Monthly Archives: February 2016

New Area and Vomiting

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This week I switched areas and entered the area of Birajara in Piratininga (still part of the Sao Paulo metropolitan area). It’s right next to India’s mission. I can see this famous racetrack that’s in her mission from my zone. My area is much larger than it was in Silvina and there are a lot more sketchy areas (the weed-smoke and poop-smell type of favela) here as well. I found a GOLDEN investgator this week here on my first day. Or rather, he found us through the church website. We went to his house and after the second visit he’d already read more than a third of the Book of Mormon and watched a ton of videos on the church site.

We invited him to be baptized and he said that he wants to learn more, but that every time we teach him it becomes more and more obvious to him that this church is the true one of God.
Also lunch fell through 4 times this week which was annoying but its ok because we managed to find someone else to give us lunch instead 3 of the 4 times. There’s this road in my city that has a ton of trash on it and my first day we were walking there I actually, for the first time in my life, vomited because something smelled so bad. It was like the worst rotting meat ever, mixed with crap and a bid of orchid smell as well (because orchids are truly horrible smelling, I learned that in a members house this week).
My new companion and I worked like crazy and I did more contacts this week than I’ve every done before on the mission. But unfortunately in our zone, we’ve only got rich areas (which are much more to difficult to find people in) and a deep, dark favela (which is a one way ticket to baptizing inactive people) so we’ve had to kick to the curb almost all of the investigators that we found this week.
Wish me luck and godspeed!!
West

Bye Bye, Silvina

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York Azevedo Brazilian Family

This week was my last week in Silvina in Sao Bernardo. Its definately a bitter-sweet departure. My ward here is incredible and we baptized a family here this week that I would really love to help progress in these upcoming weeks. But President’s change of my location is inspired so I’m certain the new missionary soon to arrive here will be an incredible help to Cicilia and her family. The story of how we found them was kind of cool…

Three weeks ago when my companion and I were walking to a lesson, my companion stopped to help a lady carry a heavy grocery bag. We found out as we walked to her house with her that she had spoken with the missionaries 3 years ago and that she really appreciated their message. Unfortunately, do to her drunk, abusive husband the missionaries 3 years ago got cold feet and after 6 weeks of teaching the family they left.
Howevery, Cicilia, the mother of the family, never forgot the message that those two elders taught her. Recently, Cicilia serarated from her husband and when we aided her to carry her bag that day she informed us that she was in the legal process with her lawyer of ending her marriage and that she was in search of a new life.
Over the following 2 weeks we helped her understand God’s love for each of her children and for her as well. She and her son Gustavo completed and lived every “compromisso” we gave them. One day while we were teaching them however, something scary, albeit a little bit funny happened: her 6 year old son jumped out of the window of their aparment during the lesson. (they live on the second floor so it was a 20 foot drop). Miraculously he was unhurt (except for bruises on his feet).
 This last week we prepared them for baptism but they both said they felt unready to be baptized because of past sin and sentiments of inadequacy. Up until the day of their baptisms they said they felt inadequate. But when the moment arrived to put on the white clothes and enter God’s fold arrived, they accepted the invitation and were baptized.
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My companion, my zone leaders and I baptised 8 people yesterday and thus I feel that my last week here was great (even if one of our baptisms had to be re-done 5 times because her foot kept coming up).
Anyway this week was solid. I’m looking forward to going to Biraja Piratininga (my new area), also part of Sao Paulo.
God speed and remember to give thanks for the things you have,
Elder West
Ps: the photos are some of the members in my ward in silvina that im leaving and also of the baptisms we had.

York Boy Silvina

 

York Silvina Ward