Week 55 Letter

Monday, March 12, 2012

Hey mom, how are you?  It was great to hear from you about everything that happened in Africa.  It made me think a lot about my mission.  It just entered my head that I am in Brazil.  It is a little weird, huh?  I cannot wait to meet my brothers, but reading about them has already let me feel that I know them.  What a blessing they will be in our lives.  As for me, I am well and we have seen some success this week.  This transfer has been hard for us here in Ji Parana.  Elder Ivo is a great missionary and he is training Elder Cardosa, an American.  This has been a little hard for him and a little stressful, but they are doing well now.  I am will Elder Alves who is finishing the mission.  He only has three months left.  So far, he has been my hardest companion in terms of working, but we are getting into stride now.  This last Sunday we had 6 investigators at church and 4 less-actives that are coming back.  This was awesome.  Also, we have 3 baptisms marked for this week, and so if all goes well, we will have an awesome week.  At the start of this last week we had a conference in Cuiaba which was great.  I learned a lot and it helped me get super excited to try some new things that I have not thought of before.  Also, president let me know that he is happy with me and my work and that he knows that Alves is having some troubles, but that is why he is with me.  It helped me realize that my purpose as a missionary includes helping other missionaries. I hope that I am fulfilling all that Heavenly Father wants from me during these two years.  I sure know that I love being a missionary and that I am being blessed greatly.  Mom, I did get my package.  Thank you so much!  I have enough money every month, and I am always trying to save a little for a rainy day, or day that is rainy for my companion. Sadly, I will have to look to buy new shoes because my three original pairs are completely destroyed.  I will have to take pics of them.  It is crazy.  President Oliveira finishes his mission in June.  We do not pay rent, because the mission office pays for us.  We do have a cell here, but only one for the two companionships that are here so we have to share.  The end of the transfer is this next Sunday, and as much as I would like to stay, I think that it is my turn to leave, because it will have been four months here already.  I sure will miss this area.  It has been my favorite for the mission.  I have many friends, members, recent converts, and investigators.  This has been the area where I have stayed the longest time too.  Did that make sense?  I sure love Ji Parana.  Anyways, wish me luck.  This week we have planned to baptize Jackoline, Jose, and Marianna.  I sure like each one of them.  They are great people and elites of the Lord.   I gotta go, but I love all of you and wish you all a great week. 

Love Elder Lee