WEEK 93: Planting Seeds

Hello everyone! Hope you all had an excellent week. We have been working extremely hard here in Fortaleza, and seeing many blessings as a result. I am so happy to be able to finish my mission here, and enjoy this great city.

We had two great miracles this week in the form of our friends Mario and Davi. They have both been asking us to be baptized for a while now, and with everything taught, and parental approval, we were able to make that happen. Davi is the brother of a young man named Ravi, who we helped get baptized about a week ago. Davi and Ravi also invited their sister, Emily to watch the baptism, and she has a desire to be baptized this next week as well. It has been such a wonderful experience working with these youth. They all have such a strong faith, and connection with each other. I can't wait to see the future that lies ahead for them as members of the true Church of Jesus Christ.

The work is moving along quite well here in this area. We are teaching many people, and planting many seeds as well. It is amazing to know that even though our efforts don't see immediate results, the seeds we plant have the capacity to produce fruit one day. Our zone is also doing very well. Everyone here seems really excited, and is working hard to help people enter into the waters of baptism. I could not be happier with what is happening here.

As for Fortaleza - still incredibly hot. Even when I'm just sitting down doing nothing, I start sweating. I wish I was more accustomed, but the years of snow back in Utah have made that impossible. I don't understand how some of the kids here can run around for hours in the scorching sun, barefoot, and not even break a sweat. We have not yet had a sacrament meeting yet, but we are expecting that we will be having one this coming Sunday!! Exciting! The meals members have been providing have also been great. I must say that I have not tired of rice and beans.

I love working in the city of Fortaleza. This really is such a blessed place and I know that many small miracles had to happen to enable my return. I love the people here, and I love my Savior.

Love,

Elder Perry

WEEK 92: Making Marmitas

Hello everyone! We had a couple really cool experiences and miracles this week!

 
The first was the baptism of our friend Daniel! He had been asking to be baptized since we got to the area, and we were finally able to help him do just that. When we went to pick him up for the baptism though, he wasn't at his home. His parents said that his grandmother had taken him to her house because she didn't want him to be baptized. We asked to be let in to the parents house, and we began teaching and bearing our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The spirit was so strong in that moment. When we had finished, the father had tears in his eyes, and he hopped on his bike to go get Daniel. He had such a big smile on his face when we walked into the chapel with us. This gospel is undoubtedly true, and has the power to change lives.

We had our interviews with Presidente Priday this week as well! He is the man. We love the great counsel and wisdom he provides to this mission. We spent a lot of time talking about the zone and making important plans. I'm looking forward to the progress we will see in the near future in Zona Ceará.

We also got to participate in several service projects this week! With Ala Sevilha, we made "marmitas" - lunch plates, and handed them out all over the neighborhood. We met some cool people doing this as well. With Ala Genibaú, we made a huge pot of soup and gave it out to people in the neighborhood as well. It was such a blessing to see the happiness of the people service, and the people being served. This really is the way Christ lived.

Other than that, we have just been hard at work. Teaching everyone we come into contact with, and trying to further the work in our area and the zone. It is not easy, but missionary work was not meant to be easy. I am grateful for every difficulty, every problem that must be solved, and for every chance I have to learn and grow. I would never trade this mission for anything. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Perry

WEEK 91: Sunshine In My Soul

Hello all! I hope everyone enjoyed the week, and had a fantastic Mother's Day! Mother's are so important, and I know that I would never be where I am today without mine! Love you Mom!

We had a very busy week! Our big project was a list of people who had been baptized in the past two years, who have become less active. We went to their homes to try to track them down because it seems to be too easy to decline a phone call these days. We met some really cool people, and even some relatives to those people who we hope to start teaching here in the near future. We have been blessed with many people to teach, and some great members who have been helping us.

One miracle this week was the baptism of Pamela! She is another youth that lives near the chapel. We have been teaching her for a little while as well as her mother. They have both progressed so much, and Pamela decided to be an example and be baptized. I had the privilege to baptize Pamela and feel her strong spirit. It has been great working with this family, and we are looking forward to the progress that will continue to help them.

Other than that work, we have just been busy trying to solve all the problems in the zone. It seems like every time we take care of one issue, 10 more appear! But we are trying to stay organized, and trying to make the most of what we have.

A quick spiritual thought comes from a talk and a chapter from the new testament. "The Inconvenient Messiah" by Elder Holland, and chapter 4 of Matthew. Christ is being tempted by Satan and is offered several different things. He is tempted to use his power to make his life easier immediately. Elder Holland teaches that the life of Jesus Christ was not designed to be convenient, nor the lives of those who choose to follow him. It is only through trials and hardship that we grow.

Love,
Elder Perry

WEEK 90: Blessed in Brazil

Hello everyone! We had yet another great week here in the great city of Fortaleza. Every day I spend here feels like a little miracle. I know that I am meant to be here now, and that there is much work awaiting me as I finish strong.

One big miracle this week was the baptism of our young friend Mateus! He is neighbors with a family of members, so teaching him and helping him feel part of the family was not difficult at all. It was not easy to get authorization, but Mateus' mother was understanding, and in the end, supported his great decision. We are so happy for him, and we're excited to see what progress the church will help him make in his life.

We had zone conference this week as well! It's crazy to think that I have only one, or maybe two zone conferences left. Always a great opportunity to feel the spirit, and help the zone get excited to get to work. The theme was the Book of Mormon and we talked a lot about its use in the missionary work. The training that Elder Viana and I gave to our zone was centralized in the fact that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. We made some great goals together and everyone is excited to hit the ground running.

The work has not slowed in this area! Almost every day, we receive at least 2 new referrals to contact. It has been great, and we have found some success with those people. The referrals, coupled with the online Facebook contacting and contacting near the chapel, has given us a large teaching pool and has continued to bless us.

Other than that, the week has just been hard work. I am still sweating all day and loving the rice and beans but I have no complaints. I love Brazil, and I love the work. I am ready to finish strong. 

Love you all!

Elder Perry

WEEK 89: Even More Miracles

Hello everyone! I hope you all had an excellent week. Things are still moving forward here in Fortaleza, and I have loved every second that I have spent here. This transfer, I will be staying in the Genibaú area with a new companion, Elder Viana. He is from the zona leste of São Paulo and has about a year on the mission. He is the only one in his family who is a member of the Church and has been baptized for a little over two years. It has been great working with him and hearing his amazing testimony.

There was one incredible miracle that happened to me this week. On Tuesday, while wrapping up the day with some contacting, we received a call from the Elders in Itapipoca. They had been able to get in touch with a family Elder Damo and I had been teaching over a year ago right before we were evacuated. I remember the day that I first contacted Maria. We had been passing through some difficult times as a companionship trying to find people to teach in that area, and had been praying for some sort of miracle. On that day, we had been searching for a bus to take us to a neighborhood that was well removed from the center of the city. To our chagrin, we couldn't find a single one. Upset and discouraged, we started contacting. I found Maria in a home near the center of the city. She didn't live there, but was taking care of an older woman living in that home. She said that she had been praying for someone to help her and her family find the right path. We started teaching them, and the week they were to be baptized, we had to leave Itapipoca and I was sent back to the United States.

I had kept loose contact with them all this time, but was able to teach them a few times once I arrived back in Brazil. Once the Mission President was able to assign Elders assigned to the city again, I passed off their contact information. Since we left 1 year ago, they had been diligently reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and living all the commandments. They remembered quite well all of the lessons that we taught them and last Sunday they were baptized. I was able to participate in the meeting virtually to see Irmã Maria, José, and Henrique all get baptized. They had me say some words at the end as well, and I feel so blessed that the day finally came for Maria and her family to be baptized. And I will forever cherish the moments I spent with them. I am hoping I will be allowed to visit Itapipoca one more time before I go home. I am so happy for that amazing family. 

One other miracle this week was the baptism of Alexandre. He is a young man of 15 years who lives by the chapel. He was super excited to get baptized, and join his other friends. The spirit was strong at the baptism. We had a great number of youth in attendance, and several problems with the baptismal font but in the end, it worked out.

The work continues on, as strong as ever. I feel grateful every day for the opportunity that I had to return to my original assignment, to weather the heat and the beans and rice, to bring souls into Christ. 

Love you all,

Elder Perry

WEEK 88: Things Are Still Great!

What's good everyone?? Hope you all had a great week. Things are still great here in Fortaleza.

We are having transfers tomorrow! I will be staying in the Genibaú area and will be receiving a new companion tomorrow as well. I am excited for the change and the miracles to come here in Zona Ceará. I love this area, the members, and all the great people we have met, so staying another transfer here is some great news.

We had one miracle this week! Our boy Ravi was baptized on Wednesday! He had been talking with us for a while about baptism, and with faith and persistence, his mother finally allowed him. He is 12 years old and lives right beside the chapel. His smile on the day of the baptism was contagious (for the short time he didn't have a mask on). We are so happy for him and are excited to see him grow in the church.

We have just been grinding lately. Contacting people through our area book, through Facebook, through members...basically any way we can get someone's contact information. It has been quite a journey, but we have made some serious strides as far as virtual work goes.

Still hot, beans and rice every day, cold showers, but never a dull moment. Especially as my mission begins to wrap up, I have learned to take every day as a blessing. I truly am so blessed to be back here in Brazil, and I will not throw that opportunity away. Love you all! Keep being great!

Love,
Elder Perry

WEEK 87: Many Meetings

For those of you who understood the reference in the title, good work.

Hello everyone! I hope all is well, wherever you may be! We had a solid week here in the Genibaú area, and I have been loving every minute I have spent here.

We had so many different meetings this week. Part of our responsibilities is to participate in meetings with our mission president and the stake presidents of the stakes to which our zone pertains. Because there are so few missionaries currently in the mission, we cover upwards of 6 different stakes. Those meetings are always quite interesting though, as we hear new ideas and goals from each stake president. We also had our interviews this week with President Priday! He is the man. He had some great counsel for all of us. I look forward to seeing what other kind of instruction he provides to the mission going forward.

The work went well this week. We did spend quite a bit of time inside the apartment calling and finding people online. We had several baptisms marked for this Sunday, but none of them ended up working out, unfortunately. We do have a few more scheduled this week though, so we are praying for some divine help there. But I have been so surprised by the receptiveness of the people here. Everyone is always down to hear a message about Jesus Christ. Finding through Facebook always seemed like a means to an end, but here, it is super simple and super effective. I look forward to helping other missionaries get a grasp of it too.

As far as Brazil goes, it is still hot. Every day, it is incredibly hot. Even in the rain. It makes it slightly difficult to sleep, and live, but if it were easy, it wouldn't feel as worthwhile. We have been receiving lunch from members every day, which is great. We hear the lockdown should be lifted pretty soon, but we also heard that that cases here in Brazil have not stopped climbing. And we still have the roosters across the street! 

I have recently had to start preparing a bit for college and things when I get back home. Never did I think the day would come. It has caused me to do a lot of reflecting on my time spent as a missionary: time spent all over the world, in very different capacities, serving all types of people. I love my mission, and would not trade it for anything.

Love,
Elder Perry