8-05-08

Subject: Transfers!

Hello Everybody!

We had transfers, and I have some very sad news. Elder Urie was transfered. I only got to be with him for one transfer. :(

On Sunday, Carminha and her two granddaughters were baptized. They will be confirmed this coming Sunday. It was a very special ocasion. We started teaching them when a recent convert (Elinilde) from another ward in the neighboring stake moved to our ward to live with her mother. Elinilde got on our foot for her not receiving any visits from the missionaries since she moved in (we didn´t even know she had moved here). Oh, do we use the phrase "to get on someone´s foot" in English? I think it´s the equivilant of to get after someone. I´m not even sure how to word this anymore. Anyway, we went to her house and found out that her mother wanted to start coming to church as well. Next thing you know she stops drinking coffee and stops smoking and also brings her two granddaughters to church. Her husband (Helenilton) is a little slower coming along. But, he said he´s going to come to church on Sunday. It´s a start. He says he doesn´t want us to push him too much to stop smoking. He says he´ll stop little by little, but well get on his foot about that. I see a lot of potential in him. Last night, Elder Urie and I passed by for the last time before he was transfered, and I could picture Helenilton as a worthy holder of the priesthood being sealed with his wife in the temple. I have great hope for him.

The whole ward was really sad to see Elder Urie leave, but I think I was the saddest. Junior (that was baptized a few weeks ago) said that we´re like bread and butter. Jonathan, his friend (who also has been visiting the church, and will, with some miracles, be baptized on Sunday) said that he was going to walk into church with a complaint saying that they couldn´t make Elder Urie leave.
Together, Elder Urie and I were able to do more in one transfer than what was done in the last 5 transfers in this area. I´m really glad that the bar was raised a few years ago. I can see how 2 missionaries that are willing to rely completely on the Lord can be more affective that putting them each with a companion that still doesn´t know why he´s on a mission.
Luckily, I´ve been blessed 7 times in a row with amazing companions. My new companion is a Brazilian! Hurray! I love Brazilians! However, it does mean that I´ll be teaching English class alone again - he´ll be one of the students. His name is Elder C. Pereira. He´s from Recife. He the shortest companion I´ve had so far. We´re quite a contrast physically, but I can see that we´re going to work great together. All we have to do is make the duo a trio and let the Lord be the senior companion. This is his third area as well. He was born in (ie: his first area was) Mauá, in the area right next to mine, so I already know him a little. This will be his 4th transfer.

Well, when we found out about tranfers, and I found out that Elder Urie would leave, I got really sad, worried, and a little stressed out. We did so much good together, and I was worried that I wouldn´t be able to continue at the same level without him. But I was blessed to recognize that we did so well together because we relied on the Lord. And Elder C. Pereira and I will continue. It´ll be a great transfer. I´m excited!

Well, Goodbye for now!
Elder Jason Morgan Allred