New Companion!

I have been made senior companion. I am also staying in my area another transfer; it’s already been 6 months here. But I will never get an older missionary than me from here on out...I don’t think. Elder Gull will be my companion, an American from Utah.

Eu não tenho muito tempo mas eu tenho que falar portuguese mais para ser fluente. Estou animado servir como sênior e crescer mais espiritualmente e aprender mais de um outro companheiro. Eu amo vocês, Obrigado por tudo.

{I do not have much time but I have to speak Portuguese to be more fluent. I am excited to serve as senior companion and grow spiritually and learn more from another companion. I love you, thanks for everything.}

Elder Willard

If Ye Love Me

Pouring down rain today, which is much better than the heat. My companion is going home this next week which is great because I need to forget about home and just learn Portuguese and work. This transfer has been the hardest of my mission, thus far. I love my companion, but we could have and should work more.

Things that I’ve learned from my companion:

1 You have to love everybody

2 Don't get distracted while you work

3 Love as much as you can about the country (even though it’s a 3rd world country...and doesn't have dryers or carpet)

4 Go to bed on time and get up on time

5 Study everyday

6 Work with no regrets

7 Don't be rebellious about the little rules, just do them.

You must consecrate your life to be a successful missionary. To be honest I’ve been upset with myself and the progress in the area and have been blaming it on the members, my companion, the people, the climate etc. But I have no excuse for my laziness here. I’m not saying that I’ve been at home doing nothing for the past few weeks, but my heart and desire have not been in it. I have some repenting to do. If I love the Lord, you better be showing it, John 14:15, ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments.’ I must try to be perfect just as Christ asks.

Eu sei que A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias é única igreja da face da terra que é verdadeira. Jesus Cristo vive e O Pai dele me ama e te e todo mundo. Se a gente quiser voltar e viver com Ele de novo,  Nós precisamos fazer nossa parte e viver como Cristo, sendo perfeito. Eu amo vocês, guardam os mandamentos.

{I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church on earth that is true. Jesus Christ lives, and his Father loves me and you and everyone. If we want to go back and live with him again, we need to do our part and live as Christ, being perfect. I love you, keep the commandments.}

Élder Willard

A little Basketball

The work here is kind of slowing down, which is frustrating; it will be almost 6 months that I have worked in this one area and almost 8 months on the mission on the 29th of this month. To find people right now is based only on references and inspiration. No one is progressing and our numbers of lessons are really low. But everything is great, trying to work hard everyday; you only need to be responsible to yourself and to Heavenly Father. You know if you are doing your best so keep doing it. You have a whole lifetime to look back on your mission, and I don’t want to feel like I wasted my time.

Personal struggle: getting up on time...yeah. Something to improve on this week.

Today for the first time ever, part of our district is going to play basketball which is a huge deal. It took me like 4 months to find a court and people that are willing to play and to find a ball which was super difficult in a country where everyone plays soccer and volleyball. So I guess we will see how that turns out.

I would like to get some covers for my scriptures, but everything I’m finding is kind of expensive. There is a member that makes leather cases and burns famous church art into them. But they are 50 reals per cover. I’d like to get some cool covers from the mission in Brazil, but what do you think I should do, Mom?

I’m a little scatter-brained right now and I don’t have much to write. But I love you guys.

Elder Willard

Conference Weekend

Well they changed the age of eligibility to serve a mission for men from 19 to 18 and women from 21 to 19. So Frazier, go as fast as you can. Get a call to Brazil and not England (that's where all the pansies go;-)

Unfortunately, I didn't understand too much of conference (in Portuguese) which was frustrating, but I got some golden nuggets for me personally, plus I was drinking Chimarrão during the Sunday afternoon session. Just a little Rio Grande Do Sul culture.

We have a little girl on the way to baptism, a girl to less active members who really wants to be baptized. It’s just difficult to bring them to church because they live kinda far away in the most dangerous part of our area.

My companion is killing me. I love him, don’t get me wrong, but he is going home on the 30 of October and he is super excited, so he talks about home a lot, which makes me realize how much longer I have left and it’s a little overwhelming. What I need to do is think about the work and nothing else.

It isn’t as hard as people think, but I get distracted by my companion who will sometimes make a list of things that he will do when he gets home or the food he misses or his family or friends.

But I know that I can do it, its just hard right now.

Mom, could you have Frazier email me again, or could I get his email? Zach, what are you and your wife doing? David, can I get some photos of you and your wife via email? Elder Huff, what is the field like?

The field is white already to harvest.

Elder Willard

Welcome to October

It makes 7 months that I have been on the mission. Many days it feels like the mission is impossible, but I do know that it’s more important than my selfish needs or desires. I need to do this service for my Heavenly Father.

We had a confirmation of one of our investigators, which was terrific; a member did it and not us. I want all members to be involved in all aspects of the work, even when we are ‘treated like dogs’ (words of my trainer). A member threatened to strike me in the head with a stick because we missed an appointment because I was at home with a fever. But the members’ testimonies are great at lessons.

The bishop asked me to pray in sacrament meeting, but not directly. He had a clipboard and a piece of paper with my name next to the words ‘primeiro orador’. The word oração is prayer, so I thought I would give the first prayer, but little did I know that orador really means ‘speaker’ like the English word orator. So I was called to speak with nothing prepared and no time to prepare...in another language!! But truly the Lord will put into your mouth the things you must say, in the exact moment.

The biggest lie about religion is that everyone needs to find their own way to worship/believe/practice their religions. “All roads lead back to God.” Wrong. “All you have to do is believe.” Wrong. “God will accept whatever form of worship you do, just do what YOU think is right.” Wrong. Heavenly Father gives us all the rules and gives them all equally to all of his children. If it were not so, he would be unjust and a liar. God is merciful, but we must do exactly what he wants us to do if we want eternal life. If your religion is want you think it should be, you’re doing what you want to do, so in reality you are worshiping yourself. It’s only through Christ that we can gain Eternal life. So do exactly what he told us to do. BE PERFECT!

The church is true, we have a really prophet like Noah or Moses, so we must hearken unto their counsel just as if God himself was talking to us. Because literally, the words of the Prophet are the words of God.

Elder Willard