Pics

Avocados

Where do you shop for groceries?  Bramil. Its like harris teeter of Rio de Janeiro and its right next to our house so its super convenient. 

Where do you get your hair cut?  Me and Howard are the only two white clients of this hair cuttery place in this little allyway of the street Q. The first time we went there I saw 4 black dudes cutting hair and like 50 fotos of their clients who are also have that black curly hair. Me and H were like, "I'm not even sure they cut white peoples hair..." So I asked. And they all kinda laughed and so we always go there cause they give us that good shape up. Haha

What is your favorite thing to eat they have served you? hmmmm I dunno. There´s a lot of things here that I freakin love to eat. The food here is pretty much all around good. 

Sooo yeah. This week was pretty good. Nothing really out of the ordinary. Me and H tried to make mack and cheese the other day! needless to say, we ended up with a hugggge pan of cheese and about a handfull of noodles to put it on. And it still wasnt as good as krafts. But yeah. 

So here in brazil they have a lot of avocados. And right now is the time to eat them. But here in Brazil, they are a little different. So the avocados here are about the size of a football. A slightly smaller football, and they stay green! So literally everyone is giving us avocados right now. Haha we have like 12 inside our house and I dont even like avocados that much! 

So here in Brazil no one eats avocado with salt. Its more of a sweet fruit. You can put it in the blender with a little milk and sugar and make a vitiman shake or you can just put a little sugar on it and eat it with a spoon. Its really good if you put sugar on it and lemon or lime juice. But my favorite style is still guacamole. So we wil make a bunch of guacamole and give it to all the Brazillians who are giving us avocados cause no one here knows what guacamole is.

So this week we also Baptised 2 of our investigators!! G who weve been teaching for about a month now and also K who we´ve been teaching for two weeks! Ive never seen anyone with the faith that G has, if I had half as much faith as G I could probably walk on water. But seriosly she has incrediable faith in Jesus Christ and the power he has. K is 10 years old and she is the daughter of a part member family. The whole family was less active in the church so we decided to visit them. After a while we learned that the whole family but the dad and K was baptised so we challenged her to be baptised and she accepted! As for the dad and G's husband... We´re still working on them but I know they´ll come around. 

Thats about it for this week! I love you guys! miss you guys sooo much!!! Give everyone back there a big hug for me!!

Love,

Elder Hamm

P.S. - Just a shout out about a mission.  Seriously the mission is the only time where you´ll truly depend on other people, go to bed hungry, wake up with nothing in the fridge, go out in 45 degree weather wearing a shirt, tie and long pants, get rejected over and over and over again. spend 24 hours 7 days a week next to someone you literally cant stand. Let someone spit in your face, throw rocks at you, and not have 10 cents to your name, AND STILL, after all that, call these 2 years the best 2 years of your life. 

Fasting.

Zone picccccc

What is your stove like?  We have a stove like we have at home but the gas is in a can inside a hole in the wall that costs freakin 60 reais to refill.

What is something American that you find there? So they have this store called lojas americanos. which means american store. And they have everything... everything brazillian. the only american thing I found there is skittles, milkeyway, snickers and little candies like that. But its a store that kinda feels like im home. Even though no one speaks english, me and H try to talk english with everyone who works there. Hahaha

Are there any fast food restaurants there that you enjoy? eh, we dont really go to restaurantes very often. its more like a bread store that has a little bar of food that normally has rice, beans, some type of noddles, meat, french fries and salad. But I have gone to habibs once with elder L and it was good. 

So yeah this week a lot happened actually.

Freakin pb and j com chocolate milk man.
U.S.A. oh btw I got your packages!

So in Cascatinha really no one wants to hear our message and I was freakin tired of knocking doors for hours and hours so I was talking to my Zone leader and he was like, well have you guys fasted? and I was like no... So this week we fasted as a district and miracles happened! 

So we all fasted saturday starting at 2ish and went 24 hours without food and without water. We all passed the names of all of our investigators to one another and fasted for the purpose that they will have a desire to be baptised and ask God if this church is true. So sunday comes around and only 1 investigator went to church out of our 12 investigators in the district. But we had faith that it would all workout. So during the second hour of church a member comes up to me and saids that her husband just changed his mind and wants his 9 year old daughter baptised in our church. and asked what day we could come over and teach her daughter. Then later before we left, P came up to me and said that one of her daughters friends, (who we´ve already taught and sometimes come to church but didnt have interest in being baptised) said that she wants to be baptised, and we just need the approval of her partents. THEN we went over to G and M a married couple who are literally the best and we were preparing her to get baptised and she said that she prayed and God told her this church was the true church. So we gave her the word of wisdom and she said that she would stop drinking coffee starting right now! So my testimony of fasting increased so much this week.

But there cant be all good news. for the past 4 months weve been visiting a family L. Me and Elder C found this family and started teaching them and helping them out and stuff. But a few weeks before we started teaching them their dad got really sick and fell into a coma. Me and Elder C went to the hospital to give him a blessing at the end of March and the weirdest thing happened. 

So in our church we believe in the blessing of oil like it saids at the end of chapter 5 in the book of James. We bless oil and then put a drop of it on the sick persons head and then we lay both hands on the persons head and consecraite that oil to bless and heal the sick and afflicted. Then we give him a blessing conforming with the words the holy ghost is giving us, with our hands still on his head. So when I went to give him a blessing, I wanted to say that he will get better and come home soon. But it was like I didnt even know how to speak portuguese. Like the gift of tounges stopped. I paused for 2 minutes thinking about what to say. and I ended up saying that he will have the force to withstand this challenge god gave him, among other things. At the end I closed the blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. I looked at JM who was still in a coma and I saw he was crying. So of course at that moment in time, I think something from the ceiling fell into my eye and I started tearing up and C just kinda gives me a hug and was just kinda quiet. Sunday at 3 oclock he passed away. And the family is taking it really well, I think better than me. Haha but yeah. We´re all here on a ticket, traveling and when its our time its our time. Who are we to try and go against the will of God? 

But we got a lot of work ahead of us for the next few days so thats good. I love you guys I miss you all

Elder Hamm

Elder L is still in my zone.  This might be the last zone time
I'll ever see my trainer again.  

Hospital

 So you are in “Petropolis” – but your area isn’t really Petropolis, so is that your district or zone? Thats my zone, Petrópolis, my district is actually Correias and my area is Cascatinha. Complicated nah?

How many Mormons are there in the area? I think like 500 or more but right now we have a frequência of like 50

 So you have been there 6 months – tell me about a family or two that you love and that helps take care of you. Well of course theres Irmã A cause shes awesome. We bought a box of chocolates and a flower for here for mothers day. Then theres the bishop and his wife. His wife, Irmã c is freakin awesome and she has a daughter who just got back from a mission in salvador so they take really good care of us, she drove me to the hospital and back this week so we also bought a box of chocolates and a flower for her to thank her. 

But yeah, so I went to the hospital this week! That was loads of fun. Ill just sum it up cause I already told you guys on the call, but basically I was helping Irmã a move some stuff and I fell and 3 nails went into my hand. One above the rist (which was the deepest, like 4-5 centameters) and two other on the side of my hand which only went in like 2-3 centemeters. But yeah it was bleeding like crazy and the fact that the nails were 1,000 years old the presidents wife said that I need to go to the hospital to get it cleaned and take a tetanus shot. I told her, what can I say, just trying to be more like Crist ;) all hole-y and stuff. 

Haha but yeah Ill send you ugys a picture of my hand. its lookin good now. Ill also send you guys a picture of my buddie who let me use his hoodie cause it was freezing and mine was wet. but yeah hes awesome and this hoodie makes me look like a thug. haha his name is lucas. but yeah  I love you guys!! miss you guys!!

Fourth transfer's the charm!

How does your area compare to the rest of your mission given what other Elders have told you? welll.... I dunno I dont really like to talk about my difficulties or success and I really try to avoid comparing me to anyone, or my area to any area because nothing makes me more mad than people who make excuses for the success they´re not having. Every area has bad times and good time, different problems and struggles. These difficutlies are yours to use as an excuse and complaine about, or try to help change. Its funny cause in the end the biggest change you´ll really see isnt in your area, its in yourself. 

Do they have a Mother’s Day there?  Dude. For evey holiday they have in the united states, Brazil has that... and 3 more. Seriously, every month theres like 3 or 4 holidays for random things. But Brazil does have a "kids day" like a fathers day and mothers day. 

What is your current favorite treat? my favorite treat.... hmmm... I like condennsed milk alot. And here they use it as a topping for pretty much everything. But I also like the fruity gummy candy they sell here in big bags. Its like the consisstancy of a tootie roll but a fruity flavor. 

But yeah so you guys remember that little surpise party I hoped that no one would know about? Yeah... So this sunday was testimony meeting (where every first sunday of the month members from the congregation will get up and bear their testimony) and the grandma of the girl got up there and right when she started talking I knew we were outted. So she starts off all good and then shes like, "this week the elders went to the birthday party of my grandaughter. And my daughter in law....blah blah blah.... She saw them havin a good time and laughing and now wants to hear their messages..." So the bishops wife was sitting behind me and shes like, "okay elder hamm, went there to share a message, saw cake, and stayed for the festives eh?" Haha and now our invistigator who was sitting beside me wants to have a party and invite all her friends and is saying that we haveee to come. so yeah... that didnt really end too well.

But as for transfers!!! I will be staying in Cascatinha for one more transfer with Elder Howard. And you know what they say! Fourth transfers the charm! Haha Love you guys!! Miss you guys a lot!!

Elder Hamm

Surprise

Do you have a favorite scripture? 

1 Nefí 4:6 and the beginning of 7. It says

6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

 7 Nevertheless I went forth,..."

I really like how Nefi didnt have any idea what he was doing, but yet he went forth trusting in the lord. I realize that everyday when I wake up, I go forth, trusting in the Lord, not knowing what will happen. Its pretty sweet.

 

What do you study during study time? The presidente wants us to study The Book of Mormon everyday and also Preach my gospel. But I like the bible too so I try to study all three of them everyday. If you open Preach My Gospel, you´ll see that every section of that book has both references to the bible and aso the LdM. And when we have investigators that have questions or we will teach a lesson to someone difficult, during comp study we´ll so a dry run or something. 

What is the public transportation there like? Busses. Here in petropolis it costs 3.20 reais. Which is like a freakin arm and a leg cause in my last area it cost 1.60. But yeah Petrópolis is pretty expensive. The bill for lights went up like 20% the last 2 months. Its crazyyy.

So yeah this week was pretty good. We went around and decided that knocking doors here in Petropolis isnt really doing anything so we decided to work with the members this week and see if they had any refrences for us.

So we started visiting the less active and we would enter, talk with them for 15-20 minutes and then give a short lesson about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just to help them remember what we have and how important it is that we share this knowledge that we have. So almost all of them gave us references! Which would be the first references ive received since I arrived here in petrópolis. 

So we had a conference with the presidente I think wednesday... But yeah it started at 9:30 and ended at 6... it was wayyyy long but it was a super good training. We met with the zone of Volta Redondo and Teresópolis so I got to see Elder C!!! Man I miss that guy. He was really tough but in the end he taught me so many things and I really miss him. Also I got to see Elder B from my CTM group!!! He's comps with C. But yeah. 

We also saw alot of monkeys this week which is weird because it was kinda chilly. But we fed a banana to a few of them. 

Oh! So we were walking home one night and it was only 8. So we pass a house where a member lives and I felt like we should visit them because only the mom and daughter are members. So we ring the buzzer and she invites us in and shes like, "come with me" so we enter a room where the lights are all turned off and we hear some other people whispering and shes like "stay quiet and hide" and I look over at Elder H and I can hardly make out his face but hes just as confused as I am. So we hear someone coming down the stairs and so they light the candles on the cake and Im thinkin, "ohhhh great we just crashed a surprise party.... fantastic" So everyone jumps out and yells surprise! when the girl walks in. So her daughter is turning 13 and all of the girls from the ward are here and family and im thinking, Perfeccctttttt. The last thing I need is for someone to snap a picture and put it on facebook! Cause then the presidente will see it and he will think that we went to a surprise party for a 13 year old girl! So right after we yell surprise all the family is like, Oh the missionaries are here! How great! and since only 2 members of the family are members and knew us it was a little weird. So the dad, (who's huge and scary and not a member) is like, Sit! EAT! So without hesitation we sit down and start eating little sandwiches they made and so the group of 14 year old girls makes their way over to us and starts talking and before you know it someone breaks out a camera and the song "skyfall" comes into my head and im like yeah this is it.... this is the end... 

But long story short, (or less long) we left after 40ish minutes cause it was 9 oclock. with the address of all the people there cause they saw that the missionaries were actually just two 20 year old guys trying to share the love of Christ. I also asked that if anyone wanted to put a photo on facebook they can, just block Sister C and mission Brazil Juiz De Fora =)

Other than that its just the same ol same ol. love you guys!!

Elder hamm

wooooooooo

Other than lighting their floors on fire, what do most people do for heat?  hmnmm don´t know. If I had known of any other way to get heat, I wouldnt have lit my floor on fire.

Do people have cars in your area?  yes and no. only people who have good jobs have cars cause cars here are expensive. But Michael V will be glad, if you have a camry here, it pretty much means you made it. Camry´s are fancy here.

Do most people have electricity and phones? Yeah I think everyone has electricity but some people cant afford to have electricity evey month. So sometimes they´ll go a week or two without power cause they didnt pay the bill and they cut their power, so they have to wait and save their money to pay the bill to get more electricity. and most people have phones here but not everyone has credit to call or to text people. they can only receive calls and stuff. 

But yeah this week was awesome! -__- We had a bunch of people we were teaching and every single one of them told us that they dont want to hear our message any more and one of the families told us that if we come back the dad (who's brothers with a big drug dealer) will kill us with a plank of wood. And I know he will because he already went to jail once for attempted murder. So yeah. This week we will choose a new part of our area and knock doors over there. 

So this week we were walking back from lunch Sunday and we pass these 3 girls and 2 guys trying to move this fridge and so me and H run over there to help and we're like can we help? and this was the first time I really realized that we must look insane. Because they look at us in our suit and tie and are like, are you serious? So im like "dead serious" so I take off my suit coat and roll up my sleeves and they just laugh. haha So we help these guys move this fridge, 3 stores up, through a window (cause the staircase is pretty small) using only seat belts and 2 ropes. Yeah this was some Acme comic book stuff. But we got the fridge up there without breaking too many things. 

So I start talking to the guy, F, who runs this place, turns out its like a place where people without money can get, dental care, doctors, reading lessons, physical therapy, and a bunch of other stuff, for less than it would normally cost. And he's learning english to go to Vanderbuilt Law school! so he presented me to his wife and he said that he would love to have us over to share our lesson with them! 

This was just a hugggeee moral boost after our last family said they were gonna kill us. So yeah im excited to visit him this week! but other than that this week was pretty calm.

hmmm I really need to start writing in my journal more often because if I write in my journal, its easier to remember the funny stuff to tell you guys. Haha. But yeah

Love you guys!! I miss you all so much!! 

Love 

Elder Hamm

P.S. This transfer is only 5 weeks so transfers are 5 de maio.