June 23, 2014

Araturi, Caucaia

This past week has gone very, very, very well.  One of the best of my mission.  Wow, I am so tired...this morning we had to go to the center of Fortaleza and it took about 7 hours.  The buses are crazy because Brazil is playing today in the world cup.  Let’s just say that when I get home tonight that the hammock is going to be awesome.

It is amazing to see how the gospel transforms lives and builds friendships.  We had the baptism of Y* this week.  He is a great kid!  His family loves us.  They feed us until we can't even walk...it is great.

E* is doing awesome!  He works at night but makes it a priority to go and do visits with us every single day.  When he bears his testimony, it is so powerful.  The investigators think he has been a member of the church his whole life.  And then when he tells them that he met the missionaries four weeks ago, the investigators are blown away.  It has quite the spiritual impact.  His family has become best friends with another recent-convert family....I mean best of friends.  They are having a huge Brazil Soccer party tonight.  The gospel truly unites people--especially amid afflictions.  One of the families is passing through a difficult time and the other is right there to help them.  And to think they just met each other a week ago and it is like they have been friends since childhood.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is so true!

It is impossible to write everything that has happened this week.  But, hey, a quick bit of news.  You remember that family I was teaching in my last area?  A* (the alcoholic who said she could never change her life), W* (who became disillusioned with the church), and V* (their hilarious nephew) … they got baptized!!!  Elder C* sent me an email!  You know the gospel has to be true if A* got baptized.  She had told me she could never change....well, as I said, the gospel changes lives.  A* got baptized!!!  I am surprised beyond belief but also overjoyed!

Thank you for all your love and support!

Love, Dave

P.S. Yesterday I had a guy ask me if I was from Portugal!  He said that my accent is definitely not American.  Hey, that means improvement!!!

Excerpts from June 2, 9, 16

(June 2)

Well, the absolute unexpected occurred today!  I was transfered to the area of Araturi...it is located in a sister city of Fortaleza called Caucaia.  And, I was made a zone leader with Elder B*, who is from Curitiba.  I have heard that in terms of our own missionary work here it will be difficult...we have the largest zone in the mission.  We have to do two splits every week in order fulfill our responsibilities.  It should be fun.  I know I am going to learn a lot.

(June 9)

Wow, I can't believe that another week has already passed.  I got really sick early in the week.  My first three days in my new area were spent in a bed and the doctor’s office.  However, I am doing great now and everything is perfect.  My new area is very different.  It is far out in the periphery of the city.  Every Monday I have to go to the city center to the mission office in order to get supplies for the zone.   We take an hour long train ride and then walk forever in the city.  Wow, the center of Fortaleza is really cool.  It is like an old New York City (but of course, everything is in Portuguese).

My new house...BOA SORTE...we are living in a hut!  Our roof is brick, which means we practically don't have a roof.  I get home every night and my bed is covered in a centimeter of dust.  But I love it.  Canindé must have been a preparatory time for me (but I am so grateful I have water!)  I have never lived in a place where the kitchen sink is outside...It is awesome! J

(June 16)

This past week has been super hectic.  I think it has been the longest week of my life.  I am so tired.  First off, we had three baptisms yesterday: E*, D*, and I*.  E* and his wife were married this past Friday and then he was baptized on Saturday.  He is amazing.  He is going to be such an amazing leader in the church.  D* and I* are the most adorable, well-behaved kids you will ever meet.

Brazil is on a permanent holiday for the next three weeks.  Everyone is just watching "football" all day long.  It was crazy the first night when Brazil played.  We weren't allowed to watch the game...therefore, we stayed in the house and had a churrasco party.  We went and bought carne and then built our own firepit.  It was pretty awesome.  It was super fun.  Whenever Brazil scored a goal, the entire neighborhood was shouting and screaming.  With how loud the music and commentary were, playing in the background of the neighborhood, it was like we were practically watching it.

It is pretty hot down here.  It never gets cold.  We have this huge tree in our backyard that is filled with huge caterpillars.  They are invading our house.  Everyday it is a battle of exterminating the caterpillars.  I think yesterday, Elder S* killed about 25.  It is crazy.  Life is pretty normal here.  Just trying to be happy.

Wow, this week has just flown by.  The work here is going...slowly.  All of our investigators are being duds right now but hopefully that will change this week.  The only investigator that went to church this week was the investigator that we thought would for sure not go.  When we invited her to church, she was drunk out of her mind.  However, Sunday morning came around and we past by her house.  She was all dressed and ready to go.  

I learned a powerful lesson--never judge anyone.

I have done a lot of pondering these past few days about the Atonement.  There is a scripture that has really gotten my attention.  It is the last few verses of the Book of Mormon.  It reads:  

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen."

Wow, what an invitation by Moroni.  He invites us to cast off all ungodliness.  This is something I hope to make a goal in my life: every day seek to create a conscience void of offence--knowing that I repented of everything for that day.  It is going to try to take a lot of work.  But one of the greatest lessons I have learned in the mission is that happiness only comes from hard work.

Everything here is gearing up for the World Cup.  The people are going crazy.  The first game will be here in Fortaleza.  Brazil will be playing Mexico.  If some miracle happens and the U.S. wins the World Cup, I think all the American missionaries will be transferred to Argentina (haha!).

Love,

Elder Larkin

Scorpions, Monkeys and Snakes…

I guess I will start with the wildlife report--this week has been crazy.  We have a family of monkeys that live in the mango tree next to our house.  They are quite the little thieves--if there is any fruit anywhere, they are the first ones to get it.  They are adorable though.  And then came Wednesday night.  We walked into the house and the floor had a few surprises--scorpions the size of my hand!  Holy cow!  Well, to say the least, we captured them and let them pass on into the next life.  Let’s just say I wear my shoes everywhere in the house now.  And then on Thursday, I had the opportunity to do a split with Elder M* in his area.  As we were walking, this huge snake (about 15 feet long) was leisurely crossing the road.  I think it was a python.  It was super thick (about 7 inches in diameter.)  I guess I will be a little more careful the next time we take a short cut through a field...

In terms of missionary work...This past week has been raining a ton.  We found a mother and her daughter to teach during one of the rain storms.  They both went to church yesterday and loved it.  We also are teaching a lot of youth--they are the only ones who want to listen to us.

We are eating a lot of rice, beans, chicken, oh and yeah, a little more rice...

Today was really neat.  We had a mission conference with Elder Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve.   Wow, he is the most humble man I have ever met.  He made it a point to shake every missionary's hand. The way he teachs illustrates the love of Christ - I learned so many things.  He spoke in very broken Portuguese but he refused to speak English (it was awesome, he's persistent!).  It is good to know that the Apostles struggle with foreign languages too (even if they lived in the country for four years.)  He brought with him Elder Jairo Mazzagardi of the Seventy.  His message was one of repentence and he emphasized:

“This life is short, eternity is very long!"  

This really impressed me.  Am I doing everything possible to take advantage of this short existence in order to take full advantage of an eternal one?  

"Cada dia é um novo dia!"

I like this phrase, and share it often.  

(Today is a new day!)

May 12, 2014

Skyping for Mother’s Day

Awesome!

David has lost 22 pounds since leaving for his mission last July.

But, he looks and sounds great, and promises to eat more.

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!!!!"