It was cool to see pictures from the atlanta vacation. Isaac looks rather old, This week was good. I learn and re-learn the fact that when we get home on time and plan our days go well, and when we get home late and don't plan, our day goes poorly. This week we made a goal to get home at 9:30 always, so that we have time to plan our day. We're still striving to get things moving here in Alverca. We're still finding a bunch of people, it's just a question of finding the right people. We had a good lesson on Saturday with a man named Francisco, his mom is a member and he used to go to church, but he's never been able to quit smoking, we're trying to help him quit smoking. Throughout my mission, i've had a hard time helping people to quit smoking, but Elder Mateer is pretty good at it, so we're hopeful. We had a good lesson with Rudi, and almost invited him to be baptized, but then his cousins came home and it got sort of hectic. It's possible he'll be going to the algarve for a couple week with his cousins, we're hoping, however, that he stays so that we can teach him. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it won't necessarily make a huge difference, but i'd like to be around for when he gets baptized. Some other people that we've been teaching are starting to progress, so we're hoping to see things change this week.
All of our youth went to the first EFY in portugal, and now they're back and in EFY withdrawl. I sort of regret never having gone to EFY when i was younger, but i guess things worked out ok. We had another integration night this week, Noite da Salada da Fruta, that went well, it was a bit calmer because a member of the church had died and would have the funeral the next day, so there wasn't as much crazy partying as usual, but it was still good. This week went by really fast, and looking back nothing too momentous happened. We did find a house for Vila Franca, so they are moving out. It'll be nice to have our house back, they're great, but that house isn't made for four missionaries.
We tried something new this week, on thursday, we prayed, and chose a street, and knocked all the doors on that street. It was the first time i've done that in my mission, and i'm probably not going to repeat it, however, in nearly the last door on the street, we met Yara, who was cool. We had a little lesson with her and we're going to go back this week. Last week we spent a lot of time knocking doors, this week we're going to work harder to work with the members. When we got here we were focusing a lot on working with the members and following up on a bunch of names, but as we went we found that most of them lived outside our area and we didn't see much happening there and we sort of gave up on that, but in the end about 10 people were baptized in another area because of one of the references the members gave, so we're going to try to get back to doing that. I think these weeks have been to teach me a lesson i haven't learned until now, that missionary work doesn't revolve around me. I'm realizing that it's not really a question of me being blessed with people to teach and baptize, but people being blessed with learning and recieving the blessings of the gospel in their lives. It doesn't, and shouldn't, make any difference if someone lives in my area or in the açores, i should work just as hard for them to have an opportunity to learn about the gospel. As i've been learning this, it's been changing the way i think about my responsibility and my role as missionary. Hopefully as i re-evaluate my motivation and work, we'll see success in general and in the ward here in alverca. The elderes in Vila franca had a baptism this week, a guy named Manuel. I was able to do his baptismal interview. He was very well prepared. He came to church on sunday with a while shirt and tie, and you'd think he'd been a member for all his life. This week the Vila Franca chapel is opening for the first time in 2 years to have a Noite do Gelado. The plan is to soon open up a satelite group out in vila franca. This ward really is incredible, the Bishop, Macsuel, is on top of things, and has a very sincere love for everyone, and Otacílio as ward mission leader has a vision like President Torgan. Recently they called a new Elders Quorum President, Rui, who is also a great example of service and love. At the end of every meeting he takes a few minutes to follow up with home teaching and assigns people to talk to those that missed church for whatever reason. This sunday the jovens all bore the testimonies from EFY, including Jony, who got baptized a few months ago and was struggling for a while. There were pictures from EFY and i got to see youth from my other areas, including some people that i found and taught.
Next week is transfers, time is going faster than it ought too. At this point i don't really feel trunky, i just feel old. Next week, there won't be a single missionary who's been in the mission longer than my group. I've been in the mission for along time, and my pants, my socks, my shirts, my ties, my tag, and my sweet neck-tan line all show it. There are a bunch of new kids in the mission i don't know. There are 20 greenies coming in next week, and Elder Mateer thinks i'm going to train again. At this point i just want to be where i need to be, and work. It's extremely unlikely that i stay with Elder Mateer (who, by the way, has about 7 months left), but it wouldn't be the first time. I'd love to stay in Alverca one more transfer, but if i leave i'll be ok. I just have this increasing feeling of coming to the end, and i really want to finish off strong. I don't remember if mention this, but when Elder Teixeira came, he interviewed most of the missionaries, including all of the zone leaders. One of the first thing he asked me as where i was in the mission. When i told him i only had 2ish months left, he asked me if i had any plans for going home. I realized that i have basically no idea what i'm going to do with my life. School is going to happen, but other than that, i hadn't really thought about it. Anyway, i can worry about that as time goes. As far as BYU stuff goes, this week i'll take care of the endorsement with President Torgan, we have interviews, and i'll have to bite the bullet and write those essays. At this point i feel much more prepared to give a 20 minute talk with little or no warning than a 100 word essay. The book of Mormon reading is going well, i'm almost done with 2nd Nephi. In portuguese i have to read a little more than 10 pages everyday, and yesterday i didn't get around to it so i had to read 20 pages today. All in all, life continues, we're working hard, being patient, and standing still, with utmost assurence, to see the salvation of God.
Have a great week everyone, place your transfer bets, and don't get too trunky.
~Elder Ammon
