So this week has been super spiritual and hectic at the same time.  Elder Lima and I decided to make it a big deal to make as many contacts as we could.  That means that at any moment, one of us would stop, shake someone's hand and start talking and the other one would have to stop too. Well, one day, I was having the worst time with allergies.  I don't know if there is some fancy kind of pollen they have here in Brasil or what, but I could not stop sneezing.  We were walking to lunch and I was just recovering from a sneeze attack, when Elder Lima stopped and started to make a contact with this really attractive Brasillian girl.  Well, normally both missionaries shake the person's hand, but my hand was occupied by something else (I was sneezing ok? and I was about to wash them)  The girl turned to me and stuck out her hand, and I wasnt about to wipe my hand on my pants....I tried my best to explain that my hands were dirty, but she started to get offended.  So yup, you bet ya, I shook that hand.  I hope she thought it was just sweat haha. She asked for it right? :P

Yesterday, we were walking the street looking for novos because our appointment fell through.  We knocked one door and a man answered and let us in.  We taught him about Heavenly Father and His love.  He seemed a bit different, but we were excited to teach him nonetheless.  Just before the closing prayer a woman came out of the house and sat next to him (his wife) and started explaining that he had an accident a number of years back and now he has the memory and the capacity of a four year old.  She started crying as she explained how hard it was for her beause she has noone to help her with her husband.  We felt impressed to offer a blessing of comfort.  She accepted and asked me to do it.  I don't have much experience in this department, and in Portuguese, you can imagine how nervous I was....But I wasn't.  In the words of Joseph Smith, "I was calm as the summer's day"  The language wasn't a barrier and the spirit was definitely present and the words were said.  The weird thing is, I don't remember any part of what was said.  All I know is Im grateful for the experience.

Also, the day before we headed over to one of our golden pesquisadores that is moving along slowly but surely. We didn't intend to pass by because he normally isn't home, but Elder Lima had the feeling we needed to stop by.  We got there and  he let us in and we started talking.  It was about five minutes in and we noticed what he was wearing...a garment top with the sleeves torn off!  We cautiously asked him where he got it.  He sayed it was given to him by someone who had received it from someone else.  We explained to him in the words that we could that it wasn't just a shirt to sleep in and he gave us the garment without any questions asked.  I know it wasn't without reason that the stray garment top ended up in his hands, that Elder Lima felt we needed to visit this pesquisador, and that he just happened to be wearing it at this time.  Our Heavenly Father has his hand in everything. 

Well, I am all out of time for this week.  But Thanks for the emails, the support, and the love.  I love you all.  The church is true, and I know this for myself.

Abraço forte,

Elder Stinnett

So this week has been interesting... and a bit frustrating with Carnaval happening and all.  Nobody seems to want to talk about Christ when there are parties on every corner with men running around dressed in womens clothing haha.  Also, there are people with giant puffy, colorful suits on that run around smacking people with these balloon things made of plastic. (you will have to search for pictures to get the jist.  I think it is called bate ball.)  My companion disse que ele pode sentir a cheira da apostasia na ar. hahaha He is a pretty funny guy, but most of the time it is unintentional because of some of the insane things he does.  He was trying to open a can earlier this week after we were supposed to be in bed, and all of a sudden the light flicks on in the room and he is shaking me to wake me up. *Elder!  Do you have a bandaid for me??*  His finger was sliced open and dripping blood, but I was so out of it that I got the bandaid for him and fell back asleep...until I heard screaming.  I guess he tried to use cologne to sterilize his cut.  Wasnt his best idea hahaha.  

So esta Terça fomos pra casa das Sisteres para ajudar elas com a transferencia.  To get there on time, we had to wake up at 430.  For the first time in the mission I felt super sick, but hey, they cant carry their bags for themselves, so vamos la!  The van drivers here are crazy because they cant get pulled over, so by the time we got to the area of the Sisters, I was super shaken up.  We walked abit, and when we got outside their gate, I totally threw up in the grass hahaha.  After that, I was fine we helped them get their bags to the bus and returned to our house.   Im just grateful for how you are blessed as a missionary to be able to heal that fast and get back to work. 

Aside from the normal snakes, I had an experience that made me gross out a bit.  We were walking from a members house to Campo Grande for a District Meeting.  Elder Lima and I were walking and talking and we passed this woman who was strangely tall and had a strangely manly face.  As we passed, a deep voice said *oh, um brancinho, que delicia!*  When all the information got processed in my mind that a tranny was hitting on me, I almost barfed.  You bet your buns we got out of dodge super quick.  My companion still hasnt let me live that one down.

Anyways, with all of these stories there has got to be atleast one spiritual one right?  So yesterday we were knocking doors and noone was answering or wanting to hear anything about the gospel.  Não sei se é por causa de Carnaval ou que, mais foi muito frustrante.  After a couple of hours, we finally had a group of four accept.  We entered their house, started talking, and eventually the discussion made its way to the Restoration.  When we finished, I felt that we should sing a hymn.  We pulled out our mini hymnbooks and started to sing Mais Perto Quero Estar (Nearer my God to Thee)  As we sang, my voice was so beautiful that one of the teenaged guys (Vinicio) in there started to cry.  When the hymn ended, we asked hymn what he felt.  He told us that that was the same hymn that his dad sang to him when he was a child before he died.  From that, we were able to bear testimony of Gods plan for us.  The Spirit was really strong in those moments.  I dont know if he will accept the gospel and be baptized or if he will even read the Book of Mormon, but I know that in that day, a good seed was planted in his heart and that, if given the chance, it will grow into something great and wonderful.

Well this has been my life for the past week. Love you all, fique firmes porque este realmente é a igreja de Cristo.  Eu sei isso.  Até proxima,

Abraço forte,

Elder Stinnett

PS  I know it was the spirit that made Vinicio cry, but I cant help but think that my beautiful voice had something to do with it :P

This week was incredibly spiritual.  It made me remember just how powerful the influence of the Holy Ghost can be if you let it into your life.  We had talked to a pesquisador in the street that refuses to read O Livro de Mormon because it doesnt have logic.  I gave him a bit of logic about the Book of Mormon and then explained that knowing things about the Book of Mormon wont convert anyone to the gospel.  To use our limited minds to try to make sense of the things of God is impossible.  The only way we can know things is to leave behind our doubts, listen to the promptings of the Spirit, and trust God.  Out of my mouth came the exact words that I, personally, needed to here.  

Sometimes it is easy to push off a prompting of the Spirit because it doesnt make sense.  For intance, this Sunday we were knocking on the doors of our pesquisadores to walk with them for church.  We were about to go the last house, when I got the feeling that we should pass by the house of Furtunato.  His house is out of the way and he told us he didnt want more of the church, but we went anyways.  We knocked and knocked and noone answered.  I started to doubt it was a prompting of the Spirit. Then a family walked up to us and the husband told me-Hey I really like your religion. I want to mark a date for you to come by a teach me.-  It was a simple as that.  I knew in that moment that it was for that reason we were prompted to go to the house of Furtunato.  

In another instance this week, we were prompted to walk an abandoned road on the outskirts of our area.  I made a contact with an elderly lady and her son (about 75 and 45 yrs old)  They let us in and the Lady went to go get water for us.  While she was gone, the son was going berserk.  He was holding his head and  saying he is seeing fire and two saints in front of him (pointing towards us).  Then he told us that he is Christ and wishes to bless us and then started screaming.  When the Lady returned we asked her if he is always like this and she said yes and she didnt know what to do.  We sang the hymn Mais Perto Quero Estar and were able to give him a blessing of comfort.  After the blessing, he sat in the chair completely still.  After a minute he said in a voice completely different -Caraca!  Eu fui abençoado!-  He was completely different.  We left and we havent had the chance to return yet, but I know by what power this happened.  

Ok, heres a funny story.  We were walking home one day and we found our ward mission leader talking with one of the young men in the street.  We stopped for a few minutes to say hi.  I saw a group of 8-10 Brasillian girls about our age approaching.  We didnt want to see what would happen, so we said our goodbyes and started walking home.  What we didnt notice at first was that the group of girls increased their pace.  We increased ours too.  With the grace of my long legs, we were making space between us.  The girls kept calling out--Vem ca!  Pare!  Eu gosto de pastors!  Especialmente quando eles são Americano!  (Come here! Stop!  I love pastors, especially when they are American!)  It was really funny and creepy at the same time.  Elder Lima told me I have to watch out because they have really bad intentions....

Well, this has been part of my week.  Hope  yall are well, Eu amo voces.  E a igreja é verdadeira.

Abraço,

Elder Stinnett       

So this week we had a number of weird/ cool experiences.  Some spiritual and some just odd.  We were walking in the street and this lady pulls us to the side and tells us that her house is posessed.  Yup.  She was saying that it just feels odd, and that her baby cries whenever she enters the house with him.  She wanted us to pray over the house and cast the demons out of it.  We reluctantly stepped in (the baby started to cry) and this tense feeling came over us.  I don't know how to describe it, but I didn't like it.  We said a simple prayer asking for protection, for a feeling of comfort, and that we can have the spirit with us.  By the end of the prayer, the baby was silent.  We shared a scripture, sang a hymn, and when we stood up to leave, I glanced over and the baby was fast asleep.  The power of prayer in faith is definitely real.  

We have a lady in the ward Irma Angela.  She has a really cool family and they have been the 'missionary house' for the past few years.  She has litterally become my mom here in Brasil.  This week, we had received a lot of dinero em vez de comida pra Almoço which means we eat in the street and kindof go the day with a knawing hunger because of the lack of rice and beans.  We went over to her house on Friday to see how they were, and Elder Lima let it slip to the daughter that we hadn't had a real lunch in three days. (it was like 6 oclock)  The daughter gasped, ran to Irma Angela, whispered something in her ear, and then "WHAAAT!!! NO RICE AND BEANS FOR THREEE DAYS?!?!!"  "Filhos, por que voces não me deixaram saber?"  She got up right then and in less than ten minutes we had rice, beans, steak, pasta, and suco.  Yah, she's pretty great haha.  Her family was sick yesterday, so we had the opportunity to go give the sacrament to her.  Saying the prayer in Portuguese was way cool.  

We had splits with the zone leaders this week, so I spent the night over in a different area "Jardim Maravilha"  It was really cool to see how other missionaries work so that I can better myself.  While I was there, we were walking and saw some people struggling to hoiste a giant concrete pole and plant it in the ground.  We stopped for a second and helped them out.  Afterwards I read the sign on the front of the building, and wouldn't you know, a couple of mormon missionaries (us)helped build a Baptist church haha.  Not sure what type of blessings I should expect from that, but I thought it was funny.  

As for the picture, I saw this while walking and had to grab a photo with it.  Batman lives throughout the world!!!!

Until next week, the church is true.

Elder Stinnett 

So this week has been pretty good.  It's hard to believe that I've alread been out almost three months!  I think.  Keeping track of time is really hard.  

Last PDay, we went up into the mountains to pick mangoes, bananas, and jaca (the foot fruit).  Man it was crazy.  I saw a lizard the length of my leg, their were wild cows that tried to attack us to steal our jaca, and to top it all off, my comp forgot his water bottle so we only had mine.  Guess what that mean....coconut milk!!!  It's actually really stinking good, but you only drink from the green ones.  So, we were picking coconuts and all of a sudden we heard shots.  Then they stopped and then there was one that was much louder.  You bet your buns we ran down that mountain.  By that time it was pouring rain and there was a flood at the bottom of the mountain.  There was a car that was stuck in the dirt at the bottom that wasn't there before.  As we arrived, five men came out and asked us to help them.  So we tried but it was stuck really deep.  But the whole situation was really shifty.  Two of the men took out pistols and threw them in the car so they wouldn't get wet.  Elder Lima disse "A gente vai em la entao." (Pretty much, we need to go.)  He told me that they are milicianos..corrupt police.  We made it home safe and we decided not to go in the mountains anymore...The good news is, I've got some sweet pictures!!!!

Anyways, we got our hair cut this week.  I thought I was pretty well off.  I'm pretty comfortable with being able to say what I need to, but my barber had a lisp.  It didn't turn out how I expected haha. He ended up removing my natural hairline to make it straight in the front, more open on the sides, and it looks like I have a giant forhead.  So yah.  :D  Good news is it will grow. Ohh, and so my companion had an ingrown toenail.  Aparently it's been there for the past six months.  He was messing with it one morning during personal study and all of a sudden I smelt something putrid.  He popped it and there was nasty stuff everywhere!  He was kindof looking at it confused.  "Por que meu dedo cheira assim?"  (Why does my toe smell like this).  I told him that bacteria was eating his toe and that soon it would need to be amputated.  I guess sarcasm doesn't really work in Portuguese because he started freaking out and would calm down until we called the mission nurse and had and appointment set with a pediatrist to get it taken care of...my bad hahaha

Teaching is going really great.  I'm finally to the point where I can express myself pretty well and understand for the most part what everyone is saying.  I had a contact ask me yesterday how long I've been here in Brasil.  I told him almost 3 months and he called me a liar.  The gift of tongues is real.  E as vezes, é mais facil falar em Portugues.  :P Eu sou grato cada dia por o oportunidade eu tenho para compartilhar um mensagem que vai abençoar a vida de quem que vai aceitar.  Eu sei que estou sendo protegido por O Senhor aqui.  Este é a igreja de Cristo.  Realmente foi restaraudo por Joseph Smith.  Eu ja vi milagres acontecem em minha vida e em a vidas das pessoas que nós temos a chance ensinar.  Voce pode ficar tranquilo.  Eu estou seguro e aproveitando minha missão.  É  dificil, sim.  Mais, ela tem um valor mais grande que as desafios estou vencendo.  Amo voces.  Tenham um semana otima pra mim e mandem pra mim um hamburgur americano.  Sinto falto disso.  

A igreja é verdadeiro,

Abraço,

Translation: "And sometimes, it's easier to talk in Portuguese. : P I'm thankful every day for the opportunity I have to share a message that will bless the lives of those who will accept. I know I'm being protected by the Lord here. This is the church of Christ. It really was restaraudo by Joseph Smith. I've seen miracles happen in my life and in the lives of people that we have the chance to teach. You can rest assured. I am safe and enjoying my mission. It's hard, yes. Plus, it has a value greater than the challenges I'm winning. I love you guys. Otima have one week for me and send me one hamburgur American. I miss that.

The church is true,

hug"

Elder Stinnett

I don't have any pictures of the floods unfortunately. I didn't want to get my camera soaked in the rain.  But I do have pictures of the aftermath a little bit.  Sorry, I don't have time to send any photos this week.  I'm really pressed for time.  But next week will be great!

So, Fortunato was confirmed this week.  It was really neat to be a part of the circle.  The spirit is always so strong in blessings.  He was really worried that he wouldn't feel anything different, so we fasted and prayed for him.  When we went over to his house to talk to him after church, he said that he felt something out of the ordinary.  He also has a really neat experience of how he knew that we were messengers of God.  Apparently the night we first met him, we told him to pray about us.  If we were really giving him the gospel or something fake.  That night he heard his name being called in the street multiple times, but he couldn't find out where.  His  namorada who lives on the same street heard it too.  He says that that was how he knew.  

I also witnessed a miracle of a different sort walking to a member's house for Almoço.  There's a main street divided with a median in the middle where they are making two lanes to be used only by busses.  In the middle was lying a dog...it looked dead like it got hit by a car.  A guy saw it before us and went up and nudged it with his foot.  The dog's legs started spazzing out like it was trying to get up but couldn't.  I thought it was done for.  The man grabbed the front paw of the dog, dragged it to the other side of the road, and threw it in the air.  IT LANDED ON ALL FOURS!! like nothing even happened.  it walked away.  My companion and I couldn't believe it.  I've seen that same dog wandering the streets since.  I call him Lazerus.  

We have another pesqu. that we invited to be baptized.  She accepted and went to church.  She is very interested and talks for hours about her life and how Christ has helped her.  I can totally see her as Relief Society Pres.  I asked her about the confirmation of Fortunato and asked if that is something she would like.  She thought for a second and said that ever since we met her, she's had a desire deep in her heart to be baptized.   Hopefully all goes well and this Domingo, she will be!  

No for a funny story... So we were teaching a preacher.  It's not nearly as fun as it sounds.  Combined with the fact that they know how to manipulate scriptures and the "I know it all" feeling they have makes for a frustrating lesson.  It's difficult to try to teach when he is trying to convert you.  So, muitas vezes in the middle of my sentences he would cut me off and start talking about something different.  After about 7 times of this, we were a bit frustrated.  What was funny is when he thought he made a point, he would give this laugh ahh haha HA!!!   Yup, it was great.  So, in the middle of my sentence he cut me off again.  I kind of snapped.  I started going off in English, something like "you know what, I can talk over you and cut you off in english and you won't think it's very nice either buddy"  He stopped really fast and looked at me like "Huh, he can actually speak fluently in a different language.  Maybe he's not such a retard after all."  (Or that's how I imagined it :D)  Just that look of astonishment made my day.  Not the most Christlike of me, but hey I'm trying.  

Well, that's all I have time to write today.  I love you all.  Take care.  The church is true.

Abraços,

Elder Stinnett

AHHHH!!! That's so exciting for Chase!  Now we've got missionaries from the YSA ward to spread all over -USA, Brasil, Honduras, and now Uruguay!  My roommate up at the Y served in Uruguay.  He loved it!  I'm way psyched for him.  

Also, BATISMO!!!!  

We had our primero batismo 6 Jan 2013.  His name is Fortunato.  Nós encontramos ele enquanto fazendo contatos na rua.  We were returning to our house for the night and I saw him standing in the door of his house.  We had already walked by and I had the feeling to turn around, so I did and made the contact.  He had a lot of difficulties to overcome, but he accepted every compromiso que nós demos.  It was way cool.  His life changed completely and he finally smiled :D  I had the opportunity to baptise him.  I was  bit nervous saying the prayer in Portugues, mas quando eu estava falando, não foi eu.  My body only gave a certain amount of effort, but the words that came out of my mouth had much more power.  I cant remember ever feeling that sentimento tanto forte antes.  

I've a ton of stories that happened this week.  I'll try to pick the best ones :D

So, we had a huge rain and flood here in Rio.  It hit my area too.  Our rooms are upstairs, so that was fine, but the streets were litterally rivers.  I heard a lot of people passed away because of the flooding :(  That day we had zone meeting so we needed to pick up a van to Campo Grande.  The river in the road wasn't that deep so we made it fine.  We were left parkouring from high point to high point to avoid getting soaked, but alas we all failed.  The funny thing is, we have man holes in the middle of the sidewalk and to let water in, they open them up. But when they are completely full to the brim and located underneath giant stagnant puddles, they are impossible to see.  Don't worry only part of one leg fell in :D  On the way home, the water in the road was significantly deeper.  But the drivers here are either crazy or have nerves of steel because we were plowing straight through that water.  There was even one instance where we hit a section so deep all the wheels left the ground and we half floated/ started sinking while the momentum carried us to the other side.  FREAKED out of my mind.  Buuuuut, we got home safely and started proselyting in the flood.  Also, you know how movies have a lot of special effects?  You know the one where a bus drives by and hits a giant puddle and water sprays up and soaks the pedestrian.  Im proud to say that that isnot  a special effect.  It really works!!  Also, it gets your white shirt muddy :D

We had a really good New Years Eve.  We had a chorrasco (bbq) com membros and got out there and proselyted more!  We were heading back for the night and making contacts when we walked by a group having a bbq in the street.  A large man wearing nothing but whitey tighties that were about 7 sizes to small starts yelling at me in broken English "My name is Brazil"  "I'm from Roberto!"  Needless to say, we got some barbeque and soda, shared a bit of the gospel and left haha  I love it here :D

People seem to love the American's here.  They are always trying to use what English they know.  There was a girl that I guess was a dropped pesquisadore that started asking me about where I was from and stuff in English.  Then as she was leaving "You are a very beautiful man."   But anywhoot, we are trying to set up a class this Saturday (if not next) where I can teach people a bit of English for service.  I'm so stoked!!!  

Well, I'm out of time, but this has been some of the things that have happened this week :D

Thanks for the packages minha familia and Stringham family.  Also the card from Grandma.  (I went to the mission office to change my address)  They made my day and I'll treasure them always :)

Until next week, a igreja é verdadeira, Cristo é nosso salvador, somos filhos de Deus e Ele nos ama.  

Eu amo vocês!  

Elder Stinnett