Actually don't have much time to write and luckily this week was really good...but nothing that was too noteworthy.
Next week the two missionaries that are living with us are going to leave and we are going to have to take over their area...leaving our area HUGE. It will be cool though, I just have to do some divisions with them to make sure I know the area and where the investigator's houses are and everything before they leave...
I am grateful for the emails that I get and Happy Father's Day to all, and to all a good night!
-Elder Parsons
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
No transfer
Well, my companion and I went to transfers today. However, neither of us were transferred.
Explanation: we live in our house with another set of missionaries. However, president "closed" there area and sent another 2 here to replace them. So we went to transfers to pick up the 2 in order to show them how to get there area...I also needed to pick up a pair of shoes that I was badly needing (both sets of shoes are completely ripped in half at the bottom). Transfers went pretty crazy with all the changes that happened in the mission...none of which you guys would understand neither care about.
So anyway, turns out that Elder Martinatto and Elder Cruz came here to live with us. Yes, the same Elder Martinatto who I lived with my first 3 transfers and who was my first ZL on the mission. I love the kid. Both he and Elder Cruz are going to leave in 2 weeks though, which means that Ouro Fino (their area) will be without missionaries. Long story short, here in 2 weeks my companion and I will more than double the size of our area and will have to take care of the 2 wards here. Pretty crazy.
Sidenote: I am now my first Zone Leader on the mission's District Leader. Haha. Never saw that one coming.
So yes, this means that I am going to spend 3 transfers (4 and half months) with my companion Elder Affonso. And yes, that IS a very long time. I have already done 3 months with him...6 more weeks on the way! I don't know if I want to...but...you know. That's how it is. Go team go!
They are working on our house right now and so they must have hit one of our water pipes because our toilets and our sinks are now without water. Fortunately we can still take a shower. And unfortunately...Elder Affonso found out about the toilet not working AFTER use. I provided my father a photo of it...if he chooses to put it on the blog is his choice...
We baptized Galdir this week! It is a long story but the Bishop ended up baptizing her. I don't think I ever said to you guys but she has an EXTREME fear of water. Like...it's unbelievable. She went into the font trembling out of control (Affonso and I were the witnesses). Bishop took her and tried to baptize her...but she ended up just screaming on the way down and jumping out of the water. Bishop tried again...but she BARELY didn't get covered all the way. Then she started crying, but good ol' Bishop Juca consoled her and they did it again. The water BARELY covered her head, but covered it did. It was pretty hilarious and a successful baptism. What faith the little woman has.
Until next week my friends! Keep them emails a comin'!
-Elder Brent Parsons
Explanation: we live in our house with another set of missionaries. However, president "closed" there area and sent another 2 here to replace them. So we went to transfers to pick up the 2 in order to show them how to get there area...I also needed to pick up a pair of shoes that I was badly needing (both sets of shoes are completely ripped in half at the bottom). Transfers went pretty crazy with all the changes that happened in the mission...none of which you guys would understand neither care about.
So anyway, turns out that Elder Martinatto and Elder Cruz came here to live with us. Yes, the same Elder Martinatto who I lived with my first 3 transfers and who was my first ZL on the mission. I love the kid. Both he and Elder Cruz are going to leave in 2 weeks though, which means that Ouro Fino (their area) will be without missionaries. Long story short, here in 2 weeks my companion and I will more than double the size of our area and will have to take care of the 2 wards here. Pretty crazy.
Sidenote: I am now my first Zone Leader on the mission's District Leader. Haha. Never saw that one coming.
So yes, this means that I am going to spend 3 transfers (4 and half months) with my companion Elder Affonso. And yes, that IS a very long time. I have already done 3 months with him...6 more weeks on the way! I don't know if I want to...but...you know. That's how it is. Go team go!
They are working on our house right now and so they must have hit one of our water pipes because our toilets and our sinks are now without water. Fortunately we can still take a shower. And unfortunately...Elder Affonso found out about the toilet not working AFTER use. I provided my father a photo of it...if he chooses to put it on the blog is his choice...
We baptized Galdir this week! It is a long story but the Bishop ended up baptizing her. I don't think I ever said to you guys but she has an EXTREME fear of water. Like...it's unbelievable. She went into the font trembling out of control (Affonso and I were the witnesses). Bishop took her and tried to baptize her...but she ended up just screaming on the way down and jumping out of the water. Bishop tried again...but she BARELY didn't get covered all the way. Then she started crying, but good ol' Bishop Juca consoled her and they did it again. The water BARELY covered her head, but covered it did. It was pretty hilarious and a successful baptism. What faith the little woman has.
Until next week my friends! Keep them emails a comin'!
-Elder Brent Parsons
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
And I'm NOT in London Either...
Oh how great the mission is. I mean...to be here in Brazil with only another 20 year old Brazilian boy to keep me company while my family enjoys the wonderful delights that Paris/London have to offer. Oh how easy and wonderful it is!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope everyone has at least one chance in their life to feel all these great feelings that I am feeling at this moment.
JK man...I'm good. I know my time will come to relax.
And besides, I am having my fair share of delicious experiences here in Sorocaba, like the one I had on Monday! I freakin hitch-hiked! It was so awesome. I did a division and I guess in there area they can either take a bus or hitch hike to get to this one neighborhood that is really far away. The Elders there don't like to spend money on buses...so they just hitch hike haha.
So it sounded like it could be fun so we did it. It was really funny actually. We hitch hiked there with this cool guy, then on the way back we finally waved a guy down and he stopped for us. I opened up the door and said "Thank you for stopping!" Then I heard this extremely flaming gay voice answer back "Your welcome! I am only doing it because you guys are men of god!" I thought..."oh crap". But we got in anyway.
Well turns out that he is openly gay and it shows by his clothes and voice. But he was cool enough so we started to make some small talk and he told us that he had already had the missionaries over at his house. I said "woah, that's cool. Have you ever been to church?" He said he had been tons of times but never got baptized. I asked him as we were getting closer to our house (he insisted on going out of his way by getting off the highway, driving a few more miles and dropping us off at our front door) "So why did the missionaries stop teaching you and why did you stop going to church?" He said "Well, they used to come to my house all the time, it was a Brazilian and a American. Well, long story short the American was GORGEOUS and I ended up falling in love with him. Unfortunately his companion noticed that I had fallen in love with him and that I was flirting tons with him...so they never came back. I was so sad.
Then, a few months later, some other missionaries came back to my house and asked if they could come in and share a message. They were both really fat and ugly Americans so I said no."...my goodness. I literally just bursted out laughing in the middle of the car. I couldn't contain myself. He didn't get offended or anything though and he dropped us off at our house in peace. It was hilarious.
Oh yeah, I did that division because I had to do some baptismal interviews for them. The interviews were awesome. I have decided that I love having a calling as a leader in the mission. Not because I get to order people around or anything but because I
1) I get to know tons of missionaries and their background and everything
2) I get to get out of my area sometimes and see what the other areas are like and
3) I get to see all the great investigators that the other areas have and how so many people are choosing to follow the teachings of Christ and change their lives.
It's extremely...fulfilling.
Transfers are next Wednesday! I am hoping to get transferred. We are going to have a baptism this Saturday (Galdir. That lady that stopped us on the street as we were walking and asked us to prayer for her son) but that is it for this transfer. However, next transfer looks like there should be tons of baptisms (maybe even around 7 or 8) but I will be honest...I am pretty sick of the area. I would award it the most repetitive area of the mission...and everyone that has done a division here with me would agree.
My ZL was like "wow...I don't know if I could handle being in this area for as long as you have...and you haven't even been here THAT long." Which is true. This is only my 3rd transfer here (4 and 1/2 months) but I think the time has arrived for a change. We will see though. My ZL said my companion and I won't stay together another transfer (we have 2 transfers together) so either him or I will go, and I have been here longer. Who knows though, anything can happen.
Love y'all! Hope the week goes well for everyone.
-Elder Brent Parsons
JK man...I'm good. I know my time will come to relax.
And besides, I am having my fair share of delicious experiences here in Sorocaba, like the one I had on Monday! I freakin hitch-hiked! It was so awesome. I did a division and I guess in there area they can either take a bus or hitch hike to get to this one neighborhood that is really far away. The Elders there don't like to spend money on buses...so they just hitch hike haha.
So it sounded like it could be fun so we did it. It was really funny actually. We hitch hiked there with this cool guy, then on the way back we finally waved a guy down and he stopped for us. I opened up the door and said "Thank you for stopping!" Then I heard this extremely flaming gay voice answer back "Your welcome! I am only doing it because you guys are men of god!" I thought..."oh crap". But we got in anyway.
Well turns out that he is openly gay and it shows by his clothes and voice. But he was cool enough so we started to make some small talk and he told us that he had already had the missionaries over at his house. I said "woah, that's cool. Have you ever been to church?" He said he had been tons of times but never got baptized. I asked him as we were getting closer to our house (he insisted on going out of his way by getting off the highway, driving a few more miles and dropping us off at our front door) "So why did the missionaries stop teaching you and why did you stop going to church?" He said "Well, they used to come to my house all the time, it was a Brazilian and a American. Well, long story short the American was GORGEOUS and I ended up falling in love with him. Unfortunately his companion noticed that I had fallen in love with him and that I was flirting tons with him...so they never came back. I was so sad.
Then, a few months later, some other missionaries came back to my house and asked if they could come in and share a message. They were both really fat and ugly Americans so I said no."...my goodness. I literally just bursted out laughing in the middle of the car. I couldn't contain myself. He didn't get offended or anything though and he dropped us off at our house in peace. It was hilarious.
Oh yeah, I did that division because I had to do some baptismal interviews for them. The interviews were awesome. I have decided that I love having a calling as a leader in the mission. Not because I get to order people around or anything but because I
1) I get to know tons of missionaries and their background and everything
2) I get to get out of my area sometimes and see what the other areas are like and
3) I get to see all the great investigators that the other areas have and how so many people are choosing to follow the teachings of Christ and change their lives.
It's extremely...fulfilling.
Transfers are next Wednesday! I am hoping to get transferred. We are going to have a baptism this Saturday (Galdir. That lady that stopped us on the street as we were walking and asked us to prayer for her son) but that is it for this transfer. However, next transfer looks like there should be tons of baptisms (maybe even around 7 or 8) but I will be honest...I am pretty sick of the area. I would award it the most repetitive area of the mission...and everyone that has done a division here with me would agree.
My ZL was like "wow...I don't know if I could handle being in this area for as long as you have...and you haven't even been here THAT long." Which is true. This is only my 3rd transfer here (4 and 1/2 months) but I think the time has arrived for a change. We will see though. My ZL said my companion and I won't stay together another transfer (we have 2 transfers together) so either him or I will go, and I have been here longer. Who knows though, anything can happen.
Love y'all! Hope the week goes well for everyone.
-Elder Brent Parsons
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
I am NOT in Paris
I won't lie. It's pretty tough sitting here in the lonely LAN House knowing that my family is enjoying the elegant streets of Paris without me at the moment. I surely would like to be there as well. Fortunately, my week went pretty well so it hasn't been too hard to stay focused on the work.
I have been on division the last 2 days in the areas of Boituva and São Bento which are in my district because I had to do some baptismal interviews in the areas. Boituva had a little 9 year old boy and São Bento has this sweet family of 6 that are going to be baptized (actually 2 already were so I did only 4 interviews).
However I am now kind of sick because 1) the interviews last night took like 2 hours to do and I talked pretty much non-stop in the interviews so I woke up pretty much unable to talk today and 2) it is freakin COLD here! Like I am not joking.
I am wearing a little sweater right now that Affonso gave me. Like one of those typical Christmas sweaters that you see in movies. It's awesome. The houses here are just made of straight up concrete and bricks so they don't keep any amount of heat in. I could take my bed and sleep outside and it would be the exact same thing as sleeping inside. I never thought I would actually be cold here in Brazil but...I am. And from day to day the weather changes like crazy so I have ended up getting sick.
If I were at home in Utah I would take the day off...but we have a bunch of important appointments these days that I cant miss...plus it sucks staying inside all day in a missionary house. "I guess I'll just go...read the scriptures more then..." Yeah, I would rather walk the streets sick then stay at home with nothing to do.
Week was good though...yeah...that's about it. Love and pray for all of you. Thanks for the emails.
-Elder Brent Parsons
I have been on division the last 2 days in the areas of Boituva and São Bento which are in my district because I had to do some baptismal interviews in the areas. Boituva had a little 9 year old boy and São Bento has this sweet family of 6 that are going to be baptized (actually 2 already were so I did only 4 interviews).
However I am now kind of sick because 1) the interviews last night took like 2 hours to do and I talked pretty much non-stop in the interviews so I woke up pretty much unable to talk today and 2) it is freakin COLD here! Like I am not joking.
I am wearing a little sweater right now that Affonso gave me. Like one of those typical Christmas sweaters that you see in movies. It's awesome. The houses here are just made of straight up concrete and bricks so they don't keep any amount of heat in. I could take my bed and sleep outside and it would be the exact same thing as sleeping inside. I never thought I would actually be cold here in Brazil but...I am. And from day to day the weather changes like crazy so I have ended up getting sick.
If I were at home in Utah I would take the day off...but we have a bunch of important appointments these days that I cant miss...plus it sucks staying inside all day in a missionary house. "I guess I'll just go...read the scriptures more then..." Yeah, I would rather walk the streets sick then stay at home with nothing to do.
Week was good though...yeah...that's about it. Love and pray for all of you. Thanks for the emails.
-Elder Brent Parsons
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