3/10/25 - Zone Conference

This ones going to be extra short, my bad. Im going to try to get better at writing emails sooner.

We had zone conference this week! It was pretty good! Sister Queiroz spoke for 2 straight hours then we ate lunch there and then we listened to more people talk for a few more hours. There of good things talked about, I'm just writing this very late.

This week has been cooler than the last few weeks and there have actually been clouds. Today it actually rained for the first time in 4 weeks.  

I hope you all have a great week! I'll make sure to write a better email next week.

Tchau

Elder Bliss 

3/3/25 - 6 Months!!!

I don't have a whole lot of time because of, yet again, procrastination. My bad.

 

I hit 6 months on Wednesday!!! We celebrated by buying pizza that night! 

And on Thursday was Pokemon Day! So, we did a pokemon themed trivia gameshow sort of thing.  It was really fun even though I came in last place point wise.

The rest of the week was pretty chill. Carnival has started which means everyone is traveling🫠. So a bunch of people have canceled on us, but we'll figure this next week out. It should be fun. 

On Sunday we didn’t have lunch with a member so us 4 Elders in our ward got together and made a sunday lunch.  Which included Brazilian rice (which I learned how to make, it's actually really easy just some onion and garlic), crunchy chicken, coke, and ice cream for desert. It was realy fun and it tasted really good. 

Quick spiritual thought

A quote that ove shared before but that i like a lot is, "Our joy has nothing to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives"

This week I lost focus of why I'm out here on a mission and our purpose as missionaries, but I have found it again.  We are here to invite others to come unto Christ. That is our purpose.  And that should be our focus.  One of the best ways to learn how to bring others unto Christ is to learn how Christ taught. And to learn the Characteristics of Christ and how to become like him. We do that through reading his words, the things he taught while he was here on Earth, and how he treated others.  We find these things in the scriptures.  So, my invite to you this week is to read the scriptures in the parts where Christ taught personally.  Either 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon or in the Bible and find something unique about how He talks, how He teaches, or how He treats others and try to apply it to your life to become more Christlike. 

I hope you have an amazing week and an amazing carnival!!

Elder Bliss

Here's my Google photos

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8

2/24/25 - Massive Bible Bash Being Sick and My Birthday!

Oi everyone!

Well, I'm 19 now!!!

I had my birthday on Friday and it was an amazing day! We went to Outback Steakhouse for lunch, I got a steak and it was delicious!  While we were at the mall eating Outback, I got a beautiful copy of The Hobbit in portuguese with a beautiful cover. I'll but some pictures on the end of the email. At the end of the day we were planning on having a little party with pizza, cake and ice cream.  We invited my mission dad, Elder Beaumont (my first trainer), but he couldn't come.  So me and Elder Spencer went on a little division and went to pick up some stuff from the store, and when we got back Elder Beaumont was in the house waithing and we had a super fun party!!

Last Monday I started Feeling realy sick, and I had a 102 F fever.  So We stayed in the house all of Tuesday.  We talked to the Mission Doctor and he said I ether had the flu or Dangue.  But, I was better within a few days so I'm not sure what it was. 

The Bible Bash: We marked a lesson with this dude and we showed up at his "house" wh.ich was his place of work, a Barbershop. His brother was there and he called his brother over.  we ended up having an epic 1 hour tagteam bible bash with these two brothers.  There were times when just one of us would be talking, but near the end they were both talking and we were having basicaly 2 bible bashes, then at times we switched people and bashed with the other brother.  It was epic.  And in the end no one wins, but we always have the knowladge that we are arguing the truth!

Random thought: We tried some imported japonese ice cream that was fish shaped and had red beans inside.  It was not very good.

We were a little late to sacrament meeting again this week cause we were picking someone up for church.  We were early enough to take the sacrament this time, and the sacrament realy is super special.  The sacrament is the time when we can renew our covenants with God.  We can realize our faults from the last week, and try to become more like Christ.  So, the invitation for this week is to remember why we take the sacrament and to really try to make it the most special part of the week.  And if its been a little while since you've taken the sacrament, go to church this Sunday and partake.  It really is the most special part of the week and an oportunity to become better and to focus your life on Christ.

Until next week!

Elder Bliss

Here's some photos and the google photos!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8

2/17/25 - 1st Week in Jabaquara!

Aperently I like procrastinating so here's another sort of AI created Email!!

**Oi família e amigos!**  

This week has been an adventure! I had the opportunity to open a new area with Elder Wright, who has the same amount of time on the mission as I do. He is super fun, and we’ve already made some funny videos together!  

One interesting experience we had was while trying to visit someone. When we arrived, there were two police cars and four policemen standing in front of the alleyway where he lived. They all had their guns drawn, and one of them was holding an AR-style rifle—so we decided it was best to just keep walking!  

Sunday was a bit crazy too. We were late to sacrament meeting because we were picking up someone we’re teaching—along with his friend, who we didn’t even know would be there (a win anyway!). But we ended up taking the wrong bus, which meant a 20-minute walk to their house and then a 30-minute walk back to the chapel. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for all of that, so we got there late.  

Today was awesome because we got to hang out at Josué’s house—he’s a legend in the mission! He helps a lot of missionaries, even ordering Ubers for them. He gave Elder Wright a customized Neymar *Santos* jersey with both Neymar’s name and Elder Wright’s on it. And he said he’ll make one for me too! I’m still *Corinthians* through and through, but I’ll take a free personalized jersey.  

I also met my mission grandpa while he was on his way back to the States! 

Also, our ward mission leader is amazing—he helps us out a lot!!

One thing I’ve learned is how important member referrals are. If you know someone who could use the gospel in their life, reach out to the missionaries! Your help makes a huge difference in the work.  

Love you all!  

**Elder Bliss**

Here's the google photos 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8

I don't know if I can put videos on an email, so just look at the google photos or you can ask my mom for it!!

2/10/25 - Transfers!

This has been a fairly slow week because of the end of transfers

On thursday we were walking down the road and there was a random dude who was either drunk, high, or both laying in a hammmock playing the guitar just doing his own thing without a care in the world.  So, we sat by the side of the road under a tree and listened for a while.  It was a fun little break from the sun.  He never even relalized we were there.

Transfers dropped yesterday and I'm going to (actually in right now) Jabaquara in zona Sul with Elder Wright!! Elder Wright arrived with me and we lived together our first transfer and he is really fun! And my trainer, Elder Beaumont, spent 6 months in Jabaquara and he loved it here. So, I am super excited for this transfer!! Also, I am senior comp for the first time so, it will be interesting leading and opening an area.

Quick spiritual thought:

I can't remember who it was by, but there is a talk about some country in Africa where they had a year or so without missionaries.  In that year or so, they had 30-40 people baptized into the church.  When the missionaries came back to the area the ward mision leader/ bishop said to the Elders, "Ah, now that you're here you can help us with our work!"  It is so important for the members to be involved with Missionary work.  Missionary work really is the work of the ward.  We're just here to help teach people what we believe.  So, make an effort this week to find a way to share your beliefs with someone, then send a reference to the missionaries, and visit the person with the missionaries.  This will not only bring blessings to the person you are helping, but to you also.  One of the best ways to strengthen your testimony is to share it!! 

Have a great week

Elder Bliss

Google photos 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8

Elder Wright and Elder Bliss back in Vila Luitza 

2/3/25 - Rain and Water

Olá, friends and family!

The weeks keep flying by! (looking back from the end. They can get pretty slow during the week.)  We have arrived at the last week of the transfer already!

It rained a lot this week.  Almost everyday.  At times, the water was flowing down the street like a river! it was crazy!

On Tuesday we did a division with the district leader, I went with his comp Elder Peres Plaza who is still in training.  We went to lunch with the president of the elders quorum who invited us to do missionary work with him.  Of course we accepted and he drove us around the rest of the day and basically did all the missionary work.  It was an easy day to be a missionary.

 

During this week my companion got sick so we stayed in the house all day.  And then the next day I got sick so there wasn't a whole lot of work done those 2 days.

We had the baptism of Julio Cesar this week!  It was really amazing!  A really special day for everyone!

I bought a Cavaquinho today!  Now I just need to learn how to play samba! 

Tchau, até mais 

Elder Bliss

Here's the google photos along with a video of the rain.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8

1/27/25 - An ant infestation

Well, another week has past and I have pracrastinated yet again.

This week was interesting to say the least.  

There were ants in a bunch of my things and they made a collony in my portible battery and part of one of my suitcases.

I sent my sister a prompt for ChatGPT about my week. Here is what is said. Some of it is incorect, do with it what you will.

Olá, friends and family!

This week in Mawa has been full of great experiences! One of the highlights was a hike we took down a trail surrounded by both forest and houses. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was a cool walk, and it gave us the chance to meet a few people along the way.

Another memorable moment was joining a family for their Family Home Evening. It was someone’s birthday, and they surprised them with cake and decorations. You could feel so much love and happiness in their home, and it was a reminder of how important family is in helping us feel joy and peace.

We also had a super fun activity with the kids in the ward. Since it’s summer here, they set up a bunch of food and water games. We had a blast throwing water balloons, but the funniest (and maybe most dramatic) moment was when one of the other elders slipped and split his eyebrow open. He ended up going to the hospital and had to get stitches. He’s doing fine now, but it definitely added some excitement to the day!

Finally, we’re preparing for something very special—this Sunday, a man we’ve been teaching is getting baptized! He’s so ready to take this next step and make a covenant with the Lord. Watching his testimony grow has been such a blessing for me.

I’ll leave you with a quick spiritual thought from Alma 37:6-7: “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.” This week reminded me that little moments—like a kind word, spending time with others, or even water games—can lead to big blessings and change.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. I hope you’re all doing well. Até mais!

Elder Bliss 

(Alright, back to actualy me)

Here's the google photos, tchau!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8