April 7, 2014

BELEZA!
Hey there Fam!
So this was quite the week!! I’m not sure if I will ever have a week like it again. First of all... it was the week leading up to General Conference. I don’t know if you still remember, but Conference is one of my favorite things here on the mission. Everyday we testify of a living Prophet that God has called, and it is very rare that we can actually SHOW them as well. So this entire week I was reading many Conference addresses from last Conference, and in every moment we were preparing people to hear the Prophet’s voice. My companion was impressed and often testified about my excitement for Conference. It was great because we actually found 3 less-active members/couples who were excited to come back and hear. So that was very fun, and it was also incredible how we can learn much more when we study the Conference talks in the Ensign in personal study. These talks are really meant to help us for the next 6 months and not just the beginning of April. I challenge you all to read at least one Conference talk each week.

The second special thing was with the interviews we had with President Souza. For everyone it was the last interview that he would have with them before he leaves (Except for me... hee hee I have a Final Interview to do with him) Something that is funny, usually my interviews with him have been very short because I don’t like to be selfish because I don’t have any problems and I know that there are other Elders that need it. But this time, I got a little greedy and I didn’t let it slide. Recently I have been studying about Virtue, and I have seen how President Souza is one of the great examples of virtue to me. In things such as Excellence, Order, Respect, Trustworthiness, Punctuality, Concentration, and Cleanliness. So I asked him what virtue means to him and how it has served him. Interestingly... he really didn’t talk about any of these things. He told me how we as humans are the Spiritual Nature of a God, but have the weaknesses of mortality. And how there are many things attractive to our eyes, but we must look out with the eyes of faith, so to avoid the dangers. The best was when he told me how he raised his family in virtue, and it really inspired me to do the same. It’s great to have him as my President, I couldn’t ask for better.

Then we had the leadership council. I really liked the training that was given because it was focused on working with the members. Something I have been wanting to help here in the mission... well for about my whole mission. Our Assistant Elder Dustin Young I met in the MTC, we were in Juazeiro together, we became Zone Leaders together and he has been my leader since November. He is the perfect example of kindness, and he is coming home at the end of the month. 

And of course the actual Conference was good. I always say that General Conference is the closest thing we have to a holiday..... Ha sadly though, this wasn’t the case this Conference. My companion wanted to organize to watch the Conference in our own chapel instead of the Stake Center. It was a bright idea to really help our investigators come and watch Conference but from the beginning I didn’t feel really good about it. I said that it would be a lot of work and I don’t want to worry about it especially during a time to receive revelation like in Conference. I told him we shouldn’t do it unless there was a member behind it and organizing it for us. Sadly my warnings came to pass. We invited A LOT of people as well as the other 3 duplas to this chapel. It was all going smooth but at the last minute everything fell through. Basically there was a problem in someone presiding. Anyways, Saturday and Sunday was mostly spent cleaning up that mess. But thanks to my companion’s sacrifice and taking the heat of it all, I got to watch Conference still. Just a little bit more stressed, but Conference calmed me down, and I have been able to continue forward positively.
Alrighty, So it was a good week. Pray for the couples I am teaching. Two of them are having serious marriage problems and they aren’t even married yet. The Lord will help us though.
Thanks for not counting down the days as well!!
Cya!

-Elder Zac Cetraro

March 31, 2014

Wooooo!!! College! Ó looouco!
I think maybe my anti-trunky defenses are slowly coming down. Actually, they are still surprisingly well, just constantly under attack. This transfer will be the first time in my whole mission being the oldest in the house and also in the Zone. Ha, so whenever there is a trunky thought in the Zone it is always directed at me because I am the only one that will leave this year (almost, actually my companion and Elder Wadsworth are leaving in November). I’m still really focused on the mission but when it comes to thinking about what attributes I want to develop I don’t really think of what missionary attributes I want, but more what kind of normal person I want to be when I get home. It’s weird, but it’s going. 

Thanks for signing me up for the classes, I approve them all.  I am actually starting to remember mais ou menos the people who use to be a part of my life..  It’ll be interesting when I come home... 

Anyways, my week was good. Tuesday I handed off my recent converts to the other dupla in the area. I went to their area but it was me who was showing them around to the work we had done there (almost ALL of our work that we have done was given to them). What we gained was an area that wasn’t worked that has a lot of potential that is closer to the chapel and with many more members. So once again, we are almost opening an area. But we still have the 3 couples we were teaching.

Something that was super special, last week when we passed our investigators, Geraldo and Jorgilane. This last week we saw that they were applying what we taught them and that they were being cured. They even made an effort to thank us, Thursday night they invited us to eat a "feast" with them. We entered into their house for the first time (we teach them on the porch) and it really is just one room with a bed, oven, dresser, fridge and television, and that’s it. They showed us around to explain a bit about their life and then we sat down to eat. It was a normal dinner, but to them it was a "feast", so to me it was one of the most delicious moments in the mission. Not only for eating an unexpected dinner, but to feel the gratitude of a humble and needy home. Pray for them.

Besides that it’s going good. I feel that the Lord is helping me work to my potential. I like my companion a lot, he is a reeeal help in the leadership efforts, he is real observant and knows how to evaluate the work of the Zone. The ward is continually thanking us for our efforts.
So yeah, good stuff. Until 65 more days.... heh.... right....

-Elder Zac Cetraro

Alrighty!

It actually was quite the full week. First, I decided that my comp reminds me a lot of my old boss from the Pita Pit, that helps me like him a lot! He has been a good companion, but it’s funny because we have been so focused on the work that it seems like I don’t know him very well. We did an exchange this week with Elder Whitt.  He talked with me once on a bus ride, and told me that he always wanted to be in my Zone, so I had a good time with him, good laughs as well. We got along instantly. He is in probably one of the best areas in the Zone, but their work needs to match it. Also, we redivided the areas inside of our Ward. When we got here the last 2 transfers that area was divided horribly, the area of the other Elders had all the members, everything close to the chapel, all the lunches and our house. Last transfer I wanted to do it, but no one felt like it. But now we did it!! So it will be interesting, I lost all my recent converts in the divide, but hey it isn’t about me.

I don’t know if I told you but for this month I decided to study Virtue. Something that stood out to me as I was studying is how President Souza is my perfect example of Virtue. He is super Honest, Focused, Pure, and has helped the mission change to a place of integrity with his time here. He always encourages us to excellence. I know that this is something my Heavenly Father wants to be a strong point in my life and wants me to follow in his footsteps and be an example in this as well. My whole mission I can see how President Souza has taught us about virtue and once again I have received a spiritual confirmation that he was prepared by God to be my Mission President. I love him, and what he has made of my mission. This weekend was Stake Conference and it was very good. President spoke in the two sessions that we went to. It’s funny how in the first he was super excited, and in the second super spiritual.

Sunday morning was a treat. We had 17 investigators at church!  We first passed by Emanuel’s and saw that his sister would be going. We then passed by another one of the families that doesn’t seem to have an end to family members and walked with them to grab a bus. It was 8 people and 2 men. Then we swung by Junior’s house and to our surprise, Elieudo, the father-in-law of their daughter was giving them all a ride.  Elieudo also brought his other daughter in law. These are people that we taught in the beginning of February but never made it to church, so that was another 7 people and a very good surprise! Oh it was great!Also it was very special to baptize Emanuel and then afterwards eat lunch with the lady who gave us the referral to teach him. Cool stuffs!

Alrighty, today I saw some Elders I knew from the other mission. I heard that some of the men that I baptized are receiving the Melchizedek priesthood now... YES!!! awesomeness...
Alrighty... gotta go love ya all!

-Elder Zac Cetraro

Muuuuuiiittooo Bom!!!
You know, my whole mission I have always had the belief that having a girlfriend while on the mission is not the best. But I remember one pro that I always noticed about the Elders with girlfriends. When they get good news from the girls, they get happy, and then they work good. Ha, but now I believe, who needs a girlfriend?!  I always get good news from the family, and I get happy!! Ha, I am sooo happy that my family has been so blessed during my mission. I know missionaries whose families are going through many tribulations while their kids are serving. It has been good for the Smith family since I have been gone. Awesome! Thanks for all the good news.

Anyways, for this week. This week was the last week of Elder Christiansen, and I’m not going to lie, it got a bit trunky. He tried to treat it as if it were just another week, but I don’t like that. When it is your last, you need to give your best!! We’ll see how it goes when I get there. Ha, but it was a very good week though.  Today in the Center I bought another Hammock (great.. I have 2 now!) and some cultural food... mmmm. 

I think Tuesday was one of my best days in my mission. First of all, we prepared training. I loved this training, and I think it was one of my best since I have been a Zone Leader. My companionship with Elder Christiansen has probably been the one with the most unity, especially in our teaching. But sometimes he would get lost, and especially in the trainings, but this time we prepared the training together and more importantly I helped him memorize it. So it went very well on Wednesday. But anyways, Tuesday was awesome because of the training preparation, but more because that day we marked 2 people for baptism this week (sadly it didn’t work out). Then after we had the Quorum President with us and we had 3 couples agree to get married and be baptized. This last Sunday we had 4 couples at church.... oh man! That was awesome! We had a lot of members and leaders very impressed and thank us for the work we have been doing, it was great. 

Ha, so Elder Christiansen left. I don’t know if you noticed but I have lived with him since October, so about 6 months. It was great to have him as a companion. He was a very loyal companion, and I could really feel of his love for me. He had his difficulties, but really it didn’t matter, he was a great companion. The mission is great.

Anyways, for transfers, about half the zone left. I am excited though, it’ll be good to be here and help direct these Elders to have success in their new areas and to help them make these changes. I’d like to ask you all as well to pray to help the Elders in my zone to baptize.  Por favor. My companion is Elder Packard, from Florida. I’ll tell you more next week, but he likes StarWars, so I’m psyched!
Alright, Love you all, and have a Great St. Patricks day! =D

-Elder Zac Cetraro

March 10, 2014

Oi Mãe!
Bom Dia!! It is my companion’s last P-day, so while we are in the Center, I think maybe we will do some tourist shopping. Ha, any suggestions for souvenirs? 

I’m glad you liked my last email. I try to spill out the good stuff. There are so many little and simple, but great things that happen everyday so sometimes its hard to share stuff with you all.

Speaking of changes, this week the Zone Leaders received the training for this month from the Assistants. This month we will be studying what I think (and I’m sure many others agree) to be the 2nd best chapter in Preach My Gospel (1st best is the 1st chapter that talks and motivates us about our purpose as missionaries.) Ch.6, How can I develop Christ-like attributes? Man it’s good! The Assistants really focused on the technical things in their training like baptismal invites. But as I have been studying and preparing this training I have seen how inspiring this chapter is for us personally as missionaries, but also for our investigators. I decided to give the theme as "Follow Christ’s Example" and we will really focus on the importance of us following Christ’s example (especially through studies in the companionship) And as Dad always taught, the best way to teach... By Example! So what we really need to do is always focus on Christ in our teachings for He is the example that God gave us. We often get caught up in all the technical part of the restoration, like Prophets, Priesthood, Apostasy, Joseph Smith. All these things are so foreign for the people we are teaching. We need to ring a familiar tone, and always focus our teaching in Christ and how we can follow His example.

This week Carnaval ended, and yeah it was a normal week.You asked about Riandra and Randerson’s Mom. So yeah, this week was funny because Luiz Alan, Alanice, and Riandra all had birthdays this week. So we passed by each day and gave each one of them a box of chocolates. I felt kinda bad because I’m not sure if anybody really celebrated it with them, there was no cake. I’m not sure if there were presents or anything out of the ordinary... the Mom really didn’t progress much this week, she still is going to church though. 

Oh my, Sunday was awesome! So I don’t remember if I told you about the random contact that Elder Galvão did a couple weeks ago. Well, after that it was a little tough to follow up on this family, and when we passed by them this last week, almost everyone wasn’t very interested... except one Jorgilane. She promised that she would go last week but her husband drank so she ended up not going. But when we passed by Monday night, we talked to her husband, Geraldo, and turns out that after our lesson with him many weeks ago, he actually prayed and after had a dream about Joseph Smith. So he had already decided to visit the church the next time we passed by. We left a Book of Mormon with them, and Jorgilane said she prayed and also felt that the BoM is very valuable. It was great to hear that they were praying together as well during the week. Anyways, they went to church and they loved it!

During Sacrament Meeting there was a girl who is leaving to serve a mission this week who was giving a talk. During the talk, she (Jorgilane) asked me what they need to do to be missionaries as well. Ha! I told her that she has a different mission, she needs to raise her baby boy. I could see that she was a little sad at first but she soon responded saying, "Well that’s alright, I will raise him to be a missionary then!" I then bore my testimony about the power that Moms have in raising missionaries and how mine really helped me. It was a very special moment and it left us both almost in tears. They are very excited to come back next week.

As for Junior, this week we were trying hard to talk with his Wife, Erbênia. This weekend we finally talked to her and now that her Husband is going she said she will go as well. They went with their family and they loved it. They gave us dinner last night and she said how it really has been a very special day and how she has been already feeling the unity in her family from going to church. We will start the paperwork for their wedding this week! Two awesome families! It’s going good.

Alrighty, there is a little bit about my week. Elder Christiansen is starting his last week. He is doing very well, it’ll be a good last week. I will probably stay for this next transfer and maybe I will even finish my mission here. But yeah it’s going good.
Alrighty, until next week my good family!

-Elder Zac Cetraro

Hey there!!

WOOT YAYY!! What a great birthday present to me?!?!  I am very happy, but it looks like you are faaarrr more! Ha, just about all my friends from the mission are studying at BYU. Ha, it’s a party house for return missionaries. Well, I don’t know what to say, it really just seems like the right option to me for now, I am sure I will like it when I get back. (Zac just got the news he has been accepted to BYU)

Alright. My Birthday. HA!! Well I sure didn’t spend the whole day in a hospital again like last year, but the way we ate I am surprised I didn’t. I woke up.... and I was extra pumped to do some good work outs YES! That was good, then my comp made crepes and I felt like I was drowning in sugar... Nutella, Creme, Peanut Butter, Syrup..... and Chocolate milk to wash it all down. I felt like I was eating the 5 basic food groups in the movie, Elf! But I was very happy because I knew they were all doing it out of love. Then we planned for the week... and as you know I love weekly planning. Then lunch was AMAZING. I don’t know how that Irmã knew but she made my favorite... Brazilian Pancakes! Yuum! I ate sooo much and then out of nowhere she whipped out a giant cake as well... Oh my! Oh it was lovely. It had chocolate hair on it like me. Ha, I liked it. I thanked them in the Lunch Message. I began to talk about my love for the great people here and I really couldn’t... I had to fight back tears and finished. But I left there so grateful.

I feel SO LOVED. If there is an abundance of anything here on the mission it is Love for the missionaries. Sure maybe everybody isn’t perfect and they don’t do everything that we ask but I know they have love for us and it’s their imperfections that hold them back not their love.

The rest of the day was great, we spent the whole afternoon on a bus with our two investigator Love Birds, who we helped sign papers for their wedding. Then at night... we worked! The best lesson would have to be with a man named Junior who for the last 3 weeks it was hard to talk with him because he was drinking and there was a death in the family. It’s incredible how God prepared this man. Before he was a normal wishwashy man who accepted to do everything but didn’t do it. This time we talked a bit about the Plan of Salvation to comfort him, then we talked how we need to prepare ourselves to meet God and how drinking drags us off that path. He accepted to stop. We then invited him to a FHE on Friday.  As we were returning home Thursday night I wanted to hurry and swing by everyone to remind them about FHE. My comp didn’t really want to, but we went. Friday, when we took Junior to FHE (the theme of the FHE was recognizing how the Spirit works in our lives) he bore his testimony about how when we passed by the night before he said to us that for sure he would go and he felt good about this decision. After work before coming home he had many friends inviting him to drink and party it up on the first night of Carnaval with them but he turned them down and now he was there in the FHE. He felt very good with this decision and he said after the FHE he felt a great peace and relief in his heart. Sunday was testimony meeting, and his stepdaughter who is a member took him to church and he went up to bear his testimony in testimony meeting. He said how it’s his first time seeking to be in a church and how this is his first time visiting, and he knows that God is very happy with him spending Carnaval at church. All this he said choking up on tears. Wow, he is proof to me of how the Spirit can change anyone, and how good the Spirit is to us as we repent and make good choices. Junior is very happy with how the Spirit has helped him.

Anyways... rest of the week... a lot of things. Well, we baptized two more kids in Espírito Santo´s family. Riandra and Randerson. It is super funny because their Mom since the beginning has been a bit irreverent and it doesn’t help to have her around in the discussions. But recently we have started teaching her and it is crazy how slowly she is improving as well. Before she discouraged her family members from being baptized... then gave permission for her daughter to be, then she visited, during the visit she talked bad but she came back this week.  Before she said she would never be baptized but now she said she will in a couple years maybe. Ha so that’s progress... the Spirit it working very well with her. It’s great!

Oh and probably I should say something about Carnaval right? So I don’t know what you guys know but basically it is just Marti gras out of control. Fortunately here where I work it is just like a normal holiday with everyone in the streets blasting music and drinking beer. But now everyone painted their hair bright colors and are throwing flour and throwing eggs at one another. Ha, I think about the Festival of Colors I went to, so they aren’t as crazy. I did fun stuff like that too. 

Cool, and to finish off I will put what President said in my email this week. In the Conference he said he has seen the growth of many Elders here during the mission. I asked him what he has seen in me. He said "Sobre sua curiosidade acerca de seu crescimento na missão, digo-lhe que você já chegou amadurecido, porque você aprendeu muito bem disciplina antes da missão. Na verdade, eu não tenho qualquer registro de problemas relacionados a você durante todo nosso tempo. Seu crescimento foi mais no sentido espiritual e de liderança, por conta dos conhecimentos e habilidades adquiridos. Parabéns!" or 

"About your curiosity about your growth during the mission. I would say that you already arrived very mature here in the mission because you already learned discipline very well before the mission. Actually, I don’t have any records of having any problems with you during our time together. Your growth has been more in the spiritual and leadership sense due to acquired knowledge and abilities.. Congratulations!"

So parents!! Go ahead and pat yourselves on the back for President said that I came well prepared to the mission. Know that you raised a well disciplined son that didn’t cause any problems here on the mission!! (after many many times being kicked out of sunday school.) Ha awesome! I was suuuuuuuper happy to read that.

I am a dedicated missionary and one of the first things I said to President Souza in our first interview was that I am not here to be a slacker and I definitely don’t want to disappoint  him or the Lord in my service. After all this time I know I have been fulfilling my purpose and boy it feels good!
Love you all! Good week!

Elder Cetraro

......Oh yeah, my birthday huh? Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes. I really don’t have much planned for tomorrow. My favorite day of the week my whole mission has been Tuesday because that is weekly planning day where we always make new plans and get psyched for the new week. I know lunch will be good! I also will being going downtown to be a witness in the wedding of some investigators, that’s awesome! Then I will probably just work! Which I love to death so I will be happy, and maaaybe, there is some sort of cake involved in all that. Hmm awesome!

Well well well, as for the week! uuuuh.... Ha well COM CERTEZA the highlight would have to be the Zone Conference we had. There is this new chapel here in Fortaleza where they just basically threw a bunch of everything inside. Parking lot, Chapel, Classrooms, Institute, Get-a-job place, headquarters for some other things, anyways... it’s a monster and has 6 floors! Ha, so that was cool.

During the Conference something very cool happened. In the last few months I have always tried hard to receive personal revelation to help the Zone. Whenever we give training, we share what the Assistants say, then I will try to put my own thoughts in there as well. My Companion sometimes questions me, thinking we should share it straight, and that is the obedient way to do things. When we did this last training with the Book of Mormon, we shared everything right, but I put in two little touches in the practices. One, was that we need to show people how much we love the scriptures as we use them. As we do, we will show by example the importance of reading the scriptures in their own lives. We need to teach the commandment of the importance of reading the scriptures. The second thing is, as we help people with their doubts and objections by asking them to Read, Ponder, and Pray about the Book of Mormon, we need to make it very clear that we are here to help them with their faith, and how the testimony of the Book of Mormon fits into the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So those were my two touches: Love for the Scriptures and Faith in the Gospel. Well in the Conference the Assistants followed up a bit on the Training they shared and had two different practices. Guess what the practices were about. Showing the importance of reading the scriptures, and teaching the first two principles of the gospel. WOW. So I don’t say this in a way that, they are copycats or stealing my thunder, or it’s my idea. But what I learned is that really, the leaders here in the mission are in tune with the spirit. These two touches I learned as I sought to prepare the training through the Spirit. That same Spirit talks with the other leaders in the mission. The Zone probably just thinks that those two touches I put in the training the other week came from the Assistants but it didn’t, it came from the Spirit. And the Spirit confirmed it one more time as the Assistants touched on it in the Conference. So I really did gain a testimony, that as a leader, I am inspired, and I am an instrument in God´s hands to help these missionaries here, and even more, learning myself!

In the Conference, Presidente Souza left his two Motto’s very clear. "He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother" and "Encantar e Surpreender". The Spirit really confirmed that these two mottos are perfect for my mission and that Presidente Souza also is a man prepared and inspired to be my one and only Mission President.  Also, My comp and Elder Villalba bore their final testimony before everyone. It was great. Yikes... I am next.

Also in the Conference guess who I saw?! My "Son" Elder Monical, and his "son", my "grandson" Elder Franco! Wooow! It has been a while since I have seen him, and it’s the first time I met my "Grandson".  Ha, and if you think that is great, my "Grandson" Elder Vasquez is now training, so that means that I met my "Great Grandson" Elder Thiemes! Ha! That’s right, here in the mission I am a "Great Grandfather" already, now that’s old!

Ha alrighty.... the rest of the week was pretty chill. I did another exchange with Elder Gregersen. We made a ton of a delicious shake that they just have here called Pó of Guaraná! Mmm.. also we invented the "Ants on a Log" shake which is Banana, Peanuts, and Chocolate.... Oh boy it is good!

Our investigators are good. This Sunday, Espírito Santo continued her streak of bringing a new person to church from her family and it was awesome because they were late, and this week 9 people all entered in and sat in the front. Good stuff.

Anyways that is my week for ya!
Good week for you all and thanks for the birthday wishes.
Love you all!
até mais!

-Elder Zachary Cetraro