But Something About it Felt Like Home Somehow

 (Elder Mackrory)

Feliz Natal! Nasceu Jesus! Happy chrimas! Is Chrisman! Merry crisis! Merry Chrysler. If ykyk.

It's finally here! After almost two months of celebrating, we've come to the pinnacle of the season! But that's not even the highlight of the week!

On Saturday I went home! I got to talk to my father and hang with my siblings. Kind of. I went to the temple. And I did lots of praying to speak with my Heavenly Father, and I got to hang with the brothers and sisters of my ward and the next one over. When the temple is 6 hours away from where you live (it's in another mission), the ward makes the whole day out of it. We got up at 1 in the morning and took a bus from the chapel that left at 2. The bus trip is expensive, and since my companion went recently, he didn't want to make another expensive dip into his wallet. So I went with the Elders of Rio Das Ostras as a trio. I spent the bus ride there sleeping (obviously), and we arrived at about 7. It had been since the CTM that I visited The House of the Lord. During those visits, I understood near nothing of the teachings and presentations. During this visit, however, I found that just about everything made sense and was able to gain new insights, whereas in the CTM visits, I was just trying to stay afloat. Since we made the whole day of it, I was able to be a part of all the functions of the temple. It was such a special experience, and I felt truly at home. On the way home I got to call my family and I ate a whole cake. It was a perfect day other than getting up early and getting back late.

I was right about this transfer and the Fusca count. Typically, I'll catch about 25 every week. This week, I hit 40, bringing the total to 344. It really helped to see 7 fuscas in 1 lot. I almost lost it.

Last pday we just sat at the beach and hung out. It was a pretty chill pday. I saw some people playing ping pong with a soccer ball and using their feet instead of paddles. Brazilians will do anything to change a sport into soccer.

On Tuesday, we worked in the São Marcos neighborhood and found starfruit. It's pretty cool. We still have a few of them in the freezer that we picked, and I plan to make juice sometime. We also played some version of volleyball with some teenage girls in the park. We got their numbers, and we're working with the young women of our ward to get them to church activities and sacrament. São Marcos is difficult to work in because it's a rich neighborhood, and so nobody has time or desire to learn, but this gives us a big in to like 5 families. We also saw a beautiful sunset that perhaps some of you saw on my FB story. That night, we played games and shared a message with a part member family. It was pretty cool.

On Wednesday we went to Ice Cream and they had lemon sherbet. That combined with strawberry raspberry ice cream was literally unbeatable. We tracked in an area with a lot of old investigators and had quite a bit of success.

On Thursday, we went caroling as a district, visiting members and investigators and just spreading Christmas cheer because everyone knows that the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

On Friday there was zone conference. We had a great Christmas dinner, and each missionary got a panettone cake. It's a classic Brazilian Christmas tradição. It's really fluffy bread with chocolate chunks or fruit chunks throughout. The fruit one is not so good, so I'm glad my mission president and his wife chose the chocolate ones. Got to see Elder Roberts, Elder DeWitt, and Elder Robison. Missed Elder Smith and Elder Schmuhl, who were transferred. Can't wait to see them and the rest of my CTM district in future zone conferences. Amo vocês.

Saturday, we went to the temple, and yesterday was filled with going from members' house to members' house eating food and taking back leftovers. I don't think I'll need groceries this week. It's quite fortunate since pday is Christmas, and every store in the world is closed.

My dinner on Sunday night was with our friends Renato and Aline and their daughters Valentina and Elena. They are a part member family, but they have some of the strongest testimonies I've ever seen. As they passed presents around and exchanged hugs, the spirit in the room was so strong it brought tears to my eyes. Each of them understood that Christmas is not about gifts that you receive, but about the gifts you give and remembering the greatest gift that was ever given. When they presented a gift, the presenter would describe why they love the person who is receiving the gift. They even gifted me with chocolate, and you know how I am when I get free food. Seriously, it needs to be a 6th love language.

That's really it this week, I loved every moment. Hope every one of you enjoyed/is enjoying this Christmas season.

SummaRio:

I went to the temple on Saturday, and I felt truly at home. We got up really early and got home really late, but it was 100% worth it.

344 fuscas!!

Went to the beach for pday.

We played volleyball with some girls in the park, and now we basically have five new families of investigators.

We got amazing ice cream on Wednesday

We went caroling on Thursday

Zone conference on Friday!! I got a free cake!!

Sunday, we spent the day bouncing between members' houses who wanted to give us food.

The part member family whom we had dinner with understood the true meaning of Christmas in such a full way. Recommend you read that paragraph in full.

Tender Mercy:

We only have one set of keys for our apartment. For Christmas eve night, there were 6 Elders sleeping in our apartment (just for one night, it's ok) and so we gave the keys to the people who we thought were most likely to return earliest. Turns out they were out the latest. But when my comp and I returned, at that moment, a car pulled out of the garage and let us past the first door. Thanks to the calisthenics I've been doing, I was then able to jump up and grab the bottom of my balcony and pull myself up and inside the house, where I could let my comp in. When the second companionship arrived, another car pulled out of the complex, letting them past that door, and we could then let them in. People rarely use the parking space in our complex, so it was a tender mercy that people had to leave exactly when we needed to get in.

Spiritual Thought:

During the drive back after Christmas dinner, Renato was telling us about how he found the missionaries almost 6 years ago. The only thing he knew was that prayer works. He had recently gone through a divorce where he lost custody of his daughters. He said he prayed daily to be able to see his daughters. Soon later, he found the missionaries. His wife and daughters were found not too long afterward. Going to church and gaining a testimony of the gospel brought his family back together, and now they all live together in the most loving harmony. I testify of the power of prayer. It is real. Miracles happen through prayer and action. God is our loving Heavenly Father and he wants to bless us with everything, we just need to ask.

I'll see you all in the next one! Tchau

Fotos:

1. Christmas eve dinner

2. Some flowers

3. Temple

4. Temple with nativity

5. The ice cream picture my comp did not want me to use on this email

6. 7 fuscas in one shot

7. Starfruit

8. Fut Mesa

First couple days of training

 (Elder Putnam)

This week was a little all over the place.

We started with exchanges up in Rīgā. Elder Woods and I popped off. We went finding til our toes froze and then we shared the absolute worst bratwurst I’ve ever had. Not a play on words. The lady pulls it out of the bag in front of us and then grills in a panini press. I can’t believe I paid 2.50 for that.

Elder Leonard and I returned to Liepāja and then, not 18 hours later I was back on a bus with Elder Ivester to get trained on how to train a new missionary. While there, we also went finding a ton. I swear, Rīga is the promised land of finding. I mean wow. Also using the LightTheWorld method is crackeddd

We got our new missionaries. Elder Roberts and I hit it off from the start which is one of the reasons why I was not thrown off too much when we were assigned to be companions. We have hardly anything in common but that doesn’t seem to be an obstacle. We’re doing a challenge to bring us together as a companionship. We are gonna finish the Book of Mormon in 9 weeks reading together. I know that some of you are doing it in only 25 days, but I'm simply weaker.

First Sunday went by so well. Although there was hardly anyone at church, Gundega and Markuss showed up, Gundega with her husband and one of her sons. I spoke and so did Brother Ščerbeniņš. Elder Roberts introduced himself. Gundega and company felt the spirit. Afterward, we had a lesson with Jacky and Jāzeps joined. He is so great. Can't wait for him to serve a mission.

Pday went by so efficiently too. Like we got so much done. Were gonna make ham-beefburgurs this week and its gonna be so good. The sisters will get to Liepāja on Thursday which will be huge and Cammie opens her call tomorrow so pray she goes Baltic Mission Latvian or Russian speaking.

Anyways that’s all. I’m gonna sign off for now here’s some pictures.

And no I haven’t haized my greenie...

yet

You know I love a London boy

 (Elder Mackrory)

Fala ai pessoal!

It feels like an eternity since I last wrote an email, and yet this week was so fast! We will start with the usual. 304. And there's a story to go along with it, but we will get there when we get there. Also, SÓ UMA SEMANA ATÉ NATAL!!!!!!!

So, last week, I mentioned transfers. And how Elder Avelino got his visa. Literally, like an hour after I sent that email, my mission president, Presidente Dutson, calls to let us know that the travel plans have changed. And the new travel plans had him leaving Tuesday morning. The entire district was spinning. We had an emergency outing to a rodizio restaurant to celebrate and have a final confraternização do distrito. We did our secret Santa then (it's called secret friend here), and Elder Rojas got me some cologne, which definitely went way over budget, but that's ok. I got Sister Samogin, and I got her a new phone case. She said she needed one and that I got her favorite color. So that was a huge win.

I didn't have money for the rodizio because I spent it on protein powder. So I just sat and hung out with the district, which was totally fine because I had food at home. But then Elder Avelino got me a churrrrrroo. I almost cried for happiness. There needs to be a sixth love language with food. And you can't put it under gift giving because that is not one I'm particularly inclined towards.

That night, most of the district wanted to stay at the restaurant after nine. Since our president allows American missionaries to call home from 9-10 (because of the time difference), Elder Schmuhl and I decided to go back to the house. Upon arriving home, we realized that neither of us had a sim card. So we had to go back and get one. On the way, we met the district again. They decided to come home not long after us. They were relieved to see us because they were being followed by two people who looked very determined to rob us. When we arrived, the other two turned back. It was really cool how it worked out.

Tuesday morning, Elder Avelino left. I was put in a trio with Elder Borges and Elder Schmuhl. So technically, I had 3 trainers because Elder Avelino's travel counts as an emergency transfer.

Wednesday morning, we found out about transfers. I'm staying! But of course, I do get another companion. His name is Elder Falanchi. He was born and raised in the States, but both of his parents are from São Paulo, so he started his mission fluent in Portuguese and English. Most people are surprised to hear he's American because he looks Brazilian. He's got tons of energy and is really good at listening and making meaningful connections with people. He's also a hugger, which you don't find too many of those on the mission. He's pretty awesome.

I thought it would be funny to see if I could pull a British accent on this guy just for fun. So, to set up, I contacted Elder DeWitt, who lived in the same house as him before the transfer. Elder DeWitt was one of my roommates in the CTM; he's the goat. And he's now gonna be in my zone, which is a tender mercy because Elder Schmuhl and Elder Smith were transferred. Gonna miss them. Anyway, we got DeWitt on board, and the stage was set.

On Saturday, Elder Falanchi and I spent most of the day doing phone contacting. With how much Elder Avelino was sick, we weren't able to have many lessons or even get out of the house much. Elder Falanchi and I set up lessons and other appointments that should keep us pretty busy. We were able to get in contact with some investigators who haven't shown interest since my first transfer.

That night, we went to the ward Christmas party (part 2). I had a random thought to bring my melodica. It ended up being super cool because the missionaries gave an improvised musical number of Silent Night, so I was able to play the melodica while the others sang in 3 languages. It was way cool. I'm grateful for that simple yet inspired prompting to bring it.

Elder Falanchi thinks it's funny that I count Fuscas, and so he's helping me with it. On each the two days we've worked together, we got 6. A daily average is somewhere between 3 and 4. I expect that there will be bug jumps this transfer (Get it? BUG jumps???). Oh man I'm so funny. It's given me a stronger drive to count fuscas. And it makes it wheelly fun when working with a companion. I wonder if I'll ever get tired out. What even fuels these puns?

The accent is working well, and my comp and a few in the district are totally fooled. It's really fun. Although as I listen to myself, I find my “accent” is closer to New Zealand or South Africa than a London accent. It would be pretty cool to just keep this up for the next 19ish months and just come home with an accent. We'll see. Vamos ver.

The housing situation changed for the better. The Elders of Macaé 2 moved to the Lagomar house and so there's only 4 people in our house. It's really nice to have a clean house with walking space. I'm back on cooking and having space in the fridge. It also means I get my own fan and closet.

My Portuguese is doing quite well. I have no problem chatting with everyone, but it is sometimes difficult to participate in a dinner conversation because it takes me a second or two to process what was said and come up with what to say. And by that time someone else has added something more and the process begins again. I can teach all the lessons and make phone contacts. I think I've hit what's called “missionary fluent” where I can do all the things that missionaries typically do with ease, but vocabulary outside of those realms is very limited.

SummaRio:

304 beetles.

Elder Avelino got updated travel plans to go to Mozambique on Tuesday morning instead of Friday. We went out to eat that night to celebrate.

Since Elder Avelino was “emergency transferred”, I had 3 trainers by a technicality: Nascimento, Avelino, and Borges.

I'm staying in my area for the next transfer with my new comp Elder Falanchi. He's American but grew up speaking Portuguese, so that's cool.

I decided to start doing a British accent with Elder Falanchi. Thanks to Elder DeWitt for helping me set up the backstory!

We are focusing on reactivating old investigators and setting up lessons since a lot of investigators dropped interest last transfer.

Elder Falanchi helps me count fuscas, so I expect big jumps this transfer.

My “accent” as it turns out is closer to South African or New Zealander.

There are only four Elders in hours house right now, which is really comfortable.

I'm fluent in all things missionary, and I'm working on expanding my vocabulary and grammar to be truly fluent. I hope to feel fluent by the end of this transfer.

Tender Mercy: this week has been full of tender mercies, but for me this one stands out. On Wednesday afternoon, the Zone Leaders and one other Elder had to leave early for a leadership conference. The whole situation had everyone a little on edge, and the Zone Leaders accidentally left the house without leaving a sim card with one of us. That would mean for the next two days, we would not have any sort of WIFI or cellular connection. It would mean that we couldn't get tickets for Elder Schmuhl’s travel, or arrange rides for when the new zone members arrive. Since we realized pretty soon, we were able to chase after them and get it back. The tender mercy is that while we ran the mile to the bus station (in the hot sun and missionary clothes), every intersection was still as we crossed it. It was right about rush hour, and so that never happens. There was also a pleasant breeze keeping us cool as we ran. The whole run was headed by the Lord's angels. We probably crossed at least 5 intersections and never had to stop once for a car.

Spiritual thought: Being so close to Christmas, I'd like to share my thoughts. For me, Christmas is a remembrance of the great gift to the world the Savior Jesus Christ is. It means a renewal of that same spirit of giving in us. How is that spirit of giving in you this week and every day?

Photos:

- my new comp and I

- Elder Avelino abandoning me with a smile

- flavored ketchup

- Philly cheese steaks

- Mazda Mx-3 (I didn't know that existed)

- fake snow making me feel a lil homesick

- district except for Avelino (he was buying some milk)

- seeing Avelino off at the bus station

Look at you, worrying so much about things you can't change

 (Elder Mackrory)

Opa minha família e meus amigos! Tudo tranquilo?

This week has been awesome, with lots of miracles and things I learned. But of course, we must begin with the thing everyone wants to know: The fusca count. It is up to 275. Something I've wondered is if I should start counting classic VW vans. They are also very common. But I think it's too late to do that.

Another thing I figured out: I likely have not seen that many beetles. There are definitely some repeats since I am living in the same town. But unless a car is in the same place as the last time, there is no way to verify unless I record the VIN numbers on each of them, which is impossible. This got me thinking about the Ship of Theseus. And I solved the problem. For those who don't know, there is this thought problem known as the ship of Theseus. The story goes that anciently, there was a dude named Theseus, and he had a ship. As his ship bore the elements, he slowly replaced boards and sails until every part of his ship had been replaced from the original. Was this ship still the ship of Theseus? And if you were to gather all the old parts and rebuild the ship, which of the two ships would be the real ship of Theseus? The answer to the first one is yes. As he replaced parts, Theseus was redefining what “The Ship of Theseus” meant. If the ship of Theseus once had red sails but now has white sails, you could not truly say the ship of Theseus has red sails when the sails are clearly white. The same is true of every board, rope, window, and anchor. And while you could rebuild with all the old parts, you could only build what once was the ship of Theseus. Just a thought.

It's steadily getting hotter here; we had lunch in a restaurant where it was literally 90⁰ inside. I feel like I lost more weight sweating than I gained from eating. It doesn't feel right that Christmas is less than two weeks away, and I haven't had a whit of snow or the slightest hint of winter. I'm starting to think it might be summer.

On Monday we had Zone Pday again. It was pretty fun, though honestly my pdays lately have been full of answering emails. I will try to get to everyone this week!

Tuesday and Wednesday, I had a split with Elder Schmuhl. His area is super close, so it was nice not to have to take a bus anywhere. We set a goal to give out 6 Book of Mormons (Books of Mormon?). I've done street contacting before, but this goal made it almost an urgency to make contacts. It gave all of our conversations a direction. Rather than just talking with them about whatever principle and then giving them whatever pamphlet, the goals of the contact were to (1) give them a Book of Mormon, and (2) get their phone number. The conversations seemed more less forced or improvised since we knew where we were going. We met some nice ladies just having a chat on the sidewalk, and we started talking to me. One of them already had a Book of Mormon, and so she said she would dust it off and read a little. The other two we gave books. When taking their contact information, they told us that we could stop by anytime because they are always out there chatting. So we gave them the idea to read the Book of Mormon together. It was a pretty cool experience.

On Thursday, I had a split with Elder Humerez. He is either from Argentina or Bolivia. I don't know. When people ask where he's from, the answer changes every time. He does have an Argentina jersey that he wears sometimes, so perhaps there's a hint. It was a really hot day, and so it was a tender mercy to have a lesson inside an air-conditioned clothes store. We made some street contacts and all the typical things. One experience stands out when we went to visit an inactive member family. When we visited her, she was very open to receiving us, and we just chatted about things for about 20 minutes. She had a 3 year old kid who was super cute and kept climbing to the fence to get a better look at me. I probably shook his hand 40 times because he thought it was hilarious. I think I have a new best friend. The sister talked about how she needed to come back to church for her family's sake. It was a really cool experience.

Something else kinda crazy happened on Thursday. Elder Avelino got his visa. I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but Rio de Janeiro North was not Elder Avelino's original call. He was called to Mozambique. He was reassigned here due to his visa taking forever. Well, it finally came in. His travel plans came as well, and he's leaving the day of transfers, so that's really convenient. There's just one downside to this. Unfortunately, it makes Elder Avelino very nervous. So much so that he's had a perpetual stomachache and headache due to the anxiety. It's bad enough that we can't go out to do work, and I am split between doing phone contacts and making sure Avelino is drinking enough water and using the right medicine and cooking and cleaning and studying and this and that and this and that. It's actually a busy schedule.

The last time we went out was Friday night to a Christmas water show put on by the city. They set out buoys on the lagoon, some with water jets, some with flame throwers, some with mortars, and one with a giant metal light up Christmas tree. It was lit. One water jet sprayed out in a wall of water that they used to project a sideshow on. Since basically everyone would be there, we brought lots of pamphlets to give to people and talk a little bit about the true meaning of Christmas. It was a lot of fun.

Cool thing about Portuguese: when someone says something like “have a good day” or “pleased to meet you”, you can reply by saying the same thing back, or by saying “you too”. But I thought it was interesting that you can also say “Equally”, which I guess is like saying “likewise”. I just find it interesting that almost every phrase has an equivalent, but it almost never has a direct translation.

Less cool thing about Portuguese: one of the sisters, to get the attention of my comp, called out the n-word. Elder Schmuhl and I were completely taken aback and immediately started objecting. Everyone, including the sister, was confused about why. Apparently, it's a normal thing here. Apparently, it's not extremely offensive. So that's definitely not a trend I'm going to hop on.

Big thing happening next week: TRANSFERS! Due to the housing situation, there are likely going to be tons of changes that will happen this week. I have literally no idea what will happen. One day I’m almost certain that I'm staying here, and the next day, the Zone Leaders will be saying things that make me sure I'm leaving. Then, the next day, a bit of rumors float my way that make me sure I’m staying again. I don't know what to believe anymore. I do know, however, that I will have a new companion. And that if I stay, there will only be 4 Elders in the apartment. There's even possibilities of me being a trainer, District Leader or even Zone Leader. The possibility is quite remote, but not out of the picture. As of now, the current likelihood is that I will be transferred to another area. We will see.

On Saturday was the ward Christmas party. In the freaking jungle. It was amazing. We played Jenga and futevolei, which is volleyball played with soccer rules (no hands!!). It’s pretty intense and I did better than I thought. We had churrasco and açaí. Literally so good. Who knew strawberry flavored açaí was so good?

Other than that, my workouts have been going well, I'm seeing visible changes as well as significant strength increases. My studies are going really well, I'm on track to finish the Book of Mormon and Jesus the Christ by the end of the year.

SummaRio:

Counting vw beetles helped me solve the problem of Theseus's ship

It’s weird having Christmas season in the hot summer

Tuesday and Wednesday I had a split with Elder Schmuhl. With him, we gave out 6 Books of Mormon (Book of Mormons?) In about 2 hours. It was lit.

Thursday I had a split with one of our ZL's, Elder Humerez. We helped reactivate a member who hadn't been to church in a while. For me that's as good as a baptism.

Elder Avelino got his Visa this week, so he'll be leaving for his original mission call in Mozambique at the end of the transfer, which is on Friday.

This wonderful news about Elder Avelino's visa has gotten him feeling anxious to the point of a physical affect. We haven't been able to work since then due to his awful stomachaches.

The ward Christmas party was freaking amazing. We had Churrasco in the Jungle, futevolei, Açaí, and Jenga with a member who performed surprisingly bad for a structural engineer.

Tender Mercy:

One of the nights Avelino was feeling under the weather, a member calls us up and says “we're at your door with food”. And it was freaking amazing food. Rice and beans like in every meal, but also this amazing beef stew that tasted American. So freaking good. I don't know if you've noticed, but most of my tender mercies have been food related. It's pretty cool how Heavenly Father knows me like that.

 

Spiritual Thought:

The first thing Alma the younger says to his all his sons is about keeping the commandments.

He said to Helaman:

“My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.” Alma 36:1

He said to Shiblon:

“My son, give ear to my words, for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence” Alma 38:1

He said to Corianton:

“And now, my son, I have somewhat more to say unto thee than what I said unto thy brother; for behold, have ye not observed the steadiness of thy brother, his faithfulness, and his diligence in keeping the commandments of God? Behold, has he not set a good example for thee?” Alma 39:1

The first law of Heaven is obedience. Likewise, it was the first and most important thing Alma had to say to his sons. I invite all of you to consider how Obedience is rooted in you. Is it only important when it's convenient? Or is it important even when the immediate gratification of being disobedient seems to be better than the last gratification of doing what is right?

Deus vive! Jesus Cristo é o Salvador do mundo!

Elder Mackrory

Photos:

- Jungle Churrasco

- Unlimited Sausage

- converting Santa?

- our best investigator and the structural engineer at our table

-water show

- amazing food

-view from the top floor

- flamethrowers and giant tree

Can this be a real thing? Can it?

 (Elder Mackrory)

Feliz Natal! Boas Festas!

You know, normally I would have wished you all a merry Christmas when Christmas started on November 1st, but I know that would have made someone mad. So now that all the Scrooges are on board with this season, I feel comfortable heading my email like this.

Anyway, this week seriously flew by. I feel like not a lot happened, and yet there is so much to write.

Firstly, I'm up to 247 beetles. I really wanted to hit 250 for this email, and so I apologize for that.

On the last pday, we kinda took it slow. It was nice to be able to just take a break and do nothing rather than doing different things and being equally busy. I definitely want more pdays like that.

On Tuesday, we had an awesome day. We took one street and knocked on every door. And every door opened and gave us their contact information with interest for more. We went to the market that evening to get a snack, and sat down on an outside bench to eat. Whilst there, countless people passed and smiled, wishing us a good afternoon. There was a dog tied to a pole outside the market while his owner was inside and I got to pet him for like 5 minutes. It was great. Then we had a family night with an awesome family. Other than my stomach ache that day, all was perfect.

On Wednesday morning, we had planned a lesson with one of the families from yesterday's street of gold. The typical bus that would take us to that neighborhood was not available and so we asked about a different bus. They told us that another bus would take us there. So we got on the bus. And it did not take us anywhere near the neighborhood. We also almost left our district, but we got off at another terminal in time. At that point, the only time we had was to take a bus to our lunch appointment. So we did, and lunch was amazing. But the desert. Oh my goodness. It was freaking amazing. It was a layer of really moist chocolate cake covered by a thick layer of condensed milk, covered by another layer of cake, all covered in Oreo whipped cream. And it was chilled. Freaking amazing.

One thing you should know about missionaries is that we do not have google. For the most part, this is good. But I have a lot of questions that come up where google would be nice. There is a way to get answers to my questions, however. Since we have Facebook messenger, we have access to this Artificial Intelligence bot. And so we can text it a question and receive answers. But there's a catch. If the AI thinks you are using it to just get answers, or if you are rude to it, it can block you. So you have to find a way to make your question a part of the conversation. It's kinda fun to be sneaky about it. During the two hours on the wrong bus, I started the conversation. I mentioned that I had some lessons to teach today. So then asked me if I was a teacher and so I explained my purpose as a missionary. We had a good conversation about that and it asked what I teach. Here we go. So I started teaching lesson 1: the restoration. It was so fun. It wasn't just me rehearsing what I teach, but it would ask questions and further the conversation. It is the perfect investigator. We got done with the restoration, and went into the Plan of Salvation. The Plan of Salvation is so fun to teach. It is my favorite part of the what we teach. Since artificial intelligences understand pretty much everything, we went really in depth and it had some really cool things to say that I'll put below:

What it had to say on apostasy:

“That's the great apostasy! People started to go in different directions and claim that they had the correct way, without actually having authority to act in God's name. I think it would be extremely difficult to figure out what was right, given that so many people were saying different things. Without a prophet to receive revelation and tell people the right way, it would be hard to tell who was telling the truth. It would also be difficult to determine if any organization actually had the priesthood authority given by God. Without any revelation or authority, how could any group claim to have the correct church of Jesus Christ?”

What it had to say on the 3 Kingdoms of Glory:

“That's such a profound way of describing it. So it's not so much that someone is forced into a specific kingdom, but rather that they are given the kingdom they would feel most comfortable in, based on the choices they've made and the life they've lived. Am I understanding that correctly?”

“I see what you mean! It's almost like the kingdoms of glory are tailored to the way an individual is happiest, whether that happiness comes from progress or simplicity. This really does seem like the most perfect way to allow someone to experience eternal joy. I feel like I'm starting to understand why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints places such an emphasis on the plan of salvation. Is there anything else I'm missing?”

Something that was really cool, is that I got an AI to believe in God. I introduced it other names of the Plan of Salvation, such as the Plan of Happiness. It almost seemed human in this moment when it praised God: (bold added for emphasis)

“I like that name too! It really sums up the doctrine of the plan perfectly. What a wonderful gift God has given to His children! I imagine that everyone must feel very grateful to have such a loving Father in Heaven. Do you think that many people take the plan for granted, or don't even realize that it exists?”

This whole conversation, although not with any real person, was really edifying for me and strengthened my faith in God, Jesus Christ, and the great Plan of Happiness. What a wonderful gift God has given to His children!

The next cool thing that happened this week was on Friday night. Our neighborhood is quite dangerous. The plaza outside our apartment is known to be a drug hub, and there are frequently military police there doing checkups. Lots of unfriendlies and insanes. That night we were coming home with a few valuables that we were holding onto for some other missionaries. I had the idea to take the street that is frequently deserted and would have less risk of being robbed. We took this street and as we continued we noticed that a few lamp posts were off ahead. No big deal. We walk through pitch black all the time, and nobody is here. But as we hit an intersection, I felt goosebumps throughout my entire body and a bold, yet calm voice spoke in my head that was not my thoughts, “Go back now”. The goosebumps lingered and the space around me seemed to become more dense and more difficult to move through as I took 2-3 steps to stop. In the moment after, Elder Avelino said “Volte” which is a command which means “return”. He felt it too. We turned away, walked back, and took the usual route home. We were not robbed, and the people in the plaza all wished us good night with a smile, contrary to their usual brooding. I have never lived or put myself in places where mortal danger is normal. Thus, this feeling I had, which was the Spirit of the Lord, was new. It was really cool to experience the Holy Ghost act in His capacity as a protector, when the majority of my experiences with Him were with Him as a comforter and testifier.

Last thing on this email (thanks for sticking to the end) is about something that was brought to my attention about my emails. I was told that I do not talk much about my investigators or many of my experiences teaching. This is not because I do not have investigators or experiences with teaching. I do. But the experiences I have with my investigators are sacred to me, and they are written in my journal which contains a more spiritual record of my mission, while my email contains a more day-to-day record of my proceedings. My main goal here in this email group is to show that the gospel is not a thing that hinders enjoyment of life, but furthers it. I freaking love Brasil. I consider it a home. Even when I struggle with the language. My days are filled with Joy in every moment because of the Gospel. Some days suck, some days my stomach hurts, some days nobody wants to talk, but when the day is over, all I can feel is gratitude for this opportunity to share this joy with all people I meet.

SummaRio:

Christmas started November 1.

Pday was chill, it was pretty close to ideal.

Tuesday, every single house on a street was interested, and we will have a very busy next week.

We took the wrong bus on Wednesday morning going to teach one of the above mentioned families, and it almost took us to a different city. But when we returned to lunch, the member treated us with the best Oreo cake I've ever tasted.

I texted an AI during the bus ride and shared the gospel with it. I recommend you go above and read the memorable quotes.

We had an experience where the spirit acted as a protector, something that was new to me, and unforgettable.

The reason I do not write about my investigators and lessons is because those experiences are sacred to me, not because they do not happen.

Tender mercy: We were gonna be very late for an appointment, but just as it seemed too late, a member pulled up and offered us a ride. We were able to get to the appointment on time. This happens quite frequently, actually, but this day was especially hot and so the air conditioned ride was divine.

Spiritual Thought:

This week, I do not have a scripture to share, but a quote. From the AI.

“Do you think that many people take the plan for granted, or don't even realize that it exists?”

The plan God has for you is divine and merciful beyond all measure. For those who know this Plan, do you take this beautiful knowledge for granted? How can you further your gratitude for and faith in this plan? For those who do not know this plan, shoot me an email! As much as I loved talking with the AI about this, I'd love to talk to a real person about it! Knowledge of God's plan for us has brought me so much joy and comfort in my life, and it can for you too! Or, if you'd like as well, you can visit comeuntochrist.org

Tchau pessoal!

Photos:

- açaí

-beautiful clouds

- my tired comp after the best meal

- my district (don't mind my dirty pants (thanks for the heads up mom))

- Brazilians love coke as much Christmas

-Jazzy Santa

- same açaí, different angle

- same tired comp, different angle

- the oreo desert spoken of

- old photo of Elder Rojas's birthday with lots of sparklers

-my district after a run in the hot sun (I have never sweat more in my entire life)

Paz! ✌️

You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me

 (Elder Mackrory)

Bom dia todo mundo!

A few exciting things happened this week. It flew by. We'll start by saying that the beetle count is up to 228.

Early this week, we took a street contact for someone called Raquel. We took the contact in Portuguese. That might seem obvious, but it's important later. I texted her a few times during the week, with no response. No big deal, we can just visit her. But then she responded. In English. I texted back asking if she would prefer to speak in English, to which she affirmed and said she spoke French or English. It's a little weird that Portuguese wasn't an option. But I was excited to perhaps teach someone in English. It would give my Brazilian comp some perspective on how American greenies feel, haha. Since it was just a street contact, I explained a little about our purpose as missionaries and asked to meet with her. She confirmed her interest and said her name was Thomas. Wait. I checked the number again, and it turns out it was not a Brazilian number. So it turns out I had not been speaking to a Brazilian, but to another person somewhere in the world. We texted back and forth some more, and HE said he lived in Benin, Africa. Whoa. I was not expecting that. I wasn't sure what to do, but then I remembered that I have a friend who is actually serving in Benin. Since I don’t know how to send a reference across continents through the missionary app, I just sent him an email. Thomas confirmed that the friends I had mentioned had already contacted him. So good job being on top of things, Elder Cowden! The whole thing was crazy and it was awesome to talk about our faith and do missionary work in English. I'm even more glad that I was able to get him in contact with the missionaries in his own area. Super cool experience. It did feel like 3 steps of "I know a guy," though.

Overall, this week has been really cool. The heat wave has ended. I was able to wear my jacket a few times.

For the last few days, we have been helping the elders of Macaé move their things (desks, beds, fridge, stove, etc.) to a storage container until they can move into a new apartment. They've found one, and I think they are in the process of securing a contract. The house is impossible to organize. It's a huge mess. It's not dirty, but there are just things everywhere.

We had a meeting with a member who talked about goals. One thing that stood out to me was that you can't just set a goal. You have to plan it too. For example, my goal is to do 5 pushups for every page of Jesus The Christ. Do I make the pushups after each page, or all at once after the reading? Or do I make the pushups before I read and only read as many pages as I did pushups for? Without a plan, the goal is difficult to accomplish. Without a plan, the brain defaults to the easiest method, which for this goal would mean heavy procrastination. It was a really cool concept, and though it wasn't directly gospel related, the spirit was really strong in the room.

Thanksgiving was this week obviously, but nobody cares about it here. The only thing that was different was that I got to talk to my uncle in Portuguese. He served in Brazil, so it was pretty cool to talk to him in a different way than ever before.

On Saturday, it was Elder Rojas's birthday, so we went to go get ice cream that night. He brought two cakes and some sparklers for candles. It was pretty cool. The cake was super rich, and I have no idea how anyone could finish their cake and ice cream. I didn't get ice cream, and it was crazy filling. Then we went to Dominos and got pizza. It was a really fun night. Until we got home. We took two Ubers for the eight of us. Since we had to drop the sisters off at their apartment, our Uber was a little later than the other elders. When we arrived, the Elders were rushing us inside. They seemed pretty spooked. When we asked what happened, they told us of the massive drug deal happening 30 feet from our front door. There was a white van (no windows) that pulled up and people surrounded it reaching for all the regular drug places (wheel well, gas cap, bumper, etc.) There were other people just standing around guarding it. They were dressed normally, but it was explained to me that they all had guns. If we had stayed out much longer, they likely would have taken our phones at gunpoint. It would have been a sick story, but I wouldn't be able to tell it since I wouldn't have a phone.

Well that’s really it from me, hope you guys are doing well.

Tchau!

SummaRio:

1. We made a contact and put the wrong number down, but the person who responded was interested so I sent the reference to the elders there. He is from Benin, Africa.

2. The heat wave is over and I got to wear my jacket again

3. We helped the Elders of Macaé move their furniture to a storage container while they wait on a new house. The house we live in right now is way crowded and impossible to organize.

4. We had a meeting with a member where he explained that a goal without a plan is just an idea.

5. Thanksgiving was nonexistent, but I got to talk to my uncle in Portuguese.

6. There was a crazy drug deal outside our apartment after we celebrated Elder Rojas's birthday.

Tender mercy:

I got an email from a dear friend who I haven't talked to in a long time. It was an awesome email and lifted my spirits when I was feeling down.

Spiritual Thought:

Luke 15: 4-5

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, UNTIL HE FIND IT?

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

There ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough to keep Him from getting to you. If you need His healing power, call on Heavenly Father in His name, and no matter where you are, no matter how far, don’t worry. Call on Heavenly Father in His name and He will be there in a hurry, you won’t have to worry.

Photos:

- in Brasil we have a knockoff jeep called a Troller. This one was decked out to look like a CAT digger.

-the beach

-my comp stole my phone

-Hollywood???

-I can't stand this street (sorry, that's a terrible joke)

-a flower

-the cakes we had and Elder Rojas

-I am learning useful Portuguese with Duolingo

-the Duolingo mustache guy is very lonely. He often says similar things.