It is so hot, you have no idea

Família!

Let´s see, where to start for this week.  First of all I can´t believe Jeffero is only doing 3 days of mowing!!  That is so crazy!  But I guess too because it is because he doesn´t have to be at LAX at 5:30, which is nice.  That pic of Wilson is hilarious. What a man.  And you are playing attack!  What a boss!  You are goin to be the star of the varsity team. So they are playing for 3RLAX and not Richland shmichalnd.. what a joke.  But I´m in brasil and have MUCH BIGGER AND BETTER things to worry about:)  Wow what I wouldn´t give to throw the rock around with you boys,,,, but I would still own.  Anyways, to my week.

So this week we had a huge conference with all the missionaries in manaus about a pilot program in our mission... well in the city of manaus.  The area president asked that we do it.  It is dealing with recent converts.  IT IS SWEET!  Mainly it is dealing with reactivating inactive recent converts and getting them in the temple to do baptisms for their parents and avos.  It is so sweet.  It involves teaching all 5 lessons after baptism too, which I have to admit, I have never done.  But we are doing it now with all of the recent converts of the past 6 months (most of them haven’t even been visited by the missionaries after the baptism...)  So that is pretty sweet.

Well over half of my email just got erased.... today has just not been our day.... well I guess it was all good except that and that the internet was down so we had to wait for ever.  The biggest bummer is that we will have zero time after this is over to relax.  But o well.  So I will say again what I already typed; grrrrr

So you know how we found those 5 golden investigators last week because of our fast and marked dates for them... well all of the dates fell because THEY DIDN´T COME TO CHURCH!  R´s mom won´t let him baptize, the 10 year old went shopping with the fan, O is sick, and A & J just didn´t come...  I was so excited for A & J to come to church because that is what they really need.  They can´t really progress any further until they come to church. It is truly the one thing they are falting right now.

We had a sweet lesson with them on Saturday night with the branch pres and his wife.  We taught the WOW as part of it and A said there is no way she is giving up coffee.  It was funny because everytime we asked her about it she just laughed and shook her head like "there is no way that is happening," but we will see about that kakakak.  God is more powerful than coffee:)  So they were the most depressing.

We had their neighbors go by (who are members) to pick them up but it didn´t give. But I still love teaching them because they have doubts and questions that we get to resolve and answer:) and some of their questions are hard.  Like this, "the baptismal prayer" says to be baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the HG. Then why does it also say to be baptized in the name of Jesus in the BOM and the bible?"  So they are fun to teach and the next time we go J promised us Açaí :)

So the reason I said that about baptism is because it is still confusing to me. Especially with that Zone leader I told you about last week, and our DL for that matter.  They always ask us if we have anybody for them to interview and we say no.  Then they ask who has been to church already because they just want to baptize that person.  That is the only requirement they look at is the church attendance, and they are still following the old rule of one church attendance so it just chaps my hide.

On the hour bus ride back from that conference, that ZL and DL were talking to Elder W about baptizing.  They said if you feel like the person is ready after one church meeting then just baptize them.  They said that the missionary who takes the investigator to church 3 times just to fulfill the requirement doesn´t have love for the investigator.  They said if you love the investigator then you will just baptize them. They say just to have faith after you take them to church once that they will stay firm. OR YOU COULD TAKE THEM TO CHURCH A FEW TIMES SO THAT YOU ARE MORE CERTAIN THAT THEY WILL STAY FIRM!

But I will not come down.  So the rules might have changed but the missionaries haven´t.  They just think that baptism is good so if you baptize someone it is good, it doesn´t matter if they have no idea what they are doing.

Things with me and the comp are great.  We get along really well and stuff. He is a great comp and I´m happy to be staying with him for another transfer:)

Speaking of comps, I got to see Elder Pothier at the conference and boy was that good!!!  He is doing great.  He is a DL over a district of sisters! kakak   I asked him how that was. . .  kakak!  He is so awesome and I look up to him so much.

Thanks for telling me more about the brothers.  That is great to hear they are doing good. I love to hear how they are doing. 

Brasilian People: here is one funny thing they do, touching.  They are just always touching touching touching.  Like when they want your attention they will touch your leg (if sitting) or arm or shoulder.  Or they will just touch you when they are talking to you.  Sometimes when we leave with our elders quorum president, he will just pat kids on the back and head in the street.  In our elders quorum this week the teacher was walking all over the whole time… he is hilarious.  When ever anyone spoke (like gave a comment in the lesson)  he would walk over and touch them, put his arm around them, touch their shoulder, anything!  That is my Brasilian minute for the week;)

Well I would say that besides my muscles, the biggest thing that is growing for me is my testimony do Livro de Mórmon.  I read alma 32 today and was amazed at the depth of that chapter.  Everone just thinks it talks about how faith is believing in something that you can´t see that is true.  It talks about that but it talks about so much more.  The seed part is so good. The Book of Mormon is just so amazing! I love it and know that it is the word of God.  All the prophets from Néfi a Morôni were inspired to write what they wrote.

So my week was good and I hope this week is even better.  I love you all so much. When I saw that picture of Cosmo it just hit me that I´m an uncle.  That is so crazy. I can´t believe that Saydi is a sister trainer!  That is so sweet!  I love you all and have a great week.  

Elder Ostler

PS  it is so hot, you have no idea