Week #68 - What an Incredible Wet Week!

We have had a Wet Week!!

Tuesday  - we had the most incredible storm.  The Lightening was so close I could hear it hit and crackle over and over.  I just kept praying it was not coming for us.   I am not sure I have ever been in a storm like it before.  It dropped 2 feet of rain also.  That is a problem here because there is no where for the water to go and it is filthy!  When I was driving in an area with lots of water, I saw a person washed away and go down the river that had been created.  I have never seen that much water in a storm that short.

Wednesday I had an interview in an area and we could not drive to it.  So we parked as close as possible and we walked.  We had our water proof boots that go all the way to our knees on and thought we would be fine.  We stepped in and then the water was almost up to our waist.  We had to lift our bags over our head to cross and it almost swept me down.  I knew I was not supposed to be in water like that, but I didn't know how to get to the people.  We had a good interview and then went home and showered!!  

I do a ton of interviews.  One of my favorite things.  So many humble people here and trying so hard.  There are some questions I ask that are hard though.  Because their answers are hard to hear and then sometimes I have to call the Mission President to help out.  I know they can be helped and forgiven.  So grateful for the Savior's sacrifice each time I interview a person.  I know they have a chance to live with God, just like me. 

The water does not leave - there is no where for it to go.  The roads are horrible!  They are muddy and even deeper potholes.  The chapa van got stuck.  one of the wheels was in the air.  We tied it to our suv and the rope broke.  Then we put a chain on it and pulled, nothing.  Then we dug around the wheels and pulled.  It moved a little.  We kept doing this until we could get all 4 tires on the ground. 

Again, lots of driving this week.  President came up to the mission again.  There is so much to do to prepare for another mission.  His flights are in the middle of the night - I am not sure when he sleeps!  He took us for food and at 3am we took him back to the airport.  Sometimes I just want to crawl into bed at night, but a missionary will call and tell us he needs something.  We are the only ones that can pick it up for him.  I think I look forward to sleeping the most of anything.

We are taking all the cars to Palmada this week and getting new cars!  We have our zone Christmas Party this week.  We have ordered the food and set up our christmas project at the orphange.  We have also prepared what items we need for our games.  We are pumped!  We have 7 new missionaries in our zone.  People don't really celebrate Christmas here so we hope this will help the missionaries.  We passed out Light the World cards to people this week.  I hope they do something with them.  Our focus is still to teach the gospel and help people prepare to make promises and keep them.  So no matter what time of year we do the same things.  

We really focused our efforts on Friday and Saturday on teaching the people here.  We marked 5 people for baptism and we have 5 prepared to be baptized this coming Saturday.  A return missionary named Norbe is dating a girl from Brazil and we are teaching her (22) and her sister (16).  We have one man we have been teaching for almost 2 months.  He wants to be baptized.  We have needed to have extra lessons with him to help him understand the gospel and how to change his life so he can keep the commandments.  He tries really hard and he is almost ready so he can pass the baptismal interview.  We are so excited for him.  

When I was talking to you, they wanted me to stop.  They were ok with me email, but they did not want me to talk too long.  We had to find a new place to get the internet.  Hopefully we can get to know them better so this will not be a problem.  The people respect the missionaries here.  They are good to them. But many have a hard time with people that look different from them.  So, they get a  bit stronger with me than my companion.  The people with guns can be scary.  They swing them around and I will see them with a huge shotgun with the barrel sitting on their foot or in the dirt.  I just have to dodge them or avoid them.  They make me nervous - I am not sure they know how to use a gun!  

We were walking around and saw a man that was trying to dig his foundation.  We stopped and told him we have done a ton of work and could help him.  Ouch!  I have not done physical work like that for a while.  My back would ache on the left side and I would change hands and then it would hurt on the other.  I realized I am completely out of shape - but I am serving the Lord!  


Com Amor,
Elder Rees