Carnival Down Time

So right off the bat, because I know that everyone is anxiously watching my blog and are extremely worried about my well-being and questioning the lack of a usual Monday post, know that I am not dead!  It is Carnival over here in Brazil, which means that nothing was open (literally nothing, it´s kind of crazy) until today. And our mission president was kind enough to let us e-mail today. Which is especially good because I have some fun stories to share.

1) The Great Cake Debacle  Yes, great cake debacle. Let me explain. So we have three progressing investigators right now, two sisters and a brother. They are the most promising investigators I´ve had the entire mission thus far and, spoiler alert, the brother is getting baptized Saturday. So excited!!! But boy oh boy was it tough getting a hold of him. He was extremely excited for baptism a week from last Sunday, I think I mentioned it last week. But our appointments fell through three days in a row and we began to fear that we´d lost him. We needed to teach him all the lessons before baptism, which ideally would have been last week. And anytime three lessons fall through you become worried. But we found out Wednesday why he cancelled. His sisters were ashamed to have us over because they hadn´t made any cake. The irony of it all? The day they cancelled we were fasting anyway and couldn´t eat the cake. The even greater irony? We were fasting for them. But we have since taught them more, and all is right!

2) The Drunken Pen Thief  Another exciting adventure in the land of Brazil began with an extended conversation with a drunk man in a park. I have found that drunk men really like to talk, especially to missionaries who are kind enough to listen. So we talked with this guy for a while, shared a few gospel principles, and got up to catch a bus. As we left he asked to see my companion´s pen. He took it and just walked off, leaving us rather confused and penless. As I saw him turn and started to come back, I swiftly tucked my pen into my pants pocket. My companion asked for the pen back and the man swiftly turned with a curt "no" and walked away again. He came back a third time and said that we didn´t need two pens. I indicated that I did not in fact have one. He apologized profusely, gave back the pen, and we caught our bus. I was a hero.

3) A Discourse for the Ages  I had the wonderful opportunity on Sunday to give my first 15 minute talk in Portuguese. That´s right, with just one month in the field! Welcome to life as a missionary. I think it went over well. I hope they understood at least a little bit in spite of my accent. I used a whole ton of scriptures, so if nothing else that should have enlightened them!

4) I Am a Nerd  On P-day, being a little bored and feeling a severe lack of chess, I made a chess board out of paper and coins. Please don´t judge me. Also, if anyone would like to challenge me to a game of chess via mail, the letter and game would be much appreciated. I´m talking to you, Jason Carter.

So that about sums up the most entertaining parts of my week. It was a bit slower in terms of lessons taught, but those we did teach went well, especially with my favorite cake-bakers (we had cake the next time we went there. It was quite good.) I am working on talking more, and I can very much tell that the words are coming to me far more easily. And I´m understanding more every day. So although my goal of 'fluent in a month' fell through, I think my progress is coming along nicely and I feel confident in myself.

Quick spiritual thought:

Again, addressing those of you reading this who aren´t members of my church and may have questions about missionary life and the church as a whole. Today I want to talk a little about why you hear so much about this thing called baptism. We missionaries are always talking about it, and it seems like the goal of the mission is to get as many baptisms as possible.

Well, that´s more or less true.

But here´s why! The real goal of missionaries is to help people attain salvation:  Eternal happiness with your family and God after this life. Something that I know without any doubt is possible via the church and the message we have. The first step on this grand pathway to salvation is, in fact, baptism. Missionaries are in charge of introducing people to this pathway and helping them begin the journey. Also, it is vital that baptism be by one with authority-this is why we insist on baptism into our Church in particular. We claim--a claim that is factual--to have this authority of God. A line of authority directly tied to Christ and the original church that he organized.

Have questions? Please please please talk to the missionaries wherever you are!

Finally, as I conclude... Congrats to Katie Holloman on her mission call to New Zealand!!!!! That´s amazing! Although you sadly won´t be able to use your amazing French abilities. I have no doubt you'll be an amazing missionary.

Hold to the faith everyone, do your best, follow your hearts.

Much love,

Elder Alex Burt

Update from Alex

Another week, another plethora of stories and information I want to share with all of my friends and family back home! And, yet again, not nearly enough time to share it because my immediate family insists on my sending them individual stuff. But here goes:

First, a language update! This week I was getting a little frustrated with myself. See, I had this goal to be fluent within a month of entering the field and it looks like I´m not going to reach that. Or come anywhere close. Haha, it wasn´t a serious goal, and as I reach the end of the month I realize I´m much much further than I expected. Speaking in Portuguese has become a habit, even when my companion speaks to me in English I often respond in Portuguese. I always use the Portuguese words I know, even in my thoughts. My thoughts are a weird messed up hybrid of mostly English and a growing amount of Portuguese. Kind of cool, actually. Overall it´s going well, but I realize I need to speak and participate more in order to improve my speaking and accent. I´ve never been one to say a ton to people I don´t know, especially when I´m not sure if what I will say is completely correct grammatically/coherent at all. But I need to be more bold and trust that the Spirit will help me out!

Now for some quick stories:

1) At the beginning of the week we had zone conference with the Mission President and the APs. We learned a lot and spent the entire day there. Lots of good practicing, learning to be more simple, clear, and bold. Things I´ve tried to put into practice. The best part, though, was lunch. I´m drooling just thinking about it. We went to a Pizzaria, which had garlic fries, amazingly amazing pizza, and everything else a hungry missionary could possibly want. It was the best meal I´ve had in three months, without a doubt. Super delicious.

2) On to more spiritual and mission-related things! The best part of the week occurred Friday. We went on splits, meaning that I spent the day teaching with my district leader rather than my companion. That isn´t what made the day good, though. That evening we had a lesson with a young man who had attended church this last Sunday. We taught him and his two sisters, and they were extremely accepting. Like, more accepting than anyone I´ve taught yet. We taught the lesson clearly, simply, invited them to baptism and two right off the bat accepted, while the other sister said she needed a little more time. Which I very much understand, as she as yet doesn´t know much. But the man, Delmir, is extremely firm. He has already invited friends to his baptism, participates actively in church and talks with excitement about his baptism! We will spend a lot of time teaching him this week to make sure he´s ready, but in any case it made me very happy and excited to see clear results of my work.

3) One morning, during companionship study, we had the chance to chat with some Jehovah´s Witnesses who came proselyting at our door. We let them share their message with us, knowing exactly what it´s like to be in their shoes, knocking on doors. We asked if we could stop by their house to share our message with them, but they only gave the address for their church/bible study group. In any case it was an interesting reversal of roles for a few minutes.

Before I leave off I want to share a quick spiritual thought that I´ve been thinking about after reading in the Book of Mormon this week. I read Alma 5 one day (a rather intense chapter, overall), which includes the prophet Alma calling a city to repentance. One verse in particular stands out, I believe it was the topic of a recent General Conference address. In verse 26, Alma asks the people if they have had a change of heart and the desire to sing the song of redeeming love, can they feel so now? Can ye feel so now? I direct this at anyone who is having a rough time right now, or struggling with testimony, or simply needs a little more joy in life. Know that this gospel, this marvelous news about Christ, is true. I know it, you have felt it, and I know you can feel it again. Or, if needs be, can feel it for the first time. Pray. Truly try to follow Christ. And you´ll feel that joy. I promise.

Much love, follow your hearts, do the good work, and make me proud!

Elder Burt

Matozinhos Area

Well, I´ve been here nearly three weeks and I think I´m finally starting to get the hang of things. I don´t have the perpetual appearance of a startled rabbit anymore. Or so I hope.

Matozinhos

The big stories of this week all relate to a certain town called Matozinhos. As I think I´ve mentioned already, our area covers three cities: Pedro Leopoldo (where we live and the branch is located), Matozinhos, and Confins. We received a couple references for Matozinhas, which I think I also mentioned. Well, success continues to appear there as people haven´t heard much about the church and are very open to learning more. The only down side is a rather large sum of money that is now going to daily bus rides there and back...so my meals will be a bit more scanty, I think. Or maybe it just means less snacks. However, everyone there loves us, feeds us, insists on our return...we are a welcome presence, and it makes me grateful to be a missionary.

Some fun stories! First, a lesson that occurred in Vera Cruz, another area. We were knocking on doors. In fact, it was the first door we tried that day, and a woman came out, opened her gate, and told us to enter before we even explained who we were, saying she had been expecting us. We walked in and she had an open Bible and said she´d been praying for answers right when we arrived. It seemed like a miracle! We were ready to teach but then she just kept talking...and talking...and talking. I don´t think we said a single word until we´d been there twenty minutes. We tried, I promise, but she just kept interrupting! We were there for TWO HOURS and didn´t even get to fully explain the Book of Mormon. She kept saying she didn´t need it, she already had the truth, ignoring everything we said including attempts to leave. Overall it was rather entertaining and very frustrating. However, her husband was more receptive, and we will try to teach him more on a later day.

Next was a pair of lessons that occurred one right after another and were exact polar opposites. We entered the first home and encountered just the wife, an older woman, of a man who had been extremely excited the last time we visited (different family from my last story.) This woman ignored everything we said and insisted she didn´t have any desire to read the Book of Mormon, that reading was too much work, and that she was very comfortable with what she had. Not a whole lot we can do at that point but testify. The next lesson we taught was to a reference of a reference. We had no idea what would happen when we walked in. Turns out she had already received a visit from the missionaries twelve years ago, had a Book of Mormon, read it and believed in it, and was extremely open and understanding of everything we said. It was an awesome lesson, teaching someone who is so ready to hear our message. Brought me up considerably after our last lesson. (So you know, we returned to that home later with the husband home and he was just as excited about the Book of Mormon and seems like he could continue progressing.)

I want to share a quick thought. I don´t know who all reads this, but I guess it´s quite likely there are some people who aren´t religious, or perhaps just not Mormon. I want to explain a term that I´ve used frequently: The Spirit. I wish I had more time to explain, but essentially The Spirit is the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead. We believe it is a distinct personage from God, and we receive the gift of its presence and guidance after baptism. It has various roles, including teaching, comforting, and testifying. For this reason it´s really important to me on my mission, as I need a lot of help, comfort, and guidance from God. It is via the Spirit that we receive these things.

So there you go! I´ve got to close now, I wish I could write more. I have so many stories, experiences, and lessons that are helping me become a better person. It´s not easy, but as Elder Holland would say, salvation was never easy! I´m here to help others and to serve Christ. And I know that I´m doing the right thing.

Much love,

Elder Alex Burt

First Full Week

Hello and sorry for the wait!

I am sending this letter from Pedro Leopoldo, my mission area. It is a small town in between Belo Horizonte and Sete Lagoas. A small town, but we have a large area of proselyting. Lots and lots of walking and bus riding. Exhausting, but rewarding. I´ll try to use the small time I have to share a few stories and thoughts. Sorry if they´re a little scattered!

First, I´ll talk a little about how lessons work here and how I participate. We spend much of our time clapping at doors and talking to people in the street, because when I arrived we had fairly few progressing investigators. We have taught the first lesson like fifty times these last couple weeks. That´s hardly even an exaggeration. People are very willing to let us in and hear a message, but far fewer care to hear more. But we have found a few who are interested and will continue to visit. During the lesson itself, I usually teach about a third. My Portuguese is limited in terms of small talk and extended teaching, but I am able to teach all the parts of the Restoration lesson and improve every day. My companion and I switch off roles, he´ll talk about God, then I´ll teach prophets, then Christ, apostasy, restoration, etc. Back and forth. Sometimes my companion has to clarify things I say, but overall I am taking a bigger role than I thought I would in the first week.

Next, language! It is a lot more difficult out here in the field. My companion and I try to always speak in Portuguese, which helps. I say try, but honestly it´s true, at least 90% of conversation is in the mission language. Makes me think a lot more in Portuguese. The toughest thing is comprehension.  I can understand everything my comp says, but with Brazilians, listening is far more difficult. They speak quickly, place words in a different order, and obviously there are phrases I don´t comprehend. But every day is better and I understand more, get more accustomed to the way they talk. It´s especially tough because here in Minas Gereis they have a particular way of speaking called 'Minheiro' in which they make all their words shorter. Very tough for a person learning the language.

Now for some stories. The first occured almost a week ago. My companion decided it would be a good idea to take a 'shortcut' to another neigborhood in the city via a rickety ladder up a wall and down the railroad tracks for a mile. I was doubting how good of an idea it was until, miracle of miracles, we found a few houses directly next to the railroad tracks. In one of them we found a new investigator. Crazy world.

Second, and sadly I think this is all I have time for, we went to another city in our area, Matozinhas, to teach a couple contacts there who had visited the church in another city. We found Dream Street there, with many new investigators, contacts, and receptive people. One particular family let us in, had us teach with the whole extended family gathered around, then fed us and chatted for a while. They told us we are welcome back anytime to teach and rest. Oh the blessings of being a servant of the Lord! And I hope that family is blessed as well for their hospitality. I love the people here. So welcoming and kind.

All right, to wrap up. Congrats to Tasha Munk on her marriage! That´s fantastic, and I wish her my best. Congrats also to Devin Munk and his mission call! I´m so excited that he´ll be joining me in the work of the Lord, even if it´s in a different place.

Also, scripture of the week: Alma 5:45-46. Read it and know that I feel exactly the same way, and know I´m in the right place doing my best to serve the Lord!

Love you all, always do good, follow your hearts, and I´ll see you on the flippity-flip!

Elder Alex Burt

Finally... In the Field

Town of Pedro Leopoldo

All right, so here we go! First P-day in the field and what a week it has been. I have so much to say, but honestly so little time. To begin with, my area and companion:  My area is Pedro Leopoldo, in the Sete Lagoas district. A small town with a very large area of proselyting. Tons and tons of walking! I love it so far here, the people and circumstances are very humble but people are also very accepting of us. My companion is very kind, has incredible faith, and teaches with the Spirit. 

The language! This has certainly been a large challenge. It is so much more difficult trying to listen to people here. I am getting better every day, but it´s extremely mentally exhausting. We only speak Portuguese in conversation, which I have actually gotten used to. In fact, a couple nights ago I woke up thinking in Portuguese. So that´s cool. But still, I really can´t do too much in lessons due to this fact. I always participate, bear testimony and teach some, but I wish I could do more! More individually for the person! But I know it will come with time. 

I got here the first day after miles of walking in the rain (yes, rain. There´s lots of it here) and my companion immediately took me out to work. I had my first lesson, first baptismal invitation, and he said yes! Very cool. Though since then his mother (he´s fifteen) has gotten cold feet, and we haven´t been able to see him. Big bummer, but again, we´ll keep trying. We've extended a couple other baptismal invitations and taught a lot of first lessons, but as of yet only a couple follow-ups and progressing investigators.

Elder Burt prepares to leave the training center.

Church here is great. Very welcoming and loving people. I had to give a five minute "talk", really just an introduction and testimony. It went well, and the rest of the meetings passed by just like back home, but with very little comprehension on my part.

I know I´m out here doing real work for the Lord.  It´s hard, but extremely rewarding and spiritually uplifting!

Much love,

Alex

Leaving Sao Paulo

No post from Alex this week.  He left the CTM in Sao Paulo on Tuesday and flew up to Belo Horizonte.  We should get a blog entry next week.  Stay tuned!

New Years and Proselyting!

Feliz Ano Novo! And a Happy New Year too, if you're an English speaker. The week between Christmas and New Years is kind of tough to focus during, but I did my best and continued to work on the language. But by far the most excitement happened this last couple days.

To start out with, yesterday we had an English fast as a district, which was easier than the past but still frustrating to fully express yourself. Especially in the morning when we had a pretend lesson with a teacher who was being the toughest possible investigator. Asking questions that are extremely difficult to answer even in English. It got frustrating at times, but I had a solid response for pretty much every question he was throwing out...if not in Portuguese then at least in my head in English. Which I hope I can communicate fully in a few short months. Later that day I had a solo in front of the CTM during a devotional, singing "Nearer My God, To Thee." I think it went over well, at least I felt good about it. I love bearing testimony through song.

Today was P-day but we couldn't go to the temple because the other Americans couldn't go last week or on their own P-day due to Christmas and New Years. So instead we stayed here and went proseltying in the morning. It was an amazing experience. My companion and I went out with four copies of the Book of Mormon and the goal to have conversations with ten people during the hour we had to teach. We talked to about eight, handed out all our books, and got two addresses. It was amazing to realize that I actually understood what they were saying and could answer the questions that they had. Our last two placements were really solid, the first was a lady who wanted to know what we wanted out of life. I explained about eternal families and how much I loved my family. She seemed very interested and happy with the teaching. We answered a few other questions before leaving. She said she would read and call the number to learn more. We then were walking back to the CTM with one Book of Mormon left, out of time. We saw a guy sitting in a park and decided to chat with him. He was extremely receptive, excited to hear that we were talking about Jesus Christ, accepted the Book of Mormon and wrote down all of his information so other missionaries could contact him. I'd been praying all day for the Lord to place people in our way to teach and help, and He most certainly did. I hope every day in the field is at least kind of like this. I'm ready to preach the word! I was reading the beginning of 1 Corinthians 2 this morning and it got me really excited to teach and get the work started with earnest.

Which reminds me of just how much I've been loving and feasting upon the scriptures, the words of Christ, this past week. My study has been a lot more intense and far more rewarding recently, for some reason. I love the scriptures, and particularly the Book of Mormon, more and more each day. I have found ways to apply what I have read in lessons every single day. It's all true! I know it!

This week I had the opportunity to look back on the past year and reminisce a little. It really felt like three different years crammed into one, all based around enormous personal growth. First, the second semester of college. Certainly the most fun part of the year, but there were definitely difficulties and a lot of learning as I lived and acted on my own. Then came the six months of work as I waited to leave for the mission, which taught me all about hard work, diligence, and a little patience too. And then suddenly that door slammed shut and I was here in Brazil learning a different language. Which has been the hardest couple months of all, but also the most rewarding. Looking forward, this year will be spent entirely preaching the gospel, the year of my mission. I leave for the field next week and will be working every single week right through the next new year. I have absolutely no idea what is in store, except that it will be enormously different from this past year. But I am excited and ready for whatever is coming.

Again, a happy new year to you all. Choose the right, follow your heart, and work hard. This is going to be a great year. A tough year, but a good one. I'd encourage everyone to make it worth remembering.

 

Love,

Elder Alex Burt