June 10, 2013 ~ Goiania Brazil Mission, Rio Verde ~ Week 20

Dear Family,

Hey! How are you guys doing? I hope this last week of school was great for you guys :) and I hope Noah had a crazy Birthday!!! Way to score awesome grades Noah, I'm proud of my little Brother.

This week blew chunks big time. We didn't have a baptism this week because our investigators are struggling. We're teaching this kid named Nanyat (name change) (15) and he's cool but he is kind of a brat to us haha. He is a good friend of a member of the ward and so we began teaching him. He says he really wants to be baptized but he won't go to Church and he is afraid that he's going to have to "change" after he is baptized. We asked if he wanted to be baptized on the 8th of June and he was like "no I want to be baptized on the 15th of June" so hopefully he'll be baptized this week. Kind of frustrating haha!!!

We have a conference in Goiania this week because President Prieto and Sister Prieto are ending their missions at the end of this month. The whole mission is going to be there! It'll be fudging crazy. But I'm worried because Elder Lima is ending his mission on the 22nd of June and he's thinking that he'll be sent home early because of this conference. It's expensive to travel from Rio Verde to Goiania by bus, so he thinks that he'll end his mission this week :'( I really don't want another companion haha because he has been so Awesome!!!

We're also teaching this other family. I can understand most of what they say haha because they're from São Paulo and they speak clearly and they don't speak as fast as the people in Rio Verde. They're pretty sweet and they love to talk and talk, so it's hard to get a lesson in haha when we visit them. They made us mad yesterday though because they didn't go to Church! So dumb! That honestly is the hardest part of the mission is getting people to go to Church. Our area is big, so people have to travel a long distance to go to Church, but still. GO TO CHURCH!!!!!

Nothing much else happened this week. My Portuguese is improving every week now and I'm understanding what people are saying to me most of the time. Usually the only times I don't understand somebody is if they use a word that I don't know. Which is just about every other time I talk to somebody haha. Anyways, I'm feeling a lot better about the language and about teaching. I really love all the members and the investigators so I'm having more fun.

 My favorite scripture of all time is Ether 12:27. "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I think that scripture has helped me out so much in my life and on my mission. I'm so hard on myself and this scripture just brings me so much comfort with everything. I have many weaknesses but God gave me these weaknesses so that I will be humble. I know that someday, these weaknesses will become strengths. When I go to members houses to have lunch, we share a message as well and I love sharing this scripture with them. I feel like this scripture was written just for me haha.

Anyways! You guys know that I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true Church. This work is Awesome!!! I know that it will be hard but it will be so worth it. Love you guys! Tchau! Ate a proximate semana!

Love Elder Colin Hancao (this is how the Brazilians pronounce my name)