Trainer and Trainee

The new duo:  Elder Forsyth and Elder Pesantes

Opá. It is time to write the family and friends. Here it comes..

 

Vai da leite. A phrase from the land of Forteleza. It means...I don't know what it means directly but something along the lines of doing something over and over again until you get a product. Translation:  It'll give milk. My new catch phrase.

 

The details of a tired Ian:

 

The Lord doesn't choose those who are prepared. He prepares those He has chosen. I have been feeling the pressure of trainer, district leader and the white wash. But I am staying happy like always. To start things off, I butchered my new companion's name last week.  It is Elder Pesantes. He´s completely Ecuadorian. He speaks Spanish for sure. It has been a great week helping him with the discussions and learning more about how he gained his testimony. He is a recent convert to the church. A fresh 3 years. The missionaries found him and at first he had doubts and did not want to be baptized. When he realized that he was already keeping all of the commandments of the Lord, he started to feel the spirit more in his life. So he got baptized, but it took a little while. So, all of you missionaries and families out there that are struggling with investigators or neighbors....don't give up. Continue helping them understand how much happiness keeping the commandments of the Lord brings to you. I promise they will see the light in your eyes when you bear even just a small testimony of the joy of the message of the restored gospel. Elder Pesantes is super spiritually strong. the 3 s´s. He told me the other that the only reason he is on the mission is because his family needs the blessings that the mission will pour upon his loved ones. Man that hit me right in the core. I am super pumped to work with him in the work of the Lord. 

 

I also butchered the name of our area. Parigot de Souza. (pah-de-góo gee só-za)  It is more populated than Rio Iguaçu and Osternack. More stores, more main roads. I am the District Leader of Osternack. The promised land. I am so excited to do some splits there, speak to my investigators that I found with Elder Bastos and give a hello to my loved members.

The story of the mission so far

 It all happened in Rio Iguaçu. I forget to tell it to the world through blogging. So we were running a little late. Missionaries need to be in their homes by  9:30 pm at the latest. It was 9:20 and we were far from home and I was in need of a bathroom. I'll leave the pains I was feeling to be imagined. I had to go...like really had to go. We are prohibited from entering other churches. It is a world wide rule for missionaries... I think.  I saw a funeral home, Elder Lima and I jetted for the doors and searched desperately for the bathroom. A funeral was taking place...and we busted it.  1st woops.  I found the bathroom. When I came out alive, Elder Lima from Forteleza told me that it was a Catholic church and that the family thought we were the main speakers that came late to the funeral. They thought we were the Padres from a catholic church located in the Fazenda Rio Grande. The family started to question Elder Lima about the topics we would present, how long it would take, etc. They were in shock when he showed the little name tag showing the name of our church. "Hey, we can come back and explain the plan that our Heavenly Father has for us and tell you where your father is right now," he explained. I left the bathroom running trying to get home on time. It must have looked really strange to see two Mormon missionaries jetting into a Catholic church during a funeral and then jetting out. Silly elders.

 

John 13:34. More love from Elder Ian

 

Life is good. Mom reminded me that I have 7 months on the mission. I wasn't counting and it has flown right by.

 

The ward mission plan here is super good and we are on the hunt to find prepared people. The area wasn't really nourished very well and so we are on the clean up crew.

 

Love,

Elder Forsyth