Michael: November 3, 2010

Dear Family!!!

This last week was good. I am in the mission office, my comp went with a group to renew his visa and so I am spending P day here! So ya Im without my notes for the week. But what stands out was the visit of Elder Bednar.

SO we got there and the chapel was full of missionaries for the whole mission, and everyone had their spots reserved so we got the back row....but nobody was sitting on the side benches in the chapel cause the secretaries said we couldnt... But as more and more missionaries came and there wasnt room they let us sit on one side and reserved the other side... so I begged my companion so we could go sit on the front row on the far left bench sabe... and so we sat there for literally an hour anticipating his arrival. The whole time there were men coming in and out, doing a brazillion mic checks, and doing who knows what... and so it was super official and everytime they left and came back we thought he had come and the tention was just building....

Finally he came, and it was great... and first thing he did was have President explain that we would line up to shake his hand, FIRST WITH THE FRONT ROW, STARTING FROM THE LEFT.. So as soon as I understood I would be first to shake his hand I lost all control and started for the stand, before President had even finished explaining. (Luckily people followed right after me so it wasn´t too awkward). So I got up there, my feet going way too fast for my brain, shook Sister Bednar´s hand, nods and smiles, and then shake Elder Bednar´s. He looked me in the eyes, said ´´Como vai?´´ and I smiled, nodded, didnt answer him, and went back to my seat ha... que vergonha.

SO then during the intro of the opening hymn, Elder Bednar whispers to Pres Parrella, and Pres Parrella pointed to me and my companion in the front row and motioned us to to come up to sit on the stand. So as nervous as I´ve ever been we go up there and try to catch our breath to sing Josephs Smiths First Prayer/ Que Manha Maravilhosa, not knowing what we were going to have to do but lacking all confidence in the world. And it was like this for over an hour, we sat there listening to him, until he started the question and answer part of the meeting. After one question he turned to Elder Godoy, of the quorum of the 70 to answer, and then turned to us and asked if one of us could translate. (Elder Bednar doesnt speak portuguese) I thought he was joking so I just gave a courtesy laugh. I was way confused cause he had his translator translating everything he said into portuguese, I just didnt understand that Elder Godoy was going to speak portuguese and Elder Bednar just needed someone to translate in his ear, being the only one who doesnt speak.) So my companion tried doing it for him, haha, got like 2 words out.... the next time Elder Godoy talked Elder Bednar asked Pres to translate for him haha.

So that was our purpose up on the stand, that didnt work out so hot anyway, so we jsut spent the four hours looking at the back of Elder Bednars head. But it wasnt all so bad.
One cool thing he said was ´´the hardest lesson to learn in this life is to learn to do God´s will and not ours´´.

So other than that meeting, the work is going good.
Our investigators fiance who is trying to get back into the church has a friend that wants to change his life of drugs for a better life, so we went to teach him, only problem is he was high (we are pretty sure) so I dunno if it counts that we marked a date with him. But Im continuing to learn, love, and grow. I do miss you all. Rhett I got your letter! Yippee yai yay!