15 May 2011 - Pedras Area

I don't know if you got these pictures but it's a funny story, we live right behind a field of grass and crap aka breeding ground for large amazon critters. There was a huge tarantula in our house the other day. The size of a rabid badger...more or less. I was talking on the phone with the LD and my companion grabbed my camera since his was out of batteries. I looked at the pictures afterwards....the 1st on it looked like he stood on the opposite side of the room and zoomed in and took a picture of a black dust bunny (the spider) the second one he tried to take a picture of him and spider Facebook style and took a picture of the wall and his ear. He tried again and took a picture of his face and a spec of something that I assume is the spider. What a goof. Then he goes mad and kills it and during the super overkill he breaks our broom and then stomps on its already dead, pulverized body. Then he says "I can't believe it broke the broom!" Then after a sigh he said "Que perigo" aka How dangerous! face palm!

[I told him Nokia Siemens Networks bought the portion of Motorola I work for.] Well maybe now you will get some new bling bling since Nokia is richer than Motorola. Besides Motorola only sponsered headphones for football. Siemens sponsers a European soccer team! who knows if it is the same Siemens, but that doesn't matter. Nokia is more famous here too, so you will gain respect and glory in the eyes of the Brazilian people when I tell them what you do. Oddly I get more praise for my janitor job than for studying History at a University...

Well this week was good, it seems like the sun is back...which is great! The teaching goes on, and this was a good week. Sadly, we have a hard time getting people to go to church in this area so we are limited in progressing people. We taught a women whose husband drinks all the time. We promised her if she read The Book of Mormon when he was drunk and screaming etc that she would feel peace and things would get better. When she was at church she told us that her husband was threatening to break stuff etc and she sat down and read The Book of Mormon and he just stopped and fell asleep on the bed! The Book of Mormon is real and powerful!

8 May 2011 - Pedras Area

8 May 2011 - Pedras Area

The Católicos here don't really count. They have never set foot in a church, but they have a "cave" dedicated to Mary. We don't really have problems explaining doctrine here. People like to argue we can't see God face to face.. cough cough Exodus 33:11 cough. They just make up random stuff anyways, and 90% of the time we stop teaching those people. People here are just open and willing to learn anything. Sadly, they often lack the faith to make the change and specifically in this area, they lack the faith to make it to church. Satan is a punk too, he can take people that are on the steps of the baptismal font (metaphorically) and put them into utter confusion and denial. We taught a girl these last weeks and the day before the baptism some random lady talked to her on the street and this girl claimed it was an answer. We passed by her house many times telling her to pray, telling her to ask God. Every time we came back and asked how the prayer was, she said it was normal. What do you do when you teach someone, by the spirit, and ask her to pray, but "nothing happens"? It's sad and frustrating. She saw miracles in her life, but then she made a 180 turn and is running in the opposite direction. It makes you sad beyond words, I can only imagine how Heavenly Father feels...

1 May 2011 - Pedras Area

I know that this is the work of the Lord. This week we had a girl that decided not to be baptized. I have never been so sad in my life. I felt depressed when I was in church knowing that she wasn't going to be baptized. Oddly, that's how I know this work is true. I was touched to the soul because of the choice this girl made. I know that the Gospel is what she needs, it's what we all need. I know that we need to share the Gospel and we need to help other people. How can we as members keep such glorious blessings to ourselves and ignore our neighbors and friends? We want salvation so bad, but shouldn't we want that for the other people? I testify that as you work with other people that salvation of others will be your happiness or sadness. You will truly care for these people, it is a promise of the Lord.

In my areas people think that feeding the missionaries and helping them with material things is enough to 'help' missionary work. It's not enough however, you need to give them people to teach! The members that really help are the people that ponder, pray, and leave with the missionaries to teach the people. The people that help are the people that talk to the new members at church and care for the people. The people ready for baptisms are not a small amount here in Fortaleza, but the baptisms that stay, that become leaders are ALMOST ALWAYS references. So don't just throw some random names at the missionaries. Pray, ponder, pray again, ponder some more, fast and I can promise you that some name will come to your mind and they will be baptized!

24 April 2011 - Pedras Area

These days fly by and I feel so much older everyday. I imagine you are past that part. With you it's like throwing buckets into the ocean, sure the ocean gets bigger but it doesn't really matter (adding years to 50 odd years doesn't really matter because  ;)

We had a good week this week. The city cut the church's water so we had to fill up the font with a fire hose so that was cool. It's better than filling it up with buckets. (Which I have already done, and taken out the water with buckets too.) I fear the sun will never come back to the so called Terra do Sol...Land of the Sun. It has been raining for the last 2 weeks and it's making my shoes rather juicy.

Choose the right and kick sin in the FACE

17 April 2011 - Pedras Area

You'd be happy to know that I got my hair cut today and due to a lack of communication, the lady shaved my head with a #2. I told her #2 on the sides and 3 on top but whatever. Now I can wait longer to get my hair cut.

It has been raining TONS here. Which is too bad because my shoes are at the "slightly" punctured stage. So during the rainy days my shoes get totally wet. I don't know if they will last until the 1 year mark. They are good except for when it rains. I guess that what happens when you have to walk everywhere instead of riding a bike. Speaking of mold... it has already taken over a lot of things. Our house isn't water-tight so the walls are wet the ceiling is wet and therefore it makes everything else moldy. My English scriptures are garbage already and my wallet too. Luckily my suit hasn't fallen victim to the mold...yet

[I mentioned an article in the March New Era.] #1 It's april now so I'll probably see that in 2 months. #2 I'm an adult, therefore New Era is petty material and it's doctrinal worth is inferior to that of the Ensign ;)

[I quoted some excerpts from Elder Corbridge's talk in conference a couple of years ago about Jesus Christ being the only way.] That's a powerful message. It's a powerfully true message as well. That's what I am trying to teach the people here, about the path that they need to follow. Something interesting happened the other day when we were waiting for one of baptismal candidates to be interviewed. We had a picture of the Salt Lake Temple in the winter, and the trees had no leafs. A girl asked me if the trees were always like that, I told her no, the picture was taken in the winter. She just kind of nodded her head. It wasn't until I left that I realized that was something completely new to her. Leafs don't fall off trees in her world. This taught me a good lesson, but I'm not sure how ya'll can use it. Preach My Gospel talks about how we need to define words that we teach to help people to understand. Sometimes we teach a lesson to investigators, give a talk, teach Primary kids, etc. using awesome eloquent language. We bare/bear...who knows... our testimony using examples, cool stories, long experiences blah blah but is all that necessary? When the Prophet bears his testimony it is a few sentences at the end of his talk. Sometimes I make a nice invitation to go to church and be baptized and then the person just stares at you, understand nothing. Go back to the basics, the Gospel is basic. It is simple, after all, there are only 5 steps to it. Why make Step 1 sub-step 23 subdivision preliminary step 234? The most powerful lessons are the simplest. That's my sermon. The Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of Worlds, is our Savior. Follow Him. Do everything that you can possibly do to help Him, don't fear the judgements of man. He, not kings or presidents, will exalt you in the last days.

10 April 2011 - Pedras Area

[I made a comment about Jeffrey's tendency to write in stream of consciousness mode.] It's hard ok, I can't waste my time writing outlines and then proof reading them so they pass your webpost standards, that's why I hired you as my editor. I'll give it a try though

[Michael is not engaged, so apparently he hasn't embraced the counsel of the prophets yet. Michael and Lauren have just two weeks of school left, the funnest part, finals and all that.] Verily Verily, Michael, my beloved brother, has not asked a young lady's hand in marriage yet? Outrageous, simply revolting! He should be aware of his eternal life rather than ponder on this pathetic, secular world. By jove! Finals are a tif are they not? However, after my return I will bring many reputable saints from the Brazilian Catholic community to aid me in my tests in the designated testing areas. I will have to procure a suitable place to light my candles though.

[I missed the special on Christ between General Conference sessions.] There was indeed a special about Jesus Christ in between the sessions on Saturday and surely enough Sunday as well. It was split into 2 ravishing episodes if I do say so myself.

[Hm, there must be some sort of job where you can study history and travel around the world and get paid lots of money for it.] Sadly, after receiving information about the BYU Jerusalem center, my hopes were dashed asunder by the capital required to assist such a fine institution. $10,000!!! (Roughly R$17,000 if I were to assist such a place here in Brazil ) However, I do meet all the other requirements to go. I will just have to find a suitable location to sell my "rubbish" organs that I don't use much.

[Yes, Jesus the Christ does come in a hardbound copy, but most LDS folk are too cheap to buy it. I have a leather-bound scripture-like version, but that is from the prehistoric days of my mission where people didn't have anything else to spend money on.] Is it bound in geniune Mammoth leather, or T Rex leather to match your coin purse?

[Do they know where the Fortaleza temple will be built yet?] Why of course! They have already purchased the land to build the temple! It is in Aldeota, residing near the downtown area of the city, where, in fact, the Mission Office happens to reside as well! It is in the area duly named "Dunas" perhaps because it is near the beach and thus the dunes. I haven't the foggiest though why it has that name to be honest.

I pray for the people in our humble area quite often because, sadly, many don't put much value to the attendance of Sunday church meetings. We teach many people about the Restored Gospel, but, in turn, many of the people don't desire such messages. They simply stop after the 1st lesson. Transfers occurred today and I was blessed enough to remain in the same area, with the same companion as well. So we have precisely 6 more weeks to do our Savior's work here. Things should begin to make a truly miraculous turn aroud however. We were blessed by finding an inactive member that stopped us on the street to ask if the church was functioning (since the building was recently constructed, 2 stories too, I might have already said that). We told her that it was, and we stopped by her house another day. We were surprised to discover that she was already a member. We have been able to teach her children though and to help in get married so that her husband can get married. Things should be rather blissful if all goes well!

And thus ends the tale of Elder Hawkes. The Lord lives and He is our Savior. We can repent for any sin that we may committ. I am sure about that, hand your life over to the Lord and let Him work miracles.

Was that better? I even made paragraphs for you and a conclusion.