4-15-08

Elder Jason Allred
Brazil São Paulo South Mission
Rua Dr Luiz da Rocha Miranda, 159
8 Andar, Parque Jabaquara
04344-010 - São Paulo - SP
Brazil

Subject: P-day is way to short!

Hello Everybody!

So, it has been a little different having an American for a companion. Lately, I´ve been using phrases such as: "Are you sure that doesn´t make sense in English?" But, Elder Risenmay and I have been working so well and so hard together. Right now we have 14 investigators with a baptismal date marked for this transfer. We come home completely exhausted each night, having used every spare second during the week to teach. We even taught 2 lessons during P-day today.

Last Wednesday we got word that Elder Tavares (my old companion) returned to the mission. He left us a lot of problems, but I hope he takes advantage of the last part of his mission. I had been fasting and praying for him the last few weeks before he left. I´m still not quite sure why he left, but that was definately the most worried night I´ve had on the mission. I´m sure I´ll find out more when I have my interview with President Teixeira this Thursday.

This last week was really rewarding. Elder Risenmay and I found 16 new investigators throughout the week. It´s a little harder being senior companion, but the Lord always helps us. We have a goal to talk to over 300 people on the street this week to increase our teaching pool.

William got confirmed last Sunday! Sunday was pretty much amazing. We woke up early to catch a couple buses and pick up a family of 6 that we´re teaching. The parents (Gilvano and Neusa) have to get married before they can get baptized, and the four kids are waiting to get baptized with them. Marraige is a pretty complicated process here in Brazil, especially because Gilvano has to divorce his first wife first. He hasn´t seen her in 11 years. It will be quite the miracle when they can get all this worked out and be baptized within the next 5 weeks.

Our goal is to baptize Evelyn (age 15), Anderson (age 20), Milaine (age 22), and Lucas (age 16) this Sunday. They have all made real progress lately. They will all be interviewed tomorrow. Milaine completely stopped drinking alcohol, coffee, and tea, and completely stopped smoking even though she used to smoke over 4 packs a day!

Yesterday was pretty frustrating. We had 7 appointments marked and 5 of them fell through, including our plan to take Gilvano into town to get him divorced. He lives very far away. We had to wake up early and catch two buses to get there. Usually we walk because they don´t give us money to ride buses, but we had to get there early and it´s over an hour of walking one way. We got there and he ended up not being able to go because of work, but he said he was going to go today. That reminds me - I need to call him and see if it worked out.

Well, goodbye for now!
-Elder Jason Morgan Allred.