Olá mues queridos -
We had a Zone Conference that wasnt really a Zone Conference this past Tuesday, and it would have been perfect if I hadnt been so tired and wanted to sleep during half of it. But it really was so good. A lot of the Elders who were transfered from our Zone were there, so we got to see them again. We also received training from President Vecchi, and let me just reiterate: I love that man. It was back to basics, things were already know, things we learned in the MTC, fundimental things that have just been lacking a little bit in the mission, and I was able to remember and think about how to apply these things in our area here.
Also, I got to spend two days in Iléus with Sister Forester, and it was wonderful! I loved getting the chance to work with her again and re-remember some of the things I learned in the MTC. Things I should be doing. And it was so much fun. Sister Forester and I only had about 2 weeks together in the MTC, but we clicked from the very start, and it was great working with her and it was great to know that we still click =] Learning to work with a different person, being exposed to a different teaching style was great, and not only that, but I love Iléus. I dont really want to leave Itabuna, but if that is in the cards in the near future, I vote I go to Iléus. Although I know my vote doesnt really do anything when it comes to the will of the Lord. But I do love the area and I love the people. Its kind of amazing how fast that love can grow when I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.
And then, when I came back to Itabuna, Sister Freitas had told a lot of people that I had been transfered to Iléus as a joke, and then told them afterwards that I was just there for 2 days. But a lot of the members didnt hear the second part, that I would be coming back on Friday. Ergo, on Sunday, there were a lot of members of the ward who were excited/confused that I was here. Including the bishop.
This coming week we have baptisms, and we are doing everything in our power to make sure these do not fall through. We are meeting with these people every day, and they seem really excited about coming to church each week and about their baptism, too. The two that I feel sure about are a mother and son, Regina and Efraim. Efraim is 13, but he looks more like he is 8, so I have to remind myself at times not to talk to him like he is a kid. But they are both so great. They have been reading the Book of Mormon every day and praying and things are looking really really good.
This past week we also had a lot more investigators in sacrament meeting, and I know the Lords hand was in that. We are working with the other ones. So many of them I feel so good about, and we were able to meet with a lot of them yesterday and they all said that they will come next week, which is GREAT! Now we have just got to find more people this excited about coming to church, because I know they are here. But anyway, we were able to get 8 investigators in sacrament meeting and 6 of them have baptismal dates!
Funny story for you. We went by one house to talk to one of our investigators and we asked if Bruno was home. So out comes a young man who doesnt really look like our investigator, and Sister Freitas asks, ´Um, Bruno?´ and he says he is, so we start talking to him, and he doesnt know what we are talking about, and after about a minute Sister Freitas just asks if another Bruno lives in the house. And indeed, another Bruno lives in the house. So right now, we are teaching the brothers Bruno =] I dont really understand why people give their kids the same name, or even names that seem the same. We have investigators who are sisters and their names are Caliane and Kaylane. Talk about confusing.
We also spent the morning this morning waiting in line for about 4 hours in a governmentish building, trying to help some of our investigators get married so they can be baptised. It was a little annoying, because my vocabulary does not extend to legal, marriage vocabulary, so I was really lost most of the time. And then, after waiting for 4 hours, we found out that they couldnt get done what they needed to get done (dont ask me why, I have no idea). But we were able to get lunch out of it, so that is always nice.
Our goal for the Zone this week is for every dupla to have a baptism, and we will perform all the baptisms the same time in the Stake building in California. It should be really exciting, especially considering that the ZLs here are teaching a family of 10 people who have a date for this day. We should have more than 20 baptisms this day. Remember us, and give us your prayers.
Love you! Miss you! Read your scriptures! Say your prayers!
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Sister Petersen
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