Monday, June 17, 2019

Baptism!!!

This past week went super quickly!!! we had a baptism of a 14 year old named Fernando!!! He´s the coolest kid ever. We found him when we were trying to teach another women and we taught him and he was super receptive of everything we taught. The baptism went super good too!!

Elder Ghaltama baptized him and Fernando had to weigh two times more than Ghaltama hahaha but nothing really else happened this week. This is the last week of Ghaltamas mission so I´ll have a new companion next week. I'm gunna miss Ghaltama. He is a super good man and a good missionary.

I hope you all have an amazing week and I love you all!!!









Monday, June 10, 2019

Fernando

This week absolutely flew by!! me and Ghaltama have been working really hard and we have a baptism planned for this Sunday!! His name is Fernando and he's fourteen years old and is super cool. We haven't had that much happen this week my comp is getting super excited to go home haha, he has 14 days left. We had our zone conference on Wednesday which was super cool. We had it in Joinville which is a city about an hour away. I got to talk to President Gonçalves which went well. We´ve just been teaching, teaching and teaching. I just want to bear my testimony that I know this church is true, that Christ lives and that through him we can live with our families forever with our Heavenly father.

I love you all and hope you all have an awesome week!!!

Elder Whelan







Friday, June 7, 2019

Another quick week

Hello!

This week went by very quickly. We had 5 investigators at church which was pretty awesome. Our bishop is great. We asked him if he'd mind driving by and checking on one of them and he went by, picked him up, and brought him to church for us.

We played paintball on pday. I've got a bunch of great bruises to show for it! I was the last one alive on our team holding everyone off for a long time until the other team surrounded me and destroyed me.

We also went on a hike, this place has tons of mountains around it, it's very beautiful. From the very top we can see that ocean, so I'm not too far away from the coast.

My Portuguese is getting pretty good. I feel like I can understand everything and it's nice having 3 other missionaries that are Brazilian in the same house. My companion only has three weeks left. It's crazy to think he'll be home soon.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday for whoever had a birthday!

But I want to specifically tell my mom happy birthday! She is the best mom anyone could have!

This past week absolutely flew by! We’ve been working super hard and haven’t really had much to show for it. We could make contacts all day and not get into one house to teach ha ha. This area is much more difficult compared to Concordia.

We had a district conference this week which went well we went out to teach some lessons with a member named Jorge. He is the missionary leader in our ward. Me and Ghaltama taught some people that were really trying to Bible Bash with us. That was so fun Ha ha ha we definitely shut them down. But we tried really really hard not to be disrespectful in anyway.

We taught another family that is super awesome and were able to make baptismal dates the first lesson. We also took a pack of cigarettes from her. Because she has a problem with smoking. There was a wedding at church was really cool. They got baptized after. We ate a bunch of food and cake. 

On Saturday we had a talent show which went really well. There was a ton of people and a bunch people danced, did magic, play the guitar, and sing. It was super fun on Sunday without a good amount actually! We had more success than usual ha ha. We actually were able to get into the house is to teach.

That was my week! Love you all and I’m thankful to be a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. The only true church on this earth that can bring eternal happiness for us and our families. Love you all and hope you all have an amazing week full of fun stuff and missionary work!!

Elder Whelan


































Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Short email... Sorry!!

So these past two weeks have absolutely flown by and they have been soooo amazing!! I got transferred to a new area in Jaragua do Sul!! my new comp is Elder Ghaltama and he's about to go home which is sad because he's super cool. But this area is amazing and the people in the ward help us soooo much. TODAY WE HIKED UP AND MOUNTAIN FOR P-DAY AND SAW ALL OF THE CITY AND LAND AROUND us (Oops I wrote in all caps sorry about that haha) 

I live in apartment with Elders Ghaltama, Pereira, and Pinheiro. they are super cool guys and are all Brazilian. The language is really good and I'm loving it here. Sorry I don't have much time right now but I love you all and Hope you all have an amazing week!!!

Elder Whelan

Monday, May 13, 2019

Happy Mother's Day!


Happy Mothers Day!! I just want to say real quick that I'm so thankful for my mom. She's been the best influence of righteousness and love for me in my life!! Love you Mom!!

(This email covers the last two weeks)
On Tuesday we had splits again! we had splits with 2 elders named Elder Veronez and Elder Alvarado. We were able to visit so many new people and learn so much from them. Elder Veronez is going home this transfer and he is definitely trunky haha. Our day was so good and we were able to learn a few methods to better our teaching and how to find people to teach more quickly.

On Wednesday I had the longest day of my mission it seemed haha. We worked a TON and had a lot of good results which was really great.I was a little bit sick which didn’t help with the longness of the day haha. But when we get working as hard as we possibly can, I can feel the power of the Holy Ghost working in our lives more then ever. It’s such an amazing feeling that I want with me forever!

On Thursday we had another great day of work! Me and Abarca happened to end up in the richest part of the city and we decided to play a game where we make contacts to the biggest most beautiful houses. If it’s my turn I choose Abarca has to make the contact and vice verse. We didn’t have too much success but it was super fun nonetheless haha.

On Friday we left the house at around 10:30 to visit this person we contacted the day before but he wasn’t available sadly. Then we continued our day. Today I had a pretty fun experience were I was talking about the first vision and I was about to tell this women what Joseph Smith said and I said “right now I’m going to "cantar: exactly what happened at this moment” haha. I accidentally said that I would "sing: Joseph Smith’s experience. So everyone started dying of laughter haha. Usually the moment when we relate the story of Joseph Smith it’s super serious and full of the spirit but not this time. Oops. I was trying to say contar which is to tell in Portuguese but contar and cantar are so similar it’s easy to mess them up. Also, at night Abarca was trying to bless these two women that we were teaching (through a prayer haha) and while he was saying the closing prayer he tried to bless these women by name and he totally forgot their names hahaha. He would say “please bless........ this family with peace and safety. And we ask thee that......... may receive a response through prayer that this gospel is true. We thank thee for this opportunity to be with .......... these sisters.” Haha he did this three times. I was pretty much dying inside because I couldn’t laugh during the prayer.

On Saturday we were able to teach three families that are super amazing! Also, today it rained so much that the streets were pretty much rivers haha. Our last lesson of the day went good but then we had to walk home in the rain which wasn’t so awesome haha. But the temperature here is definitely dropping which is a huge blessing!

On Sunday we had 6 people go to church with us and Abarca had to give a talk. He was pretty nervous haha. I don’t know why though, we literally talk with people all day long haha. After church we pretty much continued our day like normal. It was still raining outside but not too bad. 

Another week
On Tuesday this past week we ate lunch in the house which consisted of lasagna, rice, potatoes, juice and farinha. We left the house to go to the Redloviaria and check when our bus arrives for Chapecó for a zone conference. After that we were back to the area that we were back to the area of the apartment when Abarca said he wasn’t feeling too good. So we went to the apartment to check his temperature and he’s had a fever of 102.6. We walked to the hospital and I waited in that dump waiting room for four and a half hours just for Abarca to receive a prescription for medicine. We got home at around 1:20 in the morning and slept haha. 

The next day Abarca’s fever was even worse. His body was hurting and he was super hot then super cold. We went to the hospital again. This time we were lucky enough to only wait 6 and a half hours for the doctors to say, “Oh just keep taking the medicine we prescribed”. Haha we thought at first that Abarca got Dengue which is a deathly virus from mosquitos but luckily no.

On Thursday we didn’t do much of anything because Abarca was sick. Still we left the house at around 3:00 because Abarca was feeling better. And we went to the bus station to go to Chapecó. We got to Chapecó and Elder Rojas and Ferreira picked us up then we walked to their apartment. That night there were eight elders in the apartment. Me, Abarca, Rojas, Ferreira, Rodriguez, Moura, Webb, and Dos Santos (my father). We all ate pizza, laughed, joked around then went to bed because we had zone conference the next day.

Friday we all woke up at around 5:30 left at around 6:30 and got to the church. We had an amazing zone conference and we learned a ton. We did this contacting activity where as a duplicate we leave to do contacts for a little while and Me and Abarca were able to get a baptismal date haha it was awesome! After that we came back to the church had out interview with. Presidents, left, got on the bus and came home.

Saturday nothing much happened. We got money from a member for lunch so we went to the store and bought our food. Then after that we visited some people during the day then came home.

Sunday was really good! We had stake conference transmitted from Chapecó. After that we visited some families that we weren’t able to visit because Abarca was sick. I was able to drink "Guarana Jesus" which is super good and is only made in Maurañao. Today there was a ton of lightning which was super AWESOME! But that was my week! I want to say that I am thankful for all that I have and I’m thankful for all those that read my emails and email me!

This week went by super quickly and not much happened haha we had our lessons and taught a bunch of people which was great!! we were in the middle of a lesson on Sunday at around 4 when our president called and told me that I´ve been transferred to Jaragua do Sul!!! My new comp is Brazilian and I´m super excited. But I'm sad also because we had some baptisms lined up these next few weeks and I wont be able to be here for them. But we all have purposes so I'm not worried haha. I'm also sad to leave Abarca, over the past few weeks we have really bonded and its going to be sad to say good bye and also its so sad to say goodbye to the members!!! But nothing else really happened this week. 

Hope you all had an amazing week and I love you all!!!!


x










Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Divisões (splits)

On Tuesday we had an amazing day! We were able to teach a lot of recent converts which always helps them stay active! I taught about the past, present and future in Aula de Ingles (English class) which turned out really well. After that we played a game at church for a while then closed the day.

On Wednesday we worked a good amount. We didn't have lunch with a member so we were able to cook what we needed. Then we played uno just us two for a while. Ha ha

Thursday: we worked a ton, then at night Elder Rodrigues and Moura came to do divisions with us the next day.

On Friday we had divisions. I went with Elder Rodriguez and Abarca went with Moura. We worked so hard that day, we managed to set 4 baptismal dates and got a ton of new investigators! The rest of the day consisted of us watching kids play soccer at church for noite integracao. We also bought a big pizza and played uno.

Saturday and Sunday were pretty much the same. We worked a ton with our new investigators and baptismal dates. On Sunday we were walking home when we heard a loud gun shot and saw a ton of people running, so that was great (not really haha). But that was my week.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. I hope you all have amazing weeks and I love you all!

-Elder Whelan