It's Time to Prove Myself

February 23, 2015

SO this week started off a little differently.... It was Carnaval and there were not a lot of people that were willing to listen to our message sadly. But we made the best of it trying to get closer to the members and everything. There were lots of rival gang egg wars! It was pretty funny but a little dangerous too haha. 

I really love the members in this ward already... We are only here like 10 days in this area, but I am already feeling a lot closer to the ward. They are really here to help, and to do this work together with us.. I have never seen a ward so focused in this... But also it needs a lot of work... But having members in your area that are awesome really help everything out... I love it here. 

Theres this road that is in our area.. One guy was baptized like 10 years ago and he was the first member on that road. Well after he was baptized he took upon himself the need to share the gospel with everyone. Now that road is like the Utah of Fortaleza. It is hard to find someone who is not a member there... 

I had an experience that I Think will change my whole mission now... I was studying in the last general conference Ensign... I was reading a talk.. Well There was this quote that caught my attention.. THis was a rough day for me too... We had basically everything fall through.. SO I wrote during my study in my planner this quote. "When everything goes wrong, FORCE a smile look towards heaven and say."I Understand Lord, I know what this is... Time to Prove MYself" I forgot that I had written that in my planner until the last moment where  I just about lost all hope... Well I read that and did what it said... IT really makes and puts everything into perspective... I am here to prove myself to the Lord...

we were able to go from one person at church to 7 people at church in one week... Trust me we are working hard... But we still have a long ways to go... 

Suprisingly it has been raining a lot this week... Like really hard.. One of the days even had thunder... I was super surpised but also extremely happy that I was able to hear thunder for the first time in like a year..

SO thats about it... I am here to prove myself... Sure it is frustrating sometimes to see that Slackers baptize more than we do... but it doesnt matter... WE ARE HERE TO PROVE THAT WE ARE ON THE SIDE OF THE LORD...

I am happy... THings are looking up, and I am ready to work..

Love you all.. FEel free to write me letters or packages or whatever... Just dont write if it contains more than 30$ because it will be super expensive and most likely will be stolen.. 

LOVE,

Elder Hamrick

This is why we wear flip flops... I left them in my big bags, and I only brought my little bags.. 

Elder G. Silva and I 

This Week Was a Mess

February 9, 2015

Sorry for the negative title, but how all of you know I dont like to sugar coat things that happen for me in the mission. I really dont know why I was transferred this week. The new missionaries wont get in until this week... So we got to the mission office and it was time to see what would happen. Well I was put with Elder Andrade... And we were to just stay in both of our areas and just switch around... then just let us go...

Well The thing is I didnt even know where our areas were.... They just told us to go. 

Saying goodbye to everyone in my last area was sad too... So that didnt really help. We finally found our house at about 9 at night... This house was the worst houses that I have seen missionaries live in... I would send pictures but I dont trust this compter with my memory card. So I will have to find another area sometime next week to send photos. 

The missionaries before were supposed to move before they left... But they didnt... SO we had to go do it just with us and one other member.. needless to say it was a little difficult...

The other house is a lot better, but It is also going to be called the batcave now... Because... it is full of bats... I really dont like bats hhaha... They poop all over everything... super cool huh?

we also had to get a lot of buses to get to our areas... So I lost a lot of money this week too... hahaha

We also didnt have pillows fans or anything this week to use to sleep with..sorry for the negativity. 

We went to elder Andrades area... He has a part that is super ghetto... its something called favela... One of the most dangerous parts in our mission... woohoo haha... My area has favela too but it isnt nearly as bad.

As we were there in his area we got commanded to leave... The first guy saw us marking down the name of the road and he flipped out... Told us to leave... Then went inside to go get something... needless to say we didnt stay long enough to find out what it was. Then another house we went to and it was awesome we taught a family.. But then this drunk guy started yelling at us... You have been here since 5 dont you have anything else to do? Then started yelling that he doenst need us he gets the word of God everyday. Then continued by literally punching himself in the head... He then yelled false prophets! like 50 times... ``TELL ME THAT YOU ARENT`` everyone was looking at us... It wasnt to cool haha... 

Elder Andrade and I started to write a song in portuguese... It is beautiful to sing.. I like singing in portuguese. Everyone in this area is super impressed by the way I speak.. So that is pretty cool.

Happy 1 year anneversary on the mission! just one more to go! It is going by fast. We really taught no one this week.. So it was a little rough for me.. BUT IVE ONLY GOT UP TO GO!

love you all,

Elder Hamrick

Where to Next

February 2, 2015

Well this will be the last email that I send to you guys from Maracanaú. I will be transferred in a couple hours... I really dont know what will happen this week. I will be training in an area called Castelão .. in an area callled Jardim União Which basically means. Big castle. In a part called Unity Garden.. So this will be interesting. I heard that it is all favela... Oh ya and I will be training and getting doubled into an area again! woohoo! I am super humbled and sad to leave this area. Elder West and I were doing some great things... and the wedding I have been waiting for for like 2 months will happen in two weeks... and I wont be here... So that kind of stinks a lot. We have found a lot of awesome people, and I Dont even have a chance to say goodbye to anyone.. So people will just find out when I am gone... 

So something that I have noticed a lot recently is that little kids look at missionaries differently.... Its almost like they know us for who we are... Servants of the Lord. Or like they remember us... This one little girl everytime I go to give here a handshake she takes my hand and kisses it.. Haha she is like 1 1/2 It is super cute. Makes me miss my nieces and nephews.. but it is super interesting. 

GEtting a package from home or a letter really makes a huge difference. I dont really know how to explain it, but it makes me super happy, and a lot more loved. I got my Christmas Package from my parents this week. Its never too late for Christmas right?

( thanks for the package) 

The weeks go by super fast... This week I will have one year on my mission. On the 5th of February... How crazy is that? Sometimes I feel like I have been gone a short time, and other times it feels like 3 years... Haha we always have good and bad days right? Everything will work out. 

THis work really is something difficult. But I always think back to a talk given by Elder Holland. ``Salvation is not a cheap experience, Salvation was NEVER easy`` why should I think that it would be easy for me... It wont ever be, but I am never alone. 

So this week was our first english class.. It was a little bit interesting, but I think the next time will be a little better. But I wont be here... So that will be sad too haha... But all is well. Tudo Bem

Usually Church is a super stressful thing... But this was my favorite sunday yet... We got there and had 6 of our investigators there. DUring sacrament meeting João Pedro who was baptized a few weeks ago recieved the priesthood and he passed the sacrament... It was amazing to see. THen Vinicius who was baptized like 2 weeks ago got up and bore his testimony! it was amazing to see the gospel already acting in their lives. 

We also did a service project this week. The first one that I have ever done... It made me happy to do service again...

So I dont know what will happen between now and my next letter, but be ready to recieve some exciting things hopefully.

LOVE YOU ALL> 

Elder Parker Hamrick
Rua Republica da Armenia, 765 Agua Fria

Fortaleza, CE 

CEP. 60821-760

Feel free to write me at the address above

Thank you for all the support I have.

Elder Hamrick

Pretty sights here in Brazil

I like animals now! 

Well... Things Don't Always Go Up

January 26, 2014

This week honestly was a little bit difficult. It started off with My companion Getting an ear infection. We went to the health clinic and everything and it happened to be his birthday too. Well we also had two baptisms that were supposed to happen this week. Neither one of those baptisms happened this week. 

One of our investigators was really super ready to be baptized 2 weeks ago... But he got sick, then after he got better, he completely changed... He is a different person and he doesnt want to be baptized anymore. IT was super weird, Theres a lot more detail, but its kind of creepy. It is just important that he changed. 

The couple that will be baptized on the 13th will then be baptized on the 15th! The transfer happens a week before this... I am super hopeful that I stay here long enough to go to their wedding and be a part of their baptism as well. 

We are always trying new fruit. We ate a Fruit called Pitamba. It was super good. 

This week really was just frustrating. We had so many things that we were expecting to happen, and not one of them happened. It wasnt all bad, but it was still not that good. Something that was pretty cool. One of the people that was recently having tooth aches. We were able to give her a blessing to not feel pain. She ended up getting her wisdom teeth Taken out, and she was still able to go to church the next day to be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Miracles do happen. We spent our whole morning on sunday trying to pick people up to go to churhc. Well none of them were able to.. When we got to church there was zero people at church that we are teaching. By the end of the first hour... there was 6 we were very happy with that.

I am missing a lot of things about home right now for some reason... I know I will have everything when I get back in a year, but theres still hard times. And when those hard times come you always miss the good times back home... haha... 

We are going to start learning Brazilian Sign Language to teach this deaf guy, it will be an awesome Eye opening experience. 

I love you all, thank you for all of the support I get every week. 

Elder Hamrick

It's never too late for Christmas! Some people thought we were super heroes!

My companion and I matching! 

My companions birthday! 

Our pet bird, who got stuck in our house... TED. 

I Found Family

January 19, 2015

So something that was pretty sweet that happened this week... I found out that Elder West and I are actually related. We have one of the same grandparents... Charles Dangerfield. It is a pretty distant cousin, but still! Its super legit! Makes me love Him like a cousin!

(My chart is on the right and his is on the left. We are family) 

So something really funny that happened at the start of this week was a 12 year old asked us if we have other clothes, or if we sleep in the clothes that we always wear. It was super funny. It will be weird when I change into other clothes for once..

So this week we started a wedding! We had to go all the way into Downtown Fortaleza. It was super sweet. The wedding thing was pretty simple too, so It was legit. I like big cities a lot more than I like little towns. We found this shop that sells a lot of cool little souvenirs and things like that. I will for sure visit there when we go back for the wedding on the 13th. 

We have a lot more work to do than we are doing... It is sad that at times we forgot to do things. WE have soo much to do as missionaries now. We have to confirm like all the members on the list to help the ward list out. And teach all of the people that we found, and all the people who recently joined the church. We are for sure keeping busy here, so dont worry. 

The spirit is super crucial to everything we do. Sometimes its hard to only use the spirit, but if we did we would find so many people and help so many people. One thing cool that Happened for me this week with my studies, I used a scripture I studied every day. During the day I would think back to my study and use a scripture I found. That is how it needs to be every day. 

We were supposed to have 2 baptisms... Well one of them happened, and the other came down with a sickness. It is super annoying that the adversary will even use sickness to prevent anyone from progressing closer to Heavenly Father. 

Elder West, Me, Vinicius, HIs Mom, His Dad, His sister Vivian (Member)

The baptism

We actually ate the Jaca this week. The last one was bad. 

( Jaca... It looks like brains)

IT is getting super hard for me to not have music. 

Remember that I love you all. I miss you a lot too. 

Elder Hamrick

Huge Catholic Church

Market there

Lourinha which means little blond girl... She pooped on me.. You can see it on my my hand. Haha. 

Não Há Nenhum Substituto Para o Trabalho Duro

January 12, 2015

(There is no substitute for hard work)

This week I started to work more for The Lord than I ever had in the past. We worked hard. of course we had some down days, but most of the days we were out there to get work done. 

We had three people baptized this week. There really isnt much of a greater happiness than to see a family get baptized. All of them were just glowing afterwards. I am so grateful that the Lord trusted me enough to let me be a part of their conversion. It was a great day. It was like a sacrament meeting at their baptism. There was like 50 people there almost. It is crazy how fast you come to love people while doing this work.

(Elder West, ME, João Pedro, Antonio Weber, and Adriana)

We really had a good attitude this week. there were lots of things that were bothering me this week but all of them were talked about in a zone meeting that we had. I love that we belong to a church that is living. that recieves revelation for us. 

So this week i saw something crazy! LIGHTNING BUGS! I didnt think that they were a thing here. But they for sure are! I saw some and it blew my mind haha. 

This week we also got a new stove and washer... Well now I can finally say that my clothes are actually clean! (Somewhat) haha

We didnt have as many people at church this week. We only had 7, but its kind of funny that I am complaining about 7! Like two months ago I couldnt even get 1 person to church. I dont know what changed, but I hope I can continue building Zion in BRASIL.

We had 3 family nights this week. EVerytime I can just feel everyone getting a lot closer to eachother. It is really a good feeling, because strengthening the family is one of the most important things that we can do. 

I am starting to get pretty good at portuguese. Theres times where people say ``Seriously you only have this much time here in brazil and you are already talking like that?`` The key is that I am trying to pick up whatever way they talk and apply it to how I speak. Here in the State of CEARA in Brasil. they dont really speak portuguese really. They speak Cearenese. ITs way different. When I try to talk with other friends that went to brazil I dont even know if they will understand me. But I am going to get a dictionary of how to speak it even better. I will be a Cearensian before I know it. 

Love you all,

Elder Hamrick

BEm vindos Ao Brasil (Welcome to Brazil)

Fruit called Jaca 

Welcome to maracanaú

Coisas São Mudando (Things Are Changing)

January 5, 2015

Well This week was a pretty interesting week with New Years and everything. People here shut down when this happens. They drink all night then the next day they go to the beach...

I got a new Companion this week! Elder West! He is from Georgia. He is super cool, I have enjoyed being with him already. Its only been a week. He can also cook! Like Awesomely. He made an apple pie the night of New Years Eve!

Elder Matheson, Elder R. Oliveira, Elder West(MY comp), and ME

Apple pie made by Elder West 

So New Years Eve we had to be in our house by 8:00 to avoid all the drunk people and the parties that were going on. It was pretty cool because we had a party of our own. Ordered some pizzas and hung around. Then it was impossible to sleep so we stayed up and watched the fireworks. There were so many that it looked like there was literally a war going on right next to us. It was crazy. Then also there were people BLASTING music the whole night. needless to say it was pretty hard to sleep that night. 

The Night of New Years Eve 

Then the next day was ridiculous. It was like a ghost town here. Here its like a street completely filled with people, cars, dogs, and music. The next morning... NO ONE was in the streets. It seemed like even the dogs went to the beach for the new year. We didnt get to teach anyone until like 5 PM because no one was in their houses. But we made the best of it. :)

(New Years Day)

We had a day where I felt super blessed. We were supposed to eat lunch at a restaurant. But it was closed so we recieved money! We were able to eat Subway! then while we were there we talked with someone who said ``How can I be a part of your church?`` it was super awesome. The whole day just seemed really blessed and cool things happen. 

So this week we also had 12 Investigators at church this week! 3 of them will be baptized this week. I have really come to love this family. I am glad I am still able to be here to help them out as much as I can. 

PEople are still talking about my youtube videos. Its pretty cool

The Lord has so many blessings for us. We just have to keep an eye out for them. I hope that everyone is doing well and has a great week!

Love,

Elder Hamrick

Here for security they break beer bottles and put cement in them on the tops of the walls

Puppy

Bones

We found a system of caves

it rained a lot... THESE ARE GIANT ANTS leaving their houses

Anyone want to try this fruit? 

No respect. Someone graffitied our church building