Week 9 was a FESTA — Called to Serve in Cuiaba

Good morning, afternoon, and evening to you fools.

This week was so much work, but chillin.

It started off so good with Elder Castro becoming my companion. Monday was the best day. We went and ate so much food at Bob’s Burgers hahaha and then later that day got ice cream and it was so delectable. It really showed me that after the trial of our faith comes the blessings. It’s so freaking legit how fast and how certain the blessings come after we remain faithful to what God is asking of us. Never go against the word of God.

On Monday when we were walking back to the house i had to pee so flipping bad it was weird. It’s super illegal to pee on the street in Brasil, but robbing and killing people is chillin. I found a nice place to pee behind this semi and right as I started peeing the semi started hahaha. I was peeing literally as fast as I could and right when the back tire of the semi passed me i finished and it was perfect timing. Elder Castro was laughing so hard.

During my couple weeks in the field I have been learning something very special. I realized that when I expect too much of myself it becomes overwhelming and I get freaking nothing done. We all have things that we need to change, and it’s important to change them, but we need to realize that we can’t do it all at once. Learning to be patient with yourself and with God is the only way we can truly learn and become better people. Always be striving to move forward toward God, one step at a time. The second we turn from God and start walking our own path is the instant we realize our life is trash. Life is so much radder when we take it one step at a time on the trail God has layed out for us.

On Wednesday it rained so insanely hard, and we were like an hour walk from our house so we took shelter in this chicks house. She let us sit in her little garage it was super nice, but the rain never stopped and Elder Castro and I were over sitting there so we just ran home and got soaked haha. Everyone was so confused when they saw us. All of the streets were completely flooded and the water was like up to our ankles. hahahaha

This week I got the raddest opportunity to give Mr. Kevin (Elder Castro) a blessing. He has these freaking terrible hives all over his body and they have really been hurting him for like 2 months so he asked me to help him be healed through the Priesthood. It was super hard anointing the oil because the words are whack in English, but theyre like 7 times whacker in Portuguese ahaha. I gave him the blessing in Portuguese and I don’t remember what I said but I remember it was in Portuguese. When I finished the blessing the dude was just sobbing ahhaha. Later he told me that I blessed him with 2 things that he had been praying for for quite some time. It really proved to me that the Lord’s plan will never be slowed for anything or anyone. He will provide a way for you to be comforted regardless of language barrier, or whatever is standing between you and the blessings he has for you. Kevin’s sores went away in 3 days.

One of the members calls me Elder Roskini. Roskinis are these little Brazilian bread pastries and they’re really good I have come to find out. I had Elder Castro take a picture of me holding a Roskini, and I hope you guys enjoy the underlying comedy in that photo.

This week we had lunch with the branch president and while we were walking up to his house Elder Castro asked me to give the message but I only had my Portuguese BoM so I told him that I would another day because I was scared. Like 5 minutes after I rejected the responsibility of giving the lunch message President asked me to give a flippin talk in Sacrament meeting hahah. I spent like 2 hours writing this talk and it ended up being so freaking rad. I spoke some supreme Portuguese and everyone understood me clearly and it was such a special experience. I know that if we truly exercise our faith through our actions God will line everything else up for us (:

We have a baptism set up for this Saturday and I am so jittery about it hehehe. I really hope that everything falls into place. Lazaro, the man himself, has been taking lessons from the missionarios for like 4 months and God told us he is finally ready to be baptized. Hopefully satan will lay off a little this week so we can get this thing done.

Things are good out here in the field. Make it another great week.

I love you.

Elder Roskelley

proskelley@myldsmail.net

p.s. Note from Mama Lynda - I received the sweetest surprise email yesterday from one of Porter’s investigators. She sent me the two photos at the bottom. . . made me SO happy!

Porter holding a delicious Roskini bread/pastry