Letter 11

06/01/2009

Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2

Our mission had a conference with President Dedier of the First Quorum of the Seventy.  He is the official representative of the Quorum of the Twelve, and he was coming here to see about our mission because of all the things that are being heard by the leaders of the Church. Presidente Queiroz said that he was coming to pass a judgment on the mission and to see if things really are as good as people are saying.
Due to the vast size of our mission, the conference was divided into three days. The first was in Zone Joinville where a third of the zones gathered. The second was in the city of Florianópolis where zones Florianópolis, Tubarão, and São José gathered. The third I haven´t the slightest clue about.
During our conference, he called on Elder De Jong and myself to teach him, in front of seventy or so other missionaries, all three zones.  We did so, but Elder De Jong was BRIGHT red and very nervous.  He was trying to test our techniques to see if we indeed merit the credit everyone has been giving us.
He was trying to be a very difficult investigator, and asked a lot of far fetched questions that usually a person never encounters all in a row.
However, we defended ourselves and Presidente Queiroz was very proud of us.
Turns out in the end he talked to Presidente Queiroz and told him we have one the best teaching missions in the world. Also that he is going to give his report to President Thomas S. Monson. So soon we will have a visit from an Apostle and then hopefully, if we continue strong, the Prophet himself.
So far during my mission I met three General Authorities;
Elder Richard G. Scott in the CTM, Elder Ellis (second councilor to President Dedier) in the mission, and now President Dedier who is over Brazil.
Hopefully I will meet another Apostle soon, and then the Prophet.
This week was very hectic, as we traveled to and from Florianópolis one day and then the stress from needed to be worthy to pass this Judgement.  We are still teaching Tomas but we are trying to find more people to baptize.
Hope everything is well with everyone back home.
WRITE ME!!!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway

p.s. the mission address for those who do not have it is as follows:
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Missão Brasil Florianópolis
R. Feliciano Nunes Pires, 42
Centro, Florianópolis -SC
88015-220
Brasilomas S. Monson. So soon we will have a visit from an Apostle and then hopefully, if we continue strong, the Prophet himself.
So far during my mission I met three General Authorities;
Elder Richard G. Scott in the CTM, Elder Ellis (second councilor to President Dedier) in the mission, and now President Dedier who is over Brazil.
Hopefully I will meet another Apostle soon, and then the Prophet.
This week was very hectic, as we traveled to and from Florianópolis one day and then the stress from needed to be worthy to pass this Judgement.  We are still teaching Tomas but we are trying to find more people to baptize.
Hope everything is well with everyone back home.
WRITE ME!!!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway