Happy Independence Day! Brasil!

So today is Brasil´s 4th of July, and we are super lucky that this computer place is open because 1. Today is a major holiday here and 2. The biggest party/event is happening this whole week here in Porto Nacional and everyone is closed. This party thing that they are having luckily is outside of the city so we don´t have to deal with the iniquity that parties bring here. But today was super sweet because they had a parade of sorts in the street. We watched and took pictures. The parades they have here are weird and tell the story of brasil. All the schools participate and the little kids dress up as slaves and and indians and explorers and presidents of brasil and all sorts of stuff. I was a little disappointed because they didn´t throw out candy... Like, what an expectation when they told me ``there will be a parade!`` and I showed up thinking I´d get a few candies like all the parades we have back home! haha :) But tudo bem.

This week nothing too exciting happened. We spent a lot of time working in the neighborhoods around the church and found a few people. Friday we knocked on the door of a guy and he opened it and said ``come in!!!`` and then ran between two houses inside the gate and to his behind the other two (confusing I know, the houses here are all bunched together) but we followed him and saw that he was cooking pasteis. He almost burned them to answer the door! haha. But we sat with him for a while as he cooked and gave us some. So great when people feed the missionaries :) This guy´s name is Cimario and he reminded me of dad at first site. He had a goatee and had a hat on! haha. Super rad. But he is a great guy that is catholic by birth (like everyone here) but told us he is looking for the church that is right for him. We taught the restoration and he was super interested and will go to church this next Sunday. Hopefully we´ll be able to mark a baptismal date with him this week.

Oh! just remembered one of the coolest stories of the week. Last tuesday evening we were walking down by the lake and saw two kids playing basketball at the park they have there. E. Burock and I talked about it and decided to go talk to them. We just walked up and asked there names and how long they had been playing (because they were airballing like crazy) and soon enough they tossed us the ball. We shot around for a few minutes and asked if we could play a game to 12. They were happy enough to accept the challenge. Before we started I told them that if we won they had to listen to a message and if we lost we would just leave. So we started playing and it was hilarious. I was so out of practice and airballed a ton. But soon remember you have to take the ball to hole! (right dad???) So I just started schooling them with a few moves and doing lay-ups. We ended up winning 12-0. haha! I couldn´t help myself. They all thought I was the best american basketball player ever. But while we were playing a few more of there friends showed up and started watching. So at the end of the game I asked if we could share a message with them and the accepted. And so did there friends! So we ended up teaching the Plan of Salvation on the basketball court as 10 young men all listened intently to what we had to say. It was so awesome and they had questions and comments that were real. We were able to get 6-7 addresses and numbers from them so it was very successful! They all loved it as well and want to play again someday :) haha.

Also, this week during a lesson at Neysa´s and Anevaldo´s house we had a ´funny´ moment. We were teaching in the backyard and just talking. (imagine the backyard, its all open and no walls of neighbors or anything.) So all of sudden about 5-6 people ran out of the house directly behinds there´s screaming ´´fight! run run run!´´ and they all ran whizzing passed us. We all jumped up and grabbed the kids and ran inside! Luckily it was anything serious, just a drunk guy that was mad at somebody. At first it got the adrenaline pumping, but we all ended up laughing afterwards. 

So this next week should be very good. We have a conference here in Palmas with Elder Costa from the Setenta and with Pres. Lundgren. Also its transfers already if you can believe it. But lots of stuff to do this week and it should be very busy. Love you all so much and hope everything is going well. This church is true! I don´t have a doubt about it! Thanks for sharing about the scripture studies :) Super awesome. have a great week!

com amor, Elder Patterfilho

August 31 2015

So my beloved family. I bet you are all wondering why I am emailing so late! I hope dad and mom haven´t stressed out too much. But today we were in Palmas for our zone p-day and it was a blast. Our bus coming back showed up super late, so thats why I am writting so late. So I will talk a little about our activity today. We all chipped in and bought stuff to make pancakes, eggs, cookies, and to buy orange juice and coke. We had an american breakfast activity :) Super legit. I loved it so much and I was a cook. I made 36 scrambled eggs all at once! It was pretty awesome and everyone loved them. We all basically chilled and laughed and joked and relaxed today together. Super fun to be with the other elders and sisters. They are awesome.

But since I am writting so late I don´t have much time and apologize because I won´t write the longest email ever to tell about the week, but I will try to fit in all the important stuff.

So this week we had a district fast, fasting for our investigators and our zone goal of 3 baptisms for this transfer. Let me just say that it was a hard fast and Satan was working hard because every single house we went to offered us food and juice and all sorts of goodies! But we were able to accomplish it just fine. And let me just tell you, that my testimony of fasting is so strong! I know God blesses us greatly when we sacrifice a little. We finished our fast wednesday afternoon and that very night we confirmed a baptism for this sunday and remarked baptismal dates for Neysa and Dandara for Sunday as well! We were super super blessed and I know with a surety that God helped us because of our efforts. 

Now, maybe you are wondering if the baptisms happened or not... Well, they happened! And it was marvilous! Yesterday was a super special day for us. Vilma chose E. Burock to baptize her and we were planning to have Neysa´s husband baptize her and her daughter. But it turned out he has had a problem with coffee lately and said that he´d rather not do it. The Branch President talked to him to work through it but he said it was fine if someone else did the baptism. So the very last minute we had to ask her who she wanted and she chose E. Burock to baptize Dandara and me to baptize her! I was kinda shocked because he has been here for everything but I was super honored. And yesterday morning I had the feeling that I should take my baptismal clothes to the church (whispers from the Holy Ghost) even though I knew I wasn´t going to do it. But I did it anyways and I was prepared when she asked me to do it! So the baptismal service went super good and all three of them were glowing like the flower off of Tangled after. The Spirit was so strong! And want to know something even more special? Baptizing her was super cool because she is pregnant! Its like every missionaries dream to baptize a pregnant woman :) ha! Super cool :) hehe.

This week was also a very hot hot week here. Mom is keeping up on the weather app or something but I promise it seems so much hotter. The sunrays are strong here and give sunburns through clothes. But I walk with a bottle of sunscreen in my bag and apply it often :) no worries mommy :) But can you all believe that I am loving it? I couldn´t be happier to be here in Tocantins. I don´t want to ever leave this place! ha. I am sorry this email is short and I am going to think of a million things I could have said right when I sent it, but thats how it goes. love you all, take care and read the scriptures this week and tell me something you learned!

com amor, Elder Patterson

oh! also saw a bunch of monkeys monkeying around here in our area! Its soooooo cool! I love it :) And quick note, we are exercising every morning and running down by the lake. Its amazing, I love it.