Miracles Come AFTER the Trials

Hi everyone, well now that I have officially scared the crap out of my mom;) I would now like to send my email! Yesterday the free LAN house in our area the we go to email was closed and everywhere else here in Jardim da Penha was 10 reis for an hour of emailing. I am a POOR missionary, so my comp and I called our Mission President and asked if we could email today and he gave us permission.



Homemade Cookies



Last Monday my mom gave me the recipe to CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!!! We went over to Fatíma Maias house and made them. I also learned how to make amazing Feijão!! We then talked to a member who has a lot of non member friends and he invited some of them over and we had a family night at Fatímas home with cookies and Pão de queijo! Her husband, Geraldo, gave a HUGE message that allowed one of the investigators to really feel the spirit! He didn’t have time to for us to come and teach him a lesson last week but hopefully we will be able to meet with him this week!

                                                 Tuesday was amazing! We have a 15, almost 16, year old boy who has a GIANT testimony! The only thing that is keeping him from being baptized is his dad. His dad is a Baptist but Daniel, the son, has been going to church for the past 2 YEARS!! He reads the Book of Mormon every night and is so excited to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost! His dad, Wagner, told him that on his 16th birthday, which is in just a few weeks, he could use his free agency and decide for himself if he would like to be baptized!! We have also been helping Wagner with his English trying to gain his trust. We would love to see Daniel baptized sooner but we are NOT pushing it! After that we were walking back and Elder Torres took out his planner and had a feeling that we needed to try to talk to a guy we met a while ago. We walked all the way down this street and weren’t able to find his house. At the end of the street was a little park and there was a family there. I asked Elder Torres if he would ask the family if they knew where this apartment was. When they said that it didn’t exist and then asked if we were Mormons I was expecting the worst. I thought we were in for another Bible Bash but it didn’t happen! They were very nice and very interested.  They told us that they have been looking for a religion for a very long time. We sat with them at the park then they invited us into their house where we had a prayer and talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ. The spirit was SO strong! We ended with a prayer and they have invited us to come back this next week. This was a huge miracle for us and we were able to learn a lot of personal things during this time!

Wednesday we had another lesson with William. It was the FIRST lesson that he was really attentive and willing to listen and accept what we were teaching! Again, the spirit was so strong. I am so excited about his continuing progress.

Thursday was a little rough.  We are still working with the member who has not been confirmed.  We had asked the missionaries that were supposed to be working with him if they could please help us with him because we had a full schedule. On Thursday we asked them how he was doing and the one Elder told us “We cut him”! I was so angry. Wait…How can you cut someone? I have to admit, I freaked out! I can’t justify my actions and yes now I need to repent but I really don’t understand these two Elders and their lack of care and concern for this member.  My fear is that my companion and I will be transferred this next week.  We need to get him confirmed before the transfer.

Friday was awesome!!! We had Elder Eduardo Gavarret, a member of the quorum of the seventy, come and talk to us. It was amazing! I was so happy that I was able to understand what he was saying.  He talked to everyone about the mission discussed D&C 100:1. It was a great meeting and a privilege to hear from him!!

 Halloween Box from Home!

This is the last week of the transfer and I don’t know why but I have been a little nervous. I don’t know why but I have yet to feel like this is my mission. When I was in Colorado I honestly felt like that was my Mission. I felt like I had such a purpose there and really connected with so many of the people there. This week Satan has really worked on me and has used that as a tool to try to get me upset and nervous about things. For example, there are a lot of very sketchy parts in this mission where I really nervous about serving in. In Colorado I felt much safer and there wasn’t an area that I was worried about serving in like I am now. I have been discouraged about the language; not understand what people are saying and not being able to answer simple questions. I pray always and I have been trying my hardest to keep a good attitude but serving outside of your country is HARD!

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the freedoms and blessing I have living in the USA. I had a really hard time last night with all of this so I got on my knees and prayed to my father and poured out my heart. In the middle of my prayer

I almost fell asleep that is how strong I could feel MY comforter. After I finished my prayer I opened the bible to a random page, it was Proverbs3:5-6... I have never had this big of an assurance before in my life. I need not worry. Everything is going to be ok! Right now all I can do is believe. I love the talk, Lord I Believe, by Jeffery R Holland April 2013. I believe that this is my mission and I know that someday soon I will be able to say I KNOW this is my mission. Just as the apostle Peter taught "The trial of your faith is more precious than gold..."(1 Peter 1:7). I have been tried so many times in my life and the majority of my trials seem to have happened while I have been out serving, but the miracles and blessings that I have received are incomprehensible! I know that the lord knows me and will do what is best for me! He has sent me here for a reason and every day I look for those reasons that I am here! Transfers are coming in a week and "I’ll go where you want me to go dear lord!"

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Elder Stilson