Conserve Tua Rota

 

Things sure are changing here. So much is happening that my mind is absolutely blank on what I should write. So I'll share two announcements and a cool story.

1 - I forgot if I said anything yet about this, but we started teaching a free english class here in the church. Its started out slow with our "alunos" (yeah I cant remember this word in english) but it is starting to bring success now.

 

2 - This week, President Cabral has made a mission-wide challenge to for us to bring 20 investigators to sacrament meeting to each and every ward in the mission. Pray for us, I really want to see this miracle happen.

Story: I spent a trip to the mission office last p-day and the money that I had saved up to get this CTR ring. I lost the one I brought with me on the mission and this was a major upgrade. Pretty sick CTR ring huh?

 

Yesterday, a man came to church who we hadn't seen before. His name is Rodrigo and it had been about 3 years since he had attended church. He told us about the tragic death of his mother a few days back and how she had given him a CTR ring that served as a reminder and helped him years back stay strong and faithful.   But some years back he lost his ring. With tears in his eyes, he asked if there was any way that we could help him get a new ring, that it would be everything for him to have that remembrance again of his mother and his testimony. We told him that we would talk to bishop and see if there was anything we could do. Then the prompting came that I should give my awesome new ring to him.   Despite this feeling, we proceeded to inquire and search the church and the members for a spare ring.  We quickly realized there weren't any out there. I still fought hard against the spiritual prompting to give away my ring. But after a sacrament meeting filled with much prayer and contemplation, I realized what I had to do. After the meeting, I took my ring off, found the man and told him that we had found a ring for him. He looked at me and my companion with tears in his eyes. Words don't describe the joy in his eyes and in my heart in knowing that I did what the Lord needed from me to help this man. He has invited us to come to his house to visit and teach his nonmember wife and two sons.

Sacrifices are not easy. At times they are against our human nature. But when we make an offering to the Lord in obedience, money can't buy the happiness and rewards that lie  ahead.  I realize more than ever that I am just a man. Weak and poor, but with the power of God, can help miracles happen for those I love.

Eu amo vocês!

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

No Changes in Bangu

Transfers are today.  I took pictures with everyone in the ward yesterday, expecting that I would be transferred. It just so happens that both me and my companion are staying, going on our third transfer together. our district mates Elder Leite and Hobbs also stayed here in Realengo.  Not much happened mission wide.  I will pray for patience and understanding of purpose.  I'm actually excited about many of the things ahead here and am happy to be staying.

 

 

Here are the pictures I promised:

1 - World Cup (An embarrassment for Brazil... only consulation us that Argentina didn't win)

2 - The ripped suit pants

3 - Elder Call - found him

4 - Meus Texanos

5 - Me and Bishop Malguven

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

 

Começar Com o Resultado Final em Mente

There are about a million things that happened this week, so I'll share a bunch of short stories. Let's see how that goes.

 

I almost killed a cat yesterday.

Everyone stops me in the street now to let me know that the United States is out of the cup. Tell me something I didn't know.

Everyone is very excited for Brasil now. Despite the ridiculous Neymar injury and Thiago Silva out of the next game, the people have faith that we can beat Germany.

We met our new mission president this week.

Just before the mission conference started, I was helping remove some heavy wrestling mats in the church gym, and out of nowhere, my pants ripped and created a HUGE hole in the behind. I had to keep my suit on and walk like an awkward penguin for the rest of the meeting. (I'll send pics next week)

I've made some new diet goals.

President Cabral is awesome!! He is from Fortaleza Brazil and is a professor in Portuguese. Very smart and an incredible speaker. He can't be any taller than 5'2 but is a very inspirated man of God. I can go on forever talking about him, I am very excited to work with him!

We are teaching an awesome new investigator! He has the same name as my mom. Michel is the friend of Jairo, a soon to be missionary from our ward, and he is looking for a change in his life and is feeling that in the Church of Jesus Christ is the right place. He accepted a baptismal date for July 19th, and we are excited to work with him.

President Cabral has created the following new slogan for the mission: "Começar Com o Resultado Final em Mente" or "Start with the end result in mind". There are some changes being made so that we we don't just baptize and leave new members on their own, but stay involved step by step until families make it to the temple. My vision for the work has grown so much this week. I'm so grateful for the privilege to serve as a missionary during this amazing time.  It will be rewarding to be more involved with the people I have grown to love so much.

I'll send pictures next week. Love ya'll!

Até a próxima,

 

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro


 

Deus Vos Guarde - Presidente e Sister Lima

Thursday was President and Sister Lima's last mission conference with us. Of course it was nothing short of spiritual mind blowing. I will have to admit, saying goodbye to President Lima was really hard, I bawled like a baby. President Lima lead an epic effort of missionary work here in Rio full of baptisms, reactivation, retention, and leading the way for temple construction. Our new President, President Cabral, and his wife  arrive here the 27th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                           

 

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

As Famílias Poderão Ser Eternas

So much to say and of course so little time...

It's been my privilege to receive lots of good news from home, about my family and friends and all the great progress that is happening there. I hope to get the time to individually respond, but until then, I want to let you all know that I love you.

Sounds like everyone is curious about how the world cup is going. Well it´s been pretty crazy here. So many parties. It has resulted in many slow days, but we are working around all that. Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to watch the games and our mission president has directed us to stay home during the games. He said, "missionaries are set apart from the 'world', and as so we must not participate in the 'world' cup." Outside of actual game times, we are bombarded by 24/7 recaps everywhere. GO BRAZIL!!

This week has been great with Tiago and Louise. Tiago was baptized and confirmed a member of the church this weekend!!  It's been incredible to see how he has changed line upon line, precept upon precept and the impact that his baptism has made in his life. And he already has an interview set to receive the priesthood, and he and Louise have set a goal to be sealed in the temple. The path with this family has taught me so much and has helped me realize the importance of families in this life and the necessity of the Gospel to help us through.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is Christ's church. His priesthood has been restored, and families can be together forever.

"e em ti serão abençoadas todas as famílias da terra, sim, com as bençãos do Evangelho, que são as bençãos de salvação, sim, da vida eterna."

- Abraão 2:11

 

 

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro


 

Rellow!

News Report:  Elder Fonseca and I are keeping it rolling here in Bangu.  People here in Rio view people from southern Brazil the way most americans view people from the southern states, wild and weird accents.  Now I'm picking up my companion's accent and weird uses of the language.

This transfer is off to a good start.  We have been determined to work more with families in our ward and have found a great part-member family.  Luise has recently returned to church and we have started working with her husband Tiago.  They are an awesome couple.  We have scheduled Tiago's baptism for this Saturday!  Tiago is setting a great example for his father-in-law who hasn't been active in the church for many years.

This weekend was stake conference.  Sunday was a special broadcast to the stakes and branches in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.  We also had training from Elder Scott and Elder Ballard from the quorum of the twelve and leaders from the church general relief society and Brazilian members of the seventy.  I've become accustomed to watching church conferences and video with english being translated into portugese.  It was cool to see a mixture of that and straight up portugese from the general authorities.  I was waiting to hear the translation when Richard G. Scott started to speak, but he spoke in portugese!  Yeah, Elder Scott is fluent in portugese.  It was a great and inspirational conference.  I'm grateful for the guidance and direction we receive from God's servants. This is his church.

Tchau,

Elder Hamilton

Agora, To Caindo

I planned to write a nice long letter for my one year mark, but due to an assignment from President, I am low on time and have to make this fast.

It's official, I'm on the downslope. It is hard to believe that I have actually hit the year mark. It's a great time of reflection: where I've come from, what I've accomplished, what I have ahead of me, and what I need to do. I'm am so grateful for the success the Lord has granted me and the experiences that have changed my life. I feel like I don't deserve all this, but I know that I have so much more to do, and more responsibilities ahead for me. It's my prayer that this next half can be even better than the first and that I can leave Rio better than I found it. This is the work of salvation and happiness.

Só isso,

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro