New Standard

Subject: New Standard

This week we received new orders from Goiânia. For the next two weeks ( we started a week ago) we only study Preach My Gospel and the scripture references that it contains. Any other study is forbidden during this period. We also received a new set of goals for us to reach. Normally we teach 25-30 a week, but now we are to teach 45 a week.

President passed by Itumbiara yesterday to do some training in the branch. We also had a quick missionary training and interviews. President explained to us that in other missions one of the greatest factors for baptisms are the number of lessons with a member present. He promised us that we´d baptize at least one person a week if we taught at least 10 lessons with a member present and that he´d give us a virtual kiss via email if we taught 15 with a member present. What president didn´t know is that we had already taught 15 that week. I´m at this moment waiting for my email from president.

We´ve been running all over the place trying to get things done the past week in order to get everyone baptized on the 21st. Saturday we marked a baptismal date with Ana Flavia (the girl who bore her testimony). She came to church again yesterday, which was perfect, because she got to hear talks by President and Sister Prieto.
In my interview with President, the first this he asked me was ´´have you lost weight?´´, but to translate directly it would be ´´you skinnied?´´ At the end of the interview he asked me how long I´ve been in Itumbiara. When I responded that this week would make 7 months here, he thought for a moment and said ´´well you´re getting transferred for sure.´´ I´m a little sad to be leaving, but I´m glad that President gave me a week´s notice.
Milagres são reais quando você crê
Love
Elder David Short

Testimony

My Dearly Beloveds,
This week, the enemy has worked hard to thwart us, but we have risen conquerer.
One of the first frustrations that we confronted this week was that we were having our second visit with an investigator about the authority of the priesthood, and about twenty minutes into the lesson a group of the young adults of her church (including the young adults leader) showed up to visit. For me it was a very tense situation, because some of the people there we people that we had taught on previous ocasions and they had rejected the message of the restoration. I´m happy to report that no Bible bashing occured, but the lesson didn´t end on a very spiritual note, because the conversation turned what people like to put in their milk.
Sunday had it´s share of miracles.
We left the house early to hunt down our investigators, as usual. We passed by about four houses and no one was home, or couldn´t go. We got to church, praying that some of our investigators had arrived. We found out that two investigators had shown up, and our joy was great! I had tried calling our other investigators that hadn´t shown up yet, but they hadn´t answered. I waited a little bit and tried calling again. I was able to get through to Ana Flavia and she said that she wasn´t coming, because it was raining and she didn´t have a car. I was tired of settling for excuses, so I grabbed one of the brethren who had a car and we picked her up. I thought to myself that maybe one of our other investigators might have the same excuse, so we picked her up too.
During the testimony meeting Ana Flavia was touched by the Spirit and felt impressed to bear her testimony. It was her first time at church too!
Milagres são reais!
O Tempo acabou.
Love,
Elder David Short

Happy New Year!

Dearly Beloveds,
We had a pretty good we as far as stress and personal happiness goes, but we had a really hard time as far as finding people at home. It says in the missionary manual that the best time to find and teach people is on Sundays and Holidays but I feel from personal experience that this was a generalization that didn't include Brazil, or at least Itumbiara. On Sundays everyone runs to the hills to rest at their ranches and cottage, and on holidays its worse. We were still able to get a lot of teaching done, but there were very few people at church this week. We only had sacrament again, because of new years.
Our only investigator that came to church this week was Kamillia. She's the friend of a member of the branch and is truly amazing. She's grown up in another church and is really active, but when we presented the message of the restoration she said that if God said that it was true then she'd change everything. After sacrament she was examining the baptismal font and asked who was going to baptize her. Those are the sweetest words that a an investigator can utter, right next to "I received an answer that the Book of Mormon is true."
To celebrate new years, the branch president got permission from the mission president for us to stay out till 11. As usual our Brazilian celebration included bbq. The past week I've eaten so much grilled meat, because of the holidays, that I'm surprised that the meat hasn't come out my nose, like the Israelites. So we ate meat, drank guarana and taught the kids how to play Ninja Destruction.
My time ran out, so I love you all.
Write me a letter.
Love,
Elder David Short

Elder David Short

Rua 18 No. 110 Salas 1105 a 1107

Ed. Business Center Setor Oeste

Goiânia - GO 74120-080

Brazil