MATEUS WAS BAPTIZED BY HIS UNCLE YESTERDAY, WHICH WENT WELL. HE’S A REALLY SMART LITTLE GUY, HE KNOWS MORE THAN THE MAJORITY OF CONVERT BAPTISMS AND HE'S ONLY 8 YEARS OLD. HIS OLDER SISTER RAIANE, 11, IS ALSO VERY SMART. I THINK I TOLD YOU THAT THEY LIVED ALONE, HOMELESS FOR A TIME, AND HAVE HAD A REALLY TOUGH CHILDHOOD. BUT A FEW MONTHS AGO THEY WERE ABANDONED BY THE MOM AT THEIR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE WHO ARE STRONG MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH. THEY ARE GOING EVERY WEEK AND LOVING IT, AND RAIANE IS HANDLING THE SITUATION REALLY WELL. SHE ALSO DECIDED TO GET BAPTIZED AND PROBABLY THIS SATURDAY OR SUNDAY WILL BE HER BAPTISM.

                                     Elder Albuquerque, Mateus, Elder Hooke

              (sorry sideways...) Mateus, Uncle, Raiane at Baptism of Mateus

WE DON’T HAVE MANY INVESTIGATORS, THE ONLY ONES WHO WENT TO CHURCH WERE RAIANE, AND 3 OTHER KIDS WHO WERE BROUGHT BY HOSANA, A RETURNING LESS ACTIVE MEMBER (LIKE ALWAYS). WE ARE TEACHING THOSE KIDS TOO NOW, AS WELL AS HOSANA´S HUSBAND LUCIANO. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD WITH FEW RESULTS AS FAR AS FINDING GOOD PEOPLE TO TEACH AND I FEEL BAD THAT MY COMP HAS TO START HIS MISSION LIKE THAT, BUT OH WELL. 

IRENE IS DOING VERY WELL. WE MADE BROWNIES WITH HER AND HER BOYFRIEND’S FAMILY YESTERDAY WHICH WAS FUN. WE TALKED ABOUT TWO THINGS THAT SHE WILL BE DOING SOON—PATRIARCHAL BLESSING AND TEMPLE BAPTISMS.

[A typical day?]

GET UP AT 6:30, PRAY, TURN ON SOME CHURCH MUSIC, AND UNTIL 8 THERE IS TIME FOR SHOWER, BREAKFAST (CUZCUZ IS MY FAVORITE HERE), AND GETTING DRESSED IN THE PADRÃO. 8-9 IS PERSONAL STUDY, THEN 9-11 IS COMP STUDY (FOR TRAINERS THERE IS AN EXTRA HOUR OF COMP STUDY). 11 WE USUALLY LEAVE FOR AN APPOINTMENT, THEN 12 THERE IS LUNCH WITH MEMBERS EVERY DAY. LUNCH AND THE MESSAGE THAT FOLLOWS USUALLY GOES TILL ABOUT 1:30 THEN WE HAVE OPTIONS- SOMETIMES WE RETURN AND USE OUR DINNER HOUR (NAPPING) OR IF WE HAVE COMPROMISSO WE GO TO IT. WE ALSO HAVE A HALF HOUR WE CAN TAKE TO STUDY THE LANGUAGE IF WE HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO. THE AFTERNOONS HERE WE ALMOST NEVER HAVE VISITS MARKED, SO WE END UP CONTACTING AND STUFF A LOT. EVERY NIGHT THIS WEEK WE HAVE A COUPLE THINGS MARKED, LIKE TONIGHT WE HAVE A FAMILY NIGHT AT 6:30 WITH A DIFFERENT RETURNING LESS ACTIVE MEMBER AND A RECENT CONVERT (THE LADY THAT WAS A REFERENCE FROM CÁSSIA), THEN AT 8 WE ARE GOING TO A STRONG MEMBER FAMILY'S HOUSE FOR ANOTHER FHE, HOPEFULLY WITH A FRIEND OF THEIRS. THEN WE RETURN TO THE HOUSE AT 9 OR 9 30, PLAN THE NEXT DAY, EAT MORE, SHOWER, BRINCAR, AND GO TO BED

TCHAU

ELDER HOOKE

8-1-11 Jon's a new uncle with a brand new companion, San Martin--same ward again, Juliana's wedding and baptism! [PHOTOS]

[We told Jon he's a first time uncle--our first grandchild!!]

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS! YOU GUYS ARE GRANDPARENTS WOW. WEIRD. I LOVE THE PICTURES, SHE REALLY IS A VERY VERY CUTE LITTLE CREATURE. I CAN IMAGINE EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBED ABOUT CHRIS COMING OUT AND JUST SMILING [when he told us she was born] HAHA. WOW. PARABENS [congratulations].

[I told him how fun it is to be a grandma] SOUNDS LIKE I WANT TO SKIP BEING A PARENT AND JUST BE A GRANDPA HAHA.

I AM VERY EXCITED FOR MY NEW LITTLE NIECE! YYYYEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!!

 THIS WAS A GREAT WEEK FOR US HERE AS WELL. BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THE NEW AREA, I GOT TO RETURN TO CAMARAGIBE FOR THE WEDDING OF JULIANA AND MARIANO, AND I BAPTIZED JULIANA. IT WAS A PERFECT WEDDING. 

          Elder Hooke, wedding of Mariano & Juliana

I DIDN’T EVEN IMAGINE THAT EVERYTHING COULD GO SO SMOOTHLY. YES IT WAS SIMPLE, BUT IT WORKED OUT GREAT. THE WARD MEMBERS HELPED A TON, ESPECIALLY IN MAKING THE CAKE, PROVIDING A BRIDE DRESS, AND STUFF. YOU MAY NOTICE IN THE PICTURE THAT MARIANO CHOSE TO USE MY RED TIE THAT I USED AT LIBBY´S WEDDING 3 YEARS AGO! BUT ANYWAYS IT WAS AWESOME TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK. ALL MY BEST FRIENDS FROM THE AREA WERE THERE, AND I GOT TO BAPTIZE JULIANA TOO. SHE WAS SOOOO HAPPY THAT NIGHT. IT WAS GREAT. 

         Elder Johnson, Elder Hooke, Juliana

ANYWAYS THIS WEEK ON TUESDAY I ARRIVED HERE IN SAN MARTIN TO THE VERY SAME WARD!! I WAS STILL DISAPPOINTED TO LEAVE CAMARAGIBE, BUT AT LEAST I COULD RETURN HERE TO THIS AREA THAT I LIKED A LOT. THE PEOPLE IN THE WARD ARE HAPPY TO HAVE ME BACK SO I FEEL WELCOME. THE BISHOP WAS ESPECIALLY EXCITED. THE WARD HERE HAS GROWN MUCH STRONGER, A LITTLE BIT THANKS TO MISSIONARY WORK AND REACTIVATION BUT MORE BECAUSE SOME STRONG FAMILIES HAVE MOVED INTO THE AREA RECENTLY. IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX ON THE SIDE OF THE CHURCH LIVE 5 FAMILIES (WELL 4, AND 2 MISSIONARIES): BISHOP'S COUNSELOR AND WIFE, WARD SECRETARY AND WIFE (PRES OF THE YW), OTHER BISHOP’S COUNSELOR AND WIFE (PRIMARY PRESIDENCY), WARD MISSION LEADER AND WIFE (RELIEF SOCIETY COUNSELOR). SO WE GOT MEMBERS FROM PRETTY MUCH EVERY PROGRAM RIGHT IN OUR COMPLEX, WHICH IS COOL.

NEWS ABOUT CONVERTS FROM WHEN I WAS THERE:
DID I TELL YOU THAT I HAD BEEN SEEING ADLÂN IN CAMARAGIBE? HE’S DOING WELL AND GOING TO CHURCH THERE.

CLEONICE DOESN'T GO TO CHURCH BUT SAID SHE WANTS TO START GOING AGAIN.

RUAN IS THE MOST ACTIVE YOUNG MAN, PASSES THE SACRAMENT, GOES TO THE TEMPLE EVERY WEEK, AND WAS THE ONLY KID AT THIS BORING FIRESIDE LAST NIGHT. AND HE EVEN PAID ATTENTION HAHA! I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO FIND OUT THIS STUFF.

THE FAMILY OF ANDERSON AND CONCEIÇAO  MOVED, BUT I'M 99% SURE ARE INACTIVE.

AND CÁSSIA HAS STILL GOT A TESTIMONY, EVEN GAVE THE MISSIONARIES A REFERENCE OF A WOMAN (WHO WAS BAPTIZED AND CALLED AS SECRETARY TO THE RELIEF SOCIETY), BUT  CÁSSIA DOESN’T GO TO CHURCH. WE'RE GONNA KEEP WORKING WITH HER. SHE GOT OFFENDED BY SOMEONE.

NOW ABOUT THE MISSIONARY WORK HAPPENING NOW:
THIS WEEK WAS EXCELLENT. ON TUESDAY WE MET IRENE, A 23 YEAR OLD GIRLFRIEND OF A MEMBER WHO HAD BEEN TAUGHT ALL ABOUT THE GOSPEL BY HIM. SHE WAS ALREADY MARKED TO BE BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY, SO WE JUST WENT THERE 3 TIMES BEFORE THEN TO HELP HER GET READY. SHE IS SUPER FIRM, AND WE BECAME GOOD FRIENDS REALLY FAST TOO. HER BOYFRIEND WAS LESS ACTIVE AND IS JUST NOW RETURNING, SO WAS NOT ABLE TO BAPTIZE HER. SHE ALSO ASKED ME TO BAPTIZE HER AND IT WAS AN HONOR. 

                   Baptism of Irene

IRENE IS ONE OF THE MOST FIRM CONVERTS I'VE MET ON MY MISSION. SHE HAS A VERY STRONG TESTIMONY, HAS ALREADY DECIDED THAT IN ONE YEAR SHE WILL GET MARRIED TO ISAQUE HER BOYFRIEND IN THE TEMPLE AND THEN WILL GO TO CALIFORNIA TO SPEND HER HONEYMOON ( THEY ALREADY WANTED TO GO THERE) AND I OFFERED MY ROOM OK? AND ALSO YOUR COOKING, I TOLD THEM HOW GREAT IT IS.  BUT ANYWAYS THAT WAS AN AWESOME WAY TO ARRIVE IN THIS AREA FOR THE SECOND TIME.

WE HAVE SOME OTHER INVESTIGATORS, INCLUDING A BRILLIANT LITTLE BOY MATEUS AND HIS SISTER RAIANE. THEY’VE BEEN GOING TO CHURCH FOR AWHILE NOW, AND YESTERDAY WE MARKED MATEUS´ BASPTISM FOR THIS SATURDAY. I’LL WRITE MORE ABOUT THESE KIDS NEXT WEEK. THEY HAVE HAD CRAZY LIVES, INCLUDING LIVING ALONE ON THE STREET AT 10 YEARS OLD. THEY WERE FORTUNATELY ABANDONED IN A VERY LOVING HOUSEHOLD OF THEIR AUNT AND UNCLE WHO ARE ACTIVE MEMBERS IN THE WARD.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK HARD THIS WEEK TO GET MORE INVESTIGATORS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TOO MANY.

AND ABOUT MY COMPANION:

              Elder Albuquerque & Elder Hooke
HIS NAME IS ELDER WILLIAM ALBUQUERQUE, LIKE THAT CITY IN NEW MEXICO. HE’S FROM RIO GRANDE DO SUL, PASSO FUNDO. A GAUCHO, CHE. HE’S A GOOD GUY. I’M LIKING HIM AND WERE GETTING ALONG WELL. HE IS VERY OBEDIENT AND THINKS THAT I KNOW EVERYTHING, SO HOPEFULLY I CAN BE A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR HIM. I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HIS TRAINER.

SO YEAH LIFE’S PRETTY GOOD. I’M STOKED TO BE AN UNCLE.

THE SAN MARTIN WARD MAY HAVE STRUGGLES BECAUSE WE HAD A SACRAMENT MEETING YESTERDAY ESPECIALLY FOR NON MEMBERS, WITH DISAPPOINTING OUTCOME! ME AND MY COMP SPENT THE WEEK DELIVERING VERY ELEGANT INVITES TO MEMBERS TO GIVE TO THEIR FRIENDS. WE WERE PRETTY DISAPPOINTED WHEN NOT A SINGLE MEMBER BROUGHT FRIENDS, EXCEPT THOSE 2  KIDS, AND SEVERAL OF IRENE AND ISAQUE’S FRIENDS. AND A MEMBER LADY BROUGHT HER HUSBAND, WHO WE WE’RE ALREADY WORKING WITH. TONS OF MEMBERS INVITED, BUT ALMOST NO ONE WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO GO. THE MEETING WAS GOOD, FOCUSED ON THE ETERNAL FAMILY AND CHRIST, BUT JUST NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE WENT.

YEP WELL HAVE ANOTHER GREAT WEEK! TCHAU