September 19, 2011

This is breakfast. We make these smoothies with all sorts of fruits and vegetables

I will keep praying for Grandpa. I love you very much.

Keep sending me updates about BYU football!

Well this last week has been a good last week for Elder Galvão. We worked a lot and he had some good byes. Tonight we are going to our neighbor's house across the street and we're going to have a good bye party with the ward. I am still here in Santana and I'm almost positive that I will stay here next transfer as well. President Monson said that he believes the ideal time for a missionary to stay in each area is 6-8 months, so I believe I will stay here for a long time. I absolutely love this ward. There is an attendance of about 180 people here in this ward, and I think the area is way smaller than our ward at home. The church is very strong. I love working in this ward. I love the members that are here. Everyday at lunch is a treat because it's with friends.

We found a girl and her mom this week knocking doors. We began talking to Paloma and talked about happiness. She opened up to us really quick and said her mom just separated from her husband and they aren't a very united family. These aren't the type of things that people just open up about after talking through their gate for 3 minutes to complete strangers. I know that the Holy Ghost touched her heart and gave her trust that what we want to share with her can help. A little bit into our conversation, her mom Benedita came walking down the street and we talked to her. I was nervous, because her daughter was so open, that she wouldn't like the idea. We said we had been talking to her daughter and that we were marking a time to pass by and talk a little bit more with them about Jesus Christ. She instantly opened up and we marked a day to pass by. She asked a question about prophecies and we are going to teach her tomorrow afternoon. We have many experience like this every week. I feel very blessed to serve here in Brazil, because the work is so exciting. The church is growing quickly here, and it is going to continue to grow. Our stake has a goal to divide and form a 5th stake in the city of Sorocaba.

The woman that I taught the last week on the division went to church last Sunday and had a really good experience. I think she will be baptized with her husband and brother in the following weeks.

On Wednesday, we had mission counsel. We talked a lot about applying the things that we have been learning in all of our other trainings. We discussed the fact that we don't need other programs or ideas, we just need more effective applications. I was so very impressed by President Martins again. He talked about how when he is working here in São Paulo North, he isn't thinking about just what he can help do here in his 3 years. He says that he thinks about how his work now can help strengthen the church in 5, 10 and 15 years. His decision making is very impressive to me. He seems to be very wise in always choosing the best thing, no matter how good the "good" and "better" options look. He is an incredible example to me.

Today we are going to have a zone activity to say good bye to Elder Galvão and Sister Peck, a sister in our zone. I love you all very much. Time is going fast.

Love, Elder Calvert