The Calm Before the Storm
Well a lot has change since last week, nothing particularly groundbreaking but the work has just been very different. As mentioned last time, our area was split and Elder Alberto and I are training.
But what does that actually mean? Well the Napipine ward covers about 5 areas or neighborhoods. They are Napipine, Cavalaria, Carrupeia, Namicopo and Mimoria (and some other small ones). Elder Alberto and his new companion Elder De Almeida work in Napipine and Carrupeia. While Elder Jeremias and I work in Cavalaria, Namicopo and Mimoria. What does this mean to you? Probably nothing. So to actually give some useful information, Carrupeia is a really cool with a lot of cool friends, Napipine is alright but has a lot of people, Cavalaria is okay and has tons of members (mostly less active), and Namicopo and Mimoria are alright but don't have very many people. To simplify this, my area isn't super great right now. Our area needed split but neither of the new areas has quite enough people to work with. What does this mean to you? Probably nothing.
It has been especially fun as a trainer because basically all this responsibility falls on me. Elder Jeremias is great and already good at teaching and working, but all the planning falls on me. I have been doing well, but definitely could be better.
One of our days we literally just had our Bishop take to us to a bunch of less active church members. I was super worried because we basically didn't have any plans but it actually went super well. We met a lot of new people to work with and ended up having a really solid day.
But what does that actually mean? Well the Napipine ward covers about 5 areas or neighborhoods. They are Napipine, Cavalaria, Carrupeia, Namicopo and Mimoria (and some other small ones). Elder Alberto and his new companion Elder De Almeida work in Napipine and Carrupeia. While Elder Jeremias and I work in Cavalaria, Namicopo and Mimoria. What does this mean to you? Probably nothing. So to actually give some useful information, Carrupeia is a really cool with a lot of cool friends, Napipine is alright but has a lot of people, Cavalaria is okay and has tons of members (mostly less active), and Namicopo and Mimoria are alright but don't have very many people. To simplify this, my area isn't super great right now. Our area needed split but neither of the new areas has quite enough people to work with. What does this mean to you? Probably nothing.
It has been especially fun as a trainer because basically all this responsibility falls on me. Elder Jeremias is great and already good at teaching and working, but all the planning falls on me. I have been doing well, but definitely could be better.
One of our days we literally just had our Bishop take to us to a bunch of less active church members. I was super worried because we basically didn't have any plans but it actually went super well. We met a lot of new people to work with and ended up having a really solid day.
One of the members we visited was honestly a little crazy, she was very happy to be a member and have a visit (although she is never at church). She really liked me a lot because I looked like the missionary who baptized her, even though he looks pretty different and is Brazilian. I am pretty sure it was because I am white and tall, so she just assumed I was him. Anyway it was weird.
Another weird visit this week was with a friend that had been taught before. We got there and found out that he pretty much didn't know anything but knew the missionaries. So we started teaching the about the Restoration of the Gospel. We were just wrapping up when two of his friends came over and wanted to hear our message too. We started to teach it all over again but then they interrupted us. Then they launched into how to start a church here, telling us that we need to learn the African dialect, have the locals spread our message and translate our meeting into every language here. It was pretty funny, it all made sense but we can't really do any of those things. But after 20 minutes we managed to leave and go to our next lesson.
This next week is going to be super busy, we have zone conference, an investigator's wedding, a baptism, and to top it all off, an exchange with the AP's. Yeah it is going to be fun. But it all just a part of being a missionary. It will all work out. Doesn't mean but it will be easy, in fact it rarely is, but it is all a part of life. Our challenges only help us improve. And though them we can become something more than we are now.
Corrections:
I said that I was 1 of 3 trainers, my companion informed there are actually 5 (so I am a little less special).
I said before that people here believe that being in the rain will give you malaria, to clarify this is just a saying and people know that malaria comes from mosquitoes. They do still avoid being in the rain like the plague, mostly because you can get a cold and the rain water isn't clean.
Another weird visit this week was with a friend that had been taught before. We got there and found out that he pretty much didn't know anything but knew the missionaries. So we started teaching the about the Restoration of the Gospel. We were just wrapping up when two of his friends came over and wanted to hear our message too. We started to teach it all over again but then they interrupted us. Then they launched into how to start a church here, telling us that we need to learn the African dialect, have the locals spread our message and translate our meeting into every language here. It was pretty funny, it all made sense but we can't really do any of those things. But after 20 minutes we managed to leave and go to our next lesson.
This next week is going to be super busy, we have zone conference, an investigator's wedding, a baptism, and to top it all off, an exchange with the AP's. Yeah it is going to be fun. But it all just a part of being a missionary. It will all work out. Doesn't mean but it will be easy, in fact it rarely is, but it is all a part of life. Our challenges only help us improve. And though them we can become something more than we are now.
Corrections:
I said that I was 1 of 3 trainers, my companion informed there are actually 5 (so I am a little less special).
I said before that people here believe that being in the rain will give you malaria, to clarify this is just a saying and people know that malaria comes from mosquitoes. They do still avoid being in the rain like the plague, mostly because you can get a cold and the rain water isn't clean.
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| A giant millipede at the airport |
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| Elder Jeremias, my companion, and me |
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| An overgrown house and a bunch of plants |
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| A monastery in our area |
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