È Claro Que Sim!!

Monday, May 21, 2018

Hey guys!! So this week was pretty great!! So it started with a splits with Ubá! We had our district meeting then I went with Elder Igure so that he could do an eye exam. Then, we ate lunch and went to work! It was really good and he said he learned a lot about planning so we both felt it was productive. Then, the next day, we had an interview and the other elders that would do the interview were doing splits as well, so I left with Elder Lima when Elder Conceição went with Elder Oliveira to the interview. The sad thing is that that person passed but couldn’t make that Sunday so we will try to work with him this week. Then, on Friday, there was something really cool that happened. We talked with Janette (her son Victor got baptized a few weeks ago) and she was really hesitant about getting baptized, but somehow this time it was different. When we got there we just started teaching with the Spirit (and it was strong too!) As we were teaching she was really frank with us and we were frank with her haha but at the end she started asking if the church opened on Fridays which we thought was a little weird. But then she asked if she could get baptized on the 8th of June (a Friday) and what did we say? È claro que sim!! OF COURSE! So we marked that date and she said that that date was special because it was the birthday of her son that had died recently so it was really a special experience. This was great because I know that the lesson would not have worked as well if the spirit wasn’t there. The Holy Ghost is essential and I hope everyone looks to have the spirit more this week!

Amo Vocês, 

Elder Kupferer

Splits All Week and Zone Conference

Monday, May 14, 2018

Oi pessoal!

So this week started really well! So it all started with a call from President Lacerda. He started to talk to my companion and when he got off the phone, he told me that I would be doing splits with the ZL's (that live in the same house) and I would be with Elder Gale and Elder Conceição would be with Elder Oliveira. So, this week already started a bit weird but it all worked out. Then on Tuesday, I completely forgot about the splits because we had Zone Conference which was amazing. President Lacerda first talked about how all these things that we are doing wrong are choices and all that we need to do is turn the switch. The other thing that I learned is that we need to have a better vision of hope and that we need to be anchored in Christ which was what I was needing to here. I loved this Zone Conference and during this week, I have never been so happy on my mission, and it is because I am working SOOO much! It is crazy to think how much that I am changing on my mission and I hope that I continue changing for the better! I hope everyone knows that I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I am doing His work! I hope everyone has a great rest of the week.

Amo Vocês, 

Elder Kupferer

3/4 of the All-American District Bairu (my last district). Also, my trainer (Elder Western) in the middle goes home next week.

Baptized...Two Times!

Monday, May 7, 2018

Oi gente!! How is everyone doing?

So this week was one that was really, really interesting. So it started with me staying in Juiz de Fora for a little more time, with my companion starting as Elder Mamani (from my group) to then going to Elder Oliveira who plays the piano really well!! So we came into Juiz de Fora on Thursday, we ate lunch, and then we immediately started to work (aSnd do splits). I went with Elder Gale and we went to Fátima’s house so that I can do the interview, which was interesting but long story short, it turned out great. Then, the next day was her baptism!! It was amazing and the spirit was super strong. That leads us to Victor, our investigator who passed the interview as well!! So on Saturday, we made sure that everything was good and on Sunday, he was baptized. HOWEVER, when Elder Gale and Elder Conceição were filling out the baptismal record, we found out that we said her name wrong the first time which means.... she had to get baptized again!!! haha It was really interesting but she was really good about it and she got baptized two times! How many of you can say that? haha It was really funny but I was happy that all went well and we helped, as a district two people enter the waters of baptism (and 5 within the zone!). After that, Fátima and Victor both were confirmed members! That spirit was super strong! I hope everyone has a great week and everyone that was baptized remember this week your baptism and the sacred covenant that you made with God! 

Amo Vocês, 

Elder Kupferer

Well...I Am Back??

Hey everyone!! This week has been pretty interesting. But before I talk about what happened this week, I forgot one thing that I wanted to talk about last week.

There was a Family Home Evening with the First Presidency of Brazil and we watched with Janette, Victor, and Jonas (some investigators) and it was amazing. It was really good and it talked about the Book of Mormon and I felt really inspired to read the Book of Mormon every day. I would like to say that I have read the Book of Mormon almost every day on my mission, but before my mission I was really a slacker on that part, and I have seen the difference that it has made in my life. I feel the spirit way more during my time here (Also because I am on the mission but the Book of Mormon is helping a lot as well) and I invite everyone that reads this, to read the Book of Mormon EVERY DAY and if you do that I promise you will have more JOY in your life. Not just feel happy but have a JOY that you have not experienced before. SO that then leads us to this week.

The week started out great UNTIL Wednesday when my companion started to feel a lot of pain in his leg. He had a surgery in his leg about three years ago and every day that we have been walking he said it has been getting worse (the pain). So Wednesday we went to the hospital, but the best they could do is just give medicine. Then, on Thursday, we stayed in our house for a good amount of time, but when we went out it didn’t get better, so we talked with Sister Lacerda and then President Lacerda and they said to come to Juiz de Fora on Friday. So we came, and we have been helping in the staff until today (até hoje). I know I will go back to my area, but I will have to let my companion go to an area with less hills. It will be sad but I am glad for my time with him that I have so far.

So that has been my week, just working in the office and helping them in their areas when needed. It has been great especially since I have been able to do splits with Elder Kemerich! (the other missionary that I trained) I hope everyone has a great week!

Amo Vocês, 

Elder Kupferer

Traveling and Training

Hey everyone!!! Nós está semana foi tenso e legal! So this week was tense and really cool at the same time.

So first off, I went to the mission president’s house and I got my new companion! His name is Elder Vieira, he is from the state of Ceará and is really excited to get going! So that night we ate some pizza, and the next day we got on the bus to go to Leopoldina!! When we got there, we got used to the house a bit, unpacked bought a few things and we worked a little bit. Then, we found a new family that is really cool (that went to church on Sunday!) and we are just going great. We also did a few splits with the ZL’s that are living with us, where we found a different woman that her son is a member so we marked a date with her. But after this, Elder Conceição wasn’t feeling too well, so we went to the hospital (he only had a cold but you go to the hospital for just about everything here) and when we were there, he took some medicine, some oxygen, and we waited. And waited. And waited some more until 5:00 the next morning!!! We got there about 8:00 the previous night so that was a bit of an adventure ( I only got a few hours of sleep haha) THEN I went with Elder Vieira to Cataguases, a different city because I needed to do a baptismal interview so we went there, and.... the young man that I was there to do the interview started to run away!!! So we chased after him. It turns out that the guy he was with just likes to run away from us and he was just being a bad influence. But the kid passed the interview! So I went back to the church building with the elder I was with and we called for the bus service to find out the next bus (it was 19:00 already (7:00 PM)) and they said 9:15! So, we are supposed to be in our house at 9:30.... so we got on the bus and left haha. The city was only 30 minutes away and our house is close to the bus station so we weren’t too late but it was fun! haha I hope everyone has a great rest of the week! 

Amo Vocês, 

Elder Kupferer

Transfers

Hey everyone! So this week has been a good one!

So first off, there is this young woman, Veronica, that we are teaching and it was going really well until her friend came in and started talking a lot of stuff that had nada ver (nothing to do) with what we were talking about so we just ended with a prayer and left. THEN on Saturday, there was something cool. Elder Ricks, one of the guys that lived in the same house as us, got a call from our mission president and what basically happened was that he was called to be the next assistant to the president! Everyone in the house was happy but a bit sad that he would have to go. Also, Presidente Lacerda told him to go that day to the mission office so we went to lunch (it was barbecue!) and then he packed his stuff up and went with Elder Western. I then went to visit Sara and Lenildo with Elder Nichols (When Elder Western came back, he came with Elder Nichols and Elder Western needed to do an interview so I just stayed with Elder Nichols) and that was really fun. THEN Sunday was really interesting. So first off, after church we went to lunch and another elder called (Elder Bledsoe) and said that he needed Elder Western to come and do baptismal interviews. Only thing with that is Elder Western started to throw up sooo... I went in his place with Elder Nichols  haha. It was really cool and everyone there passed the interview so that was sweet!! Then, I went back to the church building to have a ward council which was awesome but was a little weird because the bishop said who here was from Antiga Grajaú (an old ward here before the wards combined) and I realized that I was part of that group hahaha. I have been here for a little bit of time. Actually, a year ago, I was in São João Del Rei getting ready to come to Juiz de Fora. But now I will be going to Leopoldina and I will start training again! I am super excited for this next part of my mission and can’t wait to meet my companion and get started! Well I hope that everyone has a great week!

Amo Vocês, 

Elder Kupferer

Resolvendo Coisas e Marcando Datas (Resolving Issues & Setting Dates)

Hey guys! How is everyone doing?

So this week started a bit slow but then it got great towards the end! So during the week there was something that we tried to resolve in the center of the city but it took about three days to resolve. BUT on Friday, we went to Luis Andre’s and Rita’s house to see how they were doing and the mom came up to us and said that she wants to be baptized, which was exciting BUT she has been saying this for a while but we are giving her the benefit of the doubt. She then said she would go to church BUT she wasn’t there. We also marked a baptism date with another guy but he didn’t go to church as well so we will have to see what happened. BUT there was something really cool that happened on Sunday. We showed up to church and.... João Victor and Veronica went to church!! So João Victor is a less active member and Veronica is his girlfriend and our investigator. First, they both said they loved it. Second, they both said they will come back. Third, they both said that they will go to seminary. And fourth, Veronica accepted a baptismal date!! It was amazing! I am so glad to have these people just show up in our lives. They were really prepared by the Lord to have us come to teach them and it is cool to see the Lord’s hand in everything. I hope that everyone has a great week!

Amo Vocês, 

Elder Kupferer