Elder Vernon gets to train a brand new missionary from Guatamala

September 24, 2014

Ollo! :)

This week I went to Santa Maria to meet my new companion, his name is Elder Müller and he is from Guatamala, so he speaks Spanish! Also for the time being we are in a trio with Elder Carlos de Souza (he is from Paraíba, Brasil) until one more missionary arrives. They are both cool. It was funny getting to the stake center in Santa Maria because I did not know how to get there but I took a bus, saw the street sign where the chapel is and left the bus and walked the rest of the way! :) Hmmm, life is funny that way... :)

The training was cool and I saw 3 of my past companions. I like the training stuff because it is all of the basic stuff that invite the spirit to do the real teaching.

Also, one of the family’s that we are teaching went to church! There was also a really good lesson with them where, even though they did not read 3 Nephi chapter 11 that we left for them to read, we read the start of 3 Nephi chapter 11 with them. Explaining how faith in Jesus Christ comes before repentance and baptism and how the Lord is always trying to talk to us was what we talked about. I think it helped them see how even though we (missionaries) talk a bunch about baptism, what we really want is the eternal happiness of those we come into contact with.

Another cool lesson this week was we talked with a guy about how to pray. He listened attentively and then said something interesting at the end. He said that before he did not know that ´´amen´´ means that we agree with what was said and recognized how something small like that can be an opportunity to learn and grow. I say ´´amen´´ to that! :)

One lunch this week was churrasco! :) Meat is yummy, I ate too much, but it was worth it! My tummy was very satisfied with itself! :)

  Com muitos sorrisos! ;) :) :)- This means "with many smiles"

Elder Cory Vernon

:) Novo Líder Da Obra em São Pedro! :)

Ollo Family! :)

This week the branch in São Pedro called a branch mission leader! We are super excited because it is much easier to work with everybody when there is a branch or ward mission leader that organizes and directs things regardless of if missionaries are tranfered, etc...

Also, one funny thing this week was that I was a little bit sick and as such it was necessary to blow my nose and as a result of this I had a few bloddy noses. It was funny because my companion and the people we visited were super shocked and thoguht it was super strange to have a bloody nose. I guess people in Brasil do not have bloody noses very often becasue it is humid.

Another cool thing tis week is that last p-day I finished reading Isaiah! It was a slow process but it is really cool how Isaiah talks about practically everythign in the plan of salvation from the pre-existance, to Adam and Eve, to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Gospel being taught after this life (and during this life), the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and more! ;) I liked it.

Additionally, we started teaching a family that had already visited the church at one of the chapels in Santa Maria and liked it. Thus it was cool that they were super excited to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the restoration of it.

Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) :)

Sincerely,

Elder Vernon :)

 Flaming Hot Cheetos- Cory got these in his Birthday package!

Exotic food and 19th Birthday Celebration

July 28, 2014

Ollo! :)

This week a bunch of the members in our branch were traveling so there was only 25 people at church; my companion and I taught the Sunday school lesson about how good and bad leaders in the Bible effect the people. One thing   we talked about was how a good leader always has the courage and integrity to do what is right regardless of circumstances.

I also read Mathew chapters 5-7 verse by verse with 3 Nephi 12-14 which was cool. I like how together they show how Jesus Christ has showed us the way to be perfected through his grace and gospel. Together they talk a lot about faith, repentance, and baptism, while showing how all the wonderful things about the gospel are possible because of Jesus Christ.

One lunch this week was churrasco of sheep, sausage, and chicken meat! It was yummy. Also the daughter of one of the people we are teaching gave us about 10 avocados (in Brasil the people make juice with one avocado and 3 limes and sugar; they think it is strange when I tell them about guacamole). And we visited with one of the familys that we are teaching and they shared with us how the gospel is already helping them out a bunch in their life! It is cool to see the joy in their faces! :)

I also made beans with our pressure cooker, the pressure cookers here in Brasil are better because they actually work (I think it is because they have less safety stuff) it cooks the beans in about 10 minutes and then waiting 30 minutes..

Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) :)

Sincerely,

Elder Vernon :)

Cory Celebrating his 19th Birthday!

Elder Dias liked the fake snow, it was his 1 year mark so he made a cake.

A Copa do Mundo Já Começou! :) This means "The World Cup has begun"

June 16, 2014

A Copa do Mundo Já Começou! :)  This means "The World Cup has begun"

Ollo!

This week was great! :) We went and visited a bunch of people with Irmão Alan, a cool guy in the branch that likes to work with the missionaries. Also the assistants to the Presidente came on Thursday and did exchanges with us so we were able to visit more people than normal this week despite the world cup starting.

When we were working on the day of the first game of Brazil for the world cup it was funny because whenever Brazil scored a goal we could hear all the people cheering even though we were in the streets. My companion said that where he lives in Manaus that the ground shakes for about 15 minutes after each goal and that here in Rosário is pretty calm.

I got a package for my birthday that had fake snow in it. It was cool showing Elder Dias the fake snow because the only time he has seen snow is on the TV or computer. I opened most of the stuff in the package but saved some stuff to open on my actual birthday.

I ate more cow hoof dessert and cow guts soup! Yum! :)

After we passed by a bunch of peoples houses reminding them about church there ended up being 5 people that came to church this week!

Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) :)

Sincerely,

Elder Vernon :)

Why I am serving a mission...

June 10, 2014

Ollo Família! This week was great! Irmão Glenio (he was baptized last Monday) was confirmed in Sacrament meeting! Also, the Sister Missionaries had three baptisms! Also we went to Santa Maria for the Mission Tour of Elder Mozart B Soares and got trained on how to do missionary work better.

One day of the week we had lunch at Irmão Delcis and he invited a bunch of members and another friend who isnt a member. It was yummy, but it was cow guts soup that we ate! They call it Mondongu or motaco. 

I am still the exact same weight I was before the mission and during the mission; it is funny though because people talk about how skinny I am, but I am just the same as always. I also got a happy birthday letter, so I am feeling a little old (just kidding, I will only be 19 when my birthday comes around). 

Elder Mozart B. Soares talked about how part of missionary work is helping people come to Christ and be saved spiritually. He talked about how we can always do more to help people out and that we should not abandon them when they need us most even if it seems like they are not doing the things they need to do to change. He shared how his parents were the first converts in Recife and how he was the first Mormon baby in Recife Brasil.  :) He also asked us to write why we are serving a mission to our family, so here is a short explanation:

Why I am serving a mission is quite simple, I want to help people be happy and I know that because of what I have learned, especially in the home because of my parents and siblings, that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior and that his Atonement makes it possible for all who will accept him to be perfected (not only me and my family, but the whole human family!) :)

I would say the most spiritual growth I have had on the mission is with seeing others how they can become and trying to understand their situation and why they do they things they do.

The soccer world cup starts this week, it is fun to see the people freaking out and getting super excited for it; however, as missionaries the rule is that we can study or proselyte like normal during the games, we cannot watch the games with people. :)

Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) Sincerely, Elder Vernon

May 19, 2014

Ollo! This week Elder LaPray left to become the companion of Elder Sol, my other companion in Brasil! I just thought that was kind of funny. My new companion is Elder Dias; he is from Manaus (the big city in Amazonas Brasil) and joined the church when he was 14 years old, he likes to eat fish and likes the Avengers and can draw stuff really good.

We also organized an open house at the chapel, but no one came. That was sad, but we practiced showing the chapel to the seminary kids and set up to try again next week; hopefully, with more success. ;)

Irmão Glenio has now read the whole Book of Mórmon, his baptism should be on Saturday when all goes well with his stopping smoking and drinking alcohol. 

Also Thainan's confirmation and recieving of the gift of the Holy Ghost went well on Sunday. 

One thing that people who are looking into the church get a little angry about here is that the missionaries are always being transferred out of areas with new missionaries coming. But I think it is a good thing because it means when they come to church it will be because they actually believe and not just because they are friends with the missionaries.

In the mornings and in the night it sometimes gets cool now which is nice, the climate here can get to just barely in the negatives using degrees Celsius, and is humid and rains a lot, but snow, if it happens is extremely rare (essentially it doesn’t snow and people go on trips to other places in order to see snow).

One food people like here is linguiça, it is essentially a giant brawtwurst that they cut up and then eat, it is yummy. I haven’t had liver or panelada, but I have eaten heart on a couple of occasions.

I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting about how with revelation and testimonies they both normally are processes and not instant things and how with the temple, even when we have troubles in life, the temple helps us feel the peace that Jesus Christ brings into our lives.

Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) :)

Sincerely, Elder Vernon