Ummmmm Hmmmmm

Dear Family,

It's so good to hear that everyone is safe and sound. Happy and healthy! I'm doing very good here, the work is progressing and I'm crazy for missionary work!

This was a very good week! Elder Enout got here just in the nick of time. He is an awesome missionary but he isn't my companion. My companion is called, Elder Leite (Leite is milk in português). Elder Enout is a really awesome missionary and an awesome friend! When he started his mission, I was in Santo Ângelo. He is a very excited missionary and fearless. He is Elder Swingle's comp. and now he is very happy! We are working a lot in four, always switching off companions.
This week we baptized Jonathan. He is the only one that hadn't been baptized in the family but, the family had fallen away. Now the mom has returned and we are working with the father. But, he was never really strong in the church so it is more of a conversion that he is needing.

We were also able to take Tabata to church. If everything goes right we will baptize her next week. Yesterday we went to her house and were about to teach the family when it started to rain. We then here someone clapping outside(that is how you knock doors here). One of the little girls went outside and invited the person in. Guess who it was? ...the sisters! They were going home from church and the family lives on the border of our areas. They didn't know that we were there and only knocked because they needed to get out of the rain. It was a really good experience and they could help us invite and have everyone in the family promise to go to church! It is the family of nine/ten that I told you all about! What a blessing it would be to baptize that family before I leave! Pray for them.

Today and tomorrow we will have the council meetings! I am very excited. It will be my last and I will have to bear my testimony! Wish me luck and please pray for me!

Thank you so much for your love and forces that you all give me!

Love,

Elder Zimbelman

My last transfer

Dear Family,

I have written two emails that have gotten erased because of the internet and I am afraid that I don't have much time left!

Well my wish has been granted and I will be staying here for my last six weeks. Everyone has been asking me if I am doing alright, if I am getting trunky. I tell them that I'm working a lot harder than they ever did ;) and that I'm going to work until the end!

We are working a ton here and really seeing some people change! We are working with a lot of families and could really use your prayers. Thanks for all of your love and support in the past and I can really feel it and appreciate it.

Well, President has sent in a Brazilian that is a good worker and will take the place of Elder Breinholt that ended his mission this transfer. He was really burnt out and so this should be a great change!

Love you guys!

I'll write more next week!

Elder Zimbelman

P.S. Elder Mott is in the best area in the mission! Vila Julia! The day he got in President called me and I was able to talk to him and get him excited to start his mission in the best area in the mission! His area baptizes about an eighth of the missions baptisms! Awww, Lucky!

Talk to you all later

A lot

It's been a while and a lot has been going on
inside our home but
also a lot inside my heart and head.
Lots of thoughts and feelings and time spent sorting through them all.

Yesterday morning while I was doing a pump class after aerobics I picked up a hand weight and felt something sharp poke my finger right near the joint.
I looked closely at my finger but couldn't see anything.
I inspected the weight and found nothing...

So I went to my spot and continued my workout.
Every once in a while though, my finger hurt again.
I would stop, look closely, scrape the skin but nothing helped.

This finger continued to feel as if it had something in it but no matter what I did I couldn't get relief. Luckily it only bothered me occasionally.
This morning as I was making breakfast it hurt again. I went upstairs and retrieved my reading glasses, tweezers and a sharp pin. Downstairs in the the bright lights of the kitchen - with the help of my glasses
I saw it...them really, two small metal slivers.

These past weeks have been full:
a trip to Mexico,
visiting with Aaron, Celisa and Olivia
then the earthquake in Haiti,
a friend in the process of dying from cancer,
wanting to help but not sure how,
a dear friend visiting,
Robbie coming home soon,
Amy, Jordan and Ruby visiting,
a week of being sick,
trying to get organized - and actually having some success
but also realizing how much there is to be done.

These past few weeks have been rich, heart wrenching and joyful
especially spending time with children and their families.
During this there have been moments when I have felt a stab of pain and heartache as I come face to face with my own weaknesses and inadequacies.
How often I have wished I was better and at the same time felt very grateful that my family and friends are so forgiving of me when I fall short.

Life is about growth and improvement.
Just like putting my glasses on gave me a clear view of the slivers,
theses past few weeks have helped me see more clearly the areas in my life that I need to work on. I feel a little more grounded and have hope that even if I never become perfect in these areas I can improve and that the pain I sometimes feel as I clearly see my imperfections will be less and less as I improve.

And really, it's hard to feel bad very long with sweetness like this in my life. I am so blessed.

I decided to stay

Dear family,

Thank you all so much for your love and support for me! This week has been especially good thanks to all of your prayers on our behalf.

Well I talked to President and said that I wasn't very happy with the area but that I would decide if I was going to stay or not. I had been praying to know if God wanted me to stay or if I would be of better use in another area. On Monday I was going to call President with my response. That night we left and went out to work. We taught two families and then went to a reference that a member told us about. She didn't even enter into the house with us, she is kinda crazy but, introduced us to the family and left.

We sat down with the family and they are really an awesome family! There are 9 in the family and they aren't members of any religion! The mom works making bracelets, necklaces and sandals. They are really cool, I even thought about taking some home to the women. So, if you are interested, place your order. Anyways, they are really special and for sure will go to church but now they don't have very much time. Please pray that they will be able to progress! There names are; Beiur, Lucineri, Rodrigo, Tabata, Tanata, Raiani, Luciele, Neri, Naumi and Eva. Rodrigo is Tanata's boyfriend. All of them are more than eight years old except for Naumi and Eva!

After this find I called up President and told him that I wanted to stay!

We also are working with another family that went to church this week called Tiago, Suellen, Marialena and Taylan. They are really open and believe what we tell them but they go to an African religion that is pretty out there. It has to do with talking with spirits and saints and reading cards and other stuff like that. They are really good people and we will see if they will change. But, if not,at least we planted the seed. Pray for them!

This week we also had two baptisms! Rogers and Gabriel. Here they don't have the chip reader do send you the pictures but there Rogers's family is really special! His parents were baptized some time ago but for whatever reason stopped going. After the baptism I was able to walk and talk and really have a one on one with Regis, Rogers's dad, and express my love for you all and the necessity to be married in the temple. He told me that for sure they were going to come back to church and prepare to go to the temple! That means three more baptisms with Rogers's brother and sisters and also maybe I will be able to get another family sealed on my mission! Pray for them!

This week has really been great and I am working my heart out until the end of my mission! I'm excited to see you all but just in the end of March!

Love you guys, Pray for us!

Elder Zimbelman

26

Aaron at 26

Aaron has always been a hard worker and he also knows how to work smart. When he was young he finally realized that when there was work to be done he may as well get in and do it. Often, by the time the other kids began working he was done and gone.
When he was in second grade his teacher requested a conference with Aaron, Mark and I. Mrs. Burns noticed a pattern in Aaron's work. He would get 100% repeatedly and then not turn in an assignment. He seemed to be doing just enough work that his grade averaged out to a solid "B".
He's grown up a lot since then.
He married a wonderful woman and has a beautiful daughter.
He loves those girls more than anything...
He works hard for them
as he finishes his masters and is working away on his PhD.
You've come a long way in that past 26 years.
We sure love you.
Happy {late} Birthday!

A Week of Miracles

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for your love and prayers! They really have helped me this week! We have had an excellent week and I'm very excited to tell you all about it!

Last week a member brought a friend to church. His name is Rogers and his parents are members that have fallen away from the church. He is 17 years old and really has been prepared to receive the gospel! I was on division the first two times that he was taught. On the third lesson his friend asked what lesson we marked the baptismal date. We said that was normally the next lesson but asked, why, and if they where already thinking about the date? Rogers asked if we baptized on Sunday we said that normally on Saturday. Then I thought convenient to add that he needed to go to church at least two times. He did the math and said alright, my baptism can be next Saturday! Wahooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!Yesterday he went to church and we also taught him the Plan of Salvation. He loved it and is way excited for his baptism! Pray for him!

Jonatan

I'm not sure how much I already told you about Volnei, Andréia, Jonatan and Mariana? They are a family that is very especial! Volnei and Andréia have been inactive for 7 years! They were very firm in the church for some time until some member offended them. They have a few others excuses too. But yesterday Andréia and Jontan went to church! Jonatan has been two times now but for Andréia it was a huge leap! Jonatan could be baptized this week but we will see if he is really prepared. Volnei will need the most work of all. He drinks and it also looks like he hasn't forgiven those that offended them. Please pray for him.

Alright, coolest experience of all! We were working the day that I got back from the division and Elder Leite thought of someone that he had taught with another missionary. He remembered that they hadn't returned to teach him. We called the missionary and discovered his address and he gave us permission to teach the man. When we got there he already started giving us excuses and telling us that he already "knew the word." Hmmm. So I asked for some water. He got some water and I opened up to him. I explained that some times we insist because we want to help everyone that we can. Before I could even ask for a reference he started to talk about the neighbor. That she had lost her son some time ago and really could be blessed by a message!

On splits in Santa Maria

We went straight to her house. She was outside drinking chimarrão under the tree. We arrived, I presented myself and my companion and offered a message about; where we came from, why we are here, and where we go after this life. She said ignorantly, "I'm sorry my son but, no one has come back to tell us, and no one really knows." I have never felt SO happy to say that we know without a doubt and that we could explain it to her! She said, "alright, I'm catholic but you can share your message." We entered and started talking and she already started telling us about the problems in the catholic church. She said that she even had corrected the padre and had taken he bible there to straighten him out! I laughed and agreed with her. Well, we taught her an unplanned message about Christ's Ministry and life after death and she totally opened up to us. many of the things she told us are too sacred to write in an email but all in all she wants to change churches! Haha! The only reason that she didn't go to church yesterday is because she had to stay at home and take care of her grandchildren. But she has already told the neighbors that she will become part of the church! Her name is Mail and her husband's name is Alayir. Pray for them! Especially because I will go to Santiago in division this week and my comp. will be taking care of everyone.

My comp. is very good! He is from the Espirito Santo, from the same stake as Elder Borlot. He is just 10 months in the mission! Pray for him too!

I am doing awesome! Thanks for all of your love and concern for me and everyone around me! I love and pray for you all!

Love, Elder Zimbelman

Crazy Week

Dear Family,

This has been the craziest week ever!

First of all we had the Leaders council. But it looks like we ate some potatoe salad that didn't agree with our stomachs and where vomiting all night long on Monday. Which means that we couldn't go to the second part on Tuesday. We are all doing fine now. President says that I'm looking skinny so I'm trying to put on some weight but, the food is good here and I've been pretty fat my whole mission so that shouldn't be a problem.

Second, on Friday we had Zone Conference! It was very spiritual and I got so excited that I couldn't keep my mouth shut! I'm pretty sure that everyone got annoyed with me but, whatever :) Then after Zone Conference we had two baptismal interviews that were really cool.

One of them is a woman that the Sisters in our district are teaching. She is a cool lady, her name is Olinda. She had visited one of our baptisms. At the baptism I was conversing with everyone and I asked if she had been baptized yet. She responded, no. I asked her what she was waiting for, she said she didn't know. She had been taught by many missionaries but just needed to be challenged. I invited her to have an interview with me joking. She laughed and I didn't think anything else of it.

The next day the sisters called me up and said that she wanted to be baptized! But, what's even cooler is that she wanted me to baptize her! So, on Saturday I baptized her! It was pretty amazing how simple it is sometimes to just invite people to change. But if you don't invite them, they will never change.
So this week was really really hard to work! Next week I will be doing a division and working for three days in another area. Pray for me!

Other than that, everything is going great! Thank you for your prayers and emails and everything.

Love,

Your Elder Zimbelman