June 1, 2015 LAST LETTER HOME!

June 1, 2015
Rio Das Ostras
Last Letter Home!

Dear Family and Friends, 

I am finished. 

I never seemed to completely imagine that this day would come. 

I remember so clearly the nights in the MTC laying on my bed and trying to picture and think about all the things that I was about to do as a missionary for 2 years.

What are my areas going to be like? Who are my companions going to be? What kind of people am I going to meet and help? How many people am I going to see getting baptized? What kind of changes are going to happen in my life?

I never would have been able to imagine it all the way that it happened. I am so grateful that I was able to go to the places that I went:

Vidor 2nd ward

Vidor 3rd ward

Maricá

Belford Roxo

Cabo Frio

Araruama

Rio Das Ostras 1

Cabo Frio again

Vila São Luiz

Anil

Rio Das Ostras 2

There was something special waiting for me in each area, and I even got to go back to 2 of them to learn even more lessons. I also got to make friends that I'm never going to forget.

Elder Mountain - Georgia

Elder Memea - Hawaii

Elder Wright - South Carolina

Elder Satele - Samoa

Elder Jones - Idaho

Elder L. Silva - Ceará

Elder Braun - Washington

Elder Reed - Florida

Elder Montoya - Colombia

Elder De Medeiros - Rio Grande Do Norte

Elder Call - Colorado

Elder Luque - Equador

Elder F. Leal - Pernambuco

Elder Cardoso - Rio Grande Do Sul

Elder J. Silva - Rio Grande Do Norte

Elder Nascimento - Alagoas

A lot of companions, I know, but they all taught me valuable life lessons as well. 

I'll have time when I get home to tell you about what happened this last week. 

I wanted to let all of you know that I am grateful to Heavenly Father for the privilege that I had to serve a mission, and especially in Houston and Rio. I am a better man. I understand the plan of salvation. I understand why I am here and what I need to do in my life. I know that the Book of Mormon is true.

I know.

I know that all who read, ponder, and ask God with a sincere heart will also receive this conviction. Everybody who is able to serve a mission needs to do it. It's be the best thing that you can do as a young man or woman. And then just pray that you get to serve in Rio de Janeiro, the best mission in the world.

I love all of you, I'll be seeing you shortly!

Elder Evans for the last time.

May 25, 2015 What a Week!

May 25, 2015
Rio Das Ostras

Dear Family and Friends, 

What a week! Elder Siebers and I were joking the whole week, everyday was our last not last Monday, or our last not last Friday. At least serving in the field. Today starts my last full week. My last week serving as a missionary in my area. Good thing that we've been finally able to start the work up as normal this week. We have 2 baptisms set for this coming Sunday morning. R-, is the wife of a recent convert, and V-, an 8 yr old boy who is the grandson of a member who returned to activity recently. It was funny, we were teaching this family of the member and at the end of the lesson V- told us that he really wanted to be a member of the church, he had already told the bishop and asked his mom's permission and she said yes. haha. We talked with and taught his mom and we marked his baptism for the 31st. I'll have have 2 baptisms for my last weekend on the mission. 

We moved this week too. It was a mess. We were told on Thursday that we were going to move houses on Saturday. We live in the "penthouse" of a brand new apartment building now. It's nice, but it's not as nice as it seems. We have a cool view. I'll have to see if I can send a pic home today. It was a hassle, but that's about it.

Other awesome news is that this ward is exploding! We had an attendance of 180 at Sacrament meeting this week! That is really not normal. Most wards in Rio have an average of 75. And what was better is that it was just a normal sunday. No conference or people from other wards, just members and investigators. The gospel principles class is the biggest in the ward, the retention rate of new converts is 96%. And there are baptisms everyweek. I love this place.

Mom asked me what the theme of my mission is. Ours is "Começar com o resultado final em mente; batizar, resgatar, reter, e conduzir ao templo" (just google translate it). This mission has also had several unofficial themes since I've been here. President Lima always said to us everytime you saw him, "Vai com fé" Or "go with faith", another that has always been on my mind is "BATISMO!!!!!" and I think my personal theme or motto would have to be "Só vai" (Just do it - basically). I say that because every hour there is another situation that you have to overcome, someone to talk to, someone to teach, someone to invite to be baptized. Everyone has some kind of fear to just go around talking to strangers all day and especially inviting people that you don't know to be baptized isn't something people normally do, but it's what I'm here to do. If I don't speak to people, if I don't invite them, who will? So, "just do it."

The biggest lessons that I have learned are patience, how to be charitable, how to listen to others, how to seek revelation and follow the inspirations given by the Holy Ghost, how to have faith, and how to serve. But there are too many other lessons than I can count. 

 

Have a good week!

Elder Evans

May 18- Short and Sweet

May, 18, 2015
Rio Das Ostras

Dear Family and Friends,

How are yall? I'm doing well. We are working to turn this area around and really have some more success these last 2 weeks I have. This week we found a few really cool people to teach and people who were really prepared to hear the message of the gospel.

I am just continuing the mission and preparing myself to finish. Prepping to get back home and be a different person and get back into the world. I'm excited to get to rest a little bit and then get back to school. I can't wait to start portuguese classes at BYU. I'm already going to miss speaking this language.

I don't have a whole lot to say. My thoughts are all over the place, but I'm grateful that I had this opportunity to serve and I am incredibly grateful that I was called to serve here in Rio de Janeiro. It may have it's problems, but it's the best city in the entire world. And the Cabo Frio zone will always be the best, I spent so much time here that it just has to be. Can't wait to be able to some day get on the beaches here. 

We're coming to a close. Only 2 more weeks. Get ready.

Love,

 

Elder Evans

May 11, 2015 T - 3 weeks and counting.

May 4, 2015
Rio Das Ostras

Dear Famiily and Friends

 

I am getting so close! It still doesn't even feel real! At least some times it doesn't. After Skyping yesterday for Mother's day I feel a little bit closer to being home than before. It's a weird feeling to be finishing the mission.

 

Today is one of my last pdays on my mission and it just seems like yesterday that I was getting to Brasil and didn't understand a single thing in Portuguese, but now I have difficulty speaking english. It's all so confusing, but that's mission life for ya.

 
This week was a little low on results. We are re-opening this area because it was white washed. We tried the whole week to get in contact to be able to find and teach the investigators that the previous missionaries were teaching, we had a lot of hard times trying to get a hold of all of them. But it was also Mother's Day yesterday, so almost nobody went to church. A cool thing was that I got to see most of my recent converts from the first time that I was in this area.

 

We have plans to do a lot of work this week. I want to baptize and bring tons of people to church. I'm going to have to go to Rio tonight for meetings tomorrow, and I'll probably get back here late tomorrow night. I'm not too happy and  I'm tired of doing this trip back and forth. I spend a lot of money and waste a lot of time on the bus. But President commands, we obey.

 

I don't have much to say this week, most was spoken yesterday. It was good to be able to see ya'll and know that things are normal.

 

Keep planning my parade and homecoming festival haha. Until next week!

Love,
Elder Evans

May 8, 2015 Dreams DO Come True!

May 8, 2015
Rio das Ostras

Dear Family and Friends,

Today is the first day of the last transfer of my mission. I was transferred from Anil. I guess I was destined to travel all over this mission. I got transferred like every transfer. But things are all good. The place of my death (missionary term for where I will finish my mission) is..........

Rio Das Ostras!!! I came back to the same area! Well, I'm in the other side of the area now, but I always dreamed of coming back to this area. It was the area that I liked the most out of all, and I got to come back to visit and work for another 4 weeks.

 

It is a strange feeling to be starting my last transfer. To know that in exactly one month from today I will be getting on an airplane and flying home, leaving all of this behind. The thought is actually making me sad, sometimes I don't feel like I'm ready for my mission to end. There is still a lot left to do.

 

Mom asked me to give a low down on what I expect to complete these last 4 weeks that I have. I expect to make every second count. To have the best transfer of my mission. I still have more personal goals to complete and work on. I want to baptize every week, and I want to be able to get onto the bus my last day here leaving this area and going to the office with a smile on my face and knowing that I did what God sent me here to do. I have a special love for this city, for the people here. I always knew and felt that the Cabo Frio zone was where I was meant to be.

 

It was sad to leave Anil too. I was there for a short time only, but it was enough to make friends and to help several people. 

 

Last night I was able to surprise J, the man that I baptized here the week of Christmas. He almost died from a heart attack when he saw me. He is super strong in the Gospel! He has an incredible testimony and he is just awesome! Him and his wife were super happy that I was able to come back and see them before I finish. I was able to feel why I'm here doing this work.

 

The happiness that comes from seeing how much people can change just because of the gospel and a few lessons learned, is too great. I love my mission, and I'm determined to finish happy and strong. And excited to see all of you again to start the next chapter of life.

 

Elder Evans

April 27, 2015 This week was INSANE!

April 27, 2015
Anil, Jacarepaguá

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was INSANE

Not much out of the normal happened this week. The biggest news is that my comp and I have started to do Insanity, the exercise program. We are now on our second week. It is going great. I'm sore and my muscles are tired, but it is getting me excited and making me feel great. We'll see what kind of miracles it will cause in the next 40 days.

This week was really just a normal week of teaching and trying to help people. I felt a little unorganized this week. It seemed like most of what we were planning on doing didn't ever happen. It left me feeling frustrated with our plans and with some of the people that set lessons, or lunch, or visits with us and then just never show up. These things happened a few times this week.

 

Church on Sunday was also pretty hard again. There is something wrong in our ward, at least that what it seems like. The attendance has been pretty low for the past 3 weeks. Nobody knows what is going on. I am wanting to see this ward grow. We have the largest chapel in the state of Rio, and our ward had only 55 people at church. We fit in less than half of the sacrament room.  This week we are going to see what we can do to bring more people back to church.

I found out that our mission baptized 108 people in April. This is our record so far in the last 2 years. March and April were the first two months that Rio has baptized more than 100 since before I was here. Everyone is excited about the dramastic changes that our mission has made in the last few months.

Next monday is the start of my last transfer! There is still a chance that I get transferred to another area for my last 4 weeks. I'll find out this weekend what is going to happen to me. Ilet you all know next week! And I'll let you know about mothers day when I know where I'm going to be next week!

 

Have a good week and keep the commandments!

 

Elder Evans

Monkies are everywhere!

 

Two Elders Going Home!

April 13, 2015 Quem é? (Who is it?)

April 13, 2015
Anil, Jacarepaguá

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was a mix of great and bad, but for me it balanced out towards great. It seemed like there was some kind of curse over everyone in our area this week. Everyone was tired and depressed and sad and nobody wanted to do anything. It even was starting to get at us, but we powered through with faith and we were able to complete some of our goals for the week.

The best part was we had another baptism! We are now 4 weeks straight in our area. We are doing our best to keep them coming. It is our mission goal to baptize weekly, and I'm finally being able to reach this goal. It's good to baptize. This week was C. We have created a young mens organization in this ward. 3 months ago there was 1 active young man in the whole ward. Now we have about 9 that come and 5 baptized. The bishop told us that this was what he needed us to do, so we are teaching about 20 youth per week, and we are teaching most of their families too.

Sunday was a hard day in our ward, but also something super cool happened! First off, there was about half of the normal attendance at church today. Nobody knows what happened or why nobody was at church. We were waiting for some more investigators to show up when we saw from the second floor window a woman who we didn't recognize, and that didn't look very brasilian, enter the front gate. We went downstairs to greet her and I could hear her speaking english. When I we got downstairs she turned to us and I immediately recognized who it was. Lindsay Stirling! She just happened to show up for our sacrament meeting. How cool is that?! I spoke with her a little before and after the meeting and took a picture with her. She is pretty legit. She had a show here in Rio on Saturday as a part of a South American Tour that she is doing. It was funny because almost no one else knew who she was.

I am doing well. Hope yall are prepping yourselves for my homecoming party here in a few weeks! 

Love,

Elder Evans

 

Lindsay Sterling and Elder Evans

Rubix Cube Boss!

C's Baptism

April 6 Happy Conference and Happy Easter

March 30, 2015
Anil, Jacarepaguá

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope everyone had a great Easter Sunday and was able to ponder the plan of salvation and the atoning sacrifice of the Savior! I know that I really enjoyed this week. I caught a small cold from my companion, but I forgave him, and am getting better now. I learned a lot at conference and hope that you all did too.

 

I'm thankful to be a member of the true church of Christ and to have the more complete knowledge of His plan for us. Something that I really have been thinking about lately is how the knowledge of Where we come from, why we are here, and where we are going to go after this life has really helped me in my life to make all the choices that I make. I know that choices have eternal consequences and significance, and I know that all of us will ressurrect someday to be judged and be rewarded according to our thoughts, actions, and desires.

 

This week we had another baptism. I am now three weeks straight. Proving President Cabral right that yes, all missionaries can and should baptize weekly. I'm trying to finish my mission strong to do all I can to help my area and baptize everyone that is waiting to receive this sacred and saving ordenance.

 

That's all I got this week. We are working with a teaching pool of about 20 young men and women to baptize them in this month. Pray for us to be able to help them take this decision. 

Love,
Elder Evans

March 30 Transferrrrrrred!

March 30, 2015
Anil, Jacarepaguá

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, during the week I was transferred after all. I was in the office on Wednesday morning for a training meeting, and I was told there that I was going to be transferred that day. How dumb huh? But I'm actually alright with it now. I really did want to stay in the Vila for the rest of my mission, we were seeing some real success and progress like never before in the ward, but "I'll go where you want me to go."

 

I'm now in a new area with a new comp,  and happily am no longer a zone leader. Well, at least it's nice to be able to focus more on my area and my own progress. I had been kind of hoping to be released as zl for a little while now to be able to really focus on working hard as just a missionary for the end of my mission. I'm now in the area, don't laugh because it's pronounced differently in portuguese than you are going to read it, Anil. I got here on Wednesday night, and this week we had another 2 baptisms here. I-  was a man that felt that he should go to church last week and I taught him on Thursday for the first time and we invited him to be baptized Saturday and he accepted and was baptized. He is super elect. Golden. We also baptized on Sunday a young man J who the Elders had already marked the date with before I got here. My comp is now Elder J. Silva. He was trained by Elder Siebers. Cool! He has been here in the area for 2 transfers already.

I'm getting to know the members here and all of our investigators still, but so far I'm loving the area. I think that it is the smallest area in the mission too. Going to save my feet from more wear and tear. 

 Tomorrow we already hooked a birthday party for me in the chapel, which is the biggest and nicest chapel in Rio too. Look it up on Google maps! I live on Rua Tirol 188 in a nice apartment in the back of the condominium.

 Well, I'm going to have a great birthday tomorrow and I'll take plenty of pics. I don't have pics to send today because I forgot the cable at home. I'll have a member send them to you this week.

 

Love,

Elder Evans



Birthdays in the Zone

When you give me authorization like that....

March 23, 2015
Vila São Luis
Dear Family and Friends,

This week was one of the best I've had on my mission. A lot of things happened to us this week. A lot. 

Monday and Tuesday morning I wasn't feeling too good. I don't know why or what, but I didn't feel like even working. But on Tuesday morning I asked for a blessing from my companion and from that moment onward, only miracles have happened in our area. Tuesday I left our house feeling great. As we walked past a street, I felt an impression that I had to go on that street because somebody was waiting for us. We had appointments so we went to our first lesson, but our second one fell through.

 

We went back to that street and we walked and the whole time I was just looking out for the person that was waiting for us. We did some contacts and knocked a door or two, but it just wasn't it. We then passed by a corner and there was an eternal investigator of ours sitting there, and she had boughten us lunch that same day too. We kept on not thinking much, but then we both just stopped and decided to go back and thank her for our lunch. While thanking her we asked her for a referral and she told us to pass by her sister's house who lives underneath her. That was it! We couldn't go that same day, or on Wednesday because my comp started to throw up.

 

Thursday comes around I get a call from one of the assistents asking about how many baptisms my zone is going to have this week and I told him that I was trying to get one for me at least. He then gave me a special authorization that I could baptize people who had never even gone to church, as long as they still passed the interview and such, obviously. When he said that we caught fire. We quickly planned our day to go and invite all of our investigators to be baptized on that Saturday.

 

The first place that we were led to was this referral. After some more things happened, we got into her house, we taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and invited her to be baptized Saturday and she accepted without a single doubt or hesitation. We explained more about the baptism and the interview and gave her some things to study for that day and we went back on Friday to resume all the lessons and interview her and in the end we baptized G and her 8 year old daughter L Saturday night. She was soooo ready to receive the gospel. She was just waiting for this moment. That goes in my record book of fastest baptism. I met her, taught her for just 15 minutes, and in 2 days she was baptized and Sunday was confirmed. And they had never been to church. I feel like one of those missionaries from back in the day who just baptized people on the spot.

 

Definitely a week to remember.

Besides them we have an amazing new family that we are teaching. We met them on Friday, they are also a referral from member, and they came to church on Sunday asking to be baptized. The two parents, M and C, will have to wait because they aren't married legally yet, but the two kids, S and T, are going to be baptized ASAP. T asked me at church when his baptism was going to be, I told him that we are going to do everything possible for it to be this Saturday. Showzão.

Church was full. We had 9 investigators there. Things are definitely getting better for us. Good week.

Sounds like yall had fun in Vegas. Keep enjoying life!

 Love,

Elder Evans

March 16, 2015
Vila São Luis
What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas! 

Dear Family and Friends, 

What's this? The family on vacation without me?? Enjoy Nevada for me.

This week we had our 2 baptisms fall through again... We decided that it's best that we put them aside for now and use our efforts on other people who want to be blessed. It taught me a lesson, though, that sometimes we really don't know how to put God in first place. The family is always too busy with work, or too tired with work, and nothing is more important in life than work. But it isn't that way, and it never will be. We owe everything that we have in this world to God, and we can never be so daring as to place the material possessions, or money, or time, in front of a service to God. 

Sometimes it's sad to me to see the world that we live in, and see how often we let material things choose our actions. I remember the words of the Book of Mormon stating that man was made to act, not to be acted upon. We were made to have a freedom of choice, but without noticing we often give up that choice and become slaves to substances, technology, actions, and money. I love the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ because it offers us our freedom from this world, but we have to willingly choose to live it to receive these blessings.

Things are getting better for us in our area. We were able to bring 6 investigators to church and we are running to try to baptize someone this last week of the transfer this week. We are going to invite A, who is the wife of the old first counselor in the bishopric, to be baptized Saturday, we are praying hard that she will accept. 

Next Monday is transfers again. We'll see what happens to me this go around.

Love, 

Elder Evans

Vila São Luis
March 10, 2015

Dear Family and Friends, 

To answer your question Mom, departing missionaries get to go to Cristo and have a pday in the city on the last week of their mission. We have a self sufficiency class, and a testimony/last supper with President before we all go to the airport and fly out.

The ward is starting to move, they were all pretty stopped with the missionary work. It sounds like there is going to be a new bishop getting called here this Sunday, so everyone has been just waiting around to hear who its going to be. As of yet we haven't been having any activities. The church building is in another area and we can't be going to it all the time, or work close by. But we are planning small activities to do here in members' houses. We should be starting this week. This ward is a little complicated. The members are great, but it seems like everyone is just tired.

We are teaching a few people. Our most excited and progressing investigators are B and V. They have been coming to church since I've gotten here in the area, but they aren't legally married, that's why they haven't been baptized yet. The marriage process is long here, so we are hoping that everything will be ready for them to get hitched by the end of this month or early in April.

Just pray for me that I can finish out my mission strong and that everything goes well for me here and when I get home. It's getting stressful knowing that I'm going to be finishing my mission so soon. I don't know if I'm ready to end, but at the same time I'm excited to get home.

My comp is a good guy, but he's complicated.But I've been helping him as much as I can to calm down and not be as trunky as he is.  It's getting better. 

I didn't have a cell phone because some other elders gotten robbed and we let them borrow ours for the time. I got it back last week. 

Love, 

Elder Evans

Vila São Luis
March 2, 2015

Dear Family & Friends, 

Well yeah, this week was a fun week. I didn't get any news on my camera. I don't ever expect to see it again. I'm good though.

To answer for the title, we had a baptism this Saturday. P- was baptized. He is a nephew of a member, we have been teaching his parents, who aren't legally married, but after hearing our message and going to church like they have for the last 4 weeks straight they are going marry in the end of march. The family is awesome. I love the chance that we get to teach them. Ever heard the phrase "Golden Investigator"? But back to the baptism. We were there at the church for the baptism at 7pm. At 6:45 there was a power outage in the city and it took out the power of the church!! But I'm not going to let that stop a baptism from happening on the day and hour that it was marked. There was a bunch of members there and we did the baptism under the light of Cell phones. It was a great baptism. I have a pic, but cant send it today.

Besides that, the week was mostly uneventful. this week we are going to hopefully baptize 2 more people, if not 3. The end is near, but the work never stops.

Love,

Elder Evans

Vila São Luis
February 23, 2015

Dear Family and Friends, 

Well... This weekend has been an adventure... 

I had to go to the office on Saturday to bring a couple boxes of materials that they were needing from here in the stake. We left after a baptism that the other elders had and we arrived home at about 3pm. After this we got a call from president saying that we had to go to another area in our zone to baptize a few people for the sisters. People that had decided that they didn't want to be baptized this week. Only my comp knew how to get to the area, so we did an exchange and I ended up staying here working with the other elder. We left our house to work, after I had eaten some lunch, just before 4pm. We went to go teach some people that lived close to home. 

After 2 appointments we were passing in front of our house and I needed to use the bathroom so we went in. And to our surprise the door was unlocked. I had the keys with me and I had locked the door when we had left. We thought it was a little weird. But because everything was seemingly in its place, and we don't have a cell phone anymore, we left and continued on with the night. My comp for the day, the other american, realized that his money was missing, and so were his basketball shorts. And shortly after, I was looking for my camera, and couldn't find it. Long story short. Somebody got into our house and stole just my camera with all the photos and videos of my entire mission with it, and the 70 reais and shorts of the other elder. How dumb is that?!! 

So don't worry about my safety or anything. We talked with the police and the landlord and president and we already changed the locks and keys and everything, but unfortunately I'm not going to be able to send any photos this week or for the rest of my mission because I don't have the memory cards or a camera anymore.... I'm pretty frustrated because I lost so many photos, the camera doesn't matter to me, but I'm ok about it too. Heavenly Father is really good at justice, and I'm sure it's not cool in the end for those who do bad things to representatives of Jesus Christ.

Besides getting robbed again, we had a good week. The mission baptized this month, in 3 weeks, with Carnaval, 94 people. Which is getting better every month. Our goal the last 3 months has been 100 and each time we get closer. March is going to be the month that we reach more than our goal. Just for my birthday!

I hope all are doing well. Don't worry about me. I am doing great!

Love

Elder Evans

February 10, 2015 Happy Birthday Pops!

Vila São Luis
February 10, 2015

Happy birthday tomorrow dad! You're the best dad ever! Hittin the big ol 50, wooooo!

My email may be a little bit short as of the time and the transfers and the everything today. As I had already advised mom, I was transferred yesterday. It was a little bit sad to leave the region and the zone that I have spent so much time in and worked so hard to be able to help the growth that is happening there. But now I get a new start here in (drumrolllllllllllllllllll) The Rio De Janeiro Zone! I'm zone leader here in the Rio Zone, which is kind of falsely named because it's not in the City, but whatevs. 

My new area is called Vila São Luis, it's a few neighborhoods in the city of Duque de Caxias. It's seems like a good place to work. It's the smallest area that I have ever gotten. It'll be nice to not have to walk miles and miles to get to places. My new companion is Elder Cardoso. He is Brasilian from Rio Grande do Sul. I am training him. This is now my fourth time training, and second time training at the same time as being a zone leader. He is 20 years old and is a nice guy. He is a lot different than my last companions, he is more serious and quiet, but he likes to work hard and we are going to for sure. 

I can see the big city from the front of my house. I can see Cristo and the pão de açúcar! This is the closest I have ever served to Rio. I'm happy to be here and I really want to help this ward grow. I'm a little stressed, as always at the beginning of a new transfer in a new house with a new companion and in an area that I don't know, but I think that it will pass by the next week. It doesn't help that we don't get pday on transfer week.

Carnaval starts this weekend! This year we are going to be working in Carnaval. If I was still in Cabo Frio I'd be at home the whole time, but here there isn't any beach or real problems. We are going to leave home in the morning a little earlier every day starting on thursday and get home at 6 pm every night instead of 9. But when we get home we have to study. It seems to me that this year carnaval is going to be nothing for me here, nothing like Gay parades and the crazy parties of last carnaval haha. I hope. 

I wish all a good week and a good carnaval! Another happy birthday to big papi! and keep sending your prayers this way so I can baptize like crazy these last 3 transfers! I'm getting close to the end and I need to baptize another thousand people at least!!

Love, 

Elder Evans

January 27, 2015 Working Hard

Cabo Frio
January 27, 2015

Dear Family and Friends, 

We are working hard to turn this area around. We are running from one side of Cabo Frio to the other teaching and inviting and sweating. We are starting to see more results from the hard work that we are doing. We are bringing more people to church on Sundays and we are going to finally have more baptisms on the 7th and hopefully this week if everything works out. 

This week we spent a good time working with a family that is very special for me. This is a family that I am getting a second chance to teach on my mission. I met them in Maricá with Elder Braun. They are a referral from one of the counselors to the mission president here and they moved to Cabo Frio about 2 weeks before I was transferred to this area for the second time. A year ago the parents weren't married and we couldn't get them to start the longggg marriage process here in Rio, but over the past year they started and the only thing left to do is have the marriage and they are married. They have 6 kids in total. 2 who are at the age of baptism. We went there and had a very spiritual lesson about eternal families and we invited them to be baptized. For now only the two sons can be baptized and we marked their baptism for the 7th. One of them is on vacation with an uncle in another city so when he gets home he will get the news that he is getting baptized that day. They are really starting to progress now and I'm glad that I got to return to baptize at least some of the family for now.

We are trying to help this ward get excited again like I said last week. We are starting to see some changes. Members are teaching with us, and helping in the church with visitors and such. Things will continue to get better as the time progresses.

Besides that I am happy and well. Just trying to work hard for the little time that I have left. 

Love, 

Elder Evans

January 19, 2015 "And Another Week Bites the Dust"

Cabo Frio
January 19, 2015

Dear Family and Friends, 

And another one down. I have officially started my countdown. It's getting close to ending. The only reason that I know that I only have 137 more days until I get home is because yesterday started the doctrine and covenants reading challenge. You read a section a day starting at section 138 until your last day. But I prefer not to think too much about it. I have too much to do here in Rio still before I can go home.

 

This week was another long week of trials, they never seem to end, but I guess that is how we grow, right? We weren't able to achieve our goals and yesterday the church meeting was a long 3 hours without investigators there. Wow I felt so terrible without anybody new visiting the church, it was the first time that it has happened to me in a long time. We are struggling to work with the members here. They are great, but it seems like everyone is asleep and depressed. We talked with all the leadership in the ward yesterday about how we need the members' help in our work and we are going to wake them up and get them excited again to help us work. I was looking through the area book here this week in a moment of frustration, and I discovered that this area in the entire year of 2014 has only baptized 3 people. 3 people is ridiculously low. We are here to change that. And the change needs to happen this week because I am thirsty for baptisms.

It's getting really hot here lately. I am praying that it rains soon, just to cool off a little bit, and hide the sun for a few hours. Wow!

I'm doing fine besides being really tired all the time. I hope Madi has a happy birthday this week! And that Ethan does well on the ACT! And that everyone is happy and can do something to help the missionaries in your city. 

Love

Elder Evans

Sunset on the bridge to Rio

Churrasco for Elder Mantilla's bday

Us on a bench. 

SELFIE