This email came on August 8th. We haven't heard from him since. He should be in Porto Alegre but we haven't heard. We're going with no news is good news. I'm kinda sad he stepped in poop, I just bought home those shoes!

Well this week was crazy. My last full week here at the CTM. I committed my other pesquisador to baptism and I went proselyting in Sao Paulo this week. I am so excited to leave for the field on Tuesday. I have about a 1 hour flight to Porto Alegre. I also learned that in some parts of my mission you have to travel by boat to do transfers. Pretty cool stuff.

 

So my proselyting experience was hilarious, scary, and also very awesome. Naturally my companion and I were nervous to leave the CTM and to talk to real Brasileiros about the Book of Mormon. But we quickly shook off all nervousness and had a great time.

 

First man we talked to was drunk out of his mind. We know now that we should've just left him as soon as we realized this but he was intent on hearing our message. He then said I wasn't an American but a Brasileiro. i told him no and he called me a liar haha. He continued to mutter portuguese to himself for the next 20 minutes after we stopped talking to him. My companion and I found a husband and a wife sitting down at this park table. Lucklily they were sober. We talked to them in great detail about the Book of Mormon and the husband accepted it. He was truly interested as to how he could become closer to Jesus Christ through the Book of Mormon. As I was finishing up with him, a slightly less drunk man than the original sat down with us and started talking to my companion. Remember that we can understand half of what sober Brasileiros say, with drunk Brasileiros this percentage drops to about 10%. This drunk man's name was Josué. i totally forgot the name of the interested man, but he has me a quick testimony in the cover of his Book of Mormon. When he left, the super drunk guy(who was yelling and muttering while I was teaching the good investigator) came back and sat down in his place. Josue was actually kinda interested and when he saw that the more drunk man was just trying to cause trouble, he started yelling at him. "Sai Fora!" "Get out of here!" He then proceeded to take his little cheap bottle of vodka, and smash it in the table in anger. At this point I was kicking Elder -----------'s leg, trying to tell him we needed to leave. So we did. Josue wanted to still learn more so he came with us and we sat down on another bench. Josue wanted a Book of Mormon really badly. I wonder if today he remembers anything. But hey, he gave me his address even without me asking for it. So I guess he's my first contact. Oh yeah, and I stepped in dog poop from one of the many stray dogs in Sao Paulo. Pretty funny story. Spiritual at one point, and at other points, not at all. So far my experience with missionary work is pretty hard, but fun.

 

My investigators are doing great. Igor is going to be "baptized" tomorrow, and Ellen, on tuesday. My lessons are going great and i can hold a solid conversation about gospel things in portuguese. Everyday I feel the spirit here, and the fact that myself and my district have learned as fast as we have is a testimony of the power of the spirit. I'm picking up regular conversation phrases and words just from talking with people around the CTM. Pretty pumped to get out there.

 

Oh yeah, went to the police station this week to get all my documents finalized and stuff with the government. When my fingerprints were getting taken I had a great conversation about our church with the man taking my fingerprints. I taught him from the beginning. God is our loving Heavenly Father and then I went from there.

 

Super cool week. Makes me really excited to get out into the field.

 

Elder Holloway