Fiquei!

Bom dia!

 

The long trip from Cabo Frio to Botafogo and back is over now. We've survived transfers.

 

So I stayed in São Pedro (halelujah!!) and my new companion is Elder Dieffenback. He is 20, from Wisconsin, and has just a little less time than me on the mission. He's a legit and good missionary and we are off to a solid start. Today is our first offical day of work, and we will remark the 5 baptisms we had marked. Yeah, this will be a great transfer! Forever São Pedro

 

Fotos:

 

 

 

Hey look dad they have Rotary here!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch with Adriana and Miguel

Rio das Ostras

 

 

 

 

 

 

I taught LeSueur to make this knot. He goes home tomorrow, weird stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well that's it for the week. So I was cut short and now I'm going to eat lunch. Until next week!!

 

Com amor e fé,

 

Élder Hamilton

Missionário d'A Igreja De Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias

Ala Cabo Frio, Estaca Macaé - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

 

 

Meu Proposito (My Purpose)

Meus queridos,

Wow, what an unanticipated week. Don't know how this happened, but this was probably one of the roughest and greatest weeks of my mission.

So, more about the area. São Pedro is in "A Região dos Lagos" or "the lake region" of Rio and there are many beautiful beaches, the ocean and lakes. We are trying to concentrate our work here around the town center in the neighborhoods where it is more likely to have a new church. Me and Elder Morales are starting together really well. We've really gotten to know each other. I've never had a companion like him. I'm really learning to make sacrifices to help my companion be the better half and the love is rubbing off on our investigators.

After almost a year and a half into the mission, I finally cried for the first time while teaching investigators. We are working really hard with this family, Adriana and Miguel. We set dates for them for this coming saturday, when their circumstances became really difficult.  Miguel has spent this last week taking care of his mom who had an emergency, and their family has been going from some rough times. When we taught Adriana about fasting, I shared my testimony and experience of how fasting has blessed my family, and it was one of those moments where the spirit was so strong and we could see and feel her change of heart. Now we are fasting together to help their family become prepared for baptism.

Well my time is dying. I wanted to say so much more, so I will give a quick version of the weekend that I truly learned to love and work with my mission president.  You can ask me more about it when we meet again.  These last 6 or so months have honestly been really rough and I have been full of questions and sometimes even doubt about my purpose here. This weekend I was privileged to spend even more time with him between interviews, trainings, and a missionary activity with our zone. I have learned how truly inspired he is. The trust and gratitude he has expressed in the work I am doing. And as much as my head has been spinning and feelings of doubt that the inimigo throws at me, I have come to understand the unique purpose I have in the team of the Rio mission. And I am so greatful for my loving mission president and the honor I have to work with him.

That's it. Love you all!

 

Élder Hamilton

Missionário d'A Igreja De Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias

Ala Cabo Frio, Estaca Macaé - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

São Pedro de Aldeia

I'm going to write this email as quickly and patiently as I can. Things have changed ... again.

 

Last week, I was in the mission office. The plan was for me to wait in the mission office for two weeks until new missionaries would arrive from Sao Paulo and I would return to Itaboraí to train an American. Then out of nowhere, Presidente called me and asked me to pack my bags and go with him to the stake conference in Arsenal (it was easy to pack since I still only had a small bag and the rest of my stuff was still in Itaboraí). While we were away at the conference Presidente called in four other missionaries, interviewed them, and assigned all five of us to different areas to resolve problems in various parts of the mission.  I have been sent to São Pedro de Aldeia to create several branches out of the existing Cabo Frio ward.  São Pedro de Aldeia is a coastal beach area of Rio. My companion is Elder Morales. I was actually really excited when I heard he would be my compantion. We served together in Niterói. He is awesome we are great friends. He is from North Carolina and has been out about a year.

 

Among all the change and chaos, I remain steadfast in my belief that this is Christ's work.  It is that conviction and knowledge of this doctrine that keeps me unshaken despite the trials and waves that afflict us. Christ is my
rock and I will never be shaken (Helaman 5:12)

Love y'all!!

 

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

 

Caraca Muleuqe

Olá!!

It's funny how I make a promise to write a good email the next P-Day and how much harder that becomes. Well, I'm a man of my word.

Let's go back 4 weeks to explain 3 different areas with 4 different companions.

So it was mid-way through last transfer when me and Elder Fonseca split Bangu into 2 proselyting areas and took on 2 new gringo companions. My samoan son (Elder Apo) and I hit the ground running in the untouched lands of Bangu, Senador Camará, Santissimo, with it's great and spacious favelas (I lost count of how many cat lives I have, but I lost one more of them). It was an intensely hard three weeks but we had many miracles finding, teaching, and inviting people to come unto Christ. But then transfer came, and we were surprisedly transfered!

I went to an area called Itaboraí. Close to my first area here. I love Itaboraí. I kept the work going with Elder Souza, a legit kid from the capital of São Paulo. He is a great missionary and really loves the investigators here. And there are a ton of them!! Only problem is the area is huge and none of them live close to the other. We'll work on that.

On Saturday the assistants called and told us we needed to report to the mission office for emergency transfers. My companion was told to pack his bags, and I was told to bring 4 days worth of clothes. When we got to the mission office, my companion was called to be interviewed. Sadly, he went back to São Paulo.

And now I have been called as the referal secretary for the mission Rio de Janiero (basically the calling for missionaries who get sick and need to pass time in the mission office).  It's President's goal to find a new companion for me by Wednesday so I can return to my awesome area. Doesn't look too promising yet.

Despite all the change and chaos, my friends, I am so happy! It's such a privilege to be a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. He lives. He loves us and has made possible our salvation. It is the fire that burns within me regardless of where and what I am called to do in this mission. I know that this mission is directed by an inspired president called of God to hasten the work of salvation in "Cidade Maravilhosa".

I love you all!!

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

Mudança

Olá!!

So little time to write this week!

So everything was all normal and going how it had been going. Until 7pm on P-Day, the assistants called us and said, "Elder Fonseca and Elder Hamilton, tomorrow at 1pm, you need to be at the mission office. You both will be training new missionaries. Elder Fonseca will take area 'Bangu 1' and Elder Hamilton will open 'Bangu 2'."

My companion is Elder Apo. He is from Samoa and he is awesome!! He's 19, speaks fluent  English, and he hunts fish with spears. We are working on the east side of the area that comprises of the neighborhoods Bangu and Senador Camara. It's far away from the church and we did very little work on this side of the area, because we are supposed to focus on working around the church. Well not anymore. Its funny how much time I have in this area and how little I know the area now. But its been a fun start. The ward is super excited about  the new missionaries. I know without a doubt that we will be seeing a lot of miraculous changes here in the next few weeks!!

Thats it for now. Love you all!!

 

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

Hi

Today just a quick note out to everyone who might be waiting for emails or letters or frustrated by the brief correspondence from me.  Please know that I love you all and I am doing all I can within my personal limitations and in obedience to mission rules. Here's a scripture to study - D&C 101:32 (replace "the Lord" with "Alex")

Here's the zone:

 

Tchau galera!

 

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

 

Just Another Week in Bangu

Here's a quick update.

The zone is changing alot. Opening up for sets of missionaries in the ward and the leadership has greatly improved. A new couple will come to Bangu in the next couple of weeks. Realengo is looking for a new house right now.

We are doing some awesome work with our ward mission leader Jairo. He has two more months until he leaves for his mission, so he is on fire to organize some activities and help the ward become more involved. We are calling a strong group of new ward missionaries and we will start training them to help find new investigators.

On Saturday we were eating lunch with Irmã Alice. She served a mission in Brasilia some years back and she introduced us to her 9 year old niece. We taught her the restoration and she is so smart! Understood the lesson better than most adults I've taught. She wants to be baptized and has a date for the 13th!

Well thats it for now. Abraço!

 

Élder Hamilton

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

Ala Bangú - Missão Brasil Rio De Janeiro