Tuesday (terça-feira): we had district
meeting as usual and it was the last one with everyone in the zone there because
its transfers this week so some people are moving on, but really it was a
pretty slow day on Tuesday we only had one lesson go through so that means your
average day of walking all over the place but welcome the mission! We also practiced up a storm for the musical
number! I was kind of a just a tiny bit nervous about that so when we would get
home at night that may have been my focus so now that it’s actually over I can
catch up on my journal and actually relax a little!
Wednesday (quarta-feira): we did a division with one of the areas in our district, Serraria. I stayed in our area and it was quite the day! that was the first time that I had to navigate the area by myself because the one other division we did I was the one that went to a different area so it was a nice little test to see if I actually how to get places in our area and I think I did well. The division didn’t start until one thirty but we started thing out by getting someone from the ward to come with us to get some lessons with members, we knocked some doors, met some new people and got fed quite a bit. I really like the Elder I was with. He is brand new in the mission and only had one transfer so 6 weeks but he is Brazilian so obviously has the Portuguese so it’s was way cool to be able to see him in action conjugating everything the way it actually should be done. He was quite the spiritual kid so I definitely learned a ton and overall it was just a solid day! He was also eating up our area because he just kept on saying how the work is so hard in their area. We visited an investigator family, I could name everyone off for forever but it’s a huge family that all lives together in the same house so it’s always madness and they love us. We actually taught I think the only person in the house that we never taught before, so it was a productive stop in too even if they may have kept us there for 2 hours talking away. But there really isn’t that shocking for that house because so much is always going on but essentially I’m just really glad I am where I am! Because everyone always says all of Diadema the work is pretty easy but I think every area in the mission has its positives and negatives but we had to end the division.
Thursday (quinta-feira): Thursday was definitely a good day! We got a solid 5 lessons which I’m plenty proud of for one day and we got someone to mark a date for baptism! A little background info, on Wednesday we marked with someone we made a contact with on the street but when we went to where her house should have been, the number didn’t exist so I asked all the houses around the area if they recognized her and no one did sadly but that was how we met our new investigator. The conversation started out if she knew our contact and went from there to can we come by and talk to you tomorrow because she was pretty excited! So excited that after the first lesson, the first time we actually talked with her she marked for baptism on the 29th but sadly that can’t happen anymore because she didn’t come to church this Sunday so now we have to push it back one more week and she was definitely prepared as well! It’s so amazing that the only thing that we had to do is share the knowledge that we have, talk about the blessings we have received and bear simple witness and God takes care of the rest. This work is amazing! The opportunity to see people completely change their lives right in front of your eyes is something that cannot be replaced! Also knowing that you helped someone make that change is one of the greatest feelings ever. We also talked a recent convert and had English class that night that the bishop actually attended so that was fun but no pressure. It was just numbers which is pretty easy to teach so I held my own and well as of this transfer I better get used to holding my own because well I’m gonna break the news to you all now.... Pedersen is going away. My daddy of the mission, devastation I tell you and I am actually kind of pretty nervous about solo teaching but I should get the hang of it fast enough or at least I’m hoping so. But anyways after we got up to 999,999 on the numbers we did a quick little scripture study which turned out to be not so little at all. The class is usually over at 8:30 so we can get home by 9 on time but it went to 8:45 so we were already a tad bit behind in the first place but instead of me trying to explain all the scriptures in the Bible about the Book of Mormon, the bishop was all over it and well he really got into it. He switched back into missionary mode and our investigator got all of her questions answered, it just may have taken some time. We may not have gotten back at the house until almost 10 but they Bishop was with us, he knows our curfew but he let it slide I guess. It was really cool to be able to see him in missionary mode and hear how to actually explain the scriptures well. The week before in English class she asked us to show her some but I didn’t a ton of the top of my head so I pulled out the Isaiah scriptures but said id study and come back with more and well I came plenty prepared with a solid 10 but the Bishop was all over it and he is one spiritual guy! I really just got pretty lucky with my ward but onto Friday!
Friday (sexta-feira): Not much went down at all, another one of those days. We talked to our new baptisms and did some lessons with them and talked to our investigator that was really progressing but then just stopped and won’t come to church, keep appointments, or obviously commit to baptism but ugh it’s just tough with her because she was so close to committing but then slowly started falling away and as much as I really don’t want to admit to this I’m pretty sure we lost her for at least right now. She is back hanging out with her partier friends and she is changing. We talked to her and it was like our power lesson, focus on baptism, and kind of guilt trip and ask her what she wants to do type lesson. We were fasting to get ready for the conference with Elder Cook but we invited her to fast with us about what she should really do. Well as of right now still no word from her because we haven’t had time to go to her house and she didn’t come to church but that’s when the work gets tough, "dropping" people... especially people that know it’s true but there are so many people that are prepared and are ready to make the covenants with God right now. We talked with the bishopric on Sunday in our little meeting we started having about the ward helping her realize that you can have fun in the Church so that is the next step but I’m thinking it could take a while to get her back to where she was. We just have to get her to follow through with the things she knows
Saturday (sabado): Saturday was quite the day I tell you! I had my first singing performance which went pretty great if I do say so myself :), I got to see the old CTM district again, we got some more mail (sadly still no sign of packages and lastly but most importantly we got to hear the words of God through one of his disciples on earth today Elder Cook! Let’s start things off at the beginning though! We got to São Bernardo at 8 in the morning to "practice" and well no one was there yet so we warded a little, came back at the 8:30 and it seemed like half the mission was there. I saw some Elders from the CTM and so we were chatting it up, re living the old days, telling mission stories and just bonding. I told him and essentially everyone else there about my first baptism story and well that was a hit. An Elder from the CTM and well he thinks he tore a ligament in his ankle. They thought it was broken and took like 12 x rays but now they think he tore something and he said they just sit in front of the church all day and try and hand stuff out there but man I feel bad for the kid and he is now staying in my prayers because that would stink more than anything to have to go home to get surgery or something like that. But after some madness of the assistants trying to get control of everyone, we finally got to practice the number a couple times with everyone and the piano and it was a little sketchy during the practice because it was hard to hear yourself and the piano and stuff but prayer was about the only thing I had at that point because after only practicing it two and a half ways through, Elder Cook showed up so it was game time! He came with Elder Mazzegardi the area 70 here and also the one who gave the closing prayer in the Sunday afternoon session of conference. President and Sister Tanner started things off with their talks and then we were up... did I feel like I was gonna die…of course not. It’s not like I have never sung before in my life, it was in front of the entire mission and an Apostle and it was recorded.... no biggie right? But well it turned out pretty solid! We didn’t have many tenors so were all just kind of holding ourselves and I help my own so I guess the process of beginning to learn how to sing has begun! Youre all gonna be in for a treat in two years but onto the real highlight, Elder Cook! He talked about converção real or real conversion and it was a pretty great talk but it was funny because the two things that hit me the hardest were new scriptures that he showed us or new principles. They were two things that we hear all the time as missionaries but when an apostle of God is speaking directly to you, it makes it a little more profound. he said this is EXACTLY where all of you are supposed to be. I get the chills just writing that and I have always known that this was what I was supposed to be doing, I got my answer a long time ago but the comfort and the spirit that I felt was amazing. The other point that hit me like a wall was that no matter how hard anything gets or how unfair something is, everything is made fair through the atonement of our Savior. Wow did that hit home because yes this mission is hard. I’m not gonna lie and say it’s all fun and dandy and I’m in one of the better off areas in the mission but things still get hard. No matter how bad things may feel, all I have to remember is that Christ has been through EXACTLY what I have been through and that this is EXACTLY where I’m supposed to be. Wow. I just love this mission!!!! After that though we got our little sack lunches and were on our way, back to the real world the rest of the night we just worked on but not much more happened or at least compared to the stuff that happened earlier nothing felt that noticeable time is just weird on the mission I tell you.
Sunday (domingo): Another pretty big day! It was the day I did my first confirmation/blessing in Portuguese and well it went pretty solid. I was kind of freaking out about that for the last half of the week but I didn’t want to memorize anything for the blessing so it was tough to really feel like I was prepared but I had the opening prayer part down anyways it of course wasn’t as smooth or eloquent as I wanted but my companion said I didn’t conjugate anything wrong that was what I was freaking out about because it was ALL subjunctive conjugations, hence it changing every time, which are mega hard to remember... especially when you are the spot like that but hey I didn’t screw up too bad and even if my whole body was like seizing I was shaking so bad I survived. I had this weird quiver in my knee that started out small but got bigger until this shake consumed my whole body so that was interesting but also our recent convert got a calling! That was mega exciting because my first baptism in the mission is staying strong and already has a calling wooooooo! Other than that though not much went down, and the other big point of the day that I’ve got to talk about before I run out of time was the transfers! We were kind of freaking out, we got home early to do our area book updating and all of that stuff and well turns out they took forever deciding what was gonna happen for this transfer because we had to stay up until 11:15 to finally find out who was going where and what was going to happen! Well here is the news, like I already said, my trainer is going away and I’m gonna miss the kid like crazy. I really learned more than I thought possible from him. And I was really hoping we could get one more together but well apparently that’s no supposed to happen because he is off to Orquedario in Santos which is down by the beach so it’s the biaxada where is insanely hot and is exactly where he doesn’t want to go so that kind of stinks but he is finishing the training of another missionary so I’ll have a brother on the mission and I’m pretty excited about that. I get a Brazilian companion. I love you all and don’t ever forget that! Keep the emails coming and I’ll talk to you all next week!
ELDER GUBLER
Wednesday (quarta-feira): we did a division with one of the areas in our district, Serraria. I stayed in our area and it was quite the day! that was the first time that I had to navigate the area by myself because the one other division we did I was the one that went to a different area so it was a nice little test to see if I actually how to get places in our area and I think I did well. The division didn’t start until one thirty but we started thing out by getting someone from the ward to come with us to get some lessons with members, we knocked some doors, met some new people and got fed quite a bit. I really like the Elder I was with. He is brand new in the mission and only had one transfer so 6 weeks but he is Brazilian so obviously has the Portuguese so it’s was way cool to be able to see him in action conjugating everything the way it actually should be done. He was quite the spiritual kid so I definitely learned a ton and overall it was just a solid day! He was also eating up our area because he just kept on saying how the work is so hard in their area. We visited an investigator family, I could name everyone off for forever but it’s a huge family that all lives together in the same house so it’s always madness and they love us. We actually taught I think the only person in the house that we never taught before, so it was a productive stop in too even if they may have kept us there for 2 hours talking away. But there really isn’t that shocking for that house because so much is always going on but essentially I’m just really glad I am where I am! Because everyone always says all of Diadema the work is pretty easy but I think every area in the mission has its positives and negatives but we had to end the division.
Thursday (quinta-feira): Thursday was definitely a good day! We got a solid 5 lessons which I’m plenty proud of for one day and we got someone to mark a date for baptism! A little background info, on Wednesday we marked with someone we made a contact with on the street but when we went to where her house should have been, the number didn’t exist so I asked all the houses around the area if they recognized her and no one did sadly but that was how we met our new investigator. The conversation started out if she knew our contact and went from there to can we come by and talk to you tomorrow because she was pretty excited! So excited that after the first lesson, the first time we actually talked with her she marked for baptism on the 29th but sadly that can’t happen anymore because she didn’t come to church this Sunday so now we have to push it back one more week and she was definitely prepared as well! It’s so amazing that the only thing that we had to do is share the knowledge that we have, talk about the blessings we have received and bear simple witness and God takes care of the rest. This work is amazing! The opportunity to see people completely change their lives right in front of your eyes is something that cannot be replaced! Also knowing that you helped someone make that change is one of the greatest feelings ever. We also talked a recent convert and had English class that night that the bishop actually attended so that was fun but no pressure. It was just numbers which is pretty easy to teach so I held my own and well as of this transfer I better get used to holding my own because well I’m gonna break the news to you all now.... Pedersen is going away. My daddy of the mission, devastation I tell you and I am actually kind of pretty nervous about solo teaching but I should get the hang of it fast enough or at least I’m hoping so. But anyways after we got up to 999,999 on the numbers we did a quick little scripture study which turned out to be not so little at all. The class is usually over at 8:30 so we can get home by 9 on time but it went to 8:45 so we were already a tad bit behind in the first place but instead of me trying to explain all the scriptures in the Bible about the Book of Mormon, the bishop was all over it and well he really got into it. He switched back into missionary mode and our investigator got all of her questions answered, it just may have taken some time. We may not have gotten back at the house until almost 10 but they Bishop was with us, he knows our curfew but he let it slide I guess. It was really cool to be able to see him in missionary mode and hear how to actually explain the scriptures well. The week before in English class she asked us to show her some but I didn’t a ton of the top of my head so I pulled out the Isaiah scriptures but said id study and come back with more and well I came plenty prepared with a solid 10 but the Bishop was all over it and he is one spiritual guy! I really just got pretty lucky with my ward but onto Friday!
Friday (sexta-feira): Not much went down at all, another one of those days. We talked to our new baptisms and did some lessons with them and talked to our investigator that was really progressing but then just stopped and won’t come to church, keep appointments, or obviously commit to baptism but ugh it’s just tough with her because she was so close to committing but then slowly started falling away and as much as I really don’t want to admit to this I’m pretty sure we lost her for at least right now. She is back hanging out with her partier friends and she is changing. We talked to her and it was like our power lesson, focus on baptism, and kind of guilt trip and ask her what she wants to do type lesson. We were fasting to get ready for the conference with Elder Cook but we invited her to fast with us about what she should really do. Well as of right now still no word from her because we haven’t had time to go to her house and she didn’t come to church but that’s when the work gets tough, "dropping" people... especially people that know it’s true but there are so many people that are prepared and are ready to make the covenants with God right now. We talked with the bishopric on Sunday in our little meeting we started having about the ward helping her realize that you can have fun in the Church so that is the next step but I’m thinking it could take a while to get her back to where she was. We just have to get her to follow through with the things she knows
Saturday (sabado): Saturday was quite the day I tell you! I had my first singing performance which went pretty great if I do say so myself :), I got to see the old CTM district again, we got some more mail (sadly still no sign of packages and lastly but most importantly we got to hear the words of God through one of his disciples on earth today Elder Cook! Let’s start things off at the beginning though! We got to São Bernardo at 8 in the morning to "practice" and well no one was there yet so we warded a little, came back at the 8:30 and it seemed like half the mission was there. I saw some Elders from the CTM and so we were chatting it up, re living the old days, telling mission stories and just bonding. I told him and essentially everyone else there about my first baptism story and well that was a hit. An Elder from the CTM and well he thinks he tore a ligament in his ankle. They thought it was broken and took like 12 x rays but now they think he tore something and he said they just sit in front of the church all day and try and hand stuff out there but man I feel bad for the kid and he is now staying in my prayers because that would stink more than anything to have to go home to get surgery or something like that. But after some madness of the assistants trying to get control of everyone, we finally got to practice the number a couple times with everyone and the piano and it was a little sketchy during the practice because it was hard to hear yourself and the piano and stuff but prayer was about the only thing I had at that point because after only practicing it two and a half ways through, Elder Cook showed up so it was game time! He came with Elder Mazzegardi the area 70 here and also the one who gave the closing prayer in the Sunday afternoon session of conference. President and Sister Tanner started things off with their talks and then we were up... did I feel like I was gonna die…of course not. It’s not like I have never sung before in my life, it was in front of the entire mission and an Apostle and it was recorded.... no biggie right? But well it turned out pretty solid! We didn’t have many tenors so were all just kind of holding ourselves and I help my own so I guess the process of beginning to learn how to sing has begun! Youre all gonna be in for a treat in two years but onto the real highlight, Elder Cook! He talked about converção real or real conversion and it was a pretty great talk but it was funny because the two things that hit me the hardest were new scriptures that he showed us or new principles. They were two things that we hear all the time as missionaries but when an apostle of God is speaking directly to you, it makes it a little more profound. he said this is EXACTLY where all of you are supposed to be. I get the chills just writing that and I have always known that this was what I was supposed to be doing, I got my answer a long time ago but the comfort and the spirit that I felt was amazing. The other point that hit me like a wall was that no matter how hard anything gets or how unfair something is, everything is made fair through the atonement of our Savior. Wow did that hit home because yes this mission is hard. I’m not gonna lie and say it’s all fun and dandy and I’m in one of the better off areas in the mission but things still get hard. No matter how bad things may feel, all I have to remember is that Christ has been through EXACTLY what I have been through and that this is EXACTLY where I’m supposed to be. Wow. I just love this mission!!!! After that though we got our little sack lunches and were on our way, back to the real world the rest of the night we just worked on but not much more happened or at least compared to the stuff that happened earlier nothing felt that noticeable time is just weird on the mission I tell you.
Sunday (domingo): Another pretty big day! It was the day I did my first confirmation/blessing in Portuguese and well it went pretty solid. I was kind of freaking out about that for the last half of the week but I didn’t want to memorize anything for the blessing so it was tough to really feel like I was prepared but I had the opening prayer part down anyways it of course wasn’t as smooth or eloquent as I wanted but my companion said I didn’t conjugate anything wrong that was what I was freaking out about because it was ALL subjunctive conjugations, hence it changing every time, which are mega hard to remember... especially when you are the spot like that but hey I didn’t screw up too bad and even if my whole body was like seizing I was shaking so bad I survived. I had this weird quiver in my knee that started out small but got bigger until this shake consumed my whole body so that was interesting but also our recent convert got a calling! That was mega exciting because my first baptism in the mission is staying strong and already has a calling wooooooo! Other than that though not much went down, and the other big point of the day that I’ve got to talk about before I run out of time was the transfers! We were kind of freaking out, we got home early to do our area book updating and all of that stuff and well turns out they took forever deciding what was gonna happen for this transfer because we had to stay up until 11:15 to finally find out who was going where and what was going to happen! Well here is the news, like I already said, my trainer is going away and I’m gonna miss the kid like crazy. I really learned more than I thought possible from him. And I was really hoping we could get one more together but well apparently that’s no supposed to happen because he is off to Orquedario in Santos which is down by the beach so it’s the biaxada where is insanely hot and is exactly where he doesn’t want to go so that kind of stinks but he is finishing the training of another missionary so I’ll have a brother on the mission and I’m pretty excited about that. I get a Brazilian companion. I love you all and don’t ever forget that! Keep the emails coming and I’ll talk to you all next week!
ELDER GUBLER
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