Monday, October 26, 2015

Brazil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes my new companion is a Brazilian!   Also he is the only Brazilian missionary in all of New Zealand.  I feel pretty pumped that I get to say I trained a Brazilian.  I'm sure Uncle Adam is pumped that I got one of his mates.  His name is Elder Barbosa and he is from Santa Catalina (no idea how to spell that). He is Brazilian but guess what?  He doesn't like soccer haha.  He loves to surf and to ride his skateboard.  He said that he surfed every morning before he left for his mission.  It was also Elder Barbosa's first time flying on a plane.  He said he loved it and that he wants to travel the world when he grows up.  Unlike most foreign missionaries, Elder Barbosa only stayed in the MTC for 2 weeks!  So he didn't receive any language training in the MTC.  He took an English course for three years while he was in Brazil and that is where he learned all of his English.  He still struggles with the English but it is amazing how well he speaks.  I mean I took Spanish for 3 years and didn't learn anything haha.  I always say random Spanish words to Elder Barbosa to see if he knows what they are.  He knows pretty much every one I say.  Elder Barbosa lived with his mom and his dad and his 15 year old brother.  He grew up in the gospel and all of his family is members of the church.  Elder Barbosa has definitely had a culture shock.  He is so used to the way of life of Brazil so it has been pretty hard for him to adjust.  He is very enthusiastic about working hard though.  We have knocked heaps of doors over the last 3 days haha!

So I will give you a rundown of the week and try to give you as much information as I can mama ;) 

Monday- Elder Holmes’ last pday must have been pretty lame because I can't even remember what we did haha.  I think we might have gone to our church and played ping pong.  Everyone is still trying to beat me in ping pong haha. 

Tuesday- This was Elder Holmes and my last day together :( We pretty much just went around and said goodbye to all of our investigators and members of the ward.  We had some mean feeds and I probably gained 20 kg just from the day. The hardest family for him to leave was Matiu and Geraldine.  We love them so much, they are pretty much like my parents.  They really take care of us.  Tuesday night I felt like I should ask Elder Holmes to give me a priesthood blessing.  He told me he would as long as I gave him one.  It was a really good experience and the spirit really filled our home.  It was really sad to have him go.  We just sat and talked about all of our great memories together.  Elder Holmes was kind of an egg to me sometimes but I love him!  He was an awesome friend and was really fun to be around.  I'm realizing that you take for granted those things in your life until they are gone!

Wednesday- Wednesday was the long trip to Hamilton.  It was a good car ride and we had heaps of fun!  We arrived in Hamilton at about 9:00 at the Hamilton Zone Leader’s flat.  Guess who that was?  Elder Rios!!! my first district leader and probably my favorite missionary.  He is going on his last transfer and will be home for Christmas.  He would always sing, "Brunsy, I'll be home for Christmas" then he would ask me how long I had left on my mission haha.  So that night I got to chill with Elder Rios and we caught him up on all of the things he has been missing out on.

Thursday- Transfer meeting!  This was my first transfer meeting and it was way mean.  We got to the chapel at 9:30 and just chatted with all of the missionaries until 11.  A couple kids from my intake were also training so it was cool to get to catch up with them.  Elder Bowman is one of them and he was just about as scared as I was.  I told him that I wasn't even sure that I had been trained yet haha.  We had a great meeting and my son was born, and I was a happy Father.  Sister Rudd (President Rudd's wife) was so pumped that I was training Elder Barbosa.  She is probably one of the nicest people I have ever met.  Our mission President is about the funniest man I have ever met.  I wish I had time to tell you more about him, but he is so awesome.  We all think he will be a member of the 70 someday.  He golfs too, which is way mean.  When I get off my mission we are going to go golfing.  Guess what I had to do after the Transfer meeting?  Drive all the way back to Gisborne.  Not only that, I had to drive the entire way pulling a trailer filled with bikes. That was my first time ever pulling a trailer haha.  Guess what else I did?!  Backed a trailer for the first time in my life.  I actually did a pretty mean job if I do say so myself.

Friday- Friday I showed Elder Barbosa around town and we tried to teach some people, but everyone was gone because there was a professional holiday and labor weekend. I realized how small our teaching pool is when I was the one having to decide everywhere we went.

Saturday- Saturday we had a mean experience!  I have been feeling so lost this last couple of days because I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.  I feel like the trainer is the most important calling in the mission.  I have this missionary’s salvation in my hand and I have to show him how to be a good missionary.  Well Saturday we were having no luck seeing anyone.  We were knocking on heaps of doors as well, but nobody would give us the time of day.  We had an hour before lunch, and to be honest I had no idea what to do.  I was supposed to give Elder Barbosa an opportunity to invite someone to be baptized and I had no clue who that would be or where we should go.  I decided to pull over to the side of the road and say a prayer.  It was a simple prayer but I just asked that we would be able to find someone who wanted to hear our message.  I decided to drive down the main street of town and look for someone to talk to. Oh also funny part of the story, it is raining cows and sheep, and we are literally soaked!!!  So I see these girls sitting under a building which was keeping them dry. We pulled over and decided to go walk over to them.  We ended up teaching them the Restoration and Elder Barbosa was able to invite them to be baptized.  They said that if they got an answer to their prayer that what we taught was true that they would be baptized.  Sad part of the story they didn't come to church because they slept in.  Good news we ran in to one of the girls Sunday and set up another time to teach them. Their names are Bre and Keisha and they are 16 years old.

Well to finish this letter I will say that I'm doing great!  I am super stressed about training, but I know the Lord will help us as long as we are willing to put forth the effort.  I know that I will learn heaps from training and that I will really benefit from the experience.  I'm so glad for the plan of salvation.  I'm so glad to know where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going.  It would be so sad to me if I didn't have a purpose in life.  I know that families can be together forever!  I love this gospel with all of my heart!

Love,

Elder Brunson