I'm Here to Serve: February 11, 2013

Dear Everyone,

1. Tell us all about Elder A! I already met his mom on the Missionary Mom email list and on Facebook; she was happy to know where he ended up since he wasn’t able to email last week. Elder A. is really cool, as you know he is from California, he is from the same group as Elder W. (my trainer) and was the secretary for the mission for the past 6 months.
2. Who was it that baptized P.? A ward member? Yes our ward mission leader baptized P. He was confirmed this week at the youth campout that they have every year during Carnaval.
3. How has the work been affected by Carnaval? Do you have an earlier curfew? Are people too busy reveling to want to listen? Are there lots of parties to have to avoid? Carnaval here in Bauru is normal, just with more people home during the day but they are usually sleeping, curfew is the same there are no huge parties or anything, so it is pretty much a normal day.

A parting shot with Elder F., sporting the now-traditional Princess Leia towel hat. 

Like always, keep the questions coming because it is becoming a little hard to always write about new stuff that is happening here.

How good to see his CTM companion, Elder S!

 (No, really, it WAS good!)

Way to go Jason with the great grades!!!

 Elder A. is so stoked to be out of the mission office and back in the field!

This week we had lots of rain, almost every day. It was pretty annoying. Rain is much cooler when you are in normal clothes and have a car and a house with heat. But it was a good week still. The day before Elder A. arrived I spent the day with the zone leaders because Elder F. had already left for Apucarana. So that was pretty cool to see all the things that zone leaders do. We really have some great zone leaders here in Bauru!! Things are going great with Elder A. here in President Geisel. But it is really hard at the same time because since I know the area better (I don’t know it too well because Elder F. knew this area like the back of his hand and I just followed him) I have been doing a lot more planning, a lot more confirming lunch appointments, a lot more talking with people in the street. It is almost like being the senior. But luckily Elder A. is really great and helping me out. I just hope that he doesn’t feel like I’m trying to dominate the companionship, I am just trying to help him get to know the area as fast as possible. Things are going really great. We have only one possibility for baptism this coming week so we are going to do everything to help her be baptized!! We need to find new people something fierce. Our teaching group is 6 people right now. Some people have been cut and we have been baptizing the rest. We really need new investigators so that will be one of our focuses this coming week!!

 This week's baptism!

BATIZMO!!!!  Yesterday was the baptism of B.!!! She is 18 and we found her by talking to her in the street. She went to church but then it was difficult to set up a teaching appointment with her. but when we finally did we found out that she doesn’t like coffee (a miracle here in Brasil), she doesn’t drink (the drinking age here is 18, so another miracle), and she doesn’t have a boyfriend and so doesn’t have a problem with chastity (ANOTHER miracle!!), and when she prayed about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith she had a really strong answer! She physically could not sleep the whole night long because she was thinking about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith the whole night!!! She is pretty awesome, and now we are at 4 weeks in a row with a baptism!! Elder A. was so happy to have a baptism again because it has been so long for him!!

 Bauru:  it's not just a city, it's the national sandwich of Brazil!!

This transfer that just happened we were supposed to get about 14 or 15 Americans but none of them got their visas in time and are serving in the United States and will be transferred here when their visas are ready, so we could possibly have a bunch of emergency transfers this transfer period (6 weeks). Who knows, I could be transferred again, but I hope that doesn’t happen because I love the area, Elder A. is great, and we have baptized here the past 4 weeks in a row. But it isn’t important what I want, what is important is what the Lord wants, so if I stay here that is great! If I get emergency transferred again, that’s great, too. I’m here to serve, and that is what I will do!!

Lots of Love,

Elder Cummings