I love my new area.  It is so different.  To be able to take a shower!  Oh my goodness!  I finally feel so clean!  And clean clothes!  I have learned to be grateful!  My new companion, Elder C*, does not speak English, so I am learning a lot of Portuguese and Brazilian culture.

It has been a long time since I have been able to work in a ward.  The bishop here is fantastic and does everything to help the missionaries.  Our area is really hard but we are seeing miracles.  So my area is referred to as Iguatami but in reality Elder C* and I just work in Edson Queiroz.  It is a flavela that is located really far from our home.  It takes about an hour to walk there every day.  Because of this it is really difficult to get people to church.  However, it seems like a promising area.  I will try to send pictures next week.

This past week I had the opportunity to study about knowledge and intelligence.  Doctrine and Covenants 93:33-36 have become some of my new favorite verses of scripture.  What really caught my attention in these scriptures was the description of the elements and spirit. The elements are eternal, as are our spirits.  Though the elements cannot be destroyed, they can be transformed, as will our knowledge be.  Knowledge is intelligence and intelligence is truth.  Everyday, we have the opportunity to transform and enhance our knowledge.  There is so much doctrine hidden in these short verses…the Gospel is so awesome!

Love,

Elder Larkin

Saying Goodbye to Canindé . . .

From Elder Larkin's good friends in Canindé :

"Meus queridos amigos sentirei saudades!! Obrigada por tudo! Desde já saibam que já fazem parte de minha família!! Amo vcs e que Deus os abençoe !! Nunca esquecerei de vcs!!! Espero os encontrar novamente!!!!" 

April 21

Elder Larkin commented:

"I have a firm testimony that I will look back on the challenges of Canindé with dearness and gratitude in my heart...although, at the moment, it can be pretty tough."

G* and her family have taken wonderful care of the four Canindé missionaries.  They have provided them with food, water, friendship, laughter and spiritual strength.  

What great examples of true disciples they have been!

G* described the pictures below by saying:

"Nada melhor do que jantar com amigos de verdade!!!! 

Esses moram no meu coração!! Anjos do Senhor!!"

(Translation: Nothing better than dinner with real friends!! 

These live in my heart! Angels of the Lord!)

This past Thursday, I had the opportunity to go on a split with my zone leader, and it was a much needed spiritual rechargement.  I learned so much…and then things got tough.  The rest of the week was very difficult; nothing seemed to go right.  Then, on Sunday, a small miracle happened.  We went tracting in the small flavela in the southern portion of town.  Poverty is everywhere and people don’t have anything.  And yet, every person that I spoke with was completely happy…happiness was found around every corner.  These people were surrounded by their families and, for them, it didn’t matter that they had few material possessions.  We taught three amazing families.  During one lesson, we started with five people and by the time we finished teaching about the restoration, there were 15 people eagerly listening.  As I bore my testimony each time, my heart seemed to mend from the difficulties of the previous few days.  I realized that my whole life has been changed because of Canindé. 

I will forever love the people here.  
Though I still don’t understand them well,

I hope my testimony manifested my love to them.

I have been studying about the importance of symbols in our life.  The Prophet Samuel raised an ebenezer (“stone of help”) to the Lord in gratitude for conquering the Philistines.  And, in Joshua, we read that the Israelites raised a monument of 12 stones to remind their children of the Lord’s blessings.  I realized that the Book of Mormon is also a “stone of help,” given by the Lord in the last days as a monument of truth and light.  It radiates the warmth of infinite love and cannot fall.  This is what I spoke about in Church this week.

I hope all is well with all of you. 

I continue to move on and look for joy in the small things.

Love,

Elder Larkin

Yesterday, was fantastic.  We had the opportunity to go to stake conference and invite investigators and members to go with us.  So, yesterday morning we all met at the 'casapela' (the church-house) here in Canindé.  There were 50 of us who took an old, broken-down bus to Fortaleza.  The two hour ride seemed like an eternity.  But, we all made it safe and sound and everyone loved the conference.  For everyone from Canindé, it was the first time seeing a real chapel and thousands (yes, literally thousands) of members attending one meeting.  

Let's just say that church meetings are a little different in Brazil...

We were able to find a wonderful family this past week (they are siblings of one of our investigators that will be baptized on this week.)  We met them on Saturday, taught the restoration, they went to church in Fortaleza with us, and are now preparing to get married and baptized.  They are awesome!  The two boys, I* and I** love life so much.  They are 12 and 10.  They loved church!  They thought it was so cool that an American was in Canindé, Brazil.   Also, V* and N* got baptized!  I love those kids to death.  It is really sad for me that I am no longer in their area and can't teach them, but I had the wonderful opportunity to baptize V*!  He and I are best friends.  We will still continue to play baseball...he is getting really good!

I did have an interesting experience this week…  I met someone whose uncle lives in New Rochelle, NY where I served.  He is Brazilian and a pastor there.  Based on the description, I am pretty sure that Elder J* and I tracted into him one night in New York and he didn't want to have anything to do with us. Wow, such a small world in Canindé, Brazil!!!

I love you guys!

Elder Larkin

Experience of the Week:

Elder G* and I had just finished passing by the house of Irmã F* (which is located very far outside of town--it is about a 25 minute walk on dirt roads to arrive there.)  As we left, all was normal but then the storm hit.  About midway through our journey, the paths filled with water.  I was literally walking in a river up to my thighs.  I was soaked head to toe.  Every square inch of me was drenched.  I loved every second of it!  Everything I had on me was completely destroyed but it makes quite the story to tell.  My scriptures are finally dry and they appear as if they were made a century ago--they look really cool.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach the Principles of the Gospel in church.  I have done this a couple of times and it really has helped with my Portuguese.  Even though I must appear to be the equivalent of a 10 year-old teaching...I have just learned to laugh at the situation.  And, although they might not understand me, I learn a lot.  I am so grateful for this opportunity I have had.

In terms of the water situation here: nada!  We haven't had water for a week and a half.  I haven't had a real shower since last Wednesday when I was able to shower in Fortaleza at my zone leaders' apartment. But, it’s awesome (well, at least the story will be in about 10 years).  Today I took a shower with one small bottle of water…be grateful the next time you are able to buy a case of water at the store!  (Right now is the rainy season but they won't turn water on for a long time because they have to build reserves.  I’m told we will probably be at least three more months without water.)

 Drenched after "swimming" through the streets in a rainstorm. 

The church building in Caninde.

Wow, what a week!  Last Saturday, Elder G* and I decided we wanted to do a day of service and try to open the hearts of the people.  We threw on our work clothes and went to houses of people that we know.  We ended up at F*’s house and said, “We are here to do service.”  At first, she was hesitant and was too shy to ask for help.  I then asked V*, her 11 year old son, who is preparing for baptism, what we could do.  He took us back to a room that was filled bottom to top with just stuff--dust everywhere!  We spent the next four hours completely emptying it, cleaning, and organizing!  Wow, so much fun!  I love manual labor!  V* and I found a long metal pipe and I asked him if he had ever heard of baseball.  He hadn’t.  This family lives out in the boonies on a dirt road with just cows, dogs, and horses around.  I picked up a few good sized rocks and blasted them out towards the empty pond.  V* was mesmerized. He said "Wow! Can you show me how to do that?"  He picked up the metal pipe and I taught him soft-toss.  He struggled for about 30 minutes and then, what do you know!  He is the next Babe Ruth!  He was blasting shots out into the "campo.”  You should have seen his face!  This experience reminded me how much I love being a missionary!

We also had another great experience last week.  We made contact with a lady who owns a small lanchonete and sells fried food called salgados.  They are delicious.  Even though neither she nor her husband are interested in a new religion, they admire what we are doing.  She told me, "Young man, your mother is in a far-off land.  If it were my son, I would want him to have a Mormon Mom!  Therefore, here, I am your Catholic Mom!  Eat up!"  We got stuffed!  Now, every day we walk past her lanchonete and she gives us juice and food!  They are pure Christians.  The sincerity of their hearts is marvelous.

By the way, be very grateful for what you have!  The water here in Canindé has been completely exhausted.  We can no longer wash clothes or shower but, you know what, I love it!  It is going to be a great story 10 years down the road.  We all stink and have to shower with the equivalent of a liter of water out of a bucket.  It is awesome!  It reminds me of scout camp!

I invite you all to join my goal: enjoy all the small things!  Because when we do, it is impossible to be unhappy!