Week 89

I was able to watch Conference but it was in Portuguese. I understand it, but I don't like how the translators don't really show emotion when they talk, so it was a bit boring and I didn't pay much attention to a lot of them. I'm downloading them today so I can listen to them at night in English if I have time during the week. I did really like Jefferey R. Holland's talk, it was way sweet and made me miss mom a lot.

We are also still looking for a house, the nicest one we have found is still under construction for like the next 2 weeks, so I don't know if we'll wait that long.

So tomorrow is my 3rd Misison Council, I'm pretty excited. And then next month we might have a Seventy there with us, Elder Dyches, so I'm even more excited.

Week 88

This past week was pretty dope, we had a special leadership training here in Assomada from President Mathews and the AP's for all the district leaders, zone leaders, and sister training leaders. It's always nice seeing Pres. Mathews, and I got a chance to do a division afterwards with Elder Romano (new AP). It was the first time we taught together since our second transfer back in Mindelo and it was crazy how much we both have changed since then.

We have also been looking for a new house all this past week. FINALLY!!! I'm getting out of a roach infested, moldy house, and Me and Sosa get to pick it so that's awesome. I found a house for the other doupla (companionship) living in the house (we'll be in different houses now) but still no luck in our area.

Week 87

My week was a bit sad because Ivanildo ended up getting sent to that rehabilitation center so he couldn't get baptized, but I was feeling good throughout the week. I've just been happier working even if our investigators have been struggling a lot lately. Nothing too special happened, just the normal work but with a happier Elder Zuniga.
Also, we got poured on again, here's me and a member soaking wet after sprinting through the rain for a while.

I don't know if I told you, but I gave up energy drinks forever, including Monsters. I promised God and everything. So what happens? The supermarket in Assomada has a HUGE sale on Monsters that very same week. Like 65 cents per can. It got me depressed. I should have started the promise a week later, lol. God has a sense of humor. 

Week 86

This week was good at first, but it went downhill fast. It started out with a division with Elder Burch, I went over to his area to work and we had a good talk about our plans after the mission. I've actualy been feeling for a while that I shouldn't be welding after the mission and that I need to go back to college. The entire time Burch was trying to convince me to go to Utah State (he's been trying to convince me for like a year now). I want to be an architect. I just want to do something hands-on that doesn't destroy my body, and so far what God has told me is that I need to study hard for the first time in my life and get a really good education.

Sadly, Ivanildo was not baptized. He was being sent to a rehabilitation center in another city nearby because of past problems with drugs and his parents really wanted him to go for like 3 months. He almost had them convinced that he doesn't have to go but it was already too late for his baptism. We will try to get him baptized this Saturday, though.

Sosa and I... we get along great and all, but not as well as I got along with Mortensen. I'm still getting used to the way he teaches. Oh and it rained on us again -.-'

Week 85

Hi! My birthday was pretty dope! It didn't rain during the day, only very early in the morning. It's been pretty sunny all week long, and super humid. So now, because of our house with leaks EVERYWHERE, all of my clothes are growing mold. It's super disgusting and it already ruined 3 ties, my backpack, and my suit. I called Sister Mathews (mission president's wife) and she told me to wipe everything down with vinegar... I just haven't done it yet because vinegar smells bad.

Elder Mortensen was still able to make me my cake, it got destroyed on one side but he did a good job, lol. I'm going to miss Morty, he was one of my favorite comps right after Burch and Welch. Elder Sosa and I get along pretty good, much better than at the MTC.  The first few days were a bit frustrating because I'm not used to his teaching style, but I'm getting him into shape haha. 

Morty and I said goodbye to a ton of people we met together and members that helped us out a lot this week, it was sad but at least I'm still here. 

This is Ivanildo. He is getting baptized this Saturday and he is one of my favorite people in the entire world. Morty and I were having a tough day, we had been walking for a long time and all the people we talked to on the street were blowing us off and stuff. I was frustrated, so as we came around a corner I told Morty "Alright, I'm going to contact the very next person I see and he is going to get baptized" and as we turned the corner, I saw Ivanildo in front of his house pulling water out of a well. I went up to him and invited him to sit with us. I could tell he didn't want to talk to us, but we insisted and he told us to come back later. So we did, and we had the most powerful 1st Lesson of our entire missions. At the end he just cracked open and confessed to us how he had been drinking and using drugs and how it was destroying his parent's hearts. We invited him to be baptized and he accepted. Every time I see him now it just seems like he's brighter and happier. He's really excited for this Saturday, it's just a little sad that Mortensen won't be here to see it happen.

His parents are really well off, but both from different religions. His dad is Catholic and his mom attends a church called "Templo Mayor" both are super active members of their churches, but Ivanildo was never interested in religion. He is 27 years old and spent 2 years at a university in Bolivia, that's where he learned Spanish. He learned English by himself from books and movies and is very fluent... every lesson that we've taught him has been in English because he likes practicing. He's super smart, he is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and a little French. When we found him he was working on getting his driver's license, which he finally got this past week. He is now looking for a job but nothing specific, he just wants to help his parents out. 

His mom cares about him a lot, it's a little sad to see how worried she was. Once we went over for a lesson and he wasn't there, but his mom answered the door and she called him like 10 times in a row and when she finally got a hold of him she got after him and told him to get home right away so we could talk to him. We tried to tell her it was ok and we could come back later and she said "If I couldn't get him to go to church, I'm praying that you two do, I just want him to change." We are going to make sure both parents can go to the baptism, maybe we can convert the whole family, fingers crossed! 

Week 84, 14th Transfer

Hey!!! Man this past week was sweet! I mean, nothing crazy weird happened but we just had a lot of success. So Mortensen got transferred! I am now serving with my MTC comp. Elder Sosa is here as the 2nd Zone Leader now, I'm excited for this next transfer, we should have a ton of success.
So me and Mortensen took a picture to put in the house of a member family that is super tight with us. Here it is, they said they would keep that picture forever, lol. He's still here, he will leave in 3 days, so he can make my cake, lol. And also Burch is in my zone now! It was nice seeing him today. He is going to die in an area called Pedra Bedejo close to Assomada. What's crazy is that I'll be home 3 months after he is, I think I will know my homecoming information next transfer. It's getting soooo close, it's way weird. After Burch leaves, there won't by anybody left that's older than me. I have no clue how time went by so fast, I feel like I just got here.

I'm also in the middle of a flipping hurricane!! It's raining super hard right now. God is just giving me the opportunity to email right now because the power has been going out all day. 

Week 83

Hey I just got online, I'm emailing president but here in a few minutes I can start telling you how I've been soaking wet for the past 3 days....

So this morning we played some intense soccer in the rain, it was super sweet!! But I'm worn out now. It's been raining a lot in Assomada, and the zone is so spread out that it hasn't even rained in Chao Bom. This week was sweet, it really felt like hard work paid off. We had 8 investigators at church and 7 of them have baptism dates marked for sometime in September. Having 8 investigators is this zone's top, since it's super hard getting people to come to church.
Other than that I really don't have much to say for this week.
Oh! I got your birthday package 2 days ago! I opened it already and yes, I'll make Morty make the cake for me lol. Thank you soooo much for the socks, they have gotten soaked every time I've worn them, but at least they don't have holes so they feel a lot better.