Beached Whale and other happenings

Famalia e Amigos,

 This week has been a pretty fun week but it has definitely been tough. We have had to find a lot of new people and really just work on improving this area a lot. It is way beautiful here but we really need to help the people here be more accepting of the gospel. But it has been really good. We have been working a lot with our branch president, president paisquinha, and he is a stinking goof. But it is a lot of fun. So during this week the work has been super fast but it has been good nonetheless.

 So as well we have been going to this zone called Povacao. It is super green and Elder De Barros went there on a split the other day and was able to contact a guy named Stefin. Stefin went to church the last week and he really liked it. He wants to be abptized and we are going to prepare him for this the 7th of July. Pretty awesome!

 As well one day this week a bunch of our appointments fell through. I asked Elder De Barros if he wanted to see where we baptize people and he said he would. So as we were walking over there a bunch of people were running to the port. Turns out that there was a beached whale there. Pretty crazy! First time I've seen a whale and it was pretty awesome.

 I'm super excited for the work that I'll be doing in this area. Ponta do Sol is stinking beautiful and truth be told this area is going to grow. It's been tough this week, with a huge party that happened and just finding people but I know that we will find people who are ready to recive the gospel. The Lord is always preparing people and it's no exception here.

 I love you all and I hope that everything continues to go well.

 Peder

Peder's life has changed a bit.

Familia e Amigos,

 So this week has been pretty busy. First off we had a training lined up for this thursday. Unfortunately what happened on tuesday was that we recieved a call and the training had been moved a day earlier so we had to get on the boat that day. It was 4:30 and the boat leaves at 5 when we got this call. So we ran over there, got to the ticket office(where the lady almost didn't sell us tickets) and then sprinted on the boat. During this whole time when we were passing by people they just were yelling run run. Furstrating but all chill.

 The training was way good and it really was a good help to work more effectively. After the training President Oliveira came to our to Santo Antão. It was way awesome and we were able to talk about our area more in depth. Also we did interviews with him and during the interview with my companion Pres Oliveira said that he would be going. So during this week I then was wondering really what would happen in this next transfer.

 The next couple days went well and the work is moving awesomely. We met somebody on the street the other day who had been taught in the past. I t was crazy because we just met him on the street. We marked a baptizmal date with him which was just awesome.

 During that day we had been really occupied with what would happen with transfers. So eventually at 9 on Saturday night we heard from President. Elder Palmer was sent to Assomada to be a zone leader. Pretty crazy. Then President started talking to me. So he was talking and he starting saying that I would be serving with Elder de Barros (he's from Fogo). I thought that was pretty chill and that I would be serving in Porto Novo. Turns out no. I have been transferred to serve in Ponta do Sol now. It's pretty insane and I can't believe I'm here. I'm still on Santo Antão which is stinking awesome. Today though has been a ton of transfer stuff so now I'm writing this late.

 As I said it's been a pretty crazy week. I'm super excited for this new area and Elder de Barros only speaks Portuguese so that should be way good.

 I love you all and I hope that everything continues to go well for you.

 

Elder Peder Schillemat

ps sorry I won't be able to respond to a bunch of e-mails. I'm kinda limited on time right now. Até proxima semana!

The Book of Mormon: A record for our time

Familia e Amigos,
 So this week has been good but a little tough. A lot of our investigators haven't been keeping their commitments (ie being at their house) so we have gotten a lot of walking in. But it's all good and we still we're able to teach some good lessons today. One of which was with our investigator Davi Fonseca. So what's funny about him was the fact that before this transfer I knew him just as the guy who owned the cyber maky. The first time we started teacing him it was way chill and we taught him in his store. Our next lesson we taught in the chapel. When we were teaching him today we were talking about the Book of Mormon and how it is really written for us. What was awesome was that I had read Mormon 8:35 that morning which is basically Mormon explaining that he feels that he is talking right to us because he was shown our times. It is just such evidence that the book of mormon really was written for us. Another lesson that we had yesterday was about the book of mormon as well. The lesson was going well and when we were teaching some people from another house came in and pulled out their book of mormons. It was pretty awesome and they were taught in the past and we are going to work on teaching them more and preparing them to be baptized. Altogether the Book of Mormon is just amazing and I know that it is true. 
 During this week we are also working on getting our investigator Warley baptized. We started teaching him the first day that I got here and he is just awesome. He has been taught everything and the problem is that his mom still won't give permission for him to be baptized. This week we are going to be trying way hard to work with him to be baptized. Yesterday we talked to the mom and she still said no but I am so tempted to just pass by her work everyday so that she can see how important this really is. It stinks though because after she said no I was a little angry mostly because Warley has been prepared for basically 4 months now and it just is awful that he can't be baptized. He is an awesome kid and really it is just awesome. Last week in fast and testimony meeting he bore his testimony and I actually started tearing up (don't judge people). He just is so awesome and I know that he will be baptized. We are going to be working way hard this week because truthfully he is so ready. 
 The work in the mission is awesome and truth be told I meet people here who are just amazing. I am so happy to be here. It is hard sometimes but if it wasn't hard then I wouldn't progress at all. I know that God loves us and really wants the best for us. He will always help us as we turn to him in prayer. The Book of Mormon is true and I know that as we read we will find answers to all the questions and difficulties that we face in our lives. This gospel is true and I know that as we live it that our lives will be so much happier.
 I love you all and I hope that everything is going well,
 Peder
 
ps I break 6months in the mission this week. Ain't it crazy? 

Peder is having trouble speaking English

Familia e Amigos,
 So this week has been an interesting one. First off I will start with tuesday. So there is an inactive we ran into called Luis. He can speak 5 languages and when we were there he wanted us to speak english. I gave the first prayer in english and I had such a hard time. It was so rough. I could not remember anything and it took me a long time to pray. Altogether I had a really hard time teaching in English. But it was alll good. It did worry me a bit about what will happen when I get back home. 
 Also after that we taught English to people this week. It was pretty awesome. I actually really enjoyed doing it and I'm excited to be doing it every week.
 During this week I got a fever as well. It did make it kind of hard to work but it went all well. The day was tough but after sleeping it off I was alll good the next day. People did start to realize how red I can get though.
 The end of this week was pretty awesome. So on Saturday we had the baptism of Rosiane's sister Fabricia. It was a good baptism and I had to conduct. Pretty crazy. But it was all good. Really the baptism went super well and I am super excited that Fabricia has followed after Christ and been baptized. 
 This Sunday was fast and testimony meeting as well. I stinking love fast and testimony meeting. I can feel the Spirit so strong throughout it all. One testimony that was awesome was of our investigator Warley. So he still isn't able to get baptized because of permission. But he knows all these things are true and he is stinking awesome. On Sunday when he bore his testimony it was just so strong to me. It was a simple testimony but I was so happy to hear it. 
 I love being here in Porto Novo. I love the people here and I love being able to feel the Spirit so strong here. I know that this Church is true. I know that we have a living prophet today and that he has been called of God. I know that families can be eternal and I love my family so much. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He died that all of us could return to live with our Heavenly Father. I know that by follwing the gospel and following the Savior's example that we will have happiness in this life and that God is always with us.
 I love you all and I hope that everything is going amazing for you.
 Elder Peder Schillemat