Week 30 ~ "DIA BRANCA"

e-mail
June 25, 2012

Hello!

This week was better.  Nobody said anything bad to me (ha ha), so it was much easier.  This area is just rough.  Yesterday, our district had a "dia branca"  "day of white..."  where our goal as a zone/district was to baptize 20 people.  So we worked super hard and met some good people to teach.  We met a mom of a recent convert preparing for a mission, and she accepted the date for this upcoming Sunday! It was a very spiritual lesson.
I went on divisions with one of the zone leaders, Elder Valiati, on Wednesday and it was great.  He was one of the assistants when we got here and he is an awesome missionary and really fun. They had confirmed 12 baptisms so they needed the help of Elder Carrell and myself.  So that was really fun.
Then the next day was Zone Conference with President and Sister Tavares.  It was about "7 banhos" or "7 baths", and they compared it to the leader of the army who had lepracy and had to take 7 baths in the River Jordan.  It was really good, and I love the chances we get to be trained and learn with the President. 
Yesterday was the District conference here in Apucarana, and like I said Dia Branca.  So we went out to bring our investigators and get people with at least a possibility of baptism, but nobody ever answered.   It's a little tough to have people go to church, but we are still working hard and looking for God´s elects here.  But yesterday was awesome because the district together had 15 baptisms, but a little tough because nobody wants to progress here...
So I have some more scriptures from the conference, especially for Alec and any of my other friends you see preparing to leave.   D&C 60: 2-3, 7, and 13, D&C 75: 20-21,  D&C 123: 17, Alma 26: 22, Alma 57: 21, Alma 5: 45-47, Abraham 3: 22-23 and substitute your name where Abraham´s name is, D&C 29: 6-7, 3 Néfi 5: 13, Jacob 1: 19, Ether 12: 27, Matthew 4: 18-22, D&C 1: 19-23 and D&C 58: 16.  So there are some for hard times, one that talks about not to worry about those who deny you because you´ll be there with Christ to bear testimony and all that good stuff. 
I think that the picture of the family is Irmã Veroci, my stake president Edson, and their sons David and Vinicius in Maringá.  Also, in the next package could you send Chalula hot sauce and kraft mac and cheese?
Thank you for the message.  I love you guys ton!  I hope you guys have a good week.  Say HI to Al, Jack, and pep.   Also send my love to every body.  Tell Seth and Sam congrats if you see them again.  Love you guys!

Love,
Elder Halpin

Elder Venancio and Elder Halpin found "Zion" in Brazil!

Zone Conference with friends from the CTM.

"Dia Branca"

Week 29 ~ A very HARD week!

e-mail
June 18, 2012

Hello!

What a week this has been!  But first tell Alec to read D&C 20:38.  This is about his new calling as an Elder, and I wish I would have been told about this before my mission.  Tell this to Seth and Sam as well and send them my love! 
So, here we go... I think that this week definitely was one of  the toughest weeks so far.  Everything in the house is going good.  I love having Elder Carrell there, and Elder Venâncio is great.  But as you said dad, sometimes some areas are interesting.  One day, we knocked on a street and at one house, we were talking about the gospel, baptism, all that good stuff.  Then he asked how we perform baptisms.  We explained age, authority and in the waters.  Then he asked if we did it in a river, or where.  We said a font now a days, then he went off and boy oh boy, sometimes it is tough just to love everybody and stay calm!  He said I didn´t have the right to be here because I don't speak Portuguese perfectly and all this junk!  He was totally rude.  I told him that I don't see him doing this work, and that I do know that this is the true church on this earth!  It was pretty interesting.  But I am totally used to that by now ha ha.
But now is where it gets interesting.  The next day we were in a neighborhood where last week we had cut some teenage kids because they weren´t progressing and they were singing stupid things about us as Elders... so Elder Venâncio and I simply cut them because they are not ready at this time.  So on this day we visited a member and he began to go off on me!  Saying I was doing everything wrong and we don't have the right to cut people...this person didn't serve by the way... so I just simply told him our purpose... but after he had no desire to talk to me, so I had to go to the other side of the street before he would talk to my companion.  It really is a struggle for me here sometimes.
Also, yesterday we had a baptism planned for Suzany.  We met her on Saturday night, and by miracles she had been to church various times and committed to live all the commandments after we taught her in a car with a member during a festa, total miracle right?...and she really has the desire to be baptized so it was awesome to teach her.  But then yesterday at church, nobody would help us and give us a ride to get investigators, so she wasn´t at church but we still had the baptism planned.  Then after sacrament, before the classes, our Branch President pulled us aside and said they didn't think Suzany was ready and that he wouldn't give us a ride to get her...!!!  We called the zone leaders and they said go to get her immediately and only President Tavares has the right to cancel a baptism if the person passes the interview!  So that was a really interesting experience and after all that, Suzany had to go somewhere with her parents later and couldn't be baptized yesterday, so we set the date for tonight!!!  Also, yesterday was Sunday to bring a friend to church, introduce to the missionaries, and next week we have a "day of white" planned with the district where the goal is to baptize at least 20 people as a district/zone!  But NOBODY, I repeat, the 30 something members that were there brought NOBODY to church!  So I really have no idea what the plan is here... so yeah, its been a tricky one.
But I know that the Lord will bless us with miracles this week and throughout the mission.  I also think that this simply is just a good learning experience and will prepare me for the future during and after the mission!  So once again thank you for all that you do and send my love to everybody, especially at the farewells.  Tell Sam and Seth congrats for me, and share that scripture with them please.  Tell Al, Jack and the Pep hi for me.  I love you guys, and yes the package did get here!  So thank you.  Speaking of that, if you haven't sent the next one yet, just send it to the mission home and not my house in Apucarana because there are only 3 more weeks in this transfer and it wouldn't be good for the box to arrive at the house here if I have been transferred... so just send it to the office in Londrina.  Once again thank you!  I love you tons, and hope you have a great week. 

Love,
Elder Halpin

Week 28~Congratulations Alec!!!

e-mail
Monday June 11, 2012

Hello!
First off, CONGRATS AL!  That is so awesome.  I bet you are super stoked right?!  Where in Argentina is your mission?  Argentina borders my mission a little bit.  That is amazing how fast the turn around was!  The Lord knows exactly what he is doing!  Do you feel like it was called by Divine Inspiration?  I hope so!  Congratulations and I am super proud of you!!!
So this past week has been very interesting and to be honest one of the toughest times thus far. Everything is great with the companionship and all that, but the work here is tricky.  The members here are interesting and aren't too excited about the work, so that makes it really tricky to get work done.  Like yesterday, it was the dedication of the temple in Manaus that we got to go to, but Elder Carrell and I forgot our recommends, and instead of offering us a ride, our Branch President said we had about 30 minutes to run about 2 miles to our house, get the recommend, then run back.  We were definitely not going to make it, but while running on the way back, a member passed by and they gave us a ride.  So it just is really tricky.  Also, only the Branch President and the President of the Elders Quorum are the only people at the branch council meetings, so no help = no success.  I´m just praying for guidance and help.   I would love some examples of what you would do dad!
Yes the leather journal that is the same is perfect.  I haven´t filled mine up all the way, but with about a months wait for the package, its probably good just to get another one soon. 
It is super awesome living with Elder Carrell!  Its really fun in our house, sometimes disorganized
but good, ha ha.
So that's about it for now.  Thanks for all the updates and continue to share my love.  I love you guys a ton and thank you for all you do.  Thank you for the examples you all are and I hope you guys have a great week at girls camp!!!

Love,
Elder Halpin

6 Month Tie-Burning Celebration

1st Day with Elder Venancio

The Grand Apostasia in the Center of Town
with Elder Venancio

Big Hat

Irma Veroci, Stake President Edson, and their two sons...David & Vinicius
Maringa, Brazil    June 2012

Manaus Temple ~ June 10, 2012

Week 27~A New City

e-mail
June 4, 2019

Hello!
What an interesting week it has been!  I have a bunch of pictures to send but forgot my cord...so I´ll send those next week!!!  I am now here in Apucarana which is just a couple cities away from Maringá.  I took a bus to Londrina on Tuesday and passed through Apucarana on the way, but we had to pick up some other elders in Londrina.  Elder Carrell and Elder Bennett, (Elder Parker now) are in my area and not just that, but I live with Elder Carrell!!!  IT'S A BLAST!  My new address is:

Rua Rio Grande do Sul #120 Jd. Apucarana
Apucarana - PR
Brasil
Cep. - 86.804-390

So I think if you send a package there it should get to my house! Also, could you send my other journal we bought and some more sharpie pens (big and small) in the package?  The house is pretty nice, a little messy but good.  My new companion is Elder Venâncio.  He too is from São Paulo and he is a funny little guy!  Our area has a HUGE mountain that we climb pretty much everyday.  Also, I have no idea what I am doing now as a senior... ha ha.  But oh well, I guess we´ll see what happens!
Tell Alec that I hope he had a great graduation, and it looks like he had a lot of fun!  Tell him that I love him, and I can't wait to hear where he is called.  Yes, Missão Brasil Londrina is my guess!!! 
Well, that is about it for this week, just a new adventure.  Wish me luck now ha ha.  I love you guys and hope you have a great week.  Tell everybody hi for me and share my love for them!  Don't forget to take a video!

Love,
Elder Halpin

APUCARANA - Capital of the Baseball Hat!!!

~A letter from Veroci Friedrich~

e-mail
May 30, 2012

Dear Family Halpin

It was great receiving your son Elder Halpin in Maringá, yesterday he was transferred to Apucarana and left us with much saudade. Saudade is a word that only exists in Portuguese. It means that we are going to miss him a lot.
Sister Janette, you raised your son so well. He is adorable, very polite, always grateful, always smiling,  has such a nice spirit and he is always serving on the ward. All the sisters loved Elder Halpin since the first day he got here.
He already speaks everything in Portuguese and we understand him perfectly. Yesterday he was here, had lunch and took pictures. Thank you so much for staying away from your son for two years, I know that the families from Brazil will be blessed from meeting him and getting to know the gospel.
He didn’t teach the gospel to my family but he taught us that we should be grateful, polite and humble. He was a great missionary every day here in Maringá.

Veroci Friedrich
(044)9124.0868

Week 26~Transfer Time

e-mail
May 28, 2012

Hello!
Another week gone by!  This last week has been a little slow again when it comes to investigators, it always seems to be the same.  They say they´ll go to church, then on Saturday or Sunday morning they always have an excuse...so once again we cut pretty much everybody so we can have time to meet the elects!!!  Yesterday morning right before we went to pick people up for church, it started to pour...but we went to pick somebody up and he was waiting on the corner for us!!!  After he answered pretty much all the questions in the classes, and after church we taught him about the Book of Mormon and set a date for him next week!  Also, we got a call from Elder Kaelin about a family that moved to our area that has been going to church for 1 1/2 years now!!!  They just don't have the money to get married, so we´re going to help them with that!  They came with us to an activity at the ward last night and have 2 little girls and the wife is pregnant.  Cute little family...So yeah, lets see what happens right!  Also, a member here and her family are super awesome.  We stopped by her house sometime this week to get to know them.  She has 3 kids, two sons and a daughter.  The daughter, Nicole, was baptized on Saturday and they are a hoot to be with!  Other than that though nothing much happened, except transfers. We got a call from the zone leaders and tomorrow I will be transferred to Apucarana!  I am actually really excited to see a new place!   I´ll miss a lot of the members here, but I´ll get their addresses and stay in touch with them!  So next week, I will give you an address to send the next package!  No, I haven't gotten the other package yet because it's probably at the mission office right now waiting until next week. If you haven't gotten the thermal garms yet, could you get either large, long tops or extra large because it is super short on me with just regular large.  Also, could you maybe send some more size 16 neck, large short sleeves because there are still 2 packed away, but the others are starting to get a little dirty with sweat, so maybe just send a few more.
Well, that's about all for now, I think...  I´ll send you the address next week, and anything else I might need, I´ll let you know.  Alec will come here to Missão Brasil Londrina of course.  I am super excited for him!  Please take a video for me! 

Eu sei que este é a igreja de Cristo!  Eu sei que O Livro de Mórmon é verdeiro e que Deus e Jesus Cristo nós amam.  Sou grato por a verdade que famílias são para sempre!  Eu amo vocês e sou grato por o exemplo que vocês fazem para eu e meus irmãos!  Eu sei que somos filhos de Deus e sou aqui em Brasil para encontrar os filhos dele, meus irmãos e irmãs, e ajudar eles achagar mais perto com Cristo.  De novo, obrigado!  Eu amo vocês.

Well, there is a little testimony in Português.  (use google translator)  I love you guys and hope you have a great week!  Tell everybody hi for me.  And wish Alec luck for me.  I´ll let you know how Apucarana is next week!  Tchau!

Love,
Elder Halpin

*Oh and I just got a notice now too that I will be a Senior Companion now!  Kinda freaked out, but só vai, SÓ BATIZAR!