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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
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