Coimbra 2/20/17

Boa tarde família!

Really liked the pics of Pulama!!!! I sadly haven't gotten my shirt, but maybe I'll get it this week along with my card haha. Everybody looks good, and the shirts are awesome! Looks like was sunny too! Usually the week before it rains like crazy, yeah? What kine hula did you guys do? Any good hula kahiko? Did Alo Kehau come? Ho Jonah, da hair coming long, bu! Gotta cut already! I cut my hair today; I don't know if I like how it turned out, but yeah, tudo bem. At least Presidente won't kill me.

So, this week was pretty good. Not this past Sunday, but the one before, Elder Meza (Hyrum's trainer and current ZL of Santarem zone) called us up and he and his zone declared war on us, the zone of Coimbra, in new investigators per dupla (set of missionaries) in a fun way to motivate everyone. I personally got super stoked when we got the call, and I thought it was a great idea. So, during the week, we would send out this funny "war" themed texts to kinda help motivate everyone and remind them of the challenge. In the end, we found 90 new investigators as a zone this week (we found 52 the week before) and so about 5.3 per dupla against Santarem's 32 (they found like 20 last week) or about 3.2 per dupla. WE WON!!!! My old man (slang for the one who trained you), Elder Meza, owes me lunch now the next mission council, which happens to be this upcoming week so I'm all happy haha. Plus, it was a fun way to get everyone pumped to work. I gotta say though, Elder Meza guys zone texts were sooo much funnier than ours haha. He has a gift.

In the van, on our way to Covilhã

We went to Covilhã this week to do a "distruction" of the area. Meaning we took 5 duplas to Covilhã, and we all worked there for a few hours. We had to leave Coimbra at about 7ish so that we could get there at about 10am. Was a long ride, but super fun to catch up with everyone and laugh. Probably the closest thing we get to an excursion or vacation haha. We ended helping them find 7 new investigators, and plenty of potential investigators, and inviting tons of people to the branch conference the next day. I really feel for that branch cuz, like not too long ago, a few families moved out and now they have an active population of like 7 including the 2 elders. It's really humbling. It went down real smoothly and I hope the elders there can efficiently use all the information we got for them and that it helps that branch grow.

Presidente rescheduled our interviews again. but he's busy so I understand.

We didn't have anybody to church, so that was sad and pretty frustrating.

This upcoming week is gonna be crazy with a mission tour going on. Elder Leimer, a general authority is coming so should be cool. We have a special zone conference with him, and Presidente, and the Santarem zone on Thursday. I'll be conducting (small kine nervous). We also have a special leaders conference on Friday. So, lots of stress and prep work on our part. Haha! Loving it!

Family, I love you guys! Thanks for you guys good work! Know that I love you guys, and that I'm working hard and doing my best to help the Portuguese people come unto Christ. Love you guys!!!

Tenham uma boa semana!

-Élder Kim

Covilhã is a small town in the mountains.

Another pic of Covilhã.

Coimbra 2/13/17

Boa tarde família!

First off, happy to hear you guys all survived last week. Tough loss for Jonah and Sam, but right on for playing your hearts out. Hard work is always worth it! Sister, happy you had a good time with Kawelo and with your pic! We should all strive to surround ourselves with good friends. Seta, right on Bu, with paddling around da island, coming native. Nah, but thank you for serving your sister. Service is both our responsibility and privilege. Mom and Dad, you're both too funny. Thank you for stay alive haha. Couldn't help but laugh when I heard mom say that she had a mtg. LOL! Also, Edmilson doesn't wanna talk to us anymore. Apparently, his family doesn't like us. We tried to fix the situation, but nothing. So yeah, he dropped us. Also, that African family isn't really open to mark visits with us, so basically, they dropped us too, for now.

This week was pretty hard here in Coimbra 1A as well. It's been pretty frustrating, and I felt like people just weren't understanding us, not necessarily because of us, but because they didn't want to. It just drives me crazy when I feel like people are not getting it!

For example, we taught this evangelical Brasilian family yesterday, and they just couldn't wrap their heads around this being the true church. We taught them from the Bible, everything in accordance with the Bible, but they just couldn't, and/or wouldn't. I was a little bit like "c'mon, for real?" Especially when the lady would be like "yeah" and start disagreeing and then would say "yeah, there's only one way." I'm like "THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY!!!" Fogo, was small kine frustrating.

Seemed like nobody wanted to shake my hand or talk to me in the street this week. I mean for the most part, contacts went fine, but there would be whole parts where people would actively avoid me, or just straight up ignore me, even when I'm like right in front of them. But hey, tudo bem. 

Started using this fun new technique to do baptismal invites in the street. It's my new favorite. I walk around with a picture of Jesus Christ's baptism, and as we do contacts and stuff, I'll bus' it out and ask them if they believe in this baptism. Most the time they say yes, which leads into a good conversation and invitation to be baptized. If they don't, well, it's okay, it still leads into a good conversation and invitation to be baptized. I really like it. We actually found this kid who was like "yeah, I wanna be baptized," and so we'll see if we can help him be baptized.

But this week wasn't all bad....

We found this super cool Brasilian who just moved here last week. We found him cuz, 2 weeks ago on a division with Elder Gomes, we were knocking doors, and Elder Gomes marked a return visit with somebody for two weeks in the future. I was like "whatever, nobody is ever there for those." But he was like, "she was Brasilian." Right when he said that, I felt like I should write it down. So, I did, and when we went back, she wasn't there, but he was!!! He went to church, he liked it, and totally understands the need for the Restoration. He's doing his doctorate here, so he's pretty smart. Thank goodness for the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

We had this pretty cool lesson with this youth named Fábio. He has some major doubts and stuff, and he was really kinda bashing with us. Elder Casper was leading the conversation, but his responses weren't satisfying the youth. So, I stepped in. It was like everything made sense to me. Everything was made clear. The Spirit showed me what to say and how to say it. The Spirit was upon me, and I could not be confounded. I responded to all his doubts and questions and testified of the truthfulness of our message. It was probably the strongest lesson I've taught up until now. The Spirit was incredibly strong, and I know he could feel it, but he still chose to deny it. I was sad, but I really liked that lesson cuz I know that I did all I could, and that the Lord backed me up, like he has promised He would in the scriptures.

That's been some of the notable stuff from this week. There is lots more, but of course, I can't fit it all. Hope you guys are all doing good. Love you guys! Have a great week!

com amor,

Elder Kim

Me and Rulanda, last week Sunday. Sheʻs my first recent convert, and Me and Elder Meza thought she like disappeared but apparently sheʻs coming back to church!!! Super happy to see her there!

 Pic of me and Elder de Andrade. Heʻs from Cabo Verde and heʻs finishing his mission this transfer. Was cool to do a division with him cuz this was his first area, so was cool.

We went bowling today. Was fun! Elder Hirchi (far left) killed us. I would definitely like to try that out some more. Bowled 82, which is  terrible but hey could be worse. Hit two strikes though so not so terrible, haha. 

Coimbra 2/6/17

Boa tarde!

This week was seriously super tiring and trying but we’ve survived and that’s the main thing.

We had mission council this week. Was cool to be able to see Elder Gabbitas, Elder Meza, Elder Jonhson and all them. Always cool to be with good people. We talked a lot about how we can be better inviters and helping people to understand the blessing we receive or lose by keeping or not keeping the commandments. We got to catch the train home with Elder Meza and those guys, so was fun to laugh with them and stuff. Only junk thing was that we woke up at 4:30am to get to the council on time, and we didn’t get home til like 10pm, so we were super exhausted.

Of course, the next day was even more stressful planning out the zone meeting and stuff, having to organize the requests for the all the areas, setting up the chapel, and then moving chapels cuz our chapel didn’t have a computer we could use. Once more, didn’t get home till like 11pm.

Next day was the actual zone conference. Went down well. We went over time little bit, but was all good. I felt like the missionaries understood what we hoped they understood and are excited to do better. Was soooo happy when it was all over. 

We were supposed to have our customary interview with Presidente this week, but that got cancelled at the last minute. We’ll see if we get um this week.

We also had stake conference which was cool, and Elder Herbertson of the Seventy was presiding. He’s Scottish so was cool to hear his accent. He gave a great talk about the importance of staying on the path, getting back on the path, and being an example. The most important thing is that we are on the path and moving forward, and not to compare yourself to anyone, cuz you always come off worse. Was good.

Amongst all the craziness, we’ve been being blest with new people to teach, and opportunities to share the gospel. We marked Edmilson to be baptized on the 25th of Febuary. We read 2 Nephi 31 with him and he recognizes the importance of following Jesus Christ. I invited him to be baptized and he’s like um...nah. I’m like do you trust in God, he’s like yeah, so I’m like let’s pray and you ask him if you should. So we do, and then Elder Casper shares Galatians 5:22 and Edmilson is like I felt peace. So I re-invite him and he says yes!!! The Spirit is the teacher! Sadly, he didn’t go to church even though he said he would, so we’ll see how he’s going. We also have a few people who are showing some promise, including this one African family!

Family, I love you all soooo much! hope you all have a good week. Keep up the great work, and go Vikings!

com amor,

Elder Kim