THIRD AREA: Working Hard

Max and Elder Piccin has been working hard in Cavalhada. They had Elida's baptism on Saturday night, and possibly three more on Saturday.

"Me and Elder Piccin sang again with Melissa and Caroline Kern, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and I felt the Spirit so strong and it was a very spiritual baptism, Elida's mom Leonilda was crying right before she was baptized. Leonilda was baptized about 3 years ago but she went inactive and so we are hoping that she will stay active with Elida now :) they are a great lil family.. oh man, ha ha, so Leonilda has this lil boy named Nicholas and hes about 4 and hes crazy, ha ha, during the whole baptism he was running around and yelling and screaming and no one could stop him, ha ha, its the same thing during all of our lessons and in sacrament mtg. too. I gave a quick message about baptism cuz the lady that was supposed to couldnt come but I am so greatful that I was able to. I just shared one of my fave stories in the BOM when Almas at the waters of Mormon with the people in Mosiah 18: 8-10. I love this part of the BOM. I just substituted the waters of Mormon for the baptismal font and read it to her and bore testimony of baptism and the Gospel. Man, I just love this Gospel and am so greatful for the opportunity I have to share it with everybody and bear testimony everyday."

(Max and Elder Piccin with Melissa and Caroline Kern)

"We might have 3 baptisms this Sat.! If everything goes right :) We have Guilherme for sure and hopefully Fernando and Junior. I havent told you about Guilherme (pronounced Gillyermee, its William in Portuguese) There is the sweetest old lady in our ward named Miguelina and she has been caring for him for I dont know how long and this week he will legally be her son. . . He is the sweetest lil boy and I love him and hes 11 and ready to be baptized. He comes to church everyweek with Miguelina and hes so awesome and just an amazing kid. "

"Oh did I tell you we finally got a bishop last week?! yeah so we are so glad and relieved cuz its Elton!! Have I told you about Elton Saucedo? He's like our dad here on the mish and him and his wife are amazing, his wife's name is Marisa."

Another week down - 68 to go!

THIRD AREA: Happy Mother's Day - May 10, 2009

Max called home from the Kerns' on Sunday, May 10, 2009. Everyone was there to talk to him! It was great to hear his voice - it makes the distance between us close. He seems so excited about the work and is definitely in missionary mode. We are proud of you Max!

We were able to talk for an hour and here are a few things that were said:

Max and Elder Piccin live in the best apartment on the mission. He usually eats hot sandwiches (meat, cheese & bread) with cold bananas and juice for breakfast. He recently found Brazilian oatmeal - which is a lot like flavored malt-o-meal (he likes the strawberry). Rice and beans are had with every meal, and they also have a lot of pasta. Chussurro (Brazilian barbecue) is the favorite food, and he has even tried chicken hearts!

He said that this area he's in right now, Cavalhada, saved his mission but he suspects he'll be leaving on the next transfer.The Kerns' family. Max's home away from home.

Luciana - the Kerns' youngest daughter, who is four. Evelyn thought it was great that Uncle Max has a four year old friend in Brazil. She laughed and laughed when Max told her they call her Lulu.

Juliane - was baptized the day before we talked.

Apparently everyone in Brazil is either a fan of the "red" soccer team or the "blue" soccer team. Max likes the blue, but attending games are against the rules. Apparently the games get really messy. Adam and Emily thought the funniest part of the whole conversation was talking about the copy center and Max kept calling it the "Sheerox" instead of Xerox (Zerox), no matter how hard they tried to correct him, he didn't realize he was saying it wrong. He apparently is becoming more fluent in Portuguese, comes with living with a native companion.
The greatest thing was hearing his voice and how happy he sounds. After our Christmas conversation, I think most of us were worried or concerned or sad, but now he is an awesome missionary filled with the Spirit and yearning to teach! Evelyn was asked what Max is doing in Brazil and she answered "teaching the people about Jesus" That is what he is doing. People need to be taught about Jesus, to come to know Christ and to feel of the power of the Gospel and its truth, Max is an instrument in the Lord's hand to bring people to Christ.

THIRD AREA: Another baptism - May 9, 2009!

Just a short update from Porto Alegre. . .

"So this week has been another great one and me and Elder Piccin have been greatly blessed. We have a baptism on Saturday and the girl's name is Juliane and she's 21 and she's amazing and her faith is incredible."

Max and Elder Piccin with Juliane on her baptism day - Sat. May 9, 2009

We can't wait to talk to Max on Mother's Day! The work is progressing and the Church is true!

THIRD AREA * Cavalhada with E. Piccin *3/24/09 to 6/9/09

Max got a new companion on March 24, 2009. He is still in the same area, Cavalhada, just with Elder Piccin from São Paulo instead of Elder Headley :

"We had transfers on Tues. and it was one of the hardest things i've had to do on the mission to say goodbye to my comp. and friend, Elder Headley, boy was it hard, ha ha.. I learned so much with him and he taught me so so much. He is my brother now and I know that we'll be friends forever and chill when I get home. We went through so much together and he was with me through the hardest times on my mission. I could never thank him enough or thank my Heavenly Father enough for bringin us together as companions when I needed it the most. . .
My new comp's name is Elder Piccin and he's from São Paulo and awesome and an amazing missionary. We get along great and already have a strong friendship like me and Elder Headley. The work has been goin amazing too. It has been hard and frustrating because I have to show him around the area and lead and introduce him to everybody but it is so worth it and it has been great work this past week. "

(View of Cavalhada)

Just a few people in Max's life during March and April of 2009

Isabel and Volnei

March 16, 2009

"So yesterday after church we taught with a young man in our ward named Leonardo - hes 18 and a recent convert and is so awesome and is gettin ready for a mission. He had a couple people for us to visit and we went to this one house of a young couple and their daughter thats about 5 i think and the dad wasnt home so we just talked to the lady, Isabel, for little bit and set up and appointment for Wed. and she was really excited and they went to church a couple o times a while back and we felt really really good about them"

March 30, 2009

"So remember Isabel and Volnei, I'm pretty sure that I told ya bout em? Last monday night we had a family home evening with Isabel and their daughter, Aline, with the Kern family and it was so amazing. Caroline Kern, the 18 year old daughter plays the piano amazingly so she played and we all sang and the Spirit was SO strong all night and I know that Isabel felt it :) So we went back on saturday and taught Isabel and Volnei and their daughter about the plan of salvation and it went so so good and they just love everything with the church and they all came yesterday again! The problem is is that they're not married so we're goin back on Thurs and we're gonna set a goal with them for marriage because they already accepted baptism! "

April 6, 2009

"we taught Isabel and Volnei yesterday too with the 2nd counselor in the bishopric about the Law of Chastity and Eternal Marriage and it was amazing. We set a goal for marriage for the 16th of May so i really hope they can get everything worked out and become an eternal family. They are so special and I am so grateful for meeting them and being able to teach them."

"So I don't think I told you guys, but we cant go to Conference unless we have investigators there with us... On sat. Isabel and Volnei came to the morn session and it was great and I really think they liked it.. Isabel asked me who was speaking during Pres. Monson's opening address and I whispered, "o profeta" and she was just like, wow.. it was awesome."

April 13, 2009

"So we marked an appointment with Isabel and Volnei last night and were really excited, but they werent home dang it so we've gotta pass by there this week and find out about there wedding, it is so complicated in Brazil, haha, seriously"

Kerns'

(the member family that has taken Max in)

Apr. 13, 2009

"Oh! so guess what?! We had a Churrasco with the Kern family on Saturday and it blew my mind!! Remember churrasco, a brazilian barbecue, holy crud it was amazing! you all would have died!! ha ha, more meat then you could ever imagine and just so much flavor and so tender, whew! :) ha ha, sorry, I had to tell you that.. that fam is truly amazing, they have helped me out alot here by making us feel so welcome in their home and a part of the fam. We had two lunches with members fall through this week and Denise Kern was right there as the backup and so we ate there 3 days in a row this last week! ha! it was awesome."

Maures

April 13, 2009

"We have been teaching the boyfriend of a member lady and he is so great and ready to be baptized this next sat but the problem is is that he lives in the Porto Alegre North Mission (about an hour away) but he comes down every weekend and comes to church and we teach him and we taught him the 4 main commandments yesterday and he is so ready but we talked to Pres about it and he has to talk with the other mission pres and find out about it and he hasn't got back to him so we will ask him tom at a Leader Mtg. that we have :) It would be amazing and a priviledge to see his baptism, his name is Maures . . .

Apr 20, 2009

"So as you can see in the pics we had a baptism on sat!! It was amazing. Remember Maures? He's the fiancee of a member in our ward and we didnt think we'd be able to baptize him but talked to Pres. and were able to and it was amazing. His future bro in law baptized him, hes the other guy in the pic, hes also the 2nd counselor in the bishopric. Hes awesome, his name is Marcelo Pereira. Maures is amazing. Me and Elder Headley started teachin him last transfer and his fiancee (her name is Viviane Pereira) told him about the church and he agreed to have us come and teach him. Over the last few weeks we witnessed a change in him and witnessed him gain a testimony and watched his testimony grow everytime we taught him and he accepted everything so good with so much faith and i'm just so grateful for the opportunity I had to teach him and watch him grow, hes amazing. It's been a while since my last baptism and so it was just so amazing to witness it and feel of the Spirit so strong just testifying to me and everybody there of the truthfulness of the Gospel."

Juliane

Apr 20, 2009

"Did I tell you about Juliane? Remember the girl that came to General Conf. by herself on the bus and couldn't find the chapel so went home? Oh man, we felt so bad.. We have been teaching her a lot and she is amazing. We taught her the Word of Wisdom yesterday and she only drinks coffee and said she would straight up stop yesterday, her faith is amazing. She couldn't come to church again yesterday because her mom was sick and couldn't be alone so we remarked her baptism for the 9th of May and she is ready, she already wants to be baptized! She already has a testimony of the BOM and Joseph Smith and it just keeps growing, its amazing :) I just can't express the happiness that comes from seeing people change their lives and gain testimonies of the restored Gospel. . . . "

April 27, 2009

"Sunday was stake conf. and a special broadcast just for the south of brazil and Pres. Uchdorf talked with Elder Christofferson and two other speakers and it was amazing and we had 5 investigators there and one was Juliane!!! She came! :) so her baptism is still marked and she is amazing. "

THIRD AREA: 6 Months

MAX HAS BEEN IN BRAZIL FOR SIX MONTHS!

THIRD AREA * Cavalhada with E. Headley 2/4/09 to 3/24/09

Max is now in an area called Cavalhada. His new companion is Elder Headley from Arizona.

THE GOOD:
#1 week of Feb. 9: "I am in a new area called Cavalhada and its about 25 min from the office and right next to Cristal, my first area. My new companion is so awesome, E. Headley. He's from Phoenix, Arizona and the friggin man, ha ha.. he played baseball in college at eastern arizona and so hes dang stinkin good and so we share our love for baseball and get along great and teach so good together. man, i love workin with him, his testimony is so powerful and he is an amazing missionary and he has already helped me out so much. So the work is going great here! I love this area and workin with Headley and all the members here are so awesome. my first night here we went and visited a family (the Kearns') in the ward of a couple and their 4 girls and they are so nice and awesome and so strong in the church."

The Kerns

#2 - week of Feb. 9: "One guy named Adriano is my favorite, ha, hes so funny. So we were walkin across the street and he was walkin next to us and i started talkin to him and we set up an appointment for sat so sat we went to his house and started teachin him and it couldnt have gone any better. He was so into it and kept asking ?s and during the first vision he kept sayin "really?" and he was so excited and i could just tell he has been searching for the truth and he is just such a nice guy, ya know? Hes a really big guy and reminds me of a Tongan or Hawaiian guy that is always happy and smiling :) ha ha, i love him. and so we taught him and when we gave him the BOM he was like a little kid on Christmas morning and so excited and said he will read the whole thing and was flippin through it and kept askin bout Moroni and the plates and Joseph Smith and lookin at the pics. . ."

#3 week of Feb. 25: "Did i tell ya bout Oreovaldo? Man he is so good and I feel really good about him too :) so found him at home again last week and taught him the importance of the BOM and bout 3 Nephi 11 and it went great and he said he read it and loved it and said he'll pray now to know that its true so i hope he did! "

It has been Carnival this past week and Max said that Cavalhada was pretty much a ghost town, everyone was on vacation or at the beach, so the work was pretty slow going for a couple of days.

THE NOT SO GOOD:
#1 - week of Feb. 17: "So we had a few (investigators)that we were pickin up on Sunday morn and the one lady said she couldn't come cuz her feet hurt from workin all week and the daughter of another investigator said she already left to church so we were excited and hurriedly sped walk to the chapel but she wasnt there and so we waited for a while and no one showed up so we went to a payphone across the street and called everyone again, but nobody answered. So then we're just like, K, this is a joke, lets friggin go pick everysingle one of em up! ha ha.. so we made the rounds and nobody was home so we went back to church with our heads hangin low, ha ha, it sucked and we were so dang bummed, man oh man.. so we are gonna do every stinkin thing we can to help our investigators this week and I feel great about a lot of them!

#2 week of Feb. 25: "so this last sunday was a bummer again cuz we did all we could do get our investigators at church again and guess what?! yup, not a one, man its so frustrating so this week we are tryin new things and gonna have ta switch it up and do somethin different to get our investigators at church and progressing. I hope ta have some great news next monday! :)"

#3 week of Feb. 25: "remember Adriano I told ya bout? He was doin so good and we were on our way to his house and so excited to teach him again and we saw him out front as we were crossin the road and watched him walk inside and we got there and clapped out front the gate and a lady came to the door and said that he wasnt home so we were like what the heck? Why would he have her lie that he wasnt home ya know? and we said we'd stop by later that night so we did and he came to the door but didnt even come to the gate to greet us and just said he didnt have anytime right now and was busy and we asked when we could come back and he said he didnt know and so we left and were just in shock like what the crud happened ya know, it sucked. You can never be too sure with your investigators. So that was last week and we have stopped by everyday since then and called too cuz we have his number and nothin so we're just gonna keep on tryin.. so thats sad huh?"


THE FUNNY:
week of Feb 25: Max woke up to use the bathroom and says "i didnt put my glasses on and i had no idea what time it was but the sun was already startin to come up so i knew it was almost time ta wake up and when i got done i was walkin back into our bedroom and i saw somethin move across the floor in front of me but it was still pretty dark and ya know how bad my eyesight is, ha ha, so i figured it was just a dust bunny gettin blown by the wind but as i got closer it started runnin towards my bed and it was fast! ha ha and i was freakin cuz i thought it was a huge as spider so i flipped the light on and said, "Headley theres somethin on the floor" ha ha, and i moved my suitcase and there was a huge as cockroach and it was fast as crap and ran behind my bed and i couldn't kill it wit my shoe so we spent the next half hour or so tryin to find it and kill it and we finally did! ha ha man it was crazy, ha, anyways so that was an interesting story :)

"My testimony of the restored gospel and the Book of Mormon and our Savior grow every single day i am here and I am SO SO grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve right now. . . I can honestly tell you all that I really do know that this church is the only true church on the earth today and it really is Christ's church, the same church He himself organized and set up when He lived here. We have the fulness of His gospel and how great is that?!"

SECOND AREA * Office with E. Fernandes 12/31/08 - 2/4/09

MISSION OFFICE

December 31, 2008 through February 4, 2009
Max got transfered to the mission office on December 31, 2008. His companion is Elder Fernandes from Salvador.

Port/Beach & Skate Park in Porto Alegre

Elders Kirschman & Fernandes, Elders Robertson & Godoy (from Holiday, UT and Brazil respectively), Elders Maruji & Ritter (from Washingtom and Sau Paulo repectively) got to go to the port in Porto Alegre for a day and they saw the biggest skate park (Max was stoked) and the port - it was a fun outing!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX! - Mom made a photo blanket for Max for his birthday! All of the Elders were jealous.

The Elders got to go to the Temple and to downtown Porto Alegre. Here's an excerpt from his Jan. 31, 2009 letter:

"Oh man! on Wednesday we finally went to the temple!!! It was SO awesome and so amazing. i'm sorry but pics do not do it justice, it is so much more beautiful in real life and its up on this hill overlookin the city and its bout 25 min from the office. the grounds were gorgeous, with so many flowers and palm trees and the temple is amazing and the inside was even sweeter. its not even 9 years old - it opened in 2000 and it is so so nice. it was so nice to be able to feel the happiness and peace that comes from bein in the temple, the Spirit is always so strong, no matter what and its just what i needed. it was crazy in portuguese but i found that i understood a lot more than i thought i would and normally do in normal conversation and it was such a neat experience :) i hope we can go back soon. oh lemme tell ya bout the pics before i forget too - so last p day we went to downtown POA (thats Porto Alegre, ha ha) and went to that huge Cathedral and it was sweet and i got some pics of downtown and that statue in front of the cathedral in a park and of the temple.. hope you like :)"