Oi, tudo bem! Well, I'm here in GA, and I have about 2 1/2 hours to email today, since it's me first day in country to email. President said it was cool. So, here I am. GA is awesome! I'm in the ATL north mission, which isnt in ATL at all though. My mission boundaries are about 5 minutes outside of ATL. Get this - I didnt have any clue who was going to pick me up. I didnt have a name, I didnt even have a phone number, just travel plans to go to GA at a certain time. But! I was not afraid, even after not having any money! 1 Nefi 3:7 became very real to me at that moment. I knew, with all of my heart, that everything would be ok, and that the Lord would provide. I know my Father is watching over me, as it says in D&C 84:80. I'm out here doing God's work, and my Father wouldnt suffer me to flounder about when this is His work. It will go forth, and no unhallowed hand will stop it from doing so. So, when I landed in GA, I got my luggage and stood outside. All of my cold weather gear was packed in the bottom of my kit, so it was a no-go in getting it out at that time. I waited, waited some more, and continued to wait. I figured I'd have to talk to somebody about the church before before my ride showed up. Eventually this little man came out side and sat next to me. He started reading a book. I turned to him and said "If you like to read I've got a book that will change your life". He started to laugh and we got into a conversation about how he was in the AirForce and all that jazz. During the conversation, he said "you know that Christ founded this country?" And I was like "Yeah! I do actually, in this book that I want to give you, it even talks about it! And how America is the promised land!" I showed him 2 Nefi 10 and continued to explain how this country got started. I felt like I was soooo close to giving him a Book of Mormon! But, he declined, I was devastated. Why wouldnt he have wanted to know how this country got started? And how this is the promised land? I figured that would have been a shoe-in. We continued to talk, and his ride showed up. No sooner than he left than did the assistants to the president show up and pick me up. I guess I called it right. Apparentely they had been waiting inside for about an hour for me, and I was waiting outside for an hour for them. We were seperated by 2 feet of wall. Go figure.
So, we get in the car and they take me to the apartment. I meet my new companion/s (there's four of us in the Apt) and we immediately go to a lesson. This was soooo awesome. And it's sooo much better than the MTC! Teaching real people, instead of other missionaries or members that volunteer to be taught. I shared my favorite scripture with her, which was really applicable at the moment for her - Isaiah 55:8-9. After we got done with lesson we went to go pick up a couple of Sister missionaries who were Brazilian. They were in a lesson and we waited quite awhile for them. Eventualmente they came out and we took them home. Small world in the church - One of them - Sister Santana, was in the same ward that my MTC teacher - Irma Tymoschenko was in in Sau Paulo, Brasil. It's so crazy. Well, we finally got home and I got to unpack a little - mostly my sleeping bag and a few other little things and we went straight to bed.
(sorry this is so long, alot happened)
The next day we went out tracting to an APT complex. We had the sisters with us (who are awesome BTW) We went to go check on an investigator but they werent home. So, we started knocking other doors. The first door me and my comp knocked the lady let us right in and we started teaching her. Turns out that she has a book of mormon already and has read about half of it and knows it's true! How awesome is this! Now, I know this dosent happen all the time, but the Lord has people prepared to hear the Gospel, and is just waiting for missionaries to go to work. So, we committed her to read 3 nefi 11, which is where the Savior visits the people in America after He is ressurrected. We are going back this sexta-feira (friday) to teach her some more. We left her house and started knocking doors again. We talked to everybody. There wasnt anybody that we didnt talk to. We had a dinner apointment, so we had to leave after a while. Dinner was at a members house, and she could cook - one, because she was from the south, two (and mostly) she had went to culinary school when she was younger. We had Spaghetti, which tasted just like Mom's. It was sooooo awesome, especially after eating the MTC food forever....
Saturday rolled around and we were supposed to go to a baptism. Me and Elder Rasmuson (my comp) and the Sisters were supposed to bear our tesimonies at the baptism. It was a portuguese family, and almost everybody there spoke portuguese. Well, since my portugeuse is still aweful, I had to fill in some of my testimony with english. Mas, tudo bem. After that baptism we had Brazilian food for refreshments and I about died. I was heaven. Nao posso esperar a ir a Brasil porque da comida la. I took some pictures of the food, but I have no way of uploading them right now (I forgot the cord, sorry....)
Finalmente - Domingo (sunday)
We go to church, and this ward is awesome, it reminds me alot of my homeward of Tomball. Everybody was so nice and willing to help with anything. We have a place to eat every night this semana. We had three dinner apointments after church, and we were about to die after the second one. I didnt know I could eat that much. After the members we went to a portuguese lesson with the Sisters. Now, I dont understand portuguese yet, and everybody talks soooo fast. The feeling I had is equal to watching a talk show on mute. You can kinda get the idea of what's going on, but you have no clue as to the specifics. Well, it came to my turn to say something, and I was supposed to speak about why I'm a member. You know it's your turn when the room goes silent and everybody looks at you. I stumbled through my shpeel and bore my testimony. Apparentely whatever I said was not too far off. He committed to go to church next sunday and to read the BOM.
And, today is monday, which is P-day. We are going bowling here in a few minutes, so I've gotta go. Just wanted to update everyone on what's going on with me. I know the true gospel of Jesus Cristo is restored on the earth again, and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for once more extending His arm to His children so we can follow the correct steps and return to live with Him again. I am so grateful to be in Georgia, and I hope I'm here for at least a couple of weeks. I already love the people and I've only been here 4 days. Eu sou grato por este oportunidade a servir aqui.
Ate Logo,
Elder Standard
PS - If anyone has Presidente Bertasso's email and could remember to send it to me would be the coolest person on earth. Besides me...
PPS - Irmao Sanders, if you can get me Irma Tymoschenko's email tambem que estaria otimo tambem.
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