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