New companion and an apartment closer to the Brazilian members; a Feijoada; Halloween bowling; and re-setting Jucy's baptism date

10/24/11
Dear Family!
Wow, it was good to hear from all of you [except Katie... I guess I'll have to send her her own letter  : ) ] It's good to hear everything is going well.

Things are going well here in Clear Springs.  Some things I can't remember if I told y'all...  I have a new companion, Elder Vergara.  His family is from Mexico and he was born and raised in Texas.  He speaks fluent Spanish and so he was transferred here to learn Portuguese.  And I was assigned to teach him - awesome  : ) He's learning very quickly to the point where he gave a talk yesterday in Sacrament Meeting (we all did). Just as a point of reference, we're starting week 4 of this transfer (of 6 weeks).  So it's me, Elder Vergara, Elder Campbell and Elder Waters (Elder Goodman was transferred English-speaking).

Other news:  we moved to a new apartment here @ Delk Road.  It's bigger, cheaper and closer to all the Brazilians here (walking distance).  Unfortunately Delk is still yielding little success, so we're trying to do much more member missionary work.  Which can be tough as well because they all live pretty far away...  But it's been going well.  Saturday we had a branch activity called a Feijoada, which is a style of cooking where you cook the meat inside the bean mixture - it's delicious.  And it was awesome.  The Relief Society went all out - it looked like a wedding reception with all the tables decorated and the catering trays with the little tin heater thingies...  And then they put numbers under everyone's seats and gave out prizes.  It was great.  There were two families that came that weren't members, and they both loved it.  One family is especially good, and we're going to try and meet with them one of these days (they live kind of far away as well, but we'll make it work).

10/31/11
Today's Halloween!  No dressing up even though it's P-Day.  We're not allowed out after 6PM unless we have appointments, so it's kind of an all day thing.  So we went bowling!  Woohoo!  I didn't do so hot.  I couldn't seem to get any strikes, although I did a pretty fair job getting spares.  Highest game: 123.  Luckily no one else did very well either, ha.

So kinda sad news:  Jucy, our investigator who was scheduled for baptism on Sunday, called us Friday saying, "I don't think I'm going to go to church anymore..."  : (  We found out yesterday (Sunday) that it was an over-reaction on her part because she still wants to be baptized; she was just feeling pressured.  Even though we didn't even get to teach her the whole week leading up to her baptism.  So we're going to get back with her and have her choose the date she wants to be baptized.  That way, we feel, she won't feel pressured because it was her decision.

Hope everything's well at home -- I'm still truckin' along out here.  There's nothing I'm really in need of at the moment.  I know y'all pray for me and I appreciate that.

Love y'all bunches.  Look forward to seeing y'all soon-ish.  (Christmas -- holy cow!)

Love,
Elder McGregor

Hard to find people to teach; a baptism on the 30th!; and translating Stake Conference

We were asking E McGregor why it's so hard to find people to teach now - are the Brazilians staying in Brazil because of our economy or is it because there are four elders in the area, etc.  

Last January (2011) there was some sort of change in policy toward immigrants and so TONS of Brazilians left to go back to Brazil.  I don't know the exact numbers, but I remember it being about 1/3.  Crazy.  So it can be kind of tough, especially because the area is super burn over.  Pretty much everyone knows who we are, and if they don't they're bound to ask their friends.  And there's a lot of Anti here agains Mormons.  Maybe the Mormon.org campaign will help with that  :)

But things are going relatively well with the work.  Jucy's getting baptized the 30th, so that's exciting.  Woohoo!  All that's left really is for her to quit coffee completely, but that shouldn't be terribly difficult for her since she really wants to be baptized.  Which is super exciting.

So now we're trying to find new investigators and we're really looking to the Lord to help us.  Just last night we got a return appointment with a guy named Orvando, and he seemed really interested.  So that's exciting.  We've been asking everyone if they know where Brazilians live, and that's how we found Orvando and some other potentials.  Awesome.  :)

Then he asks what we think he should do with his bike - sell it or what.  It's still like new-ish.  And chats about his return date (12/20) and that he won't really be speaker in Sac Mtg since he'll only be home two Sundays - Christmas and then Fast Sunday.

Stake Conference was on Sunday, and Pres. Tedjamulia asked me to translate into Portuguese for the branch.  So the whole branch (that attended) sat in the High Council room and we watched the TV and I translated live like that.  I tell you, it's tough without a headset, because you can't really hear the speak rvery well over your own voice, ha!.  But that was tons of fun  :)  Bro. Felsted, our branch mission leader (served his mission in Salvador, Brazil) translated as well.  So I didn't have to do the whole two hours, which was nice.

o there you go!  Love you guys bunches and hope everything is well at home!

Love,

Elder Trenton McGregor

"entertaining the masses"

Aaack!  Sorry I'm so behind.  I know it's not like me, but I think that maybe we get better quality letters when Trent doesn't feel like what he writes is being shared with everyone, so I've told him I'm cutting down what goes on the blog and to please write us without thinking of "entertaining the masses" as he writes.  We'll see how it goes...  : )
Love to all -
Sandra

Finding people to teach; and the Mormon.org campaign comes to Atlanta!

9/26/11
Hey!  How's it going?  Got the Mo-Tab CDs, which was great.  Lots of songs I didn't have before.  

Then there is lots of chit chat about ward member temple sealings, what his siblings are up to, learning to play the ukulele (we got one a couple of weeks ago), Winter semester schooling, and a fundraiser auction Bryon went to for work.  


Then he goes on about the work in his area:

Things are good in Clear Springs.  Our ever-present struggle is finding people to teach.  Our typical finding area is super burnt over, so we're going to try going to some areas a little further away to find new investigators.

So Mormon.org campaign is coming to Atlanta!  Super exciting!  It starts next week. Commercials on TV, internet ads on YouTube, billboards all throughout the greater Atlanta area.  Super cool.  They've done it in a bunch of other cities before Atlanta and the results are pretty interesting.  The number of  baptisms went up only marginally, but the quality of said baptisms greatly increased.  Also, it's not going to change much for the full-time missionaries, but for the members.  If members are mindful to missionary work, they'll have many opportunities to share the Gospel.  About 50% of adults have been approached (from previous ad campaigns) by friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc.  And were asked something along the lines of, "So why is your church doing this?"  And get this -- 98% of teenagers were asked that at least once by their friends.

So obviously we (the missionaries) want to prepare the members for this Mormon.org campaign which starts October 3.

Then lots of questions about and for Elise.  And then he closes.

There ya go.  Love y'all bunches.  Hope everything's well.

Love -
Elder McGregor

Things are going great in the Clear Springs Branch; reactivating; and obedience and progression...

Dear Family!

How’s it going?

Things have been great here in the Clear Springs Branch.  My companion is Elder Campbell from West Jordan, UT.  He was a Visa waiter that came after I went to UGA, who got his Visa, but had foot problems in Brazil.  So they sent him back here to the GANM.  Awesome.  He was in Brazil for about two months, in the Campinas Mission.  He speaks great Portuguese and is extremely humble and hardworking.  Awesome.  : )

Two other elders here are Elder Goodman and Elder Waters, both of which were originally English speakers but got assignment changes.  Elder Goodman has been here since I left in March, and Elder Waters has been here since Elder Mundt left in April.  They’re both great as well.

The branch has been doing well since it started back in ... June, I think?  Fátima has gone a little less active since she was baptized, so we’re visiting her and Lucca on a semi-frequent basis, and we’re trying to get them back to church soon.  Awesome.

We don’t really have anyone prospective for baptism, so I’ll keep you updated on that in the future.

So it was kind of a bummer to leave UGA.  Not that I want to complain or anything, ha.  It’s just one of those things - we had three baptismal dates, and it would’ve been great to have been there to see Kim and Kevin and Laura be baptized.  And we had a few other people that we were planning on giving dates as well.  But, “tudo bem,” I’m super happy to be back Portuguese-speaking.  And I’m sure that the UGA sisters will do a great job with the investigators we were working with.

Then here he asks questions about family members, etc

Here’s something fun I picked up in my personal study today:  1 Nephi 16:6-7.  Nephi and Co have been chillin’ in the Valley of Lemuel during the time where they retrieve the brass plates, and get some wifeys.  In verse 8 of the same chapter, Nephi informs that upon getting said plates and wives that they fulfilled all the commandments Heavenly Father had given them.  Then in 9&10, God gives Lehi further commandments, and provides the Liahona to guide them in their journey into the wilderness.  So ... what?  God gives us commandments and revelations and until we are obedient to the fulfillment of what has been given, we cannot progress.  We must be obedient to the truths of the truth and light of the Gospel which we’ve already received if we intend to progress and receive more light and truth.  Pretty cool!

Well, again, hope everything is well on the homefront!  I love you all very much!  Be excellent to each other!

Elder Trenton McGregor

Back in Paper Mill, now the Clear Springs Branch!; picked Portuguese right back up; and an update on UGA investigators

Dear Family;

How's it going?  Things are great here.

So I've got some crazy news – I've been transferred back to Paper Mill!  Woohoo!  It's now the Clear Springs Branch (Portuguese-speaking branch), and I'm here with Elders Goodman, Waters, and Campbell.  Pretty exciting.  It's great to be back Portuguese-speaking.  I was worried for a little that my language would have become rusty, but no difficulties – picked it right back up again.  Awesome.

So we were supposed to have a baptism last week with Kim, and we tried to help her feel good about it throughout the week.  She passed the interview on Thursday and everything.  Friday night (day before her baptism) she let us know she wasn't feeling ready and wanted to postpone her date. So we talked for a long time and ultimately decided to push it back two weeks.  And she came to church Sunday.  So she's still on track and everything.  Awesome.

We also had Stephen at church.  He dated a member for two years and decided he wanted to investigate the church.  He's taking an institute class, reading from the Book of Mormon, praying, all that good stuff.  I'm sure he'll be baptized soon  : )

Robb also came to church.  Hopefully he'll make the decision soon to be baptized.  I still wonder what it is exactly that's been holding him back.  He says he hasn't gotten an answer yet, although we know he's felt the Spirit in church, when we're teaching him, etc.  I'm pretty sure it'll happen eventually.  In the meantime, I'll keep praying for him.

So yeah, back in Paper Mill!  Awesome!  But of course we're no longer "Paper Mill Portuguese," but the Clear Springs Branch.  President Tedjamulia, or Pres. Tedj for short, is branch president and he's awesome.  We don't have any perspective baptisms  yet, but we're working hard -- there are a couple of people we want to set dates with soon.  There have been a good number of people coming to church too -- which is great.  It's an important step before baptism (gotta be familiar with the church your joining).

I've been able to visit with a couple of people who have gone less active since I was here last.  Karen, Heather, Fatima, & Lucca seem to have struggled a bit since their baptisms. It's been great to see them again, and hopefully we can get them re-activated.

Then he talks about which classes he'd like to take Winter Semester and what level of Portuguese classes to start in, etc.  (we have to register for him, so I sent him his options and he's getting back to us on his preferences).

Well, love you all lots!  Hope everything is going well!  I enjoy hearing all the fun news about home every week -- the ward, Dad's work - all that.

Love!

Elder Trenton McGregor

"I wish I had another 10 of him..."

We didn't hear from Elder McGregor this week.  I suspect it is because the library was closed for the holiday.  But we did hear from his mission president again as a followup regarding his ecclesiastical interview for BYU:


Sept 1

Sister McGregor

On Monday I interviewed Elder McGregor.  Today I endorsed and submitted his ecclesiastical endorsement online to BYU.

By the way, Elder McGregor looked great and is doing very well.  He is an exemplary missionary.  I wish we had another 10 of him here in the mission.

Sincerely,

President Wolfert

What a nice email to receive!
You can see Pres. Wolfert's Aug 29 email to us at the bottom of the post below.