I'm so used to it being me...

Dear Family,

(Sorry for the short letter!)

This week was a bit different. My companion got sick! So weird. I'm so used to it being me. Unfortunately, his stomach isn't responding very well to the new environment and we couldn't leave the house for 3 days. Fortunately, my awesome elders (especially Elder Gardner), were there to help. So I was able to keep working in my area for a majority of the week. 

So I'd just like to bear my testamony to you guys that I know that ALL of us have a purpose in life. That the only way to realize this purpose is by way of our decisions. While we're here on the earth, there are always two very visable forces fighting for us. There's God, who loves us and wants nothing but the best for us and there's Satan, who only wants us to feel the same pain he feels everyday. Every decision we make in life is hugely important. Every deision we make brings us closer to one side or the other. I now that when we make good, God inspired decisions, we can really be happy in life and more importantly, afterwards.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

-- 

Elder Hamstead

P.s. Just a little over a month until SKYPE!!! :)

Our new working method (11/3/2014)

Dear Family,

Elder Constantino, Me and Elder Page (at the training last week)! The entire Family!! :)

This last week was really cool. Elder Page and I are really pushing ourselves and, with the help of the Lord, we're hitting goals that I would have thought impossible just a little over a month ago! This week, we lost a day of work to go to a leadership training in Fortaleza (The first one in over a year!). It was so cool! Our entire method of work is about to change hugely. Last Monday, all of the mission presidents (Maybe just Brasil... Not sure) had a conference with the First Presidency/Apostolos and they received our new working method. So before, we basically always just knocked doors to find news. Now we~re only allowed to do that as a backup. So everything is based on less actives (Which we have a ton of in our ward). We~re gonna visit literally every single one of them and reactivate them by way of teaching about Temples, Eternal Families, and Family History. Im really super excited. The Apostolos promised that any mission that really fully implements this will have exponential growth. So ya, I'm gonna be pushing my district pretty hard to change them really quickly. 

Baptisms of Ricardo and Manuel

I'm absolutely loving my district! I was super nervous at first but my Elders are willing to do literally whatever it takes to serve the Lord and he's pouring his blessing upon us. When I arrived in Pacajus almost 5 months ago, it was one of the worst zones of the mission. Now its the most successful and my district is the highest baptizing district in the entire mission. I know that when we obey the Lord and his commandments, we really have no reason to fear. He will bless us in ANY struggle or doubt that we have. He loves us and wants nothing but the best for us. Sometimes we get nervous. But this is not of God (2 Tim 1:7). When we are really doing what is right, when we are living ALL of Gods commandments, we have no need of fear. Just imagine what you would give to make your children happy. Now, remember, our father is the most powerful being ever to exist and he loves us PERFECTLY.

My Zone (from like 2 months ago)

  

If ye then being EVIL know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask? (Mat 7:11)

God loves you. Pray to him and beg him for what you need. Don't be afraid.

P.s.  LOVE YOU GUYS!!

-- 

Elder Hamstead

Eu tava sentindo muito saudade de politico haha..

Dear Family,

This last week has been great! Elder Page is awesome! Hes learning the language super quickly and he loves to work (Fortunately! Dragging around companions is something I NEVER want to do again). 

So, Mommy, to answer your questions, as DL I normaly do interviews every weekend. Also, becoming district leader doesn't normally affect your time in an area. I've seen missionaries stay in the same area for 7 months as DL and I've seen missionaries that only stay for one transfer. Being a trainer on the other hand probably means that I have at least one more transfer here after this one (training is 2 transfers and President usually likes to have one trainer per missionary). But who knows, I could literally be transfered whenever (Hopefully not any time soon, Im loving it here :) ).

I'm glad to hear that David is having such a great time playing Baseball - Can't wait to get back and play with ya , little bro! Oh ya! I got my package last week (Just not the one with socks)! 

Sorry for not writing about it last week, I wasn't exactly myself while emailing last week. I had been feeling sick that morning so President sent me to the Hospital... Again.. They gave me some shots and I felt better, so we returned to my area. We went straight to the LAN house and I started feeling sick again. So we went back home and I took a nap. A couple hours later, I woke up feeling better again but I had a strong feeling that I shouldn't go out for the rest of the day. I stayed at the house with Elder Gardner and sent Elder Page and Elder Alvorado to go to family home evening. Just like 20ish minutes after I started getting super cold. We took my temperature and called Sister Fusco. I had a fever of 103... Not fun.. Fortunately, Elder Gardner forced me (I really didn't want to haha) to take a freezing shower for 20 minutes and my fever broke. The next day, it was back to the hospital in Fortaleza but this time, Sister Fusco told us that we couldnt leave until the Doctors actually knew exactly what was wrong with me. All the other times, they were all basically just guessing and giving me medicines to fight the symptoms. After 7-8 hours and a million blood tests, they finally found my problem. So now I'm taking super powerful medicine and I shouldn't have anymore problems like this for the rest of my mission!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!! 

So ya, this last week was great. On Sunday, we had the baptism of Vítoria (Niece of Jaqueline)! It was so cool! The first time that Elder Page actually got in the water! He was so nervous, but he did a great job. Yesterday was also the second vote (If one doesn't have 50 percent or more, they vote again) for President. We had dinner with the Andreias family and they were just going crazy! Eu tava sentindo muito saudade de politico haha.. (I was feeling very homesick for politics)

Anyways, the mission is going great!! LOVE YOU GUYS!!

-- 

Elder Hamstead