Weekly eekly (Week 31) — Called to Serve in Cuiaba

How are you guys. I got a package from my mom and it had Mac and Cheese in it and I was so happy to eat Mac and Cheese. It was even the spiral kind. (:

This week was a lot of HARD work and I am freaking as tired as Gary the Snail after the snail race when Sponge Bob like works him way too hard. I feel like Gary. But really things are going so freaking well here for me and Elder Thompson. We are seeing the fruits of our hard work and it is really paying off. We'll start off by talking about Marcello and Cristine...

So a good while ago we were walking down the street and Marcello and Cristine were walking down the street and we were on the other side walking the opposite way and the Spirit was like "go chat those dudes up” and I was like "but dude I'm scared” and after this little conversation they had already passed us but I was just like dang it and ran to the other side of the street and was like "uhhhhhh can I get your address?” and then they were like "sure we live here". So a couple days later we returned to here and found them at home and taught them a little. They have been liking our messages and Marcello is really really smart. He's been reading a ton in the Book of Mormon and really been diggin it. On Saturday we had a nice Spirit filled lesson with them and then I was like "so who's ready to go to church tomorrow” and Cristine was like "oh we don't have enough money to get an Uber there, and then I was like no problem lady we'll have a member pass by and grab you guys and she was like “listen Elder, I appreciate your efforts but were just gonna wait til we get our next check because I hate going to new churches and if there's something that I don't like in your church I'm not about to wait until its over to leave” hahah and I was like what the freak... then I looked at her right in the face and was like "alright here's what were gonna do. A member is gonna come to your house at 8:30am and you are gonna go to church. But let's say you just absolutely hate it, have no desire to stay and never want to return, I will pay for your Uber to leave and you won't have to worry about a thing.” haahah then Marcello was like "Ooooo he's got you now” and then she just looked at him with the "shut the cuss up” face and was like fine well go hahah. So they ended up going and Marcello absolutely loved it so incredibly much. He was like givin some nice input in the lessons and it was so rad. Cristine said that she thought it was very different and that she liked it but she still doesn't believe that there's a prophet alive today hahah but at least they liked it. We've been really working with them and clearing up their doubts and it's gonna work out perfecto in the end. Sometimes you just gotta pay people to come to church to get the ball rollin. Maybe I'll start offering money more hahah.

So I really do love José but he literally complains about everything. It is actually impressive how good he is at complaining. I have never had my patience tried by another human being more on this earth. He complains about everything from the microphone not being loud enough to the grass in front of his house to the words being too small in the Hymn book to us showing up as soon as he's about to leave to why he can't drink coffee. But the thing that he complains about most is his freaking house. He hates his house and I love it because it's made of wood and every freaking building here is made of bricks haha. But we show up at his house on Saturday and I was like “what's up young man how are you doing” and he just looked at me and was like "the day I am able to leave this house I will be happy” hahah so I just looked at him and was like "it's your lucky day you old hag, tomorrow we have church at 9am so looks like your dream will come true tomorrow. You'll finally get to leave” and he just looked at me and just started laughing and I was like yea that's right you old man keep laughin hahaha. We're really trying to get him to stop drinking coffee because he always complains about how he doesn't have enough knowledge to go to church and how he feels like he never retains anything in his brain so I'm always like "well bro you know that one of the promises of the Word of FREAKING Wisdom is that we'll have FREAKING wisdom right?! and he's just like "yea but my house is so old and made of wood so I have to drink my coffee because I'm old and don't have a car” or something like that, which just doesn't make sense. The Holy Ghost keeps telling us to go back, and even tho my patience is really being tested by this old goob, we're seeing progress. My future wife is really gonna be grateful for José one day hahaha. Patience.

So this week we ended up having 11 investigators in Sacrament meeting which was so so freaking good, and one of the people is Maria. I don't know if I already told you about her but she just is so unique. In the middle of Sacrament meeting, like the part when we take the Sacrament she stood up and grabbed some Hymn books and started to just explain in an outside voice how to read the Hymn book for her ancient parents that she brought to church. We had to like calm her down and tell her to use her inside voice hahah but in the end she just went and sat back down with her husband, who doesn't want to get married and is very clear about that with us. But we will get them married and they'll get baptized. There are some strange people in this world. haha

This mission has been really really good for me and has really been testing my faith and helping me gain a true love for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lately I've been having a really hard time truly leaving myself completely behind and going to work. Like sometimes I wanna take a freakin nap or sleep in or go home early, but deep down I really just wanna go to work. It's been a real hard fight and Satan has really been getting on me and getting in my head and I felt like I should talk to President Granja about my problems so I did at Zone Conference. I was like listen man, this mission is so rad but I am really struggling to just leave all my little wants and problems behind and just become the raddest missionary. I really need some help. What he told me was so profound and honestly the last thing I was expecting which was kind of a huge wake up call to me. He just looks at me and was like "when was the last time you studied about Jesus Christ…” and I just thought about it for a sec and I was like it's been a minute dude…” and he just looked at me with the most sincere look on his face and was like "studying our Savior's life and studying his characteristics and trying to become like Him will cure your difficulties” and I was just shocked. It was so simple. He gave me some places to study and sent me on my way, and throughout the end of the week I dove into a study about my Savior. I can honestly say that I never thought it could be so simple. Never had I thought it would be so easy and so simple to gain such happiness and motivation in my life. I noticed that my testimony was stronger in the lessons, I was able to speak better and clear up doubts more easily. I was able to work without rest and be happy. It was simply because I studied about Jesus Christ. About how much He loves me, about how much He does for me, about how much He cares about me. I started to realize how real He truly is again and started to want to help others realize the same. I love my Savior so much and I know without a shadow of a doubt that as we study Him, as we get close to Him, and we do our best to know Him, He will come close to us, He will let us know who He truly is. I cannot express the immaculate love that this dude has for every single one of you, and every person here in Brasil, and I will work tirelessly to make that love known to all of you guys back home, and this people here in Brasil until He stops me.

One super lovely scripture that I found is super lovely. So I will share it with y'all. It's Alma 7:11 and it talks about how Jesus would come to earth and suffer pains and afflictions and temptations of every freaking kind. The Savior of the world, who was actually perfect, experienced every type of temptation, and every type of affliction, and every type of pain. It didn't matter that he was perfect he still had pains and difficulties, and the old devil tempted Him more than any other man will ever be tempted in history. Sometimes we think God is punishing us with pains or afflictions or difficulties because we are sinners, but all these things are just part of life, and how we learn for ourselves. What is important is that there is Someone who knows what it feels like to feel the exact ish that you feel, don't be afraid to ask Him for help.

Last note, Tiago won't be getting baptized this week because he couldn't get marriage all worked out... which sucked... but a bus that marries people for free is coming to town on the 6th of April so... baptism here we come baby hahahah. God provides a way for those who wanna do the right.

Last thing for real. I want to tell all my friends I love them so much. Special shoutout to Lukey White for getting his mission call and joining the squadrant on April 16. Love you bro.

Elder Porter

**Note from Mama Lynda. . . I got an email from one of Porter’s best friends today - Elder Micah Brown, who is currently serving in the Missouri St. Louis mission. Since he refers to Porter’s letter this week. . . I just had to include what he wrote. . . it is SUCH A SMALL WORLD. . . check this out. . .

“Hi Lynda, So I'm chillin here with my best friend in the mission, my Zone Leader that I've been with for my whole mission, Elder Farley. He goes "dude my friend got 11 people to church on Sunday" and I was like oh dang that's sick.... wait.... my friend got 11 people to church too... where is your friend?" He goes “Brazil” I'm like "dude, same, who is your friend??" And he goes “Elder Thompson” I'm like "DUDE HOLY COW THAT IS MY BEST FRIEND ELDER ROSKELLEYS COMPANION!!!!!!" And he's like "DUDE NO WAY ELDER THOMPSON IS MY BEST FRIEND" hahahhaha, it's so cool, it's such a small world! Even though we are thousands of miles away from each other we are still so close! Love you Lynda! Here's a pic of Elder Farley and I.” -Elder Micah Brown

Isn’t that AMAZING?! I just love how the Lord keeps these sweet friends connected, who are serving together throughout the world. . . Brothers through and through!!

My mom sent me Mac and Cheese and I've never loved a noodle at this level.

Elder Brown and Elder Farley - Missouri St. Louis mission