First Cut is the Deepest

July 27, 2015

For sure opening an area is pretty difficult at the beginning.. I mean I am sort of used to it now that is the 4th time I ahave done it... But it still is pretty hard. You dont know anyone and it feels like you arent able to really make a difference for a while. But things are about to get better. SO this week we seemed to walk in a lot of circles trying to find our way around our area... It is kind of hard because there are like 4 roads with the same exact names... Makes it a little tricky to find the address. But we are starting to find our way around. We have already found quite a few people to talk to here. 

It is super weird being back in the same zone as a Zone Leader now... Like what? I was just here like 6 months ago just as a trainer.. But now i am back. And there are still 3 people in the zone Since I have been there.. Especially Sampaio! I am going to do an exchange with him this week to bring back some good times and see how he is still being a great missionary. I missed him a lot but now I will be able to go with him to my old area. 

I dont really have a whole lot more to say about this week.. We are still trying to get ourselves around here...]

Also Saturday night we found this less active guy who has had a lot of health problems recently.. He had to get most of his foot amputated... It was super weird because He had the same looks as my dad... Like in a lot of ways.. I am excitied to go back there... We were an answer to that mans prayers and we didnt even know it. He was so happy to see us because it has been years since he has seen the missionaries.. 

Also I got sick saturday night.... I was up until like 3.. It wasnt too fun,.. 

So sunday was pretty awful too... Just being sick.. And my comp got sick too.. It must have been something we ate.

EVery single day I become more and more grateful to be on a mission. I have quite a bit of time left... But it also seems like so little.. I need to make the best of this time.. I will never get it back. .

I love you all so much.. I am happy.. 

Love,

Elder Hamrick

That's right, Like father... Like son... Like grandson 

ZONA Castelão
Elder Amaral, me, Elder Sampaio, Elder Nielson, Sister Romualdo, Elder Miranda, Elder Padilla, Elder Quintanilla, Elder Da Hora, Sister Bogado, Elder Chester, and Elder Rasmussen. There are 7 americans in this zone!

We love Eating here at the Bishops... ITs like home... seriously... Its weird... 

God Answers Prayers

(The view from our 5 story apartment! It's a sweet place)

July 20, 2015

So recently I have just kind of been having a hard time in my area. I didnt know  what else to do.. I was trying everything and it just didnt seem to be going right... Well I was praying a lot and even fasting to find an answer... Looks like I found my answer... I was transferred... I am now a Zone Leader in the Castelão Zone... Where I just was like 3 months ago... So I am pretty super pumped right now.. 

The only thing that is a little difficult is that I am opening an area for the 3rd time in a row... I was talking with the assistant when I got transferred... He said yep youre opening an area again.. Thats what you get for being good at it.. 

But Honestly I am more than excited. I am now companions with Elder Padilla... He is super awesome and we have a whole lot in common... Like a lot... We both play guitar, Trumpet, Sing, Blonde Hair, Almost the same height... I am pumped.. We get a long really well.. 

{Elder Padilla and I (His name sounds hispanic... but hes WHITE AND BLONDE)}

it is really interesting to see the pattern of what happens when you open an area.. The first month is usually pretty hard because you are basically starting from scratch. but it makes the time fly because you work like none other to get it done.. But thats about it.. I am excited also to be close to elder Sampaio again... Hes still in the same ward.. Things are about to get awesome here... It seems like I ahve such little time left... I have to make it last. SO LETS GO AND DO IT.

Elder Hamrick

Saying goodbye to Tamandaré

my last baptisms in Tamandaré I am going to miss this family..

That's some good meat (horse)

Just kidding!! 

I think these are done! 

This is what you get when I get bored waiting for others. 

(Insert Creative Title)

July 13, 2015

So this week was a lot more like a normal week... We had lunch with another ward on wednesday and then we did an exchange out of nowhere which was pretty fun.. I stayed with Elder Seawell. He is such an awesome elder and I look up to him quite a bit.. So it was cool to work with him for the day. After that we had a special leader conference... 

Elder Godoy from the Seventy came and talked to the leadership of the mission. Everyone thought he was going to tell us all the things we were doing wrong.. But he talked a lot about our personal conversion.. Without that there is no way that we can help others be converted... It is so true and really important as well.. We always need to be getting better to help others get better.. it is kind of sad that sometimes since I have been here I am not feeling too much like i am getting better as a person.. I know I need to but it just doesnt seem to be happening.. 

we actually had a pretty good chunk of time to work in our area this week. Which was super good.. Sadly we didnt get the results that we wanted at the end of the week. The hardest problem that we have here is that people dont seem to want to come to church... I dont know if we just arent explaining it well enough for them or what... But it is sad.. As missionaries we work the whole week to get people to get to church to recieves Gods blessings.. If they go we feel super accomplished.. If not we feel destroyed... 

But we ended up having one baptism this week. It was going to be 2 but one of the twins has a fear of the water and still hasnt been able to be fully baptized.. Every week we are getting a little bit closer. I love this family though... It makes me super happy to see the blessings of the gospel in their lives.

Baptizing is great. :)

I hope that you all had a great week.. If you have any questions feel free to ask.. I am full of answers... MAYBE haha

Love you all. 

Elder Hamrick

When the Going Gets Rough, Get Going

July 6, 2015

THis week was full of challenges, but in the end we all survived haha. So we just had a bunch of things come up this week that made things a little bit harder.. >But I knew the work was never going to be easy haha. 

The beginning of the week was pretty great... we got to talk to quite a few people and we got to follow up with most of our investigators... It is crazy to see the difference in the people who were baptized. Last weeks baptisms just continue to be happier and happier. THE GOSPEL BRINGS HAPPINESS. That is what keeps me going through the hard times :)

the rest of the week was pretty hard for us to follow up with everyone. We went to one of our investigators who is a cop.. Out of nowhere He gave us a bunch of food.. I will send a picture of it... its pretty great... 

On Thursday we had a training all the way at the Fortaleza East stake... SO we didnt really get to work in our area that day.. 

The next day was weekly planning as a zone.. ANd that took quite a bit because the mission is really focusing on the importance of planning.. So things are getting better in the mission. 

THen it was already saturday.. We were running around crazy to do all the interviews with our zone (because we are missing a district leader) And trying to prepare our baptisms as well.. The day was super crazy... AND IT WAS 4th of july... Nothing happened here... haha and both of our baptisms fell through... One of the people dissapeared and the other got scared and gave up..but she will still be baptized soon.... 

(Fourth of July)

Sunday we went to do more interviews and got soaking wet in a crazy rain... IT WAS A CRAZY CRAZY WEEK... But this next week should be good. 

I am looking forward to it... 

Love you all.. Sorry I ddint have much to write today... 

Elder Hamrick

It was raining 

Some weird holiday where they just make  barbecue piles in the middle of the road

I liked this cow