Yoo!!
So I haven't written in about 3 weeks, but hey that's ok both a lot and not a lot of things have happened these past three weeks. Let's just hop into it.
The Story of Luiz Thiago
This story actually begins 2 months ago in the first week we were ever in this area. Elder Jenkins and Elder M. Cutler found him during a split where he was sad and feeling down because he lost his father only a couple weeks earlier. They talked with him briefly and they learned he was a baptized as a kid but fell away from the church when he was 12, but he didn't want to come back to church.. A week after Elder M. Cutler and I passed by him and we just talked and got to know him. A few days after that we went back over and I don't remember all that I said, but we invited him to church and I gave him a 10 minute talk. That Sunday he went to church and on Tuesday we passed by him and talked about church and the mission. He didn't want to serve, and his mother started crying because she made him a whole book for whenever he was going to go serve his mission, but she gave it to me. After receiving the book and peeking through it I began to speak directly to Luiz Thiago and the words I said I cannot recall, but the Spirit I felt was strong. That night he said a prayer asking God for something specific to happen and he promised that he would go back to Church and serve a mission if that specific thing happened. He never told us what he asked for, but the next evening it happened and the day after he told us he wanted to serve a mission. Since then he has been going with us to teach people for the past month and a half and it's been amazing. He has a crazy life story where he's basically broken all the commandments except for the 6th and has completely repented, recovered, and now stronger than ever. He alone stopped drinking and smoking within the week and completely changed. We had the opportunity to go with him to the temple for his first time this week and he loved it. He is such an incredible man and he's only 18. His whole story reminds me of a verse in the Book of Mormon: Moroni 6:8 ‘But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven.’ We now basically live at his house because of how often we pass by to steal him to go do visits together. He gave me a São Paulo futebol jersey this week because that's his favorite team.
New Fit!
A few weeks back we went to a country store where I bought short boots, basically they are called ‘botinas’. Then I learned that we could wear certain hats to block the sun, and my dad sent me a nice hat. Just this last P-day I got a new leather bag to do visits with, and I now have the fit of a very iconic character that I think most people know of. I am now Elder Indiana Jones Hyatt. I don't have a full body picture yet of me wearing it all, but I'll take one eventually. It's actually funny how many people called me that when I started walking around with everything, but let me tell you a hat is so freaking nice. When it's 98°+ humidity and an intense sun with no clouds in sight, a hat is a blessing. Not only does it provide shade and block out the sun it just nice in general.
That Happened
So we had a guy named Valdir that we invited to be baptized and he accepted and said he really wants to change his life around. We were so happy and excited. We set goals and plans for him to stop smoking and drinking and to get to church. It was going well up until one night we passed by and Valdir was a little tipsy. While we were there talking to him he told us that he was a hitman and has killed many people…and then he offered us burgers. It was a interesting conversation to say the least. So yeah, I have officially met and taught a Brazilian hitman on my mission! That's crazy.
Other Stuff
-Went to the temple with Luiz Thiago for his first time.
-Elder M. Cutler fell into a sewer drain as we were walking home one night.
-We had a Christmas devotional with the whole mission.
-We played basketball with random kids and they put us in a basketball group so that we can all meet up again sometime.
-Two kids we talked to went to church alone and one of the kids (Luiz Paulo) gave me a bracelet.
-I was completely drained of all the energy in my body yesterday, but it was still a good day.
-Elder M. Cutler got a tiny Christmas tree and lights, but he didn't understand the box of lights because when we got home and he opened it up it was all just red lights. So our main room just has deep red lights now.
-Today (12/18) we celebrate Elder Dani Cutler’s birthday so yeah today should be fun.
Honestly and sadly that's truly it for the past 3 weeks. Like I said both a lot and not a lot of things have happened.
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