April 8, 2013

Well this week didn't have the exact same amazing results as last week but people sure kept talking about it haha. All the missionaires in the zone make jokes about it and the members dont stop talking about it. It's kinda cool to hear and we're doing our best not to be prideful about it because without any doubt whatsoever it was all from the Lord´s help that these miracles happened. And this past week we also had our Zone Leaders Council and at that meeting the other missionaries already knew about it as well before we even got there. But the day has come and gone and now we need to work at having another day with even more baptisms at the same time. Leave an even bigger legend.

However, this week was a little difficult because of so many things that we had and we ended up with only 3 full days to be able to work. This time for general conference I wasn't able to watch it in our own chapel but we had to travel to go to another chapel a little far away. So we ended up spending saturday and sunday watching conference in another area. Only coming home at night to try and do something extremely quickly. Cnference was amazing and I received many answers to questions that I've had, and I hope that it was able to do the same for everyone else as well. I have no doubt whatsoever that we have a living Prophet and 12 Apostles that have been called of God to lead us in these last days. Listening to their inspiring messages was another confirmation about that truth. I truly love listening to conference. It's weird to think that the next one I'll be at home to watch and who knows maybe even in the Conference Center. It's weird to start having the "lasts" of things on the mission.

This is the last week of this transfer already and I'm not positive about what will happen but we´ll see next week. Its crazy to think that I've already been here in Jaraguá for almost 4 months now. Time is flying by. But my legs definately let me know that I've been here for so long with the hills that I've been climbing this whole time haha.

Eu Te Amo

Elder Gleason

P.S. Eth 8:26; 11:8; 12:4, 6, 27, 32-33, 41 and Ezk 18:20-21, 26-28; 20:20

Pictures From the Last Month!

Mike's baptism on March 2 

Some graffiti J.R. found with Moses parting the Red Sea 

J.R.'s zone last transfer

Popcorn night from a few weeks ago

Elder Souza and J.R., his "new companion"

The 8 Baptisms on March 30, 2013!!

With Cicero and Regiane

With the 3 YM they baptized. Right to left: J.R., Yann, Renan, Ruan, and Elder Souza

J.R., Yngrid, Kethylen, Vitor, and Elder Souza.

They are Stefanny's siblings (she was baptized last month)

After the baptism!



April 1, 2013

Probably the best day of my mission until now was this past Saturday. We had 8 baptisms!!! It was amazing! We only had 7 marked last week but then last Monday night we went by a ym´s house to talk to his parents who has been going to church for awhile now and she authorized his baptism as well, which made number 8! So the week was pretty hectic with baptism interviews and making sure that everything went right with the people until Saturday. And in the end it all went perfectly and we had 13 people in all white. And I had the first baptism of a married couple on my mission.

So our 8 baptisms were Cicero and Regiane, the couple, Yngrid, Kethylen and Vitor, who are siblings of Stefanny who was baptized last month, and Renan, Ruan and Yann, 3 young men. They're all amazing people. The youth here in Jaraguá are really strong and are bringing more and more people. All 4 of these ym that we baptized are already talking about when they serve missions in the future. They're still pretty young but they already have that desire to serve. And the couple we baptized are family of another member and are already talking about their temple marriage.

So it was a great ending to the week and I was extremely excited and happy. As far as I know it is also one of the biggest groups of people to be baptized in one area on the same day in the mission.

I can't believe April is already starting and March is gone. Today's April Fools day but all this wonderful news definately wasn't a joke and there are pictures to prove it haha.

Eu Te Amo

Elder Gleason

P.S. Eth 4:7-8, 11-12, 17-19 and Jer 51:15; Lam 3:25-26

March 25, 2013

I don't know when I'm going to be able to send pictures home because the area that we're in has very few lan houses that are close to where we live and the one we go to looks like they're gonna have a problem with their system for quite a while. Which is really annoying but what can ya do.
This week ended up being a lot better, we didn't have any baptisms like we were hoping for but now we have 7 strong dates for this week. So this Saturday we should have at least 7 baptisms!! It's going to be awesome having so many people all in white. The most I've ever baptized on the same day was 2 and Elder Souza was 4. We're really excited for this Saturday. And the ward is too.
Also this week we did a division with the Assistants to the President and I was with my good old companion from the MTC, Elder Vincent. So we spent the day working as companions again. A lot of things have changed since we were in the MTC, we talked a lot about how we taught our very first practice lesson with our fake investigator, good memories. We also found a few really good families that we started teaching now. One that has 6 kids! And 5 of them with the age of baptism! We're really excited for this family because they're excited as well to learn more about the gospel. The oldest daughter, who is 15, read the chapter we left 2 times and understood it perfectly and explained each detail to us.
One thing that I also have learned a lot here with Elder Souza, that we are using a lot more in our teaching, is how little people know about the Plan of Salvation. Where did we come from? Why are we here? and Where do we go after this life? Very few people have the smallest idea about the answers to these questions. But the true gospel of Christ has all the answers. I love the gospel so much!

Eu Te Amo
Elder Gleason

P.S. Eth 3:4-5, 14, 16, 19 and Jer 18:6; 23:23-24; 29:12-13; 32:27

March 18, 2013

Yet another week that the Lan House isn't working with sending pictures home. They're taking forever to get this thing fixed, hopefully they will get it all set as quickly as possible. So this week we got new news about our emailing from the First Presidency, now we can email family and friends! So if anyone wants to send an email you can hit me up at james.gleason@myldsmail.net!!! I cant promise that I'll respond but I can print it out and write back letters a lot quicker than waiting for letters to get here and then responding to them. So if anyone wants to they can feel free to email me now!
This week was a decent one, but definately not the best week I've had here in Jaraguá. It had its extreme ups and downs as well. This week we were able to mark 2 baptismal dates with a couple that is really awesome!! They're family of a member and have been going to church for awhile now and have finally decided to be baptized! So we're really looking forward to that and along with that a few other people as well.
Also this week we had a zone conference and me and Elder Souza gave the training on how to invite people to baptism. We studied and practiced a ton and we had the success that we wanted in the end. It ended up being a really good training and the other missionaries liked it as well. It's pretty fun to be able to give trainings to so many missionaries at one time, it's definately a priviledge.
Yesterday at church we had 170 people there!!! My first weeks here it was around 120-130. When Elder Ahmed left it was at about 140-145 and this week out of nowhere we had 170. And we were missing quite a lot of people that we were waiting for. And just to clear that up it wasnt 170 investigators but just 170 people, members and non members. The ward is really getting excited.

Eu Te Amo
Elder Gleason

P.S. Mormon 9:14, 21, 23, 27 and Jer 7:23, 25; 9:23-24; 17:5, 7

March 11, 2013

First off unfortunately yet again this week the lan house isn't working with the computer to send pictures home so it'll have to wait till next week. Hopefully it'll start working by then.

Also I now have a new companion with me here in Jaraguá. Elder Ahmed was transferred to Alphaville on Wednesday and Elder Souza is now here with me. Elder Souza is from Recife, my 3rd companion from there, I feel like its the Utah of Brasil haha. Elder Souza was in Guapira before here and he stayed there for 6 months just like I did. He went to Guapira 6 weeks after I left and did the same process I did, junior, senior, trainer, and district leader, all in Guapira. Its been nice because I can ask about the members and the area and all the stuff that I miss from there.

As for the week it was a decent one, a little bit crazy with the transfer and having to re-adapt with a new companion but it's all part of the mission life. I also found out that my accent has gotten really bad after being with an American for 3 months. We didn't even speak a lot of English but my accent went into the dumps. Elder Souza watched a video that I had down in Itu with Elder Messias and he said I was speaking a lot better when I was there. But with time I'll start talking better again... I hope. But at least everybody still understands me and my grammar is still good.

This Saturday we also had a ward activity and it went really well. We did a popcorn night and set up a little movie theater and we made the popcorn. It was crazy and running all over the place to make the popcorn and hand it out but everybody loved it and there was quite a lot of people there as well. I'd say it was a success. It was the first activity that the ward here has done in quite awhile. And many more are to come.

We have quite a few people that we're working with right now and could have baptisms whenever, nothing is marked but there are a good amount of people that want to be baptized. We're praying and working to have at least a couple baptisms this Saturday, hopefully everything will go right.

Eu Te Amo

Elder Gleason

P.S. Mormon 8:14-15, 17, 22, 26, 32-33 and Isa 53:4-7; 55:8-9; 59:1-2; 64:8

March 4, 2013

I feel like this week was a complete repeat of last week. It was tough but then in the end the Lord blessed us yet again. This week however we also had a conference with Elder Jairo Mazzagardi and it was really great. I was able to learn a lot from the things that were said in the conference. He talked a lot about the covenants that we have made with the Lord and how we must honor those covenants. Also how we need to help many many other people make these same covenants. It gave me again even more desire to baptize as many people as I can before the end of the mission. I just want to help a ton of people before my time runs out. Today is the last Pday of this transfer and tonight we find out about transfers. It's amazing how fast the time has passed during these 2 transfers with Elder Ahmed. They have been awesome. I now have only 4 more transfers before I come home. It's crazy how the time is going by.
This week we had the baptism of a young man named Mike. Unfortunately the computer isn't working to download and send pictures so I won't be able to send the picture of the baptism. I baptized and confirmed him. It was really great and he's super happy with the decision that he made to follow Christ. It has been awesome to see how much he has changed during this time that we have been teaching him.
Also Elder Ahmed and I have had the amazing oppurtunity to see many of our recent converts change in front of our eyes and see their testimonies grow. This week we continue to hear the stories from them, along with some less actives that we helped return to church. It has been a fantastic few months here in Jaraguá with him and we´ve seen many miracles.

Eu Te Amo
Elder Gleason

P.S. Mormon 5:21-23; 7:5-9 and Isa 43:10-12, 25; 45:22; 49:14-16