Monday, October 29, 2018

Porto Alegre Visits and 1st Transfer Complete!


It was a busy week, being the last week of the transfer and 2 trips to Porto Alegre.  Both trips to Porto Alegre were very different. On Wednesday, for my training as a new missionary, we took an early bus to the train station, rode the train with another dupla training in my zone, took a bus and then ate at a buffet with them and other duplas arrived and ate with us too (apparently all the trainers had eaten there the day when we arrived). Then we walked to the mission office, had a little thing without our companions where we filled out some little paper about how well you and your companion do certain stuff, and then we talked about the joyful and difficult experiences we´ve had and stuff, had some training and talks all together and then a roleplay or two. The second trip was different because we took the train to Novo Hamburgo and met up with our zone and took a rented bus from there to Porto Alegre to the Porto Alegre Sul grounds and chapel where we heard from Sister Franco, 2nd Counselor in the Primary General Presidency and her husband. Her talk was better, but they were both really good. They talked in Spanish (from Argentina but lived in SLC for a long time and knew English) and we had a translator translating in Portuguese next to them. It was broadcasted to everyone in our mission, Porto Alegre Sul, and probably some ones in Spanish speaking countries too, I´d assume. 

Our week was a lot shorter with Wednesday the whole day in Porto Alegre and most of the day Saturday in Porto Alegre as well. Keila and Ednai were not baptized this weekend, but we have a for certain next weekend. Their Dad came back in town and they had to go visit his mother who they hadn´t visited in over a month and her birthday had passed in that time. Sunday was also elections again, so it was very difficult getting anyone to church.  The election stuff was less crazy this time around, and justifying for Elder Favoretti was even quicker. Got to see the cafeteria of a school in Brasil!
Our ward is good, this week we had 82 people in Sacrament meeting and Elder Favoretti gave a talk that encouraged more help from the members in missionary work (received a call from bishop to give this talk night before at 10).  After Sacrament meeting, we received our first member reference that I´ve gotten in this area, someone that an RM sister is dating who she has brought to institute, he has the Book of Mormon. We´ll visit him this week and see how that goes. Our church starts at 8:30. I´ve passed the sacrament, never blessed. We had 2 investigators attend church this week, only 1 that we have been teaching (Irasema/Ilasama, I´m not really sure...), the other was a 9 or 10 year old that was brought by a friend whose parents might be members.  Elder Favoretti always thought she was a member but she isn´t or something. Not really sure I understand the whole story, only that she is not a member. Roseli’s family is good, they like our company a lot.

Transfers were given last night and come into effect today (people move areas today). Apparently if you are transferred you don´t get P-Day. Lucky Elder Favoretti and I weren´t transfered. A decent amount of people in our zone got transfered, including our zone leader who was in my district, Elder Walters who is from Texas (I think Dallas) and he is now the new assistant which Favoretti is excited about.  They were trained and spent time in houses together and are pretty close. Also, apparently one of the Sisters from Brazil in my group and is my zone, is now training, after only 1 transfer in the field, not even finishing full training, which Elder Favoretti has never heard of. 

I´m doing great. Legs are getting stronger every day, either less pain or I´m used to it. Gotta build my leg muscles. It´s nothing with my shoes, although I think we forgot to factor in the Trevor factor when we decided how many shoes to bring. They aren´t near breaking, for certain, but they definitely look well used already, so we´ll see how things go. Things are hard, for certain, but teaching brings me joy every day.

One transfer complete!

Love,
Elder Trevor Mangum



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