Thanksgiving Substitute

Here we are in front of the Church

12/1/14

Remembering Thanksgiving in my planner.

It hit me this morning that it's December... wow... I know that eventually time passes and all, but December already?! Just a little bit more and I'll be coming down the mountain. (after one year you start to count time you have left) And whether I felt like it or not we've now passed Thanksgiving too, crazy. But as a Thanksgiving Substitute our ward had their monthly Noite Familiar (family home evening) activity which was fun. I have many many things to be grateful for here on the mission. I don't think I could express sufficiently the gratitude I feel for this opportunity and all of the blessings to be here in Brasil serving the Lord. And my thanks to all of you back home who I know send me so much love and prayers. 

The Feast

Anyway changing the subject, I have never been so nervous to go to church than I have been on the mission. Explanation: We as missionaries promise so much to our investigators that going to church will help them answer their questions and they will feel the special spirit there during the meetings and such. So we anxiously pray every week that all of the classes and speakers will be inspired and that our investigators can feel welcomed and have a good experience there and all. But when you're at church it's a whole other deal than because almost nothing depends on us. Example: when someone makes a negative comment, maybe about marriage "you're stuck with them forever!" (and your investigators need to get married). Or a comment that could be inadvertently judgmental and totally wrong like "if you're passing through financial difficulty you're not keeping the commandments" (when listening ears may be in humble situations). And for the love of Pete if you don't know how to play the piano don't volunteer to play for the primary program at the last minute!! (I cringed a bit (A LOT OF BIT) and felt very sad for the little children having to put up with that...) Anyway we just have to rely on the Lord and have the faith that he will do his part in the end :) (and do some damage control along the way, haha) 

So please everyone just be aware that if someone is coming to church for the first time, make them feel loved and at home, I'm just asking for you to have another friend. And don't do anything crazy!

Love y'all!

Elder Pierce                                       

                                                             Our walk home one night:

(just remember not to put your camera on old ladies' trash cans* to take pictures or they will want to call the police on you...)

*here in Brasil they have a metal cage thing on a stand on the sidewalk (in front of the house outside of the gate) that they put all of their trash bags in and this is what I refer to as a "trash can".

 The churrasco bem bagual (really good) we had for lunch on Sunday. yea meat on a sword!