WEEK #18 - JARAGUA DO SUL - Episode #11 - Christmas in Jaragua

What´s up everyone!!! I hope Christmas was great for everyone! It didn´t feel super duper Christmasy here because we sweat just sitting in our apartment, but it´s all good.

This week the work has been pretty slow because more than half of the population here goes to the beach for Christmas and New Year's so it kind of feels like walking in a ghost town. But we are always on the look out for those who don´t have anyone to spend the holiday season with and need a little pick me up.

We had one super good lesson with the Rocha family. The last lesson we had with them, we challenged them all to read Moroni 10:3-5 and pray about it. When we came back a few days later, one of the son in laws told us before we asked that he read, prayed, and felt something that he had never felt before. He also said he just felt so happy afterward. In Galatians 5:22 we learn that the fruits of the Spirit are feeling such as happiness, love, and peace. We were so hyped for him! After we challenged the rest of the family to do the same and we read Lehi´s vision of the Tree of Life with the family.

This week we bought 5 kg of acai, banana, granola, and peanuts. Best thing ever.

We spent Christmas Eve with a few families eating BBQ, playing, games, and just having a good time. I got to see a little bit of the hick side of Brasil culture which was pretty interesting hahaha. And on Christmas we opened presents, went to church (my boy from the Dominican Republic showed up and we were #veryhype), had an incredible lunch of Turkey and ribs with a family from our ward, and then skyped with my family! Christmas in another country was so much better than I could´ve imagined!

Even though it´s weird to be far from home during the holiday season, there is nothing I would rather be doing right now! Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest thing ever. Thank you to everyone who emailed me and sent me cards/presents! I love you all so much!!

Sempre fica firme, forte e feliz

Elder Scheer

Christmas!

Awesome family!

Acai, Bananas and peanuts!! Heaven!

Christmas Day Family Skype

Brotherly love - 1 more week together

Elder Reis with Christmas Stocking from Scheer family

WEEK #17 - JARAGUA DO SUL - Episode #10 - Feliz Natal!

Yoooooooo! I hope everyone is having an incredible winter break.

Not a ton happened again this week but the things that happened are definitely note worthy.

After emailing on P-day Elder Reis and I finished the Christmas ties that we made for everyone in our district and then we went over to Andrea and Miro´s house.  Andrea is an investigator and Miro doesn´t have much interest in the church. They have a son named Gabriel who is 13 and was baptized shortly before we got here in Jaraguá. Andrea and Miro having been living together for like 18 years or something but aren´t legally married so Andrea can´t get baptized. Finally on Monday, Miro agreed to get married to her!!! We were so happy!

When we were walking to lunch on Tuesday we heard someone calling for us. When we turned around there was a young guy calling us over. We started talking and he said he´s from the Dominican Republic and that him and his friend from Haiti are looking for a church and are interested in ours. I´m really hoping we can start teaching them this week.

On Thursday we went to Joinville and had Christmas Conference with President Silva and 2 other zones. It was super fun. It was way cool to meet so many other missionaries, especially the Americans because my zone only has 1 other ha ha. President Silva talked a little bit, we did the White Elephant gift thing, had lunch, and then had the rest of the day to just hangout, play ping pong, etc… .

On Saturday we had Murilo´s baptism and the ward Christmas dinner. I got to baptize him! It was a super cool experience. At the dinner there was like a nativity/choir type thing (nothing like the RR stake but it´s all good) and then of course food. My boys from the Domican Republic and Haiti showed up. They are 19 and 21 and are way cool. They were impressed that I knew how to say What´s up in Creol thanks to the song Don´t Mind hahaha. ´Twas a great time.

That´s all the goods for this week. I love you all and I hope you all have an incredible Christmas!! Always remember our Savior during this season and do your best to serve others as he did!

Sempre fica firme, forte, e FELIZ.....NATAL

Elder Scheer

 

Elder M

My District with our matching Christmas ties!

Elder H

I got to baptize this awesome kid!

Ward Christmas Party

My boys from Haiti and Dominican Republic

WEEK #16 - JARAGUA DO SUL - Episode #9 - It´s So Awesome To Be A Missionary Right Now!

Ólaaaaa everyone!! I don´t have a bunch to share this week but it´s all good in the hood.

This week we had a few extra good lessons. First was with an older women named Eva and her grandaughter. When we arrived at her house, she had the pamphlet open about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon open. She already has a really strong faith in Jesus Christ and reads the Bible daily. When we started the lesson she started asking all these questions and we were able to answer all of them using the Bible. It was so cool! After we answered her questions she said that she still had some doubts so we bore our testimonies that if she prays about it sincerely she can recieve an answer. After she shared an experience she had with prayer before and shared her testimony too hahaha. When she gave the closing prayer she was crying and it was super spiritual and hype. She has a large fam with grandkids so it would be awesome to see them all come unto Christ!

Another great lesson we had was with a family that lives in another small city just outside of Jaraguá. We contacted the mother like our first or second week here just walking the streets and realized that we never called her. So we called her this week and we went and taught her family on Saturday morning. In the middle of the lesson we had to go to make it back to the bus stop in time because this place is basically in the middle of nowhere and the bus comes like once or twice a day. We said that we were sorry but we had to go because we had lunch scheduled with a member. But the family insisted that we continue and that they would drive us all the way to the members house. The rest of the lesson went super well! 

It´s so awesome to be a missionary right now! Here in Santa Catarina the people are more similar to people in the United States and less willing to talk with you but the Lord is truly working with this area and people are ready to accept the gospel.

One more story of the week. Elder Reis and I were  sitting at a bus stop and leans over to me and says ``Dude these girls next to me speak really good english``. So I started listening and then I asked are you guys from the U.S? And then once was like ``yeah I´m from Wisconsin``. And I was just thinking what in the world are you doing in this small town of Brasil but she´s here in Brasil for a year for a foreign exchange thing haha. 

That´s all for this week! I love you all!!

Sempre fica firme, forte e feliz!!!!!

Élder ScheerI

I wish you could all taste the Acai!

Hanging with another Zone after District Meeting

WEEK #15 - JARAGUA DO SUL - Episode #8 - True Joy in Serving!

Holy December!! Time is flying by. I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of the Christmas festivities and music.

T'was another great week here in Jaraguá. Starting with after emailing last week... We have a new investigator named Carol and she was a reference from another investigator haha. After our first lesson she asked if we would help her move and of course we were more than happy to help. We headed over after emailing in the morning and spent all afternoon moving apartments without elevators haha but it´s all good. It was so hot and humid I sweat very nicely through my shirt and pants haha. When we finally finished it felt so gratifying and Elder Reis and I were honestly so much happier than we were before. Find true joy in serving others!

Tuesday was a pretty devestating day for the people of Santa Catarina and the world of soccer. I don´t know if you all heard but a whole team (Chapecoense) was flying to Columbia and the plane crashed. Elder Reis and I we eating lunch at a members house when we saw it on the news and it was super bonkers.

On Tuesday night a member came by to drop off some money for lunch the following day since she was going to be busy. She pulled out her wallet and gave us each R$ 60!! We were so hyped haha. So we have been eating some fine meals. Elder Reis is nice on the stove so he´s been teaching me a couple of my favorite meals like noodles with chicken, broccoli, and alfredo sauce and some other great stuff. Life is always good when there is good food involved.

I also got back in the lab this week and made another Christmas tie that turned out a lot better than the first.

This week we had zone training. It is always so incredible how much I learn just from meeting weekly with my district and monthly with my zone. After the training we went to take a picture and my pants just straight up ripped hahahahaha. Elder Reis was super clutch with the sweater to wear around my waist for the rest of the day. Big newssssss....... we recieved training manual on how to use ipads which means that our mission should be getting Ipads sometime in the future. I have no idea when but I´m pretty hyped. 

We have been teaching an incredible family that we found one day. We never go door to door but we always pray that we can recognize when need to talk to someone or knock on a door. We found this family 2 weeks ago and we have taught them 3 times since. They are such an incredible, humble family with so much potential. On Friday night we invited Alex, the 15 year old son, to be baptized and he said yes! Sadly his parents can´t get baptized yet because they aren´t legally married but hopefully we can help them get to that point. 

We have a few other investigators that are progressing and it is so awesome to see the gospel work in their lives. Lately it has been pretty tough to find new people to teach and our teaching group has gotten smaller. I know that as long as we keep working hard the Lord will put people in our path that are ready to accept the gospel.

Everyone check out mormon.org and learn how to be a light to the world during this Christmas season! Seek and pray for opportunities to serve others and they will recognize the Light of Christ in you. I love being a missionary and sharing the gospel! Have a great week!!

Sempre fica firme, forte e FELIZZZZZ

Elder Scheer

1 pair down.....

Nice sweat action after helping a lady move

Silly face showing off Christmas tie made by yours truly

Christmas has arrived!!!