Parigot de Souza Week 8

So this week was good. So the weather here is getting pretty crazy. It is the transition between winter and summer so every day is a little different. Sometimes it is a little closer to summer and other days it is a little closer to winter. So on Tuesday I did a division with Elder Sousa (ex comp) in his area. It was good, and we worked in a part of his area that has never been visited by missionaries. It was a good day, and we were able to do a lot of work. Wednesday was normal. We are preparing Bianca and her mom Jane to be baptized. Bianca already has a testimony, and now we are working on teaching the lessons to her, and help Jane receive a testimony. Also this week we have been working with a NTM which means not everyone is a member. Basically he is Alfredo, a 10 year old kid whose parents are less active members. We are working with them so that Anderson, Alfredo´s father, will be able to baptize Alfredo. Everything is going well with them. On Thursday with had a zone conference for Easter. It was really good, and we studied about the symbolism of Christ´s resurrection. It really helped me remember more about the sacrifice that Christ made for all of us. It is really a wonderful blessing for us to be able to remember him and the sacrifice that he made, and to use the atonement to come a little closer to him.

--Élder Pettingill

We received pictures and a video, plus messages, from the mother of Alfredo who is preparing to be baptized. They had Elder Pettingill and Elder Morais to Alfredo's birthday celebration and also for dinner. There is nothing like hearing that your son is being cared for by others to make you feel so grateful and happy. Josh's pictures from this week are below that. 

"It is a with lots of love that I receive them in my house. Thanks to them my son Alfredo will get baptized. He just turned 10 and is getting ready to be baptized in April. This is thanks to Your son and another Elder who are teaching him and helping him prepare. I take good care of them when they come over. I make yummy home-made food and even do Marmita.”

“Marmita is when I put the leftover food into containers and they bring it home. I do it so they don’t go without food. And don’t worry, as soon as Elder gets here I’ll tell him your message. Be with God, it’s a huge pleasure from the bottom of my heart to speak to you. And it’s a great pleasure to me when you respond. May Heavenly Father bless you and your family. Soon your son will be back with you. And congratulations, he is very very respectful. Well done.”

So these pics are of the new sole that I put on my shoes. The other one was coming off, so I went back to the place, and they changed it for free! Also of the sad situation of my favorite watch that I have had for more that 2 years (I think it is closer to 3 years). I gave it to a sister in the ward to take to a place to fix it in the center of Curitiba.

Parigot de Souza Week 7

So this was my first week as a District Leader. So we had transfers and I prepared my first district meeting on Monday. So here we have district meetings every week except when there is a zone conference. On Tuesday I had my first district meeting. On Wednesday I went to the mission office to have a District Leader meeting. Then on Friday I talked with the Elders about their week, and problems (acompanhamento in Portuguese, I don´t know how it is in English), and then on Sunday I got everyone´s numbers to pass to the Zone Leader. That sums up my week as a District Leader. I have 10 Elders in my district: Elder Ashworth (an American in his last transfer, but he is still working so that is good. He is from Utah. Also he is a ZL), Elder Sousa (My ex-companion. He is also a ZL), Elder Souza (junior companion, and the missionary with the most time in the district. I think it is his fifth transfer in his area. He is from São Paulo), Elder Pinkney (American became the senior companion this transfer. He plays the piano. I think he is from Utah), Elder Woolley (American, senior companion. He is from Utah), Elder Neres (junior companion, and I think he is from São Paulo), Elder Azevêdo (trainer, he is on his fourth transfer. He is from North west Brazil Ciará), and Elder Silva (Trainee, 2nd transfer. He is from Rio grande do Norte- North Brazil). Also Elder Morais and I. That is my District.

So far, it has been good. Everything is going great, and I am learning a lot. I still don´t know a lot about what I am doing, but I think the Lord is helping a lot. Also I got my birthday package! I think the mail strike is over now, so that is why is went so fast. Thank you for the cake mix. I will make the jello cake, and bring it to a district meeting.

I don´t have anymore time.

Thank you all and Tchau!

-- Élder Pettingill

Parigot de Souza Week 6

So this week was transfers. So I stayed in Parigot with Elder Morais, but I am now the District Leader. This will be the first time that I am in a leadership position, but it is a little strange because my companion is still a senior companion. I don´t really know why president does things like this, but he does so yeah. Also We learned the transfer early because we has some entrevistas with President this Sunday after church. Anyway we will see what happens, but I know that with the Lord nothing is impossible, so what is it help out one DL who doesn´t know what he is doing?

Anyway I learned this week the importance of study. This week hasn´t been the best week, because we didn´t study. We had appointments in the morning, and plans in the afternoon, so we didn´t end up studying a lot. We really felt the blessings on Sunday when we went to church (so that counts as a form of study) then we focused on the important things like a meeting that we had with the ward, and then we went to a appointment where we found 4 new people to teach, and we marked 6 dates for baptism. It is a couple of families that we had taught some members, but on Sunday we taught everyone. They are really nice people, and I think that they will make progress.

So today I finished the Book of Mormon for the first time in Portuguese, so that was good.

Anyway I know that the Lord blesses us in our times of difficulty. Also I know that the best thing that we can do is follow the gospel of Christ. Thank you all for the support, and have a good week.

--Élder Pettingill

The tie we made. We might make another one because this one didn´t turn out as well as we had hoped

Parigot de Souza Week 5

So this week was good. So first off, I have been reading in the war chapters in the Book of Mormon. I read basically the rest of the Book of Mormon looking for a story that I remembered. Actually this is the second time in my life that this has happened. I finished Alma, and I was a little confused because I didn´t read this story. Then I read Helaman, then Ether, because they have some war stories as well, but I didn´t find it. Then I read Mormon, and the beginning of 3rd Nephi. I didn´t find it. So then I started looking for this story with the topical guide. I could remember the story, but I didn´t know where in the Book of Mormon it was. Could I somehow have missed it? I looked, and looked, until I found a foot note on the word ``strategy´´ in the book of Alma at the beginning of the war chapters that took me to Judges 7, and there I found my story. I thought that it was so funny that this search had me reading the Book of Mormon every chance that I had to find this part, and I wasn´t just reading, because I didn´t want to miss out on inspiration. So I almost finished the Book of Mormon for the first time in Portuguese starting in Alma 40 +/-, and all I have left is half of 3 Nephi, and Moroni.

Anyway apart from that I learned more about faith this week, and trusting in the Lord. I am really having to trust in the Lord to overcome the difficulties that I am having with talking with people, saying what I think/want, etc. So I have studied faith a lot this week. Well the war chapters are a great example of faith, and so I learned a lot about trusting in the Lord, and everything will turn out fine. Also I had a great experience this week about trusting in the Lord to tell me what to say. We were going to teach an investigator this week, but it was basically to drop them. As we were going there, I had no idea what I was going to say. So I remembered what I had studied, and decided to trust in the Lord. When we got there and started to talk with her, I knew exactly what I needed to say. I didn´t know why, but it was what I felt. We had a good lesson, and didn´t end up dropping them yet. We left some things for them to do so that we could see if they wanted to progress or not. I know that what I felt was inspiration from God.

I hope you all have a good week, and remember to trust in God.

-- Élder Pettingill

1,2,3- my shoes
4- pizza