I was emergency transferred this past week. It's because Elder Grierson and Elder Empey from the MTC got their visas, and I heard that Elder Fuller is coming next week, so that is cool. I am now in a city named Sobradinho. It reminds me a lot of Santa Cruz, because a lot of the trees look the same and it feels like Santa Cruz. It is about 1 hour north of Brasilia by car, and so it is more rural. It is really pretty.
My new companion is Elder Silva, he is from Sao Paulo. So I haven't heard English in several days now, but I think my Portuguese is improving. It is funny how in the MTC we had "English Fast" for one day and it was so hard. Now I have it for days and it is normal not being able to really express myself. Our area is about 3x the size of my old area, so we walk about 10-12 miles a day now.
On the transfer day, I got my letters. I was really excited to read them and that has been great to read them today. We have zone conference tomorrow, so we have Preparation Day today. It will be a short one, because we had District study in Asa Norte, in Brasilia Proper, so we were up at 5:30 to get the bus to be there by 8 and we'll do the same tomorrow. Oh well, I'll sleep in two years.
Our new ward has some huge problems. There are about 40-50 people in sacrament meeting, and this time last year there was double that. A lot of people started to fall away and so they only have 10 Melchizedek priesthood holders, so the bishop only has 1 counselor. We talked with Bishop Jorge our second day here and he is great. We were told that he has had problems with the sisters who were here before us and other elders, and we were told to do whatever he tells us, because if not, he won't allow the baptism. So it'll be interesting, because we get the missionaries' side of the story and his side, and so hopefully the truth is somewhere in between. So we have been visiting the less actives and they fess up to being inactive and even tell us how many months or weeks they have been inactive. And the teaching group of the sisters is pretty bad too. They have been teaching some people for weeks, and they haven't gone to church. So we have to start from scratch. But the ward is great and everyone who is left wants to help us. The president of the Elder's Quorum is amazing and we worked with his brothers who haven't been baptized yesterday. They (the whole extended family lives on the same block) live in an area called Denocs and it is a mini favela. It is really poor and a little dangerous. We have to be out of there by 6 everyday.
This one is going to be shorter, because I still have to write President. My email isn't working, so I am using Elder Silva's.
Love, Elder Barton
1 comment:
It sounds like this area is going to stretch him more. We'll have to send extra prayers and letters. Love that kid!
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