Feliz Natal De Novo!! (Merry Christmas again!)

It was super sweet to talk to you guys on Christmas, even though it was super hard to speak English hah, I need to practice my English more with my comps. You guys looked so good and I'm glad that everyone came like Raejeane, the Southwick's and the Neal's. It meant a lot and wished I could have talked more. 

Ha ha mom I want to talk like a Brazilian before I come home but its pretty hard I want to try to lose it in my last 11 months but we'll see. Last week we had another baptism. I don't have the photos but another Elder has them he has to send them to me so I can send them to you guys! But he is a really cool kid his name is Julio and he really likes me. He's always sticking around me and talking to me its funny. This week we also have a lot more baptisms so I'll send you some pics next week. We brought 8 people to church and we also have a standard in the mission like how many lessons we need to teach, new people we need to find and things like that. We doubled it last week and we are definitely seeing the blessings from this. We set a goal at the beginning of last week to do this because it was the week of Christmas, so we knew it would be hard to get people to come to church and to teach people but it worked out for us. We actually had like 20 something people tell us they would come but only 8 came. 

We have been teaching an older lady, Laura. She is 87 yrs old and only has one working eye. Her working eye starting to hurt and she almost went to the hospital on Sunday instead of going to church.  But we promised her that if she went to church her eye would stop hurting and it did. This really showed how powerful our calling's are.  Like it promises in the scriptures that we have this power as representatives of Christ and that he wont let us promise false blessings! This week we are planning to baptise Laura, Julius Cesar, Lucas, Kawan, Italo and maybe a few more.  So I ask you guys if you can pray for them so that they can be baptised this week!

It's raining a ton here right now so we weren't able to do anything today but we did play volleyball and basketball in the morning.  But there isn't that much to say just pray for my week to be successful because it gets crazy here for the New Year.  It will be even harder for us, but I'll also pray for you guys! 

Eu the amo e ter um feliz ano novo! (I love you and Happy New Year!)


And mom I fixed my retainer with super glue! So don't worry about sending another one.

Elder Mauter

Burning shirt to mark 1 year 

Feliz Natal Família!!!! 

This week went by super fast! I was transferred and now I'm in a trio with two other zone leaders Elder Silva that's from Sao Paulo with 1yr and 6months and Elder Queroga who's from Argentina and with the same time, but they are two of the best missionaries in the mission. They have strong testimonies and we have been working a ton here in Panatis which is in Natal! Finally I got to leave the interior haha but I know that I will learn alot with them being trained to be a leader. Its only been half a week and I've already learned a ton!
We have a pretty big group to teach here that we found and we got to baptize a kid named Wesley yesterday which was really cool. Actually a 16yr old recent convert received the priesthood and got to baptise him! Its so cool to see the miracles in our work here and how strong the testimonies of these recent converts develop so quickly and they are so excited to do the work of the Lord! This 16 yr old Daniel was baptised 3 weeks before and has already baptized 3 of his friends passing references to the missionaries. But this Sunday was his actual first baptism that he did. He was pretty nervous about memorizing the name of Wesley haha but he did good! Last week we also had 7 people go to church with us, the parents of Wesley who are divorced and the dads girlfriend. Wesley's mom is pretty cool, I got to talk to her alot and she liked going to church alot last week. It was her first time but the dad and his girlfriend don't talk too much but they are cool people. We are hoping to teach them and I'm sure it will take a lot of time and work but we are up for it! We also have been teaching a girl named Ana. She is super cool and we are preparing her to be baptised this week, shes 14 yrs old. We are going to help her uncle prepare to receive the priesthood so he can baptize her. He has a few things he needs to work on for this to happen so it would be good if you guys could pray for her and her uncle Celestino!!

But the coolest part of my week is that we have been teaching 4 deaf people. One is Ana's brother and the other 3 are his friends and they are 20+ yrs old. They are all super cool. Last week when we met with them they were joking with me saying that they saw me in a boxing movie hahah. Ana knows sign language so she translates for us and we are going to learn some signing too. I know a couple of things like "nice to meet you" and how to say "I'm from the USA" and baptism! So if you see us in pics making a thumbs up but side ways this means baptism! Two of them got to go to church this week and they really liked it. It was a miracle that we have a member in our ward that knows sign language so he was able to be with them translating the whole day.

Last week was also pretty cool, me and my comps went around caroling to our investigators which I didn't like to do before but it was pretty cool as a missionary haha! We did pretty good, we had people crying and laughing at us but it was a pretty cool turn out! I can really see the blessing's of the Lord in our work here, pray for my investigators and try to be better each day.           

eu te amo e estou animado pra ver vocês esta semana!!! 

Elder Mauter 

December 14, 2015

e aí!!!  (Translated "what's up!!!")
I got the package you sent me last week at the mission conference, but i only got one of them! But hahha its a lil too late now mom you should have told me not to open the stuff because I already opened everything!! Thank you so much!!! haha me and my comp were laughing at all of the stuff you put in my package. I liked you creativity with the Christmas tree haha and with those Christmas tree scents. I put all of them up in my room. It was pretty good timing because our house was starting to smell a ton.. but thank you for the cool ties and the games, like Jenga. I think every night since I've played this outside with my neighbors because they don't have this game here.  It's so hot here now, feel like I'm playing ball but I like it.  I don't think ill need anymore socks or pants mom i still have a bunch i haven't even used yet i think ill start giving my old pairs away cause i have like 5 i haven't used yet. 

Catholic Square in my area

My comp doesn't like to do anything in the house but i laid into him this week because it was getting annoying he's a cool kid but lazy.. but its all good transfers are this week idk what will happen I'm pretty sure I'll leave this area but a part of me doesn't want to go. Yesterday at church the Bishop asked me to bear my testimony because I told him ill probably be leaving this week so it was a cool experience and i was glad i was able to share maybe my last testimony and gratefulness for this ward that I have really learned so much from. The Bishop also said a few words about me after i spoke which was cool and i think he was trying to jinx me because he told me ill stay her for 7 months haha but that was really cool I've never had a Bishop do that for me here!

But last week was pretty busy we had our mission conference Tuesday and our President talked alot about the doctrine of Christ. But this conference was really left up to the missionaries because everyone did a lil skit at the end that took up alot of time. It was super funny because there's this kid that imitates our President perfect and was joking with him about everything he says ha ha. But its cool cause our President likes to joke around alot too. 

Last week we found this really cool girl, she is 18 years old and a friend to one of the members here. We invited her and her cousin to church and they loved it.  I'm pretty sure they will let us teach them more. So that's another reason i want to stay. 

At another missionaries house having to use Tupperwear
to drink and a spatula to eat with cause there is
 usually nothing in the missionary houses haha

That's cool that you guys went Christmas caroling on our trailer with the youth last week. I never liked doing that, but it seems like you old people do! Did Gavin end up helping in the activity or did he bail out?  Gavin those pic's of your jumps look sick! Your getting some big air now! i showed all the Brazilians I'm with right now and they don't believe me that was my brother haha! 

Last week since it was my one year anniversary in the mission I burned one of my shirts to mark this.  But I forgot my camera at home so ill send you the pic next week! Freeeak Robbi got engaged! They better wait another 11 months haha. I hope Grandpa does well in his treatment. I'll ask my comp to pray for him too this week and I hope finals go well for everyone too haha good luck!

But love you guys

Elder Mauter




December 7, 2015

UM ANO!!!!!!!  (Translated ONE YEAR!!!!!)

I've finally made it to the last page in my calendar. I remember when you were writing my one year mark at home mom and i was thinking wow it'll take forever to get to that point but it has literally passed so fast. If i find time ill try to write those things you wanted me to write down in my journal. I have literally been slacking writing down what happens in my day every night so just be prepared when i get home cause there wont be a lot.  You can just read my emails over again if you want hahah! 

Last week went by pretty fast and I got burnt a ton by the sun cause its just getting hotter out here. But we are working a ton out here with the leaders to help build up the faith and desire of the members in our ward.  We have been passing by the Bishops house alot to give him ideas and he also gives us some and i have really seen a difference just in our friendship and trust we have with the Bishop. I can also see this because his wife will always  cook us something(;   But yesterday we also wrote up a pretty sweet plan to get this ward started up with activities and stuff but I'm pretty sad because i think ill leave in a couple weeks and these activities wont start until next transfer. But I know the work will continue, so i hope everything turns out well! 

These ladies have always given me free
 hamburgers and hot dogs ever since I've been here.

We have worked really hard in this area and I think i know everyone here... but tomorrow we are going to have our mission conference so that will give me a boost to finish out this transfer strong.  But everything is going good here just no baptisms but we have found people to teach. Thank you guys for fasting and praying for me and my comp it really means alot I know the Lord is blessing us because of you guys.  I'm glad that party went well mom and all of the girls liked it! Dang i see Gavin, hes starting to get some big air now haha but still looks like he needs to hit the gym or eat some more McDonald's haha!!! But i have to go my comp is being annoying and trying to leave so ill talk to you guys next week love ya!

Elder Mauter

Christmas Tree in Natal

olá família!!

Hahha mom, dont worry I'm still alive out here in Brazil! Last week the computer house in my area was closed so i didn't get to send an email to you guys because of it. But it was funny to get a call from the mission Secretary telling me that you sent him a worried email.  He actually told me i could use the internet that day but i knew you guys were at the dunes and plus i already marked to visit some people after lunch that day. But i loved the pictures that you guys sent me from the dunes.

Ill try to send you guys some pics of my area because its looking really cool right now with all of the christmas lights up and stuff. I dont walk with my camera here because they say its dangerous and plus my camera is huge haha! I haven't seen anything yet in this area and I've been to all of the dangerous parts here trying to test it jk mom(;. But i know no one will mess with me, I'm too big.

In Natal (which is only 50 miles away) Christmas is a big deal since Natal means Christmas in Portuguese and was named that because it was founded on Christmas day in like 1599.  There is this huge tree put up with a bunch of lights, its pretty cool.  If you want to look it up.

It sounded like everyones quads, dirt bikes, rails, razors broke down at the dunes last week- that sucks. I hope you all can get them fixed quick. Thanksgiving wasn't very cool here hahah. One of my favorite members here was going to make us a big Thanksgiving meal that day but she got called into work so she just gave us money to buy food so we bought some pastels for our big lunch hahha.(Pastels are like empanadas).

 I also bought some ingredients to make cookies which i made later that night and but they didn't turn out too well so i ended up not even trying them when they came out of the oven i just threw them away haha. So if you have a recipe i would be thankful!! But I did make some cookies yesterday after church when we were waiting for lunch that took so long... I almost died of hunger but they turned out well this time i know you would be proud(;

Last week me and my comp have been working hard to find people that are married. So it won't be so hard to  get them ready for baptism. We are determined and working hard this week to find people who are wanting to here our message. I'll tell you how it goes.

Read up about captain Moroni in chapter 48-50. When he is preparing to go to battle with the Lamanites.  Really study and think not only about the battle and how he prepares his armies and cities against the Lamanites but also the significance of how we can prepare ourselves against our trails and tribulations in our life. I'm pretty sure you'll find something cool because thats what I studied yesterday and thought it was really cool. I know not everytime we see what the BoM is trying to teach us, but I can see when I really stop. Every time after I read I think and pray i can find something interesting and spiritual that I can put in my life. 

I loved hearing from all of you guys this week. haha thats funny that those girls said that about me mom.  But mom you better be doing your job and getting me the numbers of some pretty girls for when I come home!!

But I'll  keep all of you guys in my prayers. I love you guys. Pray that me and my comp can find people to teach here so we can finish out this transfer strong, these last 2 or 3 weeks. 

Love Elder Mauter