Talk about the middle of nowhere!

Dear friends and family

This week was pretty good. We worked a lot, and I go to sleep every night feeeling sore, and I sleep pretty well. 

So, we visited this one city way for out in our area. It was amazing! We taught many people, and miracles happened there. It was great. all six missionaries in our district piled into this small 4 five seater car with food and everything we needed. We drove an hour and a half out to this area obscure and far away. It was fun...everyone crammed into this little car. We get to the town, where pretty much no one lives, and start sharing the gospel. and everyone was receptive there. Several said they wanted to be baptized, now, and one said he'd consecrate his house to be a church, and another said he'd build a church for  the people to meet in. Overall, it was pretty amazing. After that, we returned, and had a normal week. But well be visiting this city for a while, preaching, serving and doing stuff.

Anyway, that's been our week.

Elder Shurts

our baptism this week. His name is Ineias, The branch president baptized him.

 Some pictures of me:

when we all went to cazuza Ferreira

Talk About Some Water!

Dear friends and Family,

So this week was really good. We worked really hard, and helped a lot of people. So a miracle that happened yesterday was that 7 people were baptized. It was amazing. They were amazing. We baptized Raqueal, Juberto, Oliver, (one family) Claudia (one person) Maria, Iolasio, and Inara (the Alessandre family). Seven people! It was so exciting. Lots of water, and lots of spirit. I went on splits a lot this week with other missionaries, and witnessed other miracles as well. Like this one grandma who had been seeing missionaries for 16 years asked us when she was going to be baptized while I was there! And a mom, who was about to kick us out of her house...because she was very passionate about her own religion, had us stay, share a message and asked us to come back simply because I was American. haha. Here, Americans are rockstarts. Its kinda funny. 

Last but not least, the language. I am understanding a ton more. I am able to understand people way better, and have actually had some pretty long and good conversations with people. Its amazing how fast I'm learning the language. I have faith that Ill become fluent, and I'm working so hard, I'm always studying words. and the Lord is speeding up my learning. Its amazing. Only eight weeks in the field, and I'm able to speak this much. It's a miracle.

Elder Shurts

Training with President Campos

Splits with some fun elders

Pictures before the service

More baptism pics

Happy Elders!

Lots of people at the baptismal service

The Allesandre family (look how tall that elder is!)

Happy Elders!

FIRST WEEK OF 2016

Dear Friends and Family

Ok, this week was good, and a transfer week. So I am officially the only american here in the area, which means a lot more portuguese now. So this week was pretty great. 

One family we taught is amazing. The dads name is Alessandra, and I forget the other names (because Portuguese names are REALLY hard for me to remember) but its a family of four, and they have three cousins living with them. They came to church so willingly, and just love us. We brought them and 7 other people to church yesterday.

So I have a funny experience to share. I was walking of the sidewalk leaving the house where we had lunch. and I was talking to Elder Ferreira, and out of nowhere, my head bashed something. and there was a big ~Cooonnggg~sound. bewildered, and in complete surprise I keep walking wakling, but turn around to see what I hit, and I hit the edge of a gate garrage door. In order to better understand how the gates work, Every single house has a iron fence with spikes on top for security (because brazil is dangerous, although caxias is super safe) and in the fence they have these gates. and when they open, they lift up in a wierd folding way. well, the gate was at the perfect height for my forehead, and found a pretty nice target on my head. surprisingly, all I got was a nice bump, and little cut, though I hit the gate much harder for just that. So, I was blessed to come away from bashing my forehead with only that.

So, those are the big things that happened this week. Remember that christ is always there for you. He loves you, and knows exactly what your going through. He didnt die and suffer on the cross for now reason, he did it so that he could succer his people, and lift our burdens. So pray, and ask god for help. Christ wants nothing more than to help you, he knows what your going through, and he knows how hard it is, and wants whats best for you. Remember that. If the whole world seems to be falling apart around you, remember that christ knows how it feels, and will help you if you ask him.

Sincerely, Elder Shurts

Christmas! A Celebration Beyond Description!

Dear friends and family

Hey ya'll,Christmas was fantastic. I was able to call my family, and have a Brazilian Christmas. What is a Brazilian Christmas like. Its like this, For Americans, the big day of Christmas is the 25th, Christmas day. Wake up, presents, and everything's a frantic excitement on the 25th. but here, its the 24th, and just the evening. they party all night, have Tons of Churrasco (Meat barbecue thing that's really good) and we eat a ton. it was at a members house, and the food and desserts were fantastic.  Then the next day was really weird. Everything was silent. Not a sound was heard anywhere. Its like everyone was sleeping from partying all night. But we went to a members house, and had lunch there, which was pretty chill, and we ate a big lunch there again (left over Churrasco ´sh-u-ha-scu[) then the special day for missionaries, skyping our families. it was awesome. I freaking love my family, and calling them was especially fun, because I was also able to see Michaela through the laptop while they were skyping her. The rest of the week was pretty normal.

Elder Shurts

A Few Rocks Should Do the Trick

Dear everyone.

Well, this week was awesome!!!

We had a miricle happen the other day. We were walking in this little town, with only on a dirty muddy road, It was raining that day too. So, we clapped at this house, and then the next, and the next without success, and this went on for while. So we decided to stop. Ferreira picked up rocks, and asked which one he chose. I picked this one, and that, but I didnt choose the one he chose. Then he said, îts easier if you ask me^then said that we need to make a prayer to find him that god has chosen here, and who is ready. So, we did, I said the prayer. After the prayer, he asked which was we should go, left, to the other town next door, or right to return to Serrano where our investogators, and teach one of them. So, I had the feeling that we should go right, and return to our investigators. But on our way, we passed this one house, and Elder Ferreira stopped and was like ^Go make contact with that family^since he saw these people sitting on the porch of this house, and he felt impressed to have me go make contact with them. So, we decided to go, and I clapped hands, and it was an amazing experience. There were nine of them, this big family, and they were so very exited to see us, they talked, I talked a lot, and it was pretty awesome. It was like they were waiting for us to stop by because they were like, ^sure, come in, teach us a quick short message^!! A miricle definately happened here. and the grandpa of the family stopped us and was like, how am I going to know you church is true when there are so many others out there saying different things. and we were like, Îm so glad you asked that, and expressed that, can we come back another day and talk to you guys more (since it was getting late, almost 9Ç00, and we needed to return), and of course they said we good, we set a date to come back, then left to go home. But that was awesome.

What I learned from this is that you will only know whose ready to accept the gospel of you ask God, because only he knows where they truly are. I~ve learned that we are virtually incapable of doing anything without God. He~s given us our bodies, our spirits, our families, our time on earth, and most importantly, a way for us to return back to him through Christ~s amazing sacrifice. Remember Christ this christmas. Its not about santa, or Recieving toys and candy. Its about Christ, who was born to live a perfect life, suffer and die for us so that we may recieve the chance to live with our families forever and with the one who created us and loves us more than we will ever comprehend in this life, God, who is our Spiritual father.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Elder Shurts

Happy Birthday to Bernardo

Hey y'all, its been pretty much the same deal this week as last week. Only this week, we taught a very choice and cute family.

So, the day before we taught this family, we had the idea to make a cake, and buy a present for Bernardo. A kid who is turning 8 today. and so we did that, and asked a member to make the cake for us, because we didn't have time.

Anyway, we brought the cake and the present in with our little letters in it. and we sang, and he opened his present, and read the letter. and when he was reading the letter we wrote, a tear went down his face, and was so grateful, and I just felt so so good. The family is poor, and they cant afford cake or toys for their kids for special occasions. So they were so touched, and I was so grateful to God that I was able to be a part of that. and we ate the cake, and talked a little. Then we had our lesson. The lesson was so special. So so special. we gave a lesson about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and talked about temples. But the coolest and most tender part of the lesson to me was this.. and I need a little back story. Elder Ferreira and Almeda (Elder Alva~s companion) taught them when we attacked that area^, and committed Bernardo to baptism, and asked the mom and him to pray to God to ask if the church is true, and if their message is true. and so today, Ferreira asked if they did that. And they did, and she testified to us that it was true, and told us that she's going to follow the example of Jesus Christ, and be baptized. and She got really emotional about it too, and the same thing with Bernardo. They both received an answer to their prayers. and after the lesson, we asked the mom to give the prayer, and while she was praying, she started to cry, saying how she was grateful that we remembered her son's birthday, and for her response, and I felt the spirit so strong then. that was the miracle of the day. God loves his children. I know that this is an elect family.

So, this is big miricle that happned this week!!

Elder Shurts

The birthday boy family

Dallin Loved his Christmas tree from home!

Week 2 in the Field

Hello everyone. 

my second week was pretty busy as well. and whats a good week without a lot to do. But, all this begginning of the week, weve had so many meetings nad stuff. Like, for almost every morning, somethings been happenning. Busy busy busy. Either a zone meeting, or a district meeting, or other things. We teach all day, and have meetings all day, and walk around all day. Its pretty dang sweet!!

So Im sure your all wondering whats its like on my mission, In Caxias! and Serrano! well. where I prosylite, there are only cobble stone roads, and theyre really really bumpy. We walk everywhere , and there are tons of hills. THis place is a lot like Oregon per say. Its super green, trees are everywhere, and it rains a lot (not like Oregon though, this is preiodic rain) and like no evergreens Ç(. Which is really sad. 

So the people are the nicest people ever. They give us so much food, and love to talk, and are humble and kind. They are all awesome people. There are many families I have become friends with. The only problem is that their names are too difficult to remember, and i dont know their last names, and that im not fluent in portuguese. but other than that, its the bomb.com. 

And the language! the language is coming a long, and imroving much much faster than it did in the CTM. Im learning a lot of words and learning how to speak better. I think in a few more weeks, ill be able to do a lot more things, simply because i can speak better. But, one of my favorite things here is Chemarrao. Its a drink of grass pretty much that you drink out of a rounded wooked cup through this fancy metal straw. and pretty much everyone here has them. Rare is the day that I go without Chemarrao

and last but not least, we had our first babtism this past week. A sweet old lady. and after that, we had a little program, then it turned into the ward christmas party, with really good food!! It was fantastic!!!

Love you all, and make sure you thank God every day for the things you have!

Elder Shurts