Dá com Tempo e Fé

Oi gente,

 

Look who I met this week: Hamilton!! Yep, that's really his name, only he pronounces it exactly how everyone tries to say my name here, not pronouncing the H and putting more enphasis on the ILT. Small world.

 

Another week down here in Bangú. It's been quite an interesting week. A lot of trials, much discouragement, and actually many tears for our recent converts. Sometimes it can be hard trudging through these well expected mission trials. Luckily in the end, our diligence was rewarded.

 

Quaresma and Cristiane came to church yesterday!! They are a family in our ward who has been inactive for about a year. It has been a struggle for them to change their perspective and return to church.  Our persistence and the help of the ward resulted in their return yesterday. It is sure a sweet blessing to see families returning to church, partaking of the blessings that can only be claimed with weekly Sunday attendance.

 

 

Love you all and happy general conference week!!

 

Élder Hamilton

Missionário de A Igreja De Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro 

Bangúnça

Hey folks,

I've made it here in Bangú! It's crazy to see how much things can change when you cross a bridge. Fewer buildings, hills, and wild dogs, more dirt and loons. I arrived here to a great blessing, a baptism! Urubatan is the friend of a woman who was baptized just one week ago. He has 7 children and is the coolest guy ever. He is determined to do everything he can to improve his relationship with God. While his wife and daughter have created many obstacles and talked smack about the church, his strong testimony has helped him quickly stop drinking and forfeit his family's stash of coffee to us. He is a true example of change and how we can seek daily to be the best person we can be with the help of the gospel plan.

My new companion is Elder Alves. He is 20 and is from Brasilia. He likes to laugh and is a very good missionary. This area needs a lot of help. Our goal is to make some changes to increase the efficiency of the work here. We are excited to find many new people to teach. I love this work so much, and it is my desire to become better at it by learning how to utilize the gifts that my Heavenly Father has given me!

Adeus,

 

Élder Hamilton

Missionário de A Igreja De Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias

Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

Cumprirei

Oi,

Transfers are tomorrow and I am in a bittersweet state right now. Last Saturday we had a really cool charity activity here at the church. It was an event to donate church provided wheelchairs to handicapped people. It was a great reminder of the pricelessness of this life and the blessings the Lord grants to each and every one of us. I have been in this ward for over 5 months and have come to know and love so many people here. Yesterday the bishop invited me to share my testimony in sacrament meeting. Looking over the congregation, it was blissful to see all the familiar and all the new faces that have joined our ward recently. This morning, I was notified that I will leaving Ala Barreto tomorrow. I was hoping to stay at least one more transfer, it is so hard to leave all that is happening here. But I know I must go. I am excited to head off to a new area. Bangu (aparently to hottest area in the mission) will be a new adventure with new members, new contacts, new everything. I know this is an opportunity to stretch and grow as much I possibly can. This will certainly be a transfer of miracles!!

 

"Eu irei e cumprirei as ordens do Senhor, porque sei que o Senhor nunca dá ordens aos filhos dos homens sem antes preparar um caminho pelo qual suas ordens possam ser cumpridas." - 1 Néfi 3:7

 

Partiu

 

Élder Hamilton

Missionário de A Igreja De Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias

Ala Barreto - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro



 

Transfer

We received a quick email that Alex is transferring this week to the Bangu area of Rio de Janeiro.  Looking forward to details next week!

Depois da Prova Vêm As Bençãos

 Oi,

After many challenges and complications and mayhem and such, the Lord rewarded me, my companion, and the ward with a blessing: Mateus' baptism. He has attended the church a really long time but hasn't shown interest in being baptized until now. This week he made that great convenant: to follow Christ and do everything he needs to do to live with Him again someday. I am so grateful for Mateus and the example he has shown me by being willing to change to inherit eternal happiness with his family. The week ended with a really cool opportunity to bring the sacrament to a couple in our ward who are sick right now. Participating that intimate experience reminded me how significant and important our baptismal covenants are. As we come to the Lord humbly and become born again, the gates of Heaven are opened unto us. I am so grateful for my baptism and the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father while here on this earth. There is nothing more importante than to enjoy this mortal experience while preparing for the glorious day of our return.

 

Élder Hamilton

Missionário de A Igreja De Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias

Ala Barreto - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never Enough Time!

We received a brief email from Alex this morning that everything is well.  He planned to send a pictorial and must have run out of time before hitting the send key.  Something to look forward to next week!