Rondonopolis! (Week 37) — Called to Serve in Cuiaba

Yowdy dudes. This week wasn't a super rad week in any sense. It actually was just a normal week. I got here in Rondonopolis on Tuesday morning and the freakin missionary that I took the bus with overnight thought it was freakin rad to like wake me up every couple hours to try to talk to me haha. I tried to be nice and tell him to just buzz off in a mannerly tone, but after he woke me up the third time to look at the sunrise I kind of just had enough and a half hahah.

The Rondonopolis district had a super big activity way outside of the city on Wednesday and we got authorized to go and hangout there for the day. We get out there and the sun was just a total brute. My skin got pulverized hahaah. They had beach volleyball set up and so all the Elders got together and made some teams and we were out playing for like 6 hours. One of the members when he saw me just yelled so loud "this white boy is BURNED!” hahahah and his voice had a little flamey tone to it so I just died laughing. Then another little kid came up to me after we finished and was like "woah you're a little redster” hahaha and it was just so odd the way he said it. Wednesday was the day I met like all the members so everyone thinks I'm just a fried fish stick now because of how burned I was. It happens...

This week we had Zone Conference. I got to see Elder McBride (MTC companion) and it was fun to talk with him a little. Presidente Granja gave a talk that really marked me. He told us about the best missionary that he had ever met in his life. This short ugly illiterate kid. He told us that this kid learned to read in the mission from reading the Book of Mormon. He told us how with all of his difficulties and issues he learned to trust in the Lord to truly make his weaknesses into strengths. I truly feel like some missionaries think that the mission is like a "how epic you are" fest. So many missionaries think these 2 years are like an Iron Rod measuring contest or something hahah. Presidente then went into the thing that really stood out the most. He started to get overcome by emotion which is really uncommon, and then he told us why this short kid really was the best missionary he'd ever met. He goes “This kid loved God. He loved the people he was serving. He was just a good kid. He wasn't the raddest, but he was just good. The reason you guys are out here as missionaries is to just be good kids. Just be a good person. Just be good.” and I really got so emotional as I thought about the simplicity in his words. The Spirit spoke to me so loud in this moment and I really realized that I don't have to be perfect. Nobody has to be perfect. We just gotta be good. As I thought about this it sat so well with me and I felt so calm and the Spirit really testified to me how true this really is. When we get so worried and caught up about everything we should or shouldn't do, or everything others think we should or shouldn't do, we don't feel happy. I know for a fact when I think and stress about every freak nagging rule on the mission my white keester gets all frazzled and I can't feel the Spirit. When I choose to just chill my pill and be a good person I feel the Spirit really helping me out. Guys I know it's not easy to just forget about all the do~s and don't~s, but I promise you guys your lives will improve incredibly. Just forget about it, whatever it is that is bugging you, and stop stressing about it. Be a good person. Be who you know that you're capable of being. Allow God into your life through being a good person. It's so heartwarmingly simple.

This morning when we were cleaning the house I dumped some water onto the plants from our window on the 2nd floor hahah and then this mega old lady came out with her walker and started yelling at me haha. I talked to her from the window and I was just trying not to laugh so hard. She was like "you kids are always making such a ruckus and before I know it you guys are gonna cause the building to fall down” and I just was dying haha. She was the most stereotypical old lady I've ever seen in my life.

Here are some photos! Love you guys

Elder Soares crocheted me a rug and painted my name on it hahahaha!