Osternack Week 6

So I am coming up on my last week on the mission. It feels weird.

So this week we had a family home evening with President and Sister Cuvelier. It was good and we learned a lot, but it didn´t really help out Duda, and Vinícios. The problem is that their mom is against them being baptized because she thinks that they are too young to be baptized, and even though we explained it really well, and President explained it even better, she didn´t understand. We are still working with them to help them be baptized. We are also working with Alexandro this week so that he can be baptized this Saturday. He is a 10 year old son of a member, that said that he wants to be baptized. His baptism will be this Saturday, and we are confident that he will be ready by then.

I interviewed two people for baptism this week and they both passed and were baptized. It was really cool to be able to help them be baptized.

There are a lot of people here that think that all the churches are true and that there doesn´t exist one true church. I have come to learn that I know that there is only one path that leads back to our Heavenly Father, and that is the covenant path.

Well I have learned a lot on the mission, and I will try to make this next week the best week of my mission. I am excited to work hard for one more week, and then start the next phase of my life.

Thank you all for the support, have a good week, and see you soon.

-- Élder Pettingill

Osternack Week 5

So this week was good. I figured out that the best way for me to not be trunky is to continue in the thoughts that the end will never really come, and that I will be a missionary forever. I am focusing on working hard, and making the most of these last few weeks.

So about the people we are teaching, we are working with Duda so that she can be baptized this Saturday. We have talked with her and her mom about it, and her mom doesn't feel like she is ready to be baptized. She is a less active who was baptized when she was 13, was active for what she said was about 6-7 years, then became less active because the church "wasn't what she wanted," and she doesn't want Duda to do the same thing. We are going to have a family home evening with them and President Cuvelier to help with the difficulty.

Anyway, I am excited about the week because we have a lot of work to do, we have some baptismal interviews to do for the sisters, and we're hoping that Duda will be baptized this week.

Also we had a little miracle this week. A member took her ten year old son, who isn't a member and is now living with her, to church. He told us that we wants to be baptized, so we went there later that day and taught him. We are planning his baptism for February 2nd, and we are going to do everything in our power to prepare him for this day.

Anyway life goes on and I will have to be going. We are going to have ice cream with gummy bears / coca cola floats after we finish emailing. (Well I will, Elder Abreu just wants to eat ice cream). Have a good week and see you all (most of you all) in a few weeks.

-- Élder Pettingill

Pictures from the mission blog from the Christmas conference:

Osternack Week 4

I can´t even believe that I only have 3 weeks left on my mission... I still have so much to learn, and so much to do.

So to answer´s my Mom´s questions, yes it is very hot here, and it switches every day between blazing sun, and pouring rain. Literally we go outside to start working, and it is as sunny as can be, with blue skies that just make my white skin burn without sunscreen (which I am using), and then later on in the day we are taking cover from high winds that break umbrellas like twigs, and rain that sounds like hail in our ears. Yeah it´s pretty crazy here, but on the bright side I think this area is the smallest that I have ever worked in, when you can walk from one end to the other in a half hour, so I am not walking as much.

We are teaching Duda (Maria Eduarda) and we are preparing her to be baptized on January 26th. She is ready to be baptized, but she doesn´t know it yet. So, we are helping her recognize that she is ready to be baptized.

We had splits with the zone leaders this week and that was good. It was my last split and my second split with Elder Hammond. It is really weird how close I am to going home...

Anyway I hope that you all have a good week, and I thank you for the support.

-- Élder Pettingill

Pics:
-New years fireworks
-Pizza with E. Hammond
-Pizza with E. Abreu (pronounced Ah bray oh)
-The district
-Elder Abreu and I soaking wet

Osternack Week 3

Happy New Year's!!!

Well it was very great here in Brazil. Normally we have to be home before 10pm, but this day we had to be home before 9pm. There were fireworks at midnight. We stayed up and it was really cool. There are a lot more fireworks that go up in the air here. They use a lot of fireworks that would be illegal if someone had them back if California, but it was very entertaining.

Also we renewed my visa this week and the government here made an error and renewed my visa until 2021, so I am good until then to come back.

We have been working hard, and we are working with Duda (Maria Eduarda) and Andressa, Jean, and Isabella. Duda has a baptismal date for Jan 26th, and we are working hard to help her be baptized. Andressa is a less active, and Jean and Isabella are her children who aren´t baptized. They are really receptive, and want to come back to church.

I am very excited to work hard all the time that I have left on the mission.

I am really enjoying the new Come Follow Me Program. I think the two hour church is really great as well. I am learning more in 2 hours than I have been learning in 3 hours. I know that this is an inspired program 

Thank you all for the support and have a great week!

-- Élder Pettingill

 P.S. I will send the pics next week

Osternack Week 2

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Years

So this week was good. I loved seeing my family on Christmas, and I am ready for 2019. I don´t have a lot of time, but we have been working a lot and the next week looks like it is going to be cool.

I hope that you all seek to be the best people ever in 2019.

-- Élder Pettingill
The District
Our Christmas package from the Ward.

Osternack Week 1

So I don´t have a lot of time right now, but this week was good. We had our Christmas conference, and I sang a song from the youth mutual theme in a bunch of voices. It was really good, and fun. I also put the Christmas lights from my Christmas package under my shirt, and I didn´t show anyone until I sang. Everyone liked it and laughed. We have been working a lot, and we learned a lot about the importance of Jesus Christ. The area here is good, and my companion is cool. I am the district leader of just 4 sisters again. I am excited for Christmas!

Thank you all for the support and have a great Christmas.

-- Élder Pettingill

-President and Sister Cuvelier and me from the Christmas conference
-Me singing at the Christmas conference.
-The Christmas lights I put under my shirt.
-how I decorated my house.

União da Vitória Week 17

So this week was very interesting. 

So it was transfer week, and I was transferred! I am now in an area called Osternack, which is in a district where I was the District Leader. Now it is the area of the district leader and I am here. I am with Elder Abreu who has 1 year and 4 months on the mission. I will tell you all more about him, as I come to know him more. 

It was a little sad to leave União da Vitória, but also 3 transfers in an area is a little taxing. I know that Elder Lima will work hard with Elder Melo.

Anyway, I am on my last transfer of my mission, and I just know that it is going to be a good. one. You gotta go out with a bang, am I right? Anyway I am so grateful for all the support that I get from my family and my friends. I am learning that really when we are diligent, and when we are humble and follow the council of our leaders, we are blessed. 

P.S. It´s getting hot here, and because here is really crazy, we are having a little bit of hail. 

--Élder Pettingill

Answers to questions:

What more can you tell us about Elder Abreu?  He is from Terezina ,Brazil. This is his 3rd transfer in the area, and so he will probably stay here for the next transfer as well.

How far are you from the office?  I am about 45-60 min bus ride to the office.

What zone  are you in now?  I am in Jardim do Sol = Sun garden.

 How did Elder Lima feel about you leaving? Do you feel good about the training you did?  
Well he isn´t a sensative guy so he was just like, "I am glad that I finished my training." I don´t know if I did the best job, but I didn´t do the worst job. 

Pictures:

-Waterfalls

-District meeting with Secret Santa

-My new companion.