Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Hey Mom and Dad,
   Alright, sorry about the spacing in this letter, but the spacebar is pretty crappy on this computer I’m using today. Just to let you know.
   Sorry for not writing yesterday, I didn't really have P-Day yesterday. It actually kinda sucked lol. I had to go to the Mission Office, and then go the international airport where I renewed my Visa. So I’m all good and legal still here in Brazil, no worries. I also found out that sometimes the visa goes for a little bit after the end of my mission. I was thinking I could come back, get released, and we could all come back to Rio together 2 weeks or so after I get back. It's an idea.

   I talked with Elder Mimary this week and he said he probably will not make it to the United States until late September or October, and then he will probably just go straight to Utah. So we might just meet up there at school and he would come back with me to visit California and meet you guys. So that leaves me with the decision of whether or not I will come back early to go to school in September, or if I will stay and go later. This week I have an interview with the President and I will talk with him about this. Just letting you guys know what's new. So my ZL Elder Mimary probably will not come to California first, but to Utah first, and would stay with us during the breaks of BYU.

   So your prayers worked! Fatima went to church this week. It was kinda interesting, because this week the chapel lost power and we were without Air conditioning. Everyone was there with fans and papers and stuff fanning their faces, but Fatima said she didn't even feel hot. She really enjoyed church because it's so calm and loved the talks that they gave. She was not able to stay for all of church. But it was really good. We invited her to baptism last night. She became a little hesitant, based on the fact that she has visited the church only once, but she did not flat out say no. Please, pray for her. She will be praying to know if it is what she needs to do.

   Your prayers also helped find new investigators! This week we found 9 new investigators, including a family that understands really well all that we teach. They lost their trust in churches in general after seeing what the padres do in the Catholic Church and what other churches here in Brazil do as well, but after we taught the Restoration he became interested (The husband). His name is Flavio, and his wife is Katia. He said he has always wondered about a True Church and he became really interested with the Book of Mormon. He called it the American Bible cuz it was written here in the Americas, and he said he has heard always of "their bible" written in the Middle East, and now he wants to know about "our bible" meaning the bible of the Americas. It was really funny. But he understood that it was a book of sacred scripture and he needs to pray to know if it is true. Really, an awesome family.

   I'm still training Elder Leal. He is a good missionary, and a hard worker, we just have conflicting personalities at times, and different ideas. He is pretty humble, but there is room for improvement in everyone. But I enjoy being his companion and he especially helps a lot in perfecting my Portuguese, something that few other companions helped me do. Like fix all the little technical things that I say wrong. So that's good. We didn't teach very many lessons this week, just 11, but we found our 9 new investigators in these. That is good. What we are trying to do now is work a lot more with the ward to resuscitate it. We need to get back the home teaching program because it doesn't exist. I've really learned a lot about the importance of home teaching here on the mission and how much it really does for the ward and for the people that you visit. I am convinced that the key to retention and reactivation in a ward is home teaching. I challenge you dad to (if you’re not already doing it) not only do your home teaching visits every month, but also remember the birthday of everyone you are responsible for. Make a small cake and take it to them. Also, every Sunday you realize they didn't go give them a call and tell them how much they were missed and how much everyone would love to see them on Sunday. I have met too many less actives that have apostatized from the church simply because when they didn't go one Sunday no one called, and no one visited.

   So the work continues, and your guys' prayers are working for us. Thank you for everything, and I'm glad you had a good birthday Dad. Lobster Tail, makes my mouth water haha. (this time I wrote an haha and not an lol ;) Tell Tanner congrats for me, or I’ll tell him in the letter I write right now, and tell Rachel to hang in there! :) I love you both.
Elder Baldwin
P.S. I got really trunky going to the airport and seeing the big international planes lol ( this time it was an lol ;)