12-27-10 Ruan's Baptism

HI FAM
I HAVE POCO TEMPO HOJE! BUT YEAH IT WAS GREAT TALKING TO YOU TOO... AND DON'T WORRY I'LL GET THE PACKAGES SOME DAY...

WE DID HAVE THE BAPTISM OF RUAN YESTERDAY AND IT WENT REALLY WELL. IT WAS AT NIGHT, AND LOTS OF THE OLD FRIENDS OF RUAN'S FAMILY WENT TO IT. HIS FAM, IF YOU RECALL, USED TO BE REALLY FIRM, HIS MOM WENT THRU THE TEMPLE AND HIS BROTHER SERVED A MISSION AND EVERYTHING, BUT HE MOVED AWAY AND THE REST OF THE FAMILY USED SOME LITTLE THINGS THAT HAPPENED AS AN EXCUSE TO LEAVE THE CHURCH. SO THE BAPTISM OF RUAN WAS THE FIRST ACTIVITY OF THE CHURCH THAT HIS FAM (BESIDES HIM) HAS ATTENDED IN A LONG TIME, AND THEY ALL REALLY LOVED IT. I MADE BROWNIES, AND HIS MOM JOKINGLY TOLD ME THAT IF I MAKE BROWNIES SHE'LL GO TO CHURCH SUNDAY. BUT SHE REALLY DOES HAVE THE DESIRE TO RETURN NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT HIS BAPTISM AND HIS FIRMEZA WILL HELP HIS FAMILY RETURN. THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE EVENT OF YESTERDAY, OTHER THAN A FEW LESSONS. SO YEAH TUDO BEM AND BOA SEMANA PARA VOCES!

                                              Ruan's Baptism

LOVE

ELDER HOOKE 

12-13-10 Cleonice 's Baptism

HELLO FAMILY!  THE WEEK WENT REALLY WELL. LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENED, BUT I JUST HAVE TIME TO WRITE A FEW. SO CLEONICE, WHO ENDED UP DISSAPOINTING LAST WEEK, WAS BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY! SHE FINALLY LEFT HER HOUSE AND USED THE WHEELCHAIR THAT WE GOT FOR HER, AND A MEMBER GAVE HER A RIDE. SHE LOVED CHURCH, AND THEN AFTER, WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO THE BAPTISM. 

                                                                 Cleonice's Baptism Day

SO HERE'S HOW IT WORKED: ELDER PRIETO AND I BOTH DRESSED IN WHITE AND CARRIED HER INTO THE FONT ON A REGULAR CHAIR. WE FILLED IT HIGH TO MAKE IT EASIER. INTERESTINGLY, SHE AND THE CHAIR ENDED UP BEING LESS DENSE THAN THE WATER, SO SHE WAS BASICALLY DOING A BACKFLOAT. I SAID THE BAPTISM PRAYER, AND THEN AS I BAPTIZED HER UPPER BODY, ELDER PRIETO REMOVED THE CHAIR FROM UNDER HER AND PUSHED HER LEGS UNDER THE WATER. IT TOOK ONLY ONE TRY! AND GOOD THING BECAUSE WHEN SHE EMERGED FROM THE WATER SHE WAS COUGHING AND I WAS AFRAID FOR HER LIFE! WE CARRIED HER UP INTO THE BATHROOM AND SAT HER IN A CHAIR AS SHE CAUGHT HER BREATH. THEN SHE WAS SOOO HAPPY! SHE COULD NOT STOP SMILING AND IT MADE IT ALL WORTH IT. IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE THAT MAKES ME GLAD TO BE A MISSIONARY.

WE HAD LOTS OF INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH TOO BECAUSE IT WAS THE PRIMARY PROGRAM. WE INVITED A KID (11 YR OLD SON OF A LESS ACTIVE FAMILY), RUAN, TO CHURCH FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS AND PROMISED HIM THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRIMARY PROGRAM. IT WORKED OUT PERFECTLY BECAUSE A GIRL IN THE WARD HAD A LITTLE TALK BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO GIVE IT, SO HE GAVE A LITTLE TALK AT CHURCH HIS FIRST SUNDAY IN YEARS, WHICH WAS FUNNY. HE ALSO BROUGHT HIS 2FRIENDS AND THEY ALL LIKED IT A LOT.

THE COMPANIONSHIP IS GOING WELL. WE'RE GETTING ALONG WELL, AND WORKING HARD SO IT'S ALL GOOD. WE CLIMBED UP TO THE FOURTH FLOOR OF OUR BUILDING (WHICH HAS NO ROOF, JUST LITTLE WALLS) THE OTHER NIGHT TO EAT WATERMELON. WE EACH HAD A 4TH OF A WATERMELON. I LOOKED OVER RANDOMLY AND MY COMP WAS SPINNING AROUND WITH HIS PIECE, AND THE NEXT SECOND IT WAS FLYING DOWN TO THE PARKING LOT WHERE IT EXPLODED! SO RANDOM BUT IT WAS REALLY FUNNY. AND DONT WORRY WE, NO, I CLEANED IT UP.

YESTERDAY WE WENT WITH THE BISHOP TO THE CITY TO BUY THINGS WITH HIM FOR OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY THIS SATURDAY NIGHT. ITLL BE A BIG EVENT, AND WE'RE HOPING AND PRAYING THAT IT CAN ALL GO WELL.

OTHER NEWS OF SAN MARTIN: TERESA, CASSIAS MOM IS MARKED AND EXCITEDTO BE BAPTISED THIS WEEKEND. SHE STILL HASNT TOLD HER HUSBAND, SO WE'RE HOPING ALL GOES WELL WITH THAT (HE WAS THE ONE MOST OPPOSED TO CASSIAS BAPTISM TOO). CÁSSIA GOT A CALLING, IT IS THE SOLEDADEDADE OR SOMETHING. I DONT KNOW THE WORD, BUT BASICALLY SHE HELPS POOR PEOPLE IN THE WARD WHEN THEY NEED HELP. PRIMARY PROGRAM WENT REALLY WELL. LETS SEE, WE'RE TEACHING LOTS OF PEOPLE.

[The way the people pronounce Jon's name is "Elder OO-kay"]

LOVE YOU TOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. HAVE A GOOD WEEK! TCHAU

ELDER HOOKE

12-6-10 The Ups and Downs of a Mission

12-6-10

HELLO FAMILY,
I'M DOING WELL HERE. WE HAD A LONG WEEK, ANOTHER ROLLER COASTER. THERE ARE ALWAYS LOTS OF AMAZING THINGS AND LOTS OF REALLY DISAPPOINTING THINGS THAT HAPPEN, ALMOST DAILY. SERIOUSLY ITS HARD TO DESCRIBE.

 FOR EXAMPLE, WE MET THIS NICE OLD LADY, CLEONICE, (GOOD) BUT SHE'S BED RIDDEN BECAUSE SHE BROKE HER FEMUR (BAD). SHE WAS BEING TAUGHT BY MISSIONARIES IN MACEIÓ (GOOD) BUT THEN HER SON KILLED HIMSELF. (YOU GET THE POINT). SHE STOPPED TAKING THE LESSONS AND MOVED TO SAN MARTIN. SHE HAD A SURGERY RECENTLY FOR HER FEMUR, AND THEN A MEMBER OF OUR WARD STARTED HELPING TAKE CARE OF HER. SHE TALKED WITH HER ABOUT THE GOSPEL, AND CLEONICE TALKED ABOUT HOW SHE ALREADY HAD A TESTIMONY THAT THIS CHURCH IS TRUE BUT NEVER WAS BAPTIZED. SO THE MEMBER, REGINA, BROUGHT US OVER THERE AND WE GAVE HER A BLESSING AND TAUGHT HER  AND ARRANGED A BAPTISM FOR YESTERDAY. SHE HAD NO WAY TO GET TO THE CHURCH OR GET AROUND IN THE CHURCH SO MY COMP AND I PROMISED WE'D GET A WHEELCHAIR FOR HER SOMEHOW. SO SATURDAY WE WENT TO RECIFE TO RENT A WHEELCHAIR AT THIS COMPANY THAT WE HAD ALREADY CALLED AND EVERYTHING SHOULD HAVE WORKED FINE. BUT WHEN WE GOT THERE, THE STORE WAS MYSTERIOUSLY CLOSED FOR SOME REASON, FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. SO WE WENT AROUND TO THE CHAPELS THERE ASKING EVERYONE, BUT NO ONE HAD A WHEELCHAIR. THEN WE RETURNED TO SAN MARTIN, DISAPPOINTED, AND THE BISHOP TOLD US ABOUT SOMEONE WHO MIGHT HAVE ONE. SO WE WENT TO THAT HOUSE AND THE MOMENT WE MENTIONED OUR NEED FOR A WHEELCHAIR SHE SAID "OH I HAVE ONE THAT YOU GUYS CAN KEEP". SO THEN WE WERE REALLY EXCITED AND BROUGHT IT TO CLEONICE'S AND SHE WAS ALL HAPPY AND EVERYTHING WAS ALL FINE AND WHAT NOT. BUT THEN SUNDAY MORNING WE WENT THERE AND SHE TOLD US THAT SHE WAS TOO SICK AND COULDN'T GO TO CHURCH!! AND WE'D ALREADY ANNOUNCED HER BAPTISM, ARRANGED A RIDE (WHICH IS DIFFICULT WHEN THERE ARE ONLY ABOUT 3 PEOPLE IN THE WARD WITH CARS) AND FILLED THE FONT AND EVERYTHING! SO I KNOW THAT'S KINDA AN ANTICLIMACTIC ENDING, BUT WE DID RE-MARK FOR NEXT SUNDAY, SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

SO YEAH THAT'S JUST ONE RANDOM EXAMPLE OF A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT SHOWS THE CRAZINESS OF THE MISSION. 

THERE WERE OTHER BETTER THINGS THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK. SOME INTERESTING THINGS:

WE WENT TO A DAY CARE THING (ALMOST LIKE AN ORPHANAGE BECAUSE SOME KIDS HAVE TO SLEEP THERE) TO HELP OUT. I PLAYED THE GUITAR AND ELDER PRIETO TOLD STORIES, LIKE THE STORY OF NEPHI AND HIS JOURNEY TO AMERICA. I PLAYED CHORDS AND STUFF TO TRY TO MATCH WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE STORY SO THAT WAS FUN.

A YOUNG WOMAN IN THE WARD INTRODUCED US TO HER FRIEND, MAYARA, AND NOW WE ARE TEACHING HER ALMOST EVERY DAY. SHE IS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE CHURCH, AND ALREADY READ, PRAYED, RECEIVED AN ANSWER, AND DECIDED TO BE BAPTIZED. IT SHOULD BE DECEMBER 18 OR 19 OR WHICHEVER DAY IS SUNDAY. SHE WENT TO CHURCH YESTERDAY AND WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED. THIS WARD IS HARD TO WORK WITH DURING THE WEEK, BUT THEY DO HELP OUR INVESTIGATORS FEEL AT HOME AND LOVED ON SUNDAYS AT CHURCH, WHICH IS NICE.

CÁSSIA BROUGHT HER SISTER IN LAW AND NIECE TO CHURCH, AND WE ARE TEACHING THEM TOO. CÁSSIA GOT UP AND BORE HER TESTIMONY AND IT WAS VERY POWERFUL. IT'S AWESOME TO SEE HOW MUCH SHE HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST MONTH BECAUSE OF THE GOSPEL. HER SISTER IN LAW TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT CÁSSIA IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON, AND MUCH NICER TO LIVE WITH SINCE SHE STARTED LISTENING TO OUR MESSAGE.

                                                 Elder Prieto, Adlán, Elder Hooke

ADLÂN WAS CONFIRMED YESTERDAY AND WE HAD A LESSON WITH HIM ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD. HE IS VERY STRONG, AND HIS TESTIMONY IS GROWING EVERY TIME I TALK TO HIM.

THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE, PRAYERS, LETTERS, PACKAGES, UPDATES, AND STUFF. HAVE A GOOD WEEK!

ELDER HOOKE

11-29-10--Working hard in San Martins

YEAH THURSDAY HERE WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS THANKSGIVING TILL CÁSSIA TOLD ME THAT NIGHT, HEY ISN'T IT A HOLIDAY IN AMERICA?


I SANG BASS IN THE SAN MARTIN CHOIR (ABOUT 10 PEOPLE) AT OUR STAKE CONFERENCE YESTERDAY. IT WENT WELL. WE SANG "CAREÇO DE JESUS" AND SOME OTHER HYMN. 

ADLÁN DECIDED HE'S SERVING A MISSION!!!! ITS PRETTY AWESOME. HE HAS LOTS OF DOCTRINAL QUESTIONS. I HAVE TOLD HIM MANY TIMES THAT HE WILL KNOW WHAT HE NEEDS TO KNOW FOR A TESTIMONY.

SO EVERYTHING'S GOING MORE OR LESS ALRIGHT HERE. MY COMPANION IS GOOD, AND HE WORKS HARD AND WE ARE GETTING ALONG PRETTY WELL. I'M STARTING TO TEACH HIM ENGLISH, AND HE'S HELPING MY PORTUGUESE A LOT. THE LANGUAGE IS GOING REALLY WELL. HE TOLD ME THAT I SPEAK AS WELL AS LOTS OF AMERICANS WHO HAVE A YEAR IN BRAZIL RIGHT NOW, SO I GUESS I'M PICKING IT UP. WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD EVERY DAY, WE DON'T EVEN TAKE OUR DINNER HOUR. FROM WHAT HE TELLS ME ABOUT LOTS OF OTHER MISSIONARIES HE'S WORKED WITH, I AM VERY LUCKY TO BE WITH SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO WORK HARD. RIGHT NOW WE´RE WORKING WITH NEW PEOPLE, BECAUSE WE ALREADY BAPTIZED ALL OF THE GOOD INVESTIGATORS OF LAST TRANSFER, FOR THE MOST PART. WE ARE WORKING WITH CÁSSIA A LOT WITH HER FAMILY. SHE IS A FOUNTAIN OF REFERRALS, AS ELDER PRIETO SAID. ALSO A MEMBER INVITED HER FRIEND ANA TO CHURCH YESTERDAY AND WE MET HER FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND SHE SEEMS PRETTY READY. BUT YES EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL. 

 

IDK WHEN I'LL BE ABLE TO SEND MORE PICTURES HOME BUT I HAVE LOTS OF BAPTISM PICTURES TO SEND NOW! I'VE BEEN WARNED BY SEVERAL ELDERS NOT TO PLUG MY CAMERA IN TO THE COMPUTERS AT LANHOUSES BECAUSE OF VIRUSES, SO WHO KNOWS WHEN I CAN SEND MORE. 

 

LOVE

ELDER HOOKE

11-22-10 FOUR Baptisms!!

11-22-10

ANYWAYS, I HAVE A NEW COMPANION. HE IS ELDER PRIETO OLIVEIRA FROM SÃO PAULO. ELDER WELLS LEFT THIS MORNING AND I WILL REMAIN HERE IN SAN MARTIN WITH ELDER PRIETO OLIVEIRA. HE HAS ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME ON THE MISSION AS ME, AND SPEAKS NO ENGLISH. AT FIRST HE TOLD ME THAT WE ARE CO-SENIORS, BUT THEN APPARENTLY HE CALLED THE ZLS AND THEY TOLD HIM HE IS SENIOR. EITHER WAY, IT DOESN'T MATTER. I TOLD HIM IT DIDN'T MATTER MUCH TO ME-- AS LONG AS I HAVE A GOOD SENIOR THAT WANTS TO WORK HARD, I DON'T MIND BEING JUNIOR.

THIS WEEK WAS A ROLLER COASTER!!! SOME SUPER STRESSFUL THINGS HAPPENED BUT IN THE END,  EVERYTHING TURNED OUT AMAZING. YES CÁSSIA WAS BAPTIZED. AND ADLÂN, [AND ON SUNDAY I GOT TO BAPTIZE] CONCEIÇÃO, AND HER BROTHER ANDERSON!

                                                          Cassia

                                                         Elder Wells, Adlán, Elder Hooke

                               Elder Wells, Elder Hooke, Anderson & Conceição (brother & sister)
SO ELDER WELLS AND I WORKED NONSTOP THIS WEEK WITH THESE PEOPLE (AND MORE). WE LITERALLY COULDN'T EVEN EAT DINNER TILL 9:30 WHEN WE RETURNED HOME FOR THE NIGHT! SOME BAD THINGS HAPPENED WITH CÁSSIA'S FAMILY THAT WE THOUGHT FOR SURE WOULD KEEP THE BAPTISM FROM HAPPENING. BUT WE DECIDED WE'D JUST PRAY WITH HER. SHE TOLD US AFTER THE PRAYER SHE FELT MUCH MUCH MORE AT PEACE ABOUT EVERYTHING, AND THE SITUATION TURNED OUT TO BE NOT QUITE AS BAD A WE HAD THOUGHT. RIGHT AFTER THAT TEREZA (CÁSSIA'S MOM) CAME UP TO US AND TOLD US "EU VOU ME BATIZAR NA IGREJA CERTA, A IGREJA DE VOCES" (I'M GONNA GET MYSELF BAPTIZED IN THE TRUE CHURCH, YOURS). WE WERE PRETTY SURPRISED AND SO THAT WAS PRETTY AWESOME. SHE WANTS TO WAIT TILL AFTER HER EYE SURGURY TO GET BAPTIZED, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS... SO YEAH CASSIA'S BAPTISM WAS SATURDAY NIGHT AND IT WAS GREAT. ELDER WELLS BAPTIZED HER, AND AFTER EVERYONE LEFT WE FOUND OUT HER NAME IS LONGER THAN WE'D THOUGHT, RITA DE CÁSSIA DE MENDONÇA [AND ON], AND SO SHE HAD TO GET BAPTIZED AGAIN, WHICH SHE WAS FINE WITH.

WE HAD A WARD TALENT SHOW AFTER AND IT WAS CRAZY! THE BISHOP AND HIS FAMILY RAN THE THING AND HAD LOTS OF GAMES, CONTESTS, AND STUFF IN BETWEEN THE ACTS. AND HE RANDOMLY TOLD EVERYONE THAT I WAS GONNA COME UP AND PLAY AND SING SOMETHING ON GUITAR BY THE BEATLES... SO I DID. UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE HAD A SORE THROAT THE LAST FEW DAYS AND MY VOICE WAS TERRIBLE. BUT FORTUNATELY ANOTHER GUY, THE BISHOPS BRO IN LAW, CAME UP AND STARTED SINGING IT FOR ME. IT'S FUNNY TO HEAR BRAZILIANS SING ENGLISH SONGS THEY'VE HEARD MANY TIMES, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE SOUNDS OF THE WORDS BUT HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE SAYING. BUT IT WAS VERY FUN.

EARLIER IN THE WEEK WE WERE TEACHING CONCEIÇÃO, AND ANDERSON LISTENED IN. AFTERWARD WE MARKED HIS BAPTISM FOR THE SAME DAY AS HERS. HE HAS ALREADY QUIT SMOKING AND ALL HE NEEDED WAS TO GO TO CHURCH ONE MORE TIME. SO IT WORKED WELL. THE TWO OF THEM BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND MORE OF WHAT THIS BAPTISMAL COMMITMENT IS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE HELPING THEM. LAST NIGHT, WE WENT BY TO SAY BYE (ELDER WELLS LEFT) AND PLAYED SOME QUALITY UNO.

AND ADLÂN FINALLY GOT HIS DAD´S SIGNATURE! HE WAS BAPTIZED BY ELDER WELLS LAST NIGHT IN THE MOST SPIRITUAL BAPTISM I EVER ATTENDED. EVERYONE WAS SO HAPPY, AND HE TOLD US THAT HE IS GONNA FIND ANOTHER "ADLÂN" AND BAPTIZE HIM! WE ARE CONFIDENT HE'LL SERVE A MISSION IN A YEAR. I ALSO FOUND OUT LAST NIGHT FROM THE BISHOP THAT THE FIRST TIME HE MET ADLÂN, HE WAS MORE LIKE SAUL. HE HAD LOTS OF DOUBTS AND WAS LOOKING FOR ERRORS IN THE CHURCH. THE BISHOP BECAME VERY WORRIED FOR HIS MEMBER GIRLFRIEND, NATHALIA. ADLÂN HAD ALSO SAID, AND DONT WORRY I WOULD NEVER GET BAPTIZED FOR NATHALIA. HE ALSO TOLD ELDER WELLS THE FIRST TIME THEY MET THAT HE DIDN'T WANNA GET BAPTIZED OR ANYTHING, HE JUST WANTED TO SEE HOW WE WOULD ANSWER HIS QUESTIONS. ONE MORE AWESOME THING ABOUT HIS BAPTISM LAST NIGHT WAS THAT AFTERWARDS, HE PULLED ELDER WELLS AND I ASIDE TO ASK IF WE'D FOUND AN ANSWER TO A PARTICULAR QUESTION HE HAD. WE HADN'T FOUND A GREAT ANSWER, BUT HE SAID, BASICALLY, "DONT WORRY. I KNOW IT'S TRUE AND THAT STUFF DOESN'T MATTER TOO MUCH ANYMORE. BUT I DID FIND AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION ON MY OWN."     THEN I TOLD HIM ABOUT HOW I STILL HAVE A MILLION QUESTIONS AND THEY WILL NEVER STOP. WE TALKED ABOUT FAITH AND LOGIC. THEN WE GAVE HIM A WHITE SHIRT AND TIE. GREAT NIGHT.

[I asked him if they have anything like Thanksgiving there.] I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT HERE. THEY HAVE TONS OF RANDOM HOLIDAYS THOUGH. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE CELEBRATING, THEY JUST KNOW THEY HAVE A DAY OFF. AND YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL BECAUSE THERE IS LOUD MUSIC PLAYING ON EVERY STREET CORNER AND EVERYONE IS DRUNK.

HAVE A GOOD THANKSGIVING!

THANK YOU FOR THE EMAILS, SUPPORT, PRAYERS, MAIL, PACKAGES, AND EVERYTHING. LOVE YOU TOO

ELDER HOOKE

11-16-10 Investigator status...many progressing

11-16-10

 

Oi familia! Mãe,

 

THE WEEK WENT WELL, ALTHOUGH STILL NO BAPTISMS! ADLÁN WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE SIGNITURE FROM HIS DAD YET, BUT WE´RE ARE HOPING HE WILL BY SATURDAY SO THAT HE CAN BE BAPTIZED AT THE SAME SERVICE AS CÁSSIA AND POSSIBLY ANOTHER GIRL, CONCEIÇÃO. CÁSSIA DECREASED HER CIGARRETTES UNTIL ZERO A FEW DAYS A GO, AND IF SHE DOESN'T SMOKE ANOTHER, SHE WILL BE VERY EXCITED TO BE BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY. SHE´S AN AWESOME INVESTIGATOR, ONE OF THOSE THAT MOTIVATES THE MISSIONARIES INSTEAD OF ONE THAT THE MISSIONARIES HAVE TO SPEND LOTS OF TIME MOTIVATING. WE GO OVER THERE EVERY DAY, AND YESTERDAY SHE CAME TO A FHE WITH US AT A WARD FAM'S HOUSE, WITH PIZZA AND CAKE (AND A LESSONZINHO OF COURSE). JOÃO PEDRO IS A FUNNY KID. HE DOESNT WANNA BE BAPTIZED, AT LEAST HE DOESNT RIGHT NOW. AND WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH TEREZA, CASSIAS MOM. I THINK SHE'LL COME AROUND ONE DAY SOON. RONALDO IS STILL IN THE SAME SITUATION--HE GOT AN ANSWER TO PRAYER, KNOWS ITS TRUE, BUT IS AFRAID TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO BE BAPTIZED BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO GROW UP LIVING THE COMMANDMENTS HERE AND HE KNOWS IT. IT WOULD BE MUCH HARDER HERE THAN CALIFORNIA. CONCEIÇÃO IS ANDERSON´S SISTER (ANDERSON UP AND QUIT SMOKING THAT ONE DAY A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT HAS STILL ONLY BEEN TO CHURCH ONCE SO HIS BAPTISMAL DATE FELL). CONCEIÇAO IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT IS VERY NICE AND BELIEVES THE CHURCH IS TRUE, BUT I WORRY THAT SHE DOESNT REALLY UNDERSTAND THE COMMITMENT THAT BAPTISM IS. WE´LL JUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREPARE HER AND PRAY.

 

GLAD YOU LIKED THE PICTURES. YEAH THAINARA IS REALLY CUTE--I MISS THAT FAMILY!

 

WELL MY HEALTH IS GOOD. NOTHING MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT. WE STILL HAVENT SCHEDULED THE SURGERY YET. [ I think this is classic Jon-humor...]

 

THE COMPANIONSHIP IS GOING WELL. ELDER WELLS AND I WILL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO REMAIN HERE NEXT TRANSFER TOGETHER, TOO, WHICH STARTS NEXT MONDAY! SO WE WILL BE SPENDING CHRISTMAS HERE WITH THE BISHOP AND STUFF, WHICH WE´RE EXCITED ABOUT. WE ARE VERY BUSY, AND GENERALLY PLAN, MAKE A SMOOTHIE AND GO TO BED AS SOON AS WE GET HOME. WE ARE TEACHING WELL TOGETHER, AND USUALLY MAKE A PRETTY EFFECTIVE TEAM. WE SOMETIMES CALL OURSELVES THE "SUPER DUPLA" HAHA.

 

I´M LEARNING ABOUT PATIENCE, ABOUT THE SPIRIT, ABOUT HOW TO HELP PEOPLE. ITS GOOD.

 

AND ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR EVERY MORMON GIRL: JUST CUZ A GUY WENT ON A MISSION DOES NOT MEAN HE´S A GREAT GUY.  (DONT WORRY, ITS NOT MY COMPANION TEACHING ME THIS)

[Emily's girls cross country team didn't go past CIF prelims, but the boys team will progres to CIF finals...Jon's response:] TOO BAD. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS NOW EM? ITS TRACK SEASON! AND GOOD LUCK TO THE GUYS AT FINALS NEXT WEEK!

DONT HAVE ANY NEW FOTOS FOR THIS WEEK BUT HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD ONE!

THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS FOR OUR INVESTIGATORS AND FOR US.

LOVE,

ELDER HOOKE

 

11-15-10 Busy P-day! Short and sweet...

Monday, November 15, 2010

Hi sorry I didnt email yet today. I think we will be able to tomorrow, not sure though. Things are going well though, don't worry about me!


Love

Elder Hooke