Mitchell, week 91, Belem

I’m
RAPIDOLLA!!


Hey... sorry this weekly email will be a quick one..... I don't have much time. and I have to go Peeeeeee (They don't have a restroom nearby :P) hahaha but yea it stinked because we wasted like all of our morning waiting for our new washing machine. We have been without a washing machine for a month now, but the new one arrived today! But don't worry mom... my clothes don't smell that bad :P HAHAH!!! I am a pro at washing by hand this is the 2nd time in my mission that I was without a washing machine! :P #DA.MISH.LIFE :))

But yea this past week was actually great!! We helped out tons of people and this next week we will need to work even harder!! But yea church went great yesterday!! Had all of our recent converts at church and Carlos (Who got baptised less than 2 weeks ago) received the priesthood (priest) but that was awesome!! But yea he is doing so much better! Isadora will give a part of the lesson for the gospel principles. But yea we are really happy for the improvement that they have done! It also isn't raining as much, but still flooding in some areas.....

but yea I am excited for this next week..... its transfers and also on sunday i get to talk to y'all!!! whoopie! Ohh and I  got asked yesterday to give a talk next Sunday as well!!! I am pumped for that!!

I know that the work I am doing, is of the Lord! I love my companion and I love y'all!! Thanks for everything y'all are doing and I wish y'all a great week and a week full of happiness and miracles! 

Com amor e abraço,

Elder McCrea

Mitchell, week 89, Belém

Rain, rain, chuva, rain, lluvia, chuva, rain, chuva, дождь, and.....

MORE RAIN!!!!

This past week we got some rain! So here in Belém it usually rains like every day! (Normal) but the area that we work one of the neighborhood named Terra Firme FLOODS a lot and fast! So when it rains hard and fast the roads floods for like hours. It gets annoying because whether we are stuck in the neighborhood trying to go back home or visit the other neighborhoods or we get to our appointments in "TF" all soaked and late. But today I will make a great decision.... I will buy a umbrella! :P But yea the weeks are going by fast!!! This week I will make 1 year and 9 months on a mission!! CRAZY!!!!!!!!! But my son is doing great! This transfer will pass by fast (only 5 weeks- ends after mother's day) and then thats it! My son (Elder P. Silva.... the new missionary that I am training for 3 months) will end his training! :O but yea all is going good!!!! Just getting tons of rain lately and tons of flooding! But other than that we are doing great!! We have 1 baptism planned.... and the other elders in my district have another one as well! But yea all is good!! 

This past week I had a training meeting with all the DL/ZL in the zones in the capital Belém. and guess who I saw for the 1st time in like 1 year and 7 months here in Brasil. ELDER GALE (My MTC companion) and Elder Blackner (MTC district) I haven't seen them for that long because I have served a lot of my mission in zones a long way from the capital and the time I served in Belém they were transferred to zones far away. But WOW that was so weird seeing them and all!!!!!! But the training went great!!!! I learned tons of great stuff!

But yea my health is great!! My companion and I are excited for this next week!! I am grateful for all of my blessings and I know that Heavenly Father loves each and EVERY one of us! And he is ALWAYS listening to our prayers and wants the best for us! I know that Jesus Christ died for our sins and I am so thankful for the chance I have to repent and be clean of my errors I make every day! I love my job and I love my family and I know that families can and will live together forever!!! 

I hope y'all have a great week full of miracles and remember that it's easy to do a good turn daily and even to share the gospel!! Abraço e até aproximo semana...

Com amor,

Elder McCrea  

Mitchell, week 87, Belém

Another week passes by!

hey.. just a short email again!! this week was good! I am definitely excited for this next week though! why.... because we are finding great people every day!! but yea.... we are excited what will go down this week!

Crazy we are still in the winter season and it rains cows and elephants down here!!!! there is one neighborhood that we work a lot and when it rains everything gets flooded! it sucky because it makes it hard to get to our appointments and all. but yea last week was transfers and i am staying with my son! this transfer will be 5 weeks and one week just passed by but this next month we need to work hard with his training and all so he is all ready at the end of this transfer! but yeaa he learns fast and all he will be a great missionary!! A missionary that jokes a lot and is always in a good mood! My district is doing great!

but yea.... y'all got my box!! GREAT! :) ITS BULLET PROOF right?? :P did it get opened at all? (send me a picture) I want to see if I can send one more box to y'all here in 2-3 weeks or soo...... but yea that's great that y'all received it. if y'all can wait until I talk to y'all in maio and i will tell y'all what stuff is y'alls and all. :) But mom how is the box going?? Did you understand everything to put in the box?

how is work going mom? :P Liking it? :)) and Mariah and pops.... how's the windmills going?? I sure do love y'all so much! Thanks for everything! I wish y'all a happy week full of miracles and all! 

Lembra que Jesus te ama!! :))

Com amor,

Elder McCrea

Mitchell, week 86, Belém

PORQUE ELE VIVE :)

Hey, so I am alive!!! :) Sorry I haven't written a weekly letter to everyone in awhile..... but HAPPY FLIPPIN BIRTHDAY SISTER!!! ((: Gosh I forgot to send you something last week!!!! LOVE YA!!!! 

Gosh today was crazy!! We had a p-day with our zone (accomplished our goal for baptisms) we watched despicable me 2 (FUNNY!!!) :D And we also played basketballlllll :))) Gosh it's been awhile but I dominated 80% down low :P But that was fun and we also order habib's (Small pizzas) that was good!!! But overall the sun didn't come out and we had fun with our zone!! The month was full of baptisms and now we have to work again for the month of April.... the first 2 weeks will be a little rough because this next week is general conference and next week is stake conference!! CRAZY! but all is good!! We are working with a couple of people and this week we need to find new investigators. But my district is doing good!!

So this past week we had a baptism of a woman (young woman) named Isadora!! She is 23 years old and has a law degree (Very smart) but she has had been going to church for a long time and always has these good questions and all. but this past 2 weeks we have been working with her to pray and read the BOM/Bíblia to help her receive a response before the 28th of março and this past week she received a response!!!! :))) So that was a awesome baptism!!! :D Crazy though, on the day of the baptism our chapel ran out of water and we couldn't do the baptism in our chapel so everyone got into one car and rest went by bus. but we went to another chapel and the baptism went great!! I also made a cake for her baptism!! The cake actually turned out pretty good!!! :D (Talking about cakes.... this week we will have a ward activity "Manly cakes" where the men have to make the cakes and the women have to try it and all.... (judge) So I will make a cake that I made in óbidos that actually turned out pretty yummy!!! :D) But yea...... the baptism went great and yesterday her mom showed up when she received the Holy Ghost! \That was also very good!!!

But, this week will work with Carlos/Carla. They are brothers and sisters and they both have been learning and changing their lives for the better!!! Carlos has a rough problem with smoking.... so will visit them with our bishop (Who had a huge problem before he got baptised) So I think that will help him out a lot!!! But we will work with them both this week and see if we can help them enter the waters this week or next.... the small problem will also be that this week is General conference (GC!!! I haven't seen it since apr. 2014.... the last time in Oct. the area (Óbidos) didn't have satellite..... SO I AM SOOO EXCITEDDDD) But yea after this week we will have our stake conference next week!!! So it will be really crazy like 2 weeks without receiving the Holy Ghost.... but will talk with our bishop and all about that stuff. But yea we are excited for them both!!!

But yea I am doing great!!! This week is easter week and the church have a new website for Easter (http://www.mormon.org/por/pascoa) it's the good stuff!! (SEND IT TO EVERYONE AND THEIR DOGS) Now we will have a awesome tool to do a lot of contacts and help people know about our Savior and all!!!!! :D Heck yea!!!!!!! But yea I know that He lives and I know that He did everything FOR US because -HE LOVES US- and I know that!!! I am grateful for everything! I sure do love yall so much!!! thanks again for everything!!!! I will y'all a happy Easter and week full of moments happy and full of miracles!! ABRAÇO e até logo!!!

Com amor,

Elder McCrea

Mitchell, week 82, Belém

VISHHH!! ÉGUA PAI D'ÉGUA! NOSSA!!! WOW

THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY!!!! Well I am right now in the middle of Belém and I have a son!! I am training Elder P. SILVA! He is from Curitiba, Brasil! Such a great guy! HAHA such a greenie missionary..... excited and lost at the same time! HAHAH But its crazy because I am also lost.... we both opened a area called Canudos 2. Which means straws. But the area is right in the center of Belém! It's crazy that I am in the capital right now.... itS CRAZY and strange that I am back in the capital! I am sad because I got transferred and had to leave Óbidos!! I will miss the new chapel dedication and as well the weddings of the families!! But that's the mission life! But yea Elder P. Silva is a great elder! He learns really fast and has a big desire to help others!! But yea we are learning the area together and having fun!

Also this past week it was crazy because my boat broke down heading to Santarém and I missed my flight to Belém so I got to Santarém real late and had to stay in Sanatarém for days..... but yea I arrived in Belém midnight on Friday. Which was crazy because we only had like 3 days to work together but yea we both are really excited. Sadly the elders that were here before us really didn't leave anyone with baptism date so we are working from scratch!!! But yea all is good!! This past week was also a conference with Elder Cook with the mission. Sadly the day that I lost my flight and I had to stay in Santarém the signal wasn't the best and we couldn't hear everything.but also Elder Cook chose to have a stake conference with the stake that I am serving right now! So we got to see him yesterday! We had 2 investigators there as well and they really liked it! Gosh I felt the spirit SO STRONG!!!!! It hit me when Elder Cook was baring his testimony and he said.... "I know the Savior's voice and I know that he lives..." Gosh when he said that I was like THE CHURCH IS EVEN MORE TRUE!!!!! Gosh I felt the spirit so strong!!! But yea..... this past week was crazy!!!! 

Right now we both are working really hard to get to know the area and also the members and all.But yea I know that this church is true and that Our Savior Jesus Christ is in charge of this work and he talks with our beloved Prophet and Apostolos. I love my Family and I love my mission!! I can't believe that here in 4 months or so I will be going home CRAZY!!!!

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!! I love you all so much!!! I WISH ALL OF Y'ALL A HAPPY WEEK FULL OF MIRACLES! ATÈ LOGO... (see you later)

WITH LOVE,

Élder McCrea

Mitchell, week 81, Óbidos

Holy Cow!! I really don't have much time!! I am really out of time! The
internet today was horrible!! I had to send tons of time sending my
emails and stuff to the mission office and write my email to president
and wow its just rough to get everything done with the slow
internet!! But today was transfers and...... I AM STAYING!! I don't
believe it!! ITS CRAZY!!!! It's not for sure yet... but its like +70
percent that I will stay, but as of 17:30 today I haven't gotten a call
yet that I will get transfer. and also Elder Machado will stay as
well!! :) WE now will have 4.5 transfers together!! 
Crazy!! But this past week we have a baptism of Jackson (20 years old) neighbor of
Abinhoan (My 2nd person I baptised in Óbidos) But Jackson is doing
great!! He also received the Sacerdocio yesterday as well!! Again we
had his baptism early on Sunday because he worked on Saturday but the
baptism was small but sweet!! The Amazon river was great!!! It wasn't
that cold.... (Lately we have been getting tons of rain and that
morning RIGHT after the baptism it started raining tons) but all is
good!! My health is doing great!!! WE got our district Tshirt this
past week and they look AWESOME!! I also made a shirt of Marabá (My
2nd zone) it looks SWEET! Also a member traded me a Moto-taxi shirt
with my name for the Micheal Jordan shirt that you sent me mom! HAHAHA
The shirts looks great!! I am thinking to send y'all a box of all the
stuff that I got here in Óbidos at the end of March or something.

In the car was the 6 of us going to the river for the baptism of Jackson!!!

But yea the district is doing great!! 3/6 of us got transferred.... the
2 sisters in Oriximiná will get transferred and will have to close
their area (We don't know if it will be sisters or elders there....)
and Elder Bandeira got transferred (here in Óbidos) We don't know where
they will be going or with who in their new areas... just know that
they will get transferred. But yea the district is good!! WE had 5
baptisms this past month and this next will have a lot! Because soon
the wedding paperwork will arrive for the mateus/andrea and
Claudinilson/Poliane So we are excited for that and also here in 2
weeks will be the new chapel dedication in Óbidos!! So we are excited
for that as well!! But yea its crazy I am starting my 15 transfer....
just 2 more and that's it!! CRAZY HOW FAST TIME FLIES!!!!!! But yea I am
so grateful for that chance I have to stay here in Óbidos for more 6
weeks!! CRAZY!! But I am grateful for all of my blessings!! I know
that this church is true and the atonement of our Savior and Redeemer
Jesus Christ is real!

I love y'all so much and I hope that y'all have a SPLENDID week!!!
Elder McCrea

Mitchell, week 79, Obidos

ANOTHER WEEK FLLIIIEEESSSS BY!!!!

ALRIGHT!! I am doing great!! This past week was CRAZY!! First off we had a zone meeting in Santarém so we lost part of Thursday and Friday and got back on Saturday around 3am. But the meeting was GGREAT!!!! Learned some great stuff!! and yea we as a mission are getting ready for the visit of Elder Cook here on the 26th of Feb. But yea the meeting was great!! I got a card from Mariah!! THANKS SIS!!! I got your Christmas card! :P HAHAH!!! But yea it was a great boat ride!! We as a district ( Us 4 from Óbidos and the 2 sisters from Oriximiná) ate dinner right before the boat trip back to our areas at Subway on Friday and that was FRICKEN good!!!! It was good to do something together as a district because we 4 live far from the sisters and I wanted to do something with my district! But when we got back to our area we, Elder Machado and I were going after Bruno to see if we can let his mom allow him get baptized. He is 17 years old and will be 18 in Oct. but yea it was rough him mom let him get baptized!! But yea after like 1 month of Bruno asking her and we passing by.... she finally signed the paper and he got baptized EARLY Sunday Morning. So that was something new for me! But yea it was definitely a great, simple, sweet baptism!! We are grateful that she finally open her heart and let him be baptized. But yea this past week was crazy!!

We are working hard to find new people this new week! A lot of our investigators aren´t following our invites and all. But we will continue working with them, but need to find some "new flesh" But yea Elder Machado and I are doing great!! I cant believe that we both have 5 months together right now!! crazy! But I really think that this next transfer at the end of Feb. one of us 2 will be transferred. Its crazy to think that I only have 5 months left of being a missionary on the God's Army! Its crazy that here in less then  6 months I won't have a name tag close to my heart anymore.... It's crazy that soon I will have to return to studying and start my future family. But what I do know that this work that I am doing right now is of the Lord I am Eternally grateful for the chance I have to know the people here in Pará! I love my mission and I love Brasil!! I am really grateful for the people that I know, taught and helped here in Pará!! I love the people here and this Gospel! I know that families can be together forever!

I am grateful for my parents, my sister, family, and friends! I love you all!! I hope that you have a great week full of miracles and a chance to share this Wonderful Gospel with someone! 

con amor,

Elder McCrea

Mitchell, week 78, Obidos

WEEKLY!

Hey I am sorry! I am horrible at my weekly emails.... but I am still alive and kicking!! I just can't do everything during my email time!! but I want you to know I am grateful for your weekly emails! I am grateful that you both are great and Mariah is still alive as well! I know that the Lord is blessing you all!! But I am grateful for this chance I am serving a mission! And I know that this gospel is true! again I am sorry! I can't write much.....

but this past week we had a rough time..... we found out that the chapel dedication will possibly be in March now, also that a strong family here in the ward will get divorced, the young man that should have gotten baptized last week didn't happen because his "mom" (She really isn't the best mom in the world... doesn't really give much for him) wouldn't let him get baptized. (he is 17 years old.) But this week we will work with her and see if we can get her to sign. But the good news is that the apostle that will visit at the end of the month will be Elder Cook! :) Heck yea!! Whoopie!!!! Also the district is good! We will be heading to Santarem this week for a zone meeting and I hope it will get us more excited and we can learn something new!! But yea this past week was rough because we had a rough time finding new people to teach..... but we have faith that this week will be different and we will find the souls that want to hear our message!

But I sure do love you all and am grateful for all of my blessings and specially for you all!!! 

Have a great week!! and until next Monday!!! :)

Elder McCrea

P.s. AGAIN SORRY!!!!!!!! I promise next week my weekly letter will be better..... -__-

Mitchell, week 76, Obidos

POXA VIDA!!! A MISSÃO É LOCO!!!

WOW!! This past week was crazy! Well transfers was finally finished around Tuesday and I am...... staying in ÓBIDOS!!!!! :) HECK YEA!!!!! I love it here! Its weird I am staying plus with Elder Machado! WE both have over 3 transfers together and this is the 4th already! CRAZY!! But we are still getting along like bread and butter! (I think that's how the quote is...) But we are staying together for 1 more transfer and I really think one of us will be transferred for sure this next transfer (at the end of Fevereiro.) But I sure do love this guy! He is a great Elder and Brother!! (For those that don't know him... he is from Rio Grande do Sul (Southern part of Brasil) and has 7 months on a mission)

but yea this past week was tiring and crazy! we had a zone meeting in Santarém and the boat ride was great! WE got rain that night on the boat and wow there was all this annoying bugs that were attracted to the night lights on the boat. But that next morning (Wednesday ) we had the meeting. It was great!! I learned a lot of stuff and we (e. Machado and I) are taking the stuff in practice. We ended the training meeting and I stayed with an elder there in Santarém and we found a great young man with 18 years old and he has a lot of potential. But we had to stay there in Santarém that day because Elder Cruz (The new elder in Óbidos) arrived that night from Belém so we got to stay there in Santarém that night. But on Thursday morning, Elder Machado and I before we arrived at the dock to enter in the speed boat we went to Sister Glaucia/Brother Elismar (The family that I taught in my 1st area) that got married and are going strong right now! She has a calling and the family is just doing GREAT!!! I always try to see the family when I am there in Santarém! But I talked with them for awhile and left them with a spiritual thought. But we were rushing to get to the dock before 8am. Ohh and during that morning it was raining cats and dogs there!! but we got there on time but we then had to wait for the other 2 elders that will go with us. But they got there late to buy the passage so then we had to wait until 1 pm to catch the next speedboat to Óbidos. That was a bummer that we really couldn't do anything for those hours waiting on the dock. But when we finally got to Óbidos that afternoon on Thursday we went right to work!! we wanted to cut (With love) the souls that aren't really progressing but we worked hard to find people that could have potential to be baptized and will go to church as fast as possible. Because a lot of our investigators are AWESOME and will get baptized but are just waiting for their wedding paperwork to arrive. But the last days of the weeks we were trying to find people to teach that have potential! But on Saturday night we found a family that is great!! They have a lot of potential!! 

But also this week was crazy because I got called to be District Leader for the elders here in Óbidos and also for the Sister in Oriximina (A city 3-4 hours by boat) So its crazy now! But I am also excited at the same time!! But this week we will have a baptism of a daughter of a investigator named Maria Fabiane. Also this past week we got some GREAT news that the new chapel will be dedicated on 21st of Feb. so that means that I will be here for the dedication of the chapel!! :))) HECK YEA!!! Plus the next week the 28th is when we will have the conference with the apostle. :) So these month and next month will be full of miracles and many wonderful things will go down! :D Heck yea!! 

But yea I know that this week will be great! We will talk with many people and teach new souls that want to move and change their life for the better to get closer to our heavenly Father and receive the blessings from heaven!! But I know that the church is true and has the full organization with a prophet and 12 apostles and the same authority that Jesus Christ organized when he was here on earth. I love my job! Its crazy to think that here in 5-6 months I will be going home but I know I will be working hard these months to continue helping people and souls fee the love that our savior has for us! I am grateful for my savior I know that he died for our sins and we can receive perdão if we have faith in the atonement of our savior!  I love my family there in the states and my other family here in Brasil!! I love you all!!! 

I wish y'all a happy week full of miracles and blessings!! and remember to always say your prayers and read the scriptures daily! :) Até próximo semana! (Until next week) 

Com amor,

Elder McCrea

Mitchell, week 74, Obidos

2015!!! WHOOPIE!!

All is good here in 2015!! I don't know when was the last time I wrote my weekly email to the family but nothing BIGGGGG has happened..... Its just crazy how fast time flies during my weekly email time and just really how fast the week goes by!! We are starting the last week of our transfer already! I am feeling that I will get transferred. BUT really I dont know what to write... all is good! This pasted week I was pretty sick. Had a stomach virus or something but as of right now I think it gone away. But Elder Machado and I are working to help a young woman named Diessica get baptized this next Saturday. But the 2 families that are still waiting for the paperwork of their marriage, are doing great!! Poliane and Claudenilson were at their farm/ranch this past week. They should be getting back today or tomorrow. And Mateus/Andrelaine are doing so great!! Both families are really excited about their marriage and baptism! :) But talking about marriage.... CONGRATS ON MY BEAUTIFUL MOMMA AND OLD FART POPS ON 30 YEARS OF MARRIAGE!!!!!!!!! CONGRATS DAD AND MOM!!!! I love y'all!!!

But the new chapel here in Óbidos is all ready to go!! It all depends on the City Hall to do their stuff. But really I hope that I can stay here this next transfer and see the ward start using the new wonderful chapel! But yea the ward is very excited to leave the old chapel "house" and move to the "real" chapel! :P Today President Scisci wrote a email talking about that here this next month an apostle will visit our mission!! HECK YEA!!! 

 This next week we will have a zone meeting in Santarém so I think I will ride by boat and speedboat for the last time on a mission. (I hope not.... I LOVE THE AMAZON)  but really It's crazy to think that 2014 passed by so fast and so much has happened and it's just even more excited to see what will go down in 2015! I sure do love this gospel and I know that the temple is the house of the Lord. I am grateful that our family is sealed for eternity 30 years ago and I know my "future" family will be sealed as well for eternity! I am grateful for missionary work and the chance I have to help the families that live in my area. I know that this gospel brings many blessings in my life and I know that the Book of Mormon and the Bible is the word of God!

I hope y'all had a great Natal and a wonderful new year!! Remember to set high goals of 2015 to help you grow spiritually, Mentally, materially, etc. and just work hard for these goals!! I am grateful for everything that I have and especially for my family in the states and for my big family here in Brasil that I am serving!! I love y'all so much!! 

With Love and a BIG HUG!!! 

Élder McCrea