Things are very different here

So I have about an hour to email right now to let you know I made it safe and sounds to Sao Paulo Leste.  I had my first lunch here already which is their dinner type meal.  It went well, I really don’t understand to much but I have a really good companion who is very patient.  Last Wednesday we also got to hear from Elder Holland, which was a really cool experience and everyone got the chance to shake his hand.  He told a couple jokes and danced a little and raised his voice a lot.  He was the very stern Elder Holland that everyone is used to.  I’ve been able to meet two Apostles now and both experiences have been amazing.  Things are very different here but I’m so excited, I’m ready to understand people and help them out in any way possible.  My mission President is having visa problems and has to leave by Friday so I’ll be getting another mission President that will be here until July.  I love being here in Brasil and will make my time worth it.  I made it safley and am in good hands.  If you have any questions let me know. 

 

Love Elder Visser

MTC update

The first week has been pretty awesome!  We are cramming in 6 weeks of language training into 2 so we have been teaching a ton but its good.  I like this MTC a lot better its smaller and the food is better and were forced to speak the language and I’ve seen a big improvement.  The language is still super hard but I understand it’s just going to take time.  If I put in the work and do my best then it will come. The food is actually pretty good, they always have the main dish then, rice and beans at every meal.  Today is our p-day so we get to go walk around the city and shop which I’m really excited for.  The hardest day was when our teacher took us on a bus to down town and we each had a couple copies of the Book of Mormon and we had an hour to talk to people and pass them out.  I was so nervous but when it was all said and done it wasn’t bad at all.  The people are really open to talking and willing to hear what you have to say.  We also had a chance to go the Campinas Temple today which was a sweet experience. We have some cool Brazilian roommates too. There’s a Brazilian here that only knows one phrase in english and its `` pull my finger`` I thought that was really funny and that you might enjoy it.  Its really weird to be back at the MTC and do all this again but I’m glad I have the chance to come here.  Its been a testimony builder for me because the Lord knew exactly what I needed to do and in what order.  Going to Provo and Texas seriously prepared me for Brazil.  My faith and trust in Heavenly father has grown and has really helped me out.
 

Love Elder Visser

Campinas Brazil Temple

A safe arrival

Hey just wanted to let you know that I made it safely to Sao Paulo brazil.  The flight was not all that bad and they had someone waiting for me right after customs.  They walked me straight to the bus with about 10 other missionaries who have been out for a long time.  We had time to shower and take a quick nap.  I already got the dose of trying to have a conversation and just shaking my head and agreeing, but there will be plenty of time to learn.  I’m excited and ready to learn.  I figure I’ll get out what I put in, so I’m going all in which will require a lot of messing up and tough situations but thats the only way to learn.

 

Thanks for everything, I’m not sure when my p-day is but I’ll email soon and update.  We have an hour time limit so I’ll do my best to respond to everyone

 

Love Elder Visser

Round 2 . . . I have been waiting 8 months for this phone call!

Shoot this week was definitely one to remember.  Elder Kaelin and I had the opportunity to speak in sacrament meeting.  I gave my talk on what we sow is what we reap.  I shared the experience you had with Rose and home teaching her for 16 years or however long it was.  It was a great experience and I was nervous but the spirit was with me to make up for my mistakes.  We also had a mission President's fireside last night and we went with our recent converts.  They have recent converts bare their testimony then President Ames speaks and the spirit is always super strong.  Afterwards I was able to see Marcia Sperry who I used to live with in Trophy Club and also my trainer Elder Grigg who I haven't seen since he left the area.  I was also able to see my MTC companion and Elder Shorewood it was so awesome to see them all.

We were riding our bikes and I got a call from the mission office telling me I got my Visa.  She told me I would be leaving the 21st which made sense because it is only a day after transfers.  Then about an hour later I got another call telling me she got more info and that I am leaving Tuesday as in tomorrow.  The phone call that I have been waiting for about 8 months finally came and I’ll be starting my journey to Brazil.  I fly out tomorrow and my plane leaves at 7:45 but I have to be there at 5 in the evening.  I’m going to be spending 2 weeks in the Sao Paulo MTC and receiving intense language training.  It's crazy to be thinking in not to long I’ll be in a whole different country.

Am I excited? extremely!  I understand that this is going to be the most difficult thing that I’ve probably ever done.  A lot of people asked me how I feel and at first I said really nervous or afraid but then I took a minute to think about that.  If there was one thing I’ve learned is to have faith in God. It's going to be hard but at the same time I am going to have help and with God I won't be able to fail.  There is no doubt that I came to Texas for a reason.  The people I’ve met and the things I’ve learned I wouldn't change it if I had the option.  God has a plan and purpose for us and sometimes things don't make sense but there is a reason for it and there is no such thing as a coincidence.  Please keep me in your prayers I’ll need all the prayers I can get and I know they work and God hears us and helps us.

Love Elder Visser

The power of Prayer

We have had a pretty crazy and amazing week.  We had zone conference for 7 hours in the Trophy Club building so that was really nice to see old friends.  I was able to go on an exchange with the district leader and the weather has been pretty nice.  We got baptismal clothing on Thursday for our investigator and his son who was going to baptize him.  When we showed up at their house everyone seemed really frantic and they said they were having a little family emergency.  Turns out that the IRS were on their way to arrest them and take all of their assets.  That was the short version of the story and this is two days before the baptism.  So we did the only thing we could and prayed.  Turns out that it was all a scam and it was just people from India trying to get money from them.  It's crazy how hard Satan will work though to try and mess things up.  Saturday they took us out to lunch before his baptism and someone asked him how his day was going so far and his response was it's the greatest day of my life.  That's something I hope to never forget.  We were able to get previous missionaries who taught him to come back so it was a really cool experience.  His really good friend flew all the way from Vegas to confirm him and give him the Holy Ghost.  It is so cool to see how much he has changed and how God's timing plays such a big role in everything.  He was being taught for about 5 years with a whole bunch of different missionaries and I was blessed to be able to be here at the time when he was prepared and ready to accept the gospel.  I’ve made lifelong friends with this family and can't wait to come back when they get sealed in the Temple.

Love Elder Visser

Baptism in Creekside