Feliz Carnival!!!

Monday we had interviews with the President and it was incredible! He is such an inspired man and I love Presidente Lundgren so so much. The spirit was so strong with him! Monday was also fun because I spent the entire day with Elder Josephson and all the other elders from the zone while we were all waiting for interviews.

Tuesday was a blast. We had our zone conference in the morning and President started out with a story that last year Elder Bednar invited him and his wife to his office to watch a movie with him. (yeah big time invite huh?) But E. Bednar showed him the movie Meet the Mormons. (dont know if that is big back home or not, I heard it was in the movie theaters or something). Turns out Presidente has a copy and we watched it! It was so amazing and so so trunky because of a few football scenes and scenes from good old Utah. All the americans were loving it. AND I want to ask and see if its out on DVD yet or not in the United States. If so, I would really like a copy! but if not, its chill. 

The other cool thing that happened Tuesday was that we got caught in the worst rainstorm I have ever seen in my life. We saw it coming  and legit said a prayer that we could make it to the end of the street to Joãos house in safety. We started running (and if felt like we were swimming). I couldn´t see anything at all! It was all a blur! My contacts were distorted in my eyes! The only thing I could do was look at the white shirt of E. Lima in front of me and continue onward. I had to stay close because honestly you couldn´t see anything 5 feet away from you! By the time we made it to João´s house we were completely drenched. Dumped a good couple cups of water out of my shoes and bag! It was so awesome, and the coolest part was that my scriptures weren´t wet! I have a testimony that scriptures and sacred people! haha

Wednesday was an amazing day. We had a meeting with our ward mission leader and he was telling us about this friend of his that emailed asking about what time church starts earlier that day. He said she wanted to visit the church. So the sisters were fighting over who would get the reference and we just decided that to stay out of it! ha. But turns out later that day we had a visit and were walking to the house and E. Lima said ``remember that road you said you wanted to knock every door?`` I said yeah, and we ended up going there. The 3rd house was that friend of our Ward Mission Leader! Totally random! We taught her and she loved it. She even went to church like she said and after sacrament she was balling because she loved it so much! It was so awesome and we know the Lord sent us to her because we are the ones that need to teach her and her family! 

Thursday was just a long day of teaching lessons and finding new people! It was super successful. The thing that sticks out most to me is that we had lunch with the Bishop and he gave us a ride to our first appointment after. He turned on his music and it just so happened to be a cover of ``Miss You´´ by blink-182. I think it was boyce avenue that sang it and it was so hard to try and not listen. Our bishop is hilarious and he said ``Hyrum Smith wrote this song! Its church approved´´ haha! He is awesome.

Friday was much like Thursday. We taught 7 lessons and marked two baptismal dates for these two young men. One is 14 and his name is Elmisson and the other is 19 and his name is Cleber. Elmisson prayed and said he felt really joyful after and said he wants to be baptized. He has already been going to church for a while and we have visited him a few times so we set a date for this Saturday! Not sure how it will go for sure but we are excited for him! 

Saturday was cool because it was the start of the infamous CARNIVAL here in Brasil. But the best part is is that Palmas doesn´t really have Carnival. Everyone leaves and goes to places near the beach and big party towns. We don´t even have a different curfew or anything. So no worries there, its super tranqüillo. The only thing people do here is listen to music really loud and barbeque. Oh! And This one drunk dude was dancing out in the street in his undies! I turned the corner and was just laughing my head off at him!!! haha! Saturday was also Valentines day and to celebrate we all went and got açai. We actually make up any excuse to go get açai :) ha. Its just so delicious and its just so refreshing because of the hotness here.

Yesterday was awesome because we had 6 investigators in the church and the other João we have been teaching for a while, wasn´t there when we showed up. So we went to get him and he was cleaning his house! We waited for him to get ready and he went with us. It was perfect too because he cried a little bit during sacrament meeting. We set another date for him for this Saturday as well. He only didn´t get baptized last time because he doesn´t feel ready but super is. So pray that he can have peace about the whole thing :) We also had a baptism in the ward yesterday of a little girl that turned 8. I got to be a witness, so that was pretty special. 

Today we went to the Palacio. It is supposedly the very center of Brasil and we took tons of pictures there and saw lots of other cool things. We also went to the mall after and bought subway! It was incredible. Lots of fun things today and this week.

I just want to end and say that the experiences I had this week are enumerable. Especially the spiritual experiences. It has been incredibly humbling to receive answers to almost all of my prayers lately. I know that Heavenly Father is aware of each and every one of us. I know that Jesus Christ Atoned for the sins of mankind. I am eternally grateful for the Atonement and how it has changed my life and is changing my life as I partake of it. The Atonement is so much more than repentance. It can change us and our desires. It has already changed mine. I looked back at how far I have come on my mission already this week and have truly seen the changes that have happened within me. I am no longer the same person I once was. But a person much better, all thanks to Christ and His infinite Atonement. I hope and pray that I can continue to become the son, brother, grandson, relative, and friend that Christ expects me to be for all of you. I love you all so much and bear my testimony that I know this church is true with all my heart in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, amém.

I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

com amor, Elder Patterson