February 24, 2014 - Greetings from the Favela

February 24, 2014

Um did you guys ask for letters????  No, just kidding ha ha, but if you want I can try to send them to you guys because it takes almost 2 months to get there.  I forgot my notes from the stake conference again. I’m sorry, don’t be ashamed of me.  This week has been good we have a new investigator that is very good.  His name is Anderson; he’s doing well and we really are praying that he will get baptized this Saturday!  Other than that, we haven’t had too much stuff happen to us.  

I saw a rat this week the size of one of those Shih Tzu dogs in the canal and then about 100 yards ahead a couple of kids from the favela were swimming in the canal. I nearly puked.

Brazilian Favela; photo from internet

I went to the favela and the houses were on top of the water, I was a little freaked out that I would fall into the water!   But all is well, transfers are next week and I am hoping that I stay in Areia Branca, but I have no idea hah!

love you, Mom

Elder ChaseThurgood

February 17, 2014 - Visit 260 families? Check

February 17, 2014

Nothing too crazy happened, but I went to the favela and the houses were on top of the water, I was a little freaked out that I would fall into the water!  We are trying to get a new house so we can have all the elders in the same house.

I think I’m officially turning into a Thurgood because I’m pretty sure I have allergies.  I have been walking around a certain area a lot lately and every time I walk by my throat swells up and I have a hard time breathing. I will have to talk to Sister Cabral about going to a doctor or if it’s something else more serious.

My ward is very cool!  This is an area that always baptizes a lot or more than others and so we have a lot of young men and women!  Almost every night during the week we have some kind of activity going on.  Monday is free, Tuesday and Thursday we have basically sports night going on, which basically means soccer until midnight hahah. Then Wednesday is English class.  With four Americans in our ward, we are really trying to find people through the English class.  We have 4 different classes: Basic 1 and 2, intermediate and advanced.  We have about 40 people total that are coming each week but we also have class on Saturday mornings.  

Family in Areia Branca

We have been really focusing on this one family, but it seems like it’s been falling through a little bit.  This past week, the stake president asked the missionaries to visit all of the members in the wards to invite them to stake conference.  So we had 27 pages full of members to visit in 5 days.  We had to organize the members by neighborhoods, then by street and then if they were active or less active.  In total with our three companionships, we visited 260 houses in 5 days.  It was a really good experience because we found a lot of families that aren’t completely members. We asked the actives if we could return and share messages with the non members.  We actually had one man and one boy in different families ask that we come and teach them because they wanted to know how our church works.  

I was talking to my mission president this week and he was sharing an experience he had with his family. Before they would all go to bed, they would kneel down at their bed (President and Sister Cabral’s bed) and they would pray as a family, but first they would say a miracle that happened in their day.  It didn’t have to be super crazy - just something simple that was blessing in your life today.  I thought it was super cool and thought you guys could start doing that.  Especially since when you are kneeling in the home and as a family, that is when we are the closest to our Heavenly Father and His presence.

February 10, 2014 - Hot Weather, but the work goes on

I got my birthday package and am wearing the socks now as I’m writing emails.  Thanks for all of it.  I’m sorry about not taking more pictures, but walking around with a camera isn’t the best idea because if we get robbed, bye bye camera haha.   I will try harder to take more photos.  

 This heat here is pretty bad, but I’m starting to get used to always being covered in sweat.  I got a bad case of the runs Saturday and Sunday. I think it’s because I found out how to make limeade which is super cheap and I probably had like at least a gallon. Then I ate these honey bread things the members gave us, but the mix didn’t work for my body.  

Besides that the week was pretty calm. I went to the slum this week twice and I saw lots of guns hahah. I was praying pretty good during that hour and a half.

I had a zone conference which was really good. We talked about the character of Christ and it was really cool.  Dad, did your mission president teach you a lot about deep doctrine on your mission?  I have learned a lot from him already, but I bet you know a lot. He’s told us some pretty cool things of the scriptures that makes total sense now.  We definitely will have a day talking about that stuff when I get back,  because I know you know. hahah

I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do and I have narrowed it down little by little. I either want to work with special needs kids at a school and coach a sport or I want to work with physical therapy stuff, but I still have some time hahah.  

The area is still really good we just have some little things with the investigators that have to happen before we can baptize them. It’s been over 105 every single day this month and the last week in January - super duper hot! The success we have right now is bringing back less actives and inactives who have been waiting for the new chapel to be built which is very cool!

February 3, 2014 - Testimony

February 3, 2014

I watched Toy Story 3 this week. I haven’t seen it in a super long time. I forgot how sad it is haha.  

 This past week had its ups and downs. I got heat exhaustion on Friday. I wasn’t drinking enough water for 110 degree weather.  We did find a new family with 6 people.  They are super special and I think they will get baptized. They just don’t realize how special they are yet.  

Thank you for being my mom. I love you guys so much.

My new area has been a blessing to me and a help with not being so stressed.  I’m looking forward to this next transfer to have a new companion and learn from someone else.    Other than that I’m doing pretty well here. I might be going down to Sao Paulo tomorrow with other Americans to do some stuff about our visas.

I want you guys to know that I pray for you individually every night. Please tell me things that you need. A prayer is so much more powerful when it’s specific. I want you to know that at times its difficult being here and you guys being in Colorado, but there are so many blessings that we don’t recognize that it’s worth it. There are definitely some days that I am literally exhausted emotionally and physically, but I can tell you this.  This is the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God. He sacrificed for you and He sacrificed for me.  If you read in Ether 12 verse 6 it talks about that after the trials of life is when your faith will be strengthened.   I can tell you that I am grateful for my family each and every one of you.  The strength that you bring to me - there is no words to describe my gratitude.  

I can’t tell you how many times I have cried kneeling on my bed while praying in the mission, but it’s the time when I stop and end my prayer and just wait quietly when the power of the spirit testifies.  Everyone always says that prayer is a conversation with God, but why?  If we only talk the whole time, end the prayer and go about our day, we don’t give our Heavenly Father time to talk to us. This is my testimony that God lives, that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins.  I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God to restore the Gospel of Christ.  I know that there is a purpose for everything in life and that we are here to help and lift one another up in times of difficulty.  I love you but no where near the amount the Lord loves you.  Remember this, know this.  I bear you this testimony and my witness in the name of our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ. Amen

January 27, 2014 - Weight Gain?

Mom: I can't see the picture of your baptism. Only a picture of you sticking your belly out.

Chase: haha Sorry, I'm not sticking it out - that's normal. I weigh 195.

January 27, 2014 - Baptism!

January 27, 2013

Well parental units, I call mom and dad, I had my first baptism this week where I actually baptized.  And oh, what a relief it was. I felt like a burden had been lifted off my back. It was ridiculous!  If you haven’t looked at the picture yet, I’m in all white......I got my first baptism this week and our ward in total with the other missionaries had 2!

It’s been pretty crazy here for me because we had an open house for 3 days then a cultural show with dancing and singing and then our church house was dedicated Saturday night.  Then I had to give a 15 minute talk in Portuguese which meant I gave the first talk in the new church house so I’m legendary now.

The people here are simply amazing .  All of the missionaries here call it, areia branca disney world because of the magic that's happening. We have had about 7 to 8 people come up to us and say I want to be baptized, can we go now?  The first time it happened I was like excuse me, can we go now? Am I dreaming? haha but its freaking sweet here!  One of the sister missionaries in my ward is exactly like Mom and McKaylee combined.  She laughs at my jokes and then she said i was being stupid and asked if I wanted a coming to Jesus meeting. I just started laughing because that’s what mom says!

I don't know if you can put it in the box, but I really would like a small English hymnal. I know all of the ones in Portuguese, but everyone keeps asking me the ones in English and I have no idea!  Oh and also President Cabral said that when he sends things to his son in Tennesse he puts on top ‘missionary supplies’ when you have to say what it is because in the mission we have had several missionaries have to pay 400 reais or 200 dollars to receive their packages.

More cool stories:  I went to the favela and saw lots of guns and prayed my heart out while walking! 

I gave a blessing to a son of a member who has meningitis. I had to wear a mask before we entered the room. It was really cool.  Right after, the son had enough strength to take a shower by himself. Priesthood power...that stuff is real!

A new motto our district in the ward has taken is the 4 s´s; sem sacrificio sem successo (without sacrifice you are without success).  I think also the fact that we are having success is because of fasting.  I am fasting once a week right now to make sure the blessings of the Lord are coming to this area.   

I am doing well in general. A baptizing missionary is a happy missionary.

Thank you for your prayers they don’t go to waste.