Elder Keller & Elder Phillips in Sao Paulo

Elder Keller & Elder Phillips in Sao Paulo

Saturday, October 31, 2015

#61 October 31, 2015 Commandments Protect Us, Elder sent home

Alright this week was awesome because we had a great meeting with President this week! It was Interviews yesterday and everytime we do Interviews we have a training beforehand. 

But it was a really bittersweet week. 

So this week an Elder was sent home because of a mistake he made out here. He is an awesome Elder and I love the guy a ton. But President talked about it a little before the interviews to reinforce obedience. This Elder was doing really good and progressing a lot on the mission but then started to make some exceptions to the rules and ended up getting to the point where he made a mistake that made it so that he couldnt stay. 

The reason i am writing about this is because when President started talking about it he just told the zone that we had lost an Elder the day before. And then he just kind of broke down. To give you an idea this was the second time I have seen him cry my whole mission! 

He had to stop for a while to be able to talk but he told us what the Elder said to him. That he would give anything to go back and change what had happened. He said he had never seen a missionary that was just so sad and if he could, he would have done anything to let him stay. But he couldnt. This Elder explained that it all started by not obeying the rules and the LITTLE THINGS. Like Coach Campbell always said that to us. Its all about the little things! If we wanted to be great players or a great team it started with the little things like being a good student on campus, being good in class, getting good grades, picking up a piece of trash on campus, etc... But the Elder told President that he never thought that he would get to that point. And really who does? That is how Satan tricks us! I always thought that these kinds of things would never really happen, that they are just stories but it happens! That is why there is law, why there are commandments! And that is why we have to obey! I think my favorite talk this last conference was by Elder Keetch. Blessed and happy are those that keep the commandments! And I loved his parable that he used about the surfers and the sharks! 

That is exactly how it is! The rules, the commandments, the law, its all here to protect us and help us to reach our full potential. We arent going to miss out on anything if we keep the commandments. Even down to the littlest things like striving to keep the sabbath day better! 

But it was a good meeting because I think the mission is really starting to see how much president loves us and wants to do what is best! He told us that every single rule he has made out here was for a purpose and was to protect us because he loves us. 

He also talked about a ton of other things because his head is just chalk full of doctrine and it was awesome but the biggest things is obey, and dont look for the glory of man! What matters is the Glory of God and if we trust him everything will work out in the end. 

But about the area, Rubens and Flavia went to church on Sunday! And they loved it! And their one year old daughter who has to be with her mom twenty four seven went to nursery and stayed the whole time! 

They are pretty awesome and loved the church already! They are studying the Book of Mormon and doing all the searches that come with the pamphlets and you can see the joy in their lives now! I hope they stay strong and good, because Satan always thinks of something to try to screw things up but please pray for them! 

But I love you all so much and hope you have an awesome week! Also everyone needs to watch the talk by Brad Wilcox from a 2011 Byu devotional titled, "His Grace is Sufficient". We watched it again this week and it was a great reminder of how amazing the Atonement is. 

But love you! Have an awesome week! 

Elder Keller 

Saturday, October 24, 2015

#60 October 24, 2015 Meeting Rubens & Flavia

There is sun today! So we took advantage and went on a little to the morro da cruz! It was super pretty! I sent the pics this morning. 

Santa Catarina is flooding everywhere down here. Joinville flooded this week, Chapeco, and Itajaí. It is raining like crazy all over the place! They said after today it is just gonna start raining again so we will see what happens! 

But Floripa is still pretty in the rain! This week was really good! We are starting to find people and having more time in our area. We had a really cool experience this week... 

So we talked to a family on the street the other day and the Dad Rubens said we could go by later on his day off. So we went and I was thinking with my little faith it isnt going to work because literally everyone says we can come by but no one ends up being home or when we get there say they are busy. But this guy answered the door and was really cool and told us to come in. His wife is Flavia and they have a one year old daughter Leticia. I thought everything was going to be really fancy here on the island but our ward is actually a very more humble area. Joinville was A LOT nicer. 

Anyways we got to know them a little bit and they explained how they don't go to any church and really feel like they are needing God back into their lives right now. So we left them the first pamphlet and marked with them for tomorrow. But anyways we were finishing up and after the prayer I was just thinking that we had to be fast so we could get out of there and get going with everything but as soon as everyone said amen Rubens just totally broke into tears. After he was done crying he explained how he could totally feel the absence of God in his life and told us how their relationship was really strained because of financial problems and how he knows he has to turn things around. 

But it was just so plain and simple to see that the gospel completes people! We visited an inactive person the other day who we found on the road and she hasn't had contact with the church for about five years. But you could just see how absolutely miserable she was! And maybe she doesn't want to admit but you could totally see that there is a huge chunk missing! 

We need the gospel in our lives to be truly happy! But hopefully this family progresses! It would be awesome! The work here is slowly building up but hopefully soon it will be better! 

We had a zone training this week about member missionary work because President Silva says that we havent learned what we need to yet so he told everyone that we need to re train on it and work better with the members because that is the key! 

I miss Joinville because the members were awesome! They were totally doing awesome when we left. The members are nice and will go on visits with us but there is a really big division between the missionary work and the members. So President wants us to teach the members that that is not how it should be. 

President is out doing interviews this week so it was slower and we didnt have as many things to do. So it gave us a good chunk of time in our area! But we also had to look for a new apartment because ours is too small for 4 so we found one this week. It looks like we will be moving in like a month! And the new apartment has AC!!!! So that will be the biggest blessing ever during this next summer! No one here uses AC. They all just use fans... 

But also Luke had a birthday this week! 6 years old! I love you Luke! You are a total stud! Mom told me that you get your cast off soon! Nice work for being tough! But happy birthday!!! 

Anyways hope everything is going great! I love you all so much! Have a great week! 

Elder Keller 

Saturday, October 17, 2015

#59 October 17, 2015

This week was a lot more calm so that was really nice! I saw in my parents letters that there are a lot of questions so I am gonna try to start answering all of those! 

So first off, more about my companion Elder Fernandez. The guy is awesome and I love teaching with him! He is from santiago chile although 3 years ago his family and he moved to viña del mar, which is a gorgeous place on the beach. His parents are both converts and were baptized in their teens. His dad served a mission in Chile and it seems like they are a pretty solid family! He has one sister and it is just his family who are members. No one else is active. He has a few aunts that are members as well but the majority arent active i think. But he is an awesome guy! He extended a transfer on the mission so he can stay till February. So it will be interesting to see if he stays here longer. 

Our area is all hills haha! We have a part along the west side of the island and the way it works is there is a main road that runs parallel to the water front and then every single road goes up the side of super steep hills. So its a great work out ever day! Our area probably is the least prettiest of all of them in Floripa but it is still gorgeous! We live with two other elders, Nascimento and Hull. From São Paulo and texas. They are cool guys! All the secretaries live by the office but we see them all the time! and every friday we basically see the whole zone because everyone has to go the church building in the center to have to meetings. So i still see moore all the time! I am also back with Sierras who is awesome as well! 

But the island is really big. It is the second biggest city in santa catarina and joinville is the first, but in land mass floripa is bigger. It is raining cats and dogs here so we will see if it clears up soon! The ward is really cool and there are a lot of cool members on the island! Elder Anderson talked about a family from here in his talk from april of 2013. I love  the island! and it is definitely one of the strongest areas of the mission member wise so im excited to work! 

The work in our ward is kind of at a stand still and in a big cutting of investigator process so we are trying to find a lot of people right now so we dont have to worry about cutting. But the Lord is helping us find! 

And time and time again I am so amazed by President Silvas knowledge of doctrine and the scriptures. He said he loved being in charge of seminary and institute because his job for 20 plus years was to study the scriptures. And it has always been his biggest thing to really know the doctrine. One of his biggest quotes that he uses is, "where are all the john taylors of today?" he talks about bible bashing and he said that no one knew the scriptures better than john taylor, and john taylor made sure that was the case so that he could always defend his faith. And that is how we need to treat the scriptures as members! We need to know the doctrine of the church. 

But it is such a huge testimony builder that God calls the leaders. When Elder Eyring called President Silva, he told him that his name had been in Salt Lake for a few years now and they were just waiting to call him to be President but they had to wait for the right time and im so thankful he got called now! 

 I love my mission! And im so glad that im here! But i love you guys so much and hope that everything is going great! have a great week! 

Elder Keller 

Saturday, October 10, 2015

#58 October 10, 2015 Transfers! Florianopolis :)

Alright so this past week has been really busy and awesome! To start off P day is on saturday for us because monday we have too many things to do. I'm not being a fubeca (bad missionary in portuguese) haha. 

But anyways, last thursday President Silva called Moore and I and told us both that we were coming to Floripa! That was a big shocker! We thought we would be staying until at least December! And things were going so awesome is Joinville and the ward was really starting to trust us so we were kind of sad but I love Floripa! 

Quick updates on Sonia and Lucas and Eli. So Sonia's date is for the 31st! halloween haha. Our Bishop wouldn't be there the week of the baptism so it is now for the thirty first. She is doing great and we have been in contact with other elders and explained everything that is going on with her and i trust she is in good hands (: 

Eli and Lucas were bummed that we were leaving but they are so great that nothing will ever stop them from joining the church. They are just so awesome! They are gonna get baptized in November! The good thing is that we will get all of the pictures and the updates in the office! 

But anyways Elder Moore and I left on monday morning to come here. We got here at about 10:30 in the morning and then we just took our bags to the mission office and had to get to work right away! My new companion is Elder Fernandez from Chile. He is so awesome! He is a really great and spiritually powerful Elder. And one of the most humble guys I have met! He has been here since February. So about 8 months. Long time! But I am super excited to learn from him. He goes home in february already so its coming up fast! 

But on Monday and Tuesday we were in charge of all the Elders and Sisters that were leaving and the new ones that were coming in. Monday was awesome. We had a big going away dinner with President and Sister Silva for all the ones leaving and Sister Silva cooks really well! It isn't just rice and beans haha. 

Then the next day we took the missionaries to the airport to see them off. It was really weird and I have realized that I don't want that day to come. I love and miss everyone but I love my mission so much! But ten months is a good chunk of time still. 

Then we waited at the airport until the all the new missionaries got here. Then President and Sister Silva came to pick them up as well. This was a huge group. There were 16! And a ton of Brasilians are coming in now. In this group there were 5 americans and 11 brasilians. 

But after that we had a big lunch with the news and again with President and Sister Silva. Then we came back to the mission office. The mission office is a big building connected to a chapel here on the island. So we had a training with President and all the new missionaries where we presented their trainers to them and their areas and then sent them all off! 

But I havent had a lot of time to get to know the area yet. But I think next week things will start to calm down. I love having so much time with President Silva though! It is the best! When we are with him we just ask question after question and he always has answers or tells us where we can find them. He is such a great man! And one thing I love is that he tells tons of stories! And he has got a lot. President has worked with the church practically his whole life. So he has a lot of knowledge of the church and how it all works. 

General Conference was absolutely amazing though. This one I watched in Portuguese because we couldnt take away from the wi fi signal in the chapel. But it was still so awesome! I loved Elder Hollands talk on Mothers, Henry B. Eyerings on the Spirit, What lack I yet by Lawrence, Ponderize, the one by Carole M. Stephen on the commandments and the spirit. There were so many good ones! 

But now the key is we have to study these talks! We all need to study the Liahona after conference. President's last weekly email was about that. How lots of members say, "I loved conference", but then no one really studies it after. It is so important to study after. 

But anyways, I love you all and hope everything is going awesome! Have a great week! 

Elder Keller 

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

#57 October 6, 2015 sorry!! i love you guys!!

I have no time. I am in the office now and things are way crazy and transfers are happening! We slept six hours in the past two days! So President called thursday and said he had a challenge for me and moore and then called moore to be the executive sec. in the office and me to be the other assistant to him there. my comp is Elder Fernandez and I love the guy! He is a spiritually powerful guy and I am super excited! I will try to find time later to write you guys because we have our own computer but we have to do transfers and trainings and we dont have a lot of time. Fernandez is here for 6 months already and is teaching me everything but I am still super lost. haha but i love the office already and president is awesome! but i will try to find time to write tonight! we will see what happens. it is just like this for this week because the news came in and because we have to get everyone out to the areas! love you guys!