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