May 27, 2013

And I have finally left Jaraguá! They were an amazing 5 months and like always there was that feeling at the end of not wanting to leave but at the same time wanting a new area. It was super hard to say bye to the people I baptized but it's already gone and in the past now. I got the phone call on Monday night from President and joked with me about all the time that I stayed as a zone leader, which were 9 months. And now I am in Itapevi which is a city close by Sao Paulo and I'm a District Leader again. It's weird not being a zone leader anymore I feel like I'm not doing what I should be to know about the whole zone but I don't need to anymore. Also my new companion is Elder Paixão, he's from Salvador Bahia. He's got about 9 months on the mission.

So my new area is fulll of huge hills and I can't lie my legs are killing me but I'm sure I'll get used to it and hopefully it'll help me get a little skinnier to come home. This is most likely my last area. Here in this area they haven't had Americans in a long time, the only other american was here before me and he only stayed for 3 months. Before him it's probably been about 2 years. And it's weird to have to tell people that this is my last area. But I just want to go out with a bang and be able to baptize a ton to finish off the mission. I want to be able to help this part of the Lords Kingdom grow as much as I can in this short time that I have left.

Hopefully in these next couple weeks I'll be sending home a lot of pictures of baptisms like I was able to in Jaraguá.

Eu Te Amo

Elder Gleason

P.S. Mni 10:3-5 (the most important scriptures to know how to gain a testimony of The Book of Mormon) and Mal 1:6; 3:8-10, 18; 4:5-6

 

 J.R.'s last picture as a Zone Leader

J.R. and Elder Paixao