Preparing for the Best

Saturday, July 28, 2018

So this week was really interesting! I am doing a lot of new stuff things in the office. For example, the federal police here moved a few things about the visa renewal and there is a new process that we will have to do with everyone coming into the mission. But, it will be cool to work with.

In other news, we are working a lot with Leonardo to be baptized tomorrow, but on Thursday, he started to talk about how he likes his old church and doesn’t really want to change. But, we talked to him yesterday and today we will see how he feels. But I still have hope, but if it doesn’t happen, it is all in the Lord’s hand.

Other than this, I have started to make the new cards for the people that are showing up and it is cool to prepare to have all these new people come into our mission. But that is basically all that happened this week, sorry this wasn’t the best but I hope that everyone has a great week!

Amo Vocês,

Elder Kupferer

The Ride...Right on Time

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Hey everyone! So this week has been really cool.

This week started on Sunday, as we brought a family to church! This family is comprised of Maria, Janaína, and Leonardo. When they showed up, we invited Leonardo to do an interview with our district leader, and when he left, he had a date marked for the 29 of July! It was really cool and we will be here for him! Then, during the week, it has been a bit busy haha.

I have been working with the Polícia Federal helping renew some visas, I have been doing a lot of busy work here as well, and I am always learning as I go! It has been fun to work here in the office. But something cool happened out on the street yesterday! We were still working on a few things here in the office and we left a little behind schedule. So, we started walking and were planning on walking the whole way because we only had enough money for one passage (in paper). There was one point where we saw the sisters in our ward enter the bus and we were a bit discouraged because they would get to where they wanted so much faster! And that was when we heard someone honking right next to us and…. It was President José Carlos, one of the councilors in the stake!! He asked us if we wanted a ride and of course we said yes! He told us that he usually dosen’t take that way but he felt that he should this time. So we were able to arrive where we needed to, and we taught some great people last night (including Leonardo and his family). So this week was really good and I know this next week should be just as good!

I hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Joseph A. Kupferer

The Office - Juiz de Fora

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Alô Pessoal!

This week was fun with miracles, paperwork, and jokes.

First things first, I was able to go to church on Sunday. It was amazing to see some members that I have already seen and that I have already worked with. It was amazing to see them and it was fun there because there was a baptism before the classes started so that was really cool.

Then on Monday, I started to do the spreadsheets of all the numbers of the mission which TOOK FOREVER. Man, I started at about 10:00, I left for lunch and I finished all that I had to do at about 3:30. Man it took forever but it was still cool. It is interesting to look at what the secretaries always were doing (well actually they added this one so I got the pleasure to start with the spreadsheets haha) and that it is now my responsibility. 

Also, something that I got to do during this week was buy the plane tickets of some of my good friends from the mission, which was strange. Everyone that I talked to sounded hurt to hear this news and that their time was ending. It really made me think about how I need to enjoy (desfrute (desfrutar)) my time here while I am still here. I have done a lot during my mission and there is nothing that I want to change and I want to do my best to continue to serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. It is an honor to work here and I still have had some great things happen in the field as well.

Yesterday, we were trying to visit a contact when my companion and I felt inspired to visit a house. However, we just said that we would do that after the contact. But the person that we would meet with wasn’t there so we ended up knocking on that door. When they opened, there was a family waiting for us. The young man, already went, the grandma knew who we were and let us in. We taught about the church meetings and the whole family confirmed that they would go! (4 in total. There would be 5 but one of the children would go to her aunt’s house today and won’t be there).  And when we were leaving, the young man, Leonardo waved goodbye and said animatedly, “Até domingo!” (See you Sunday!) 

This time has been amazing and I am excited to continue working here in the office. Hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Joseph A. Kupferer

Finished Helping With Cars...Now Helping With Visas

Saturday, July 7, 2018

HELLO EVERYONE!! 

So I have not been able to talk to you guys for a little while because 1. I have become the new executive secretary which now my p-day is on Saturday and 2. because this last two weeks have been REALLY busy. 

First things first (and I will try to remember everything but it will be a little hard) on Tuesday the 26th, I helped change the principal [master] cylinder of the brake system in a member’s car, and I changed the oil. haha it was fun but it took forever because we had someone bring the pieces that we wanted but they brought the wrong pieces the first time, and took a little time to show up the second time. But it was fun, and I was able to help change everything just fine. 

Then later in the week, we did splits which was really fun and the elders that we did splits with needed a baptismal interview so we went and did that and HE PASSED! SO there was that, then on Friday, I did splits with a member and we were able to visit some less actives which was interesting. It was weird to see that just not doing the small things led them to stop going to church. They feel good about the church and everything, but just don’t have the same excitement as before (I am talking about one case in specific). 

BUT THEN on Saturday came the big fun. There is a member in Barra Mansa called Carlos (ou Carlão) and his car got hit. I think I already told you guys that we helped to put it back into shape, we put in the front passenger seat in again, and in general helped him out. But we wanted to paint the car, so we gathered money from members from the ward (and his wife and daughter as well without him knowing) and in ONE DAY, we sanded his car, beat his car into shape, put on plaster, and we painted and varnished the whole car. MAN DID IT TURN OUT GREAT and when we surprised him with the car he was super happy! It was amazing to be able to see that. 

When we painted the car, we were in an area that didn’t have any signal, so when we came back we had 8 missed calls from President Lacerda. So after my heart stopped we called for him, and he asked to talk with me. As we talked, he started to talk about when he was a missionary and that the best time was when he was the executive secretary, and then he told me that he prayed a lot and asked me to be the next executive secretary, so that was really humbling and exciting. But then that came the fun part, he told me that I would leave the next day at 2:00 after church. So when I got back at home, I packed my stuff, then on Sunday, I said bye to everyone, and waited at the bus station with a member until I got my bus. 

Then I went to Juiz de Fora! It has been weird to come back to this city but when I got here, I ran into some members that I have known during my 9 months in the Bairu ward. But as I arrived, I met my new companions, Elder Papalino and Elder Chugg!! It was really fun to see them again and it will be fun to work with them. So then we went immediately to the mission office, where we started to work on the transfers of everyone else, that actually President moved at 5:00 (And I got there at 6:00). After, this week has been super busy with the missionaries that were leaving, missionaries coming into the mission, and dealing with their visas. Then, we had a meeting with President, the leadership council, and I did an inventory of the deposit where we keep all of our materials.

So yeah, this week has been really busy but I am animated to be here and help the mission in a new way now. I hope everyone has a great week!

Amo Vocês,

Elder Joseph A. Kupferer